[ { "country": "Antarctica", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "US coastal stations include McMurdo (77 51 S, 166 40 E) and Palmer (64 43 S, 64 03 W); government use only except by permit (see Permit Office under \"Legal System\"); all ships at port are subject to inspection in accordance with Article 7, Antarctic Treaty; relevant legal instruments and authorization procedures adopted by the states parties to the Antarctic Treaty regulating access to the Antarctic Treaty area to all areas between 60 and 90 degrees of latitude south have to be complied with (see \"Legal System\"); The Hydrographic Commission on Antarctica (HCA), a commission of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), is responsible for hydrographic surveying and nautical charting matters in Antarctic Treaty area; it coordinates and facilitates provision of accurate and appropriate charts and other aids to navigation in support of safety of navigation in region; membership of HCA is open to any IHO Member State whose government has acceded to the Antarctic Treaty and which contributes resources or data to IHO Chart coverage of the area", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "7,764 (2012)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".aq", "AREA": "total: :14 million sq km; land: :14 million sq km (280,000 sq km ice-free, 13.72 million sq km ice-covered) (est.); note: :fifth-largest continent, following Asia, Africa, North America, and South America, but larger than Australia and the subcontinent of Europe", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Antarctic Region", "LOCATION": "continent mostly south of the Antarctic Circle", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Antarctica; note: :name derived from two Greek words meaning \"opposite to the Arctic\" or \"opposite to the north\"", "MILITARY___NOTE": "the Antarctic Treaty prohibits any measures of a military nature, such as the establishment of military bases and fortifications, the carrying out of military maneuvers, or the testing of any type of weapon; it permits the use of military personnel or equipment for scientific research or for any other peaceful purposes", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "Antarctic Treaty Summary - the Antarctic region is governed by a system known as the Antarctic Treaty System; the system includes: 1. the Antarctic Treaty, signed on 1 December 1959 and entered into force on 23 June 1961, which establishes the legal framework for the management of Antarctica, 2. Recommendations and Measures adopted at meetings of Antarctic Treaty countries, 3. The Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (1972), 4. The Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (1980), and 5. The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (1991); the 33rd Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting was held in Punta del Este, Uruguay in May 2010; at these periodic meetings, decisions are made by consensus (not by vote) of all consultative member nations; by April 2010, there were 48 treaty member nations: 28 consultative and 20 non-consultative; consultative (decision-making) members include the seven nations that claim portions of Antarctica as national territory (some claims overlap) and 21 non-claimant nations; the US and Russia have reserved the right to make claims; the US does not recognize the claims of others; Antarctica is administered through meetings of the consultative member nations; decisions from these meetings are carried out by these member nations (with respect to their own nationals and operations) in accordance with their own national laws; the years in parentheses indicate when a consultative member-nation acceded to the Treaty and when it was accepted as a consultative member, while no date indicates the country was an original 1959 treaty signatory; claimant nations are - Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and the UK; nonclaimant consultative nations are - Belgium, Brazil (1975/1983), Bulgaria (1978/1998), China (1983/1985), Ecuador (1987/1990), Finland (1984/1989), Germany (1979/1981), India (1983/1983), Italy (1981/1987), Japan, South Korea (1986/1989), Netherlands (1967/1990), Peru (1981/1989), Poland (1961/1977), Russia, South Africa, Spain (1982/1988), Sweden (1984/1988), Ukraine (1992/2004), Uruguay (1980/1985), and the US; non-consultative members, with year of accession in parentheses, are - Austria (1987), Belarus (2006), Canada (1988), Colombia (1989), Cuba (1984), Czech Republic (1962/1993), Denmark (1965), Estonia (2001), Greece (1987), Guatemala (1991), Hungary (1984), North Korea (1987), Monaco (2008), Papua New Guinea (1981), Portugal (2010), Romania (1971), Slovakia (1962/1993), Switzerland (1990), Turkey (1996), and Venezuela (1999); note - Czechoslovakia acceded to the Treaty in 1962 and separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993;; Article 1 - area to be used for peaceful purposes only; military activity, such as weapons testing, is prohibited, but military personnel and equipment may be used for scientific research or any other peaceful purpose; Article 2 - freedom of scientific investigation and cooperation shall continue; Article 3 - free exchange of information and personnel, cooperation with the UN and other international agencies; Article 4 - does not recognize, dispute, or establish territorial claims and no new claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force; Article 5 - prohibits nuclear explosions or disposal of radioactive wastes; Article 6 - includes under the treaty all land and ice shelves south of 60 degrees 00 minutes south and reserves high seas rights; Article 7 - treaty-state observers have free access, including aerial observation, to any area and may inspect all stations, installations, and equipment; advance notice of all expeditions and of the introduction of military personnel must be given; Article 8 - allows for jurisdiction over observers and scientists by their own states; Article 9 - frequent consultative meetings take place among member nations; Article 10 - treaty states will discourage activities by any country in Antarctica that are contrary to the treaty; Article 11 - disputes to be settled peacefully by the parties concerned or, ultimately, by the ICJ; Articles 12, 13, 14 - deal with upholding, interpreting, and amending the treaty among involved nations; other agreements - some 200 recommendations adopted at treaty consultative meetings and ratified by governments; a mineral resources agreement was signed in 1988 but remains unratified; the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was signed 4 October 1991 and entered into force 14 January 1998; this agreement provides for the protection of the Antarctic environment through six specific annexes: 1) environmental impact assessment, 2) conservation of Antarctic fauna and flora, 3) waste disposal and waste management, 4) prevention of marine pollution, 5) area protection and management and 6) liability arising from environmental emergencies; it prohibits all activities relating to mineral resources except scientific research; a permanent Antarctic Treaty Secretariat was established in 2004 in Buenos Aires, Argentina", "TERRAIN": "about 98% thick continental ice sheet and 2% barren rock, with average elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters; mountain ranges up to nearly 5,000 meters; ice-free coastal areas include parts of southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land, the Antarctic Peninsula area, and parts of Ross Island on McMurdo Sound; glaciers form ice shelves along about half of the coastline, and floating ice shelves constitute 11% of the area of the continent", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :local systems at some research stations; domestic: :commercial cellular networks operating in a small number of locations; international: :country code - none allocated; via satellite (including mobile Inmarsat and Iridium systems) to and from all research stations, ships, aircraft, and most field parties (2007)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "McMurdo Station; most coastal stations have sparse and intermittent offshore anchorages; a few stations have basic wharf facilities", "POPULATION": "no indigenous inhabitants, but there are both permanent and summer-only staffed research stations; note: :29 nations, all signatory to the Antarctic Treaty, operate through their National Antarctic Program a number of seasonal-only (summer) and year-round research stations on the continent and its nearby islands south of 60 degrees south latitude (the region covered by the Antarctic Treaty); the population engaging in and supporting science or managing and protecting the Antarctic region varies from approximately 4,400 in summer to 1,100 in winter; in addition, approximately 1,000 personnel, including ship's crew and scientists doing onboard research, are present in the waters of the treaty region; peak summer (December-February) population - 4,490 total; Argentina 667, Australia 200, Australia and Romania jointly 13, Belgium 20, Brazil 40, Bulgaria 18, Chile 359, China 90, Czech Republic 20, Ecuador 26, Finland 20, France 125, France and Italy jointly 60, Germany 90, India 65, Italy 102, Japan 125, South Korea 70, NZ 85, Norway 44, Peru 28, Poland 40, Russia 429, South Africa 80, Spain 50, Sweden 20, Ukraine 24, UK 217, US 1,293, Uruguay 70 (2008-2009); winter (June-August) station population - 1,106 total; Argentina 176, Australia 62, Brazil 12, Chile 114, China 29, France 26, France and Italy jointly 13, Germany 9, India 25, Japan 40, South Korea 18, NZ 10, Norway 7, Poland 12, Russia 148, South Africa 10, Ukraine 12, UK 37, US 337, Uruguay 9 (2009); research stations operated within the Antarctic Treaty area (south of 60 degrees south latitude) by National Antarctic Programs; year-round stations - 40 total; Argentina 6, Australia 3, Brazil 1, Chile 6, China 2, France 1, France and Italy jointly 1, Germany 1, India 1, Japan 1, South Korea 1, NZ 1, Norway 1, Poland 1, Russia 5, South Africa 1, Ukraine 1, UK 2, US 3, Uruguay 1 (2009); a range of seasonal-only (summer) stations, camps, and refuges - Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Brazil, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Romania (with Australia), Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, UK, US, and Uruguay (2008-2009); in addition, during the austral summer some nations have numerous occupied locations such as tent camps, summer-long temporary facilities, and mobile traverses in support of research (May 2009 est.)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Scientific undertakings rather than commercial pursuits are the predominant human activity in Antarctica. Fishing off the coast and tourism, both based abroad, account for Antarctica's limited economic activity. Antarctic fisheries, targeting three main species - Patagonian and Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides and D. mawsoni), mackerel icefish (Champsocephalus gunnari), and krill (Euphausia superba) - reported landing 141,147 metric tons in 2008-09 (1 July - 30 June). (Estimated fishing is from the area covered by the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which extends slightly beyond the Antarctic Treaty area.) Unregulated fishing, particularly of Patagonian toothfish (also known as Chilean sea bass), is a serious problem. The CCAMLR determines the recommended catch limits for marine species. A total of 37,858 tourists visited the Antarctic Treaty area in the 2008-09 Antarctic summer, down from the 46,265 visitors in 2007-08 (estimates provided to the Antarctic Treaty by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO); this does not include passengers on overflights). Nearly all of them were passengers on commercial (nongovernmental) ships and several yachts that make trips during the summer.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the coldest, windiest, highest (on average), and driest continent; during summer, more solar radiation reaches the surface at the South Pole than is received at the Equator in an equivalent period; mostly uninhabitable, 98% of land area is ice covered", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "iron ore, chromium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum and other minerals, and coal and hydrocarbons have been found in small noncommercial quantities; none presently exploited; krill, finfish, and crab have been taken by commercial fisheries", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "Australia, Chile, and Argentina claim Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) rights or similar over 200 nm extensions seaward from their continental claims, but like the claims themselves, these zones are not accepted by other countries; 21 of 28 Antarctic consultative nations have made no claims to Antarctic territory (although Russia and the US have reserved the right to do so) and do not recognize the claims of the other nations; also see the Disputes - international entry", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "Antarctica is administered through annual meetings - known as Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings - which include consultative member nations, non-consultative member nations, observer organizations, and expert organizations; decisions from these meetings are carried out by these member nations (with respect to their own nationals and operations) in accordance with their own national laws; more generally, access to the Antarctic Treaty area, that is to all areas between 60 and 90 degrees south latitude, is subject to a number of relevant legal instruments and authorization procedures adopted by the states party to the Antarctic Treaty; note - US law, including certain criminal offenses by or against US nationals, such as murder, may apply extraterritorially; some US laws directly apply to Antarctica; for example, the Antarctic Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. section 2401 et seq., provides civil and criminal penalties for the following activities unless authorized by regulation of statute: the taking of native mammals or birds; the introduction of nonindigenous plants and animals; entry into specially protected areas; the discharge or disposal of pollutants; and the importation into the US of certain items from Antarctica; violation of the Antarctic Conservation Act carries penalties of up to $10,000 in fines and one year in prison; the National Science Foundation and Department of Justice share enforcement responsibilities; Public Law 95-541, the US Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, as amended in 1996, requires expeditions from the US to Antarctica to notify, in advance, the Office of Oceans, Room 5805, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520, which reports such plans to other nations as required by the Antarctic Treaty; for more information, contact Permit Office, Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, Arlington, Virginia 22230; telephone: (703) 292-8030, or visit its website at www.nsf.gov", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (ice 98%, barren rock 2%) (2014 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km; note: :see entry on Disputes - international", "COASTLINE": "17,968 km", "CLIMATE": "severe low temperatures vary with latitude, elevation, and distance from the ocean; East Antarctica is colder than West Antarctica because of its higher elevation; Antarctic Peninsula has the most moderate climate; higher temperatures occur in January along the coast and average slightly below freezing", "AIRPORTS": "23 (2013)", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "in 1998, NASA satellite data showed that the Antarctic ozone hole was the largest on record, covering 27 million square kilometers; researchers in 1997 found that increased ultraviolet light passing through the hole damages the DNA of icefish, an Antarctic fish lacking hemoglobin; ozone depletion earlier was shown to harm one-celled Antarctic marine plants; in 2002, significant areas of ice shelves disintegrated in response to regional warming", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :23; over 3,047 m: :3; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :5; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :8; 6 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Speculation over the existence of a \"southern land\" was not confirmed until the early 1820s when British and American commercial operators and British and Russian national expeditions began exploring the Antarctic Peninsula region and other areas south of the Antarctic Circle. Not until 1840 was it established that Antarctica was indeed a continent and not just a group of islands or an area of ocean. Several exploration \"firsts\" were achieved in the early 20th century, but generally the area saw little human activity. Following World War II, however, the continent experienced an upsurge in scientific research. A number of countries have set up a range of year-round and seasonal stations, camps, and refuges to support scientific research in Antarctica. Seven have made territorial claims, but not all countries recognize these claims. In order to form a legal framework for the activities of nations on the continent, an Antarctic Treaty was negotiated that neither denies nor gives recognition to existing territorial claims; signed in 1959, it entered into force in 1961.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "katabatic (gravity-driven) winds blow coastward from the high interior; frequent blizzards form near the foot of the plateau; cyclonic storms form over the ocean and move clockwise along the coast; volcanism on Deception Island and isolated areas of West Antarctica; other seismic activity rare and weak; large icebergs may calve from ice shelf", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Bentley Subglacial Trench -2,540 m; highest point: :Vinson Massif 4,897 m; note: :the lowest known land point in Antarctica is hidden in the Bentley Subglacial Trench; at its surface is the deepest ice yet discovered and the world's lowest elevation not under seawater", "HELIPORTS": "53; note: :all year-round and seasonal stations operated by National Antarctic Programs stations have some kind of helicopter landing facilities, prepared (helipads) or unprepared (2012)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (cable system with 6 channels; American Forces Antarctic Network-McMurdo - information for US bases only) (2002)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "FM 2, shortwave 1 (information for US bases only); note - many research stations have a local FM radio station (2007)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "90 00 S, 0 00 E" }, { "country": "Arctic Ocean", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes; the Northwest Passage (North America) and Northern Sea Route (Eurasia) are important seasonal waterways", "AREA": "total: :14.056 million sq km; note: :includes Baffin Bay, Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, East Siberian Sea, Greenland Sea, Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, Northwest Passage, and other tributary water bodies", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Arctic Region", "LOCATION": "body of water between Europe, Asia, and North America, mostly north of the Arctic Circle", "TERRAIN": "central surface covered by a perennial drifting polar icepack that, on average, is about 3 meters thick, although pressure ridges may be three times that thickness; clockwise drift pattern in the Beaufort Gyral Stream, but nearly straight-line movement from the New Siberian Islands (Russia) to Denmark Strait (between Greenland and Iceland); the icepack is surrounded by open seas during the summer, but more than doubles in size during the winter and extends to the encircling landmasses; the ocean floor is about 50% continental shelf (highest percentage of any ocean) with the remainder a central basin interrupted by three submarine ridges (Alpha Cordillera, Nansen Cordillera, and Lomonosov Ridge)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Churchill (Canada), Murmansk (Russia), Prudhoe Bay (US)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Economic activity is limited to the exploitation of natural resources, including petroleum, natural gas, fish, and seals.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "major chokepoint is the southern Chukchi Sea (northern access to the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait); strategic location between North America and Russia; shortest marine link between the extremes of eastern and western Russia; floating research stations operated by the US and Russia; maximum snow cover in March or April about 20 to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean; snow cover lasts about 10 months", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales)", "COASTLINE": "45,389 km", "CLIMATE": "polar climate characterized by persistent cold and relatively narrow annual temperature ranges; winters characterized by continuous darkness, cold and stable weather conditions, and clear skies; summers characterized by continuous daylight, damp and foggy weather, and weak cyclones with rain or snow", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "endangered marine species include walruses and whales; fragile ecosystem slow to change and slow to recover from disruptions or damage; thinning polar icepack", "BACKGROUND": "The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the recently delimited Southern Ocean). The Northwest Passage (US and Canada) and Northern Sea Route (Norway and Russia) are two important seasonal waterways. In recent years the polar ice pack has receded in the summer allowing for increased navigation and raising the possibility of future sovereignty and shipping disputes among countries bordering the Arctic Ocean.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "ice islands occasionally break away from northern Ellesmere Island; icebergs calved from glaciers in western Greenland and extreme northeastern Canada; permafrost in islands; virtually ice locked from October to June; ships subject to superstructure icing from October to May", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Fram Basin -4,665 m; highest point: :sea level 0 m", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "90 00 N, 0 00 E" }, { "country": "Atlantic Ocean", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "Kiel Canal and Saint Lawrence Seaway are two important waterways; significant domestic commercial and recreational use of Intracoastal Waterway on central and south Atlantic seaboard and Gulf of Mexico coast of US; the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial waters of littoral states and offshore Atlantic waters as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships, particularly in the Gulf of Guinea off West Africa; in 2012, 58 commercial vessels were attacked in the Gulf of Guinea with 10 hijacked and 207 crew members taken hostage; hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargoes stolen; crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen", "AREA": "total: :76.762 million sq km; note: :includes Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, part of the Drake Passage, Gulf of Mexico, Labrador Sea, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, almost all of the Scotia Sea, and other tributary water bodies", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Political Map of the World", "LOCATION": "body of water between Africa, Europe, the Arctic Ocean, the Americas, and the Southern Ocean", "TERRAIN": "surface usually covered with sea ice in Labrador Sea, Denmark Strait, and coastal portions of the Baltic Sea from October to June; clockwise warm-water gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in the northern Atlantic, counterclockwise warm-water gyre in the southern Atlantic; the ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a rugged north-south centerline for the entire Atlantic basin", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Alexandria (Egypt), Algiers (Algeria), Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Casablanca (Morocco), Colon (Panama), Copenhagen (Denmark), Dakar (Senegal), Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain), Le Havre (France), Lisbon (Portugal), London (UK), Marseille (France), Montevideo (Uruguay), Montreal (Canada), Naples (Italy), New Orleans (US), New York (US), Oran (Algeria), Oslo (Norway), Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Saint Petersburg (Russia), Stockholm (Sweden)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The Atlantic Ocean provides some of the world's most heavily trafficked sea routes, between and within the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Other economic activity includes the exploitation of natural resources, e.g., fishing, dredging of aragonite sands (The Bahamas), and production of crude oil and natural gas (Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and North Sea).", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "major chokepoints include the Dardanelles, Strait of Gibraltar, access to the Panama and Suez Canals; strategic straits include the Strait of Dover, Straits of Florida, Mona Passage, The Sound (Oresund), and Windward Passage; the Equator divides the Atlantic Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales), sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, precious stones", "COASTLINE": "111,866 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical cyclones (hurricanes) develop off the coast of Africa near Cabo Verde and move westward into the Caribbean Sea; hurricanes can occur from May to December but are most frequent from August to November", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "endangered marine species include the manatee, seals, sea lions, turtles, and whales; drift net fishing is hastening the decline of fish stocks and contributing to international disputes; municipal sludge pollution off eastern US, southern Brazil, and eastern Argentina; oil pollution in Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Lake Maracaibo, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea; industrial waste and municipal sewage pollution in Baltic Sea, North Sea, and Mediterranean Sea", "BACKGROUND": "The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, but larger than the Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). The Kiel Canal (Germany), Oresund (Denmark-Sweden), Bosporus (Turkey), Strait of Gibraltar (Morocco-Spain), and the Saint Lawrence Seaway (Canada-US) are important strategic access waterways. The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth world ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Atlantic Ocean south of 60 degrees south latitude.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than 6.5 times the size of the US", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "icebergs common in Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, and the northwestern Atlantic Ocean from February to August and have been spotted as far south as Bermuda and the Madeira Islands; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme northern Atlantic from October to May; persistent fog can be a maritime hazard from May to September; hurricanes (May to December)", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Milwaukee Deep in the Puerto Rico Trench -8,605 m; highest point: :sea level 0 m", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "0 00 N, 25 00 W" }, { "country": "Bangladesh", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial waters of Bangladesh remain a risk for armed robbery against ships; attacks against vessels have decreased over the last few years in response to improved local security", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Marcia Stephens Bloom BERNICAT (since 4 February 2015); embassy: :Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212; mailing address: :G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1000; telephone: :[880; FAX: :[880", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$3,400 (2014 est.); $3,200 (2013 est.); $3,100 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "6.2% (2014 est.); 6.1% (2013 est.); 6.3% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.6% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$535.6 billion (2014 est.); $504.3 billion (2013 est.); $475.5 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :52.2%; youth dependency ratio: :44.9%; elderly dependency ratio: :7.3%; potential support ratio: :13.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "30.1% of GDP (2014 est.); 30.5% of GDP (2013 est.); 30.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :74.1%; government consumption: :5.5%; investment in fixed capital: :26.3%; investment in inventories: :0.4%; exports of goods and services: :22.6%; imports of goods and services: :-28.9%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "61.2% (2011)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "18.1; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2011 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :4,485,497; percentage: :13% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "63.5 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "264.6 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "21.86 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "21.86 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "84,490 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "3,288 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "118,700 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "22,710 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "28 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "23,620 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "4,200 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "2.3% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "97.7% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "10.26 million kW (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "37.88 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "42.41 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Bengal tiger, water lily; national colors: green, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :9.3%; male: :8%; female: :13.6% (2005 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "1.1% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.6 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.36 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "3.6% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "36.8% (2011)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "240 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-3.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "9.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "DHAKA (capital) 16.982 million; Chittagong 4.447 million; Khulna 1.035 million; Rajshahi 831,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Amar Shonar Bangla\" (My Golden Bengal); lyrics/music: :Rabindranath TAGORE; note: :adopted 1971; Rabindranath TAGORE, a Nobel laureate, also wrote India's national anthem", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 55.2% of population; rural: 57.8% of population; total: 57% of population; urban: 44.8% of population; rural: 42.2% of population; total: 43% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 85.8% of population; rural: 84.4% of population; total: 84.8% of population; urban: 14.2% of population; rural: 15.6% of population; total: 15.2% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$98.43 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $84.11 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$19.69 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $16.54 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-owned Bangladesh Television (BTV) operates 1 terrestrial TV station, 3 radio networks, and about 10 local stations; 8 private satellite TV stations and 3 private radio stations also broadcasting; foreign satellite TV stations are gaining audience share in the large cities; several international radio broadcasters are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :33.5% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.55% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$99.59 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $89.32 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$45.23 billion (30 September 2009); $37.98 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$10.35 billion (30 September 2009); $8.444 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "13% (31 December 2014 est.); 13% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "5% (31 December 2010); 5% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.2% of GDP (2009)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :10 years; male: :10 years; female: :10 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :35.87 cu km/yr (10%/2%/88%); per capita: :238.3 cu m/yr (2008)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "1,227 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$41.73 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $17.48 billion (31 December 2012); $23.55 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$166.9 million (31 December 2014 est.); $162.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$8.625 billion (30 June 2014 est.); $8.593 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$186.6 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :232,565 (Burma) (2014); IDPs: :at least 431,000 (violence, human rights violations, religious persecution, natural disasters) (2014)", "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 are high risks in some locations; water contact disease: :leptospirosis; animal contact disease: :rabies; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$21.46 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $18.09 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$1.261 billion (2014 est.); $2.366 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "28.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 30.3% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "71,164 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :24.3 years; male: :23.8 years; female: :24.8 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "32.1 (2010); 33.6 (1996)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "9,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.01% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".bd", "INTERNET_USERS": "617,300 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "97.18 million (2011)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "962,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Mohammad ZIAUDDIN (since 18 September 2014); chancery: :3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Los Angeles, New York", "AREA": "total: :143,998 sq km; land: :130,168 sq km; water: :13,830 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "50,500 sq km (2008)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Asia", "LOCATION": "Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :People's Republic of Bangladesh; conventional short form: :Bangladesh; local long form: :Gana Prajatantri Bangladesh; local short form: :Bangladesh; former: :East Bengal, East Pakistan; note: :the name - a compound of the Bengali words \"Bangla\" (Bengal) and \"desh\" (country) - means Country of Bengal", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "5% (2014 est.); 5% (2013 est.); note: :about 40% of the population is underemployed; many persons counted as employed work only a few hours a week and at low wages", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.45 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :inadequate for a modern country; introducing digital systems; trunk systems include VHF and UHF microwave radio relay links, and some fiber-optic cable in cities; domestic: :fixed-line teledensity remains only about 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has been increasing rapidly and now exceeds 67 telephones per 100 persons; international: :country code - 880; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-4 fiber-optic submarine cable system that provides links to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia; satellite earth stations - 6; international radiotelephone communications and landline service to neighboring countries (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 89.5%, Hindu 9.6%, other 0.9% (includes Buddhist .5%, Christian .3%) (2004 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :2,835 km; broad gauge: :946 km 1.676-m gauge; narrow gauge: :1,676 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Chittagong; river port(s): :Mongla Port (Sela River); container port(s): :Chittagong (1,392,104) (2011)", "POPULATION": "166,280,712 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Awami League or AL [Sheikh HASINA; Communist Party of Bangladesh or CPB [Manjurul A. KHAN; Bangladesh Nationalist Front or BNF [Abdul Kalam AZADI; Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP [Khaleda ZIA; Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh or BDB [Badrudozza CHOWDHURY; Islami Oikya Jote or IOJ [multiple leaders; Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction) [Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Oli AHMED; National Socialist Party or JSD [KHALEQUZZAMAN; Tarikat Foundation [Syed Nozibul Bashar MAIZBHANDARI; Workers Party or WP [Rashed Khan MENON", "PIPELINES": "gas 2,950 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Bangladesh's economy has grown roughly 6% per year since 1996 despite political instability, poor infrastructure, corruption, insufficient power supplies, slow implementation of economic reforms, and the 2008-09 global financial crisis and recession. Although more than half of GDP is generated through the service sector, almost half of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector with rice as the single-most-important product. Garment exports, the backbone of Bangladesh�s industrial sector, accounted for more than 80% of total exports and surpassed $18 billion in 2014. The sector has remained resilient in recent years amidst a series of factory accidents that have killed over 1,000 workers and crippling strikes that shut down virtually all economic activity. Steady garment export growth combined with remittances from overseas Bangladeshis - which totaled $14 billion and 8% of GDP in 2014 - are the largest contributors to Bangladesh�s current account surplus and rising foreign exchange holdings.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Advocacy to End Gender-based Violence through the MoWCA (Ministry of Women's and Children's Affairs); Ain o Salish Kendro (Law and Order Center); Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity; Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee or BRAC; Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry; Odikhar (Human Rights); other: :associations of madrassa teachers; business associations, including those intended to promote international trade; development and advocacy NGOs associated with the Grameen Bank; environmentalists; Islamist groups; labor rights advocacy groups; nongovernmental organizations focused on poverty, alleviation, and socioeconomic international trade; religious leaders; tribal groups and advocacy organizations; union leaders", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers flowing from the Himalayas: the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually empty into the Bay of Bengal", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "natural gas, arable land, timber, coal", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Bangladeshi(s); adjective: :Bangladeshi", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 26 March (1971); Victory Day, 16 December (1971); note - March 1971 is the date of the Awami League's declaration of an independent Bangladesh, and 16 December, known as Victory Day, memorializes the military victory over Pakistan and the official creation of the state of Bangladesh", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :62; by type: :bulk carrier 25, cargo 28, chemical tanker 1, container 5, petroleum tanker 3; foreign-owned: :8 (China 1, Singapore 7); registered in other countries: :10 (Comoros 1, Hong Kong 1, Panama 5, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, ARF, BIMSTEC, C, CD, CICA (observer), CP, D-8, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :18 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :up to the outer limits of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :36,520,491 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :58.8%; male: :62.5%; female: :55.1% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :70.65 years; male: :68.75 years; female: :72.63 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad (300 seats including 45 reserved for women; members directly elected in single territorial constituencies by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 5 January 2014 (next to be held by January 2019); note - the 5 January 2014 poll was marred by widespread violence, boycotts, general strikes, and low voter turnout; election results: :percent of vote by party - AL-led Alliance 79%, JP 34%; seats by party - AL 234, JP 34, other 32", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of mostly English common law and Islamic law", "LANGUAGES": "Bangla 98.8% (official, also known as Bengali), other 1.2% (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :58.96%; permanent crops: :6.53%; other: :34.51% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :4,413 km; border countries: :Burma 271 km, India 4,142 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "80.27 million; note: :extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Malaysia; workers' remittances were $10.9 billion in FY09/10 (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Bangladesh (organized into the Appellate Division with 7 justices and the High Court Division with 99 justices); judge selection and term of office: :chief justice and justices appointed by the president; justices serve until retirement at age 67; subordinate courts: :civil courts include: Assistant Judge's Court; Joint District Judge's Court; Additional District Judge's Court; District Judge's Court; criminal courts include: Court of Sessions; Court of Metropolitan Sessions; special courts/tribunals; Metropolitan Magistrate Courts; Magistrate Court", "WATERWAYS": "8,370 km (includes up to 3,060 km of main cargo routes; the network is reduced to 5,200 km in the dry season) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "7.2% (2014 est.); 7.5% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :45.67 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :48.15 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :43.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "jute, cotton, garments, paper, leather, fertilizer, iron and steel, cement, petroleum products, tobacco, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, tea, salt, sugar, edible oils, soap and detergent, fabricated metal products, electricity, natural gas", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "8.4% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "16 December 1971 (from West Pakistan)", "IMPORTS": "$38.5 billion (2014 est.); $35 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries", "ROADWAYS": "total: :21,269 km; paved: :1,063 km; unpaved: :20,206 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "green field with a large red disk shifted slightly to the hoist side of center; the red disk represents the rising sun and the sacrifice to achieve independence; the green field symbolizes the lush vegetation of Bangladesh", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 July - 30 June", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$33.2 billion (30 June 2014 est.); $28.26 billion (30 June 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$31.2 billion (2014 est.); $28.62 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Abdul HAMID (since 24 April 2013); head of government: :Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA (since 6 January 2009; reelected 5 January 2014); cabinet: :Cabinet selected by the prime minister and appointed by the president; elections: :president elected by National Parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); last election held on 29 April 2013 (next must be held by 2018); election results: :President Abdul HAMID was elected by the National Parliament unopposed", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "taka (BDT) per US dollar -; 77.57 (2014 est.); 78.103 (2013 est.); 81.86 (2012 est.); 74.152 (2011 est.); 69.649 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Bengali at least 98%, ethnic groups 1.1%; note: :Bangladesh's goverment recognizes 27 ethnic groups under the 2010 Cultural Institution for Small Anthropological Groups Act; other sources estimate there are about 75 ethnic groups; critics of the 2011 census claim that it underestimates the size of Bangladesh's ethnic population (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "5.64 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1935, 1956, 1962 (preindependence); latest enacted 4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972, suspended March 1982, restored November 1986; amended many times, last in 2011 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 21.9%, India 14%, Singapore 5.8%, Malaysia 5.3% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "580 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "cotton, machinery and equipment, chemicals, iron and steel, foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Dhaka; geographic coordinates: :23 43 N, 90 24 E; time difference: :UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$18.09 billion; expenditures: :$24.33 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Bangladesh Defense Force: Bangladesh Army (Sena Bahini), Bangladesh Navy (Noh Bahini, BN), Bangladesh Air Force (Biman Bahini, BAF) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "21.61 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "18 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, tobacco, pulses, oilseeds, spices, fruit; beef, milk, poultry", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "7 divisions; Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Sylhet", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 16.3%, Germany 11.8%, UK 7.7%, France 4.8%, Netherlands 4.7%, Spain 4.4% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "garments, knitwear, agricultural products, frozen food (fish and seafood), jute and jute goods, leather", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :47%; industry: :13%; services: :40% (2010 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :4%; highest 10%: :27% (2010 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "31.5% (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.15% of GDP (2013); 1.35% of GDP (2012); 1.44% of GDP (2011); 1.35% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land; waterborne diseases prevalent in surface water; water pollution, especially of fishing areas, results from the use of commercial pesticides; ground water contaminated by naturally occurring arsenic; intermittent water shortages because of falling water tables in the northern and central parts of the country; soil degradation and erosion; deforestation; severe overpopulation", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :16; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :6; 914 to 1,523 m: :1; under 914 m: :5 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Muslim conversions and settlement in the region now referred to as Bangladesh began in the 10th century, primarily from Arab and Persian traders and preachers. Europeans began to set up trading posts in the area in the 16th century. Eventually the area known as Bengal, primarily Hindu in the western section and mostly Muslim in the eastern half, became part of British India. Partition in 1947 resulted in an eastern wing of Pakistan in the Muslim-majority area, which became East Pakistan. Calls for greater autonomy and animosity between the eastern and western wings of Pakistan led to a Bengali independence movement. That movement, led by the Awami League (AL) and supported by India, won independence for Bangladesh in a brief war in 1971, during which at least 300,000 civilians died. The post-independence, AL government faced daunting challenges and in 1975 was overthrown by the military, triggering a series of military coups that resulted in a military-backed government and subsequent creation of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). That government also ended in a coup in 1981, followed by military-backed rule until democratic elections in 1991. The BNP and AL alternated in power between 1991 and 2013, with the exception of a military-backed, emergency caretaker regime that suspended parliamentary elections planned for January 2007 in an effort to reform the political system and root out corruption. That government returned the country to fully democratic rule in December 2008 with the election of the AL and Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA. In January 2014, the incumbent AL won the national election by an overwhelming majority after the BNP boycotted, extending HASINA's term as prime minister. With the help of international development assistance, Bangladesh has made great progress in food security since independence, and the economy has grown at an average of about 6 percent over the last two decades.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :1,606,963; female: :1,689,442 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :30,486,086; females age 16-49: :35,616,093 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "16-19 years of age for voluntary military service; Bangladeshi birth and 10th grade education required; initial obligation 15 years (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Iowa", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "droughts; cyclones; much of the country routinely inundated during the summer monsoon season", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Indian Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Keokradong 1,230 m", "HELIPORTS": "3 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.04 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.88 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.9 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.96 male(s)/female; total population: :0.95 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "17 (2009)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 17, FM 19, shortwave 2 (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :15.1%; industry: :26.5%; services: :58.3% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "24 00 N, 90 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :32.3% (male 27,268,560/female 26,468,883); 15-24 years: :18.8% (male 14,637,526/female 16,630,766); 25-54 years: :38% (male 29,853,531/female 33,266,733); 55-64 years: :5.9% (male 4,964,130/female 4,870,447); 65 years and over: :5% (male 4,082,544/female 4,237,592) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Djibouti", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "while attacks decreased significantly in 2012, the International Maritime Bureau reports offshore waters in the Gulf of Aden remain a high risk for piracy; the presence of several naval task forces in the Gulf of Aden and additional anti-piracy measures on the part of ship operators, including the use of on-board armed security teams, contributed to the drop in incidents", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Thomas P. KELLY III (since 13 October 2014); embassy: :Lot 350-B, Haramouss, Djibouti; mailing address: :B. P. 185, Djibouti; telephone: :[253; FAX: :[253", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$3,000 (2014 est.); $3,000 (2013 est.); $2,900 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "5.5% (2014 est.); 5% (2013 est.); 4.8% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.23% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$2.858 billion (2014 est.); $2.709 billion (2013 est.); $2.58 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :60.5%; youth dependency ratio: :54%; elderly dependency ratio: :6.5%; potential support ratio: :15.3% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "9.1% of GDP (2014 est.); 4.9% of GDP (2013 est.); 9% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :56.5%; government consumption: :25.7%; investment in fixed capital: :35.5%; investment in inventories: :0.4%; exports of goods and services: :32.9%; imports of goods and services: :-51%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "19% (2012)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :13,176; percentage: :8% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "1.796 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "8,089 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "19 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "11,680 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "130,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "306.9 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "330 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "red star; national colors: light blue, green, white, red", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "9.4% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.4 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.23 physicians/1,000 population (2006)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "8.8% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "29.8% (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "200 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-5.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "35.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "DJIBOUTI (capital) 522,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Jabuuti\" (Djibouti); lyrics/music: :Aden ELMI/Abdi ROBLEH; note: :adopted 1977", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 73.1% of population; rural: 21.6% of population; total: 61.4% of population; urban: 26.9% of population; rural: 78.4% of population; total: 38.6% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 65.5% of population; total: 92.1% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 34.5% of population; total: 7.9% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$1.43 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.24 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$1.011 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $877 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-owned Radiodiffusion-Television de Djibouti operates the sole terrestrial TV station as well as the only 2 domestic radio networks; no private TV or radio stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :77.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.6% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$569.6 million (31 December 2014 est.); $494.1 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$338 million (31 December 2008); $284.1 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$462.7 million (31 December 2008); $380 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "10.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 11% (31 December 2013 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "8.4% of GDP (2007)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :6 years; male: :7 years; female: :6 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.02 cu km/yr (84%/0%/16%); per capita: :24.84 cu m/yr (2000)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "0.3 cu km (2011)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$790.6 million (31 December 2014 est.); $645.6 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Djibouti is a transit, source, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; economic migrants from East Africa en route to Yemen and other Middle East locations are vulnerable to exploitation in Djibouti; some women and girls may be forced into domestic servitude or prostitution after reaching Djibouti City, the Ethiopia-Djibouti trucking corridor, or Obock � the main crossing point into Yemen; Djiboutian and foreign children may be forced to beg, to work as domestic servants, or to commit theft and other petty crimes; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Djibouti does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute a significant effort toward meeting the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking; a national action plan was completed in 2014, but tangible efforts to prevent trafficking were minimal; authorities failed to investigate or prosecute any forced labor of child prostitution crimes, and no victim identifications were reported in 2013; foreign victims were deported to countries where they could face retribution (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$1.582 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :19,782 (Somalia) (2015)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne disease: :dengue fever; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$122.4 million (2014 est.); -$136.2 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "38.6% of GDP (2012 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "215 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :22.8 years; male: :21.1 years; female: :24.1 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "40.9 (2002)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "700 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "6,200 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.91% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".dj", "INTERNET_USERS": "25,900 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "209,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "18,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Roble OLHAYE Oudine (since 22 March 1988); chancery: :Suite 515, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :23,200 sq km; land: :23,180 sq km; water: :20 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "10.12 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Djibouti; conventional short form: :Djibouti; local long form: :Republique de Djibouti/Jumhuriyat Jibuti; local short form: :Djibouti/Jibuti; former: :French Territory of the Afars and Issas, French Somaliland", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "60% (2014 est.); note: :(2007 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.47 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :telephone facilities in the city of Djibouti are adequate, as are the microwave radio relay connections to outlying areas of the country; domestic: :Djibouti Telecom is the sole provider of telecommunications services and utilizes mostly a microwave radio relay network; fiber-optic cable is installed in the capital; rural areas connected via wireless local loop radio systems; mobile cellular coverage is primarily limited to the area in and around Djibouti city; international: :country code - 253; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 and EASSy fiber-optic submarine cable systems providing links to Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America; satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat - Indian Ocean and 1 Arabsat); Medarabtel regional microwave radio relay telephone network (2009)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 94%, Christian 6%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :100 km (Djibouti segment of the 781 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway); narrow gauge: :100 km 1.000-m gauge; note: :railway is under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia but is largely inoperable (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Djibouti", "POPULATION": "810,179 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Democratic National Party or PND [ADEN Robleh Awaleh; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Abdillahi HAMARITEH; Djibouti Development Party or PDD [Mohamed Daoud CHEHEM; Front pour la Restauration de l'Unite Democratique or FRUD [Ali Mohamed DAOUD; Movement for Development and Liberty or MODEL [Sheikh Guirreh MEIDAL; People's Rally for Progress or RPP [Ismail Omar GUELLEH; Peoples Social Democratic Party or PPSD [Moumin Bahdon FARAH; Republican Alliance for Democracy or ARD [Ahmed YOUSSOUF; Union for a Presidential Majority or UMP (a coalition of parties including RPP, FRUD, PND, and PPSD); Union for Democracy and Justice or UDJ [Ismail GUEDI Hared; Union for National Salvation or USN (an umbrella coalition comprising PRD, PDD, MODEL, ARD, and UDJ) [Ahmed Youssouf HOUMER", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Djibouti's economy is based on service activities connected with the country's strategic location as a deepwater port on the Red Sea. Three-fourths of Djibouti's inhabitants live in the capital city; the remainder are mostly nomadic herders. Scant rainfall limits crop production to small quantities of fruits and vegetables, and most food must be imported. Djibouti provides services as both a transit port for the region and an international transshipment and refueling center. Imports, exports, and reexports - primarily of coffee from landlocked neighbor Ethiopia - represent 70% of port activity at Djibouti's container terminal. Djibouti has few natural resources and little industry. The nation is, therefore, heavily dependent on foreign assistance to help support its balance of payments and to finance development projects. An unemployment rate of nearly 60% continues to be a major problem. While inflation is not a concern, due to the fixed tie of the Djiboutian franc to the US dollar, the artificially high value of the Djiboutian franc adversely affects Djibouti's balance of payments. Djibouti�s reliance on diesel-generated electricity and imported food and water leave average consumers vulnerable to global price shocks. The government has emphasized infrastructure development for transportation and energy and Djibouti � with the help of foreign partners � has begun to increase and modernize its port capacity.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; mostly wasteland; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in Africa and the saltiest lake in the world", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "6.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "potential geothermal power, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Djiboutian(s); adjective: :Djiboutian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 27 June (1977)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU (candidates), COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :170,386; females age 16-49: :221,411 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :62.4 years; male: :59.93 years; female: :64.94 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale, formerly the Chamber of Deputies (65 seats; 52 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 13 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - in 2012, the electoral law was modified to include proportional representation for 13 seats; elections: :last held on 22 February 2013 (next to be held in 2018); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats - UMP (coalition of parties associated with President Ismail Omar GUELLEH) 49, USN 16", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system based primarily on the French civil code (as it existed in 1997), Islamic religious law (in matters of family law and successions), and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0.09%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :99.91% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :528 km; border countries: :Eritrea 125 km, Ethiopia 342 km, Somalia 61 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "294,600 (2012)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of NA magistrates); Constitutional Council (consists of 6 magistrates); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court magistrates appointed by the president with the advice of the Superior Council of the Magistracy; magistrates appointed for life with retirement at age 65; Constitutional magistrates - 2 appointed by the president, 2 by the president of the National Assembly, and 2 by High Council of the Judiciary; magistrates appointed for 8-year, non-renewable terms; subordinate courts: :High Court of Appeal; 5 Courts of First Instance; customary courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "5.5% (2014 est.); 3.5% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :50.2 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :57.46 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :42.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "construction, agricultural processing, shipping", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "4.3% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "27 June 1977 (from France)", "IMPORTS": "$612.1 million (2014 est.); $575 million (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :3,065 km; paved: :1,226 km; unpaved: :1,839 km (2000)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "two equal horizontal bands of light blue (top) and light green with a white isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a red five-pointed star in the center; blue stands for sea and sky and the Issa Somali people; green symbolizes earth and the Afar people; white represents peace; the red star recalls the struggle for independence and stands for unity", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$891.3 million (31 December 2014 est.); $863.6 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$119.5 million (2014 est.); $114.1 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Ismail Omar GUELLEH (since 8 May 1999); head of government: :Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil MOHAMED (since 1 April 2013); cabinet: :Council of Ministers (responsible to the president); elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; president is eligible to hold office until age 75; election last held on 8 April 2011 (next to be held by 2016); prime minister appointed by the president; election results: :Ismail Omar GUELLEH reelected president to a third term; percent of vote - Ismail Omar GUELLEH 80.6%, Mohamed Warsama RAGUEH 19.4%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Djiboutian francs (DJF) per US dollar -; 177.7 (2014 est.); 177.72 (2013 est.); 177.72 (2012 est.); 177.72 (2011 est.); 177.72 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Somali 60%, Afar 35%, other 5% (includes French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian)", "DEATH_RATE": "7.84 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "approved by referendum 4 September 1992; amended 2006, 2008, 2010 (2010)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 27.3%, Saudi Arabia 16.4%, India 9.7%, Indonesia 7.7%, US 4.5% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "314 km", "CLIMATE": "desert; torrid, dry", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, clothing", "CAPITAL": "name: :Djibouti; geographic coordinates: :11 35 N, 43 09 E; time difference: :UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$563.3 million; expenditures: :$647.7 million (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Djibouti Armed Forces (Forces Armees Djiboutiennes, FAD): Djibouti National Army (includes Navy, Djiboutian Air Force (Force Aerienne Djiboutienne, FAD), National Gendarmerie (GN)) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "24.08 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "13 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "fruits, vegetables; goats, sheep, camels, animal hides", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "6 districts (cercles, singular - cercle); Ali Sabieh, Arta, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjourah", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Somalia 81.2%, UAE 4.7%, Yemen 4.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "reexports, hides and skins, coffee (in transit), scrap metal", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :NA%; industry: :NA%; services: :NA%", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.4%; highest 10%: :30.9% (2002)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "18.8%; note: :percent of population below $1.25 per day at purchasing power parity (2012 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "inadequate supplies of potable water; limited arable land; desertification; endangered species", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :10; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :7; 2 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :3; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in 1977. Hassan Gouled APTIDON installed an authoritarian one-party state and proceeded to serve as president until 1999. Unrest among the Afar minority during the 1990s led to a civil war that ended in 2001 with a peace accord between Afar rebels and the Somali Issa-dominated government. In 1999, Djibouti's first multiparty presidential election resulted in the election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH as president; he was reelected to a second term in 2005 and extended his tenure in office via a constitutional amendment, which allowed him to begin a third term in 2011. Djibouti occupies a strategic geographic location at the intersection of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and serves as an important shipping portal for goods entering and leaving the east African highlands and transshipments between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The government holds longstanding ties to France, which maintains a significant military presence in the country, and has strong ties with the United States. Djibouti hosts several thousand members of US armed services at US-run Camp Lemonnier.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :8,360; female: :8,602 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :114,557; females age 16-49: :154,173 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; 16-25 years of age for voluntary military training; no conscription (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than New Jersey", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods; volcanism: :experiences limited volcanic activity; Ardoukoba (elev. 298 m) last erupted in 1978; Manda-Inakir, located along the Ethiopian border, is also historically active", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Lac Assal -155 m; highest point: :Moussa Ali 2,028 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.89 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.71 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.85 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.82 male(s)/female; total population: :0.86 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (2001)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :2.9%; industry: :16.6%; services: :80.5% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "11 30 N, 43 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :32.9% (male 133,786/female 133,163); 15-24 years: :22% (male 83,871/female 94,316); 25-54 years: :36.9% (male 124,198/female 174,557); 55-64 years: :4.6% (male 17,694/female 19,931); 65 years and over: :3.5% (male 12,875/female 15,788) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Howland Island", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "Earhart Light, a day beacon near the middle of the west coast, was partially destroyed during World War II but rebuilt during the 1960s; today it is crumbling and in poor repair; named in memory of famed aviatrix Amelia EARHART", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system", "AFFILIATION": "(territory of the US)", "AREA": "total: :1.6 sq km; land: :1.6 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "0 sq km", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and Australia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Howland Island", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard", "TERRAIN": "low-lying, nearly level, sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef; depressed central area", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "none; offshore anchorage only; note - there is one small boat landing area along the middle of the west coast", "POPULATION": "uninhabited; note: :American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and naval attacks during World War II; occupied by US military during World War II, but abandoned after the war; public entry is by special-use permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and educators; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "almost totally covered with grasses, prostrate vines, and low-growing shrubs; small area of trees in the center; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "guano (deposits worked until late 1800s), terrestrial and aquatic wildlife", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "the laws of the US, where applicable, apply", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (2014 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "the flag of the US is used", "COASTLINE": "6.4 km", "CLIMATE": "equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "no natural fresh water resources", "BACKGROUND": "Discovered by the US early in the 19th century, the island was officially claimed by the US in 1857. Both US and British companies mined for guano until about 1890. Earhart Light is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast that was partially destroyed during World War II, but subsequently rebuilt; it is named in memory of the famed aviatrix Amelia EARHART. The island is administered by the US Department of the Interior as a National Wildlife Refuge.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :unnamed location 3 m", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "0 48 N, 176 38 W" }, { "country": "Indian Ocean", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "although the number of reported incidents of piracy have dropped dramatically in 2012, the International Maritime Bureau continues to report the territorial waters of littoral states and offshore waters as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships, particularly in the Gulf of Aden, along the east coast of Africa, the Bay of Bengal, and the Strait of Malacca; the presence of several naval task forces in the Gulf of Aden and additional anti-piracy measures on the part of ship operators, including the use of on-board armed security teams, have reduced incidents of piracy; in response, Somali-based pirates, using hijacked fishing trawlers as \"mother ships\" to extend their range, shifted operations as far south as the Mozambique Channel, eastward to the vicinity of the Maldives, and northeastward to the Strait of Hormuz", "AREA": "total: :68.556 million sq km; note: :includes Andaman Sea, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Flores Sea, Great Australian Bight, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Java Sea, Mozambique Channel, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Savu Sea, Strait of Malacca, Timor Sea, and other tributary water bodies", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Political Map of the World", "LOCATION": "body of water between Africa, the Southern Ocean, Asia, and Australia", "TERRAIN": "surface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in the southern Indian Ocean; unique reversal of surface currents in the northern Indian Ocean; low atmospheric pressure over southwest Asia from hot, rising, summer air results in the southwest monsoon and southwest-to-northeast winds and currents, while high pressure over northern Asia from cold, falling, winter air results in the northeast monsoon and northeast-to-southwest winds and currents; ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Indian Ocean Ridge and subdivided by the Southeast Indian Ocean Ridge, Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, and Ninetyeast Ridge", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Chennai (Madras, India); Colombo (Sri Lanka); Durban (South Africa); Jakarta (Indonesia); Kolkata (Calcutta, India); Melbourne (Australia); Mumbai (Bombay, India); Richards Bay (South Africa)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The Indian Ocean provides major sea routes connecting the Middle East, Africa, and East Asia with Europe and the Americas. It carries a particularly heavy traffic of petroleum and petroleum products from the oilfields of the Persian Gulf and Indonesia. Its fish are of great and growing importance to the bordering countries for domestic consumption and export. Fishing fleets from Russia, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan also exploit the Indian Ocean, mainly for shrimp and tuna. Large reserves of hydrocarbons are being tapped in the offshore areas of Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, and western Australia. An estimated 40% of the world's offshore oil production comes from the Indian Ocean. Beach sands rich in heavy minerals and offshore placer deposits are actively exploited by bordering countries, particularly India, South Africa, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "major chokepoints include Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and the Lombok Strait", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "oil and gas fields, fish, shrimp, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules", "COASTLINE": "66,526 km", "CLIMATE": "northeast monsoon (December to April), southwest monsoon (June to October); tropical cyclones occur during May/June and October/November in the northern Indian Ocean and January/February in the southern Indian Ocean", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "endangered marine species include the dugong, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea", "BACKGROUND": "The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, but larger than the Southern Ocean and Arctic Ocean). Four critically important access waterways are the Suez Canal (Egypt), Bab el Mandeb (Djibouti-Yemen), Strait of Hormuz (Iran-Oman), and Strait of Malacca (Indonesia-Malaysia). The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Indian Ocean south of 60 degrees south latitude.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about 5.5 times the size of the US", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "occasional icebergs pose navigational hazard in southern reaches", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Java Trench -7,258 m; highest point: :sea level 0 m", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "20 00 S, 80 00 E" }, { "country": "Indonesia", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "the International Maritime Bureau continues to report the territorial and offshore waters in the Strait of Malacca and South China Sea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; attacks have increased yearly since 2009; in 2012, 73 commercial vessels were boarded and 47 crew members taken hostage; hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargo diverted to ports in East Asia; crews have been murdered or cast adrift", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Robert O. BLAKE, Jr. (since 30 January 2014); embassy: :Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan 3-5, Jakarta 10110; mailing address: :Unit 8129, Box 1, FPO AP 96520; telephone: :[62; FAX: :[62; consulate general: :Surabaya; presence post: :Medan; consular agency: :Bali", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$10,200 (2014 est.); $9,800 (2013 est.); $9,400 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "5.2% (2014 est.); 5.8% (2013 est.); 6.3% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.95% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$2.554 trillion (2014 est.); $2.429 trillion (2013 est.); $2.296 trillion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :51%; youth dependency ratio: :43%; elderly dependency ratio: :8%; potential support ratio: :12.5% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "30.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 30.3% of GDP (2013 est.); 32% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :56.2%; government consumption: :9%; investment in fixed capital: :33.6%; investment in inventories: :1.9%; exports of goods and services: :23.5%; imports of goods and services: :-24.4%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "61.9% (2012)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "22.8; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2012 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :4,026,285; percentage: :7%; note: :data represents children ages 5-17 (2009 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "456.2 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "2.955 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "34.84 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "37.63 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "72.47 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "473,400 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "142,400 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "1.66 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "935,300 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "3.591 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "388,400 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "338,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "929,800 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "12.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "84.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "41.01 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "2.542 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "156 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "172.7 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "garuda (mythical bird); national colors: red, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :22.2%; male: :21.6%; female: :23% (2009 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "4.8% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.9 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.2 physicians/1,000 population (2012)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "3% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "19.9% (2013)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "220 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "15.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "JAKARTA (capital) 10.176 million; Surabaya 2.834 million; Bandung 2.513 million; Medan 2.182 million; Semarang 1.614 million; Palembang 1.454 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Indonesia Raya\" (Great Indonesia); lyrics/music: :Wage Rudolf SOEPRATMAN; note: :adopted 1945", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 71.4% of population; rural: 45.5% of population; total: 58.8% of population; urban: 28.6% of population; rural: 54.5% of population; total: 41.2% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 93% of population; rural: 76.4% of population; total: 84.9% of population; urban: 7% of population; rural: 23.6% of population; total: 15.1% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$348.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $305.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$78.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $72.78 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "mixture of about a dozen national TV networks - 2 public broadcasters, the remainder private broadcasters - each with multiple transmitters; more than 100 local TV stations; widespread use of satellite and cable TV systems; public radio broadcaster operates 6 national networks as well as regional and local stations; overall, more than 700 radio stations with more than 650 privately operated (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :53% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.69% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$388.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $329.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$131.1 billion (31 December 2008); $127 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$41.71 billion (31 December 2008); $47.78 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "12.4% (31 December 2014 est.); 11.66% (31 December 2013 est.); note: :these figures represent the average annualized rate on working capital loans", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "6.37% (31 December 2010); 6.46% (31 December 2009); note: :this figure represents the 3-month SBI rate; the Bank of Indonesia has not employed the one-month SBI since September 2010", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.8% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :13 years; male: :13 years; female: :13 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :113.3 cu km/yr (11%/19%/71%); per capita: :517.3 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "2,019 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$396.8 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $390.1 billion (31 December 2011); $360.4 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$23.27 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $16.07 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$255 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $230.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$856.1 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "IDPs: :at least 90,000 (inter-communal, inter-faith, and separatist violence between 1998 and 2004 in Aceh and Papua; religious attacks and land conflicts in 2012 and 2013; most IDPs in Aceh, Papua, West Papua, Central Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi Provinces, Maluku, North Maluku) (2014) (2011)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever and malaria; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$103 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $99.39 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$25.49 billion (2014 est.); -$29.13 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "23.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 23.9% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "1.344 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :29.2 years; male: :28.7 years; female: :29.8 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "36.8 (2009); 39.4 (2005)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "29,100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "641,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.46% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".id", "INTERNET_USERS": "20 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "281.96 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "37.983 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Budi BOWOLEKSONO (since 21 May 2014); chancery: :2020 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco", "AREA": "total: :1,904,569 sq km; land: :1,811,569 sq km; water: :93,000 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "67,220 sq km (2005)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Southeast Asia", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Indonesia; conventional short form: :Indonesia; local long form: :Republik Indonesia; local short form: :Indonesia; former: :Netherlands East Indies, Dutch East Indies", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "5.7% (2014 est.); 5.8% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.18 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :domestic service includes an interisland microwave system, an HF radio police net, and a domestic satellite communications system; international service good; domestic: :coverage provided by existing network has been expanded by use of over 200,000 telephone kiosks many located in remote areas; mobile-cellular subscribership growing rapidly; international: :country code - 62; landing point for both the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable networks that provide links throughout Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "17 years of age; universal and married persons regardless of age", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 87.2%, Christian 7%, Roman Catholic 2.9%, Hindu 1.7%, other 0.9% (includes Buddhist and Confucian), unspecified 0.4% (2010 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :5,042 km; narrow gauge: :5,042 km 1.067-m gauge (565 km electrified) (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Banjarmasin, Belawan, Kotabaru, Krueg Geukueh, Palembang, Panjang, Sungai Pakning, Tanjung Perak, Tanjung Priok; container port(s) (TEUs): :Tanjung Priok (5,617,562); LNG terminal(s) (export): :Banda Aceh, Bontang, Tangguh", "POPULATION": "253,609,643 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Democrat Party or PD [Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO; Functional Groups Party or GOLKAR [Aburizal BAKRIE; Great Indonesia Movement Party or GERINDRA [PRABOWO Subianto Djojohadikusumo; Indonesia Democratic Party-Struggle or PDI-P [MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri; National Awakening Party or PKB [Muhaiman ISKANDAR; National Mandate Party or PAN [Hatta RAJASA; People's Conscience Party or HANURA [WIRANTO; Prosperous Justice Party or PKS [Anis MATTA; United Development Party or PPP [NA", "PIPELINES": "condensate 1,064 km; condensate/gas 150 km; gas 11,702 km; liquid petroleum gas 119 km; oil 7,767 km; oil/gas/water 77 km; refined products 728 km; unknown 53 km; water 44 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Indonesia, a vast polyglot nation, has grown strongly since 2010. During the global financial crisis, Indonesia outperformed its regional neighbors and joined China and India as the only G20 members posting growth. The government has promoted fiscally conservative policies, resulting in a debt-to-GDP ratio of less than 25% and historically low rates of inflation. Fitch and Moody's upgraded Indonesia's credit rating to investment grade in December 2011. Indonesia still struggles with poverty and unemployment, inadequate infrastructure, corruption, a complex regulatory environment, and unequal resource distribution among regions. President Joko WIDODO - elected in July 2014 - has emphasized domestic economic growth in his first few months in office and in November 2014 reduced fuel subsidies, a move which could help the government increase spending on its development priorities. Indonesia, with the nine other ASEAN members, will form the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Commission for the \"Disappeared\" and Victims of Violence or KontraS; Indonesia Corruption Watch or ICW; Indonesian Forum for the Environment or WALHI", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "archipelago of 17,508 islands, some 6,000 of which are inhabited (Indonesia is the world's largest country comprised solely of islands); straddles equator; strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-1.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper, fertile soils, coal, gold, silver", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Indonesian(s); adjective: :Indonesian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 17 August (1945)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :1,340; by type: :bulk carrier 105, cargo 618, chemical tanker 69, container 120, liquefied gas 28, passenger 49, passenger/cargo 77, petroleum tanker 244, refrigerated cargo 6, roll on/roll off 12, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 11; foreign-owned: :69 (China 1, France 1, Greece 1, Japan 8, Jordan 1, Malaysia 1, Norway 3, Singapore 46, South Korea 2, Taiwan 1, UK 2, US 2); registered in other countries: :95 (Bahamas 2, Cambodia 2, China 2, Hong Kong 10, Liberia 4, Marshall Islands 1, Mongolia 2, Panama 10, Singapore 60, Tuvalu 1, unknown 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, BIS, CD, CICA (observer), CP, D-8, EAS, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-11, G-15, G-20, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OECD (Enhanced Engagement, OIC, OPCW, PIF (partner), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines; territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :65,847,171; females age 16-49: :63,228,017 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :92.8%; male: :95.6%; female: :90.1% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :72.17 years; male: :69.59 years; female: :74.88 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral People's Consultative Assembly or Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat consists of the Regional Representative Council or Dewan Perwakilan Daerah (132 seats; non-partisan members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (560 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by single non-transferable vote to serve 5-year terms); note: :29 other parties received less than the 2.5% vote threshold and failed to win so did not obtain any seats; because of election rules, the number of seats won does not always follow the percentage of votes received by parties; elections: :last held on 9 April 2014 (next to be held in 2019); election results: :percent of vote by party - PDI-P 19%, Golkar 15%, Gerindra 12%, PD 10%, PKB 9%, PAN 8%, PKS 7%, NasDem 7%, PPP 7%, Hanura 5%; seats by party - PDI-P 109, Golkar 91, Gerindra 73, PD 61, PKB 47, PAN 49, PKS 40, NasDem 35, PPP 39, Hanura 16", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system based on the Roman-Dutch model and influenced by customary law", "LANGUAGES": "Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, local dialects (of which the most widely spoken is Javanese); note: :more than 700 languages are used in Indonesia", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :12.97%; permanent crops: :12.14%; other: :74.88% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,958 km; border countries: :Timor-Leste 253 km, Malaysia 1,881 km, Papua New Guinea 824 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "124.3 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Mahkamah Agung (51 judges divided into 8 chambers); Constitutional Court or Mahkamah Konstitusi (consists of 9 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges nominated by Judicial Commission, appointed by president with concurrence of parliament; judges serve until retirement age; Constitutional Court judges - 3 nominated by president, 3 by Supreme Court, and 3 by parliament; judges appointed by the president; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 70; subordinate courts: :High Courts of Appeal, district courts, religious courts", "WATERWAYS": "21,579 km (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "6.3% (2014 est.); 6.4% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :25.16 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :29.45 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :20.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "petroleum and natural gas, textiles, automotive, electrical appliances, apparel, footwear, mining, cement, medical instruments and appliances, handicrafts, chemical fertilizers, plywood, rubber, processed food, jewelry, and tourism", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "4.9% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "17 August 1945 (declared)", "IMPORTS": "$166.7 billion (2014 est.); $176.3 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "illicit producer of cannabis largely for domestic use; producer of methamphetamine and ecstasy", "ROADWAYS": "total: :496,607 km; paved: :283,102 km; unpaved: :213,505 km (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; the colors derive from the banner of the Majapahit Empire of the 13th-15th centuries; red symbolizes courage, white represents purity; note: :similar to the flag of Monaco, which is shorter; also similar to the flag of Poland, which is white (top) and red", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$278.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $266.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$179.4 billion (2014 est.); $182.1 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President JOKO Widodo (since 20 October 2014); Vice President Jusuf KALLA (since 20 October 2014); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President JOKO Widodo (since 20 October 2014); Vice President Jusuf KALLA (since 20 October 2014); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president; elections: :president and vice president elected for five-year terms (eligible for a second term) by direct vote; presidential election last held on 9 July 2014 (next to be held in 2019); election results: :JOKO Widodo elected president; percent of vote - JOKO Widodo 53.2%, PRABOWO Subianto 46.8%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Indonesian rupiah (IDR) per US dollar -; 11,840.7 (2014 est.); 10,461.2 (2013 est.); 9,386.63 (2012 est.); 8,770.43 (2011 est.); 9,090.4 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Javanese 40.1%, Sundanese 15.5%, Malay 3.7%, Batak 3.6%, Madurese 3%, Betawi 2.9%, Minangkabau 2.7%, Buginese 2.7%, Bantenese 2%, Banjarese 1.7%, Balinese 1.7%, Acehnese 1.4%, Dayak 1.4%, Sasak 1.3%, Chinese 1.2%, other 15% (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "6.34 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "drafted July to August 1945, effective 17 August 1945, abrogated by 1949 and 1950 constitutions, 1945 constitution restored 5 July 1959; amended several times, last in 2002 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 16%, Singapore 13.7%, Japan 10.3%, Malaysia 7.1%, South Korea 6.2%, Thailand 5.7%, US 4.9% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "54,716 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Jakarta; geographic coordinates: :6 10 S, 106 49 E; time difference: :UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); note: :Indonesia has three time zones", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$134.7 billion; expenditures: :$155.2 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Indonesian Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia, TNI): Army (TNI-Angkatan Darat (TNI-AD)), Navy (TNI-Angkatan Laut (TNI-AL); includes marines (Korps Marinir, KorMar), naval air arm), Air Force (TNI-Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU)), National Air Defense Command (Kommando Pertahanan Udara Nasional (Kohanudnas)) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "17.04 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "673 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "rubber and similar products, palm oil, poultry, beef, forest products, shrimp, cocoa, coffee, medicinal herbs, essential oil, fish and its similar products, and spices", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "31 provinces (provinsi-provinsi, singular - provinsi), 1 autonomous province*, 1 special region** (daerah-daerah istimewa, singular - daerah istimewa), and 1 national capital district*** (daerah khusus ibukota); Aceh*, Bali, Banten, Bengkulu, Gorontalo, Jakarta Raya***, Jambi, Jawa Barat (West Java), Jawa Tengah (Central Java), Jawa Timur (East Java), Kalimantan Barat (West Kalimantan), Kalimantan Selatan (South Kalimantan), Kalimantan Utara (North Kalimantan), Kalimantan Tengah (Central Kalimantan), Kalimantan Timur (East Kalimantan), Kepulauan Bangka Belitung (Bangka Belitung Islands), Kepulauan Riau (Riau Islands), Lampung, Maluku, Maluku Utara (North Maluku), Nusa Tenggara Barat (West Nusa Tenggara), Nusa Tenggara Timur (East Nusa Tenggara), Papua, Papua Barat (West Papua), Riau, Sulawesi Barat (West Sulawesi), Sulawesi Selatan (South Sulawesi), Sulawesi Tengah (Central Sulawesi), Sulawesi Tenggara (Southeast Sulawesi), Sulawesi Utara (North Sulawesi), Sumatera Barat (West Sumatra), Sumatera Selatan (South Sumatra), Sumatera Utara (North Sumatra), Yogyakarta**; note: :following the implementation of decentralization beginning on 1 January 2001, regencies and municipalities have become the key administrative units responsible for providing most government services", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Japan 14.8%, China 12.4%, Singapore 9.1%, US 8.6%, India 7.1%, South Korea 6.3%, Malaysia 5.8% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "oil and gas, electrical appliances, plywood, textiles, rubber", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :38.9%; industry: :13.2%; services: :47.9% (2012 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.3%; highest 10%: :29.9% (2009)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "11.7% (2012 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.78% of GDP (2012); 0.67% of GDP (2011); 0.78% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Marine Life Conservation", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; water pollution from industrial wastes, sewage; air pollution in urban areas; smoke and haze from forest fires", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :487; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :4; 914 to 1,523 m: :23; 460 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :186; over 3,047 m: :5; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :21; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :51; 914 to 1,523 m: :72; under 914 m: :37 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Dutch began to colonize Indonesia in the early 17th century; Japan occupied the islands from 1942 to 1945. Indonesia declared its independence shortly before Japan's surrender, but it required four years of sometimes brutal fighting, intermittent negotiations, and UN mediation before the Netherlands agreed to transfer sovereignty in 1949. A period of sometimes unruly parliamentary democracy ended in 1957 when President SOEKARNO declared martial law and instituted \"Guided Democracy.\" After an abortive coup in 1965 by alleged communist sympathizers, SOEKARNO was gradually eased from power. From 1967 until 1988, President SUHARTO ruled Indonesia with his \"New Order\" government. After rioting toppled Suharto in 1998, free and fair legislative elections took place in 1999. Indonesia is now the world's third most populous democracy, the world's largest archipelagic state, and the world's largest Muslim-majority nation. Current issues include: alleviating poverty, improving education, preventing terrorism, consolidating democracy after four decades of authoritarianism, implementing economic and financial reforms, stemming corruption, reforming the criminal justice system, holding the military and police accountable for human rights violations, addressing climate change, and controlling infectious diseases, particularly those of global and regional importance. In 2005, Indonesia reached a historic peace agreement with armed separatists in Aceh, which led to democratic elections in Aceh in December 2006. Indonesia continues to face low intensity armed resistance in Papua by the separatist Free Papua Movement.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :2,263,892; female: :2,191,267 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :54,264,299; females age 16-49: :53,274,361 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-45 years of age for voluntary military service, with selective conscription authorized; 2-year service obligation, with reserve obligation to age 45 (officers); Indonesian citizens only (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than three times the size of Texas", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "occasional floods; severe droughts; tsunamis; earthquakes; volcanoes; forest fires; volcanism: :Indonesia contains the most volcanoes of any country in the world - some 76 are historically active; significant volcanic activity occurs on Java, Sumatra, the Sunda Islands, Halmahera Island, Sulawesi Island, Sangihe Island, and in the Banda Sea; Merapi (elev. 2,968 m), Indonesia's most active volcano and in eruption since 2010, has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; other notable historically active volcanoes include Agung, Awu, Karangetang, Krakatau (Krakatoa), Makian, Raung, and Tambora", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Indian Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Puncak Jaya 4,884 m", "HELIPORTS": "76 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.78 male(s)/female; total population: :1 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "54 local TV stations (11 national TV networks; each with its group of local transmitters) (2006)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 678, FM 43, shortwave 82 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :14.2%; industry: :45.5%; services: :40.3% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "5 00 S, 120 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :26.2% (male 33,854,520/female 32,648,568); 15-24 years: :17.1% (male 22,067,716/female 21,291,548); 25-54 years: :42.3% (male 54,500,650/female 52,723,359); 55-64 years: :7.9% (male 9,257,637/female 10,780,724); 65 years and over: :6.5% (male 7,176,865/female 9,308,056) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Jarvis Island", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "there is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system", "AFFILIATION": "(territory of the US)", "AREA": "total: :4.5 sq km; land: :4.5 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "0 sq km (2011)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and the Cook Islands", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Jarvis Island", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard", "TERRAIN": "sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "none; offshore anchorage only; note - there is one small boat landing area in the middle of the west coast and another near the southwest corner of the island", "POPULATION": "uninhabited; note: :Millersville settlement on western side of island occasionally used as a weather station from 1935 until World War II, when it was abandoned; reoccupied in 1957 during the International Geophysical Year by scientists who left in 1958; public entry is by special-use permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and educators; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "sparse bunch grass, prostrate vines, and low-growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "guano (deposits worked until late 1800s), terrestrial and aquatic wildlife", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "the laws of the US, where applicable, apply", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (2014 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "the flag of the US is used", "COASTLINE": "8 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "no natural fresh water resources", "BACKGROUND": "First discovered by the British in 1821, the uninhabited island was annexed by the US in 1858 but abandoned in 1879 after tons of guano deposits had been removed for use in producing fertilizer. The UK annexed the island in 1889 but never carried out plans for further exploitation. The US occupied and reclaimed the island in 1935. Abandoned after World War II, the island is currently a National Wildlife Refuge administered by the US Department of the Interior.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island poses a maritime hazard", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :unnamed location 7 m", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "0 22 S, 160 01 W" }, { "country": "Malaysia", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "the International Maritime Bureau reports that the territorial and offshore waters in the Strait of Malacca and South China Sea remain high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; in the past, commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargo diverted to ports in East Asia; crews have been murdered or cast adrift; increased naval patrols since 2005 in the Strait of Malacca resulted in no reported incidents in 2010", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Joseph Y. YUN (since 2 October 2013); embassy: :376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur; mailing address: :US Embassy Kuala Lumpur, APO AP 96535-8152; telephone: :[60; FAX: :[60", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$24,500 (2014 est.); $23,500 (2013 est.); $22,800 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "5.9% (2014 est.); 4.7% (2013 est.); 5.6% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.47% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$746.8 billion (2014 est.); $705.2 billion (2013 est.); $673.3 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :45.5%; youth dependency ratio: :37.4%; elderly dependency ratio: :8.1%; potential support ratio: :12.4% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "31.1% of GDP (2014 est.); 30% of GDP (2013 est.); 31.7% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :51.5%; government consumption: :13.7%; investment in fixed capital: :25.5%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :83%; imports of goods and services: :-73.7%; (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "198.8 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "2.35 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "2.165 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "32.54 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "31.25 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "61.62 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "175,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "176,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "623,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "568,800 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "4 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "160,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "269,000 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "647,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "10.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "89.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "28.4 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "372 million kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "12 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "112 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "118 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "tiger, hibiscus; national colors: red, white, blue, yellow", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :10.3%; male: :9.8%; female: :11% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "14% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.9 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.2 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "4% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "12.9% (2006)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "29 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-3.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "20.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "KUALA LUMPUR (capital) 6.629 million; Johor Bahru 891,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Negaraku\" (My Country); lyrics/music: :collective, led by Tunku ABDUL RAHMAN/Pierre Jean DE BERANGER; note: :adopted 1957; full version only performed in the presence of the king; the tune, which was adopted from a popular French melody titled \"La Rosalie,\" was originally the anthem of Perak, one of Malaysia's 13 states", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 96.1% of population; rural: 94.6% of population; total: 95.7% of population; urban: 3.9% of population; rural: 5.4% of population; total: 4.3% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 98.5% of population; total: 99.6% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 1.5% of population; total: 0.4% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$478.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $440.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$113.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $99.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-owned TV broadcaster operates 2 TV networks with relays throughout the country, and the leading private commercial media group operates 4 TV stations with numerous relays throughout the country; satellite TV subscription service is available; state-owned radio broadcaster operates multiple national networks as well as regional and local stations; many private commercial radio broadcasters and some subscription satellite radio services are available; about 55 radio stations overall (2012)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :74% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.66% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$460.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $428.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$200.9 billion (31 December 2008); $187.6 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$51.51 billion (31 December 2008); $49.41 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "4.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 4.56% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "3% (31 December 2011); 2.83% (31 December 2010)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.9% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :13 years; male: :13 years; female: :13 years (2005)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :11.2 cu km/yr (35%/43%/22%); per capita: :414 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "580 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$476.3 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $395.1 billion (31 December 2011); $410.5 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$146.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $133.4 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$144 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $132.4 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Malaysia is a destination and, to a lesser extent, a source and transit country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and women and children subjected to sex trafficking; Malaysia is mainly a destination country for foreign workers who migrate willingly from countries including Indonesia, Nepal, India, Thailand, the Philippines, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Bangladesh, and Vietnam but subsequently encounter forced labor or debt bondage at the hands of their employers in the domestic, agricultural, construction, plantation, and industrial sectors; a small number of Malaysian citizens were reportedly trafficked internally and abroad for commercial sexual exploitation in 2013; refugees are also vulnerable to trafficking; some officials are reportedly complicit in facilitating trafficking; tier rating: :Tier 3 - Malaysia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; in 2013, authorities continued to detain trafficking victims in government facilities as part of a court-ordered protection measure, the government identified significantly fewer trafficking victims and reported fewer investigations and convictions compared to the previous year; many front-line officials continued to lack the ability to recognize indicators of human trafficking and instead treated these cases as immigration violations; NGOs provided the majority of victim rehabilitation and counseling services with no financial support from the government (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$336.9 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :92,939 (Burma) (2014); stateless persons: :40,000 (2013); note - Malaysia's stateless population consists of Rohingya refugees from Burma, ethnic Indians, and the children of Filipino and Indonesian illegal migrants; Burma stripped the Rohingya of their nationality in 1982; Filipino and Indonesian children who have not have been registered for birth certificates by their parents or who received birth certificates stamped \"foreigner\" are not eligible to go to government schools; these children are vulnerable to statelessness should they not be able to apply to their parents' country of origin for a passport", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :intermediate; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever; water contact disease: :leptospirosis; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$133.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $134.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$18.9 billion (2014 est.); $11.73 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "54.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 54.7% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :this figure is based on the amount of federal government debt, RM501.6 billion ($167.2 billion) in 2012; this includes Malaysian Treasury bills and other government securities, as well as loans raised externally and bonds and notes issued overseas; this figure excludes debt issued by non-financial public enterprises and guaranteed by the federal government, which was an additional $47.7 billion in 2012", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "422,470 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :27.7 years; male: :27.4 years; female: :27.9 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "46.2 (2009); 49.2 (1997)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "5,900 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "86,300 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.44% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".my", "INTERNET_USERS": "15.355 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "41.325 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "4.589 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador AWANG ADEK Bin Hussin (since 21 May 2015); chancery: :3516 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Los Angeles, New York", "AREA": "total: :329,847 sq km; land: :328,657 sq km; water: :1,190 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "3,800 sq km (2009)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Southeast Asia", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Asia, peninsula bordering Thailand and northern one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia, Brunei, and the South China Sea, south of Vietnam", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Malaysia; local long form: :none; local short form: :Malaysia; former: :Federation of Malaya", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "2.9% (2014 est.); 3.1% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional monarchy; note: :nominally headed by paramount ruler (commonly referred to as the king) and a bicameral Parliament consisting of a nonelected upper house and an elected lower house; all Peninsular Malaysian states have hereditary rulers (commonly referred to as sultans) except Melaka (Malacca) and Pulau Pinang (Penang); those two states along with Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia have governors appointed by government; powers of state governments are limited by federal constitution; under terms of federation, Sabah and Sarawak retain certain constitutional prerogatives (e.g., right to maintain their own immigration controls)", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.58 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "coastal plains rising to hills and mountains", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modern system featuring good intercity service on Peninsular Malaysia provided mainly by microwave radio relay and an adequate intercity microwave radio relay network between Sabah and Sarawak via Brunei; international service excellent; domestic: :domestic satellite system with 2 earth stations; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 140 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 60; landing point for several major international submarine cable networks that provide connectivity to Asia, Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Pacific Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "21 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim (official) 61.3%, Buddhist 19.8%, Christian 9.2%, Hindu 6.3%, Confucianism, Taoism, other traditional Chinese religions 1.3%, other 0.4%, none 0.8%, unspecified 1% (2010 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :1,849 km; standard gauge: :57 km 1.435-m gauge (57 km electrified); narrow gauge: :1,792 km 1.000-m gauge (150 km electrified) (2010)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Bintulu, Johor Bahru, George Town (Penang), Port Kelang (Port Klang), Tanjung Pelepas; container port(s) (TEUs): :George Town (Penang)(1,202,180), Port Kelang (Port Klang)(9,435,403), Tanjung Pelepas (7,302,461); LNG terminal(s) (export): :Bintulu", "POPULATION": "30,073,353 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia Party or GERAKAN [KOH Tsu Koon; Liberal Democratic Party (Parti Liberal Demokratik - Sabah) or LDP [LIEW Vui Keong; Malaysian Chinese Association (Persatuan China Malaysia) or MCA [CHUA Soi Lek; Malaysian Indian Congress (Kongres India Malaysia) or MIC [Govindasamy PALANIVEL; Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah or PBRS [Joseph KURUP; Parti Bersatu Sabah or PBS [Joseph PAIRIN Kitingan; Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu or PBB [Abdul TAIB Mahmud; Parti Rakyat Sarawak or PRS [James MASING; Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party or SPDP [Tan Sri William MAKAN Ikom; Sarawak United People's Party (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sarawak) or SUPP [Peter CHIN Fah Kui; United Malays National Organization or UMNO [NAJIB bin Abdul Razak; United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organization (Pertubuhan Pasko Momogun Kadazan Dusun Bersatu) or UPKO [Bernard DOMPOK; People's Progressive Party (Parti Progresif Penduduk Malaysia) or PPP [M.Kayveas; Democratic Action Party (Parti Tindakan Demokratik) or DAP [KARPAL Singh; Islamic Party of Malaysia (Parti Islam se Malaysia) or PAS [Abdul HADI Awang; People's Justice Party (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) or PKR [WAN AZIZAH Wan Ismail; Sarawak National Party or SNAP [Edwin DUNDANG; Sabah Progressive Party (Parti Progresif Sabah) or SAPP [YONG Teck Lee; State Reform Pary (Parti Reformasi Negeri) or STAR [Jeffery KITINGAN", "PIPELINES": "condensate 354 km; gas 6,439 km; liquid petroleum gas 155 km; oil 1,937 km; oil/gas/water 43 km; refined products 114 km; water 26 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Malaysia, a middle-income country, has transformed itself since the 1970s from a producer of raw materials into an emerging multi-sector economy. Under current Prime Minister NAJIB, Malaysia is attempting to achieve high-income status by 2020 and to move farther up the value-added production chain by attracting investments in Islamic finance, high technology industries, biotechnology, and services. NAJIB's Economic Transformation Program (ETP) is a series of projects and policy measures intended to accelerate the country's economic growth. The government has also taken steps to liberalize some services sub-sectors. The NAJIB administration also is continuing efforts to boost domestic demand and reduce the economy's dependence on exports. Nevertheless, exports - particularly of electronics, oil and gas, palm oil and rubber - remain a significant driver of the economy. As an oil and gas exporter, Malaysia has profited from higher world energy prices, although the rising cost of domestic gasoline and diesel fuel, combined with sustained budget deficits, has forced Kuala Lumpur to begin to address fiscal shortfalls, through initial reductions in energy and sugar subsidies and the announcement of the 2015 implementation of a 6% goods and services tax. Falling global oil prices in the second half of 2014 have shrunk Malaysia�s current account surplus and put downward pressure on the ringgit. The government is also trying to lessen its dependence on state oil producer Petronas. The oil and gas sector supplies about 32% of government revenue in 2013. Bank Negara Malaysia (central bank) maintains healthy foreign exchange reserves, and a well-developed regulatory regime has limited Malaysia's exposure to riskier financial instruments and the global financial crisis. Nevertheless, Malaysia could be vulnerable to a fall in commodity prices or a general slowdown in global economic activity because exports are a major component of GDP. In order to attract increased investment, NAJIB earlier raised possible revisions to the special economic and social preferences accorded to ethnic Malays under the New Economic Policy of 1970, but retreated in 2013 after he encountered significant opposition from Malay nationalists and other vested interests. In September 2013 NAJIB launched the new Bumiputra Economic Empowerment Program (BEEP), policies that favor and advance the economic condition of ethnic Malays. Malaysia is a member of the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement negotiations and, with the nine other ASEAN members, will form the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Bar Council; BERSIH (electoral reform coalition); PEMBELA (Muslim NGO coalition); PERKASA (defense of Malay rights); other: :religious groups; women's groups; youth groups", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population; note: :does not reflect net flow of an unknown number of illegal immigrants from other countries in the region (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Malaysian(s); adjective: :Malaysian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day 31 August (1957) (independence of Malaya); Malaysia Day 16 September (1963) (formation of Malaysia)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :315; by type: :bulk carrier 11, cargo 83, carrier 2, chemical tanker 47, container 41, liquefied gas 34, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 86, roll on/roll off 2, vehicle carrier 5; foreign-owned: :26 (Denmark 1, Hong Kong 8, Japan 2, Russia 2, Singapore 13); registered in other countries: :82 (Bahamas 13, India 1, Indonesia 1, Isle of Man 6, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 11, Panama 12, Papua New Guinea 1, Philippines 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Singapore 27, Thailand 3, US 2, unknown 2) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, BIS, C, CICA (observer), CP, D-8, EAS, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation; specified boundary in the South China Sea", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :7,501,518; females age 16-49: :7,315,999 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :93.1%; male: :95.4%; female: :90.7% (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :74.52 years; male: :71.74 years; female: :77.48 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament or Parlimen consists of the Senate or Dewan Negara (70 seats; 44 members appointed by the king and 26 indirectly elected by 13 state legislatures; members serve 3-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (222 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms); elections: :House of Representatives - last held on 5 May 2013 (next to be held by May 2018); election results: :House of Representatives - percent of vote by coalition/party - BN coalition 47.4%, opposition parties 50.9%, other 1.7%; seats by coalition/party - BN coalition 133, opposition parties 89", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law, and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court at request of supreme head of the federation", "LANGUAGES": "Bahasa Malaysia (official), English, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai; note: :in East Malaysia there are several indigenous languages; most widely spoken are Iban and Kadazan", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :2.94%; permanent crops: :19.78%; other: :77.28% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,742 km; border countries: :Brunei 266 km, Indonesia 1,881 km, Thailand 595 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "14.01 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Federal Court (consists of the chief justice and 4 judges); note - Malaysia has a dual judicial hierarchy of civil and religious (sharia) courts; judge selection and term of office: :Federal Court justices appointed by the monarch on advice of the prime minister; judges serve till age 65; subordinate courts: :Court of Appeal; High Court; Sessions Court; Magistrates' Court", "WATERWAYS": "7,200 km (Peninsular Malaysia 3,200 km; Sabah 1,500 km; Sarawak 2,500 km) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3.1% (2014 est.); 2.1% (2013 est.); note: :approximately 30% of goods are price-controlled", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :13.69 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :15.82 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :11.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "Peninsular Malaysia - rubber and oil palm processing and manufacturing, petroleum and natural gas, light manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, medical technology, electronics and semi-conductors, timber processing; Sabah - logging, petroleum and natural gas production; Sarawak - agriculture processing, petroleum and natural gas production, logging", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "5.6% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "31 August 1957 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$193.6 billion (2014 est.); $186.7 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "drug trafficking prosecuted vigorously and carries severe penalties; heroin still primary drug of abuse, but synthetic drug demand remains strong; continued ecstasy and methamphetamine producer for domestic users and, to a lesser extent, the regional drug market", "ROADWAYS": "total: :144,403 km (does not include local roads); paved: :116,169 km (includes 1,821 km of expressways); unpaved: :28,234 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "14 equal horizontal stripes of red (top) alternating with white (bottom); there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a yellow crescent and a yellow 14-pointed star; the flag is often referred to as Jalur Gemilang (Stripes of Glory); the 14 stripes stand for the equal status in the federation of the 13 member states and the federal government; the 14 points on the star represent the unity between these entities; the crescent is a traditional symbol of Islam; blue symbolizes the unity of the Malay people and yellow is the royal color of Malay rulers; note: :the design is based on the flag of the US", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$109.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $106.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$231.3 billion (2014 est.); $219.2 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :King Tuanku ABDUL HALIM Mu'adzam Shah (selected on 13 December 2011; installed on 11 April 2012); the position of the king is primarily ceremonial; head of government: :Prime Minister Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Najib Razak (since 3 April 2009); Deputy Prime Minister MUHYIDDIN bin Mohamed Yassin (since 9 April 2009); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of Parliament with consent of the king; elections: :kings are elected by and from the hereditary rulers of nine of the states for five-year terms; selection is based on the principle of rotation among rulers of states; elections were last held on 14 October 2011 (next to be held in 2016); prime ministers are designated from among the members of the House of Representatives; following legislative elections, the leader who commands the support of the majority of members in the House becomes prime minister (since independence this has been the leader of the UMNO party); election results: :Tuanku ABDUL HALIM Mu'adzam Shah elected king by fellow hereditary rulers of nine states; Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Najib Razak was sworn in as prime minister the day after his National Front (BN) coalition won a majority of seats during the 5 May 2013 national election; NAJIB was re-elected uncontested as UMNO president on 19 October 2013", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "ringgits (MYR) per US dollar -; 3.24 (2014 est.); 3.15 (2013 est.); 3.09 (2012 est.); 3.06 (2011 est.); 3.22 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Malay 50.1%, Chinese 22.6%, indigenous 11.8%, Indian 6.7%, other 0.7%, non-citizens 8.2% (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "5 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1948; latest drafted 21 February 1957, effective 27 August 1957; amended many times, last in 2007 (2010)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 17%, Singapore 13.2%, Japan 8.5%, US 7.6%, Thailand 5.9%, South Korea 4.6%, Indonesia 4.3% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "4,675 km (Peninsular Malaysia 2,068 km, East Malaysia 2,607 km)", "CLIMATE": "tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "electronics, machinery, petroleum products, plastics, vehicles, iron and steel products, chemicals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Kuala Lumpur; note - Putrajaya is referred to as an administrative center not the capital; Parliament meets in Kuala Lumpur; geographic coordinates: :3 10 N, 101 42 E; time difference: :UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$68.09 billion; expenditures: :$79.63 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Malaysian Armed Forces (Angkatan Tentera Malaysia, ATM): Malaysian Army (Tentera Darat Malaysia), Royal Malaysian Navy (Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia, TLDM), Royal Malaysian Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia, TUDM) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "20.06 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "114 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "Peninsular Malaysia - palm oil, rubber, cocoa, rice; Sabah - palm oil, subsistence crops; rubber, timber; Sarawak - palm oil, rubber, timber; pepper", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "13 states (negeri-negeri, singular - negeri); Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Terengganu; and 1 federal territory (Wilayah Persekutuan) with 3 components, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 14.1%, Singapore 13.9%, Japan 10.9%, US 8.2%, Thailand 5.4%, Indonesia 4.5%, Hong Kong 4.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "semiconductors and electronic equipment, palm oil, petroleum and liquefied natural gas, wood and wood products, palm oil, rubber, textiles, chemicals, solar panels", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :11%; industry: :36%; services: :53% (2012 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.8%; highest 10%: :34.7% (2009 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "3.8% (2009 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.55% of GDP (2012); 1.67% of GDP (2011); 1.55% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :75; 914 to 1,523 m: :6; 69 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :39; over 3,047 m: :8; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :8; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :7; 914 to 1,523 m: :8; under 914 m: :8 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "During the late 18th and 19th centuries, Great Britain established colonies and protectorates in the area of current Malaysia; these were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula except Singapore formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore, as well as Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo, joined the Federation. The first several years of the country's independence were marred by a communist insurgency, Indonesian confrontation with Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's withdrawal in 1965. During the 22-year term of Prime Minister MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (1981-2003), Malaysia was successful in diversifying its economy from dependence on exports of raw materials to the development of manufacturing, services, and tourism. Prime Minister Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Razak (in office since April 2009) has continued these pro-business policies and has introduced some civil reforms. Malaysia assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2015-16 term.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :265,008; female: :254,812 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :6,247,306; females age 16-49: :6,175,274 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service (younger with parental consent and proof of age); mandatory retirement age 60; women serve in the Malaysian Armed Forces; no conscription (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than New Mexico", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "flooding; landslides; forest fires", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Indian Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Gunung Kinabalu 4,100 m", "HELIPORTS": "4 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.07 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.89 male(s)/female; total population: :1.03 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "88 (mainland Malaysia 51, Sabah 16, and Sarawak 21) (2006)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 35, FM 391, shortwave 15 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :9.3%; industry: :34.7%; services: :56% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "2 30 N, 112 30 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :28.8% (male 4,456,033/female 4,206,727); 15-24 years: :16.9% (male 2,580,486/female 2,511,579); 25-54 years: :41.2% (male 6,277,694/female 6,114,312); 55-64 years: :7.6% (male 1,163,861/female 1,122,746); 65 years and over: :5.5% (male 777,338/female 862,577) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Midway Islands", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "Henderson Field on Sand Island serves as an emergency landing site for aircraft crossing the Pacific Ocean", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "unincorporated territory of the US; formerly administered from Washington, DC, by the US Navy; on 31 October 1996, through a presidential executive order, the jurisdiction and control of the atoll was transferred to the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System", "AFFILIATION": "(territory of the US)", "AREA": "total: :6.2 sq km; land: :6.2 sq km; water: :0 sq km; note: :includes Eastern Island, Sand Island, and Spit Island", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "0 sq km (2011)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-third of the way from Honolulu to Tokyo", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Midway Islands", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the US", "TERRAIN": "low, nearly level", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Sand Island", "POPULATION": "no indigenous inhabitants; approximately 40 people make up the staff of US Fish and Wildlife Service and their services contractor living at the atoll (July 2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "a coral atoll managed as a national wildlife refuge and open to the public for wildlife-related recreation in the form of wildlife observation and photography, sport fishing, snorkeling, and scuba diving; in 2000 the lands and waters of the Midway National Wildlife Refuge were also designated as the Battle of Midway National Monument; Henderson Airfield on Sand Island continues to serve as an emergency landing field for military and civilian aircraft transiting the Pacific Ocean (2012)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "wildlife, terrestrial and aquatic", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "the laws of the US, where applicable, apply", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (2014 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "the flag of the US is used", "COASTLINE": "15 km", "CLIMATE": "subtropical; moderated by prevailing easterly winds", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The US took formal possession of the islands in 1867. The laying of the trans-Pacific cable, which passed through the islands, brought the first residents in 1903. Between 1935 and 1947, Midway was used as a refueling stop for trans-Pacific flights. The US naval victory over a Japanese fleet off Midway in 1942 was one of the turning points of World War II. The islands continued to serve as a naval station until closed in 1993. Today the islands are a US National Wildlife Refuge. From 1996 to 2001 the refuge was open to the public; it is now temporarily closed.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :unnamed location 13 m", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "28 12 N, 177 22 W" }, { "country": "Nigeria", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Niger Delta and Gulf of Guinea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery of ships; in 2012, 27 commercial vessels were boarded or attacked compared with 10 attacks in 2011; crews were robbed and stores or cargoes stolen; Nigerian pirates have extended the range of their attacks to as far away as Cote d'Ivoire", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador James F. ENTWISTLE (since 26 November 2013); embassy: :Plot 1075 Diplomatic Drive, Central District Area, Abuja; mailing address: :P. O. Box 5760, Garki, Abuja; telephone: :[234; FAX: :[234", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$6,100 (2014 est.); $5,800 (2013 est.); $5,700 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "7% (2014 est.); 5.4% (2013 est.); 4.3% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.47% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$1.058 trillion (2014 est.); $988.9 billion (2013 est.); $938.3 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :89.2%; youth dependency ratio: :84%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.2%; potential support ratio: :19.3% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "18.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 18.7% of GDP (2013 est.); 19.3% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :72.5%; government consumption: :8.4%; investment in fixed capital: :16.4%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :14.9%; imports of goods and services: :-12.1%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "15.1% (2013)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "20.3; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2013 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :11,396,823; percentage: :29% (2007 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "86.4 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "5.118 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "26.79 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "6.916 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "33.71 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "151,700 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "18,750 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "302,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "101,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "37.14 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "2.341 million bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "2.367 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "32.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "67.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "5.9 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "23.11 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "25.7 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "eagle; national colors: green, white", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "6.5% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.53 beds/1,000 population (2004)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.41 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.1% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "31% (2013)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "630 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "3.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "Lagos 12.614 million; Kano 3.508 million; Ibadan 3.085 million; ABUJA (capital) 2.301 million; Port Harcourt 2.227 million; Benin City 1.453 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Arise Oh Compatriots, Nigeria's Call Obey\"; lyrics/music: :John A. ILECHUKWU, Eme Etim AKPAN, B. A. OGUNNAIKE, Sotu OMOIGUI and P. O. ADERIBIGBE/Benedict Elide ODIASE; note: :adopted 1978; lyrics are a mixture of the five top entries in a national contest", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 30.8% of population; rural: 24.7% of population; total: 27.8% of population; urban: 69.2% of population; rural: 75.3% of population; total: 72.2% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 78.8% of population; rural: 49.1% of population; total: 64% of population; urban: 21.2% of population; rural: 50.9% of population; total: 36% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$108.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $99.64 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$45.44 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $44.59 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "nearly 70 federal government-controlled national and regional TV stations; all 36 states operate TV stations; several private TV stations operational; cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; network of federal government-controlled national, regional, and state radio stations; roughly 40 state government-owned radio stations typically carry their own programs except for news broadcasts; about 20 private radio stations; transmissions of international broadcasters are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :46.9% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :4.66% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$119.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $109.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$32.04 billion (31 December 2008); $22.78 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$35.29 billion (31 December 2008); $26.82 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "17% (31 December 2014 est.); 16.72% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "4.25% (31 December 2010); 6% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :9 years; male: :10 years; female: :8 years (2005)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :13.11 cu km/yr (31%/15%/54%); per capita: :89.21 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "286.2 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$56.39 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $39.27 billion (31 December 2011); $50.88 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$10.87 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $9.113 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$81.72 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $76.75 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$594.3 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "IDPs: :3.3 million (Boko Haram attacks and counterinsurgency efforts in northern Nigeria; communal violence between Christians and Muslims in the middle belt region, political violence; flooding; forced evictions; cattle rustling; competition for resources; displacement is mostly short-term) (2014)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever; water contact diseases: :leptospirosis and schistosomiasis; respiratory disease: :meningococcal meningitis; aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: :one of the most highly endemic areas for Lassa fever; animal contact disease: :rabies; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$37.44 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $45.66 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$18.24 billion (2014 est.); $21.85 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "11.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 10.5% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "1,234 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :18.2 years; male: :18.1 years; female: :18.3 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "43.7 (2003); 50.6 (1997)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "209,600 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "3,228,600 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "3.17% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ng", "INTERNET_USERS": "43.989 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "112.78 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "418,200 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Adebowale Ibidapo ADEFUYE (since 26 March 2010); chancery: :3519 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Atlanta, New York", "AREA": "total: :923,768 sq km; land: :910,768 sq km; water: :13,000 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "2,932 sq km (2004)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Federal Republic of Nigeria; conventional short form: :Nigeria", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "23.9% (2011 est.); 4.9% (2011 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "federal republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "5.25 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :further expansion and modernization of the fixed-line telephone network is needed; network quality remains a problem; domestic: :the addition of a second fixed-line provider in 2002 resulted in faster growth but subscribership remains only about 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular services growing rapidly, in part responding to the shortcomings of the fixed-line network; multiple cellular providers operate nationally with subscribership base approaching 60 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 234; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :3,505 km; narrow gauge: :3,505 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Bonny Inshore Terminal, Calabar, Lagos; LNG terminal(s) (export): :Bonny Island", "POPULATION": "177,155,754; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Accord Party or ACC [Mohammad Lawal MALADO; Action Congress of Nigeria or ACN [Adebisi Bamidele AKANDE; All Nigeria Peoples Party or ANPP [Ogbonnaya C. ONU; All Progressives Congress [Adebisi Bamidele AKANDE, acting; All Progressives Grand Alliance or APGA [Victor C. UMEH; Congress for Progressive Change or CPC [Tony MOMOH; Democratic Peoples Party or DPP [Biodun OGUNBIYI; Labor Party or LP [Chief Dan NWANYANWU; Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Adamu MU'AZU", "PIPELINES": "condensate 124 km; gas 4,045 km; liquid petroleum gas 164 km; oil 4,441 km; refined products 3,940 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Following an April 2014 statistical \"rebasing\" exercise, Nigeria has emerged as Africa's largest economy, with 2014 GDP estimated at US$ 479 billion. Oil has been a dominant source of government revenues since the 1970s. Regulatory constraints and security risks have limited new investment in oil and natural gas, and Nigeria's oil production contracted in 2012 and 2013. Nevertheless, the Nigerian economy has continued to grow at a rapid 6-8% per annum (pre-rebasing), driven by growth in agriculture, telecommunications, and services, and the medium-term outlook for Nigeria is good, assuming oil output stabilizes and oil prices remain strong. Fiscal authorities pursued countercyclical policies in 2011-2013, significantly reducing the budget deficit. Monetary policy has also been contractionary. Following the 2008-9 global financial crises, the banking sector was effectively recapitalized and regulation enhanced. Despite its strong fundamentals, oil-rich Nigeria has been hobbled by inadequate power supply, lack of infrastructure, delays in the passage of legislative reforms, an inefficient property registration system, restrictive trade policies, an inconsistent regulatory environment, a slow and ineffective judicial system, unreliable dispute resolution mechanisms, insecurity, and pervasive corruption. Economic diversification and strong growth have not translated into a significant decline in poverty levels - over 62% of Nigeria's 170 million people live in extreme poverty. President JONATHAN has established an economic team that includes experienced and reputable members and has announced plans to increase transparency, continue to diversify production, and further improve fiscal management. The government is working to develop stronger public-private partnerships for roads, agriculture, and power.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Academic Staff Union for Universities or ASUU; Campaign for Democracy or CD; Civil Liberties Organization or CLO; Committee for the Defense of Human Rights or CDHR; Constitutional Right Project or CRP; Human Right Africa; National Association of Democratic Lawyers or NADL; National Association of Nigerian Students or NANS; Nigerian Bar Association or NBA; Nigerian Labor Congress or NLC; Nigerian Medical Association or NMA; Universal Defenders of Democracy or UDD; other: :the press", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the Niger River enters the country in the northwest and flows southward through tropical rain forests and swamps to its delta in the Gulf of Guinea", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Nigerian(s); adjective: :Nigerian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day (National Day), 1 October (1960)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :89; by type: :cargo 2, chemical tanker 28, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 56, specialized tanker 1; foreign-owned: :3 (India 1, UK 2); registered in other countries: :33 (Bahamas 2, Bermuda 11, Comoros 1, Italy 1, Liberia 4, North Korea 1, Panama 6, Seychelles 1, unknown 6) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, D-8, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :37,087,711; females age 16-49: :35,232,127 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :51.1%; male: :61.3%; female: :41.4% (2008 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :52.62 years; male: :51.63 years; female: :53.66 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (109 seats - 3 each for the 36 states and 1 for Abuja; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms) and the House of Representatives (360 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms); elections: :Senate - last held on 9 and 26 April 2011 (next to be held in February 2015); House of Representatives - last held on 9 and 26 April 2011 (next to be held in February 2015); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDP 73, ACN 17, ANPP 7, CPC 6, LP 4, other 2; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDP 205, ACN 69, CPC 36, ANPP 28, LP 9, APGA 6, ACC 5, other 2; note - due to logistical problems, elections in several constituencies were held on 26 April 2011", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law (in 12 northern states), and traditional law", "LANGUAGES": "English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani, over 500 additional indigenous languages", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :38.43%; permanent crops: :7.36%; other: :54.21% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :4,477 km; border countries: :Benin 809 km, Cameroon 1,975 km, Chad 85 km, Niger 1,608 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "54.97 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 15 justices); judge selection and term of office: :judges appointed by the president on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council, a 23-member independent body of federal and state judicial officials; judge appointments confirmed by the Senate; judges serve until age 65; subordinate courts: :Court of Appeal; Federal High Court; High Court of the Federal Capital Territory; Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory; Customary Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory; state court system similar in structure to federal system", "WATERWAYS": "8,600 km (Niger and Benue Rivers and smaller rivers and creeks) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "8.3% (2014 est.); 8.5% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :74.09 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :79.02 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :68.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "crude oil, coal, tin, columbite; rubber products, wood; hides and skins, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, fertilizer, printing, ceramics, steel", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "4.6% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1 October 1960 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$52.79 billion (2014 est.); $51.38 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :193,200 km; paved: :28,980 km; unpaved: :164,220 km (2004)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green; the color green represents the forests and abundant natural wealth of the country, white stands for peace and unity", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$22.01 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $18.63 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$93.01 billion (2014 est.); $96.74 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Goodluck JONATHAN (since 5 May 2010, acting since 9 February 2010); Vice President Mohammed Namadi SAMBO (since 19 May 2010); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; JONATHAN assumed the presidency on 5 May 2010 following the death of President YAR'ADUA; JONATHAN was elected president on 16 April 2011; head of government: :President Goodluck JONATHAN (since 5 May 2010, acting since 9 February 2010); Vice President Mohammed Namadi SAMBO (since 19 May 2010); cabinet: :Federal Executive Council; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 16 April 2011 (next to be held in February 2015); election results: :Goodluck JONATHAN elected president; percent of vote - Goodluck JONATHAN 58.9%, Muhammadu BUHARI 32.0%, Nuhu RIBADU 5.4%, Ibrahim SHEKARAU 2.4%, other 1.3%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "nairas (NGN) per US dollar -; 157.3 (2014 est.); 157.31 (2013 est.); 156.81 (2012 est.); 154.7 (2011 est.); 150.3 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the most populous and politically influential are: Hausa and the Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%", "DEATH_RATE": "13.16 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted 5 May 1999, effective 29 May 1999; amended 2010 (2010)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 20.8%, US 11.2%, India 4.5% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "853 km", "CLIMATE": "varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Abuja; geographic coordinates: :9 05 N, 7 32 E; time difference: :UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$22.77 billion; expenditures: :$34.62 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Nigerian Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "38.03 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "54 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cocoa, peanuts, cotton, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava (manioc, tapioca), yams, rubber; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; timber; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "36 states and 1 territory*; Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Federal Capital Territory*, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "India 12.8%, US 11.1%, Brazil 10%, Spain 7.1%, Netherlands 7%, Germany 5.1%, France 4.7%, UK 4.5%, South Africa 4.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber (2012 est.)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :70%; industry: :10%; services: :20% (1999 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.8%; highest 10%: :38.2% (2010 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "70% (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.89% of GDP (2012); 0.98% of GDP (2011); 0.89% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "soil degradation; rapid deforestation; urban air and water pollution; desertification; oil pollution - water, air, and soil; has suffered serious damage from oil spills; loss of arable land; rapid urbanization", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :14; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :9; 3 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :40; over 3,047 m: :10; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :12; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :9; 914 to 1,523 m: :6; under 914 m: :3 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "British influence and control over what would become Nigeria and Africa's most populous country grew through the 19th century. A series of constitutions after World War II granted Nigeria greater autonomy; independence came in 1960. Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution was adopted in 1999, and a peaceful transition to civilian government was completed. The government continues to face the daunting task of reforming a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy. In addition, Nigeria continues to experience longstanding ethnic and religious tensions. Although both the 2003 and 2007 presidential elections were marred by significant irregularities and violence, Nigeria is currently experiencing its longest period of civilian rule since independence. The general elections of April 2007 marked the first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power in the country's history and the elections of 2011 were generally regarded as credible. In January 2014, Nigeria assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2014-15 term.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :1,767,428; female: :1,687,719 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :20,839,976; females age 16-49: :19,867,683 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly more than twice the size of California", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "periodic droughts; flooding", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Chappal Waddi 2,419 m", "HELIPORTS": "5 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.85 male(s)/female; total population: :1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "3 (the government controls 2 of the broadcasting stations and 15 repeater stations) (2001)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 83, FM 36, shortwave 11 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :20.6%; industry: :25.6%; services: :53.8% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "10 00 N, 8 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :43.2% (male 39,151,304/female 37,353,737); 15-24 years: :19.3% (male 17,486,117/female 16,732,533); 25-54 years: :30.5% (male 27,697,644/female 26,285,816); 55-64 years: :3.9% (male 3,393,631/female 3,571,301); 65 years and over: :3.1% (male 2,621,845/female 2,861,826) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Pacific Ocean", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "the Inside Passage offers protected waters from southeast Alaska to Puget Sound (Washington state); the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial waters of littoral states and offshore waters in the South China Sea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargoes stolen; crew and passengers are often held for ransom, murdered, or cast adrift", "AREA": "total: :155.557 million sq km; note: :includes Bali Sea, Bering Sea, Bering Strait, Coral Sea, East China Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Gulf of Tonkin, Philippine Sea, Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, South China Sea, Tasman Sea, and other tributary water bodies", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Political Map of the World", "LOCATION": "body of water between the Southern Ocean, Asia, Australia, and the Western Hemisphere", "TERRAIN": "surface currents in the northern Pacific are dominated by a clockwise, warm-water gyre (broad circular system of currents) and in the southern Pacific by a counterclockwise, cool-water gyre; in the northern Pacific, sea ice forms in the Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk in winter; in the southern Pacific, sea ice from Antarctica reaches its northernmost extent in October; the ocean floor in the eastern Pacific is dominated by the East Pacific Rise, while the western Pacific is dissected by deep trenches, including the Mariana Trench, which is the world's deepest", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong (China), Kao-hsiung (Taiwan), Los Angeles (US), Manila (Philippines), Pusan (South Korea), San Francisco (US), Seattle (US), Shanghai (China), Singapore, Sydney (Australia), Vladivostok (Russia), Wellington (NZ), Yokohama (Japan)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The Pacific Ocean is a major contributor to the world economy and particularly to those nations its waters directly touch. It provides low-cost sea transportation between East and West, extensive fishing grounds, offshore oil and gas fields, minerals, and sand and gravel for the construction industry. In 1996, over 60% of the world's fish catch came from the Pacific Ocean. Exploitation of offshore oil and gas reserves is playing an ever-increasing role in the energy supplies of the US, Australia, NZ, China, and Peru. The high cost of recovering offshore oil and gas, combined with the wide swings in world prices for oil since 1985, has led to fluctuations in new drillings.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the major chokepoints are the Bering Strait, Panama Canal, Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides the Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "oil and gas fields, polymetallic nodules, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, fish", "COASTLINE": "135,663 km", "CLIMATE": "planetary air pressure systems and resultant wind patterns exhibit remarkable uniformity in the south and east; trade winds and westerly winds are well-developed patterns, modified by seasonal fluctuations; tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico from June to October and affect Mexico and Central America; continental influences cause climatic uniformity to be much less pronounced in the eastern and western regions at the same latitude in the North Pacific Ocean; the western Pacific is monsoonal - a rainy season occurs during the summer months, when moisture-laden winds blow from the ocean over the land, and a dry season during the winter months, when dry winds blow from the Asian landmass back to the ocean; tropical cyclones (typhoons) may strike southeast and east Asia from May to December", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "endangered marine species include the dugong, sea lion, sea otter, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in Philippine Sea and South China Sea", "BACKGROUND": "The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the world's five oceans (followed by the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). Strategically important access waterways include the La Perouse, Tsugaru, Tsushima, Taiwan, Singapore, and Torres Straits. The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Pacific Ocean south of 60 degrees south.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about 15 times the size of the US; covers about 28% of the global surface; almost equal to the total land area of the world", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "surrounded by a zone of violent volcanic and earthquake activity sometimes referred to as the \"Pacific Ring of Fire\"; subject to tropical cyclones (typhoons) in southeast and east Asia from May to December (most frequent from July to October); tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico and strike Central America and Mexico from June to October (most common in August and September); cyclical El Nino/La Nina phenomenon occurs in the equatorial Pacific, influencing weather in the Western Hemisphere and the western Pacific; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme north from October to May; persistent fog in the northern Pacific can be a maritime hazard from June to December", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench -10,924 m; highest point: :sea level 0 m", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "0 00 N, 160 00 W" }, { "country": "Philippines", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the South China Sea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargo diverted to ports in East Asia; crews have been murdered or cast adrift", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Philip S. GOLDBERG (since 2 December 2013); embassy: :1201 Roxas Boulevard, Manila 1000; mailing address: :PSC 500, FPO AP 96515-1000; telephone: :[63; FAX: :[63", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$7,000 (2014 est.); $6,700 (2013 est.); $6,400 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "6.2% (2014 est.); 7.2% (2013 est.); 6.8% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.81% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$694.6 billion (2014 est.); $653.8 billion (2013 est.); $610 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :60.7%; youth dependency ratio: :54.3%; elderly dependency ratio: :6.4%; potential support ratio: :15.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "22.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 23.1% of GDP (2013 est.); 20.9% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :72.1%; government consumption: :10.8%; investment in fixed capital: :21.1%; investment in inventories: :0.2%; exports of goods and services: :29.1%; imports of goods and services: :-33.3%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "48.9% (2011)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "23; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2013 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "83.95 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "98.54 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "2.806 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "2.806 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "147,900 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "17,810 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "299,400 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "181,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "138.5 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "182,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "20,090 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "24,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "12.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "21.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "66.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "16.26 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "58.33 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "66.01 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "three stars and sun, Philippine eagle; national colors: red, white, blue, yellow", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :16.3%; male: :15.2%; female: :18.3% (2011 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "6.3% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.15 physicians/1,000 population (2004)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "4.6% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "20.2% (2011)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "99 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-1.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "15.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "MANILA (capital) 12.764 million; Davao 1.598 million; Cebu City 936,000; Zamboanga 912,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Lupang Hinirang\" (Chosen Land); lyrics/music: :Jose PALMA (revised by Felipe PADILLA de Leon)/Julian FELIPE; note: :music adopted 1898, original Spanish lyrics adopted 1899, Filipino (Tagalog) lyrics adopted 1956; although the original lyrics were written in Spanish, later English and Filipino versions were created; today, only the Filipino version is used", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 79.4% of population; rural: 69.4% of population; total: 74.3% of population; urban: 20.6% of population; rural: 30.6% of population; total: 25.7% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 92.5% of population; rural: 91.2% of population; total: 91.8% of population; urban: 7.5% of population; rural: 8.8% of population; total: 8.2% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$184.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $150.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$55.73 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $46.05 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "multiple national private TV and radio networks; multi-channel satellite and cable TV systems available; more than 350 TV stations - 4 major TV networks operating nationwide with 1 being government-owned; some 1100 cable TV providers and some 1,200 radio stations broadcasting; the Philippines is scheduled to complete the switch from analog to digital broadcasting by the end of 2015 (2012)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :44.5% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.32% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$186.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $144.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$55.71 billion (30 November 2009); $65.85 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$24.32 billion (30 November 2009); $22.53 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "5.9% (31 December 2014 est.); 5.77% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "5.3% (31 December 2012); 5.6% (31 December 2011)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.7% of GDP (2009)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :11 years; male: :11 years; female: :12 years (2009)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :81.56 cu km/yr (8%/10%/82%); per capita: :859.9 cu m/yr (2009)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "479 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$266.3 billion (31 December 2012); $198.4 billion (31 December 2011); $202.2 billion (31 December 2010)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$16.19 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $13.19 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$36.35 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $32.55 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$289.7 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "IDPs: :about 127,000 displaced by conflict and at least 327,000 were displaced by natural disasters (government troops fighting the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the Abu Sayyaf Group, and the New People's Army; clan feuds; natural disasters including typhoon Bopha (December 2012), the Bohol earthquake (October 2013), typhoon Haiyan (November 2013), and typhoon Hagupit (December 2014)) (2015); stateless persons: :6,015 (2013); note - stateless persons are descendants of Indonesian migrants", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever and malaria; water contact disease: :leptospirosis (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$84.51 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $83.19 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$8.668 billion (2014 est.); $9.423 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "48.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 49.2% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover debt issued by the national government, and excludes debt instruments issued by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by social security institutions, government-owned and controlled corporations, the Central Bank, and local government units", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "425,812 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :23.5 years; male: :23 years; female: :24 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "44.8 (2009); 46.6 (2003)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "300 (2012 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "14,800 (2012 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.1% (2012 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ph", "INTERNET_USERS": "8.278 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "103 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "3.939 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Jose L. CUISIA Jr. (since 7 April 2011); chancery: :1600 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Saipan, San Francisco, Tamuning (Guam)", "AREA": "total: :300,000 sq km; land: :298,170 sq km; water: :1,830 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "18,790 sq km (2006)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Southeast Asia", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of the Philippines; conventional short form: :Philippines; local long form: :Republika ng Pilipinas; local short form: :Pilipinas", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "7.2% (2014 est.); 7.1% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "3.06 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :good international radiotelephone and submarine cable services; domestic and interisland service adequate; domestic: :telecommunications infrastructure includes the following platforms: fixed-line, mobile cellular, cable TV, over-the-air TV, radio and Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT), fiber-optic cable, and satellite; mobile-cellular communications now dominate the industry; international: :country code - 63; a series of submarine cables together provide connectivity to Asia, US, the Middle East, and Europe; multiple international gateways (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Catholic 82.9% (Roman Catholic 80.9%, Aglipayan 2%), Muslim 5%, Evangelical 2.8%, Iglesia ni Kristo 2.3%, other Christian 4.5%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.6%, none 0.1% (2000 census)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :995 km; narrow gauge: :995 km 1.067-m gauge (484 km are in operation) (2010)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Batangas, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Liman, Manila; container port(s) (TEUs): :Manila (3,342,200)", "POPULATION": "107,668,231 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (Struggle of Filipino Democrats) or LDP [Edgardo ANGARA; Lakas ng EDSA-Christian Muslim Democrats or Lakas-CMD [Ferdinand Martin ROMUALDEZ, President; Liberal Party or LP [Joseph Emilio ABAYA, President; Nacionalista Party or NP [Manuel \"Manny\" VILLAR; Nationalist People's Coalition or NPC [Eduardo COJUNGCO, Jr.; PDP-Laban [Aquilino PIMENTEL III; People's Reform Party [Miriam Defensor SANTIAGO; Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino (Force of the Philippine Masses) or PMP [Joseph ESTRADA; United Nationalist Alliance or UNA [Toby TIANGCO (acting)", "PIPELINES": "gas 567 km; oil 138 km; refined products 185 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The economy has weathered global economic and financial downturns better than its regional peers due to minimal exposure to troubled international securities, lower dependence on exports, relatively resilient domestic consumption, large remittances from four- to five-million overseas Filipino workers, and a rapidly expanding business process outsourcing industry. The current account balance had recorded consecutive surpluses since 2003; international reserves are at record highs; the banking system is stable; and the stock market was Asia's second best-performer in 2012. Efforts to improve tax administration and expenditure management have helped ease the Philippines' tight fiscal situation and reduce high debt levels. The Philippines has received several credit rating upgrades on its sovereign debt, and has had little difficulty tapping domestic and international markets to finance its deficits. Economic growth in the Philippines averaged 4.5% during the MACAPAGAL-ARROYO administration, but poverty worsened during her term. Growth has accelerated under the AQUINO government, but with limited progress thus far in bringing down unemployment, which hovers around 7%, and improving the quality of jobs. Underemployment is nearly 20% and more than 40% of the employed are estimated to be working in the informal sector. The AQUINO administration has been working to boost the budgets for education, health, cash transfers to the poor, and other social spending programs, and is relying on the private sector to help fund major infrastructure projects under its Public-Private Partnership program. Long term challenges include reforming governance and the judicial system, building infrastructure, improving regulatory predictability, and the ease of doing business, attracting higher levels of local and foreign investments. The Philippine Constitution and the other laws continue to restrict foreign ownership in important activities/sectors (such as land ownership and public utilities).", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Black and White Movement [Vicente ROMANO; Kilosbayan [Jovito SALONGA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the Philippine archipelago is made up of 7,107 islands; favorably located in relation to many of Southeast Asia's main water bodies: the South China Sea, Philippine Sea, Sulu Sea, Celebes Sea, and Luzon Strait", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-1.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "timber, petroleum, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Filipino(s); adjective: :Philippine", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 12 June (1898); note - 12 June 1898 was date of declaration of independence from Spain; 4 July 1946 was date of independence from the US", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :446; by type: :bulk carrier 76, cargo 152, carrier 12, chemical tanker 27, container 17, liquefied gas 5, passenger 7, passenger/cargo 65, petroleum tanker 44, refrigerated cargo 20, roll on/roll off 11, vehicle carrier 10; foreign-owned: :159 (Bermuda 47, China 4, Denmark 2, Germany 2, Greece 5, Japan 77, Malaysia 1, Netherlands 17, Singapore 1, South Korea 1, Taiwan 1, UAE 1); registered in other countries: :7 (Cyprus 1, Panama 5, unknown 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, BIS, CD, CICA (observer), CP, EAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :irregular polygon extending up to 100 nm from coastline as defined by 1898 treaty; since late 1970s has also claimed polygonal-shaped area in South China Sea up to 285 nm in breadth; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :to depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :25,614,135; females age 16-49: :25,035,061 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :95.4%; male: :95%; female: :95.8% (2008 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :72.48 years; male: :69.52 years; female: :75.59 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Congress or Kongreso consists of the Senate or Senado (24 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by majority vote; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years) and the House of Representatives or Kapulungan Ng Mga Kinatawan (287 seats; 230 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 57 representing minorities directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 3-year terms); elections: :Senate - elections last held on 13 May 2013 (next to be held in May 2016); House of Representatives - elections last held on 13 May 2013 (next to be held in May 2016); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party for 2013 election - UNA 26.94%, NP 15.3%, LP 11.32%, NPC 10.15%, LDP 5.38%, PDP-Laban 4.95%, others 9.72%, independents 16.24%; seats by party after 2013 election - UNA 5, NP 5, LP 4, Lakas 2, NPC 2, LDP 1, PDP-Laban 1, PRP 1, independents 3; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - LP 38.3%, NPC 17.4%, UNA 11.4%, NUP 8.7%, NP 8.5%, Lakas 5.3%, independents 6.0%, others 4.4%; seats by party - LP 110, NPC 43, NUP 24, NP 17, Lakas 14, UNA 8, independents 6, others 12; party-list 57", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of civil, common, Islamic, and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "Filipino (official; based on Tagalog) and English (official); eight major dialects - Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinan", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :18.6%; permanent crops: :17.94%; other: :63.46% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "41.68 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of a chief justice and 14 associate justices); judge selection and term of office: :justices are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial and Bar Council, a constitutionally-created, 6-member body that recommends Supreme Court nominees; justices serve until age 70; subordinate courts: :Court of Appeals; Sandiganbayan (special court for corruption cases of government officials); Court of Tax Appeals; regional, metropolitan, and municipal trial courts; sharia courts", "WATERWAYS": "3,219 km (limited to vessels with draft less than 1.5 m) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "4.5% (2014 est.); 2.9% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :17.64 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :19.99 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :15.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "electronics assembly, garments, footwear, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, food processing, petroleum refining, fishing", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "7.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "12 June 1898 (independence proclaimed from Spain); 4 July 1946 (from the US)", "IMPORTS": "$72.93 billion (2014 est.); $63.26 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :213,151 km; paved: :54,481 km; unpaved: :158,670 km (2009)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red; a white equilateral triangle is based on the hoist side; the center of the triangle displays a yellow sun with eight primary rays; each corner of the triangle contains a small, yellow, five-pointed star; blue stands for peace and justice, red symbolizes courage, the white equal-sided triangle represents equality; the rays recall the first eight provinces that sought independence from Spain, while the stars represent the three major geographical divisions of the country: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao; the design of the flag dates to 1897; note: :in wartime the flag is flown upside down with the red band at the top", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$59.21 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $58.66 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$53.36 billion (2014 est.); $44.74 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Benigno AQUINO (since 30 June 2010); Vice President Jejomar BINAY (since 30 June 2010); note - president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Benigno AQUINO (since 30 June 2010); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president with consent of Commission of Appointments; elections: :president and vice president elected on separate tickets by popular vote for a single six-year term; election last held on 10 May 2010 (next to be held in May 2016); election results: :Benigno AQUINO elected president; percent of vote - Benigno AQUINO 42.1%, Joseph ESTRADA 26.3%, seven others 31.6%; Jejomar BINAY elected vice president; percent of vote Jejomar BINAY 41.6%, Manuel ROXAS 39.6%, six others 18.8%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Philippine pesos (PHP) per US dollar -; 43.87 (2014 est.); 42.45 (2013 est.); 42.23 (2012 est.); 43.31 (2011 est.); 45.11 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Tagalog 28.1%, Cebuano 13.1%, Ilocano 9%, Bisaya/Binisaya 7.6%, Hiligaynon Ilonggo 7.5%, Bikol 6%, Waray 3.4%, other 25.3% (2000 census)", "DEATH_RATE": "4.92 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest ratified 2 February 1987, effective 11 February 1987 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 13%, US 10.8%, Japan 8.4%, South Korea 7.8%, Singapore 6.8%, Thailand 5.5%, Saudi Arabia 4.6%, Indonesia 4.4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "36,289 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "electronic products, mineral fuels, machinery and transport equipment, iron and steel, textile fabrics, grains, chemicals, plastic", "CAPITAL": "name: :Manila; geographic coordinates: :14 36 N, 120 58 E; time difference: :UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$44.35 billion; expenditures: :$48.7 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP): Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "24.24 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "247 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "sugarcane, coconuts, rice, corn, bananas, cassava (manioc, tapioca), pineapples, mangoes; pork, eggs, beef; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "80 provinces and 39 chartered cities; provinces: :Abra, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Aklan, Albay, Antique, Apayao, Aurora, Basilan, Bataan, Batanes, Batangas, Biliran, Benguet, Bohol, Bukidnon, Bulacan, Cagayan, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Camiguin, Capiz, Catanduanes, Cavite, Cebu, Compostela, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Dinagat Islands, Eastern Samar, Guimaras, Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Iloilo, Isabela, Kalinga, Laguna, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, La Union, Leyte, Maguindanao, Marinduque, Masbate, Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Mountain Province, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, North Cotabato, Northern Samar, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Palawan, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Quezon, Quirino, Rizal, Romblon, Samar, Sarangani, Siquijor, Sorsogon, South Cotabato, Southern Leyte, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Tarlac, Tawi-Tawi, Zambales, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay; chartered cities: :Angeles, Antipolo, Bacolod, Baguio, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Caloocan, Cebu, Cotabato, Dagupan, Davao, General Santos, Iligan, Iloilo, Lapu-Lapu, Las Pinas, Lucena, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Mandaue, Manila, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Naga, Navotas, Olongapo, Ormoc, Paranaque, Pasay, Pasig, Puerto Princesa, Quezon, San Juan, Santiago, Tacloban, Taguig, Valenzuela, Zamboanga (2012)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Japan 21.2%, US 14.5%, China 12.2%, Hong Kong 8.2%, Singapore 7.4%, South Korea 5.8%, Germany 4% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "semiconductors and electronic products, transport equipment, garments, copper products, petroleum products, coconut oil, fruits", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :32%; industry: :15%; services: :53% (2012 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.6%; highest 10%: :33.6% (2009 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "26.5% (2009 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.19% of GDP (2012); 1.21% of GDP (2011); 1.19% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "uncontrolled deforestation especially in watershed areas; soil erosion; air and water pollution in major urban centers; coral reef degradation; increasing pollution of coastal mangrove swamps that are important fish breeding grounds", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :158; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :56; 99 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :89; over 3,047 m: :4; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :8; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :33; 914 to 1,523 m: :34; under 914 m: :10 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Philippine Islands became a Spanish colony during the 16th century; they were ceded to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. In 1935 the Philippines became a self-governing commonwealth. Manuel QUEZON was elected president and was tasked with preparing the country for independence after a 10-year transition. In 1942 the islands fell under Japanese occupation during World War II, and US forces and Filipinos fought together during 1944-45 to regain control. On 4 July 1946 the Republic of the Philippines attained its independence. A 20-year rule by Ferdinand MARCOS ended in 1986, when a \"people power\" movement in Manila (\"EDSA 1\") forced him into exile and installed Corazon AQUINO as president. Her presidency was hampered by several coup attempts that prevented a return to full political stability and economic development. Fidel RAMOS was elected president in 1992. His administration was marked by increased stability and by progress on economic reforms. In 1992, the US closed its last military bases on the islands. Joseph ESTRADA was elected president in 1998. He was succeeded by his vice-president, Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, in January 2001 after ESTRADA's stormy impeachment trial on corruption charges broke down and another \"people power\" movement (\"EDSA 2\") demanded his resignation. MACAPAGAL-ARROYO was elected to a six-year term as president in May 2004. Her presidency was marred by several corruption allegations but the Philippine economy was one of the few to avoid contraction following the 2008 global financial crisis, expanding each year of her administration. Benigno AQUINO III was elected to a six-year term as president in May 2010. The Philippine Government faces threats from several groups, some of which are on the US Government's Foreign Terrorist Organization list. Manila has waged a decades-long struggle against ethnic Moro insurgencies in the southern Philippines, which has led to a peace accord with the Moro National Liberation Front and ongoing peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The decades-long Maoist-inspired New People's Army insurgency also operates through much of the country. The Philippines faces increased tension with China over disputed territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :1,060,319; female: :1,021,069 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :20,142,940; females age 16-49: :21,427,792 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "17-23 years of age (officers 20-24) for voluntary military service; no conscription; applicants must be single male or female Philippine citizens with either 72 college credit hours (enlisted) or a baccalaureate degree (officers) (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than twice the size of Georgia; slightly larger than Arizona", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and struck by five to six cyclonic storms each year; landslides; active volcanoes; destructive earthquakes; tsunamis; volcanism: :significant volcanic activity; Taal (elev. 311 m), which has shown recent unrest and may erupt in the near future, has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Mayon (elev. 2,462 m), the country's most active volcano, erupted in 2009 forcing over 33,000 to be evacuated; other historically active volcanoes include Biliran, Babuyan Claro, Bulusan, Camiguin, Camiguin de Babuyanes, Didicas, Iraya, Jolo, Kanlaon, Makaturing, Musuan, Parker, Pinatubo and Ragang", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Philippine Sea 0 m; highest point: :Mount Apo 2,954 m", "HELIPORTS": "2 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.76 male(s)/female; total population: :1 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "297 (plus 873 CATV networks) (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 383, FM 659, shortwave 4 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :10.7%; industry: :31.5%; services: :57.8% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "13 00 N, 122 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :33.7% (male 18,493,668/female 17,753,359); 15-24 years: :19% (male 10,416,358/female 10,044,724); 25-54 years: :37% (male 20,031,638/female 19,796,545); 55-64 years: :5.8% (male 2,882,719/female 3,372,485); 65 years and over: :4.5% (male 2,103,596/female 2,773,139) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Saint Barthelemy", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) located on Sint Maarten", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (overseas collectivity of France)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "overseas collectivity of France", "AFFILIATION": "(overseas collectivity of France)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "pelican", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"L'Hymne a St. Barthelemy\" (Hymn to St. Barthelemy); lyrics/music: :Isabelle Massart DERAVIN/Michael VALENTI; note: :local anthem in use since 1999; as a collectivity of France, \"La Marseillaise\" is official (see France)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "no local TV broadcasters; 3 FM radio channels (2 via repeater)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :42.4 years; male: :42.4 years; female: :42.3 years (2014 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".bl; note - .gp, the Internet country code for Guadeloupe, and .fr, the Internet country code for France, might also be encountered", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (overseas collectivity of France)", "AREA": "21 sq km", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean; located in the Leeward Islands (northern) group; Saint Barthelemy lies east of the US Virgin Islands", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Overseas Collectivity of Saint Barthelemy; conventional short form: :Saint Barthelemy; local long form: :Collectivite d'outre mer de Saint-Barthelemy; local short form: :Saint-Barthelemy; abbreviation: :Saint-Barth (French); St. Barts or St. Barths (English)", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of France", "TERRAIN": "hilly, almost completely surrounded by shallow-water reefs, with plentiful beaches", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :fully integrated access; domestic: :direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systems; international: :country code - 590; undersea fiber-optic cable provides voice and data connectivity to Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe (2008)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age, universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah's Witnesses", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Gustavia", "POPULATION": "7,267 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Action-Equilibre-Transparence [Maxime DESOUCHES; Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy [Benoit CHAUVIN; Saint-Barth d'Abord! or SBA [Bruno MAGRAS; Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy [Karine MIOT-RICHARD", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The economy of Saint Barthelemy is based upon high-end tourism and duty-free luxury commerce, serving visitors primarily from North America. The luxury hotels and villas host 70,000 visitors each year with another 130,000 arriving by boat. The relative isolation and high cost of living inhibits mass tourism. The construction and public sectors also enjoy significant investment in support of tourism. With limited fresh water resources, all food must be imported, as must all energy resources and most manufactured goods. Employment is strong and attracts labor from Brazil and Portugal.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Rotary Club; The Marine Reserve (protection of fish)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "has few natural resources, its beaches being the most important", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1789); note - local holiday is St. Barthelemy Day, 24 August (1572)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "UPU", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Territorial Council (19 seats; members elected by absolute majority vote in the first round vote and proportional representation vote in the second round; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 18 March 2012 (next to be held in July 2017); election results: :percent of vote by party - SBA 73.8%, Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy 15.9%, Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy 10.3%; seats by party - SBA 16, Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy 2, Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "French civil law", "LANGUAGES": "French (primary), English", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (overseas collectivity of France)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "the flag of France is used", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012), represented by Prefect Philippe CHOPIN (since 16 November 2011); head of government: :President of the Territorial Council Bruno MAGRAS (since 16 July 2007); cabinet: :Executive Council; note - there is also an advisory, economic, social, and cultural council; elections: :French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Council elected by the members of the Council for a five-year term; election last held on 16 July 2007 (next to be held in 2012); election results: :Bruno MAGRAS unanimously elected president by the Territorial Council", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 2013 est.); 0.7752 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "white, Creole (mulatto), black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asia)", "CONSTITUTION": "4 October 1958 (French Constitution) (2013)", "CLIMATE": "tropical, with practically no variation in temperature; has two seasons (dry and humid)", "CAPITAL": "name: :Gustavia; geographic coordinates: :17 53 N, 62 51 W; time difference: :UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "with no natural rivers or streams, fresh water is in short supply, especially in summer, and provided by desalinization of sea water, collection of rain water, or imported via water tanker", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Discovered in 1493 by Christopher COLUMBUS who named it for his brother Bartolomeo, Saint Barthelemy was first settled by the French in 1648. In 1784, the French sold the island to Sweden, who renamed the largest town Gustavia, after the Swedish King GUSTAV III, and made it a free port; the island prospered as a trade and supply center during the colonial wars of the 18th century. France repurchased the island in 1877 and took control the following year. It was placed under the administration of Guadeloupe. Saint Barthelemy retained its free port status along with various Swedish appellations such as Swedish street and town names, and the three-crown symbol on the coat of arms. In 2003 the populace of the island voted to secede from Guadeloupe, and in 2007 the island became a French overseas collectivity.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :23; female: :21 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,495; females age 16-49: :1,263 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "less than an eighth of the size of Washington, DC", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Morne du Vitet 286 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.11 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.2 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.13 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :1 male(s)/female; total population: :1.14 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "17 90 N, 62 85 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :17.8% (male 664/female 631); 15-24 years: :6.9% (male 262/female 237); 25-54 years: :46.1% (male 1,829/female 1,524); 55-64 years: :15% (male 590/female 501); 65 years and over: :14.2% (male 514/female 515) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "there is no air connection to Saint Helena or Tristan da Cunha; construction on the new international airport for Saint Helena began in 2012 with an estimated completion date of late 2015 or early 2016; the new airport will have a runway of 1,550 m capable of handling B737/A319 size aircraft", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "overseas territory of the UK", "AFFILIATION": "(overseas territory of the UK)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$7,800 (FY09/10 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.27% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$31.1 million (FY09/10 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "12,080 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "63 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "70 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "5,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "7.44 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "8 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Saint Helena plover (bird)", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "JAMESTOWN (capital) 1,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "note: :as a territory of the UK, \"God Save the Queen\" is official (see United Kingdom)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "St. Helena has no local TV station; 2 local radio stations, one of which is relayed to Ascension Island; satellite TV stations rebroadcast terrestrially; Ascension Island has no local TV station but has 1 local radio station and receives relays of broadcasts from 1 radio station on St. Helena; broadcasts from the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) are available, as well as TV services for the US military; Tristan da Cunha has 1 local radio station and receives BFBS TV and radio broadcasts (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :39.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :-0.59% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$NA", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "6,729 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :40.5 years; male: :40.5 years; female: :40.4 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".sh; note - Ascension Island assigned .ac", "INTERNET_USERS": "900 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "3,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "AREA": "total: :308 sq km; land: :Saint Helena Island 122 sq km; Ascension Island 88 sq km; Tristan da Cunha island group 98 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa; Ascension Island lies 1,300 km (800 mi) northwest of Saint Helena; Tristan da Cunha lies 4,300 km (2,700 mi) southwest of Saint Helena", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha; conventional short form: :none", "COMMUNICATIONS___NOTE": "South Africa maintains a meteorological station on Gough Island", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the UK", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "14% (1998 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "NA", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.58 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "the islands of this group result from volcanic activity associated with the Atlantic Mid-Ocean Ridge; Saint Helena: :rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains; Ascension: :surface covered by lava flows and cinder cones of 44 dormant volcanoes; ground rises to the east; Tristan da Cunha: :sheer cliffs line the coastline of the nearly circular island; the flanks of the central volcanic peak are deeply dissected; narrow coastal plain lies between The Peak and the coastal cliffs", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :can communicate worldwide; domestic: :automatic digital network; international: :country code (Saint Helena) - 290, (Ascension Island) - 247; international direct dialing; satellite voice and data communications; satellite earth stations - 5 (Ascension Island - 4, Saint Helena - 1) (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant (Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist), Roman Catholic", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "Saint Helena: :Jamestown; Ascension Island: :Georgetown; Tristan da Cunha: :Calshot Harbor (Edinburgh)", "POPULATION": "7,776; note: :only Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha islands are inhabited, not any of the other nearby islands/islets (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "none", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The economy depends largely on financial assistance from the UK, which amounted to about $27 million in FY06/07 or more than twice the level of annual budgetary revenues. The local population earns income from fishing, raising livestock, and sales of handicrafts. Because there are few jobs, 25% of the work force has left to seek employment on Ascension Island, on the Falklands, and in the UK.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :private sector; unions", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "Saint Helena harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown elsewhere in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns; Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha is the highest island mountain in the South Atlantic and a prominent landmark on the sea lanes around southern Africa", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish, lobster", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Saint Helenian(s); adjective: :Saint Helenian; note: :referred to locally as \"Saints\"", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "UPU", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :79.21 years; male: :76.27 years; female: :82.29 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Legislative Council (17 seats including the speaker and deputy speaker; 12 members directly elected in a single countrywide constituency by simple majority vote and 3 ex-officio members - the chief secretary, financial secretary, and attorney general; members serve 4-year terms); note: :the Constitution Order provides for separate Island Councils for both Ascension and Tristan da Cunha; elections: :last held on 4 November 2009 (next to be held in November 2013); election results: :percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 12", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "English common law and local statutes", "LANGUAGES": "English", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :10.26%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :89.74% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "2,486 (1998 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest resident court(s): :Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 2 justices); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice - a non-resident - and NA judges); note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London); judge selection and term of office: :court judges' appointments and tenures NA; subordinate courts: :Magistrate's Court; Small Claims Court; Juvenile Court", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "4% (2012 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :14.71 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :17.35 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :11.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing, collectible postage stamps", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$20.53 million (2010 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :198 km (Saint Helena 138 km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 20 km); paved: :168 km (Saint Helena 118 km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 10 km); unpaved: :30 km (Saint Helena 20 km, Tristan da Cunha 10 km) (2002)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Saint Helenian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the upper third of the shield depicts a white plover (wire bird) on a yellow field; the remainder of the shield depicts a rocky coastline on the left, offshore is a three-masted sailing ship with sails furled but flying an English flag", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$NA", "EXPORTS": "$19 million (2004 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); head of government: :Governor Mark CAPES (since 29 October 2011); note: :the constitution order provides for an administrator for Ascension and Tristan da Cunha appointed by the governor; Administrator Ascension Island: :Marc HOLLAND (since 26 August 2014); Administrator Tristan da Cunha: :Alex MITHAM (since 23 September 2013); cabinet: :Executive Council consists of the governor, 3 ex-officio officers, and 5 elected members of the Legislative Council; elections: :none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Saint Helenian pounds (SHP) per US dollar -; 0.6003 (2014); 0.6391 (2013); 0.63 (2012); 0.624 (2011); 0.6472 (2010)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "African descent 50%, white 25%, Chinese 25%", "DEATH_RATE": "7.33 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest effective 1 September 2009 (The St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009) (2013)", "COASTLINE": "Saint Helena: :60 km; Ascension Island: :NA; Tristan da Cunha: :40 km", "CLIMATE": "Saint Helena: :tropical marine; mild, tempered by trade winds; Ascension Island: :tropical marine; mild, semi-arid; Tristan da Cunha: :temperate marine; mild, tempered by trade winds (tends to be cooler than Saint Helena)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts", "CAPITAL": "name: :Jamestown; geographic coordinates: :15 56 S, 5 43 W; time difference: :UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$10.89 million; expenditures: :$26.75 million; note: :revenue data reflect locally raised revenues only; the budget deficit is resolved by grant aid from the UK (FY06/07 est.)", "BIRTH_RATE": "10.03 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coffee, corn, potatoes, vegetables; fish, lobster; livestock; timber", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "3 administrative areas; Ascension, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee, handicrafts", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :6%; industry: :48%; services: :46% (1987 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; over 3,047 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Saint Helena is a British Overseas Territory consisting of Saint Helena and Ascension Islands, and the island group of Tristan da Cunha.; Saint Helena: :Uninhabited when first discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, Saint Helena was garrisoned by the British during the 17th century. It acquired fame as the place of Napoleon BONAPARTE's exile from 1815 until his death in 1821, but its importance as a port of call declined after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. During the Anglo-Boer War in South Africa, several thousand Boer prisoners were confined on the island between 1900 and 1903.; Ascension Island: :This barren and uninhabited island was discovered and named by the Portuguese in 1503. The British garrisoned the island in 1815 to prevent a rescue of Napoleon from Saint Helena. It served as a provisioning station for the Royal Navy's West Africa Squadron on anti-slavery patrol. The island remained under Admiralty control until 1922, when it became a dependency of Saint Helena. During World War II, the UK permitted the US to construct an airfield on Ascension in support of transatlantic flights to Africa and anti-submarine operations in the South Atlantic. In the 1960s the island became an important space tracking station for the US. In 1982, Ascension was an essential staging area for British forces during the Falklands War. It remains a critical refueling point in the air-bridge from the UK to the South Atlantic.; Tristan da Cunha: :The island group consists of the islands of Tristan da Cunha, Nightingale, Inaccessible, and Gough. Tristan da Cunha is named after its Portuguese discoverer (1506); it was garrisoned by the British in 1816 to prevent any attempt to rescue Napoleon from Saint Helena. Gough and Inaccessible Islands have been designated World Heritage Sites. South Africa leases a site for a meteorological station on Gough Island.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :49; female: :48 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,565; females age 16-49: :1,579 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha; volcanism: :the island volcanoes of Tristan da Cunha (elev. 2,060 m) and Nightingale Island (elev. 365 m) experience volcanic activity; Tristan da Cunha erupted in 1962 and Nightingale in 2004", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,060 m; Green Mountain on Ascension Island 859 m; Mount Actaeon on Saint Helena Island 818 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :1.01 male(s)/female; total population: :1.02 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "0 (3 television channels are received via satellite and distributed by UHF) (2005)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "Saint Helena: :AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0; Ascension: :AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2005)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :NA%; industry: :NA%; services: :NA%", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "Saint Helena: :15 57 S, 5 42 W; Ascension Island: :7 57 S, 14 22 W; Tristan da Cunha island group: :37 15 S, 12 30 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :16.9% (male 669/female 643); 15-24 years: :11.9% (male 471/female 455); 25-54 years: :45.1% (male 1,737/female 1,773); 55-64 years: :12.4% (male 508/female 455); 65 years and over: :13.7% (male 543/female 522) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Saint Martin", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) located on Sint Maarten", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (overseas collectivity of France)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "overseas collectivity of France", "AFFILIATION": "(overseas collectivity of France)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$19,300 (2005 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$561.5 million (2005 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "brown pelican", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"O Sweet Saint Martin's Land\"; lyrics/music: :Gerard KEMPS; note: :the song, written in 1958, is used as an unofficial anthem for the entire island (both French and Dutch sides); as a collectivity of France, in addition to the local anthem, \"La Marseillaise\" remains official on the French side (see France); as a constituent part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in addition to the local anthem, \"Het Wilhelmus\" remains official on the Dutch side (see Netherlands)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 local TV station; access to about 20 radio stations, including RFO Guadeloupe radio broadcasts via repeater (2008)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$561.5 million (2005 est.)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :31.8 years; male: :30.7 years; female: :32.7 years (2014 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".mf; note - .gp, the Internet country code for Guadeloupe, and .fr, the Internet country code for France, might also be encountered", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (overseas collectivity of France)", "AREA": "total: :54.4 sq km; land: :54.4 sq km; water: :NEGL", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Caribbean, located in the Leeward Islands (northern) group; French part of the island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean Sea; Saint Martin lies east of the US Virgin Islands", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Overseas Collectivity of Saint Martin; conventional short form: :Saint Martin; local long form: :Collectivite d'outre mer de Saint-Martin; local short form: :Saint-Martin", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of France", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :fully integrated access; domestic: :direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systems; international: :country code - 590; undersea fiber-optic cable provides voice and data connectivity to Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe (2009)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age, universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Protestant, Hindu", "POPULATION": "31,530 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Rassemblement Responsabilite Reussite or RRR [Alain RICHARDSON; Reussir Saint-Martin; Saint-Martin pour tous [Martha OGOUNDELE; Team Daniel Gibbs [Daniel GIBBS; Union Pour le Progres or UPP [Louis-Constant FLEMING", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The economy of Saint Martin centers around tourism with 85% of the labor force engaged in this sector. Over one million visitors come to the island each year with most arriving through the Princess Juliana International Airport in Sint Maarten. No significant agriculture and limited local fishing means that almost all food must be imported. Energy resources and manufactured goods are also imported, primarily from Mexico and the United States. Saint Martin is reported to have the highest per capita income in the Caribbean.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the island of Saint Martin is the smallest landmass in the world shared by two independent states, the French territory of Saint Martin and the Dutch territory of Sint Maarten", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "salt", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1789); note - local holiday is Schoalcher Day (Slavery Abolition Day) 12 July (1848)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "UPU", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Territorial Council (23 seats; members directly elected by absolute majority vote to serve 5-year terms); note: :Saint Martin elects one member to the French Senate; election last held on 21 September 2008 (next to be held in September 2014); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 1; one seat (shared with Saint Barthelemy) was elected to the French National Assembly on 17 June 2012 (next to be held by June 2017); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 1; elections: :last held on 18 and 25 March 2012 (next to be held in July 2017); election results: :percent of seats by party - RRR 34.1%, Team Daniel Gibbs 2012 32%, UPP 13.3%, Saint-Martin pour tous 9.4%, other 11.2%; seats by party - NA; second round, percent of seats by party - RRR 56.9%, Team Daniel Gibbs 43.1%; seats by party - RRR 17, Team Daniel Gibbs 6", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "French civil law", "LANGUAGES": "French (official), English, Dutch, French Patois, Spanish, Papiamento (dialect of Netherlands Antilles)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :16 km; border countries: :Sint Maarten 16 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "17,300 (2008 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, light industry and manufacturing, heavy industry", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (overseas collectivity of France)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "the flag of France is used", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012), represented by Deputy Prefect Philippe CHOPIN (since 16 November 2011); head of government: :President of the Territorial Council Aline HANSON (since 17 April 2013); cabinet: :Executive Council; note - there is also an advisory economic, social, and cultural council; election: :French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Council elected by the members of the Council for a five-year term; election last held on 17 April 2013 (next to be held in 2018); election results: :Aline HANSON elected president by the Territorial Council; note - Alaine RICHARDSON was removed from the post", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.7752 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Creole (mulatto), black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asia), white, East Indian", "CONSTITUTION": "4 October 1958 (French Constitution) (2013)", "COASTLINE": "58.9 km (for entire island)", "CLIMATE": "temperature averages 80-85 degrees all year long; low humidity, gentle trade winds, brief, intense rain showers; hurricane season stretches from July to November", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "crude petroleum, food, manufactured items", "CAPITAL": "name: :Marigot; geographical coordinates: :18 04 N, 63 05 W; time difference: :UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "85% directly or indirectly employed in tourist industry", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "freshwater supply is dependent on desalinization of sea water", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Although sighted by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and claimed for Spain, it was the Dutch who occupied the island in 1631 and set about exploiting its salt deposits. The Spanish retook the island in 1633, but continued to be harassed by the Dutch. The Spanish finally relinquished Saint Martin to the French and Dutch, who divided it between themselves in 1648. Friction between the two sides caused the border to frequently fluctuate over the next two centuries, with the French eventually holding the greater portion of the island (about 57%). The cultivation of sugar cane introduced African slavery to the island in the late 18th century; the practice was not abolished until 1848. The island became a free port in 1939; the tourism industry was dramatically expanded during the 1970s and 1980s. In 2003, the populace of Saint Martin voted to secede from Guadeloupe and in 2007, the northern portion of the island became a French overseas collectivity. In 2010, the southern Dutch portion of the island became the independent nation of Sint Maarten within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :168; female: :168 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :6,435; females age 16-49: :6,967 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "more than one-third the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "subject to hurricanes from July to November", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Pic du Paradis 424 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.04 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.9 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.93 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.81 male(s)/female; total population: :0.93 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2007)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :1%; industry: :15%; services: :84% (2000)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "18 05 N, 63 57 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :26.6% (male 4,179/female 4,216); 15-24 years: :10.8% (male 1,721/female 1,678); 25-54 years: :47.2% (male 7,046/female 7,836); 55-64 years: :8.5% (male 1,246/female 1,420); 65 years and over: :6.9% (male 978/female 1,210) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Singapore", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the South China Sea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargo diverted to ports in East Asia; crews have been murdered or cast adrift", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Kirk W. B. WAGER (since 25 September 2013); embassy: :27 Napier Road, Singapore 258508; mailing address: :FPO AP 96507-0001; telephone: :[65; FAX: :[65", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$81,300 (2014 est.); $80,100 (2013 est.); $78,400 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3% (2014 est.); 3.9% (2013 est.); 2.5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.92% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$445.2 billion (2014 est.); $432.4 billion (2013 est.); $416.3 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :35.8%; youth dependency ratio: :21.3%; elderly dependency ratio: :14.5%; potential support ratio: :6.9% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "46.8% of GDP (2014 est.); 47.4% of GDP (2013 est.); 47.9% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :40.7%; government consumption: :10.3%; investment in fixed capital: :23.2%; investment in inventories: :2.7%; exports of goods and services: :190.8%; imports of goods and services: :-167.8%; (2014 est.)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "29.8 (2010 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "208 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "9.38 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "9.38 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "1.36 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "1.292 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "1.357 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "1.137 million bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "500 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "2.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "97.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "10.49 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "43.23 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "47.95 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "lion, merlion (mythical half lion-half fish creature), orchid; national colors: red, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :6.7% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "7.1% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.92 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "4.7% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "3.3% (2000)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "3 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "0.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "15.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "SINGAPORE (capital) 5.517 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Majulah Singapura\" (Onward Singapore); lyrics/music: :ZUBIR Said; note: :adopted 1965; first performed in 1958 at the Victoria Theatre, the anthem is sung only in Malay", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$519.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $493 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$136.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $122.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state controls broadcast media; 8 domestic TV stations operated by MediaCorp which is wholly owned by a state investment company; broadcasts from Malaysian and Indonesian stations available; satellite dishes banned; multi-channel cable TV service available; a total of 18 domestic radio stations broadcasting with MediaCorp operating more than a dozen and another 4 stations are closely linked to the ruling party or controlled by the Singapore Armed Forces Reservists Association; many Malaysian and Indonesian radio stations are available", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :100% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.02% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$465.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $417.7 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$179 billion (31 December 2008); $162.2 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$52.57 billion (31 December 2008); $44.4 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "5.4% (31 December 2014 est.); 5.38% (31 December 2013 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3% of GDP (2013)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.19 cu km/yr (47%/53%/0%); per capita: :81.97 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "0.6 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$718.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $709.4 billion (31 December 2012); $569.4 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$517.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $497.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$900.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $837.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$307.1 billion (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$279.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $272.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$62.58 billion (2014 est.); $54.55 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "106.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 104.7% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :Singapore's public debt consists largely of Singapore Government Securities (SGS) issued to assist the Central Provident Fund (CPF), which administers Singapore's defined contribution pension fund; special issues of SGS are held by the CPF, and are non-tradable; the government has not borrowed to finance deficit expenditures since the 1980s; Singapore has no external public debt", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "1.96 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :33.8 years; male: :33.7 years; female: :33.9 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "46.3 (2013); 47.8 (2012)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".sg", "INTERNET_USERS": "3.235 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "8.063 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "1.99 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Ashok Kumar MIRPURI (since 24 July 2012); chancery: :3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :San Francisco; consulate(s): :New York", "AREA": "total: :697 sq km; land: :687 sq km; water: :10 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Southeast Asia", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Singapore; conventional short form: :Singapore; local long form: :Republic of Singapore; local short form: :Singapore", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "1.9% (2014 est.); 1.9% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "0.8 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment area and nature preserve", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :excellent service; domestic: :excellent domestic facilities; launched 3G wireless service in February 2005; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity more than 180 telephones per 100 persons; multiple providers of high-speed Internet connectivity and the government is close to completing an island-wide roll out of a high-speed fiber-optic broadband network; international: :country code - 65; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US; satellite earth stations - 4; supplemented by VSAT coverage (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "21 years of age; universal and compulsory", "RELIGIONS": "Buddhist 33.9%, Muslim 14.3%, Taoist 11.3%, Catholic 7.1%, Hindu 5.2%, other Christian 11%, other 0.7%, none 16.4% (2010 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Singapore; major container port(s) (TEUs): :Singapore", "POPULATION": "5,567,301 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "National Solidarity Party or NSP [Jeannette CHONG-ARULDROSS; People's Action Party or PAP [LEE Hsien Loong; Reform Party [Kenneth JEYARETNAM; Singapore Democratic Alliance or SDA [Desmond LIM; Singapore Democratic Party or SDP [CHEE Soon Juan; Singapore People's Party or SPP [CHIAM See Tong; Workers' Party or WP [LOW Thia Khiang", "PIPELINES": "gas 122 km; refined products 8 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Singapore has a highly developed and successful free-market economy. It enjoys a remarkably open and corruption-free environment, stable prices, and a per capita GDP higher than that of most developed countries. Unemployment is very low. The economy depends heavily on exports, particularly in consumer electronics, information technology products, pharmaceuticals, and on a growing financial services sector. The economy contracted 0.6% in 2009 as a result of the global financial crisis, but rebounded 15.1% in 2010, on the strength of renewed exports. Growth in 2014 was slower at 13.9%, largely a result of soft demand for exports during the second European recession. Over the longer term, the government hopes to establish a new growth path that focuses on raising productivity. Singapore has attracted major investments in pharmaceuticals and medical technology production and will continue efforts to establish Singapore as Southeast Asia's financial and high-tech hub. Singapore is a member of the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement negotiations and, with the nine other ASEAN members, will form the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "none", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "14.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish, deepwater ports", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Singaporean(s); adjective: :Singapore", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "National Day, 9 August (1965)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :1,599; by type: :bulk carrier 247, cargo 109, carrier 6, chemical tanker 256, container 339, liquefied gas 131, petroleum tanker 436, refrigerated cargo 13, roll on/roll off 5, vehicle carrier 57; foreign-owned: :966 (Australia 12, Bangladesh 1, Belgium 1, Bermuda 25, Brazil 9, Chile 6, China 29, Cyprus 6, Denmark 149, France 3, Germany 32, Greece 22, Hong Kong 46, India 21, Indonesia 60, Italy 5, Japan 164, Malaysia 27, Netherlands 1, Norway 153, Russia 2, South Africa 13, South Korea 3, Sweden 11, Switzerland 3, Taiwan 77, Thailand 33, UAE 10, UK 6, US 36); registered in other countries: :344 (Australia 2, Bahamas 7, Bangladesh 7, Belize 4, Cambodia 3, Cyprus 1, France 3, Honduras 11, Hong Kong 13, Indonesia 46, Italy 1, Kiribati 9, Liberia 22, Malaysia 13, Maldives 4, Malta 4, Marshall Islands 30, Mongolia 3, North Korea 1, Panama 92, Philippines 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 10, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5, Sierra Leone 9, Thailand 1, Tuvalu 19, US 16, Vanuatu 2, unknown 5) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, AOSIS, APEC, Arctic Council (observer), ARF, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, EAS, FAO, FATF, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :3 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :within and beyond territorial sea, as defined in treaties and practice", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,255,902 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :96.4%; male: :98.5%; female: :94.4% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :84.38 years; male: :81.86 years; female: :87.07 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Parliament (99 seats; 75 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by majority party bloc vote, 12 directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 9 nominated by the president, and 3 appointed from a \"national compensatory\" list to ensure political diversity; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 7 May 2011 (next to be held by 2017); election results: :percent of vote by party - PAP 60.1%, WP 12.8%, NSP 12.1%, other 15%; seats by party - PAP 81, WP 6; seats by party as of February 2013 - PAP 80, WP 7", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "English common law", "LANGUAGES": "Mandarin (official) 36.3%, English (official) 29.8%, Malay (official) 11.9%, Hokkien 8.1%, Tamil (official) 4.4%, Cantonese 4.1%, Teochew 3.2%, other Indian languages 1.2%, other Chinese dialects 1.1%, other 1.1% (2010 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0.9%; permanent crops: :0.14%; other: :98.96% FAOSTAT, as of 9/12/14, accessed 10/8/14 (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "3.557 million; note: :excludes non-residents (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the president or chief justice and 16 justices and organized into an upper tier Appeal Court and a lower tier High Court); judge selection and term of office: :all judges appointed by the president from candidates recommended by the prime minister after consultation with the chief justice; justices appointed for life; subordinate courts: :district, magistrates', juvenile, family, community, and coroners' courts; small claims tribunals", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.5% (2014 est.); 2.4% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :2.53 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :2.69 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :2.36 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "electronics, chemicals, financial services, oil drilling equipment, petroleum refining, rubber processing and rubber products, processed food and beverages, ship repair, offshore platform construction, life sciences, entrepot trade", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "9 August 1965 (from Malaysian Federation)", "IMPORTS": "$375.5 billion (2014 est.); $369.8 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :3,425 km; paved: :3,425 km (includes 161 km of expressways) (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "___no_FLAG DESCRIPTION__provided__", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$28.93 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $28.31 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$449.1 billion (2014 est.); $437.5 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Tony TAN Keng Yam (since 1 September 2011); head of government: :Prime Minister LEE Hsien Loong (since 12 August 2004); Deputy Prime Ministers TEO Chee Hean (since 1 April 2009) and Tharman SHANMUGARATNAM (since 21 May 2011); cabinet: :appointed by president, responsible to parliament; elections: :president elected by popular vote for six-year term; election last held on 27 August 2011 (next to be held by August 2017); following legislative elections, leader of majority party or leader of majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by president; deputy prime ministers appointed by president; election results: :Tony TAN Keng Yam elected president from a field of four candidates with 35.2% of the votes cast", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Singapore dollars (SGD) per US dollar -; 1.251 (2014 est.); 1.2513 (2013 est.); 1.25 (2012 est.); 1.258 (2011 est.); 1.3635 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Chinese 74.2%, Malay 13.3%, Indian 9.2%, other 3.3% (2013 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "3.42 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted 22 December 1965; amended several times, last in 2010 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 11.7%, Malaysia 10.9%, US 10.4%, South Korea 6.4%, Japan 5.5%, Indonesia 5.1%, UAE 4.4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "193 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; hot, humid, rainy; two distinct monsoon seasons - Northeastern monsoon (December to March) and Southwestern monsoon (June to September); inter-monsoon - frequent afternoon and early evening thunderstorms", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, mineral fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs, consumer goods", "CAPITAL": "name: :Singapore; geographic coordinates: :1 17 N, 103 51 E; time difference: :UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$46.78 billion; expenditures: :$45.23 billion; note: :expenditures include both operational and development expenditures (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Singapore Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force (includes Air Defense) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "8.1 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "9 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "orchids, vegetables; poultry, eggs; fish, ornamental fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Malaysia 12.2%, China 11.8%, Hong Kong 11.2%, Indonesia 9.9%, US 5.8%, Japan 4.3%, South Korea 4.1% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment (including electronics and telecommunications), pharmaceuticals and other chemicals, refined petroleum products, foodstuffs and beverages", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :1.3%; industry: :18.6%; services: :80.1%; note: :excludes non-residents (2013)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :4.4%; highest 10%: :23.2% (2008)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "3.52% of GDP (2012); 3.47% of GDP (2011); 3.52% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "industrial pollution; limited natural freshwater resources; limited land availability presents waste disposal problems; seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :9; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :1; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Singapore was founded as a British trading colony in 1819. It joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but was ousted two years later and became independent. Singapore subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries with strong international trading links (its port is one of the world's busiest in terms of tonnage handled) and with per capita GDP equal to that of the leading nations of Western Europe.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :27,098; female: :25,368 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,018,839; females age 16-49: :1,087,134 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-21 years of age for male compulsory military service; 16 1/2 years of age for volunteers; 2-year conscript service obligation, with a reserve obligation to age 40 (enlisted) or age 50 (officers) (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Singapore Strait 0 m; highest point: :Bukit Timah 166 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.07 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.96 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.82 male(s)/female; total population: :0.96 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (broadcasting on 8 channels); additional reception of numerous UHF and VHF signals originating in Malaysia and Indonesia (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 0, FM 19, shortwave 1 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :0%; industry: :25.3%; services: :74.7% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "1 22 N, 103 48 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :13.4% (male 381,452/female 364,050); 15-24 years: :17.8% (male 487,593/female 502,637); 25-54 years: :50.3% (male 1,365,872/female 1,434,495); 55-64 years: :10% (male 279,243/female 278,852); 65 years and over: :8.5% (male 214,665/female 258,442) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Somalia", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "despite a dramatic drop in the number of attacks in 2012, the International Maritime Bureau continues to report the territorial and offshore waters in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean as a region of significant risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships accounting for 25% of all attacks in 2012; 75 vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, were attacked or hijacked both at anchor and while underway compared with 237 in 2011; the number of hijackings off the coast of Somalia was reduced to 14 in 2012, down from 28 in 2011; as of April 2013, 77 vessels and 7 hostages were being held for ransom by Somali pirates; the presence of several naval task forces in the Gulf of Aden and additional anti-piracy measures on the part of ship operators, including the use of on-board armed security teams, have reduced piracy incidents in that body of water; in response Somali-based pirates, using hijacked fishing trawlers as \"mother ships\" to extend their range, shifted operations as far south as the Mozambique Channel, eastward to the vicinity of the Maldives, and northeastward to the Strait of Hormuz", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "the US does not have an embassy in Somalia; US interests are represented by the US Special Representative for Somalia, Ambassador James P. MCANULTY (since August 2013), operating out of the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya at United Nations Avenue, Nairobi; mailing address: Unit 64100, Nairobi; APO AE 09831; telephone: [254", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$600 (2010 est.); $600 (2009 est.); $600 (2008 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.6% (2010 est.); 2.6% (2012 est.); 2.6% (2008 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.75% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$5.896 billion (2010 est.); $5.75 billion (2009 est.); $5.607 billion (2008 est.); note: :data are in 2010 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :99.1%; youth dependency ratio: :93.4%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.6%; potential support ratio: :17.8% (2014 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :72.6%; government consumption: :8.7%; investment in fixed capital: :20%; investment in inventories: :0.1%; exports of goods and services: :0.3%; imports of goods and services: :-1.7%; (2011 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "14.6% (2006)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :1,148,265; percentage: :49% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "855,800 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "5,399 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "5,630 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "80,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "288.3 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "310 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "leopard; national colors: blue, white", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "4.8% (2008)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.04 physicians/1,000 population (2006)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "32.8% (2006)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "1,000 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "MOGADISHU (capital) 2.014 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Qolobaa Calankeed\" (Every Nation Has its own Flag); lyrics/music: :lyrics/music: Abdullahi QARSHE; note: :adopted 2012; written in 1959", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 52% of population; rural: 6.3% of population; total: 23.6% of population; urban: 48% of population; rural: 93.7% of population; total: 76.4% of population (2011 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 69.6% of population; rural: 8.8% of population; total: 31.7% of population; urban: 30.4% of population; rural: 91.2% of population; total: 68.3% of population (2011 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "2 private TV stations rebroadcast Al-Jazeera and CNN; Somaliland has 1 government-operated TV station and Puntland has 1 private TV station; the transitional government operates Radio Mogadishu; 1 SW and roughly 10 private FM radio stations broadcast in Mogadishu; several radio stations operate in central and southern regions; Somaliland has 1 government-operated radio station; Puntland has roughly a half dozen private radio stations; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :39.1% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :4.06% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "NA%", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "NA%", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :3.3 cu km/yr (0%/0%/100%); per capita: :377.6 cu m/yr (2003)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "14.7 cu km (2011)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$2.372 billion (2010 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "IDPs: :1.106 million (civil war since 1988, clan-based competition for resources; 2011 famine; insecurity because of fighting between al-Shabaab and TFG allied forces) (2015)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever, malaria, and Rift Valley fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "186 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :17.7 years; male: :17.9 years; female: :17.6 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "2,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "32,300 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.53% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".so", "INTERNET_USERS": "106,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "658,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "100,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :(vacant); chancery: :425 East 61st Street, Suite 702, New York City, NY 10021; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :637,657 sq km; land: :627,337 sq km; water: :10,320 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "2,000 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Federal Republic of Somalia; conventional short form: :Somalia; local long form: :Jamhuuriyadda Federaalkaa Soomaaliya; local short form: :Soomaaliya; former: :Somali Republic, Somali Democratic Republic", "GOVERNMENT___NOTE": "regional and local governing bodies continue to exist and control various areas of the country, including the self-declared Republic of Somaliland in northwestern Somalia and the semi-autonomous state of Puntland in northeastern Somalia", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "in the process of building a federal parliamentary republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "6.08 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :the public telecommunications system was almost completely destroyed or dismantled during the civil war; private companies offer limited local fixed-line service and private wireless companies offer service in most major cities while charging the lowest international rates on the continent; domestic: :local cellular telephone systems have been established in Mogadishu and in several other population centers with one company beginning to provide 3G services in late 2012; international: :country code - 252; Mogadishu is a landing point for the EASSy fiber-optic submarine cable system linking East Africa with Europe and North America (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Sunni Muslim (Islam) (official, according to the Transitional Federal Charter)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Berbera, Kismaayo", "POPULATION": "10,428,043; note: :this estimate was derived from an official census taken in 1975 by the Somali Government; population counting in Somalia is complicated by the large number of nomads and by refugee movements in response to famine and clan warfare (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "none", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Despite the lack of effective national governance, Somalia maintains an informal economy largely based on livestock, remittance/money transfer companies, and telecommunications. Agriculture is the most important sector with livestock normally accounting for about 40% of GDP and more than 50% of export earnings. Nomads and semi-pastoralists, who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihood, make up a large portion of the population. Livestock, hides, fish, charcoal, and bananas are Somalia's principal exports, while sugar, sorghum, corn, qat, and machined goods are the principal imports. Somalia's small industrial sector, based on the processing of agricultural products, has largely been looted and the machinery sold as scrap metal. Telecommunication firms provide wireless services in most major cities and offer the lowest international call rates on the continent. Mogadishu's main market offers a variety of goods from food to electronic gadgets. Hotels continue to operate and are supported with private-security militias. Somalia's government lacks the ability to collect domestic revenue, and arrears to the IMF have continued to grow. Somalia's capital city - Mogadishu - has witnessed the development of the city's first gas stations, supermarkets, and flights between Europe (Istanbul-Mogadishu) since the collapse of central authority in 1991. This economic growth has yet to expand outside of Mogadishu, and within the city, security concerns dominate business. In the absence of a formal banking sector, money transfer/remittance services have sprouted throughout the country, handling up to $1.6 billion in remittances annually, although international concerns over the money transfers into Somalia currently threatens these services.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :numerous clan and sub-clan factions exist both in support and in opposition to the transitional government", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-9.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Somali(s); adjective: :Somali", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960); note - 26 June (1960) in Somaliland", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :1; by type: :cargo 1 (2008)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU (candidate), FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,260,175; females age 16-49: :2,159,293 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :51.58 years; male: :49.58 years; female: :53.65 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Parliament or Golaha Shacabka Soomaaliya consists of the House of the People (275 seats; members directly elected to serve 4-year terms); note: :the inaugural House of the People was appointed in September 2012 by clan elders; slated for 2016, the National Parliament will become bicameral with the formation of an upper house that will consist of 54 seats with members indirectly elected by regional governing councils to serve 4-year terms", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of civil law, Islamic law, and customary law (referred to as Xeer)", "LANGUAGES": "Somali (official), Arabic (official, according to the Transitional Federal Charter), Italian, English", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :1.75%; permanent crops: :0.05%; other: :98.2% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,385 km; border countries: :Djibouti 61 km, Ethiopia 1,640 km, Kenya 684 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "3.011 million (2012 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :the provisional constitution stipulates the establishment of the Constitutional Court (consists of 5 judges including the chief judge and deputy chief judge); note - under the terms of the 2004 Transitional National Charter (TNC), a Supreme Court based in Mogadishu and an Appeal Court were established; yet most regions have reverted to local forms of conflict resolution, either secular, traditional Somali customary law, or sharia Islamic law; judge selection and term of office: :judges appointed by the president upon proposal of the Judicial Service Commission, a 9-member judicial and administrative body; judge tenure NA; subordinate courts: :federal- and federal member state-level courts; military courts; sharia (Islamic) courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "NA%; note: :businesses print their own money, so inflation rates cannot be easily determined", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :100.14 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :108.89 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :91.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, wireless communication", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.6% (2011 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland that became independent from the UK on 26 June 1960 and Italian Somaliland that became independent from the Italian-administered UN trusteeship on 1 July 1960 to form the Somali Republic)", "IMPORTS": "$1.263 billion (2010 est.); $798 million (2006 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :22,100 km; paved: :2,608 km; unpaved: :19,492 km (2000)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; the blue field was originally influenced by the flag of the UN, but today is said to denote the sky and the neighboring Indian Ocean; the five points of the star represent the five regions in the horn of Africa that are inhabited by Somali people: the former British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland (which together make up Somalia), Djibouti, Ogaden (Ethiopia), and the North East Province (Kenya)", "FISCAL_YEAR": "NA", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$3.05 billion (31 December 2011 est.); $3.055 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$515.8 million (2012 est.); $594.3 million (2011 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud (since 10 September 2012); head of government: :Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali SHARMARKE (since 24 December 2014); Deputy Prime Minister Ridwan HIRSI Mohamed (since 17 January 2014); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the prime minister, approved by the National Parliament; note - new cabinet sworn in 22 January 2014; elections: :president elected by the National Parliament for a 4-year term; last held 10 September 2012 (next to be held in 2016); election results: :HASSAN SHEIKH Mahamud elected president; National Parliament vote - HASSAN SHEIKH Mahamud 190, Sheikh SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed 79; the prime minister is chosen by the president and confirmed by the National Parliament", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Somali shillings (SOS) per US dollar -; 1,600 (2013 est.); 1,600 (2013 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including 30,000 Arabs)", "DEATH_RATE": "13.91 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1961, 1979; latest drafted 12 June 2012, approved 1 August 2012 (provisional) (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Djibouti 24.6%, Kenya 12.8%, India 9.6%, China 7.6%, Pakistan 5.8%, Oman 4.4%, UAE 4.3% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "3,025 km", "CLIMATE": "principally desert; northeast monsoon (December to February), moderate temperatures in north and hot in south; southwest monsoon (May to October), torrid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials, qat", "CAPITAL": "name: :Mogadishu; geographic coordinates: :2 04 N, 45 20 E; time difference: :UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$NA; expenditures: :$NA", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "National Security Force (NSF): Somali Army (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "40.87 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "61 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "bananas, sorghum, corn, coconuts, rice, sugarcane, mangoes, sesame seeds, beans; cattle, sheep, goats; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "18 regions (plural - NA, singular - gobolka); Awdal, Bakool, Banaadir, Bari, Bay, Galguduud, Gedo, Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe (Middle Jubba), Jubbada Hoose (Lower Jubba), Mudug, Nugaal, Sanaag, Shabeellaha Dhexe (Middle Shabeelle), Shabeellaha Hoose (Lower Shabeelle), Sool, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "UAE 50.1%, Yemen 16.5%, Oman 12.6%, India 4.8% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal, scrap metal", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :71%; industry and services: :29% (1975)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human health problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :55; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :5; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :20; 914 to 1,523 m: :23; 6 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :6; over 3,047 m: :4; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :101,634; female: :101,072 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,331,894; females age 16-49: :1,357,051 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "almost five times the size of Alabama; slightly smaller than Texas", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Indian Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Shimbiris 2,416 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.66 male(s)/female; total population: :1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "4 (2 in Mogadishu and 2 in Hargeisa) (2001)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 0, FM 11 (also 1 station each in Puntland and Somaliland), shortwave 1 (in Mogadishu) (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :60.2%; industry: :7.4%; services: :32.5% (2011 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "10 00 N, 49 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :44% (male 2,293,746/female 2,298,442); 15-24 years: :18.9% (male 995,102/female 970,630); 25-54 years: :31.2% (male 1,681,705/female 1,571,586); 55-64 years: :3.6% (male 180,622/female 199,059); 65 years and over: :2.3% (male 92,707/female 144,444) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Southern Ocean", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "Drake Passage offers alternative to transit through the Panama Canal", "AREA": "total: :20.327 million sq km; note: :includes Amundsen Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, part of the Drake Passage, Ross Sea, a small part of the Scotia Sea, Weddell Sea, and other tributary water bodies", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Antarctic Region", "LOCATION": "body of water between 60 degrees south latitude and Antarctica", "TERRAIN": "the Southern Ocean is deep, 4,000 to 5,000 m over most of its extent with only limited areas of shallow water; the Antarctic continental shelf is generally narrow and unusually deep, its edge lying at depths of 400 to 800 m (the global mean is 133 m); the Antarctic icepack grows from an average minimum of 2.6 million sq km in March to about 18.8 million sq km in September, better than a sixfold increase in area; the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (21,000 km in length) moves perpetually eastward; it is the world's largest ocean current, transporting 130 million cubic meters of water per second - 100 times the flow of all the world's rivers", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :McMurdo, Palmer, and offshore anchorages in Antarctica; note: :few ports or harbors exist on the southern side of the Southern Ocean; ice conditions limit use of most to short periods in midsummer; even then some cannot be entered without icebreaker escort; most Antarctic ports are operated by government research stations and, except in an emergency, are not open to commercial or private vessels", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Fisheries in 2006-07 landed 126,976 metric tons, of which 82% (104,586 tons) was krill (Euphausia superba) and 9.5% (12,027 tons) Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides - also known as Chilean sea bass), compared to 127,910 tons in 2005-06 of which 83% (106,591 tons) was krill and 9.7% (12,396 tons) Patagonian toothfish (estimated fishing from the area covered by the Convention of the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which extends slightly beyond the Southern Ocean area). International agreements were adopted in late 1999 to reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, which in the 2000-01 season landed, by one estimate, 8,376 metric tons of Patagonian and Antarctic toothfish. In the 2007-08 Antarctic summer, 45,213 tourists visited the Southern Ocean, compared to 35,552 in 2006-07, and 29,799 in 2005-06 (estimates provided to the Antarctic Treaty by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), and does not include passengers on overflights and those flying directly in and out of Antarctica).", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the major chokepoint is the Drake Passage between South America and Antarctica; the Polar Front (Antarctic Convergence) is the best natural definition of the northern extent of the Southern Ocean; it is a distinct region at the middle of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current that separates the cold polar surface waters to the south from the warmer waters to the north; the Front and the Current extend entirely around Antarctica, reaching south of 60 degrees south near New Zealand and near 48 degrees south in the far South Atlantic coinciding with the path of the maximum westerly winds", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "probable large and possible giant oil and gas fields on the continental margin; manganese nodules, possible placer deposits, sand and gravel, fresh water as icebergs; squid, whales, and seals - none exploited; krill, fish", "COASTLINE": "17,968 km", "CLIMATE": "sea temperatures vary from about 10 degrees Celsius to -2 degrees Celsius; cyclonic storms travel eastward around the continent and frequently are intense because of the temperature contrast between ice and open ocean; the ocean area from about latitude 40 south to the Antarctic Circle has the strongest average winds found anywhere on Earth; in winter the ocean freezes outward to 65 degrees south latitude in the Pacific sector and 55 degrees south latitude in the Atlantic sector, lowering surface temperatures well below 0 degrees Celsius; at some coastal points intense persistent drainage winds from the interior keep the shoreline ice-free throughout the winter", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "the Southern Ocean is subject to all international agreements regarding the world's oceans; in addition, it is subject to these agreements specific to the Antarctic region: International Whaling Commission (prohibits commercial whaling south of 40 degrees south [south of 60 degrees south between 50 degrees and 130 degrees west; note: :many nations (including the US) prohibit mineral resource exploration and exploitation south of the fluctuating Polar Front (Antarctic Convergence), which is in the middle of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and serves as the dividing line between the cold polar surface waters to the south and the warmer waters to the north", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "increased solar ultraviolet radiation resulting from the Antarctic ozone hole in recent years, reducing marine primary productivity (phytoplankton) by as much as 15% and damaging the DNA of some fish; illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in recent years, especially the landing of an estimated five to six times more Patagonian toothfish than the regulated fishery, which is likely to affect the sustainability of the stock; large amount of incidental mortality of seabirds resulting from long-line fishing for toothfish; note: :the now-protected fur seal population is making a strong comeback after severe overexploitation in the 18th and 19th centuries", "BACKGROUND": "A large body of recent oceanographic research has shown that the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), an ocean current that flows from west to east around Antarctica, plays a crucial role in global ocean circulation. The region where the cold waters of the ACC meet and mingle with the warmer waters of the north defines a distinct border - the Antarctic Convergence - which fluctuates with the seasons, but which encompasses a discrete body of water and a unique ecologic region. The Convergence concentrates nutrients, which promotes marine plant life, and which, in turn, allows for a greater abundance of animal life. In 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization delimited the waters within the Convergence as a fifth world ocean - the Southern Ocean - by combining the southern portions of the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean. The Southern Ocean extends from the coast of Antarctica north to 60 degrees south latitude, which coincides with the Antarctic Treaty Limit and which approximates the extent of the Antarctic Convergence. As such, the Southern Ocean is now the fourth largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean, but larger than the Arctic Ocean). It should be noted that inclusion of the Southern Ocean does not imply recognition of this feature as one of the world's primary oceans by the US Government.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly more than twice the size of the US", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "huge icebergs with drafts up to several hundred meters; smaller bergs and iceberg fragments; sea ice (generally 0.5 to 1 m thick) with sometimes dynamic short-term variations and with large annual and interannual variations; deep continental shelf floored by glacial deposits varying widely over short distances; high winds and large waves much of the year; ship icing, especially May-October; most of region is remote from sources of search and rescue", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :-7,235 m at the southern end of the South Sandwich Trench; highest point: :sea level 0 m", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "60 00 S, 90 00 E (nominally), but the Southern Ocean has the unique distinction of being a large circumpolar body of water totally encircling the continent of Antarctica; this ring of water lies between 60 degrees south latitude and the coast of Antarctica and encompasses 360 degrees of longitude" }, { "country": "Tanzania", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "the International Maritime Bureau reports that shipping in territorial and offshore waters in the Indian Ocean remain at risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships, especially as Somali-based pirates extend their activities south; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Mark Bradley CHILDRESS (since 22 May 2014); embassy: :686 Old Bagamoyo Road, Msasani, Dar es Salaam; mailing address: :P. O. Box 9123, Dar es Salaam; telephone: :[255; FAX: :[255", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$1,900 (2014 est.); $1,900 (2013 est.); $1,800 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "7.2% (2014 est.); 7% (2013 est.); 6.9% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.8% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$92.53 billion (2014 est.); $86.31 billion (2013 est.); $80.69 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :92.4%; youth dependency ratio: :86.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :6.2%; potential support ratio: :16.1% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "17.8% of GDP (2014 est.); 15.5% of GDP (2013 est.); 18.2% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :66%; government consumption: :19.8%; investment in fixed capital: :33.2%; investment in inventories: :0.6%; exports of goods and services: :20.6%; imports of goods and services: :-40.3%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "34.4% (2009/10)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "19.5; note: :median age at first birth among women 20-24 (2010 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :2,815,085; percentage: :21%; note: :data represents children ages 5-17 and does not in (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "9.295 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "6.513 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "928.8 million cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "928.8 million cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "30,750 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "52,520 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "10 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "66.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "33.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "845,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "52 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "4.137 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "5.115 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Uhuru (Freedom) torch; national colors: green, yellow, blue, black", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :7.1% (2011 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "5% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.7 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.01 physicians/1,000 population (2006)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "7% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "13.6% (2011)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "460 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "17.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "DAR ES SALAAM (capital) 4.838 million; Mwanza 789,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Mungu ibariki Afrika\" (God Bless Africa); lyrics/music: :collective/Enoch Mankayi SONTONGA; note: :adopted 1961; the anthem, which is also a popular song in Africa, shares the same melody with that of Zambia, but has different lyrics; the melody is also incorporated into South Africa's anthem", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 24.9% of population; rural: 7.5% of population; total: 12.2% of population; urban: 75.1% of population; rural: 92.5% of population; total: 87.8% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 77.9% of population; rural: 44% of population; total: 53.2% of population; urban: 22.1% of population; rural: 56% of population; total: 46.8% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$7.936 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $7.533 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$4.799 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.573 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "a state-owned TV station and multiple privately owned TV stations; state-owned national radio station supplemented by more than 40 privately owned radio stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :30.9% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :5.36% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$8.647 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $8.202 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$3.362 billion (31 December 2008); $3.212 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$2.464 billion (31 December 2008); $2.285 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "17.4% (31 December 2014 est.); 15.82% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "8.25% (31 December 2010); 3.7% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "6.2% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :9 years; male: :9 years; female: :9 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :5.18 cu km/yr (10%/0%/89%); per capita: :144.7 cu m/yr (2002)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "96.27 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$1.803 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $1.539 billion (31 December 2011); $1.264 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$NA", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Tanzania is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; the exploitation of young girls in domestic servitude continues to be Tanzania's largest human trafficking problem; Tanzanian boys are subject to forced labor mainly on farms but also in mines, in the commercial service sector, in the sex trade, and possibly on small fishing boats; internal trafficking is more prevalent than transnational trafficking and is usually facilitated by friends, family members, or intermediaries offering education or legitimate job opportunities; trafficking victims from Burundi, Kenya, Bangladesh, Nepal, Yemen, and India are to work in Tanzania's agricultural, mining, and domestic service sectors or may be sex trafficked; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List - Tanzania does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; law enforcement made modest anti-trafficking efforts but imposed punishments on offenders that were inadequate for the seriousness of the crimes committed; key victim protection provisions of the 2008 anti-trafficking act remain unimplemented; the government continues to refer child trafficking victims to NGOs for care but has no procedure for the referral of adult victims; the national anti-trafficking action plan has not been implemented; no public awareness campaigns about the dangers of trafficking are conducted (2013)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$36.62 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :55,870 (Democratic Republic of the Congo); 34,739 (Burundi) (2014)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria, dengue fever, and Rift Valley fever; water contact diseases: :schistosomiasis and leptospirosis; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$4.758 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.674 billion (31 December 2013 est.); note: :excludes gold", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$5.19 billion (2014 est.); -$5.188 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "42.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 41.2% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "26,074 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :17.4 years; male: :17.1 years; female: :17.7 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "37.6 (2007); 34.6 (2000)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "78,300 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "1,400,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "4.95% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".tz", "INTERNET_USERS": "678,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "27.22 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "161,100 (2011)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Liberata Rutageruka MULAMULA (since 17 July 2013); chancery: :1232 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20037; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :947,300 sq km; land: :885,800 sq km; water: :61,500 sq km; note: :includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1,843 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and Mozambique", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :United Republic of Tanzania; conventional short form: :Tanzania; local long form: :Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania; local short form: :Tanzania; former: :United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "4.95 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north, south", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :telecommunications services are marginal; system operating below capacity and being modernized for better service; small aperture terminal (VSAT) system under construction; domestic: :fixed-line telephone network inadequate with less than 1 connection per 100 persons; mobile-cellular service, aided by multiple providers, is increasing rapidly and in 2011 exceeded a subscriber base of 50 telephones per 100 persons; trunk service provided by open-wire, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and fiber-optic cable; some links being made digital; international: :country code - 255; landing point for the EASSy fiber-optic submarine cable system linking East Africa with Europe and North America; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Atlantic Ocean) (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "mainland - Christian 30%, Muslim 35%, indigenous beliefs 35%; Zanzibar - more than 99% Muslim", "RAILWAYS": "total: :3,689 km; narrow gauge: :969 km 1.067-m gauge; 2,720 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar", "POPULATION": "49,639,138; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Party of Democracy and Development) or CHADEMA [Willibrod SLAA; Chama Cha Mapinduzi or CCM (Revolutionary Party) [Jakaya Mrisho KIKWETE; Civic United Front or CUF [Ibrahim LIPUMBA; Democratic Party or DP [Christopher MTIKLA; National Convention for Construction and Reform - Mageuzi or NCCR-M [Hashim RUNGWE; Tanzania Labor Party or TLP [Mutamwega MUGAHWYA; United Democratic Party or UDP [Fahma DOVUTWA", "PIPELINES": "gas 311 km; oil 891 km; refined products 8 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Tanzania is one of the world's poorest economies in terms of per capita income, but has achieved high growth rates based on gold production and tourism. GDP growth in 2009-14 was an impressive 6-7% per year. Tanzania has largely completed its transition to a market economy, though the government retains a presence in sectors such as telecommunications, banking, energy, and mining. The economy depends on agriculture, which accounts for more than one-quarter of GDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs about 80% of the work force. The World Bank, the IMF, and bilateral donors have provided funds to rehabilitate Tanzania's aging infrastructure, including rail and port, that provide important trade links for inland countries. Recent banking reforms have helped increase private-sector growth and investment, and the government has increased spending on agriculture to 7% of its budget. The financial sector in Tanzania has expanded in recent years and foreign-owned banks account for about 48% of the banking industry's total assets. Competition among foreign commercial banks has resulted in significant improvements in the efficiency and quality of financial services, though interest rates are still relatively high, reflecting high fraud risk. All land in Tanzania is owned by the government, which can lease land for up to 99 years. Proposed reforms to allow for land ownership, particularly foreign land ownership, remain unpopular. In 2013, Tanzania completed the world's largest Millennium Challenge Compact grant, worth $698 million, and in December 2012 the Millennium Challenge Corporation selected Tanzania for a second Compact. Dar es Salaam used fiscal stimulus and loosened monetary policy to ease the impact of the global recession. In late 2014 a highly publicized scandal in the energy sector involving senior Tanzanian officials resulted in international donors freezing nearly $500 million in direct budget support to the government.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Economic and Social Research Foundation or ESRF; Free Zanzibar; Tanzania Media Women's Association or TAMWA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa and one of only two mountains on the continent that has glaciers (the other is Mount Kenya); bordered by three of the largest lakes on the continent: Lake Victoria (the world's second-largest freshwater lake) in the north, Lake Tanganyika (the world's second deepest) in the west, and Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) in the southwest", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Tanzanian(s); adjective: :Tanzanian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Union Day (Tanganyika and Zanzibar), 26 April (1964)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :94; by type: :bulk carrier 6, cargo 66, carrier 4, chemical tanker 1, container 1, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 10, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 3; foreign-owned: :42 (Japan 1, Romania 1, Saudi Arabia 1, Syria 23, Turkey 13, UAE 3); registered in other countries: :3 (Panama 2, UK 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, EAC, EADB, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :9,985,445 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write Kiswahili (Swahili), English, or Arabic; total population: :67.8%; male: :75.5%; female: :60.8% (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :61.24 years; male: :59.91 years; female: :62.62 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Parliament (Bunge) (357 seats; 239 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 102 women directly elected by proportional representation vote, 5 indirectly elected by simple majority vote by the Zanzibar House of Representatives, 10 appointed by the president, and 1 seat reserved for the attorney general; members serve 5-year terms); note - in addition to enacting laws that apply to the entire United Republic of Tanzania, the National Assembly enacts laws that apply only to the mainland; Zanzibar has its own House of Representatives or Baraza La Wawakilishi (81 seats; 50 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 15 women directly elected by proportional representation vote, 10 appointed by the Zanzibar president, 5 seats reserved for government appointed regional commissioners, and 1 seat for the attorney general; elected members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 31 October 2010 (next to be held in 2015); election results: :National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CCM 259, CHADEMA 48, CUF 34, NCCR-M 4, other 7, Zanzibar representatives 5; Zanzibar House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CCM 28, CUF 22", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "English common law; judicial review of legislative acts limited to matters of interpretation", "LANGUAGES": "Kiswahili or Swahili (official), Kiunguja (name for Swahili in Zanzibar), English (official, primary language of commerce, administration, and higher education), Arabic (widely spoken in Zanzibar), many local languages; note: :Kiswahili (Swahili) is the mother tongue of the Bantu people living in Zanzibar and nearby coastal Tanzania; although Kiswahili is Bantu in structure and origin, its vocabulary draws on a variety of sources including Arabic and English; it has become the lingua franca of central and eastern Africa; the first language of most people is one of the local languages", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :16.37%; permanent crops: :2.43%; other: :81.2% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :4,161 km; border countries: :Burundi 589 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 479 km, Kenya 775 km, Malawi 512 km, Mozambique 840 km, Rwanda 222 km, Uganda 391 km, Zambia 353 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "25 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Court of Appeal of the United Republic of Tanzania (consists of the chief justice and 14 justices); High Court of the United Republic for Mainland Tanzania (consists of the principal judge and 30 judges organized into commercial, land, and labor courts); High Court of Zanzibar (consists of the chief justice and NA judges); judge selection and term of office: :Court of Appeal and High Court justices appointed by the national president after consultation with the Judicial Service Commission for Tanzania, a judicial body of high level judges and 2 members appointed by the national president; Court of Appeal and High Court judges appointed until mandatory retirement at age 60 but can be extended; High Court of Zanzibar judges appointed by the national president after consultation with the Judicial Commission of Zanzibar; judge tenure NA; subordinate courts: :Resident Magistrates Courts; Kadhi courts (for Islamic family matters); district and primary courts", "WATERWAYS": "(Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, and Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) are the principal avenues of commerce with neighboring countries; the rivers are not navigable) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "6.2% (2014 est.); 7.9% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :43.74 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :45.78 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :41.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "agricultural processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine); mining (diamonds, gold, and iron), salt, soda ash; cement, oil refining, shoes, apparel, wood products, fertilizer", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "8.1% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "26 April 1964; Tanganyika became independent on 9 December 1961 (from UK-administered UN trusteeship); Zanzibar became independent on 10 December 1963 (from UK); Tanganyika united with Zanzibar on 26 April 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar; renamed United Republic of Tanzania on 29 October 1964", "IMPORTS": "$11.95 billion (2014 est.); $11.03 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :86,472 km; paved: :7,092 km; unpaved: :79,380 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "divided diagonally by a yellow-edged black band from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower triangle is blue; the banner combines colors found on the flags of Tanganyika and Zanzibar; green represents the natural vegetation of the country, gold its rich mineral deposits, black the native Swahili people, and blue the country's many lakes and rivers, as well as the Indian Ocean", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 July - 30 June", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$15.35 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $13.83 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$6.084 billion (2014 est.); $5.258 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Jakaya KIKWETE (since 21 December 2005); Vice President Mohammed Gharib BILAL (since 6 November 2010); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Jakaya KIKWETE (since 21 December 2005); Vice President Mohammed Gharib BILAL (since 6 November 2010); note: :Zanzibar elects a president who is head of government for matters internal to Zanzibar; Ali Mohamed SHEIN elected to that office on 31 October 2010, sworn in 3 November 2010; cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly; elections: :president and vice president elected on the same ballot by popular vote for five-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held on 31 October 2010 (next to be held in 2015); prime minister appointed by the president; election results: :Jakaya KIKWETE elected president; percent of vote - Jakaya KIKWETE 61.2%, Willibrod SLAA 26.3%, Ibrahim LIPUMBA 8.1%, other 4.4%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Tanzanian shillings (TZS) per US dollar -; 1,647.8 (2014 est.); 1,600.4 (2013 est.); 1,583 (2012 est.); 1,572.1 (2011 est.); 1,409.3 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "mainland - African 99% (of which 95% are Bantu consisting of more than 130 tribes), other 1% (consisting of Asian, European, and Arab); Zanzibar - Arab, African, mixed Arab and African", "DEATH_RATE": "8.2 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted 25 April 1977; amended many times, last in 2012; note - in 2012, the Tanzania Constitutional Review Commission was formed, and in June 2013, completed the first draft of a new constitution and a second version in December; a 640-member Constituent Assembly, formed in February 2014, passed a new constitution draft in October; final passage depends on a national referendum in April 2015. (2015)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "India 25%, China 24.6%, South Africa 5.1%, Kenya 4.4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "1,424 km", "CLIMATE": "varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "consumer goods, machinery and transportation equipment, industrial raw materials, crude oil", "CAPITAL": "name: :Dar es Salaam; note - legislative offices have been transferred to Dodoma, which is planned as the new national capital, and the National Assembly now meets there on a regular basis; the executive branch with all ministries and diplomatic representation remains in Dar es Salaam; geographic coordinates: :6 48 S, 39 17 E; time difference: :UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$6.44 billion; expenditures: :$8.626 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Tanzania People's Defense Force (Jeshi la Wananchi la Tanzania, JWTZ): Army, Naval Wing (includes Coast Guard), Air Defense Command (includes Air Wing), National Service (2007)", "BIRTH_RATE": "36.82 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "166 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coffee, sisal, tea, cotton, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), cashew nuts, tobacco, cloves, corn, wheat, cassava (manioc, tapioca), bananas, fruits, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "30 regions; Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Geita, Iringa, Kagera, Kaskazini Pemba (Pemba North), Kaskazini Unguja (Zanzibar North), Katavi, Kigoma, Kilimanjaro, Kusini Pemba (Pemba South), Kusini Unguja (Zanzibar Central/South), Lindi, Manyara, Mara, Mbeya, Mjini Magharibi (Zanzibar Urban/West), Morogoro, Mtwara, Mwanza, Njombe, Pwani (Coast), Rukwa, Ruvuma, Shinyanga, Simiyu, Singida, Tabora, Tanga", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "India 20%, China 13.3%, Japan 4.7%, UAE 4.4%, Kenya 4.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "gold, coffee, cashew nuts, manufactures, cotton", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :80%; industry and services: :20% (2002 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.8%; highest 10%: :29.6% (2007)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "36% (2002 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.13% of GDP (2012); 1.12% of GDP (2011); 1.13% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "soil degradation; deforestation; desertification; destruction of coral reefs threatens marine habitats; recent droughts affected marginal agriculture; wildlife threatened by illegal hunting and trade, especially for ivory", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :156; over 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :24; 914 to 1,523 m: :98; 33 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :10; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :4; 914 to 1,523 m: :2 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Shortly after achieving independence from Britain in the early 1960s, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the nation of Tanzania in 1964. One-party rule ended in 1995 with the first democratic elections held in the country since the 1970s. Zanzibar's semi-autonomous status and popular opposition led to two contentious elections since 1995, which the ruling party won despite international observers' claims of voting irregularities. The formation of a government of national unity between Zanzibar's two leading parties succeeded in minimizing electoral tension in 2010.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :512,294; female: :514,164 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :5,860,339; females age 16-49: :5,882,279 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than twice the size of California", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season; drought; volcanism: :limited volcanic activity; Ol Doinyo Lengai (elev. 2,962 m) has emitted lava in recent years; other historically active volcanoes include Kieyo and Meru", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Indian Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Kilimanjaro 5,895 m (highest point in Africa)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.76 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "3 (1999)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 12, FM 11, shortwave 2 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :26.9%; industry: :25.2%; services: :48% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "6 00 S, 35 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :44.6% (male 11,173,655/female 10,962,186); 15-24 years: :19.5% (male 4,838,216/female 4,841,338); 25-54 years: :29.5% (male 7,340,129/female 7,289,483); 55-64 years: :3.5% (male 745,214/female 985,524); 65 years and over: :2.9% (male 629,483/female 833,910) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Venezuela", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Caribbean Sea as a significant risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Philip G. LAIDLAW (July 2010); embassy: :Calle F con Calle Suapure, Urbanizacion Colinas de Valle Arriba, Caracas 1080; mailing address: :P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A; APO AA 34037; telephone: :[58; FAX: :[58", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$17,900 (2014 est.); $18,800 (2013 est.); $18,800 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "-3% (2014 est.); 1.3% (2013 est.); 5.6% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.42% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$545.7 billion (2014 est.); $562.6 billion (2013 est.); $555.1 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :52.9%; youth dependency ratio: :43.2%; elderly dependency ratio: :9.8%; potential support ratio: :10.2% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "22.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 23.9% of GDP (2013 est.); 29.5% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :65.4%; government consumption: :16.3%; investment in fixed capital: :13.1%; investment in inventories: :5.4%; exports of goods and services: :16.7%; imports of goods and services: :-16.8%; (2014 est.)", "DEMOGRAPHIC_PROFILE": "Social investment in Venezuela during the CHAVEZ administration reduced poverty from nearly 50 % in 1999 to about 27 % in 2011, increased school enrollment, substantially decreased infant and child mortality, and improved access to potable water and sanitation through social investment. \"Missions\" dedicated to education, nutrition, healthcare, and sanitation were funded through petroleum revenues. The sustainability of this progress remains questionable, however, as the continuation of these social programs depends on the prosperity of Venezuela's oil industry. In the long-term, education and health care spending may increase economic growth and reduce income inequality, but rising costs and the staffing of new health care jobs with foreigners are slowing development.; Since CHAVEZ came to power in 1999, more than one million predominantly middle- and upper-class Venezuelans are estimated to have emigrated. The brain drain is attributed to a repressive political system, lack of economic opportunities, steep inflation, a high crime rate, and corruption. Thousands of oil engineers emigrated to Canada, Colombia, and the United States following Chavez's firing of over 20,000 employees of the state-owned petroleum company during a 2002-2003 oil strike. Additionally, thousands of Venezuelans of European descent have taken up residence in their ancestral homelands. Nevertheless, Venezuela continues to attract immigrants from South America and southern Europe because of its lenient migration policy and the availability of education and health care. Venezuela also has been a fairly accommodating host to more than 200,000 Colombian refugees.", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :404,092; percentage: :8% (2000 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "184.8 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "5.562 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "1.877 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "30.5 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "28.4 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "16,660 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "638,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "784,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "1.11 million bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "297.7 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "1.645 million bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "2.475 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "64.3% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "35.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "27.5 million kW (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "480 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "249 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "94.83 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "127.6 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "troupial (bird); national colors: yellow, blue, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :17.1%; male: :14.3%; female: :22.6% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "30.3% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.9 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.94 physicians/1,000 population (2001)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "4.6% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "2.9% (2009)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "92 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-29.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "68.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCT jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "CARACAS (capital) 2.912 million; Maracaibo 2.164 million; Valencia 1.711 million; Barquisimeto 1.034 million; Maracay 1.146 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Gloria al bravo pueblo\" (Glory to the Brave People); lyrics/music: :Vicente SALIAS/Juan Jose LANDAETA; note: :adopted 1881; lyrics written in 1810, the music some years later; both SALIAS and LANDAETA were executed in 1814 during Venezuela's struggle for independence", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 93.6% of population; rural: 56.9% of population; total: 90.9% of population; urban: 6.4% of population; rural: 43.1% of population; total: 9.1% of population (2007 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 94.3% of population; rural: 75.3% of population; total: 92.9% of population; urban: 5.7% of population; rural: 24.7% of population; total: 7.1% of population (2007 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$360 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $196 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$356 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $192.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "government supervises a mixture of state-run and private broadcast media; 13 public service networks, 61 privately owned TV networks, a privately owned news channel with limited national coverage, and a government-backed Pan-American channel; state-run radio network includes roughly 65 news stations and another 30 stations targeted at specific audiences; state-sponsored community broadcasters include 235 radio stations and 44 TV stations; the number of private broadcast radio stations has been declining, but many still remain in operation (2014)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :88.9% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.54% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$372.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $196.4 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$10.69 billion (31 December 2008); $8.687 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$78.09 billion (31 December 2008); $61.74 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "17.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 15.9% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "29.5% (31 December 2010); 29.5% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "6.9% of GDP (2009)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :14 years; 13 years; 15 years (2008)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :9.06 cu km/yr (23%/4%/74%); per capita: :358.6 cu m/yr (2008)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "1,233 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$25.3 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $5.143 billion (31 December 2011); $3.991 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$25.38 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $24.29 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$57.14 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $55.23 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Venezuela is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; Venezuelan women and girls are trafficked within the country for sexual exploitation, often lured from the nation's interior to urban and tourist areas with false job offers; women from Colombia, Peru, Haiti, China, and South Africa are also reported to have been sexually exploited in Venezuela; some Venezuelan women are transported to Caribbean islands, particularly Aruba, Curacao, and Trinidad and Tobago, where they are subjected to forced prostitution; some Venezuelan children are forced to beg on the streets or to work as domestic servants, while Ecuadorian children, often from indigenous communities, are subjected to forced labor; tier rating: :Tier 3 � Venezuela does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government did not publically document progress on human trafficking investigations, prosecutions, and convictions or victim identification and assistance in 2013, making it difficult to assess the scope or efficacy of these efforts; victim services appeared to remain inadequate, and the extent of efforts to investigate internal forced labor or to help children in prostitution was unclear; authorities provided limited funding to some NGOs providing victim services; public service announcements and an awareness campaign on human trafficking continued; anti-trafficking legislation drafted in 2010 remained unapproved (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$209.2 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :204,604 (Colombia) (2014)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever and malaria (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$20.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $21.48 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$5.266 billion (2014 est.); $11.95 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "51.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 50.9% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover central government debt, as well as the debt of state-owned oil company PDVSA; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include some debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; some debt instruments for the social funds are sold at public auctions", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "1.016 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :26.9 years; male: :26.1 years; female: :27.6 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "39 (2011); 49.5 (1998)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "4,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "101,900 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.56% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ve", "INTERNET_USERS": "8.918 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "30.52 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "7.65 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); chancery: :1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)", "AREA": "total: :912,050 sq km; land: :882,050 sq km; water: :30,000 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "10,550 sq km (2008)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "South America", "LOCATION": "Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; conventional short form: :Venezuela; local long form: :Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela; local short form: :Venezuela", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "7.8% (2014 est.); 7.5% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "federal republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.35 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modern and expanding; domestic: :2 domestic satellite systems with 3 earth stations; recent substantial improvement in telephone service in rural areas; substantial increase in digitalization of exchanges and trunk lines; installation of a national interurban fiber-optic network capable of digital multimedia services; combined fixed and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership 130 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 58; submarine cable systems provide connectivity to Cuba and the Caribbean, Central and South America, and US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 PanAmSat; participating with Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia in the construction of an international fiber-optic network (2013)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :806 km; standard gauge: :806 km 1.435-m gauge (41 km electrified) (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :La Guaira, Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello, Punta Cardon; oil terminals: :Jose terminal", "POPULATION": "28,868,486 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "A New Time or UNT [Omar BARBOZA; Brave People's Alliance or ABP [Antonio LEDEZMA; Christian Democrats or COPEI [Roberto ENRIQUEZ; Coalition of opposition parties -- The Democratic Unity Table or MUD [Jesus \"Chuo\" TORREALBA; Communist Party of Venezuela or PCV [Oscar FIGUERA; Democratic Action or AD [Henry RAMOS ALLUP; Fatherland for All or PPT [Rafael UZCATEGUI; For Social Democracy or PODEMOS [Ismael GARCIA; Justice First or PJ [Julio BORGES; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Nicolas SOSA; Popular Will or VP [Leopoldo LOPEZ; Progressive Wave or AP [Henri FALCON; The Radical Cause [Daniel SANTOLO; United Socialist Party of Venezuela or PSUV [Nicolas MADURO; Venezuelan Progressive Movement or MPV [Simon CALZADILLA; Venezuela Project or PV [Henrique SALAS ROMER", "PIPELINES": "extra heavy crude 981 km; gas 5,941 km; oil 7,588 km; refined products 1,778 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Venezuela remains highly dependent on oil revenues, which account for roughly 96% of export earnings, about 45% of budget revenues, and around 12% of GDP. Fueled by high oil prices, pre-election government spending helped spur GDP growth in 2013 to 5.6%. Government spending, minimum wage hikes, and improved access to domestic credit created an increase in consumption which combined with supply problems to cause higher inflation - roughly 20% in 2012 and rising to more than 56% in 2013 and 60% in 2014. Late President Hugo CHAVEZ's efforts to increase the government's control of the economy by nationalizing firms in the agribusiness, financial, construction, oil, and steel sectors hurt the private investment environment, reduced productive capacity, and slowed non-petroleum exports. Under President Nicolas MADURO�s administration, Venezuela has continued to wrestle with housing and electricity crises and rolling food and goods shortages, resulting from the government's unorthodox economic policies. The budget deficit for the public sector reached 17% of GDP in 2012 and remained above 10% of GDP in 2014. The Venezuelan government has maintained a regime of strict currency exchange controls since 2003. Venezuelan law now sanctions a three-tiered exchange rate system, with rates based on the government's import priorities.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Bolivarian and Socialist Workers' Union (a ruling party labor union); Confederacion Venezolana de Industriales or Coindustria (a conservative business group); Consejos Comunales (pro-Chavez local cooperatives); FEDECAMARAS (a conservative business group); Union of Oil Workers of Venezuela or FUTPV; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV (opposition-oriented labor organization); other: :various civil society groups and human rights organizations", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "on major sea and air routes linking North and South America; Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the world's highest waterfall", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Venezuelan(s); adjective: :Venezuelan", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 5 July (1811)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :53; by type: :bulk carrier 4, cargo 12, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 5, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 14, petroleum tanker 16; foreign-owned: :9 (Denmark 1, Estonia 1, Germany 1, Greece 4, Mexico 1, Spain 1); registered in other countries: :14 (Panama 13, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Caricom (observer), CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, LAS (observer), Mercosur, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :15 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :7,013,854; females age 16-49: :7,165,661 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :95.5%; male: :95.7%; female: :95.4% (2009 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :74.39 years; male: :71.26 years; female: :77.67 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (165 seats; 110 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 52 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote, and 3 seats reserved for indigenous peoples of Venezuela; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 26 September 2010 (next to be held in 2015); election results: :percent of vote by party - pro-government 48.9%, opposition coalition 47.9%, other 3.2%; seats by party - pro-government 98, opposition 65, other 2", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system based on the Spanish civil code", "LANGUAGES": "Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :3.06%; permanent crops: :0.79%; other: :96.15% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :5,267 km; border countries: :Brazil 2,137 km, Colombia 2,341 km, Guyana 789 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "14.34 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Tribunal of Justice (consists of 32 judges organized into six divisions - constitutional, political administrative, electoral, civil appeals, criminal appeals, and social (mainly agrarian and labor issues); judge selection and term of office: :judges proposed by the Committee of Judicial Postulation (an independent body of organizations dealing with legal issues and of the organs of citizen power) and appointed by the National Assembly; judges serve non-renewable 12-year terms; subordinate courts: :Superior or Appeals Courts (Tribunales Superiores); District Tribunals (Tribunales de Distrito); Courts of First Instance (Tribunales de Primera Instancia); Parish Courts (Tribunales de Parroquia); Justices of the Peace (Justicia de Paz) Network", "WATERWAYS": "7,100 km (the Orinoco River (400 km) and Lake de Maracaibo are navigable by oceangoing vessels) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "69.8% (2014 est.); 40.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :19.33 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :22.73 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :15.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "agricultural products, livestock, raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials, medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, iron and steel products, crude oil and petroleum products", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-1% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "5 July 1811 (from Spain)", "IMPORTS": "$50.34 billion (2014 est.); $51.93 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "small-scale illicit producer of opium and coca for the processing of opiates and coca derivatives; however, large quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana transit the country from Colombia bound for US and Europe; significant narcotics-related money-laundering activity, especially along the border with Colombia and on Margarita Island; active eradication program primarily targeting opium; increasing signs of drug-related activities by Colombian insurgents on border", "ROADWAYS": "total: :96,155 km; paved: :32,308 km; unpaved: :63,847 km (2002)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red with the coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of eight white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band; the flag retains the three equal horizontal bands and three main colors of the banner of Gran Colombia, the South American republic that broke up in 1830; yellow is interpreted as standing for the riches of the land, blue for the courage of its people, and red for the blood shed in attaining independence; the seven stars on the original flag represented the seven provinces in Venezuela that united in the war of independence; in 2006, then President Hugo CHAVEZ ordered an eighth star added to the star arc - a decision that sparked much controversy - to conform with the flag proclaimed by Simon Bolivar in 1827 and to represent the historic province of Guayana", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$69.66 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $70.16 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$83.2 billion (2014 est.); $88.76 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Nicolas MADURO Moros (since 19 April 2013); Executive Vice President Jorge Alberto ARREAZA Montserrat (since 19 April 2013); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; former Executive Vice President Nicolas MADURO Moros assumed presidential responsibilities after the death of President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias on 5 March 2013 and became Acting President while preparations for elections took place; he won a national election on 14 April 2013 and started a six-year term; head of government: :President Nicolas MADURO Moros (since 19 April 2013); Executive Vice President Jorge Alberto ARREAZA Montserrat (since 19 April 2013); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for unlimited terms); election last held on 14 April 2013; note - this was a special election held following the death of President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias on 5 March 2013; the next scheduled election expected in late 2018 or early 2019 pending official convocation by the country's electoral body); note: :in 1999, a National Constituent Assembly drafted a new constitution that increased the presidential term to six years; an election was subsequently held on 30 July 2000 under the terms of this constitution; in 2009, a national referendum approved the elimination of term limits on all elected officials, including the presidency; election results: :Nicolas MADURO Moros elected president; percent of vote - Nicolas MADURO Moros 50.61%, Henrique CAPRILES Radonski 49.12%, other 0.24%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "bolivars (VEB) per US dollar -; 6.284 (2014 est.); 6.0478 (2013 est.); 4.29 (2012 est.); 4.289 (2011 est.); 2.5821 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous people", "DEATH_RATE": "5.27 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "many previous; latest adopted 15 December 1999, effective 30 December 1999; amended 2009 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 27.4%, China 12.6%, Brazil 10%, Russia 7.1%, Argentina 5.1%, Colombia 4.7%, Mexico 4.5% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "2,800 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "agricultural products, livestock, raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials, medical equipment, petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, iron and steel products", "CAPITAL": "name: :Caracas; geographic coordinates: :10 29 N, 66 52 W; time difference: :UTC-4.5 (a half hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$142.6 billion; expenditures: :$204 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Bolivarian National Armed Forces (Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana, FANB): Bolivarian Army (Ejercito Bolivariano, EB), Bolivarian Navy (Armada Bolivariana, AB; includes Naval Infantry, Coast Guard, Naval Aviation), Bolivarian Military Aviation (Aviacion Militar Bolivariana, AMB; includes Air National Guard), Bolivarian National Guard (Guardia Nacional Bolivaria, GNB) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "19.42 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "444 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "23 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 capital district* (distrito capital), and 1 federal dependency** (dependencia federal); Amazonas, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales (Federal Dependencies)**, Distrito Capital (Capital District)*, Falcon, Guarico, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Vargas, Yaracuy, Zulia; note: :the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 34.3%, India 15.9%, China 14%, Netherlands Antilles 8.4%, Singapore 6%, Cuba 4.9% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum and petroleum products, bauxite and aluminum, minerals, chemicals, agricultural products", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :7.3%; industry: :21.8%; services: :70.9% (4th quarter, 2011 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.7%; highest 10%: :32.7% (2006)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "31.6% (2011 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.05% of GDP (2012); 0.75% of GDP (2011); 1.05% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands; signed but not ratified:: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil and urban pollution of Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil degradation; urban and industrial pollution, especially along the Caribbean coast; threat to the rainforest ecosystem from irresponsible mining operations", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :317; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :3; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :57; 914 to 1,523 m: :127; 130 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :127; over 3,047 m: :6; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :9; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :33; 914 to 1,523 m: :62; under 914 m: :17 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Ecuador and New Granada, which became Colombia). For most of the first half of the 20th century, Venezuela was ruled by generally benevolent military strongmen, who promoted the oil industry and allowed for some social reforms. Democratically elected governments have held sway since 1959. Hugo CHAVEZ, president from 1999 to 2013, sought to implement his \"21st Century Socialism,\" which purported to alleviate social ills while at the same time attacking capitalist globalization and existing democratic institutions. His hand-picked successor, President Nicolas MADURO, continues CHAVEZ's socialist programs. Current concerns include: a weakening of democratic institutions, political polarization, a politicized military, rampant violent crime, overdependence on the petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, foreign exchange controls that discourage private-sector investment, high inflation, a decline in the quality of fundamental human rights, and widespread scarcity of consumer goods. Venezuela assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2015-16 term.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :277,210; female: :273,353 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :5,614,743; females age 16-49: :6,074,834 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-30 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; 30-month conscript service obligation; Navy requires 6th-grade education for enlisted personnel; all citizens of military service age (18-60 years old) are obligated to register for military service (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "almost six times the size of Georgia; slightly more than twice the size of California", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Pico Bolivar 5,007 m", "HELIPORTS": "3 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.79 male(s)/female; total population: :0.98 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 46, FM 131, shortwave 3 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :3.8%; industry: :35.4%; services: :60.8% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "8 00 N, 66 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :28.2% (male 4,143,840/female 3,985,489); 15-24 years: :18.8% (male 2,723,856/female 2,697,672); 25-54 years: :39.6% (male 5,614,922/female 5,818,903); 55-64 years: :7.5% (male 1,030,898/female 1,137,894); 65 years and over: :5.9% (male 755,183/female 959,829) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Vietnam", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the South China Sea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargo diverted to ports in East Asia; crews have been murdered or cast adrift", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador David B. SHEAR (since 4 August 2011); embassy: :Rose Garden Building, 170 Ngoc Khanh St., Hanoi; mailing address: :7 Lang Ha Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi; 4550 Hanoi Place, Washington, DC 20521-4550; telephone: :[84; FAX: :[84; consulate(s) general: :Ho Chi Minh City", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$5,600 (2014 est.); $5,400 (2013 est.); $5,200 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "5.5% (2014 est.); 5.4% (2013 est.); 5.2% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$509.5 billion (2014 est.); $482.9 billion (2013 est.); $458.1 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :41.3%; youth dependency ratio: :31.9%; elderly dependency ratio: :9.4%; potential support ratio: :10.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "29.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 32.1% of GDP (2013 est.); 33.2% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :66.3%; government consumption: :6.3%; investment in fixed capital: :23.7%; investment in inventories: :2%; exports of goods and services: :85.1%; imports of goods and services: :-83.4%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "78.1% (2011)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :2,545,616; percentage: :16% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "131.7 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "699.4 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "890 million cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "8.393 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "9.3 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "184,900 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "37,050 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "413,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "112,000 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "4.4 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "188,000 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "349,200 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "45% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "55% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "26.3 million kW (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "2.7 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "1.073 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "104 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "117 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "yellow, five-pointed star on red field; lotus blossom; national colors: red, yellow", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :5.5%; male: :4.6%; female: :6.5% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "1.7% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.16 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.6% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "12% (2011)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "59 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-4.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "23% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "Ho Chi Minh City 7.1 million; HANOI (capital) 3.47 million; Can Tho 1.108 million; Haiphong 1.041 million; Da Nang 926,000; Bien Hoa 807,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Tien quan ca\" (The Song of the Marching Troops); lyrics/music: :Nguyen Van CAO; note: :adopted as the national anthem of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945; it became the national anthem of the unified Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1976; although it consists of two verses, only the first is used as the official anthem", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 93.1% of population; rural: 66.6% of population; total: 75% of population; urban: 6.9% of population; rural: 33.4% of population; total: 25% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 98.2% of population; rural: 93.6% of population; total: 95% of population; urban: 1.8% of population; rural: 6.4% of population; total: 5% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$232.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $198.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$52.39 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $46.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "government controls all broadcast media exercising oversight through the Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC); government-controlled national TV provider, Vietnam Television (VTV), operates a network of 9 channels with several regional broadcasting centers; programming is relayed nationwide via a network of provincial and municipal TV stations; law limits access to satellite TV but many households are able to access foreign programming via home satellite equipment; government-controlled Voice of Vietnam, the national radio broadcaster, broadcasts on 6 channels and is repeated on AM, FM, and shortwave stations throughout Vietnam (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :33% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.95% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$208.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $183.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$63.63 billion (31 December 2008); $50.81 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$25.52 billion (31 December 2008); $27.01 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "9.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 10.37% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "9% (31 December 2012); 15% (31 December 2011)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "6.3% of GDP (2010)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :82.03 cu km/yr (1%/4%/95%); per capita: :965 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "884.1 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$38.2 billion (31 December 2011 est.); $26 billion (31 December 2011); $37 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$7.7 billion (31 December 2009 est.); $5.3 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$93.61 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $82.61 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$187.8 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :11,000 (2013); note - Vietnam's stateless ethnic Chinese Cambodian population dates to the 1970s when thousands of Cambodians fled to Vietnam to escape the Khmer Rouge and were no longer recognized as Cambodian citizens; Vietnamese women who gave up their citizenship to marry foreign men have found themselves stateless after divorcing and returning home to Vietnam; the government addressed this problem in 2009, and Vietnamese women are beginning to reclaim their citizenship", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$35.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $26.29 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$10.54 billion (2014 est.); $9.471 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "45.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 45% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :official data; data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "189,553 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :29.2 years; male: :28.1 years; female: :30.2 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "37.6 (2008); 36.1 (1998)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "12,100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "248,600 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.4% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".vn", "INTERNET_USERS": "23.382 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "134.066 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "10.191 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Pham Quang VINH (since 23 February 2015); chancery: :1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Houston, San Francisco; consulate: :New York", "AREA": "total: :331,210 sq km; land: :310,070 sq km; water: :21,140 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "45,850 sq km (2005)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Southeast Asia", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, as well as China, Laos, and Cambodia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Socialist Republic of Vietnam; conventional short form: :Vietnam; local long form: :Cong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu Nghia Viet Nam; local short form: :Viet Nam; abbreviation: :SRV", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "3.1% (2014 est.); 3.6% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "Communist state", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.85 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :Vietnam is putting considerable effort into modernization and expansion of its telecommunication system; domestic: :all provincial exchanges are digitalized and connected to Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City by fiber-optic cable or microwave radio relay networks; main lines have been increased, and the use of mobile telephones is growing rapidly; international: :country code - 84; a landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3, the C2C, and Thailand-Vietnam-Hong Kong submarine cable systems; the Asia-America Gateway submarine cable system, completed in 2009, provided new access links to Asia and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Buddhist 9.3%, Catholic 6.7%, Hoa Hao 1.5%, Cao Dai 1.1%, Protestant 0.5%, Muslim 0.1%, none 80.8% (1999 census)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :2,632 km; standard gauge: :527 km 1.435-m gauge; narrow gauge: :2,105 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Cam Pha Port, Da Nang, Haiphong, Phu My, Quy Nhon; river port(s): :Ho Chi Minh (Mekong); container port(s) (TEUs): :Haiphong (1,018,794), Saigon New Port (3,071,777)", "POPULATION": "93,421,835 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nguyen Phu TRONG; note: :other parties proscribed", "PIPELINES": "condensate 72 km; condensate/gas 398 km; gas 955 km; oil 128 km; oil/gas/water 33 km; refined products 206 km; water 13 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Vietnam is a densely-populated developing country that has been transitioning from the rigidities of a centrally-planned economy since 1986. Vietnamese authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to economic modernization in recent years. Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization in January 2007, which has promoted more competitive, export-driven industries . Vietnam became an official negotiating partner in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement in 2010. Agriculture's share of economic output has continued to shrink from about 25% in 2000 to 18% in 2014, while industry's share increased from 36% to 38% in the same period. State-owned enterprises account for about 40% of GDP. Poverty has declined significantly, and Vietnam is working to create jobs to meet the challenge of a labor force that is growing by more than one million people every year. The global recession hurt Vietnam's export-oriented economy, with GDP in 2014 growing at 5.4%, one of the slower growth rates since 1999. Exports have grown strongly in 2013-14; several administrative actions brought the trade deficit back into balance. Between 2008 and 2011, Vietnam's managed currency, the dong, was devalued in excess of 20%, but its value has remained relatively stable since then. Hanoi has oscillated between promoting growth and emphasizing macroeconomic stability in recent years. In February 2011, the government shifted from policies aimed at achieving a high rate of economic growth, which had stoked inflation, to those aimed at stabilizing the economy, through tighter monetary and fiscal control. Although Vietnam unveiled a broad, \"three pillar\" economic reform program in early 2012, proposing the restructuring of public investment, state-owned enterprises, and the banking sector, Hanoi�s progress in meeting its goals is lagging behind its proposed schedule. Vietnam's economy continues to face challenges from an undercapitalized banking sector and non-performing loans weigh heavily on banks and businesses. Vietnam is a member of the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement negotiations.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "8406 Bloc; Democratic Party of Vietnam or DPV; People's Democratic Party Vietnam or PDP-VN; Alliance for Democracy; note: :these groups advocate democracy but are not recognized by the government", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across at its narrowest point", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "phosphates, coal, manganese, rare earth elements, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, timber, hydropower, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Vietnamese (singular and plural); adjective: :Vietnamese", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 2 September (1945)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :579; by type: :barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 142, cargo 335, chemical tanker 23, container 19, liquefied gas 7, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 48, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1; registered in other countries: :86 (Cambodia 1, Kiribati 2, Mongolia 33, Panama 43, Taiwan 1, Tuvalu 6) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, CICA, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :25,649,738; females age 16-49: :24,995,692 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :93.5%; male: :95.8%; female: :91.4% (2009 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :72.91 years; male: :70.44 years; female: :75.65 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Quoc Hoi (500 seats; members directly elected by absolute majority vote with a second round if needed; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 22 May 2011 (next to be held in May 2016); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPV 458, non-party CPV-approved 38, self-nominated 4; note - 500 candidates were elected; the 496 CPV and non-party CPV-approved delegates were members of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front and were vetted prior to the election", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system; note - the civil code of 2005 reflects a European-style civil law", "LANGUAGES": "Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer, mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :20.64%; permanent crops: :12.26%; other: :67.1% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :4,616 km; border countries: :Cambodia 1,158 km, China 1,297 km, Laos 2,161 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "54.07 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme People's Court (consists of the chief justice and 13 judges); judge selection and term of office: :chief justice elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president for a 5-year, renewable term; other judges appointed by the president for 5-year terms; subordinate courts: :Court of Appeals; administrative, civil, criminal, economic, and labor courts; Central Military Court; People's Special Courts; note - the National Assembly can establish special tribunals", "WATERWAYS": "47,130 km (30,831 km weight under 50 tons) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "4.6% (2014 est.); 6.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :18.99 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :19.35 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :18.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building; mining, coal, steel; cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, mobile phones", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "5.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "2 September 1945 (from France)", "IMPORTS": "$138.6 billion (2014 est.); $123.4 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :206,633 km; paved: :148,338 km; unpaved: :47,130 km (2013)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "red field with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center; red symbolizes revolution and blood, the five-pointed star represents the five elements of the populace - peasants, workers, intellectuals, traders, and soldiers - that unite to build socialism", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$68.05 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $61.85 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$147 billion (2014 est.); $132.1 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Truong Tan SANG; Vice President Nguyen Thi DOAN (both since 25 July 2007); head of government: :Prime Minister Nguyen Tan DUNG (since 27 June 2006); Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc DAM (since 13 November 2013), Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung HAI (since 2 August 2007), Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh MINH (since 13 November 2013), Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van NINH (since 3 August 2011), and Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan PHUC (since 3 August 2011); cabinet: :Cabinet proposed by the prime minister,appointed by the president, and confirmed by National Assembly; elections: :president elected by the National Assembly from among its members for five-year term; last election held 25 July 2011 (next to be held in July 2016); prime minister appointed by the president from among members of the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by the prime minister; appointment of prime minister and deputy prime ministers confirmed by National Assembly; election results: :Truong Tan SANG elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 97%; Nguyen Tan DUNG elected prime minister; percent of National Assembly vote - 94%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "dong (VND) per US dollar -; 21,149 (2014 est.); 21,017 (2013 est.); 20,859 (2012 est.); 20,649 (2011 est.); 18,612.92 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Kinh (Viet) 85.7%, Tay 1.9%, Thai 1.8%, Muong 1.5%, Khmer 1.5%, Mong 1.2%, Nung 1.1%, others 5.3% (1999 census)", "DEATH_RATE": "5.93 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted 15 April 1992, effective 1 January 1995; amended 2001, 2013 (2014)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 32%, South Korea 13.9%, Singapore 7.2%, Japan 6.9%, Hong Kong 5%, Thailand 4.6% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "3,444 km (excludes islands)", "CLIMATE": "tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (May to September) and warm, dry season (October to March)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, petroleum products, steel products, raw materials for the clothing and shoe industries, electronics, plastics, automobiles", "CAPITAL": "name: :Hanoi (Ha Noi); geographic coordinates: :21 02 N, 105 51 E; time difference: :UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$43.2 billion; expenditures: :$51.91 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "People's Armed Forces: People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN; includes Vietnam People's Navy (with Naval Infantry), Vietnam People's Air and Air Defense Force, Border Defense Command, Coast Guard) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "16.26 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "45 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "rice, coffee, rubber, tea, pepper, soybeans, cashews, sugar cane, peanuts, bananas; poultry; fish, seafood", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "58 provinces (tinh, singular and plural) and 5 municipalities (thanh pho, singular and plural); provinces: :An Giang, Bac Giang, Bac Kan, Bac Lieu, Bac Ninh, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ben Tre, Binh Dinh, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Binh Thuan, Ca Mau, Cao Bang, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Dien Bien, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Ha Nam, Ha Tinh, Hai Duong, Hau Giang, Hoa Binh, Hung Yen, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lai Chau, Lam Dong, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Long An, Nam Dinh, Nghe An, Ninh Binh, Ninh Thuan, Phu Tho, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Soc Trang, Son La, Tay Ninh, Thai Binh, Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien-Hue, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, Tuyen Quang, Vinh Long, Vinh Phuc, Yen Bai; municipalities: :Can Tho, Da Nang, Ha Noi, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 17.6%, China 11.8%, Japan 9.9%, South Korea 5%, Germany 4.4%, Malaysia 4.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "clothes, shoes, electronics, seafood, crude oil, rice, coffee, wooden products, machinery", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :48%; industry: :21%; services: :31% (2012)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.2%; highest 10%: :30.2% (2008)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "11.3% (2012 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "2.37% of GDP (2012); 2.17% of GDP (2011); 2.37% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "logging and slash-and-burn agricultural practices contribute to deforestation and soil degradation; water pollution and overfishing threaten marine life populations; groundwater contamination limits potable water supply; growing urban industrialization and population migration are rapidly degrading environment in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :7; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :3; 3 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :38; over 3,047 m: :10; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :6; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :13; 914 to 1,523 m: :9 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887. Vietnam declared independence after World War II, but France continued to rule until its 1954 defeat by communist forces under Ho Chi MINH. Under the Geneva Accords of 1954, Vietnam was divided into the communist North and anti-communist South. US economic and military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later, North Vietnamese forces overran the South reuniting the country under communist rule. Despite the return of peace, for over a decade the country experienced little economic growth because of conservative leadership policies, the persecution and mass exodus of individuals - many of them successful South Vietnamese merchants - and growing international isolation. However, since the enactment of Vietnam's \"doi moi\" (renovation) policy in 1986, Vietnamese authorities have committed to increased economic liberalization and enacted structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries. The communist leaders, however, maintain control on political expression and have resisted outside calls to improve human rights. The country continues to experience small-scale protests from various groups - the vast majority connected to land-use issues, calls for increased political space, and the lack of equitable mechanisms for resolving disputes. Various ethnic minorities, such as the Montagnards of the Central Highlands and the Khmer Krom in the southern delta region, have also held protests.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :847,743; female: :787,341 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :20,405,847; females age 16-49: :21,098,102 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-25 years of age for male compulsory and voluntary military service; females may volunteer for active duty military service; conscription typically takes place twice annually and service obligation is 18 months (Army, Air Defense), 2 years (Navy and Air Force); 18-45 years of age (male) or 18-40 years of age (female) for Militia Force or Self Defense Force service; males may enroll in military schools at age 17 (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than New Mexico", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding, especially in the Mekong River delta", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :South China Sea 0 m; highest point: :Fan Si Pan 3,144 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.12 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.11 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.62 male(s)/female; total population: :1 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "67 (includes 61 relay, provincial, and city TV stations) (2006)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 65, FM 7, shortwave 29 (1999)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :17.9%; industry: :38.1%; services: :44% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "16 10 N, 107 50 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :24.3% (male 11,946,656/female 10,800,602); 15-24 years: :17.8% (male 8,598,360/female 8,023,377); 25-54 years: :44.8% (male 20,983,638/female 20,861,243); 55-64 years: :7.4% (male 3,149,494/female 3,763,309); 65 years and over: :5.7% (male 2,034,721/female 3,260,435) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Wake Island", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "there are no commercial or civilian flights to and from Wake Island, except in direct support of island missions; emergency landing is available", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "unorganized, unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Department of the Interior; activities in the atoll are currently conducted by the US Air Force", "AFFILIATION": "(territory of the US)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "American Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) provides satellite radio/TV broadcasts (2009)", "AREA": "total: :6.5 sq km; land: :6.5 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "0 sq km (2011)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to the Northern Mariana Islands", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Wake Island", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the US; the US Air Force is responsible for overall administration and operation of the island facilities; the launch support facility is administered by the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA)", "TERRAIN": "atoll of three low coral islands, Peale, Wake, and Wilkes, built up on an underwater volcano; central lagoon is former crater, islands are part of the rim", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :satellite communications; 2 Defense Switched Network circuits off the Overseas Telephone System (OTS); located in the Hawaii area code - 808", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "none; two offshore anchorages for large ships", "POPULATION": "no indigenous inhabitants; note: :approximately 150 military personnel and civilian contractors maintain and operate the airfield and communications facilities (2009)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Economic activity is limited to providing services to military personnel and contractors located on the island. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; emergency landing location for transpacific flights", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "none", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "US common law", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (2014 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "the flag of the US is used", "COASTLINE": "19.3 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The US annexed Wake Island in 1899 for a cable station. An important air and naval base was constructed in 1940-41. In December 1941, the island was captured by the Japanese and held until the end of World War II. In subsequent years, Wake became a stopover and refueling site for military and commercial aircraft transiting the Pacific. Since 1974, the island's airstrip has been used by the US military, as well as for emergency landings. Operations on the island were suspended and all personnel evacuated in 2006 with the approach of super typhoon IOKE (category 5), but resultant damage was comparatively minor. A US Air Force repair team restored full capability to the airfield and facilities, and the island remains a vital strategic link in the Pacific region.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "occasional typhoons", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :unnamed location 6 m", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "0 (2005)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 0, FM 0, shortwave 0 (American Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS)) provides satellite radio service (2005)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "19 17 N, 166 39 E" }, { "country": "World", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reports that 2013 saw a dramatic 40% decrease in global pirate activities reaching the lowest levels in six years; in 2013, pirates attacked a total of 264 ships world-wide including hijacking 12 ships, capturing more than 300 seafarers, and killing one; the Horn of Africa saw the biggest drop in pirate activities with only 15 incidents in 2013 compared with 75 in 2012 and 237 in 2011; the decrease in successful pirate attacks off the Horn of Africa is due, in part, to more aggressive anti-piracy operations by international naval forces, the hardening of vessels, and the increased use of armed security teams aboard merchant ships; attacks in the Straits of Malacca and South China Sea accounted for 50% of ships boarded in 2013; West African piracy is a growing threat accounting for 19% of all attacks in 2013; Nigerian pirates are very aggressive, operating as far as 175 nm offshore and linked with at least five of the seven hijackings that occurred in this area; attacks in South Asian waters remain at low levels although incidents off India have increased each year since 2010 reaching 14 in 2013; as of September 2014, there were 163 attacks worldwide with 17 hijackings most in the Straits of Malacca/South China Sea region and West African waters", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$16,100 (2014 est.); $15,800 (2013 est.); $15,500 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.3% (2014 est.); 3.2% (2013 est.); 3.1% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.064%; note: :this rate results in about 145 net additions to the worldwide population every minute or 2.4 every second (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$107.5 trillion (2014 est.); $104.1 trillion (2013 est.); $100.9 trillion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :52%; youth dependency ratio: :39.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :12.3%; potential support ratio: :8.1% (2014 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :62%; government consumption: :18.5%; investment in fixed capital: :19.4%; investment in inventories: :0.5%; exports of goods and services: :29.3%; imports of goods and services: :-29.7%; (2011 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "34.17 billion Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "196.3 trillion cu m (1 January 2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "1.402 trillion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "1.161 trillion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "3.409 trillion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "3.495 trillion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "23.35 million bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "25.01 million bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "90.52 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "83.88 million bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "1.642 trillion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "45.41 million bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "44.06 million bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "85.9 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "7.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "7.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "18.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "67.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "5.489 billion kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "678.1 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "642.5 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "20.15 trillion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "21.92 trillion kWh (2011 est.)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.9 beds/1,000 population (2005)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "28.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "all members of the UN are parties to the statute that established the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or World Court; 59 countries have accepted jurisdiction of the ICJ as compulsory with reservations and 11 countries have accepted ICJ jurisdiction as compulsory without reservations; states parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICCt) are those countries that have ratified or acceded to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the Court; a total of 122 (effective 6 October 2014) countries have accepted jurisdiction of the ICCt (see Appendix B for a clarification on the differing mandates of the ICJ and ICCt)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 79.6% of population; rural: 47.2% of population; total: 64.2% of population; urban: 20.4% of population; rural: 52.8% of population; total: 35.8% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 96.4% of population; rural: 81.4% of population; total: 89.4% of population; urban: 3.6% of population; rural: 18.4% of population; total: 10.6% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$82.84 trillion (31 December 2013 est.); $79.31 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$27.49 trillion (31 December 2013 est.); $26.67 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :53.6% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.05% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.); ten largest urban agglomerations: :Tokyo (Japan) - 37,217,000; Delhi (India) - 22,654,000; Mexico City (Mexico) - 20,446,000; New York-Newark (US) - 20,352,000; Shanghai (China) - 20,208,000; Sao Paulo (Brazil) - 19,924,000; Mumbai (India) - 19,744,000; Beijing (China) - 15,594,000; Dhaka (Bangladesh) - 15,391,000; Kolkata (India) - 14,402,000 (2011)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$87.9 trillion (31 December 2013 est.); $86.03 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$27.31 trillion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$12.35 trillion (31 December 2007)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :12 years; male: :12 years; female: :12 years (2012)", "GEOGRAPHIC_OVERVIEW": "The surface of the earth is approximately 70.9% water and 29.1% land. The former portion is divided into large water bodies termed oceans. The World Factbook recognizes and describes five oceans, which are in decreasing order of size: the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean.; The land portion is generally divided into several, large, discrete landmasses termed continents. Depending on the convention used, the number of continents can vary from five to seven. The most common classification recognizes seven, which are (from largest to smallest): Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia. Asia and Europe are sometimes lumped together into a Eurasian continent resulting in six continents. Alternatively, North and South America are sometimes grouped as simply the Americas, resulting in a continent total of six (or five, if the Eurasia designation is used).; North America is commonly understood to include the island of Greenland, the isles of the Caribbean, and to extend south all the way to the Isthmus of Panama. The easternmost extent of Europe is generally defined as being the Ural Mountains and the Ural River; on the southeast the Caspian Sea; and on the south the Caucasus Mountains, the Black Sea, and the Mediterranean. Portions of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkey fall within both Europe and Asia, but in every instance the larger section is in Asia. These countries are considered part of both continents. Armenia and Cyprus, which lie completely in Western Asia, are geopolitically European countries.; Asia usually incorporates all the islands of the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The islands of the Pacific are often lumped with Australia into a \"land mass\" termed Oceania or Australasia. Africa's northeast extremity is frequently delimited at the Isthmus of Suez, but for geopolitical purposes, the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula is often included as part of Africa.; Although the above groupings are the most common, different continental dispositions are recognized or taught in certain parts of the world, with some arrangements more heavily based on cultural spheres rather than physical geographic considerations.", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "53,789.29 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$60.35 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); $52.43 trillion (31 December 2011); $53.69 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$27.36 trillion (31 December 2013 est.); $25.71 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$26.34 trillion (31 December 2013 est.); $24.52 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :the International Labour Organization conservatively estimated that 20.9 million people in 2012 were victims of forced labor, representing the full range of human trafficking (also referred to as �modern-day slavery�) for labor and sexual exploitation; about one-third of reported cases involved crossing international borders, which is often associated with sexual exploitation; trafficking in persons is most prevalent in southeastern Europe, Eurasia, and Africa and least frequent in EU member states, Canada, the US, and other developed countries (2012); Tier 2 Watch List: :countries that do not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but are making significant efforts to do so; (44 countries) Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belarus, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, China, Comoros, Cyprus, Djibouti, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali, Marshall Islands, Morocco, Namibia, Pakistan, Panama, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uruguay; Tier 3: :countries that neither satisfy the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking nor demonstrate a significant effort to do so; (23 countries) Algeria, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, North Korea, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Mauritania, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Yemen, Zimbabwe (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "GWP (gross world product): $78.22 trillion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated that as of the end of 2012 there were 45.2 million people forcibly displaced worldwide; this includes 15.4 million refugees, 937,000 asylum seekers, and 28.8 million conflict IDPs (another 32.4 million IDPs were displaced by natural disasters); the UNHCR estimates there are currently 10-12 million stateless persons (2012)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "59.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 59.7% of GDP (2013 est.)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :29.7 years; male: :28.9 years; female: :30.4 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "38.1 (2008 est.); 37.3 (1999 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "1.6 million (2012 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "35.3 million (2012 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.8% (2012 est.)", "INTERNET_USERS": "2.925 billion; top ten countries by Internet usage (in millions): :China 641.6; United States 279.83; India 243.2; Japan 109.25; Brazil 107.82; Russia 84.44; Germany 71.73; Nigeria 67.1; United Kingdom 57.08; France 55.43 (July 2014 est.)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "6.915 billion (2014 est.)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "1.147 billion (2014 est.)", "AREA": "total: :510.072 million sq km; land: :148.94 million sq km; water: :361.132 million sq km; note: :70.9% of the world's surface is water, 29.1% is land", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "3,096,621.45 sq km (2011 est.)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Physical Map of the World", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "8.3% (2014 est.); 7.7% (2013 est.); note: :30% combined unemployment and underemployment in many non-industrialized countries; developed countries typically 4%-12% unemployment (2007 est.)", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.43 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "the greatest ocean depth is the Mariana Trench at 10,924 m in the Pacific Ocean", "RELIGIONS": "Christian 33.39% (of which Roman Catholic 16.85%, Protestant 6.15%, Orthodox 3.96%, Anglican 1.26%), Muslim 22.74%, Hindu 13.8%, Buddhist 6.77%, Sikh 0.35%, Jewish 0.22%, Baha'i 0.11%, other religions 10.95%, non-religious 9.66%, atheists 2.01% (2010 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :1,148,186 km (2013)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "top ten container ports as measured by Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) throughput: :Shanghai (China) - 32,528,200; Singapore (Singapore) - 31,649,400; Hong Kong (China) - 23,118,000; Shenzhen (China) - 22,959,800; Busan (South Korea) - 17,022,969; Ningbo (China) - 16,782,700; Qingdao (China) - 14,609,470; Guangzhou (China) - 14,514,200; Dubai (UAE) - 13,280,000; - Tianjin (China) - 12,298,300 (2012)", "POPULATION": "7,174,611,584 (July 2014 est.); top ten most populous countries (in millions): :China 1,355.69; India 1,236.34; United States 318.89; Indonesia 253.61; Brazil 202.66; Pakistan 196.17; Nigeria 177.16; Bangladesh 166.28; Russia 142.47; Japan 127.10", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The international financial crisis of 2008-09 led to the first downturn in global output since 1946 and presented the world with a major new challenge: determining what mix of fiscal and monetary policies to follow to restore growth and jobs, while keeping inflation and debt under control. Financial stabilization and stimulus programs that started in 2009-11, combined with lower tax revenues in 2009-10, required most countries to run large budget deficits. Treasuries issued new public debt - totaling $9.1 trillion since 2008 - to pay for the additional expenditures. To keep interest rates low, most central banks monetized that debt, injecting large sums of money into their economies - between December 2008 and December 2013 the global money supply increased by more than 35%. Governments are now faced with the difficult task of spurring current growth and employment without saddling their economies with so much debt that they sacrifice long-term growth and financial stability. And when economic activity picks up, central banks will confront the difficult task of containing inflation without raising interest rates so high they snuff out further growth.; Fiscal and monetary data for 2013 are currently available for 180 countries, which together account for 98.5% of World GDP. Of the 180 countries, 82 pursued unequivocally expansionary policies, boosting government spending while also expanding their money supply relatively rapidly - faster than the world average of 3.1%; 28 followed restrictive fiscal and monetary policies, reducing government spending and holding money growth to less than the 3.1% average; and the remaining 70 followed a mix of counterbalancing fiscal and monetary policies, either reducing government spending while accelerating money growth, or boosting spending while curtailing money growth.; /a>); In 2013, for many countries the drive for fiscal austerity that began in 2011 abated. While 5 out of 6 countries slowed spending in 2012, only 1 in 2 countries slowed spending in 2013. About 1 in 3 countries actually lowered the level of their expenditures. The global growth rate for government expenditures increased from 1.6% in 2012 to 5.1% in 2013, after falling from a 10.1% growth rate in 2011. On the other hand, nearly 2 out of 3 central banks tightened monetary policy in 2013, decelerating the rate of growth of their money supply, compared with only 1 out of 3 in 2012. Roughly 1 of 4 banks actually withdrew money from circulation, an increase from 1 out of 7 in 2012. Growth of the global money supply, as measured by the narrowly defined M1, slowed from 8.7% in 2009 and 10.4% in 2010 to 5.2% in 2011, 4.6% in 2012, and 3.1% in 2013. Several notable shifts occurred in 2013. By cutting government expenditures and expanding money supplies, the US and Canada moved against the trend in the rest of the world. France reversed course completely. Rather than reducing expenditures and money as it had in 2012, it expanded both. Germany reversed its fiscal policy, sharply expanding federal spending, while continuing to grow the money supply. South Korea shifted monetary policy into high gear, while maintaining a strongly expansionary fiscal policy. Japan, however, continued to pursue austere fiscal and monetary policies.; Austere economic policies have significantly affected economic performance. The global budget deficit narrowed to roughly $2.7 trillion in 2012 and $2.1 trillion in 2013, or 3.8% and 2.5% of World GDP, respectively. But growth of the world economy slipped from 5.1% in 2010 and 3.7% in 2011, to just 3.1% in 2012, and 2.9% in 2013.; Countries with expansionary fiscal and monetary policies achieved significantly higher rates of growth, higher growth of tax revenues, and greater success reducing the public debt burden than those countries that chose contractionary policies. In 2013, the 82 countries that followed a pro-growth approach achieved a median GDP growth rate of 4.7%, compared to 1.7% for the 28 countries with restrictive fiscal and monetary policies, a difference of 3 percentage points. Among the 82, China grew 7.7%, Philippines 6.8%, Malaysia 4.7%, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia 3.6%, Argentina 3.5%, South Korea 2.8%, and Russia 1.3%, while among the 28, Brazil grew 2.3%, Japan 2.0%, South Africa 2.0%, Netherlands -0.8%, Croatia -1.0%, Iran -1.5%, Portugal -1.8%, Greece -3.8%, and Cyprus -8.7%.; Faster GDP growth and lower unemployment rates translated into increased tax revenues and a less cumbersome debt burden. Revenues for the 82 expansionary countries grew at a median rate of 10.7%, whereas tax revenues fell at a median rate of 6.8% for the 28 countries that chose austere economic policies. Budget balances improved for about three-quarters of the 22, but, for most, debt grew faster than GDP, and the median level of their public debt as a share of GDP increased 9.1 percentage points, to 59.2%. On the other hand, budget balances deteriorated for most of the 82 pro-growth countries, but GDP growth outpaced increases in debt, and the median level of public debt as a share of GDP increased just 1.9%, to 39.8%.; The world recession has suppressed inflation rates - world inflation declined 1.0 percentage point in 2012 to about 4.1% and 0.2 percentage point to 3.9% in 2013. In 2013 the median inflation rate for the 82 pro-growth countries was 1.3 percentage points higher than that for the countries that followed more austere fiscal and monetary policies. Overall, the latter countries also improved their current account balances by shedding imports; as a result, current account balances deteriorated for most of the countries that pursued pro-growth policies. Slow growth of world income continued to hold import demand in check and crude oil prices fell. Consequently, the dollar value of world trade grew just 1.3% in 2013.; Beyond the current global slowdown, the world faces several long-standing economic challenges. The addition of 80 million people each year to an already overcrowded globe is exacerbating the problems of pollution, waste-disposal, epidemics, water-shortages, famine, over-fishing of oceans, deforestation, desertification, and depletion of non-renewable resources. The nation-state, as a bedrock economic-political institution, is steadily losing control over international flows of people, goods, services, funds, and technology. The introduction of the euro as the common currency of much of Western Europe in January 1999, while paving the way for an integrated economic powerhouse, has created economic risks because the participating nations have varying income levels and growth rates, and hence, require a different mix of monetary and fiscal policies. Governments, especially in Western Europe, face the difficult political problem of channeling resources away from welfare programs in order to increase investment and strengthen incentives to seek employment. Because of their own internal problems and priorities, the industrialized countries are unable to devote sufficient resources to deal effectively with the poorer areas of the world, which, at least from an economic point of view, are becoming further marginalized. The terrorist attacks on the US on 11 September 2001 accentuated a growing risk to global prosperity - the diversion of resources away from capital investments to counter-terrorist programs.; Despite these vexing problems, the world economy also shows great promise. Technology has made possible further advances in a wide range of fields, from agriculture, to medicine, alternative energy, metallurgy, and transportation. Improved global communications have greatly reduced the costs of international trade, helping the world gain from the international division of labor, raise living standards, and reduce income disparities among nations. Much of the resilience of the world economy in the aftermath of the financial crisis resulted from government and central bank leaders around the globe working in concert to stem the financial onslaught, knowing well the lessons of past economic failures.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the world is now thought to be about 4.55 billion years old, just about one-third of the 13.8-billion-year age estimated for the universe", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "the rapid depletion of nonrenewable mineral resources, the depletion of forest areas and wetlands, the extinction of animal and plant species, and the deterioration in air and water quality (especially in some countries of Eastern Europe, the former USSR, and China) pose serious long-term problems that governments and peoples are only beginning to address", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "a variety of situations exist, but in general, most countries make the following claims measured from the mean low-tide baseline as described in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea: territorial sea - 12 nm, contiguous zone - 24 nm, and exclusive economic zone - 200 nm; additional zones provide for exploitation of continental shelf resources and an exclusive fishing zone; boundary situations with neighboring states prevent many countries from extending their fishing or economic zones to a full 200 nm", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :84.3%; male: :88.6%; female: :80.2% (2012 est.); note: :more than two thirds of the world's 774 million illiterate adults are found in only ten countries (in descending order: India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Brazil, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo); of all the illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds are women; extremely low literacy rates are concentrated in South and West Asia and sub-Saharan Africa (2011)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :68.35 years; male: :66.39 years; female: :70.43 years (2014 est.)", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "the legal systems of nearly all countries are generally modeled upon elements of five main types: civil law (including French law, the Napoleonic Code, Roman law, Roman-Dutch law, and Spanish law); common law (including United States law); customary law; mixed or pluralistic law; and religious law (including Islamic law); an additional type of legal system - international law - governs the conduct of independent nations in their relationships with one another", "LANGUAGES": "Mandarin Chinese 11.82%, Spanish 5.77%, English 4.67%, Hindi 3.62%, Arabic 3.3%, Portuguese 2.83%, Bengali 2.69%, Russian 2.33%, Japanese 1.7%, Javanese 1.15%, Standard German 1.09% (2014 est.); note 1: :percents are for \"first language\" speakers only; the six UN languages - Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, Russian, and Spanish (Castilian) - are the mother tongue or second language of about half of the world's population, and are the official languages in more than half the states in the world; some 150 to 200 languages have more than a million speakers; note 3: :approximately 2,300 languages are spoken in Asia, 2,140, in Africa, 1,300 in the Pacific, 1,060 in the Americas, and 280 in Europe (2015)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :10.73%; permanent crops: :1.26%; other: :88.01% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "the land boundaries in the world total 251,060 km (not counting shared boundaries twice); two nations, China and Russia, each border 14 other countries; note: :46 nations and other areas are landlocked, these include: Afghanistan, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Holy See (Vatican City), Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malawi, Mali, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, Paraguay, Rwanda, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, South Sudan, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, West Bank, Zambia, Zimbabwe; two of these, Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan, are doubly landlocked", "LABOR_FORCE": "3.37 billion (2014 est.)", "WATERWAYS": "2,293,412 km; top ten longest rivers: :Nile (Africa) 6,693 km; Amazon (South America) 6,436 km; Mississippi-Missouri (North America) 6,238 km; Yenisey-Angara (Asia) 5,981 km; Ob-Irtysh (Asia) 5,569 km; Yangtze (Asia) 5,525 km; Yellow (Asia) 4,671 km; Amur (Asia) 4,352 km; Lena (Asia) 4,345 km; Congo (Africa) 4,344 km; note: :rivers are not necessarily navigable along the entire length; if measured by volume, the Amazon is the largest river in the world; top ten largest natural lakes (by surface area): :Caspian Sea (Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan) 372,960 sq km; Lake Superior (Canada, United States) 82,414 sq km; Lake Victoria (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda) 69,490 sq km; Lake Huron (Canada, United States) 59,596 sq km; Lake Michigan (United States) 57,441 sq km; Lake Tanganyika (Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Zambia) 32,890 sq km; Great Bear Lake (Canada) 31,800 sq km; Lake Baikal (Russia) 31,494 sq km; Lake Nyasa (Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania) 30,044 sq km; Great Slave Lake (Canada) 28,400 sq km; note: :the areas of the lakes are subject to seasonal variation; only the Caspian Sea is saline, the rest are fresh water (2013)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "world average 4.2% (2014 est.); developed countries 1.4% (2012 est.); developing countries 5.7% (2014 est.); note: :the above estimates are weighted averages; inflation in developed countries is 0% to 4% typically, in developing countries, 5% to 10% typically; national inflation rates vary widely in individual cases; inflation rates have declined for most countries for the last several years, held in check by increasing international competition from several low wage countries and by soft demand due to the world financial crisis (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :36.58 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :38.49 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :34.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "dominated by the onrush of technology, especially in computers, robotics, telecommunications, and medicines and medical equipment; most of these advances take place in OECD nations; only a small portion of non-OECD countries have succeeded in rapidly adjusting to these technological forces; the accelerated development of new technologies is complicating already grim environmental problems", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.5% (2013 est.)", "IMPORTS": "$18.72 trillion (2014 est.); $18.28 trillion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :64,285,009 km (2013)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "note: :the flags of 13 nations: Austria, Botswana, Jamaica, Japan, Laos, Latvia, Macedonia, Micronesia, Nigeria, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Kingdom have no top or bottom and may be flown inverted (upside down) without any notice being taken", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$71.42 trillion (31 December 2013 est.); $68.64 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); note: :this figure is the sum total of all countries' external debt, both public and private", "EXPORTS": "$19.09 trillion (2014 est.); $18.79 trillion (2013 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "7.89 deaths/1,000 population; note: :this rate results in about 108 worldwide deaths per minute or 1.8 deaths every second (2014 est.)", "COASTLINE": "356,000 km; note: :95 nations and other entities are islands that border no other countries, they include: American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Baker Island, Barbados, Bermuda, Bouvet Island, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cabo Verde, Cayman Islands, Christmas Island, Clipperton Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Comoros, Cook Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Cuba, Curacao, Cyprus, Dominica, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), Faroe Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Greenland, Grenada, Guam, Guernsey, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Howland Island, Iceland, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jan Mayen, Japan, Jarvis Island, Jersey, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Kiribati, Madagascar, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mayotte, Federated States of Micronesia, Midway Islands, Montserrat, Nauru, Navassa Island, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Palmyra Atoll, Paracel Islands, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Singapore, Sint Maarten, Solomon Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Spratly Islands, Sri Lanka, Svalbard, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Virgin Islands, Wake Island, Wallis and Futuna, Taiwan", "CLIMATE": "a wide equatorial band of hot and humid tropical climates - bordered north and south by subtropical temperate zones - that separate two large areas of cold and dry polar climates", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services; top ten - share of world trade: :see listing for exports", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$22.21 trillion; expenditures: :$24.28 trillion (2013 est.)", "BIRTH_RATE": "18.7 births/1,000 population; note: :this rate results in about 255 worldwide births per minute or 4.3 births every second (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "total airports - 41,821 (2013); top ten by passengers: :Atlanta (ATL) - 95,672,104; Beijing (PEK) - 81,908,740; London (LHR) - 70,051,902; Tokyo (HND) - 67,824,747; Chicago (ORD) - 67,124,607; Los Angeles (LAX) - 63,849,335; Paris (CDG) - 61,478,475; Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) - 58,887,570; Dubai (DXB) - 58,392,171; Jakarta (CGK) - 57,839,056 (2013); top ten by cargo (metric tons): :Hong Kong (HKG) - 4,120,348; Memphis (MEM) - 4,053,865; Shanghai (PVG) - 2,969,554; Anchorage (ANC) - 2,470,147; Incheon (ICN) - 2,461,229; Dubai (DXB) - 2,294,614; Louisville (SDF) - 2,186,937; Frankfurt (FRA) - 2,067,698; Tokyo (NRT) - 2,014,500; Paris (CDG) - 1,940,850 (2013)", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "195 countries, 72 dependent areas and other entities", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services; top ten - share of world trade: :electrical machinery, including computers 14.8%; mineral fuels, including oil, coal, gas, and refined products 14.4%; nuclear reactors, boilers, and parts 14.2%; cars, trucks, and buses 8.9%; scientific and precision instruments 3.5%; plastics 3.4%; iron and steel 2.7%; organic chemicals 2.6%; pharmaceutical products 2.6%; diamonds, pearls, and precious stones 1.9% (2007 est.)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :34.7%; industry: :22.4%; services: :42.9% (2009)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.8%; highest 10%: :28.2% (2007.75 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "2.42% of GDP (2012); 2.51% of GDP (2011); 2.42% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "large areas subject to overpopulation, industrial disasters, pollution (air, water, acid rain, toxic substances), loss of vegetation (overgrazing, deforestation, desertification), loss of wildlife, soil degradation, soil depletion, erosion; global warming becoming a greater concern", "BACKGROUND": "Globally, the 20th century was marked by: (a) two devastating world wars; (b) the Great Depression of the 1930s; (c) the end of vast colonial empires; (d) rapid advances in science and technology, from the first airplane flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina (US) to the landing on the moon; (e) the Cold War between the Western alliance and the Warsaw Pact nations; (f) a sharp rise in living standards in North America, Europe, and Japan; (g) increased concerns about environmental degradation including deforestation, energy and water shortages, declining biological diversity, and air pollution; (h) the onset of the AIDS epidemic; and (i) the ultimate emergence of the US as the only world superpower. The planet's population continues to explode: from 1 billion in 1820 to 2 billion in 1930, 3 billion in 1960, 4 billion in 1974, 5 billion in 1987, 6 billion in 1999, and 7 billion in 2012. For the 21st century, the continued exponential growth in science and technology raises both hopes (e.g., advances in medicine and agriculture) and fears (e.g., development of even more lethal weapons of war).", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "land area about 16 times the size of the US; top fifteen World Factbook entities ranked by size: :Pacific Ocean 155.557 million sq km; Atlantic Ocean 76.762 million sq km; Indian Ocean 68.556 million sq km; Southern Ocean 20.327 million sq km; Russia 17,098,242 sq km; Arctic Ocean 14.056 million sq km; Antarctica 14 million sq km; Canada 9,984,670 sq km; United States 9,826,675 sq km; China 9,596,961 sq km; Brazil 8,514,877 sq km; Australia 7,741,220 sq km; European Union 4,324,782 sq km; India 3,287,263 sq km; Argentina 2,780,400 sq km; top ten largest water bodies: :Pacific Ocean 155.557 million sq km; Atlantic Ocean 76.762 million sq km; Indian Ocean 68.556 million sq km; Southern Ocean 20.327 million sq km; Arctic Ocean 14.056 million sq km; Coral Sea 4,184,100 sq km; South China Sea 3,595,900 sq km; Caribbean Sea 2.834 million sq km; Bering Sea 2.52 million sq km; Mediterranean Sea 2.469 million sq km; top ten largest landmasses: :Asia 44,568,500 sq km; Africa 30.065 million sq km; North America 24.473 million sq km; South America 17.819 million sq km; Antarctica 14 million sq km; Europe 9.948 million sq km; Australia 7,741,220 sq km; Greenland 2,166,086 sq km; New Guinea 785,753 sq km; Borneo 751,929 sq km; top ten largest islands: :Greenland 2,166,086 sq km; New Guinea (Indonesia, Papua New Guinea) 785,753 sq km; Borneo (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia) 751,929 sq km; Madagascar 587,713 sq km; Baffin Island (Canada) 507,451 sq km; Sumatra (Indonesia) 472,784 sq km; Honshu (Japan) 227,963 sq km; Victoria Island (Canada) 217,291 sq km; Great Britain (United Kingdom) 209,331 sq km; Ellesmere Island (Canada) 196,236 sq km", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "large areas subject to severe weather (tropical cyclones); natural disasters (earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions); volcanism: :volcanism is a fundamental driver and consequence of plate tectonics, the physical process reshaping the Earth's lithosphere; the world is home to more than 1,500 potentially active volcanoes, with over 500 of these having erupted in historical times; an estimated 500 million people live near these volcanoes; associated dangers include lava flows, lahars (mudflows), pyroclastic flows, ash clouds, ash fall, ballistic projectiles, gas emissions, landslides, earthquakes, and tsunamis; in the 1990s, the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, created a list of 16 Decade Volcanoes worthy of special study because of their great potential for destruction: Avachinsky-Koryaksky (Russia), Colima (Mexico), Etna (Italy), Galeras (Colombia), Mauna Loa (United States), Merapi (Indonesia), Nyiragongo (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Rainier (United States), Sakurajima (Japan), Santa Maria (Guatemala), Santorini (Greece), Taal (Philippines), Teide (Spain), Ulawun (Papua New Guinea), Unzen (Japan), Vesuvius (Italy)", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Bentley Subglacial Trench (Antarctica) -2,555 m; note: :in the oceanic realm, Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench is the lowest point, lying -10,924 m below the surface of the Pacific Ocean; highest point: :Mount Everest 8,850 m; top ten highest mountains (measured from sea level): :Mount Everest (China-Nepal) 8,850 m; K2 (Pakistan) 8,611 m; Kanchenjunga (India-Nepal) 8,598 m; Lhotse (Nepal) 8,516 m; Makalu (China-Nepal) 8,463 m; Cho Oyu (China-Nepal) 8,201 m; Dhaulagiri (Nepal) 8,167 m; Manaslu (Nepal) 8,163 m; Nanga Parbat (Pakistan) 8,125 m; Anapurna (Nepal) 8,091 m; note: :Mauna Kea (United States) is the world's tallest mountain as measured from base to summit; the peak of this volcanic colossus lies on the island of Hawaii, but its base begins more than 70 km offshore and at a depth of about 6,000 m; total height estimates range from 9,966 m to 10,203 m", "HELIPORTS": "6,524 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.07 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.062 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.022 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.955 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.802 male(s)/female; total population: :1.014 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "NA", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :6.1%; industry: :30.5%; services: :63.5% (2014 est.)", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :25.79% (male 956,360,171/female 893,629,520); 15-24 years: :16.61% (male 613,806,639/female 577,904,561); 25-54 years: :40.78% (male 1,478,739,525/female 1,447,244,791); 55-64 years: :8.51% (male 298,092,946/female 312,206,795); 65 years and over: :8.32% (male 265,453,689/female 331,172,947) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Yemen", "TRANSPORTATION___NOTE": "the International Maritime Bureau reports offshore waters in the Gulf of Aden are high risk for piracy; numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crew, passengers, and cargo are held for ransom; the presence of several naval task forces in the Gulf of Aden and additional anti-piracy measures on the part of ship operators reduced the incidence of piracy in that body of water by more than half in 2010", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "note: :US embassy operations suspended on 10 February 2015 amid growing violence; chief of mission: :Ambassador Matthew H. TUELLER (since 10 June 2014); embassy: :Sa'awan Street, Sanaa; mailing address: :P. O. Box 22347, Sanaa; telephone: :[967; FAX: :[967", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$3,900 (2014 est.); $3,900 (2013 est.); $3,800 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.9% (2014 est.); 4.8% (2013 est.); 2.4% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.72% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$106 billion (2014 est.); $104 billion (2013 est.); $99.26 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :74.1%; youth dependency ratio: :69%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.1%; potential support ratio: :19.7% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "7% of GDP (2014 est.); 5% of GDP (2013 est.); 7% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :70.6%; government consumption: :15.7%; investment in fixed capital: :19.6%; investment in inventories: :4%; exports of goods and services: :18.5%; imports of goods and services: :-28.5%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "27.7% (2006)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :1,334,288; percentage: :23% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "21.28 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "478.5 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "6.684 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "968.5 million cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "7.652 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "59,050 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "14,330 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "144,400 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "86,330 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "3 billion bbl (1 January 2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "175,200 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "130,700 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "1.533 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "4.137 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "5.834 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "golden eagle; national colors: red, white, black", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :33.7%; male: :26%; female: :74% (2010 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "14.5% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.7 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.2 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.5% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "43.1% (2003)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "200 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "22.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "SANAA (capital) 2.833 million; Aden 855,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"al-qumhuriyatu l-muttahida\" (United Republic); lyrics/music: :Abdullah Abdulwahab NOA'MAN/Ayyoab Tarish ABSI; note: :adopted 1990; the music first served as the anthem for South Yemen before unification with North Yemen in 1990", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 92.5% of population; rural: 34.1% of population; total: 53.3% of population; urban: 7.5% of population; rural: 65.9% of population; total: 46.7% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 72% of population; rural: 46.5% of population; total: 54.9% of population; urban: 28% of population; rural: 53.5% of population; total: 45.1% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$16.02 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $14.04 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$5.845 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.196 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-run TV with 2 stations; state-run radio with 2 national radio stations and 5 local stations; stations from Oman and Saudi Arabia can be accessed (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :34% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :4.03% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$14.61 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $12.17 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$6.077 billion (31 October 2009); $5.985 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$3.489 billion (31 October 2009); $3.399 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "20% (31 December 2014 est.); 22% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "NA%", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.2% of GDP (2008)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :9 years; male: :11 years; female: :8 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :3.57 cu km/yr (7%/2%/91%); per capita: :162.4 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "2.1 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$NA", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Yemen is a source and, to a lesser extent, transit and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and women and children subjected to sex trafficking; some Yemeni children, mostly boys, migrate to Yemeni cities or across the border to Saudi Arabia and, less frequently Oman, where they end up as beggars, prostitutes, or forced laborers in domestic service or small shops; other Yemeni children were recruited as combatants or checkpoint guards by armed groups and continues to be used in the government�s military forces; Yemen is also a source country for girls sex trafficked within country or to Saudi Arabia; thousands of Yemeni migrant workers deported from Saudi Arabia and Syrian refugees are vulnerable to trafficking; additionally, Yemen is a destination and transit country for women and children from the Horn of Africa who are looking for work or receive fraudulent job offers in the Gulf states but are subjected to sexual exploitation or forced labor upon arrival; reports indicate that adults and children are still sold or inherited as slaves in Yemen; tier rating: :Tier 3 � Yemen does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; prolonged political, economic, and security crises, as well as the continued conflation of trafficking and smuggling, impeded the government�s modest anti-trafficking efforts; authorities did not institute formal procedures to identify and protect trafficking victims in 2013, nor did they investigate or prosecute officials complicit in trafficking-related crimes; the government did not report efforts to investigate, prosecute, or convict trafficking offenses, and no known efforts were made to investigate or punish persons practicing chattel slavery; officials acknowledged the use of child soldiers and agreed to a UN action plan to eliminate it but did not make efforts to remove child soldiers from the military; draft anti-trafficking legislation still awaits parliamentary endorsement (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$45.45 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :5,787 (Ethiopia) (2014); 244,404 (Somalia) (2015); IDPs: :334,093 (conflict in Sa'ada governorate; clashes between AQAP and government forces) (2014)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever and malaria; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$4.688 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.349 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$2.45 billion (2014 est.); -$1.422 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "51% of GDP (2014 est.); 49.7% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "33,206 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :18.6 years; male: :18.5 years; female: :18.7 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "37.7 (2005); 33.4 (1998)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "6,000 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.04% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ye", "INTERNET_USERS": "2.349 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "13.9 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "1.1 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Adel Ali Ahmed AL-SUNAINI (since 5 July 2012); chancery: :2319 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :527,968 sq km; land: :527,968 sq km; water: :0 sq km; note: :includes Perim, Socotra, the former Yemen Arab Republic (YAR or North Yemen), and the former People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY or South Yemen)", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "6,801 sq km (2004)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Middle East", "LOCATION": "Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea, between Oman and Saudi Arabia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Yemen; conventional short form: :Yemen; local long form: :Al Jumhuriyah al Yamaniyah; local short form: :Al Yaman; former: :Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen", "MILITARY___NOTE": "a Coast Guard was established in 2002", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "27% (2014 est.); 35% (2003 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "4.09 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "narrow coastal plain backed by flat-topped hills and rugged mountains; dissected upland desert plains in center slope into the desert interior of the Arabian Peninsula", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :since unification in 1990, efforts have been made to create a national telecommunications network; domestic: :the national network consists of microwave radio relay, cable, tropospheric scatter, GSM and CDMA mobile-cellular telephone systems; fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity remains low by regional standards; international: :country code - 967; landing point for the international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 2 Arabsat; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and Djibouti (2006)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 99.1% (official; virtually all are citizens, an estimated 65% are Sunni and 35% are Shia), other 0.9% (includes Jewish, Baha'i, Hindu, and Christian; many are refugees or temporary foreign residents) (2010 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Aden, Al Hudaydah, Al Mukalla", "POPULATION": "26,052,966 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "General People's Congress or GPC [Ali Abdallah SALIH; Islamic Reform Grouping or Islah [Muhammed Abdallah al-YADUMI, Abdul Wahab al-ANSI; Nasserite Unionist Party [Abdallah NU'MAN; Yemeni Socialist Party or YSP [Dr. Abd al-Rahman Umar al-SAQQAF; note: :there are at least seven more active political parties", "PIPELINES": "gas 641 km; liquid petroleum gas 22 km; oil 1,370 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Yemen is a low income country that is highly dependent on declining oil resources for revenue. Oil and gas revenues account for roughly 25% of GDP and 65% of government revenue. Yemen has tried to counter the effects of its declining oil resources and continuing attacks on its oil pipelines by diversifying its economy through an economic reform program initiated in 2006 that is designed to bolster non-oil sectors of the economy and foreign investment. In October 2009, Yemen exported its first liquefied natural gas as part of this diversification effort. In January 2010, the international community established the Friends of Yemen group that aims to support Yemen's efforts toward economic and political reform. In 2012, the Friends of Yemen pledged nearly $7 billion in assistance to Yemen. The Yemeni Government also endorsed a Mutual Accountability Framework to facilitate the efficient implementation of donor aid. The unrest that began in early 2011 caused GDP to plunge almost 11% in that year. Availability of basic services, including electricity, water, and fuel, has improved since the transition, but progress toward achieving more sustainable economic stability has been slow and uneven. Yemen continues to face difficult long-term challenges, including declining water resources, high unemployment, severe food scarcity, and a high population growth rate. The Yemeni Government regularly faces annual budget shortfalls. In July 2014, the government eliminated some fuel subsidies that accounted for approximately 25% of government spending in 2013; and in August 2014, the IMF approved a three-year, $570 million Extended Credit Facility for Yemen. Declining security continues to hinder economic growth and the provision of government services.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Huthis; Muslim Brotherhood; Women National Committee; other: :conservative tribal groups; southern secessionist groups; al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location on Bab el Mandeb, the strait linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, one of world's most active shipping lanes", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "2.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble; small deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, and copper; fertile soil in west", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Yemeni(s); adjective: :Yemeni", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Unification Day, 22 May (1990)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :5; by type: :chemical tanker 2, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1; registered in other countries: :14 (Moldova 4, Panama 4, Sierra Leone 2, Togo 1, unknown 3) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CD, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :5,652,256; females age 16-49: :5,387,160 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :66.4%; male: :82.6%; female: :50.2% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :64.83 years; male: :62.72 years; female: :67.04 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament or Majlis consists of the Shura Council or Majlis Alshoora (111 seats; members appointed by the president; member tenure NA) and the House of Representatives or Majlis al Nuwaab (301 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 6-year terms); elections: :last held on 27 April 2003 (scheduled April 2009 election postponed until February 2015); election results: :House of Representatives percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - GPC 238, Islah 47, YSP 6, Nasserite Unionist Party 3, National Arab Socialist Ba'th Party 2, independents 5", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of Islamic law, Napoleonic law, English common law, and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "Arabic (official)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :2.36%; permanent crops: :0.56%; other: :97.08% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,601 km; border countries: :Oman 294 km, Saudi Arabia 1,307 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "7.262 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the president of the Court, 2 deputies, and nearly 50 judges; court organized into constitutional, civil, commercial, family, administrative, criminal, military, and appeals scrutiny divisions); judge selection and term of office: :judges appointed by the Supreme Judicial Council, chaired by the president of the republic and consisting of 10 high-ranking judicial officers; judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; subordinate courts: :appeal courts; district or first instance courts; commercial courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "11% (2014 est.); 11% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :50.41 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :54.71 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :45.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "crude oil production and petroleum refining; small-scale production of cotton textiles, leather goods; food processing; handicrafts; aluminum products; cement; commercial ship repair; natural gas production", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-1.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "22 May 1990 (Republic of Yemen was established with the merger of the Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen", "IMPORTS": "$10.39 billion (2014 est.); $11 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :71,300 km; paved: :6,200 km; unpaved: :65,100 km (2005)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black), overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white); note: :similar to the flag of Syria, which has two green stars in the white band, and of Iraq, which has an Arabic inscription centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt, which has a heraldic eagle centered in the white band", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$8.002 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $7.708 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$7.041 billion (2014 est.); $8.136 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :vacant: note - Yemen is in the process of forming an interim government following President Abd Rabuh Mansur HADI�s submission of his resignation in late January 2015.; head of government: :Prime Minister - vacant; note Khalid Mahfuz BAHAH submitted his resignation in late January 2015; cabinet: :appointed by the president; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a 7-year term based on constitution; however a special election held on 21 February 2012 to remove Ali Abdallah SALIH was based on a GCC-mediated deal during the political crisis of 2011(next election NA); vice president appointed by the president but position is vacant; prime minister appointed by the president; election results: :Abd Rabuh Mansur HADI elected as a consensus president with about 50% popular participation; no other candidates", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Yemeni rials (YER) per US dollar -; 214.9 (2014 est.); 214.89 (2013 est.); 214.35 (2012 est.); 213.8 (2011 est.); 219.59 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "predominantly Arab; but also Afro-Arab, South Asians, Europeans", "DEATH_RATE": "6.45 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "adopted by referendum 16 May 1991 (following unification); amended several times, last in 2009; note - between March 2014 and January 2015, a presidentially-formed Constitutional Drafting Committee drafted a new constitution and President Hadi reviewed it; the draft was slated for final revision by the National Authority, followed by a national referendum; however, with the resignation of the government in late January 2015, constitutional formation has been stalled (2015)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 15.5%, UAE 13.4%, India 9.5%, Saudi Arabia 6.3%, Kuwait 4.7%, Turkey 4.4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "1,906 km", "CLIMATE": "mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot, dry, harsh desert in east", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "food and live animals, machinery and equipment, chemicals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Sanaa; geographic coordinates: :15 21 N, 44 12 E; time difference: :UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$10.26 billion; expenditures: :$14.34 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Land Forces; Naval and Coastal Defense Forces (includes Marines); Air and Air Defense Force (al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Yemeniya); Border Guards; Strategic Reserve Forces (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "31.02 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "57 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "grain, fruits, vegetables, pulses, qat, coffee, cotton; dairy products, livestock (sheep, goats, cattle, camels), poultry; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "21 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah) and 1 municipality*; Abyan, 'Adan (Aden), Ad Dali', Al Bayda', Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Al Mahrah, Al Mahwit, Amanat al 'Asimah (Sanaa City)*, 'Amran, Arkhabil Suqutra (Socotra Archipelago), Dhamar, Hadramawt, Hajjah, Ibb, Lahij, Ma'rib, Raymah, Sa'dah, San'a' (Sanaa), Shabwah, Ta'izz", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 29.4%, South Korea 16%, Thailand 14.7%, India 8.8%, Japan 6.1%, UAE 5% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "crude oil, coffee, dried and salted fish, liquefied natural gas", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "note: :most people are employed in agriculture and herding; services, construction, industry, and commerce account for less than one-fourth of the labor force", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.9%; highest 10%: :30.8% (2005)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "54% (2003)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "4.02% of GDP (2012); 3.48% of GDP (2011); 4.02% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "limited natural freshwater resources; inadequate supplies of potable water; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :40; over 3,047 m: :3; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :5; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :7; 914 to 1,523 m: :16; 9 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :17; over 3,047 m: :4; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :9; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "___no_BACKGROUND__provided__", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :287,141; female: :277,612 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :4,056,944; females age 16-49: :4,116,895 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; 2-year service obligation (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "almost four times the size of Alabama; slightly larger than twice the size of Wyoming", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "sandstorms and dust storms in summer; volcanism: :limited volcanic activity; Jebel at Tair (Jabal al-Tair, Jebel Teir, Jabal al-Tayr, Jazirat at-Tair) (elev. 244 m), which forms an island in the Red Sea, erupted in 2007 after awakening from dormancy; other historically active volcanoes include Harra of Arhab, Harras of Dhamar, Harra es-Sawad, and Jebel Zubair, although many of these have not erupted in over a century", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Arabian Sea 0 m; highest point: :Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb 3,760 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.9 male(s)/female; total population: :1.03 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "3 (including one Egypt-based station that broadcasts in Yemen); plus several repeaters (2007)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 6, FM 1, shortwave 2 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :9.2%; industry: :26.8%; services: :64% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "15 00 N, 48 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :41.7% (male 5,523,744/female 5,336,795); 15-24 years: :21.1% (male 2,789,510/female 2,709,263); 25-54 years: :30.9% (male 4,106,917/female 3,933,852); 55-64 years: :3.7% (male 450,185/female 515,255); 65 years and over: :2.6% (male 320,426/female 367,019) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Afghanistan", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador P. Michael MCKINLEY (since 6 January 2014); embassy: :The Great Masood Road, Kabul; mailing address: :U.S. Embassy Kabul, APO, AE 09806; telephone: :[93; FAX: :[93", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$2,000 (2014 est.); $2,000 (2013 est.); $1,900 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.2% (2014 est.); 3.6% (2013 est.); 14% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.29% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$61.69 billion (2014 est.); $59.75 billion (2013 est.); $57.68 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :93.1%; youth dependency ratio: :88.4%; elderly dependency ratio: :4.6%; potential support ratio: :21.5% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "21.1% of GDP (2014 est.); 22.3% of GDP (2013 est.); 22.5% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :96.5%; government consumption: :23.3%; investment in fixed capital: :25.4%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :18.1%; imports of goods and services: :-63.4%; (2011 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "21.2% (2010/11)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "20.1; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2010 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :2,082,722; percentage: :25.3%; note: :data on child labor in Afghanistan is uncertain and may be higher than the estimated 25.3% of children ages 5-14 derived from 2010-11 survey results; UNICEF estimated that 30% of children ages 5-14 in 2011 were engaged in child labor (2010/11 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "8.552 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "49.55 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "140 million cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "140 million cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "36,250 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "50,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "NA bbl (1 January 2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "1,950 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "76.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "23.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "489,100 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "2.246 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "3.021 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "833.1 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "lion; national colors: red, green, black", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "2.2% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.5 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.23 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "8.6% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "32.9% (2004)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "460 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-0.6% of GDP (2013 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "22.6% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "KABUL (capital) 4.436 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Milli Surood\" (National Anthem); lyrics/music: :Abdul Bari JAHANI/Babrak WASA; note: :adopted 2006; the 2004 constitution of the post-Taliban government mandated that a new national anthem should be written containing the phrase \"Allahu Akbar\" (God is Great) and mentioning the names of Afghanistan's ethnic groups", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 46.8% of population; rural: 23.4% of population; total: 29% of population; urban: 53.2% of population; rural: 76.6% of population; total: 71% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 89.9% of population; rural: 56.1% of population; total: 64.2% of population; urban: 10.1% of population; rural: 43.9% of population; total: 35.8% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$6.499 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $6.351 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$6.121 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $5.928 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-owned broadcaster, Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), operates a series of radio and television stations in Kabul and the provinces; an estimated 150 private radio stations, 50 TV stations, and about a dozen international broadcasters are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :26.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.96% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$-819.6 million (31 December 2012 est.); $-520.2 million (31 December 2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$1.219 billion (31 December 2008); $958.6 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$1.688 billion (31 December 2008); $1.426 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "15.08% (31 December 2013 est.); 15% (31 December 2012 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :9 years; male: :11 years; female: :7 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :20.28 cu km/yr (1%/1%/98%); per capita: :823.1 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "65.33 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$21.71 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :283,590 (Pakistan) (2014); IDPs: :818,163 (mostly Pashtuns and Kuchis displaced in the south and west due to drought and instability) (2015)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :intermediate; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne disease: :malaria; animal contact disease: :rabies; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$6.442 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $5.983 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$743.9 million (2011 est.); $346 million (2012 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "223 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :18.1 years; male: :18.1 years; female: :18.2 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "300 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "4,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.03% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".af", "INTERNET_USERS": "1 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "18 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "13,500 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); chancery: :2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Los Angeles, New York, Washington, DC", "AREA": "total: :652,230 sq km; land: :652,230 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "32,080 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Asia", "LOCATION": "Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Islamic Republic of Afghanistan; conventional short form: :Afghanistan; local long form: :Jamhuri-ye Islami-ye Afghanistan; local short form: :Afghanistan; former: :Republic of Afghanistan; note: :the name \"Afghan\" originally refered to the Pashtun people (today it is understood to include all the country's ethnic groups), while the suffix \"-stan\" means \"place of\" or \"country\"; so Afghanistan literally means the Land of the Afghans", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "35% (2008 est.); 40% (2005 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "Islamic republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "5.43 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :limited fixed-line telephone service; an increasing number of Afghans utilize mobile-cellular phone networks; domestic: :aided by the presence of multiple providers, mobile-cellular telephone service continues to improve rapidly; the Afghan Ministry of Communications and Information claims that more than 90 percent of the population live in areas with access to mobile-cellular services; international: :country code - 93; multiple VSAT's provide international and domestic voice and data connectivity (2012)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Sunni Muslim 80%, Shia Muslim 19%, other 1%", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "ariver port(s): :Kheyrabad, Shir Khan", "POPULATION": "31,822,848 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "note - the Ministry of Justice licensed 84 political parties as of December 2012", "PIPELINES": "gas 466 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Afghanistan's economy is recovering from decades of conflict. The economy has improved significantly since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001 largely because of the infusion of international assistance, the recovery of the agricultural sector, and service sector growth. Despite the progress of the past few years, Afghanistan is extremely poor, landlocked, and highly dependent on foreign aid. Much of the population continues to suffer from shortages of housing, clean water, electricity, medical care, and jobs. Criminality, insecurity, weak governance, lack of infrastructure, and the Afghan Government's difficulty in extending rule of law to all parts of the country pose challenges to future economic growth. Afghanistan's living standards are among the lowest in the world. The international community remains committed to Afghanistan's development, pledging over $67 billion at nine donors' conferences between 2003-10. In July 2012, the donors at the Tokyo conference pledged an additional $16 billion in civilian aid through 2015. Despite this help, the Government of Afghanistan will need to overcome a number of challenges, including low revenue collection, anemic job creation, high levels of corruption, weak government capacity, and poor public infrastructure. Afghanistan's growth rate slowed markedly in 2014. Newly elected President Ashraf GHANI is dedicated to instituting economic reforms. However, the drawdown of international security forces that occurred in 2014 will negatively effect economic growth, as a substantial portion of commerce, especially in the services sector, has catered to the ongoing international troop presence in the country.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :religious groups, tribal leaders, ethnically based groups, Taliban", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; the Hindu Kush mountains that run northeast to southwest divide the northern provinces from the rest of the country; the highest peaks are in the northern Vakhan (Wakhan Corridor)", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-1.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Afghan(s); adjective: :Afghan", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 19 August (1919)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, CP, ECO, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :7,056,339; females age 16-49: :6,653,419 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :31.7%; male: :45.4%; female: :17.6% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :50.49 years; male: :49.17 years; female: :51.88 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :the bicameral National Assembly consists of the Meshrano Jirga or House of Elders (102 seats; 34 members indirectly elected by district councils to serve 3-year terms, 34 indirectly elected by provincial councils to serve 4-year terms, and 34 nominated by the president of which 17 must be women, 2 must represent the disabled, and 2 must be Kuchi nomads; members serve 5-year terms) and the Wolesi Jirga or House of People (no more than 250 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms); note: :the constitution allows the government to convene a constitutional Loya Jirga (Grand Council) on issues of independence, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity; it can amend the provisions of the constitution and prosecute the president; it is made up of members of the National Assembly and chairpersons of the provincial and district councils; no Loya Jirga of this type has ever been held, and district councils have never been elected; elections: :last held on 18 September 2010 (next expected in 2015); election results: :results by party - NA; note - ethnicity is the main factor influencing political alliances; approximate percentage of seats by ethnic group - Pashtun 39%, Hazara 24%, Tajik 21%, Uzbek 6%, other 10% (including Aimak, Arab, Baloch, Nuristani, Pahhai, Turkmen, Turkic); women hold 69 seats", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic law", "LANGUAGES": "Afghan Persian or Dari (official) 50%, Pashto (official) 35%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism, but Dari functions as the lingua franca; note: :the Turkic languages Uzbek and Turkmen, as well as Balochi, Pashai, Nuristani, and Pamiri are the third official languages in areas where the majority speaks them", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :11.93%; permanent crops: :0.18%; other: :87.88% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :5,987 km; border countries: :China 91 km, Iran 921 km, Pakistan 2,670 km, Tajikistan 1,357 km, Turkmenistan 804 km, Uzbekistan 144 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "7.512 million (2012 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Stera Mahkama (consists of the Supreme Court Chief and 8 justices organized into criminal, public security, civil, and commercial divisions or dewans); judge selection and term of office: :court chief and justices appointed by the president with the approval of the Wolesi Jirga; court chief and justices serve single 10-year terms; subordinate courts: :Appeals Courts; Primary Courts; Special Courts for issues including narcotics, security, property, family, and juveniles", "WATERWAYS": "1,200 km; (chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "7.6% (2013 est.); 7.2% (2012 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :117.23 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :124.89 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :109.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "small-scale production of bricks, textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, apparel, food products, non-alcoholic beverages, mineral water, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "7.7% (2012 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)", "IMPORTS": "$6.39 billion (2012 est.); $5.154 billion (2011 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :42,150 km; paved: :12,350 km; unpaved: :29,800 km (2006)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), red, and green, with the national emblem in white centered on the red band and slightly overlapping the other two bands; the center of the emblem features a mosque with pulpit and flags on either side, below the mosque are numerals for the solar year 1298 (1919 in the Gregorian calendar, the year of Afghan independence from the UK); this central image is circled by a border consisting of sheaves of wheat on the left and right, in the upper-center is an Arabic inscription of the Shahada (Muslim creed) below which are rays of the rising sun over the Takbir (Arabic expression meaning \"God is great\"), and at bottom center is a scroll bearing the name Afghanistan; black signifies the past, red is for the blood shed for independence, and green can represent either hope for the future, agricultural prosperity, or Islam; note: :Afghanistan had more changes to its national flag in the 20th century than any other country; the colors black, red, and green appeared on most of them", "FISCAL_YEAR": "21 December - 20 December", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$1.28 billion (FY10/11); $2.7 billion (FY08/09)", "EXPORTS": "$2.785 billion (2012 est.); $388.5 million (2011 est.); note: :not including illicit exports or reexports", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ashraf GHANI (since 29 September 2014); First Vice President Abdul Rashid DOSTAM (since 29 September 2014); Second Vice President Sarwar DANESH (since 29 September 2014); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ashraf GHANI (since 29 September 2014); First Vice President Abdul Rashid DOSTAM (since 29 September 2014); Second Vice President Sarwar DANESH (since 29 September 2014); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; cabinet: :25 ministers; note - ministers are appointed by the president and approved by the National Assembly; elections: :the president is elected by direct vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); if no candidate receives 50% or more of the vote in the first round of voting, the two candidates with the most votes will participate in a second round; first round of last election held on 5 April 2014 (second round held on 14 June 2014); election results: :first round results - Abdullah ABDULLAH 45%, Ashraf GHANI Ahmadzai 31.6%, Zalmai RASOUL 11.4%, other 12%; second round - Ashraf GHANI 56.4, Abdullah ABDULLAH 43.6", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "afghanis (AFA) per US dollar -; 55.38 (2013 est.); 50.92 (2012 est.); 46.75 (2011 est.); 46.75 (2011 est.); 46.45 (2010)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, other (includes smaller numbers of Baloch, Turkmen, Nuristani, Pamiri, Arab, Gujar, Brahui, Qizilbash, Aimaq, Pashai, and Kyrghyz); note: :current statistical data on the sensitive subject of ethnicity in Afghanistan is not available, and ethnicity data from small samples of respondents to opinion polls are not a reliable alternative; Afghanistan's 2004 constitution recognizes 14 ethnic groups: Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Baloch, Turkmen, Nuristani, Pamiri, Arab, Gujar, Brahui, Qizilbash, Aimaq, and Pashai (2015)", "DEATH_RATE": "14.12 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest drafted 14 December 2003 - 4 January 2004, signed 16 January 2004, ratified 26 January 2004 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Pakistan 28%, US 18.6%, Russia 7.6%, India 6.3%, Kazakhstan 4.5%, China 4.3% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and other capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products", "CAPITAL": "name: :Kabul; geographic coordinates: :34 31 N, 69 11 E; time difference: :UTC+4.5 (9.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$4.91 billion; expenditures: :$5.037 billion (2013 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Afghan National Security Forces: Afghan National Army, Afghan Air Force, Afghan National Police, Afghan Local Police (2015)", "BIRTH_RATE": "38.84 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "52 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "34 provinces (welayat, singular - welayat); Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamyan, Daykundi, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghor, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabul, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khost, Kunar, Kunduz, Laghman, Logar, Nangarhar, Nimroz, Nuristan, Paktika, Paktiya, Panjshir, Parwan, Samangan, Sar-e Pul, Takhar, Uruzgan, Wardak, Zabul", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "India 31.9%, Pakistan 28.5%, Tajikistan 7.5%, US 6.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :78.6%; industry: :5.7%; services: :15.7% (FY08/09 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.8%; highest 10%: :24% (2008)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "36% (FY08/09)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "NA% (2012); 4.74% of GDP (2011); NA% (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified: :Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "limited natural freshwater resources; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (much of the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building materials); desertification; air and water pollution", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :29; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :4; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :13; 914 to 1,523 m: :6; 6 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :23; over 3,047 m: :4; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :4; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :11; 914 to 1,523 m: :2; under 914 m: :2 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Ahmad Shah DURRANI unified the Pashtun tribes and founded Afghanistan in 1747. The country served as a buffer between the British and Russian Empires until it won independence from notional British control in 1919. A brief experiment in democracy ended in a 1973 coup and a 1978 communist counter-coup. The Soviet Union invaded in 1979 to support the tottering Afghan communist regime, touching off a long and destructive war. The USSR withdrew in 1989 under relentless pressure by internationally supported anti-communist mujahedin rebels. A series of subsequent civil wars saw Kabul finally fall in 1996 to the Taliban, a hardline Pakistani-sponsored movement that emerged in 1994 to end the country's civil war and anarchy. Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, a US, Allied, and anti-Taliban Northern Alliance military action toppled the Taliban for sheltering Osama BIN LADIN. The UN-sponsored Bonn Conference in 2001 established a process for political reconstruction that included the adoption of a new constitution, a presidential election in 2004, and National Assembly elections in 2005. In December 2004, Hamid KARZAI became the first democratically elected president of Afghanistan and the National Assembly was inaugurated the following December. KARZAI was re-elected in August 2009 for a second term. Despite gains toward building a stable central government, a resurgent Taliban and continuing provincial instability - particularly in the south and the east - remain serious challenges for the Afghan Government. The 2014 presidential election was the country�s first to include a runoff, which featured the top two vote-getters from the first round, Abdullah ABDULLAH and Ashraf GHANI. Throughout the summer of 2014, their campaigns disputed the results and traded accusations of fraud, leading to a US-led diplomatic intervention that included a full vote audit as well as political negotiations between the two camps. In September 2014, GHANI and ABDULLAH agreed to form the Government of National Unity, with GHANI inaugurated as President and ABDULLAH elevated to the newly-created position of Chief Executive Officer. The day after the inauguration, the Ghani administration signed the US-Afghan Bilateral Security Agreement and NATO Status of Forces Agreement, which provide the legal basis for the post-2014 international military presence in Afghanistan.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :392,116; female: :370,295 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :4,050,222; females age 16-49: :3,797,087 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "almost six time the size of Virginia; slightly smaller than Texas", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Amu Darya 258 m; highest point: :Noshak 7,485 m", "HELIPORTS": "9 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.87 male(s)/female; total population: :1.03 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "16 (1 state-run station and 15 registered private stations) (2009)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "48 (station types NA) (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :24.6%; industry: :21.8%; services: :53.5%; note: :data exclude opium production (2012 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "33 00 N, 65 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :42% (male 6,793,832/female 6,579,388); 15-24 years: :22.2% (male 3,600,264/female 3,464,781); 25-54 years: :29.4% (male 4,771,323/female 4,586,963); 55-64 years: :3.9% (male 603,197/female 622,539); 65 years and over: :2.5% (male 371,753/female 428,808) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Akrotiri", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "a special form of UK overseas territory; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus", "AFFILIATION": "(UK Sovereign Base Area)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "note: :as a United Kingdom area of special sovereignty, \"God Save the Queen\" is official (see United Kingdom)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "British Forces Broadcast Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite TV service as well as BFBS radio broadcasts to the Akrotiri Sovereign Base (2009)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "AREA": "total: :123 sq km; note: :includes a salt lake and wetlands", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Middle East", "LOCATION": "Eastern Mediterranean, peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Akrotiri", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the UK; Akrotiri has a full RAF base, headquarters for British Forces Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit", "POPULATION": "approximately 15,700 live on the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia including 7,700 Cypriots, 3,600 Service and UK-based contract personnel, and 4,400 dependents", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Akrotiri. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus; of the Sovereign Base Area (SBA) land, 60% is privately owned and farmed, 20% is owned by the Ministry of Defense, and 20% is SBA Crown land", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "laws applicable to the Cypriot population are, as far as possible, the same as the laws of the Republic of Cyprus; note - the Sovereign Base Area Administration has its own court system to deal with civil and criminal matters", "LANGUAGES": "English, Greek", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :48 km; border countries: :Cyprus 48 km", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Senior Judges' Court (consists of several visiting judges from England and Wales); judge selection and term of office: :judges appointment and tenure NA; subordinate courts: :Resident Judges' Court; Courts Martial", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "the flag of the UK is used", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); head of government: :Administrator Major General Richard CRIPWELL (since January 2013); note - reports to the British Ministry of Defense; the Chief Officer is responsible for the day-to-day running of the civil government of the Sovereign Bases; elections: :none; the monarchy is hereditary; the administrator appointed by the monarch", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "note: :uses the euro", "CONSTITUTION": "presented 3 August 1960, effective 16 August 1960; amended 1966 (The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, serves as a basic legal document) (2013)", "COASTLINE": "56.3 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters", "CAPITAL": "name: :Episkopi Cantonment (base administrative center for Akrotiri and Dhekelia); geographic coordinates: :34 40 N, 32 51 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "hunting around the salt lake; note - breeding place for loggerhead and green turtles; only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on the base", "BACKGROUND": "By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers - Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The southernmost and smallest of these is the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Western Sovereign Base Area.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "0 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM NA, FM 1, shortwave NA (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1 and Radio 2 service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "34 37 N, 32 58 E" }, { "country": "Albania", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Donald LU (since 13 January 2015); embassy: :Rruga e Elbasanit, 103, Tirana; mailing address: :US Department of State, 9510 Tirana Place, Dulles, VA 20189-9510; telephone: :[355; FAX: :[355", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$11,100 (2014 est.); $10,800 (2013 est.); $10,600 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.1% (2014 est.); 0.4% (2013 est.); 1.1% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.3% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$30.66 billion (2014 est.); $30.03 billion (2013 est.); $29.9 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars; unreported output may be as large as 50% of official GDP", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :44.9%; youth dependency ratio: :29%; elderly dependency ratio: :15.9%; potential support ratio: :6.3% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "13.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 12.5% of GDP (2013 est.); 14.3% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :82.1%; government consumption: :8%; investment in fixed capital: :23.7%; investment in inventories: :7.4%; exports of goods and services: :32.3%; imports of goods and services: :-53.5%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "69.3% (2008/09)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "23.4 (2010 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :72,818; percentage: :12% (2005 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "3.962 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "849.5 million cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "10 million cu m (2011 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "10 million cu m (2011 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "22,810 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "68 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "28,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "3,121 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "168.3 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "23,320 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "17,010 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "94.4% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "5.6% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "1.726 million kW (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "2.322 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "1.424 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "4.551 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "6.987 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "double-headed eagle; national colors: red, black", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :22.5%; male: :23.8%; female: :20.7% (2010 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "21.3% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.6 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.15 physicians/1,000 population (2012)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "6.3% (2009)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "27 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "24.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "TIRANA (capital) 445,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Hymni i Flamurit\" (Hymn to the Flag); lyrics/music: :Aleksander Stavre DRENOVA/Ciprian PORUMBESCU; note: :adopted 1912", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 95.3% of population; rural: 86.3% of population; total: 91.2% of population; urban: 4.7% of population; rural: 13.7% of population; total: 8.8% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 97.3% of population; rural: 93.8% of population; total: 95.7% of population; urban: 2.7% of population; rural: 6.2% of population; total: 4.3% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$6.418 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $6.805 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$2.895 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.905 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "3 public TV networks, one of which transmits by satellite to Albanian-language communities in neighboring countries; more than 60 private TV stations; many viewers can pick up Italian and Greek TV broadcasts via terrestrial reception; cable TV service is available; 2 public radio networks and roughly 25 private radio stations; several international broadcasters are available (2010)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :56.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.21% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$8.366 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $8.968 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$6.251 billion (31 December 2008); $6.433 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$3.028 billion (31 December 2008); $2.707 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "8.6% (31 December 2014 est.); 9.83% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "3% (31 December 2013); 4% (31 December 2012)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.3% of GDP (2007)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :1.31 cu km/yr (43%/18%/39%); per capita: :413.6 cu m/yr (2006)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "41.7 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$4.226 billion (31 December 2011); $3.534 billion (31 December 2010)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$13.59 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :7,443 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$2.825 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.773 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.611 billion (2014 est.); -$1.378 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "71.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 70.5% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "15,528 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :31.6 years; male: :30.3 years; female: :32.9 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "34.5 (2008); 26.7 (2005)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.04% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".al", "INTERNET_USERS": "1.3 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "3.5 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "312,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Gilbert GALANXHI (since 5 January 2011); chancery: :1312 18th Street NW, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :New York", "AREA": "total: :28,748 sq km; land: :27,398 sq km; water: :1,350 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1,884 sq km (2006)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece in the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Albania; conventional short form: :Albania; local long form: :Republika e Shqiperise; local short form: :Shqiperia; former: :People's Socialist Republic of Albania; note: :the English-language country name seems to be derived from the ancient Illyrian tribe of the Albani; the native name \"Shqiperia\" is popularly interpreted to mean \"Land of the Eagles\"", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "13.3% (2014 est.); 13.4% (2013 est.); note: :these are official rates that may not include those working at near-subsistence farming", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.5 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :despite new investment in fixed lines, teledensity remains low with roughly 10 fixed lines per 100 people; mobile-cellular telephone use is widespread and generally effective; domestic: :offsetting the shortage of fixed line capacity, mobile-cellular phone service has been available since 1996; by 2011 multiple companies were providing mobile services and mobile teledensity had reached 100 per 100 persons; Internet broadband services initiated in 2005 but growth has been slow; Internet cafes are popular in Tirana and have started to spread outside the capital; international: :country code - 355; submarine cable provides connectivity to Italy, Croatia, and Greece; the Trans-Balkan Line, a combination submarine cable and land fiber-optic system, provides additional connectivity to Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Turkey; international traffic carried by fiber-optic cable and, when necessary, by microwave radio relay from the Tirana exchange to Italy and Greece (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 56.7%, Roman Catholic 10%, Orthodox 6.8%, atheist 2.5%, Bektashi (a Sufi order) 2.1%, other 5.7%, unspecified 16.2%; note: :all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice (2011 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :339 km; standard gauge: :339 km 1.435-m gauge (2009)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore", "POPULATION": "3,020,209 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Christian Democratic Party or PDK [Nard NDOKA; Democratic Party or PD [Lulzim BASHA; Movement for National Development of LZHK [Dashamir SHEHI; Party for Justice, Integration and Unity or PDIU [Shpetim IDRIZI; Republican Party or PR [Fatmir MEDIU; Christian Democratic Party of PKD [Mark FRROKU; Socialist Movement for Integration or LSI [Ilir META; Socialist Party or PS [Edi RAMA; Union for Human Rights Party or PBDNJ [Vangjel DULE; New Democratic Spirit or FRD [Bamir TOPI; Red and Black Alliance [Kreshnik SPAHIU; note: :only the major parties of each coalition are listed", "PIPELINES": "gas 331 km; oil 249 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Albania, a formerly closed, centrally-planned state, is making the difficult transition to a more modern open-market economy. Albania managed to weather the first waves of the global financial crisis but, more recently, its negative effects have put some pressure on the Albanian economy. While the government is focused on establishing a favorable business climate through the simplification of licensing requirements and tax codes, it entered into a new arrangement with the IMF for additional financial and technical support. Remittances, a significant catalyst for economic growth declined from 12-15% of GDP before the 2008 financial crisis to 7% of GDP in 2012, mostly from Albanians residing in Greece and Italy. The agricultural sector, which accounts for almost half of employment but only about one-fifth of GDP, is limited primarily to small family operations and subsistence farming, because of a lack of modern equipment, unclear property rights, and the prevalence of small, inefficient plots of land. Complex tax codes and licensing requirements, a weak judicial system, poor enforcement of contracts and property issues, and antiquated infrastructure contribute to Albania's poor business environment and makes attracting foreign investment more difficult. Inward FDI is among the lowest in the region, but the government has embarked on an ambitious program to improve the business climate through fiscal and legislative reforms. Albania�s electricity supply is uneven despite upgraded transmission capacities with neighboring countries. Technical and non-technical losses in electricity - including theft and non-payment - continue to undermine the financial viability of the entire system. Also, with help from international donors, the government is taking steps to improve the poor national road and rail network, a long-standing barrier to sustained economic growth. The country will continue to face challenges from increasing public debt, having exceeded its former statutory limit of 60% of GDP in 2013. Strong trade, remittance, and banking sector ties with Greece and Italy make Albania vulnerable to spillover effects of debt crises and weak growth in the euro zone. The government will face critical tests in 2015 as it works to implement IMF-mandated reforms, especially those aimed at improving the electricity sector.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania or KSSH [Kol NIKOLLAJ; Omonia [Vasil BOLLANO; Union of Independent Trade Unions of Albania or BSPSH [Gezim KALAJA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-3.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Albanian(s); adjective: :Albanian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 28 November (1912) also known as Flag Day", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :17; by type: :cargo 16, roll on/roll off 1; foreign-owned: :1 (Turkey 1); registered in other countries: :5 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Panama 4) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EITI (compliant country), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :731,111; females age 16-49: :780,216 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 9 and over can read and write; total population: :96.8%; male: :98%; female: :95.7% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :77.96 years; male: :75.33 years; female: :80.86 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms); note - in late 2008, Albania replaced its mixed member electoral system with a proportional representation system; note: :seats by parliamentary group as of March 2014 - ASHE 85, APMI 55; elections: :last held on 23 June 2013 (next to be held in 2017); election results: :percent of vote by party- PS 41.36%, PD 30.63%, LSI 10.46%, PR 3.02%, PDIU 2.61%, other 11.92%; seats by party- PS 65, PD 50, LSI 16, PDIU 4, PR 3, other 2", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system except in the northern rural areas where customary law known as the \"Code of Leke\" prevails", "LANGUAGES": "Albanian 98.8% (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek 0.5%, other 0.6% (including Macedonian, Roma, Vlach, Turkish, Italian, and Serbo-Croatian), unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :22.59%; permanent crops: :2.81%; other: :74.6% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :691 km; border countries: :Greece 212 km, Kosovo 112 km, Macedonia 181 km, Montenegro 186 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "1.098 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges, including a chairman); Court of Cassation (consists of 14 judges, including the chief justice); judge selection and term of office: :Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president with the consent of the Assembly to serve single 9-year terms; chairman elected by the People's Assembly for single 3-year term; Court of Cassation judges, including the chairman, appointed by the president with the consent of the Assembly to serve single, 9-year terms); subordinate courts: :Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance", "WATERWAYS": "41 km (on the Bojana River) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.7% (2014 est.); 1.9% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :13.19 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :14.68 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :11.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "food and tobacco products; textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.7% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)", "IMPORTS": "$5.067 billion (2014 est.); $4.599 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :18,000 km; paved: :7,020 km; unpaved: :10,980 km (2002)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "red with a black two-headed eagle in the center; the design is claimed to be that of 15th-century hero George Kastrioti SKANDERBEG, who led a successful uprising against the Turks that resulted in a short-lived independence for some Albanian regions (1443-78); an unsubstantiated explanation for the eagle symbol is the tradition that Albanians see themselves as descendants of the eagle; they refer to themselves as \"Shqipetare,\" which translates as \"sons of the eagle\"", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$7.854 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $7.432 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$2.471 billion (2014 est.); $2.298 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President of the Republic Bujar NISHANI (since 24 July 2012); head of government: :Prime Minister Edi Rama (since 10 September 2013); cabinet: :Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by parliament; elections: :president is elected by the Assembly for a five-year term and is eligible for a second term (a candidate needs a three-fifths majority of the Assembly's 140 votes (84 votes) in one of the first three rounds of voting or a simple majority in round four or five to become president; up to five rounds of voting are held, if necessary); four election rounds held between 30 May and 11 June 2012 (next election to be held in 2017); prime minister appointed by the president on the proposal of the party or coalition of parties that has the majority of seats in the Assembly; election results: :Bujar NISHANI elected president on fourth round of voting; Assembly vote (for first three rounds three-fifths majority, 84 votes, required; fourth round, a simple majority of votes is required): Bujar NISHANI 73 votes", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "leke (ALL) per US dollar -; 105.1 (2014 est.); 105.67 (2013 est.); 108.19 (2012 est.); 100.9 (2011 est.); 103.94 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Albanian 82.6%, Greek 0.9%, other 1% (including Vlach, Roma (Gypsy), Macedonian, Montenegrin, and Egyptian), unspecified 15.5% (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "6.47 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest approved by parliament 21 October 1998, adopted by popular referendum 22 November 1998, promulgated 28 November 1998; amended 2007, 2008, 2012 (2014)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Italy 36.1%, Greece 9.6%, China 7.2%, Turkey 5.7%, Germany 4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "362 km", "CLIMATE": "mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Tirana (Tirane); geographic coordinates: :41 19 N, 19 49 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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$3.297 billion; expenditures: :$4.11 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Land Forces Command, Navy Force Command, Air Forces Command (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "12.73 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "4 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes; meat, dairy products; sheep", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Berat, Diber, Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Korce, Kukes, Lezhe, Shkoder, Tirane, Vlore", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Italy 43.5%, China 9.7%, Spain 8.4%, Kosovo 7.4%, India 6.1% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "textiles, footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :54.6%; industry: :12.8%; services: :32.6%; (December 2012 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.5%; highest 10%: :29% (2008)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "14.3% (2012 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.85% of GDP (2015); 1.04% of GDP (2014); 1.5% of GDP (2013); 1.47% of GDP (2012); 1.52% of GDP (2011); 1.47% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2012)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :4; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :3; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but was conquered by Italy in 1939, and occupied by Germany in 1943. Communist partisans took over the country in 1944. Albania allied itself first with the USSR (until 1960), and then with China (to 1978). In the early 1990s, Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven challenging as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, dilapidated infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks, and combative political opponents. Albania has made progress in its democratic development since first holding multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies remain. International observers judged elections to be largely free and fair since the restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997; however, most of Albania's post-communist elections have been marred by claims of electoral fraud. The 2009 general elections resulted in a coalition government, the first such in the country's history. In 2013, general elections achieved a peaceful transition of power and a second successive coalition government. Albania joined NATO in April 2009 and in June 2014 became a candidate for EU accession. Although Albania's economy continues to grow, it has slowed, and the country is still one of the poorest in Europe. A large informal economy and an inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure remain obstacles.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :31,986; female: :29,533 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :622,379; females age 16-49: :660,715 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "19 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; 18 is the legal minimum age in case of general/partial compulsory mobilization (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Maryland", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Adriatic Sea 0 m; highest point: :Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.11 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.12 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.91 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.89 male(s)/female; total population: :0.98 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "65 (3 national, 62 local); 2 cable networks (2005)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 13, FM 46, shortwave 1 (2005)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :18.4%; industry: :16.3%; services: :65.3%; (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "41 00 N, 20 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :19.3% (male 307,275/female 274,634); 15-24 years: :19.2% (male 297,851/female 282,498); 25-54 years: :40% (male 574,820/female 633,729); 55-64 years: :10.5% (male 157,014/female 158,602); 65 years and over: :11.1% (male 157,143/female 176,643) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Algeria", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Joan A. POLASCHIK (since 15 August 2014); embassy: :05 Chemin Cheikh Bachir, El-Ibrahimi, El-Biar 16030 Algiers; mailing address: :B. P. 408, Alger-Gare, 16030 Algiers; telephone: :[213; FAX: :[213", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$14,300 (2014 est.); $14,000 (2013 est.); $13,800 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "4% (2014 est.); 2.8% (2013 est.); 3.3% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.88% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$552.6 billion (2014 est.); $531.3 billion (2013 est.); $516.8 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :48.5%; youth dependency ratio: :41.6%; elderly dependency ratio: :6.8%; potential support ratio: :14.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "53.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 53.1% of GDP (2013 est.); 54.4% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :35.8%; government consumption: :19.3%; investment in fixed capital: :34.5%; investment in inventories: :9.4%; exports of goods and services: :30.1%; imports of goods and services: :-29.1%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "61.4% (2006)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :304,358; percentage: :5% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "133.9 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "4.505 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "49 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "32.3 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "78.6 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "17,270 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "471,900 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "380,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "571,400 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "12.2 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "6,400 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "1.097 million bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "1.762 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "2.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "98% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "15.2 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "936 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "985 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "44 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "48.05 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "star and crescent, fennec fox; national colors: green, white, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :22.4%; male: :19.1%; female: :38.2% (2011 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "16% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.7 beds/1,000 population (2004)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.21 physicians/1,000 population (2007)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.2% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "3.7% (2005)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "97 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-4.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "34.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "ALGIERS (capital) 2.559 million; Oran 850,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Kassaman\" (We Pledge); lyrics/music: :Mufdi ZAKARIAH/Mohamed FAWZI; note: :adopted 1962; ZAKARIAH wrote \"Kassaman\" as a poem while imprisoned in Algiers by French colonial forces", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 97.6% of population; rural: 88.4% of population; total: 95.2% of population; urban: 2.4% of population; rural: 11.6% of population; total: 4.8% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 85.5% of population; rural: 79.5% of population; total: 83.9% of population; urban: 14.5% of population; rural: 20.5% of population; total: 16.1% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$164.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $152.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$115.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $105.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-run Radio-Television Algerienne operates the broadcast media and carries programming in Arabic, Berber dialects, and French; use of satellite dishes is widespread, providing easy access to European and Arab satellite stations; state-run radio operates several national networks and roughly 40 regional radio stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :70.1% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.77% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$27.92 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $6.398 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$30.36 billion (31 December 2008); $28.59 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$60.91 billion (31 December 2008); $55.43 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "8% (31 December 2014 est.); 8% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "4% (31 December 2010); 4% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.3% of GDP (2008)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :14 years; male: :14 years; female: :14 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :5.72 cu km/yr (26%/16%/58%); per capita: :182 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "11.67 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$1.955 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.865 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$27.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $24.97 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Algeria is a transit and, to a lesser extent, a destination and source country for women subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking and, to a lesser extent, men subjected to forced labor; criminal networks, sometimes extending to sub-Saharan Africa and to Europe, are involved in human smuggling and trafficking in Algeria; sub-Saharan adults enter Algeria voluntarily but illegally, often with the aid of smugglers, for onward travel to Europe, but some of the women are forced into prostitution, domestic service, and begging; some sub-Saharan men, mostly from Mali, are forced into domestic servitude; some Algerian women and children are also forced into prostitution domestically; tier rating: :Tier 3 - Algeria does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so: some officials denied human trafficking despite evidence; no efforts were made to investigate, prosecute, or convict perpetrators of human trafficking or forced labor; victim identification remained weak, and no system existed to provide victims with protection and assistance; no anti-trafficking public awareness or educational campaigns were conducted (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$227.8 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :90,000 (Western Saharan Sahrawi, mostly living in Algerian-sponsored camps in the southwestern Algerian town of Tindouf)(2014); IDPs: :undetermined (civil war during 1990s) (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$193.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $195 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$2.117 billion (2014 est.); $542.8 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "7.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 7.1% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover central government debt; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "676 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :27.3 years; male: :27 years; female: :27.5 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "35.3 (1995)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "1,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "25,200 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.1% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".dz", "INTERNET_USERS": "4.7 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "37.692 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "3.2 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Madjid BOUGUERRA (since 23 February 2015); chancery: :2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :New York", "AREA": "total: :2,381,741 sq km; land: :2,381,741 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "5,694 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :People's Democratic Republic of Algeria; conventional short form: :Algeria; local long form: :Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash Sha'biyah; local short form: :Al Jaza'ir; note: :the country name derives from the city of Algiers", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "9.7% (2014 est.); 9.8% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.78 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly high plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow, discontinuous coastal plain", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :privatization of Algeria's telecommunications sector began in 2000; three mobile cellular licenses have been issued and, in 2005, a consortium led by Egypt's Orascom Telecom won a 15-year license to build and operate a fixed-line network in Algeria; the license will allow Orascom to develop high-speed data and other specialized services and contribute to meeting the large unfulfilled demand for basic residential telephony; Internet broadband services began in 2003; domestic: :a limited network of fixed lines with a teledensity of less than 10 telephones per 100 persons has been offset by the rapid increase in mobile-cellular subscribership; in 2011, mobile-cellular teledensity was roughly 100 telephones per 100 persons; international: :country code - 213; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-4 fiber-optic submarine cable system that provides links to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia; microwave radio relay to Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; coaxial cable to Morocco and Tunisia; participant in Medarabtel; satellite earth stations - 51 (Intelsat, Intersputnik, and Arabsat) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "1% (2012 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :3,973 km; standard gauge: :2,888 km 1.435-m gauge (283 km electrified); narrow gauge: :1,085 km 1.055-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Djendjene, Jijel, Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda; LNG terminal(s) (export): :Bethioua, Skikida", "POPULATION": "38,813,722 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Algerian National Front or FNA [Moussa TOUATI; note: :a law banning political parties based on religion was enacted in March 1997", "PIPELINES": "condensate 2,600 km; gas 16,415 km; liquid petroleum gas 3,447 km; oil 7,036 km; refined products 144 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Algeria's economy remains dominated by the state, a legacy of the country's socialist postindependence development model. In recent years the Algerian Government has halted the privatization of state-owned industries and imposed restrictions on imports and foreign involvement in its economy. Hydrocarbons have long been the backbone of the economy, accounting for roughly 60% of budget revenues, 30% of GDP, and over 95% of export earnings. Algeria has the 10th-largest reserves of natural gas in the world and is the sixth-largest gas exporter. It ranks 16th in oil reserves. Strong revenues from hydrocarbon exports have brought Algeria relative macroeconomic stability, with foreign currency reserves approaching $200 billion and a large budget stabilization fund available for tapping. In addition, Algeria's external debt is extremely low at about 2% of GDP. However, Algeria has struggled to develop non-hydrocarbon industries because of heavy regulation and an emphasis on state-driven growth. The government's efforts have done little to reduce high youth unemployment rates or to address housing shortages. A wave of economic protests in February and March 2011 prompted the Algerian Government to offer more than $23 billion in public grants and retroactive salary and benefit increases, moves which continue to weigh on public finances. Long-term economic challenges include diversifying the economy away from its reliance on hydrocarbon exports, bolstering the private sector, attracting foreign investment, and providing adequate jobs for younger Algerians.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "The Algerian Human Rights League or LADDH [Noureddine BENISSAD; SOS Disparus [Nacera DUTOUR; Youth Action Rally or RAJ", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "largest country in Africa", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Algerian(s); adjective: :Algerian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Revolution Day, 1 November (1954)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :38; by type: :bulk carrier 6, cargo 8, chemical tanker 3, liquefied gas 11, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 4, roll on/roll off 3; foreign-owned: :15 (UK, 15) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BIS, CAEU, CD, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :32-52 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :10,273,129; females age 16-49: :10,114,552 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :72.6%; male: :81.3%; female: :63.9% (2006 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :76.39 years; male: :75.12 years; female: :77.72 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament consists of the Council of the Nation (144 seats; one-third of members appointed by the president, two-thirds indirectly elected by simple majority vote by an electoral college composed of local council members; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years) and the National People's Assembly (462 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms); elections: :Council of the Nation - last held on 29 December 2012 (next to be held in December 2017); National People's Assembly - last held on 10 May 2012 (next to be held in 2017); election results: :Council of the Nation election of 29 December 2009 - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; National People's Assembly election of 10 May 2012 - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 221, RND 70, AAV 47, FFS 21, PT 17, FNA 9, El Adala 7, MPA 6, PFJ 5, FC 4, PNSD 4, other 32, independent 19", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of French civil law and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various public officials including several Supreme Court justices", "LANGUAGES": "Arabic (official), French (lingua franca), Berber dialects: Kabylie Berber (Tamazight), Chaouia Berber (Tachawit), Mzab Berber, Tuareg Berber (Tamahaq)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :3.17%; permanent crops: :0.39%; other: :96.45% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :6,734 km; border countries: :Libya 989 km, Mali 1,359 km, Mauritania 460 km, Morocco 1,900 km, Niger 951 km, Tunisia 1,034 km, Western Sahara 41 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "12.19 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of 150 judges organized into four divisions: civil and commercial; social security and labor; criminal; and administrative; Constitutional Council (consists of 9 members including the court president); note - Algeria's judicial system does not include sharia courts; judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges appointed by the High Council of Magistracy, an administrative body presided over by the president of the republic, and includes the republic vice-president and several members; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Council members - 3 appointed by the president of the republic, 2 each by the two houses of the Parliament, 1 by the Supreme Court, and 1 by the Council of State; Council president and members appointed for single 6-year terms with half of the membership renewed every 3 years; subordinate courts: :appellate or wilaya courts; first instance or daira tribunals", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.5% (2014 est.); 3.2% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :21.76 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :23.54 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :19.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical, petrochemical, food processing", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.8% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "5 July 1962 (from France)", "IMPORTS": "$55.36 billion (2014 est.); $55.37 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :113,655 km; paved: :87,605 km (includes 645 km of expressways); unpaved: :26,050 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white; a red, five-pointed star within a red crescent centered over the two-color boundary; the colors represent Islam (green), purity and peace (white), and liberty (red); the crescent and star are also Islamic symbols, but the crescent is more closed than those of other Muslim countries because the Algerians believe the long crescent horns bring happiness", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$4.872 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.285 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$62.1 billion (2014 est.); $64.38 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA (since 28 April 1999); head of government: :Prime Minister Abdelmalek SELLAL (since 28 April 2014); cabinet: :Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president; note - on 5 May 2014, a new cabinet was announced; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held on 17 April 2014 (next to be held in April 2019); election results: :Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA reelected president for a fourth term; percent of vote - Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA 81.5%, Ali BENFLIS 12.2%, Abdelaziz ELAID 3.4%, other 2.9%; voter turnout - 51.7%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Algerian dinars (DZD) per US dollar -; 79.6 (2014 est.); 79.37 (2013 est.); 77.54 (2012 est.); 72.94 (2011 est.); 74.39 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%; note: :although almost all Algerians are Berber in origin (not Arab), only a minority identify themselves as Berber, about 15% of the total population; these people live mostly in the mountainous region of Kabylie east of Algiers; the Berbers are also Muslim but identify with their Berber rather than Arab cultural heritage; Berbers have long agitated, sometimes violently, for autonomy; the government is unlikely to grant autonomy but has offered to begin sponsoring teaching Berber language in schools", "DEATH_RATE": "4.31 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "adopted 8 September 1963; amended several times, last in 2008 to remove presidential term limits (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "France 15.1%, China 11.6%, Italy 10.8%, Spain 9.8%, Germany 4.6% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "998 km", "CLIMATE": "arid to semiarid; mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers along coast; drier with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau; sirocco is a hot, dust/sand-laden wind especially common in summer", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods", "CAPITAL": "name: :Algiers; geographic coordinates: :36 45 N, 3 03 E; time difference: :UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$79.53 billion; expenditures: :$89.21 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "People's National Army (Armee Nationale Populaire, ANP), Land Forces (Forces Terrestres, FT), Navy of the Republic of Algeria (Marine de la Republique Algerienne, MRA), Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Jaza'eriya, QJJ), Territorial Air Defense Force (2009)", "BIRTH_RATE": "23.99 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "157 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits; sheep, cattle", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "48 provinces (wilayas, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Ain Defla, Ain Temouchent, Alger, Annaba, Batna, Bechar, Bejaia, Biskra, Blida, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Bouira, Boumerdes, Chlef, Constantine, Djelfa, El Bayadh, El Oued, El Tarf, Ghardaia, Guelma, Illizi, Jijel, Khenchela, Laghouat, Mascara, Medea, Mila, Mostaganem, M'Sila, Naama, Oran, Ouargla, Oum el Bouaghi, Relizane, Saida, Setif, Sidi Bel Abbes, Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanrasset, Tebessa, Tiaret, Tindouf, Tipaza, Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Spain 20.2%, France 9.3%, UK 8.8%, US 8.1%, Netherlands 6.9%, Canada 6%, Brazil 5.6%, Germany 4.3%, Italy 4.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum, natural gas, and petroleum products 97% (2009 est.)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :14%; industry: :13.4%; construction and public works: :10%; trade: :14.6%; government: :32%; other: :16% (2003 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.8%; highest 10%: :26.8% (1995)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "23% (2006 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "4.48% of GDP (2012); 4.36% of GDP (2011); 4.48% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "soil erosion from overgrazing and other poor farming practices; desertification; dumping of raw sewage, petroleum refining wastes, and other industrial effluents is leading to the pollution of rivers and coastal waters; Mediterranean Sea, in particular, becoming polluted from oil wastes, soil erosion, and fertilizer runoff; inadequate supplies of potable water", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :93; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :18; 914 to 1,523 m: :39; 34 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :64; over 3,047 m: :12; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :29; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :17; 914 to 1,523 m: :5; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "After more than a century of rule by France, Algerians fought through much of the 1950s to achieve independence in 1962. Algeria's primary political party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), was established in 1954 as part of the struggle for independence and has largely dominated politics since. The Government of Algeria in 1988 instituted a multi-party system in response to public unrest, but the surprising first round success of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in the December 1991 balloting led the Algerian army to intervene and postpone the second round of elections to prevent what the secular elite feared would be an extremist-led government from assuming power. The army began a crackdown on the FIS that spurred FIS supporters to begin attacking government targets. Fighting escalated into an insurgency, which saw intense violence from 1992-98, resulting in over 100,000 deaths - many attributed to indiscriminate massacres of villagers by extremists. The government gained the upper hand by the late-1990s, and FIS's armed wing, the Islamic Salvation Army, disbanded in January 2000. Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA, with the backing of the military, won the presidency in 1999 in an election widely viewed as fraudulent. He was reelected to a second term in 2004 and overwhelmingly won a third term in 2009, after the government amended the constitution in 2008 to remove presidential term limits. Longstanding problems continue to face BOUTEFLIKA, including large-scale unemployment, a shortage of housing, unreliable electrical and water supplies, government inefficiencies and corruption, and the continuing activities of extremist militants.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :342,895; female: :330,098 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :8,622,897; females age 16-49: :8,626,222 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "17 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; 19-30 years of age for compulsory service; conscript service obligation is 18 months (6 months basic training, 12 months civil projects) (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides and floods in rainy season", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Chott Melrhir -40 m; highest point: :Tahat 3,003 m", "HELIPORTS": "3 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.84 male(s)/female; total population: :1.03 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "46 (plus 216 repeaters) (1995)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 25, FM 1, shortwave 8 (1999)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :8.6%; industry: :48.3%; services: :43.1% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "28 00 N, 3 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :28.4% (male 5,641,148/female 5,378,207); 15-24 years: :17.4% (male 3,451,069/female 3,291,166); 25-54 years: :42.8% (male 8,398,770/female 8,209,634); 55-64 years: :6.2% (male 1,230,865/female 1,186,832); 65 years and over: :5.2% (male 931,769/female 1,094,262) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "American Samoa", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (territory of the US)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US; administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior", "AFFILIATION": "(territory of the US)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$8,000 (2007 est.); $5,800 (2005 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3% (2003)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.35% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$575.3 million (2007 est.); $510.1 million (2003 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "607,000 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "2,003 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "4,090 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "45,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "144.2 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "155 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "a fue (coconut fiber fly whisk) crossed with a to'oto'o (staff); national colors: red, white, blue", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "74.6% (2007)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-6.1% of GDP (2007 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "33.6% of GDP (2007 est.)", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "PAGO PAGO (capital) 48,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Amerika Samoa\" (American Samoa); lyrics/music: :Mariota Tiumalu TUIASOSOPO/Napoleon Andrew TUITELELEAPAGA; note: :local anthem adopted 1950; as a territory of the United States, \"The Star-Spangled Banner\" is official (see United States)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 62.5% of population; rural: 62.5% of population; total: 62.5% of population; urban: 37.5% of population; rural: 37.5% of population; total: 37.5% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "3 TV stations; multi-channel pay TV services are available; about a dozen radio stations, some of which are repeater stations (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :87.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :-0.13% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$462.2 million (2005)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "2,387 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :28.3 years; male: :28.8 years; female: :27.8 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".as", "INTERNET_USERS": "NA", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "10,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (territory of the US)", "AREA": "total: :199 sq km; land: :199 sq km; water: :0 sq km; note: :includes Rose Island and Swains Island", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Commonwealth of Australia; conventional short form: :Australia; abbreviation: :AS; note: :the name Australia is derived from the Latin \"australis\" meaning southern; the Australian landmass was long referred to as \"Terra Australis\" or the Southern Land", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the US", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "29.8% (2005)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "NA", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.98 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island)", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :good telex, telegraph, facsimile, and cellular telephone services; domestic: :domestic satellite system with 1 Comsat earth station; international: :country code - 1-684; satellite earth station - 1 (Intelsat-Pacific Ocean)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant and other 30%", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Pago Pago", "POPULATION": "54,517 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Democratic Party [Oreta M. TOGAFAU; Republican Party [Tautai A. F. FAALEVAO", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "American Samoa has a traditional Polynesian economy in which more than 90% of the land is communally owned. Economic activity is strongly linked to the US with which American Samoa conducts most of its commerce. Tuna fishing and tuna processing plants are the backbone of the private sector with canned tuna the primary export. The two tuna canneries account for 80% of employment. In late September 2009, an earthquake and the resulting tsunami devastated American Samoa and nearby Samoa, disrupting transportation and power generation, and resulting in about 200 deaths. The US Federal Emergency Management Agency is overseeing a relief program of nearly $25 million. Transfers from the US Government add substantially to American Samoa's economic well-being. Attempts by the government to develop a larger and broader economy are restrained by Samoa's remote location, its limited transportation, and its devastating hurricanes. Tourism is a promising developing sector.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Population Pressure LAS (addresses the growing population pressures)", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "Pago Pago has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the South Pacific Ocean, sheltered by shape from rough seas and protected by peripheral mountains from high winds; strategic location in the South Pacific Ocean", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-21.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "pumice, pumicite", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :American Samoan(s) (US nationals); adjective: :American Samoan", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Flag Day, 17 April (1900)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "AOSIS (observer), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, PIF (observer), SPC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :74.91 years; male: :71.96 years; female: :78.04 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Fono or Legislative Assembly consists of the Senate (18 seats; members indirectly selected by regional governing councils to serve 4-year terms) and the House of Representatives (21 seats; 20 members directly elected by simple majority vote and 1 decided by public meeting on Swains Island; members serve 2-year terms) ; elections: :House of Representatives - last held on 4 November 2014 (next to be held in November 2016); Senate - last held on 6 November 2012 (next to be held in November 2016); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independents 18; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independents 20; note: :American Samoa elects 1 member by simple majority vote to serve a 2-year term as a delegate to the US House of Representatives; the delegate can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House, but not when legislation is submitted for a �full floor� House vote; election of delegate last held on 4 November 2014 (next to be held on November 2016)", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of US common law and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "Samoan 88.6% (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages), English 3.9%, Tongan 2.7%, other Pacific islander 3%, other 1.8%; note: :most people are bilingual (2010 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :15%; permanent crops: :9.5%; other: :75.5% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "17,630 (2005)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :High Court of American Samoa (consists of the chief justice, associate chief justice, and 6 Samoan associate judges and organized into trial, family, drug, and appellate divisions); note - American Samoa has no US federal courts; judge selection and term of office: :chief justice and associate chief justice appointed by the US Secretary of the Interior to serve for life; Samoan associate judges appointed by the governor to serve for life; subordinate courts: :district and village courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "NA%", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :8.92 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :11.47 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :6.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tuna canneries (largely supplied by foreign fishing vessels), handicrafts", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (territory of the US)", "IMPORTS": "$308.8 million (FY04 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :241 km (2008)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "blue, with a white triangle edged in red that is based on the fly side and extends to the hoist side; a brown and white American bald eagle flying toward the hoist side is carrying two traditional Samoan symbols of authority, a war club known as a \"fa'alaufa'i\" (upper; left talon), and a coconut fiber fly whisk known as a \"fue\" (lower; right talon); the combination of symbols broadly mimics that seen on the US Great Seal and reflects the relationship between the United States and American Samoa", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 October - 30 September", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$NA", "EXPORTS": "$445.6 million (FY04 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Barack H. OBAMA (since 20 January 2009); Vice President Joseph R. BIDEN (since 20 January 2009); head of government: :Governor Lolo Matalasi MOLIGA (since 3 January 2013); cabinet: :Cabinet made up of 12 department directors; elections: :under the US Constitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such as American Samoa, do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; however, they may vote in Democratic and Republican presidential primary elections; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held on 6 November 2012 with a runoff held on 20 November 2012 (next to be held in November 2016); election results: :runoff election percent of vote - Lolo Matalasi MOLIGA 52.9%, Faoa Aitofele SUNIA 47.1%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "the US dollar is used", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander 92.6% (includes Samoan 88.9%, Tongan 2.9%, other .8%), Asian 3.6% (includes Filipino 2.2%, other 1.4%), mixed 2.7%, other 1.2% (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "4.68 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "ratified 2 June 1966, effective 1 July 1967 (2013)", "COASTLINE": "116 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds; annual rainfall averages about 3 m; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October); little seasonal temperature variation", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "raw materials for canneries, food, petroleum products, machinery and parts", "CAPITAL": "name: :Pago Pago; geographic coordinates: :14 16 S, 170 42 W; time difference: :UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$155.4 million; expenditures: :$183.6 million (2007 est.)", "BIRTH_RATE": "22.87 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "3 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples, papayas; dairy products, livestock", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three districts and two islands* at the second order; Eastern, Manu'a, Rose Island*, Swains Island*, Western", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "canned tuna 93%", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "limited natural freshwater resources; the water division of the government has spent substantial funds in the past few years to improve water catchments and pipelines", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :3; over 3,047 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Settled as early as 1000 B.C., Samoa was not reached by European explorers until the 18th century. International rivalries in the latter half of the 19th century were settled by an 1899 treaty in which Germany and the US divided the Samoan archipelago. The US formally occupied its portion - a smaller group of eastern islands with the excellent harbor of Pago Pago - the following year.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :775; female: :762 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :14,562; females age 16-49: :14,129 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "typhoons common from December to March; volcanism: :limited volcanic activity on the Ofu and Olosega Islands; neither has erupted since the 19th century", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Lata Mountain 964 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :0.96 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.86 male(s)/female; total population: :1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (2006)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2005)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :NA%; industry: :NA%; services: :NA%", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "14 20 S, 170 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :24.9% (male 6,671/female 6,917); 15-24 years: :20.2% (male 5,468/female 5,565); 25-54 years: :41.7% (male 11,694/female 11,056); 55-64 years: :8.2% (male 2,211/female 2,260); 65 years and over: :4.9% (male 1,234/female 1,441) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Andorra", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "the US does not have an embassy in Andorra; the US Ambassador to Spain is accredited to Andorra; US interests in Andorra are represented by the US Consulate General's office in Barcelona (Spain); mailing address: Paseo Reina Elisenda de Montcada, 23, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; telephone: [34", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$37,200 (2011 est.); $37,700 (2010 est.); $37,900 (2009 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "-1.6% (2012 est.); -0.4% (2011 est.); -1.9% (2010 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.17% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$3.163 billion (2012 est.); $3.214 billion (2011 est.); $3.227 billion (2010 est.); note: :data are in 2012 US dollars", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "23.3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "61.3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "520,000 kW (2010 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "562.4 million kWh (2012)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "91.24 million kWh (2011)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "national colors: blue, yellow, red", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "25.2% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.5 beds/1,000 population (2009)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3.7 physicians/1,000 population (2003)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "8.3% of GDP (2012)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-0.3% of GDP (2012)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "21.4% of GDP (2012)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "___no_INTERNATIONAL LAW ORGANIZATION PARTICIPATION__provided__", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "ANDORRA LA VELLA (capital) 23,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"El Gran Carlemany\" (The Great Charlemagne); lyrics/music: :Joan BENLLOCH i VIVO/Enric MARFANY BONS; note: :adopted 1921; the anthem provides a brief history of Andorra in a first person narrative", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 public TV station and 2 public radio stations; about 10 commercial radio stations; good reception of radio and TV broadcasts from stations in France and Spain; upgraded to terrestrial digital TV broadcasting in 2007; roughly 25 international TV channels available (2012)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :85.6% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.14% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$4.8 billion (2012 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "41.1% of GDP (2012); 37.7% of GDP (2011)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "28,383 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :42.4 years; male: :42.6 years; female: :42.2 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ad", "INTERNET_USERS": "67,100 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "65,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "39,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Narcis CASAL de Fonsdeviela (since 2 November 2009); chancery: :2 United Nations Plaza, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10017; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s): :San Diego", "AREA": "total: :468 sq km; land: :468 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Southwestern Europe, Pyrenees mountains, on the border between France and Spain", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Principality of Andorra; conventional short form: :Andorra; local long form: :Principat d'Andorra; local short form: :Andorra", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of France and Spain", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "4% (2012 est.); 1.9% (2011 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains as its chiefs of state a co-principality; the two princes are the President of France and Bishop of Urgell, whose diocese is located in neighboring Spain; both co-princes maintain offices and representatives in Andorra", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.38 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "rugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modern automatic telephone system; domestic: :modern system with microwave radio relay connections between exchanges; international: :country code - 376; landline circuits to France and Spain (2012)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic (predominant)", "POPULATION": "85,458 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "there is one coalition and three political parties at the national level:; Citizen's Party or IC and Independent's Party [Pere Lopez AGRASI; Democrats for Andorra or DA [Antoni MARTI PETIT; Greens of Andorra or VA [Isabel LOZANO MUNOZ; Liberal Party or PLA [Josep Pintat FORNE; Social Democratic Progress Party or PDS [Victo Naudi ZAMORA; note: :there are also several smaller parties at the Parish level (one is Lauredian Union)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Tourism, retail sales, and finance are the mainstays of Andorra's tiny, well-to-do economy, accounting for more than three-quarters of GDP. Andorra's duty-free status for some products and its summer and winter resorts attract millions of visitors annually, although the economic downturn in neighboring countries has curtailed the number of tourists. Andorra's comparative advantage as a tax haven eroded when the borders of neighboring France and Spain opened; its bank secrecy laws have been relaxed under pressure from the EU and OECD. Agricultural production is limited - only 5% of the land is arable - and most food has to be imported, making the economy vulnerable to changes in fuel and food prices. The principal livestock is sheep. Manufacturing output and exports consist mainly of perfumes and cosmetic products, products of the printing industry, electrical machinery and equipment, clothing, tobacco products, and furniture. Andorra is a member of the EU Customs Union and is treated as an EU member for trade in manufactured goods (no tariffs) and as a non-EU member for agricultural products. Andorra uses the euro and is effectively subject to the monetary policy of the European Central Bank. Slower growth in Spain and France has dimmed Andorra's economic prospects. Since 2010, a drop in tourism contributed to a contraction in GDP and a sharp deterioration of public finances, prompting the government to begin implementing several austerity measures to reduce the budget deficit, including levying a special corporate tax. The Government is also planning to institute an income tax at the behest of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The new tax will apply to anyone who lives in the principality for at least 183 days in a calendar year. The first $30,000 of income will be tax free, with the next $20,000 taxed at 5%. The balance of income exceeding the initial $50,000 will be taxed at 10%, which is still less than in most West European countries. Andorra�s Government also relaxed its residency and investment laws in 2012 to make the country more attractive to foreign investors. A person now must spend 90 days a year in the principality to qualify for residency, compared with the previous 180-day requirement. Foreigners now have the same property ownership rights as citizens. In addition, three new categories of residency permits were introduced. Anyone who is retired or at least not working in Andorra can obtain a permit in the first category by making a financial investment in the country of at least �400,000, which can include a property purchase.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; straddles a number of important crossroads in the Pyrenees", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "hydropower, mineral water, timber, iron ore, lead", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Andorran(s); adjective: :Andorran", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Our Lady of Meritxell Day, 8 September (1278)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "CE, FAO, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, Union Latina, UNWTO, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WTO (observer)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :22,390 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :82.65 years; male: :80.51 years; female: :84.92 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral General Council of the Valleys or Consell General de las Valls (a minimum of 28 seats; 14 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies (parishes) by simple majority vote and 14 directly elected in a single national constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); note - each voter casts two separate ballots - one for a national list and one for a parish list; elections: :last held on 1 March 2015 (next to be held in April 2019); election results: :seats by party - percent of vote by party: DA 37%, PLA 27.7%, coalition 23.5%, SDP 12%; seats by party: DA 15, PLA 8, coalition 3, SDP 2", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "___no_LEGAL SYSTEM__provided__", "LANGUAGES": "Catalan (official), French, Castilian, Portuguese", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :5.11%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :94.89% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :118 km; border countries: :France 55 km, Spain 63 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "36,060 (2012)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Justice of Andorra or Tribunal Superior de la Justicia d'Andorra (consists of the court president and 8 judges organized into civil, criminal, and administrative chambers); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 4 magistrates); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court president and judges appointed by the Supreme Council of Justice, a 5-member judicial policy and administrative body appointed 1 each by the co-princes, 1 by the General Council, 1 by the executive council president, and 1 by the courts; judges serve 6-year renewable terms; Constitutional magistrates appointed 2 by the co-princes and 2 by the General Council; magistrates' appointments limited to two consecutive 8-year terms; subordinate courts: :Tribunal of Judges or Tribunal de Batlles; Tribunal of the Courts or Tribunal de Corts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.1% (2012 est.); -2.5% (2011 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :3.69 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :3.68 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :3.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism (particularly skiing), banking, timber, furniture", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "INDEPENDENCE": "1278 (formed under the joint sovereignty of the French Count of Foix and the Spanish Bishop of Urgell)", "IMPORTS": "$1.43 billion (2012 est.); $1.501 billion (2011 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :320 km (2008)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red, with the national coat of arms centered in the yellow band; the latter band is slightly wider than the other two so that the ratio of band widths is 8:9:8; the coat of arms features a quartered shield with the emblems of (starting in the upper left and proceeding clockwise): Urgell, Foix, Bearn, and Catalonia; the motto reads VIRTUS UNITA FORTIOR (Strength United is Stronger); the flag combines the blue and red French colors with the red and yellow of Spain to show Franco-Spanish protection; note: :similar to the flags of Chad and Romania, which do not have a national coat of arms in the center, and the flag of Moldova, which does bear a national emblem", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$NA", "EXPORTS": "$70 million (2012 est.); $72 million (2011 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :French Co-Prince Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012); represented by Thierry LATASTE (since 5 January 2015) and Spanish Coprince Archbishop Joan-Enric VIVES i Sicilia (since 12 May 2003); represented by Josep Maria MAUN (since 20 July 2012); head of government: :Head of Government (or Cap de Govern) Antoni MARTI PETIT (since 12 May 2011); cabinet: :Executive Council of nine ministers designated by the Head of Government; elections: :Head of Government elected by the General Council (Andorran Parliament) and formally appointed by the co-princes for a four-year term; election last held on 3 April 2011 (next to be held in April 2015); election results: :Antoni MARTI PETIT was elected Head of Government; percent of General Council vote - 79%; note - the leader of the party which wins a majority of seats in the General Council is usually elected Head of Government", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.75 (2014 est.); 0.76 (2013 est.); 0.78 (2012 est.); 0.72 (2011 est.); 0.76 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Andorran 49%, Spanish 24.6%, Portuguese 14.3%, French 3.9%, other 8.2% (2012 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "6.82 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "drafted 1991, approved by referendum 14 March 1993, effective 28 April 1993 (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "temperate; snowy, cold winters and warm, dry summers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "consumer goods, food, fuel, electricity", "CAPITAL": "name: :Andorra la Vella; geographic coordinates: :42 30 N, 1 31 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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.029 billion; expenditures: :$1.041 billion (2012)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces, Police Service of Andorra (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "8.48 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "small quantities of rye, wheat, barley, oats, vegetables, tobacco; sheep, cattle", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "7 parishes (parroquies, singular - parroquia); Andorra la Vella, Canillo, Encamp, Escaldes-Engordany, La Massana, Ordino, Sant Julia de Loria", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "tobacco products, furniture", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :0.4%; industry: :4.7%; services: :94.9% (2010)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; overgrazing of mountain meadows contributes to soil erosion; air pollution; wastewater treatment and solid waste disposal", "BACKGROUND": "The landlocked Principality of Andorra is one of the smallest states in Europe, nestled high in the Pyrenees between the French and Spanish borders. For 715 years, from 1278 to 1993, Andorrans lived under a unique co-principality, ruled by French and Spanish leaders (from 1607 onward, the French chief of state and the Bishop of Urgell). In 1993, this feudal system was modified with the introduction of a modern, constitution; the co-princes remained as titular heads of state, but the government transformed into a parliamentary democracy. Andorra has become a popular tourist destination visited by approximately ten million people each year drawn by the winter sports, summer climate, and duty-free shopping. Andorra has also become a wealthy international commercial center because of its mature banking sector and low taxes. As part of its effort to modernize its economy, Andorra has opened to foreign investment, and engaged in other reforms, such as advancing tax initiatives aimed at supporting a broader infrastructure. Although not a member of the European Union (EU), Andorra enjoys a special relationship with the EU and uses the euro as its national currency.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :397; female: :347 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :17,977; females age 16-49: :17,069 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "2.5 times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "avalanches", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Riu Runer 840 m; highest point: :Pic de Coma Pedrosa 2,946 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.07 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.08 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :1 male(s)/female; total population: :1.07 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (2009)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 0 (easy access to radio and television broadcasts originating in France and Spain) (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :14%; industry: :79%; services: :6% (2011 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "42 30 N, 1 30 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :15.3% (male 6,708/female 6,379); 15-24 years: :9.2% (male 4,078/female 3,766); 25-54 years: :48.7% (male 21,395/female 20,231); 55-64 years: :12.5% (male 5,756/female 4,957); 65 years and over: :14.3% (male 6,145/female 6,043) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Angola", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Helen Meagher LA LIME (15 May 2014); embassy: :number 32 Rua Houari Boumedienne (in the Miramar area of Luanda), Luanda; mailing address: :international mail: Caixa Postal 6468, Luanda; pouch: US Embassy Luanda, US Department of State, 2550 Luanda Place, Washington, DC 20521-2550; telephone: :[244; FAX: :[244", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$8,200 (2014 est.); $8,100 (2013 est.); $7,800 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.9% (2014 est.); 6.8% (2013 est.); 5.2% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.78% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$175.5 billion (2014 est.); $168.9 billion (2013 est.); $158.1 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :98.7%; youth dependency ratio: :93.9%; elderly dependency ratio: :4.8%; potential support ratio: :21% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "18.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 20.2% of GDP (2013 est.); 26.6% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :49.7%; government consumption: :20.6%; investment in fixed capital: :11.9%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :59.5%; imports of goods and services: :-41.7%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "17.7% (2008/09)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "18 (2008/09 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :832,895; percentage: :24% (2001 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "31.61 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "275 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "760 million cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "760 million cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "55,740 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "17,750 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "133,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "38,760 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "9.06 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "1.928 million bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "1.89 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "60.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "39.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "1.657 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "4.875 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "5.512 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Palanca Negra Gigante (giant black sable antelope); red, black, yellow", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "6.4% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.8 beds/1,000 population (2005)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.17 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "3.5% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "15.6% (2007)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "450 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-4.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "39.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "___no_INTERNATIONAL LAW ORGANIZATION PARTICIPATION__provided__", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "LUANDA (capital) 5.288 million; Huambo 1.204 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Angola Avante\" (Forward Angola); lyrics/music: :Manuel Rui Alves MONTEIRO/Rui Alberto Vieira Dias MINGAO; note: :adopted 1975", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 86.8% of population; rural: 20.1% of population; total: 60.1% of population; urban: 13.2% of population; rural: 79.9% of population; total: 39.9% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 67.6% of population; rural: 34.3% of population; total: 54.3% of population; urban: 32.4% of population; rural: 65.7% of population; total: 45.7% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$51.71 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $45.06 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$29.55 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $26.52 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state controls all broadcast media with nationwide reach; state-owned Televisao Popular de Angola (TPA) provides terrestrial TV service on 2 channels; a third TPA channel is available via cable and satellite; TV subscription services are available; state-owned Radio Nacional de Angola (RNA) broadcasts on 5 stations; about a half dozen private radio stations broadcast locally (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :43.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :4.97% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$24.16 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $23.33 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$10.41 billion (31 December 2008); $7.216 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$8.446 billion (31 December 2008); $4.153 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "15.2% (31 December 2014 est.); 15.8% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "9% (31 December 2014); 25% (31 December 2010)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.5% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :11 years; male: :14 years; female: :9 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.71 cu km/yr (45%/34%/21%); per capita: :40.27 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "148 cu km (2011)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$16 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $12.87 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$8.561 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.137 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Angola is a source and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor in agriculture, fishing, construction, domestic service, and diamond mining; some Angolan girls are forced into domestic prostitution, while some Angolan boys are taken to Namibia as forced laborers; women and children are also forced into domestic service in South Africa, Namibia, and European countries; Vietnamese, Brazilian, and Chinese women are trafficked to Angola for prostitution, while Chinese, Southeast Asian, Namibian, and possibly Congolese migrants are subjected to forced labor in Angola�s construction industry; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Angola does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government has written but not implemented a plan to bring itself into compliance with the minimum standards for eliminating trafficking and amended the penal code to include prohibitions against human trafficking; authorities investigated two suspected trafficking cases in 2013, leading to one arrest, but have not vigorously prosecuted trafficking offenses and have never convicted a perpetrator; no actions were taken against officials allegedly complicit in human trafficking; the government failed to systematically investigate forced labor in the construction sector, despite years of reported abuses; victim identification efforts remained inadequate, and protective services were not provided (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$131.4 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :21,104 (Democratic Republic of Congo) (2014)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever, malaria; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$33.59 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $32.78 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$4.3 billion (2014 est.); $8.348 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "13.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 15% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "20,703 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :17.9 years; male: :17.7 years; female: :18.1 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "11,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "252,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "2.35% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ao", "INTERNET_USERS": "606,700 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "9.8 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "303,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Agostinho Tavares da Silva NETO (since 18 November 2014); chancery: :2100-2108 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Houston, New York", "AREA": "total: :1,246,700 sq km; land: :1,246,700 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "855.3 sq km (2005)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Angola; conventional short form: :Angola; local long form: :Republica de Angola; local short form: :Angola; former: :People's Republic of Angola; note: :name derived by the Portuguese from the title \"ngola\" held by kings of the Ndongo (Ndongo was a kingdom in what is now northern Angola)", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic; multiparty presidential regime", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "5.43 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :limited system; state-owned telecom had monopoly for fixed-lines until 2005; demand outstripped capacity, prices were high, and services poor; Telecom Namibia, through an Angolan company, became the first private licensed operator in Angola's fixed-line telephone network; by 2010, the number of fixed-line providers had expanded to 5; Angola Telecom established mobile-cellular service in Luanda in 1993 and the network has been extended to larger towns; a privately owned, mobile-cellular service provider began operations in 2001; domestic: :about two fixed-lines per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity about 50 telephones per 100 persons in 2011; international: :country code - 244; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 29 (2009)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "indigenous beliefs 47%, Roman Catholic 38%, Protestant 15% (1998 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :2,764 km; narrow gauge: :2,641 km 1.067-m gauge; 123 km 0.600-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Cabinda, Lobito, Luanda, Namibe", "POPULATION": "19,088,106; note: :preliminary results from Angola's 2014 national census estimate the country's population to be 24.3 million (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Broad Convergence for the Salvation of Angola Electoral Coalition or CASA-CE [Abel CHIVUKUVUKU; National Front for the Liberation of Angola or FNLA [Lucas NGONDA; National Union for the Total Independence of Angola or UNITA [Isaias SAMAKUVA; Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola or MPLA [Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS; Social Renewal Party or PRS [Eduardo KUANGANA; note: :4 other parties qualified to participate in the national election in August 2012", "PIPELINES": "gas 352 km; liquid petroleum gas 85 km; oil 1,065 km; oil/gas/water 5 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Angola�s economy is overwhelmingly driven by its oil sector. Oil production and its supporting activities contribute about 50% of GDP, more than 70% of government revenue, and more than 90% of the country�s exports. Diamonds contribute an additional 5% to exports. Subsistence agriculture provides the main livelihood for most of the people, but half of the country's food is still imported. Increased oil production supported growth averaging more than 17% per year from 2004 to 2008. A postwar reconstruction boom and resettlement of displaced persons has led to high rates of growth in construction and agriculture as well. Some of the country's infrastructure is still damaged or undeveloped from the 27-year-long civil war. However, the government since 2005 has used billions of dollars in credit lines from China, Brazil, Portugal, Germany, Spain, and the EU to help rebuild Angola's public infrastructure. Land mines left from the war still mar the countryside, and as a result, the national military, international partners, and private Angolan firms all continue to remove them. The global recession that started in 2008 stalled economic growth. In particular, lower prices for oil and diamonds during the global recession slowed GDP growth to 2.4% in 2009, and many construction projects stopped because Luanda accrued $9 billion in arrears to foreign construction companies when government revenue fell in 2008 and 2009. Angola formally abandoned its currency peg in 2009, and in November 2009 signed onto an IMF Stand-By Arrangement loan of $1.4 billion to rebuild international reserves. Consumer inflation declined from 325% in 2000 to less than 9% in 2014. n 2014, Depressed global oil prices in 2014 have reduced GDP growth and put significant pressure on the budget. Corruption, especially in the extractive sectors, also is a major challenge.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda or FLEC [N'zita Henriques TIAGO; note: :Flec's small-scale armed struggle for the independence of Cabinda Province persists despite the signing of a peace accord with the government in August 2006; Several factions of FLEC have broken off over the past 30 years, including the Flec-PM [Rodrigues MINGAS", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the province of Cabinda is an exclave, separated from the rest of the country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Angolan(s); adjective: :Angolan", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 11 November (1975)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :7; by type: :cargo 1, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1; foreign-owned: :1 (Spain 1); registered in other countries: :17 (Bahamas 6, Curacao 2, Cyprus 1, Liberia 1, Malta 7) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, CEMAC, CPLP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OPEC, SADC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :3,062,438; females age 16-49: :2,964,262 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :70.6%; male: :82.5%; female: :59.1% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :55.29 years; male: :54.16 years; female: :56.47 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (220 seats; members directly elected in a single national constituency and in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 31 August 2012 (next to be held in 2017); election results: :percent of vote by party - MPLA 71.8%, UNITA 18.7%, CASA-CE 6.0%, PRS 1.7%, FNLA 1.1%, other 0.7%; seats by party - MPLA 175, UNITA 32, CASA-CE 8, PRS 3, FNLA 2", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "___no_LEGAL SYSTEM__provided__", "LANGUAGES": "Portuguese (official), Bantu and other African languages", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :3.93%; permanent crops: :0.23%; other: :95.84% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :5,369 km; border countries: :Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,646 km (of which 225 km is the boundary of discontiguous Cabinda Province), Republic of the Congo 231 km, Namibia 1,427 km, Zambia 1,065 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "9.298 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Tribunal da Relacao (consists of the chief justice and 16 judges; Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 11 members); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges appointed by the president upon recommendation of the Supreme Judicial Council, an 18-member body presided over by the president; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges - 4 nominated by the president, 4 elected by National Assembly, 2 elected by Supreme National Council, 1 elected by competitive submission of curricula; judges serve single 7-year terms; subordinate courts: :provincial and municipal courts", "WATERWAYS": "1,300 km (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "7.5% (2014 est.); 8.8% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :79.99 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :83.74 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :76.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "petroleum; diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, feldspar, bauxite, uranium, and gold; cement; basic metal products; fish processing; food processing, brewing, tobacco products, sugar; textiles; ship repair", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.8% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "11 November 1975 (from Portugal)", "IMPORTS": "$28.05 billion (2014 est.); $26.09 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "used as a transshipment point for cocaine destined for Western Europe and other African states, particularly South Africa", "ROADWAYS": "total: :51,429 km; paved: :5,349 km; unpaved: :46,080 km (2001)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and black with a centered yellow emblem consisting of a five-pointed star within half a cogwheel crossed by a machete (in the style of a hammer and sickle); red represents liberty, black the African continent, the symbols characterize workers and peasants", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$22.93 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $22.41 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$69.46 billion (2014 est.); $67.14 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS (since 21 September 1979); Vice President Manuel Domingos VICENTE (since 26 September 2012); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS (since 21 September 1979); Vice President Manuel Domingos VICENTE (since 26 September 2012); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president; elections: :president indirectly elected by National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second consecutive or discontinuous term) under the 2010 constitution; note - according to the 2010 constitution, ballots are cast for parties rather than candidates, the majority leader is appointed president; following the results of the 2012 legislative elections DOS SANTOS became president (eligible for a second term); election results: :NA; as leader of the MPLA, Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS became president following legislative elections on 31 August 2012; DOS SANTOS was inaugurated on 26 September 2012 to serve the first of a possible two terms under the 2010 constitution", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "kwanza (AOA) per US dollar -; 98.15 (2014 est.); 96.5 (2013 est.); 95.47 (2012 est.); 93.74 (2011 est.); 91.91 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, mestico (mixed European and native African) 2%, European 1%, other 22%", "DEATH_RATE": "11.67 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1975, 1992; latest adopted 5 February 2010 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Portugal 19.5%, China 19.1%, US 7%, South Africa 6.9%, Brazil 6.1%, South Korea 6% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "1,600 km", "CLIMATE": "semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and electrical equipment, vehicles and spare parts; medicines, food, textiles, military goods", "CAPITAL": "name: :Luanda; geographic coordinates: :8 50 S, 13 13 E; time difference: :UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$51.51 billion; expenditures: :$57.7 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Angolan Armed Forces (Forcas Armadas Angolanas, FAA): Army, Navy (Marinha de Guerra Angola, MGA), Angolan National Air Force (Forca Aerea Nacional Angolana, FANA; under operational control of the Army) (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "38.97 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "176 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "bananas, sugarcane, coffee, sisal, corn, cotton, cassava (manioc, tapioca), tobacco, vegetables, plantains; livestock; forest products; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "18 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Bengo, Benguela, Bie, Cabinda, Cunene, Huambo, Huila, Kwando Kubango, Kwanza Norte, Kwanza Sul, Luanda, Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul, Malanje, Moxico, Namibe, Uige, Zaire", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 44.7%, US 12.3%, India 9.5%, South Africa 5.1%, Portugal 4.9%, Spain 4% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "crude oil, diamonds, refined petroleum products, coffee, sisal, fish and fish products, timber, cotton", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :85%; industry and services: :15% (2003 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :0.6%; highest 10%: :44.7% (2000)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "40.5% (2006 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "3.63% of GDP (2012); 3.5% of GDP (2011); 3.63% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "overuse of pastures and subsequent soil erosion attributable to population pressures; desertification; deforestation of tropical rain forest, in response to both international demand for tropical timber and to domestic use as fuel, resulting in loss of biodiversity; soil erosion contributing to water pollution and siltation of rivers and dams; inadequate supplies of potable water", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :145; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :3; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :31; 914 to 1,523 m: :66; 43 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :31; over 3,047 m: :7; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :8; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :12; 914 to 1,523 m: :4 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Angola is still rebuilding its country since the end of a 27-year civil war in 2002. Fighting between the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), led by Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS, and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), led by Jonas SAVIMBI, followed independence from Portugal in 1975. Peace seemed imminent in 1992 when Angola held national elections, but fighting picked up again in 1993. Up to 1.5 million lives may have been lost - and 4 million people displaced - during the more than a quarter century of fighting. SAVIMBI's death in 2002 ended UNITA's insurgency and cemented the MPLA's hold on power. President DOS SANTOS pushed through a new constitution in 2010; elections held in 2012 saw him installed as president. Angola assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2015-16 term.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :155,476; female: :152,054 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,546,781; females age 16-49: :1,492,308 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "20-45 years of age for compulsory male and 18-45 years for voluntary male military service (registration at age 18 is mandatory); 20-45 years of age for voluntary female service; conscript service obligation - 2 years; Angolan citizenship required; the Navy (MGA) is entirely staffed with volunteers (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than twice the size of Texas", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Moca 2,620 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.86 male(s)/female; total population: :1.02 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "6 (2000)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 21, FM 6, shortwave 7 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :10.2%; industry: :61.4%; services: :28.4% (2011 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "12 30 S, 18 30 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :43.2% (male 4,206,929/female 4,043,618); 15-24 years: :20.5% (male 1,992,955/female 1,923,932); 25-54 years: :29.3% (male 2,822,164/female 2,777,147); 55-64 years: :4% (male 370,181/female 389,885); 65 years and over: :2.9% (male 259,637/female 301,658) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Anguilla", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "overseas territory of the UK", "AFFILIATION": "(overseas territory of the UK)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$12,200 (2008 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "-8.5% (2009 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.06% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$175.4 million (2009 est.); $191.7 million (2008 est.); $108.9 million (2004 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :76.8%; government consumption: :19.2%; investment in fixed capital: :20.9%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :41.4%; imports of goods and services: :-58.3%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "43%; note: :percent of women aged 15-45 (2003)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "dolphin", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-0.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "36.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "THE VALLEY (capital) 1,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"God Bless Anguilla\"; lyrics/music: :Alex RICHARDSON; note: :local anthem adopted 1981; as a territory of the United Kingdom, \"God Save the Queen\" is official (see United Kingdom)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 97.9% of population; total: 97.9% of population; urban: 2.1% of population; total: 2.1% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 94.6% of population; total: 94.6% of population; urban: 5.4% of population; total: 5.4% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$393.3 million (31 December 2014 est.); $381.8 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$16.7 million (31 December 2014 est.); $15.95 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 private TV station; multi-channel cable TV subscription services are available; about 10 radio stations, one of which is government-owned (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :100% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.19% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$474.6 million (31 December 2014 est.); $460.4 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$449.5 million (31 December 2008); $470.1 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$21.12 million (31 December 2008); $23.57 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "8.9% (31 December 2014 est.); 9.08% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "6.5% (31 December 2010); 6.5% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.8% of GDP (2008)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :11 years; male: :11 years; female: :11 years (2008)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$175.4 million (2009 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$51.8 million (2014 est.); -$47.9 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "19.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 20.3% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "269 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :34.1 years; male: :32.4 years; female: :35.7 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ai", "INTERNET_USERS": "3,700 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "26,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "6,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "AREA": "total: :91 sq km; land: :91 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Anguilla; note: :the name Anguilla means \"eel\" in various Romance languages (Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French) and likely derives from the island's lengthy shape", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the UK", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "8% (2002)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "NA", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.75 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "flat and low-lying island of coral and limestone", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modern internal telephone system; domestic: :fixed-line teledensity is roughly 40 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 170 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 1-264; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber System submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; microwave radio relay to island of Saint Martin/Sint Maarten (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 83.3% (includes Anglican 29%, Methodist 23.9%, Pentecostal 7.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 7.6%, Church of God 7.6%, Baptist 7.3%, Presbytarian .2%), Roman Catholic 5.7%, other Christian 1.5%, other 5.1%, unspecified 0.3%, none 4% (2001 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Blowing Point, Road Bay", "POPULATION": "16,086 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Anguilla Progressive Party or APP [Brent DAVIS; Anguilla Strategic Alternative or ANSA [Edison BAIRD; Anguilla United Front or AUF [Osbourne FLEMING, Victor BANKS; Anguilla United Movement or AUM [Hubert HUGHES", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Anguilla has few natural resources, and the economy depends heavily on luxury tourism, offshore banking, lobster fishing, and remittances from emigrants. Increased activity in the tourism industry has spurred the growth of the construction sector contributing to economic growth. Anguillan officials have put substantial effort into developing the offshore financial sector, which is small but growing. In the medium term, prospects for the economy will depend largely on the tourism sector and, therefore, on revived income growth in the industrialized nations as well as on favorable weather conditions.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "12.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "salt, fish, lobster", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Anguillan(s); adjective: :Anguillan", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Anguilla Day, 30 May (1967)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, UNESCO (associate), UPU", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :3 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :3,641 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :81.2 years; male: :78.61 years; female: :83.86 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral House of Assembly (11 seats; 7 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 2 appointed by the governor, and 2 ex officio members - the attorney general and deputy governor; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 15 February 2010 (next to be held in 2015); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - AUM 4, AUF 2, APP 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "common law based on the English model", "LANGUAGES": "English (official)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (mostly rock with sparse scrub oak, few trees, some commercial salt ponds) (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "6,049 (2001)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to include Anguilla; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the 9 member states; High Court judges reside in 7 member states, though none resides on Anguilla; judge selection and term of office: :Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court chief justice appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62; subordinate courts: :Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3.1% (2014 est.); 3.2% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :3.4 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :3.81 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :2.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, boat building, offshore financial services", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$138.3 million (2014 est.); $127.7 million (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe", "ROADWAYS": "total: :175 km; paved: :82 km; unpaved: :93 km (2004)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Anguillan coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts three orange dolphins in an interlocking circular design on a white background with a turquoise-blue field below; the white in the background represents peace; the blue base symbolizes the surrounding sea, as well as faith, youth, and hope; the three dolphins stand for endurance, unity, and strength", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$8.8 million (1998)", "EXPORTS": "$11.7 million (2014 est.); $4.3 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Christina SCOTT (since 23 July 2013); head of government: :Chief Minister Hubert HUGHES (since 16 February 2010); cabinet: :Executive Council appointed by the governor from among the elected members of the House of Assembly; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed chief minister by the governor", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -; 2.7 (2014 est.); 2.7 (2013 est.); 2.7 (2012 est.); 2.7 (2011 est.); 2.7 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "black 90.1%, mixed 4.6%, white 3.7%, other 1.5% (2001 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "4.54 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest 1 April 1982; amended 1990 (2013)", "COASTLINE": "61 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fuels, foodstuffs, manufactures, chemicals, trucks, textiles", "CAPITAL": "name: :The Valley; geographic coordinates: :18 13 N, 63 03 W; time difference: :UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$64.22 million; expenditures: :$65.11 million (2014 est.)", "BIRTH_RATE": "12.68 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "2 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "small quantities of tobacco, vegetables; cattle raising", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "lobster, fish, livestock, salt, concrete blocks, rum", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture/fishing/forestry/mining: :4%; manufacturing: :3%; construction: :18%; transportation and utilities: :10%; commerce: :36%; services: :29% (2000 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "23% (2002)", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "supplies of potable water sometimes cannot meet increasing demand largely because of poor distribution system", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Colonized by English settlers from Saint Kitts in 1650, Anguilla was administered by Great Britain until the early 19th century, when the island - against the wishes of the inhabitants - was incorporated into a single British dependency along with Saint Kitts and Nevis. Several attempts at separation failed. In 1971, two years after a revolt, Anguilla was finally allowed to secede; this arrangement was formally recognized in 1980, with Anguilla becoming a separate British dependency.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :111; female: :113 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :3,009; females age 16-49: :3,397 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about one-half the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "frequent hurricanes and other tropical storms (July to October)", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Crocus Hill 65 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.82 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.92 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.96 male(s)/female; total population: :0.93 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 3, FM 11, shortwave 2 (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :2.6%; industry: :24.4%; services: :73% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "18 15 N, 63 10 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :23.3% (male 1,918/female 1,826); 15-24 years: :14.1% (male 1,123/female 1,144); 25-54 years: :45% (male 3,269/female 3,965); 55-64 years: :9.4% (male 744/female 763); 65 years and over: :8.3% (male 658/female 676) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Antigua and Barbuda", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "the US does not have an embassy in Antigua and Barbuda; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$22,600 (2014 est.); $22,400 (2013 est.); $22,300 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.9% (2014 est.); 1.8% (2013 est.); 3.6% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.25% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$1.989 billion (2014 est.); $1.953 billion (2013 est.); $1.918 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :46.4%; youth dependency ratio: :35.9%; elderly dependency ratio: :10.4%; potential support ratio: :9.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "15% of GDP (2014 est.); 16.4% of GDP (2013 est.); 16.7% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :49.7%; government consumption: :13.3%; investment in fixed capital: :26.4%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :52%; imports of goods and services: :-41.4%; (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "586,400 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "4,790 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "240 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "4,174 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "55,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "288.3 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "310 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "fallow deer; national colors: red, white, blue, black, yellow", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "25.6% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.1 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.2% of GDP (2012)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "2.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "19.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "SAINT JOHN'S (capital) 22,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Fair Antigua, We Salute Thee\"; lyrics/music: :Novelle Hamilton RICHARDS/Walter Garnet Picart CHAMBERS; note: :adopted 1967; as a Commonwealth country, in addition to the national anthem, \"God Save the Queen\" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 91.4% of population; rural: 91.4% of population; total: 91.4% of population; urban: 8.6% of population; rural: 8.6% of population; total: 8.6% of population (2011 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 97.9% of population; rural: 97.9% of population; total: 97.9% of population; urban: 2.1% of population; rural: 2.1% of population; total: 2.1% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$1.088 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.077 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$233.9 million (31 December 2014 est.); $221.2 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-controlled Antigua and Barbuda Broadcasting Service (ABS) operates 1 TV station; multi-channel cable TV subscription services are available; ABS operates 1 radio station; roughly 15 radio stations, some broadcasting on multiple frequencies (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :24.2% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :-0.95% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$1.111 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.081 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$939.9 million (31 December 2008); $902 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$296.4 million (31 December 2008); $294.8 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "10.1% (31 December 2014 est.); 9.98% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "6.5% (31 December 2010); 6.5% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.4% of GDP (2009)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :14 years; male: :13 years; female: :15 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.01 cu km/yr (63%/21%/15%); per capita: :97.67 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "0.05 cu km (2011)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Antigua and Barbuda is a destination and transit country for adults and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; forced prostitution has been reported in bars, taverns, and brothels, while forced labor occurs in domestic service and the retail sector; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Antigua and Barbuda does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the 2010 law prohibiting human trafficking is flawed because it requires cases to be tried in a lower court that is unable to impose sentences as severe as those provided for other serious crimes; authorities investigated three suspected trafficking cases but no prosecutions, convictions, or punishments were reported; a government department continued to provide high-quality assistance to victims, but only one adult labor trafficking victim and no sex trafficking victims were identified during the reporting period; trafficking prevention activities were sustained", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$1.236 billion (2014 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$163.7 million (2014 est.); -$204.4 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "89% of GDP (2012 est.); 130% of GDP (2010 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "11,532 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :31.1 years; male: :29.4 years; female: :32.6 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ag", "INTERNET_USERS": "65,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "179,800 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "35,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Deborah Mae LOVELL (since 8 March 2005); chancery: :3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Miami, New York", "AREA": "total: :442.6 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km); land: :442.6 sq km; water: :0 sq km; note: :includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1.3 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Antigua and Barbuda; note: :\"antiguo\" is Spanish for ancient or old; the island was discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and, according to tradition, named by him after the the church of Santa Maria la Antigua (Old Saint Mary's) in Seville; \"barbuda\" is Spanish for bearded and the adjective may refer the alleged beards of the indigenous people or to the island's bearded-fig trees", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "11% (2001 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government and a Commonwealth realm", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.03 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :good automatic telephone system; domestic: :fixed-line teledensity roughly 40 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is some 200 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 1-268; landing points for the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) and the Global Caribbean Network (GCN) submarine cable systems with links to other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; satellite earth stations - 2; tropospheric scatter to Saba (Netherlands) and Guadeloupe (France) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 68.3% (Anglican 17.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 12.4%, Pentecostal 12.2%, Moravian 8.3%, Methodist 5.6%, Wesleyan Holiness 4.5%, Church of God 4.1%, Baptist 3.6%), Roman Catholic 8.2%, other 12.2%, unspecified 5.5%, none 5.9% (2011 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Saint John's", "POPULATION": "91,295 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Gaston BROWNE; Barbuda People's Movement or BPM [Trevor WALKER; Barbuda People's Movement for Change [Arthur NIBBS; Barbudans for a Better Barbuda [Ordrick SAMUEL; United Progressive Party or UPP [W. Baldwin SPENCER", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Tourism continues to dominate Antigua and Barbuda's economy, accounting for nearly 60% of GDP and 40% of investment. The dual-island nation's agricultural production is focused on the domestic market and constrained by a limited water supply and a labor shortage stemming from the lure of higher wages in tourism and construction. Manufacturing comprises enclave-type assembly for export with major products being bedding, handicrafts, and electronic components. Prospects for economic growth in the medium 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 an ambitious fiscal reform program and was successful in reducing its public debt-to-GDP ratio from approximately 130% in 2010 to 89% in 2012. In 2009, Antigua's economy was severely hit by the global economic crisis and suffered from the collapse of its largest private sector employer, a steep decline in tourism, a rise in debt, and a sharp economic contraction between 2009 and 2011. Antigua has not yet returned to its pre-crisis growth levels.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Antigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU [Wigley GEORGE; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a large western harbor", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "2.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s); adjective: :Antiguan, Barbudan", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day (National Day), 1 November (1981)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :1,257; by type: :bulk carrier 49, cargo 753, carrier 6, chemical tanker 4, container 407, liquefied gas 12, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 17, vehicle carrier 2; foreign-owned: :1,215 (Albania 1, Colombia 1, Denmark 20, Estonia 10, Germany 1094, Greece 4, Iceland 10, Latvia 16, Lithuania 3, Mexico 1, Netherlands 17, Norway 9, NZ 2, Poland 2, Russia 3, Switzerland 7, Turkey 7, UK 1, US 7) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :21,141; females age 16-49: :24,056 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling; total population: :99%; male: :98.4%; female: :99.4% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :76.12 years; male: :74.04 years; female: :78.3 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17 seats; members appointed by the governor general) and the House of Representatives (17 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms); elections: :House of Representatives - last held on 12 June 2014 (next to be held in 2019); election results: :percent of vote by party - ALP 56.4% UPP 42%; seats by party - ALP 14, UPP 3", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "common law based on the English model", "LANGUAGES": "English (official), Antiguan creole", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :9.09%; permanent crops: :2.27%; other: :88.64% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "30,000 (1991)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to include Antigua and Barbuda; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the 9 member states; 2 High Court judges reside on Antigua and Barbuda; judge selection and term of office: :Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Chief Justice appointed by the Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62; subordinate courts: :Industrial Court; Magistrates' Courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3.1% (2014 est.); 1.1% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :13.29 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :15.3 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :11.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances)", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "1% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1 November 1981 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$313.1 million (2014 est.); $494.4 million (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; more significant as an offshore financial center", "ROADWAYS": "total: :1,170 km; paved: :386 km; unpaved: :784 km (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "red, with an inverted isosceles triangle based on the top edge of the flag; the triangle contains three horizontal bands of black (top), light blue, and white, with a yellow rising sun in the black band; the sun symbolizes the dawn of a new era, black represents the African heritage of most of the population, blue is for hope, and red is for the dynamism of the people; the \"V\" stands for victory; the successive yellow, blue, and white coloring is also meant to evoke the country's tourist attractions of sun, sea, and sand", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$441.2 million (31 December 2012); $458 million (June 2010)", "EXPORTS": "$56.5 million (2014 est.); $64.2 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Rodney WILLIAMS (since 14 August 2014); head of government: :Prime Minister Gaston BROWNE (since 13 June 2014); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -; 2.7 (2014 est.); 2.7 (2013 est.); 2.7 (2012 est.); 2.7 (2011 est.); 2.7 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "black 87.3%, mixed 4.7%, hispanic 2.7%, white 1.6%, other 2.7%, unspecified 0.9% (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "5.7 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest presented 31 July 1981, effective 31 October 1981 (Antigua and Barbuda Constitutional Order 1981) (2011)", "COASTLINE": "153 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil", "CAPITAL": "name: :Saint John's; geographic coordinates: :17 07 N, 61 51 W; time difference: :UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$240.3 million; expenditures: :$206.7 million (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Ministry of National Security, Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force (includes Antigua and Barbuda Coast Guard) (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "15.94 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "3 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum products, bedding, handicrafts, electronic components, transport equipment, food and live animals", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :7%; industry: :11%; services: :82% (1983)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "water management - a major concern because of limited natural freshwater resources - is further hampered by the clearing of trees to increase crop production, causing rainfall to run off quickly", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Siboney were the first people to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak Indians populated the islands when COLUMBUS landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early Spanish and French settlements were succeeded by an English colony in 1667. Slavery, established to run the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :806; female: :799 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :17,676; females age 16-49: :19,960 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; Governor-General has powers to call up men for national service and set the age at which they could be called up (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "2.5 times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Boggy Peak 402 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.84 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.9 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.76 male(s)/female; total population: :0.9 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "2 (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 3, FM 17, shortwave 0 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :1.9%; industry: :18.5%; services: :79.6% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "17 03 N, 61 48 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :24.3% (male 11,289/female 10,932); 15-24 years: :16.8% (male 7,588/female 7,723); 25-54 years: :42.6% (male 17,789/female 21,137); 55-64 years: :8.9% (male 3,694/female 4,441); 65 years and over: :7.3% (male 2,886/female 3,816) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Argentina", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Noah Bryson MAMET (since 16 January 2015); embassy: :Avenida Colombia 4300, C1425GMN Buenos Aires; mailing address: :international mail: use embassy street address; APO address: US Embassy Buenos Aires, Unit 4334, APO AA 34034; telephone: :[54; FAX: :[54", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$22,100 (2014 est.); $22,700 (2013 est.); $22,300 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "-1.7% (2014 est.); 2.9% (2013 est.); 0.9% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.95% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$927.4 billion (2014 est.); $943.4 billion (2013 est.); $916.5 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :54.1%; youth dependency ratio: :37%; elderly dependency ratio: :17.1%; potential support ratio: :5.9% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "17.1% of GDP (2014 est.); 17.5% of GDP (2013 est.); 17.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :66.9%; government consumption: :16.3%; investment in fixed capital: :15.9%; investment in inventories: :1.4%; exports of goods and services: :16%; imports of goods and services: :-16.6%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "78.9% (2004/05)", "DEMOGRAPHIC_PROFILE": "Argentina's population continues to grow but at a slower rate because of its steadily declining birth rate. Argentina's fertility decline began earlier than in the rest of Latin America, occurring most rapidly between the early 20th century and the 1950s and then becoming more gradual. Life expectancy has been improving, most notably among the young and the poor. While the population under age 15 is shrinking, the youth cohort - ages 15-24 - is the largest in Argentina's history and will continue to bolster the working-age population. If this large working-age population is well-educated and gainfully employed, Argentina is likely to experience an economic boost and possibly higher per capita savings and investment. Although literacy and primary school enrollment are nearly universal, grade repetition is problematic and secondary school completion is low. Both of these issues vary widely by region and socioeconomic group.; Argentina has been primarily a country of immigration for most of its history, welcoming European immigrants after its independence in the 19th century and attracting especially large numbers from Spain and Italy. European immigration diminished in the 1950s, when Argentina's military dictatorships tightened immigration rules and European economies rebounded. Regional migration, however, continued to supply low-skilled workers and today it accounts for three-quarters of Argentina's immigrant population. The first waves of highly skilled Argentine emigrant workers headed mainly to the United States and Spain in the 1960s and 1970s. The ongoing European economic crisis is driving the return migration of some Argentinean and other Latin American nationals, as well as the immigration of Europeans to South America, where Argentina is a key recipient.", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :435,252; percentage: :7%; note: :data represents children ages 5-13 (2003 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "196 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "378.8 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "8.94 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "100 million cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "48 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "35.5 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "76,550 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "94,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "758,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "622,200 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "2.82 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "90,920 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "691,100 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "2.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "28.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "68.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "32.88 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "8.116 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "506 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "114.2 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "123.2 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Sun of May (a sun-with-face symbol); national colors: light blue, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :18.3%; male: :15.3%; female: :23.1% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "29.7% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "4.7 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3.16 physicians/1,000 population (2004)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "8.5% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "2.3% (2005)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "77 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "21.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "BUENOS AIRES (capital) 15.024 million; Cordoba 1.504 million; Rosario 1.367 million; Mendoza 999,000; San Miguel de Tucuman 899,000; La Plata 835,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Himno Nacional Argentino\" (Argentine National Anthem); lyrics/music: :Vicente LOPEZ y PLANES/Jose Blas PARERA; note: :adopted 1813; Vicente LOPEZ was inspired to write the anthem after watching a play about the 1810 May Revolution against Spain", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 97.1% of population; rural: 99.4% of population; total: 97.2% of population; urban: 2.9% of population; rural: 0.6% of population; total: 2.8% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99% of population; rural: 95.3% of population; total: 98.7% of population; urban: 1% of population; rural: 4.7% of population; total: 1.3% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$120.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $139.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$54.13 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $62.53 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "government owns a TV station and a radio network; more than 2 dozen TV stations and hundreds of privately owned radio stations; high rate of cable TV subscription usage (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :91.6% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.04% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$156 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $168.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$46.18 billion (31 December 2008); $45.92 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$32.57 billion (31 December 2008); $33.93 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "25.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 17.15% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "NA%", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "6.3% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :17 years; male: :16 years; female: :18 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :32.57 cu km/yr (23%/13%/64%); per capita: :864.9 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "814 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$34.24 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $43.58 billion (31 December 2011); $63.91 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$35.98 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $34.33 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$116.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $109.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$536.2 billion (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$26.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $30.53 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$4.57 billion (2014 est.); -$4.635 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "37.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 39.5% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "11.232 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :31.2 years; male: :30.1 years; female: :32.3 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "45.8 (2009)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "1,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "97,900 (2012 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.4% (2012 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ar", "INTERNET_USERS": "13.694 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "58.6 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "10 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Maria Cecilia NAHON (since 19 February 2013); chancery: :1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Washington, DC", "AREA": "total: :2,780,400 sq km; land: :2,736,690 sq km; water: :43,710 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "15,500 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "South America", "LOCATION": "Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Argentine Republic; conventional short form: :Argentina; local long form: :Republica Argentina; local short form: :Argentina; note: :originally the area was referred to as Tierra Argentina, i.e., \"Land beside the Silvery River\" or \"Silvery Land,\" which referred to the massive estuary in the east of the country, the Rio de la Plata (River of Silver); over time the name shortened to simply Argentina or \"silvery\"", "MILITARY___NOTE": "the Argentine military is a well-organized force constrained by the country's prolonged economic hardship; the country has recently experienced a strong recovery, and the military is implementing a modernization plan aimed at making the ground forces lighter and more responsive (2008)", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "7.7% (2014 est.); 7.1% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.25 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to rolling plateau of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western border", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :in 1998 Argentina opened its telecommunications market to competition and foreign investment encouraging the growth of modern telecommunications technology; fiber-optic cable trunk lines are being installed between all major cities; major networks are entirely digital and the availability of telephone service is improving; domestic: :microwave radio relay, fiber-optic cable, and a domestic satellite system with 40 earth stations serve the trunk network; fixed-line teledensity is increasing gradually and mobile-cellular subscribership is increasing rapidly; broadband Internet services are gaining ground; international: :country code - 54; landing point for the Atlantis-2, UNISUR, South America-1, and South American Crossing/Latin American Nautilus submarine cable systems that provide links to Europe, Africa, South and Central America, and US; satellite earth stations - 112; 2 international gateways near Buenos Aires (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18-70 years of age; universal and compulsory; 16-17 years of age - optional for national elections", "RELIGIONS": "nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :36,966 km; broad gauge: :26,475 km 1.676-m gauge (94 km electrified); standard gauge: :2,780 km 1.435-m gauge (42 km electrified); narrow gauge: :7,711 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, La Plata, Punta Colorada, Ushuaia; river port(s): :Arroyo Seco, Rosario, San Lorenzo-San Martin (Parana); container port(s) (TEUs): :Buenos Aires (1,851,701); LNG terminal(s) (import): :Bahia Blanca", "POPULATION": "43,024,374 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Civic Coalition or CC (a coalition loosely affiliated with Elisa CARRIO); Dissident Peronists (PJ Disidente) or Federal Peronism (a sector of the Justicialist Party opposed to the Kirchners); Front for Victory or FpV (a broad coalition, including elements of the PJ, UCR, and numerous provincial parties) [Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER; Peronist (or Justicialist) Party or PJ [Eduardo FELLNER; Radical Civic Union or UCR [Ernesto SANZ; Republican Proposal or PRO [Mauricio MACRI; Socialist Party or PS [Hermes BINNER; Renewal Front (Frente Renovador) [Sergio MASSA; numerous provincial parties", "PIPELINES": "gas 29,930 km; liquid petroleum gas 41 km; oil 6,248 km; refined products 3,631 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly literate population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversified industrial base. Although one of the world's wealthiest countries 100 years ago, Argentina suffered during most of the 20th century from recurring economic crises, persistent fiscal and current account deficits, high inflation, mounting external debt, and capital flight. A severe depression, growing public and external indebtedness, and an unprecedented bank run culminated in 2001 in the most serious economic, social, and political crisis in the country's turbulent history. Interim President Adolfo RODRIGUEZ SAA declared a default - at the time the largest ever - on the government's foreign debt in December of that year, and abruptly resigned only a few days after taking office. His successor, Eduardo DUHALDE, announced an end to the 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 than in 1998 and almost 60% of Argentines under the poverty line. Real GDP rebounded to grow by an average 8.5% annually over the subsequent six years, taking advantage of previously idled industrial capacity and labor, an audacious debt restructuring and reduced debt burden, excellent international financial conditions, and expansionary monetary and fiscal policies. Inflation also increased, however, during the administration of President Nestor KIRCHNER, which responded with price restraints on businesses, as well as export taxes and restraints, and beginning in 2007, with understating inflation data. Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER succeeded her husband as President in late 2007, and the rapid economic growth of previous years began to slow sharply the following year as government policies held back exports and the world economy fell into recession. The economy in 2010 rebounded strongly from the 2009 recession, but has slowed since late 2011 even as the government continued to rely on expansionary fiscal and monetary policies, which have kept inflation in the double digits. The government expanded state intervention in the economy throughout 2012. In May 2012 the Congress approved the nationalization of the oil company YPF from Spain's Repsol. The government expanded formal and informal measures to restrict imports during the year, including a requirement for pre-registration and pre-approval of all imports. In July 2012 the government also further tightened currency controls in an effort to bolster foreign reserves and stem capital flight. During 2013, the government continued with a mix expansionary fiscal and monetary policies and foreign exchange and imports controls to limit the drain in Central Bank foreign reserves, which nevertheless dropped US $12 billion during the year. GDP grew 3% and inflation remained steady at 25%, according to private estimates. In October 2013, the government settled long-standing international arbitral disputes (including with three US firms) dating back to before and following the 2001-02 Argentine financial crisis. In early 2014, the government embraced some orthodox economic policies. It devalued the peso 20%, substantially tightened monetary and fiscal policies, and took measures to mend ties with the international financial community, including: engaging with the IMF to improve its economic data reporting, reaching a compensation agreement with Repsol for the expropriation of YPF, and presenting a proposal to pay its arrears to the Paris Club. Nevertheless, the government in July 2014 defaulted again on its external debt after it failed to reach an agreement with US holdout creditors. The government�s delay in reaching a settlement and the continuation of interventionist policies are contributing to a prolonged recession.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Argentine Association of Pharmaceutical Labs (CILFA); Argentine Industrial Union (manufacturers' association); Argentine Rural Confederation or CRA (small to medium landowners' association); Argentine Rural Society (large landowners' association); Central of Argentine Workers or CTA (a union for employed and unemployed workers); General Confederation of Labor or CGT (Peronist-leaning umbrella labor organization); Roman Catholic Church; Blue and White CGT (dissident CGT labor confederation); other: :business organizations, Peronist-dominated labor movement, Piquetero groups (popular protest organizations that can be either pro or anti-government), students", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "second-largest country in South America (after Brazil); strategic location relative to sea lanes between the South Atlantic and the South Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage); diverse geophysical landscapes range from tropical climates in the north to tundra in the far south; Cerro Aconcagua is the Western Hemisphere's tallest mountain, while Laguna del Carbon is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Argentine(s); adjective: :Argentine", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Revolution Day, 25 May (1810)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :36; by type: :bulk carrier 1, cargo 5, chemical tanker 6, container 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 4; foreign-owned: :14 (Brazil 1, Chile 6, Spain 3, Taiwan 2, UK 2); registered in other countries: :15 (Liberia 1, Panama 5, Paraguay 5, Uruguay 1, unknown 3) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "AfDB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CAN (associate), CD, CELAC, FAO, FATF, G-15, G-20, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina (observer), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :10,038,967; females age 16-49: :9,959,134 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 10 and over can read and write; total population: :97.9%; male: :97.9%; female: :98% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :77.51 years; male: :74.28 years; female: :80.91 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate (72 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 6-year terms with one-third of the membership elected every 2 years) and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 2 years); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats by bloc or party - FpV 32, UCR 17, dissident Peronists 7, FAP and UNEN 7, FpV allies 6, PRO and allies 3, other 6; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats by bloc or party - FpV 18, FpV allies 14, UCR 10, dissident Peronists 34, FAP and UNEN 21, PRO 16, CC 3, other 14", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system based on West European legal systems; note - in 2014, Congress passed government-backed reform to the civil code that will go into effect in 2016", "LANGUAGES": "Spanish (official), Italian, English, German, French, indigenous (Mapudungun, Quechua)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :14.36%; permanent crops: :0.37%; other: :85.28% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :11,968 km; border countries: :Bolivia 942 km, Brazil 1,263 km, Chile 6,691 km, Paraguay 2,531 km, Uruguay 541 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "17.31 million; note: :urban areas only (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (consists of the court president, vice-president, and 5 judges); judge selection and term of office: :judges nominated by the president and approved by the Senate; judges have a mandatory retirement age of 75; subordinate courts: :federal level appellate, district, and territorial courts; provincial level supreme, appellate, and first instance courts", "WATERWAYS": "11,000 km (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "36.4% (2014 est.); 20.7% (2013 est.); note: :data are derived from private estimates", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :9.96 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :11.15 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :8.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "food processing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, textiles, chemicals and petrochemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-2.1%; note: :based on private sector estimates (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "9 July 1816 (from Spain)", "IMPORTS": "$65.9 billion (2014 est.); $70.54 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "a transshipment country for cocaine headed for Europe, heroin headed for the US, and ephedrine and pseudoephedrine headed for Mexico; some money-laundering activity, especially in the Tri-Border Area; law enforcement corruption; a source for precursor chemicals; increasing domestic consumption of drugs in urban centers, especially cocaine base and synthetic drugs (2008)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :231,374 km; paved: :69,412 km (includes 734 km of expressways); unpaved: :161,962 km (2004)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of light blue (top), white, and light blue; centered in the white band is a radiant yellow sun with a human face known as the Sun of May; the colors represent the clear skies and snow of the Andes; the sun symbol commemorates the appearance of the sun through cloudy skies on 25 May 1810 during the first mass demonstration in favor of independence; the sun features are those of Inti, the Inca god of the sun", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$115.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $118.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$76.47 billion (2014 est.); $81.53 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER (since 10 December 2007); Vice President Amado BOUDOU (since 10 December 2011); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER (since 10 December 2007); Vice President Amado BOUDOU (since 10 December 2011); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president; elections: :president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second consecutive term); election last held on 23 October 2011 (next election to be held in October 2015); election results: :Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER reelected president; percent of vote - Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER 54%, Hermes BINNER 16.9%, Ricardo ALFONSIN 11.1%, Alberto Rodriguez SAA 8%, Eduardo DUHALDE 5.9%, other 4.1%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Argentine pesos (ARS) per US dollar -; 8.22 (2014 est.); 5.46 (2013 est.); 4.54 (2012 est.); 4.11 (2011 est.); 3.9 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "white (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry), Amerindian, or other non-white groups 3%", "DEATH_RATE": "7.34 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest effective 11 May 1853; amended many times, last in 1994 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Brazil 27.8%, US 14.5%, China 12.4%, Germany 4.6% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "4,989 km", "CLIMATE": "mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery, motor vehicles, petroleum and natural gas, organic chemicals, plastics", "CAPITAL": "name: :Buenos Aires; geographic coordinates: :34 35 S, 58 40 W; time difference: :UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :none scheduled for 2015", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$117.2 billion; expenditures: :$130.5 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Argentine Army (Ejercito Argentino), Navy of the Argentine Republic (Armada Republica; includes naval aviation and naval infantry), Argentine Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Argentina, FAA) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "16.88 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "1,138 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "sunflower seeds, lemons, soybeans, grapes, corn, tobacco, peanuts, tea, wheat; livestock", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "23 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 autonomous city*; Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires*, Cordoba, Corrientes, Entre Rios, Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza, Misiones, Neuquen, Rio Negro, Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero, Tierra del Fuego - Antartida e Islas del Atlantico Sur (Tierra del Fuego), Tucuman; note: :the US does not recognize any claims to Antarctica", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Brazil 21%, China 7.1%, US 5.5%, Chile 4.6% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "soybeans and derivatives, petroleum and gas, vehicles, corn, wheat", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :5%; industry: :23%; services: :72% (2009 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.5%; highest 10%: :32.3% (2010 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "30%; note: :data are based on private estimates (2010)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.91% of GDP (2012); 0.9% of GDP (2011); 0.91% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :Marine Life Conservation", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "environmental problems (urban and rural) typical of an industrializing economy such as deforestation, soil degradation, desertification, air pollution, and water pollution; note: :Argentina is a world leader in setting voluntary greenhouse gas targets", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :977; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :43; 914 to 1,523 m: :484; 448 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :161; over 3,047 m: :4; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :29; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :65; 914 to 1,523 m: :53; under 914 m: :10 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "In 1816, the United Provinces of the Rio Plata declared their independence from Spain. After Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay went their separate ways, the area that remained became Argentina. The country's population and culture were heavily shaped by immigrants from throughout Europe, with Italy and Spain providing the largest percentage of newcomers from 1860 to 1930. Up until about the mid-20th century, much of Argentina's history was dominated by periods of internal political conflict between Federalists and Unitarians and between civilian and military factions. After World War II, an era of Peronist populism and direct and indirect military interference in subsequent governments was followed by a military junta that took power in 1976. Democracy returned in 1983 after a failed bid to seize the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) by force, and has persisted despite numerous challenges, the most formidable of which was a severe economic crisis in 2001-02 that led to violent public protests and the successive resignations of several presidents. Argentina served a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council from 2013 to 2014.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :339,503; female: :323,170 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :8,458,362; females age 16-49: :8,414,460 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-24 years of age for voluntary military service (18-21 requires parental consent); no conscription; if the number of volunteers fails to meet the quota of recruits for a particular year, Congress can authorize the conscription of citizens turning 18 that year for a period not exceeding one year (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than three-tenths the size of the US", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "San Miguel de Tucuman and Mendoza areas in the Andes subject to earthquakes; pamperos are violent windstorms that can strike the pampas and northeast; heavy flooding in some areas; volcanism: :volcanic activity in the Andes Mountains along the Chilean border; Copahue (elev. 2,997 m) last erupted in 2000; other historically active volcanoes include Llullaillaco, Maipo, Planchon-Peteroa, San Jose, Tromen, Tupungatito, and Viedma", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Laguna del Carbon -105 m (located between Puerto San Julian and Comandante Luis Piedra Buena in the province of Santa Cruz); highest point: :Cerro Aconcagua 6,960 m (located in the northwestern corner of the province of Mendoza; highest point in South America)", "HELIPORTS": "2 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.7 male(s)/female; total population: :0.97 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "42 (plus 444 repeaters) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 260, FM (probably more than 1,000, mostly unlicensed), shortwave 6 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :10.4%; industry: :29.5%; services: :60.1% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "34 00 S, 64 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :24.9% (male 5,486,989/female 5,233,968); 15-24 years: :15.7% (male 3,445,086/female 3,301,168); 25-54 years: :38.9% (male 8,345,893/female 8,391,445); 55-64 years: :9.1% (male 1,895,965/female 2,017,330); 65 years and over: :11.4% (male 2,036,545/female 2,869,985) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Armenia", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Richard MILLS (since 13 February 2015); embassy: :1 American Ave., Yerevan 0082; mailing address: :American Embassy Yerevan, US Department of State, 7020 Yerevan Place, Washington, DC 20521-7020; telephone: :[374; FAX: :[374", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$7,400 (2014 est.); $7,200 (2013 est.); $6,900 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.2% (2014 est.); 3.5% (2013 est.); 7.1% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.13% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$24.26 billion (2014 est.); $23.51 billion (2013 est.); $22.72 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :44.1%; youth dependency ratio: :29.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :14.9%; potential support ratio: :6.7% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "14.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 13.7% of GDP (2013 est.); 12.4% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :87.7%; government consumption: :14.8%; investment in fixed capital: :20.5%; investment in inventories: :-3.3%; exports of goods and services: :27.2%; imports of goods and services: :-46.9%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "54.9% (2010)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "23.5 (2011 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :19,596; percentage: :4%; note: :data represents children ages 7-17 (2007 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "12.12 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "2.1 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "2.1 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "46,550 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "32 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "49,280 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "10.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "34.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "54.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "3.475 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "301 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "1.383 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "5.089 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "7.075 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Mount Ararat, eagle, lion; national colors: red, blue, orange", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :39.2%; male: :35%; female: :45% (2011 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "24% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "3.9 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.69 physicians/1,000 population (2012)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "4.5% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "5.3% (2010)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "30 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-1.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "25.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "YEREVAN (capital) 1.049 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Mer Hayrenik\"\"(Our Fatherland); lyrics/music: :Mikael NALBANDIAN/Barsegh KANACHYAN; note: :adopted 1991; based on the anthem of the Democratic Republic of Armenia (1918-1922) but with different lyrics", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 95.9% of population; rural: 80.9% of population; total: 90.5% of population; urban: 4.1% of population; rural: 19.1% of population; total: 9.5% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.7% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 99.8% of population; urban: 0.3% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0.2% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$2.098 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.091 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$1.378 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.438 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "2 public TV networks operating alongside more than 40 privately owned TV stations that provide local to near nationwide coverage; major Russian broadcast stations are widely available; subscription cable TV services are available in most regions; Public Radio of Armenia is a national, state-run broadcast network that operates alongside about 20 privately owned radio stations; several major international broadcasters are available (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :62.8% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :-0.11% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$4.845 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.827 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$950.1 million (31 December 2008); $765.2 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$1.359 billion (31 December 2008); $1.507 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "15.9% (31 December 2014 est.); 16% (31 December 2013 est.); note: :average lending rate on loans up to one year", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "8% (11 January 2012); 7.25% (2 December 2008); note: :this is the Refinancing Rate, the key monetary policy instrument of the Armenian National Bank", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.3% of GDP (2012)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :12 years; male: :11 years; female: :14 years (2009)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :2.86 cu km/yr (40%/6%/54%); per capita: :929.7 cu m/yr (2010)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "7.77 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$132.1 million (31 December 2012 est.); $139.6 million (31 December 2011); $144.8 million (31 December 2010 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$11.11 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :12,037 (Syria - ethnic Armenians) (2014); IDPs: :8,400 (conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh) (2014); stateless persons: :180 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$1.977 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.252 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.038 billion (2014 est.); -$1.099 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "42.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 43.5% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "194,142 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :33.7 years; male: :31.8 years; female: :35.8 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "30.9 (2008); 44.4 (1996)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "200 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "3,700 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.19% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".am", "INTERNET_USERS": "208,200 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "3.223 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "584,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Tigran SARGSIAN (since 14 July 2014); chancery: :2225 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Glendale (CA), Los Angeles", "AREA": "total: :29,743 sq km; land: :28,203 sq km; water: :1,540 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "2,735 sq km (2006)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Asia", "LOCATION": "Southwestern Asia, between Turkey (to the west) and Azerbaijan", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Armenia; conventional short form: :Armenia; local long form: :Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun; local short form: :Hayastan; former: :Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, Armenian Republic", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "15.9% (2013 est.); 15.9% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.64 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :telecommunications investments have made major inroads in modernizing and upgrading the outdated telecommunications network inherited from the Soviet era; now 100% privately owned and undergoing modernization and expansion; mobile-cellular services monopoly terminated in late 2004 and a second provider began operations in mid-2005; domestic: :reliable modern fixed-line and mobile-cellular services are available across Yerevan in major cities and towns; significant but ever-shrinking gaps remain in mobile-cellular coverage in rural areas; international: :country code - 374; Yerevan is connected to the Trans-Asia-Europe fiber-optic cable through Iran; additional international service is available by microwave radio relay and landline connections to the other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, through the Moscow international switch, and by satellite to the rest of the world; satellite earth stations - 3 (2008)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Armenian Apostolic 92.6%, Evangelical 1%, other 2.4%, none 1.1%, unspecified 2.9% (2011 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :869 km; broad gauge: :869 km 1.520-m gauge (818 km electrified); note: :some lines are out of service (2009)", "POPULATION": "3,060,631 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Armenian National Congress or ANC (bloc of independent and opposition parties) [Levon TER-PETROSSIAN; Armenian National Movement or ANM [Ararat ZURABIAN; Armenian Revolutionary Federation (\"Dashnak\" Party) or ARF [Hrant MARKARIAN; Heritage Party [Raffi HOVHANNISIAN; People's Party of Armenia [Stepan DEMIRCHIAN; Prosperous Armenia [Gagik TSARUKIAN; Republican Party of Armenia or RPA [Serzh SARGSIAN; Rule of Law Party (Orinats Yerkir) [Artur BAGHDASARIAN", "PIPELINES": "gas 2,233 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Under the old Soviet central planning system, Armenia developed a modern industrial sector, supplying machine tools, textiles, and other manufactured goods to sister republics, in exchange for raw materials and energy. Armenia has since switched to small-scale agriculture and away from the large agroindustrial complexes of the Soviet era. Armenia has only two open trade borders - Iran and Georgia - because its borders with Azerbaijan and Turkey have been closed since 1991 and 1993, respectively, as a result of Armenia's ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan over the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region. Armenia's geographic isolation, a narrow export base, and pervasive monopolies in important business sectors have made it particularly vulnerable to the sharp deterioration in the global economy and the economic downturn in Russia. Armenia�s economy declined in the 2009 global downturn, but growth has been positive since then. Armenia is particularly dependent on Russian commercial and governmental support and most key Armenian infrastructure is Russian-owned and/or managed, especially in the energy sector, including electricity and natural gas. Remittances from expatriates working in Russia are equivalent to 45% of GDP and partly offset the country's severe trade imbalance. Armenia planned to join Russia in the Eurasian Economic Union upon the bloc�s launch in January 2015, even though the ruble�s sharp depreciation in December 2014 led to currency instability, inflation, and bank runs in Armenia. Armenia joined the WTO in January 2003. The government has made some improvements in tax and customs administration in recent years, but anti-corruption measures have been ineffective. Armenia will need to pursue additional economic reforms and to strengthen the rule of law in order to regain economic growth and improve economic competitiveness and employment opportunities, especially given its economic isolation from two of its nearest neighbors, Turkey and Azerbaijan.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Aylentrank (Impeachment Alliance) [Nikol PASHINIAN; Yerkrapah Union [Manvel GRIGORIAN", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains; Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan) is the largest lake in this mountain range", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-5.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, bauxite", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Armenian(s); adjective: :Armenian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 21 September (1991)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, BSEC, CD, CE, CIS, CSTO, EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :805,847; females age 16-49: :854,296 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :99.6%; male: :99.7%; female: :99.5% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :74.12 years; male: :70.9 years; female: :77.78 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov (131 seats; 90 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 41 directly elected by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 6 May 2012 (next to be held in the spring of 2017); election results: :percent of vote by party - RPA 44%, Prosperous Armenia 30.1%, ANC 7.1%, Heritage Party 5.8%, ARF (Dashnak) 5.7%, Rule of Law 5.5%, other 1.8%; seats by party - RPA 69, Prosperous Armenia 37, ANC 7, Heritage Party 5, ARF (Dashnak) 5, Rule of Law 6, independent 2", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system", "LANGUAGES": "Armenian (official) 97.9%, Kurdish (spoken by Yezidi minority) 1%, other 1% (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :15.75%; permanent crops: :1.99%; other: :82.26% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,570 km; border countries: :Azerbaijan 996 km, Georgia 219 km, Iran 44 km, Turkey 311 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "1.489 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Court of Cassation (consists of the court chairman and organized into a criminal chamber and a civil and administrative chamber, each with a court chairman and 2 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Court of Cassation judges nominated by the Judicial Council, a 9-member body of selected judges and legal scholars; judges appointed by the president; Constitutional Court judges - 4 appointed by the president, and 5 elected by National Assembly; judges of both courts can serve until retirement at age 65; subordinate courts: :2 Courts of Appeal (for civil cases and for criminal and military cases); district courts; Administrative Court", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3.2% (2014 est.); 5.8% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :13.97 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :15.39 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :12.36 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "diamond processing, metal-cutting machine tools, forging and pressing machines, electric motors, tires, knitted wear, hosiery, shoes, silk fabric, chemicals, trucks, instruments, microelectronics, jewelry, software, food processing, brandy, mining", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "21 September 1991 (from the Soviet Union)", "IMPORTS": "$4.02 billion (2014 est.); $3.996 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "illicit cultivation of small amount of cannabis for domestic consumption; minor transit point for illicit drugs - mostly opium and hashish - moving from Southwest Asia to Russia and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe", "ROADWAYS": "total: :7,705 km (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, and orange; the color red recalls the blood shed for liberty, blue the Armenian skies as well as hope, and orange the land and the courage of the workers who farm it", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$7.943 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $8.23 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$1.75 billion (2014 est.); $1.643 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Serzh SARGSIAN (since 9 April 2008); head of government: :Prime Minister Hovik ABRAHAMYAN (since 13 April 2014); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 18 February 2013 (next to be held February 2018); prime minister appointed by the president based on majority or plurality support in parliament; the prime minister and Council of Ministers must resign if the National Assembly refuses to accept their program; election results: :Serzh SARGSIAN reelected president; percent of vote - Serzh SARGSIAN 58.6%, Raffi HOVHANNISIAN 36.7%, Hrant BAGRATIAN 2.2%, other 2.5%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "drams (AMD) per US dollar -; 421.3 (2014 est.); 409.63 (2013 est.); 401.76 (2012 est.); 372.5 (2011 est.); 373.66 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Armenian 98.1%, Yezidi (Kurd) 1.1%, other 0.7% (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "9.3 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1915, 1978; latest adopted 5 July 1995; amended 2005 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Russia 24.8%, China 8.6%, Germany 6.3%, Ukraine 5.1%, Turkey 4.7%, Iran 4.4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "highland continental, hot summers, cold winters", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "natural gas, petroleum, tobacco products, foodstuffs, diamonds", "CAPITAL": "name: :Yerevan; geographic coordinates: :40 10 N, 44 30 E; time difference: :UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$2.825 billion; expenditures: :$3.01 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Armenian Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Air Force and Air Defense; \"Nagorno-Karabakh Republic\": Nagorno-Karabakh Self-Defense Force (NKSDF) (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "13.92 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "11 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "fruit (especially grapes), vegetables; livestock", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "11 provinces (marzer, singular - marz); Aragatsotn, Ararat, Armavir, Geghark'unik', Kotayk', Lorri, Shirak, Syunik', Tavush, Vayots' Dzor, Yerevan", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Russia 22.6%, Bulgaria 10.3%, Belgium 8.9%, Iran 6.5%, US 6%, Canada 5.9%, Georgia 5.8%, Germany 5.8%, China 4.7%, Netherlands 4.5% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "pig iron, unwrought copper, nonferrous metals, diamonds, mineral products, foodstuffs, energy", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :44.2%; industry: :16.8%; services: :39% (2008 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.7%; highest 10%: :25.4% (2008)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "35.8% (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "4.1% of GDP (2013); 3.92% of GDP (2012); 3.87% of GDP (2011); 3.92% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT; the energy crisis of the 1990s led to deforestation when citizens scavenged for firewood; pollution of Hrazdan (Razdan) and Aras Rivers; the draining of Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan), a result of its use as a source for hydropower, threatens drinking water supplies; restart of Metsamor nuclear power plant in spite of its location in a seismically active zone", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :10; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :4; 914 to 1,523 m: :2 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Armenia prides itself on being the first nation to formally adopt Christianity (early 4th century). Despite periods of autonomy, over the centuries Armenia came under the sway of various empires including the Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian, and Ottoman. During World War I in the western portion of Armenia, the Ottoman Empire instituted a policy of forced resettlement coupled with other harsh practices that resulted in at least 1 million Armenian deaths. The eastern area of Armenia was ceded by the Ottomans to Russia in 1828; this portion declared its independence in 1918, but was conquered by the Soviet Red Army in 1920. Armenian leaders remain preoccupied by the long conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated region, assigned to Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s by Moscow. Armenia and Azerbaijan began fighting over the area in 1988; the struggle escalated after both countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, ethnic Armenian forces held not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also seven surrounding regions, approximately 14 percent of Azerbaijan�s territory. The economies of both sides have been hurt by their inability to make substantial progress toward a peaceful resolution. Turkey closed the common border with Armenia in 1993 in support of Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia over control of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas, further hampering Armenian economic growth. In 2009, senior Armenian leaders began pursuing rapprochement with Turkey, aiming to secure an opening of the border, but Turkey has not yet ratified the Protocols normalizing relations between the two countries. In January 2015, Armenia joined Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan as a member of the Eurasian Economic Union.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :23,470; female: :21,417 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :644,372; females age 16-49: :717,272 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-27 years of age for voluntary or compulsory military service; 2-year conscript service obligation; 17 year olds are eligible to become cadets at military higher education institutes, where they are classified as military personnel (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Maryland", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Debed River 400 m; highest point: :Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.14 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.15 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.92 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.93 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.59 male(s)/female; total population: :0.89 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "48 (private television stations alongside 2 public networks; major Russian channels widely available) (2006)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 9, FM 16, shortwave 1 (2006)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :21.9%; industry: :31.5%; services: :46.6% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "40 00 N, 45 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :19.1% (male 312,955/female 272,065); 15-24 years: :15.2% (male 236,317/female 228,943); 25-54 years: :43.5% (male 638,141/female 693,397); 55-64 years: :11.7% (male 161,102/female 195,714); 65 years and over: :10.5% (male 128,568/female 193,429) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Aruba", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Curacao, currently Consul General Valerie BELON, is accredited to Aruba", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs", "AFFILIATION": "(part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$25,300 (2011 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.4% (2005 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.36% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$2.516 billion (2009 est.); $2.258 billion (2005 est.); $2.205 billion (2004 est.)", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :44.1%; youth dependency ratio: :27.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :16.9%; potential support ratio: :5.9% (2014 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :62.9%; government consumption: :26%; investment in fixed capital: :NA%; investment in inventories: :NA%; exports of goods and services: :NA%; imports of goods and services: :-87.6%; (2011 est,)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "876,400 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "1 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "1 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "1 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "1 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "6,725 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "234,200 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "5,970 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "234,200 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "228,800 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "9.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "90.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "320,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "911.4 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "980 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Hooiberg (Haystack) Hill; national colors: blue, yellow, red, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :23.2%; male: :23.5%; female: :22.9% (2007 est.)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-7.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "24.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "ORANJESTAD (capital) 29,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Aruba Deshi Tera\" (Aruba Precious Country); lyrics/music: :Juan Chabaya 'Padu' LAMPE/Rufo Inocencio WEVER; note: :local anthem adopted 1986; as part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, \"Het Wilhelmus\" is official (see Netherlands)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 97.7% of population; rural: 97.7% of population; total: 97.7% of population; urban: 2.3% of population; rural: 2.3% of population; total: 2.3% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 97.8% of population; rural: 97.8% of population; total: 97.8% of population; urban: 2.2% of population; rural: 2.2% of population; total: 2.2% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$1.839 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $1.91 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$957.9 million (31 December 2013 est.); $957.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "2 commercial TV stations; cable TV subscription service provides access to foreign channels; about 20 commercial radio stations broadcast (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :41.8% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :-0.28% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$1.659 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $1.659 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$890.3 million (31 December 2008); $792.9 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$781 million (31 December 2008); $640.9 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "8.3% (31 December 2014 est.); 8.5% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "1% (31 December 2010); 3% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "6% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :13 years; male: :13 years; female: :14 years (2012)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$2.516 billion (2009 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "67% of GDP (2013); 55% of GDP (2012)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "40,560 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :38.8 years; male: :36.9 years; female: :40.6 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".aw", "INTERNET_USERS": "24,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "135,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "43,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - Mr. Henry BAARH, Minister Plenipotentiary for Aruba at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands", "AREA": "total: :180 sq km; land: :180 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Aruba", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the Netherlands; the Aruba security services focus on organized crime and terrorism (2011)", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "6.9% (2005 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.84 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "flat with a few hills; scant vegetation", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modern fully automatic telecommunications system; domestic: :increased competition through privatization; 3 mobile-cellular service providers are now licensed; international: :country code - 297; landing site for the PAN-AM submarine telecommunications cable system that extends from the US Virgin Islands through Aruba to Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, and the west coast of South America; extensive interisland microwave radio relay links (2007)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 75.3%, Protestant 4.9% (includes Methodist .9%, Adventist .9%, Anglican .4%, other Protestant 2.7%), Jehovah's Witness 1.7%, other 12%, none 5.5%, unspecified 0.5% (2010 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Barcadera, Oranjestad; oil terminal(s): :Sint Nicolaas; cruise port(s): :Oranjestad", "POPULATION": "110,663 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Aliansa/Aruban Social Movement or MSA [Robert WEVER; Aruban Liberal Organization or OLA [Glenbert CROES; Aruban Patriotic Movement or MPA [Monica ARENDS-KOCK; Aruban Patriotic Party or PPA [Benny NISBET; Aruban People's Party or AVP [Michiel \"Mike\" EMAN; People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP [Nelson O. ODUBER; Real Democracy or PDR [Andin BIKKER; RED [Rudy LAMPE; Workers Political Platform or PTT [Gregorio WOLFF", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Tourism and offshore banking are the mainstays of the small open Aruban economy. Tourist arrivals have rebounded strongly following a dip after the 11 September 2001 attacks. Tourism now accounts for over 80 % of economic activity. Over 1.5 million tourists per year visit Aruba, with 75% of those from the US. The rapid growth of the tourism sector has resulted in a substantial expansion of other activities. Construction continues to boom with hotel capacity five times the 1985 level. Aruba is heavily dependent on imports and is making efforts to expand exports to achieve a more desirable trade balance. Aruba weathered two major shocks in recent years: fallout from the global financial crisis, which had its largest impact on tourism, and the closure of its oil refinery in 2009. Economic recovery is progressing gradually, but output is still 12% below its pre-crisis level. Aruba�s banking sector withstood the recession well, and unemployment has significantly decreased.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :environmental groups", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "a flat, riverless island renowned for its white sand beaches; its tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean; the temperature is almost constant at about 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit)", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "9.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "NEGL; white sandy beaches", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Aruban(s); adjective: :Aruban; Dutch", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Flag Day, 18 March (1976)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Caricom (observer), FATF, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITUC (NGOs), UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :24,891; females age 16-49: :26,202 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :96.8%; male: :96.9%; female: :96.7% (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :76.35 years; male: :73.3 years; female: :79.47 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 27 September 2013 (next to be held in 2017); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - AVP 13, MEP 8", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system based on the Dutch civil code", "LANGUAGES": "Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) 69.4%, Spanish 13.7%, English (widely spoken) 7.1%, Dutch (official) 6.1%, Chinese 1.5%, other 1.7%, unspecified 0.4% (2010 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :11.11%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :88.89% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "51,610; note: :of the 51,610 workers aged 15 and over in the labor force, 32,252 were born in Aruba and 19,353 came from abroad; foreign workers are 38% of the employed population (2007 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatitus and Saba or \"Joint Court of Justice\" (consists of the presiding judge, NA members, and NA substitutes); final appeals heard by the Supreme Court, in The Hague, Netherlands; note - prior to 2010, the Joint Court of Justice was the Common Court of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba; judge selection and term of office: :Joint Court judges appointed by the monarch for life; subordinate courts: :Courts in First Instance", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.5% (2014 est.); -2.4% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :11.74 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :15.44 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :7.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, transshipment facilities, banking", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)", "IMPORTS": "$1.528 billion (2014 est.); $1.364 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "blue, with two narrow, horizontal, yellow stripes across the lower portion and a red, four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper hoist-side corner; the star represents Aruba and its red soil and white beaches, its four points the four major languages (Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish, English) as well as the four points of a compass, to indicate that its inhabitants come from all over the world; the blue symbolizes Caribbean waters and skies; the stripes represent the island's two main \"industries\": the flow of tourists to the sun-drenched beaches and the flow of minerals from the earth", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$533.4 million (2005 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$312.7 million (2014 est.); $284.3 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :King WILLEM-ALEXANDER of the Netherlands (since 30 April 2013); represented by Governor General Fredis REFUNJOL (since 11 May 2004); head of government: :Prime Minister Michiel \"Mike\" Godfried EMAN (since 30 October 2009); cabinet: :Council of Ministers elected by the Staten; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed for a six-year term by the monarch; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by the Staten for four-year terms; election last held on 25 September 2009 (next to be held by September 2013); election results: :Michiel \"Mike\" Godfried EMAN elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar -; 1.79 (2014 est.); 1.79 (2013 est.); 1.79 (2012 est.); 1.79 (2011 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Dutch 82.1%, Colombian 6.6%, Venezuelan 2.2%, Dominican 2.2%, Haitian 1.2%, other 5.5%, unspecified 0.1% (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "8.09 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1947, 1955; latest drafted and approved August 1985, enacted 1 January 1986 (regulates governance of Aruba, but is subordinate to the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - in October 2010, following dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles, Aruba became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 49.6%, Netherlands 11.1%, UK 6.8% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "68.5 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Oranjestad; geographic coordinates: :12 31 N, 70 02 W; time difference: :UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$622.5 million; expenditures: :$808.2 million (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "12.65 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "aloes; livestock; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Colombia 36.9%, Netherlands Antilles 18.5%, US 12.7%, Venezuela 12.4%, Netherlands 4.6% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :NA%; industry: :NA%; services: :NA%; note: :most employment is in wholesale and retail trade, followed by hotels and restaurants", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by three main industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry. Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in 1990.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :767; female: :743 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :20,527; females age 16-49: :21,493 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "hurricanes; lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Ceru Jamanota 188 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.02 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.93 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.9 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.65 male(s)/female; total population: :0.9 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 2, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2004)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :0.4%; industry: :33.3%; services: :66.3% (2002 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "12 30 N, 69 58 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :17.8% (male 9,852/female 9,797); 15-24 years: :13.5% (male 7,469/female 7,427); 25-54 years: :43% (male 22,981/female 24,615); 55-64 years: :13.5% (male 6,804/female 8,093); 65 years and over: :12.3% (male 5,346/female 8,279) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Ashmore and Cartier Islands", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (territory of Australia)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport", "AFFILIATION": "(territory of Australia)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (territory of Australia)", "AREA": "total: :5 sq km; land: :5 sq km; water: :0 sq km; note: :includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Southeast Asia", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, midway between northwestern Australia and Timor island", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands; conventional short form: :Ashmore and Cartier Islands", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force", "TERRAIN": "low with sand and coral", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "none; offshore anchorage only", "POPULATION": "no indigenous inhabitants; note: :Indonesian fishermen are allowed access to the lagoon and fresh water at Ashmore Reef's West Island; access to East and Middle Islands is by permit only", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "no economic activity", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983; Cartier Island Marine Reserve established in 2000", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :12 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the laws of the Northern Territory of Australia, where applicable, apply", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (all grass and sand) (2014 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "the flag of Australia is used", "COASTLINE": "74.1 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "illegal killing of protected wildlife by traditional Indonesian fisherman, as well as fishing by non-traditional Indonesian vessels, are ongoing problems", "BACKGROUND": "These uninhabited islands came under Australian authority in 1931; formal administration began two years later. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine habitat; in 1983, it became a National Nature Reserve. Cartier Island, a former bombing range, became a marine reserve in 2000.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Indian Ocean 0 m; highest point: :unnamed location 3 m", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "12 14 S, 123 05 E" }, { "country": "Australia", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Morrell John BERRY (since 25 September 2013); embassy: :Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600; mailing address: :APO AP 96549; telephone: :[61; FAX: :[61; consulate(s) general: :Melbourne, Perth, Sydney", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$46,600 (2014 est.); $45,900 (2013 est.); $45,600 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.8% (2014 est.); 2.3% (2013 est.); 3.6% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.09% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$1.1 trillion (2014 est.); $1.07 trillion (2013 est.); $1.046 trillion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :51%; youth dependency ratio: :28.9%; elderly dependency ratio: :22.1%; potential support ratio: :4.5% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "23.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 24.3% of GDP (2013 est.); 24.8% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :55.7%; government consumption: :18.1%; investment in fixed capital: :26.7%; investment in inventories: :-0.1%; exports of goods and services: :21.3%; imports of goods and services: :-21.8%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "72.3%; note: :percent of women aged 18-44 (2005)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "30.5 (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "420.6 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "1.219 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "6.517 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "32.56 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "35.65 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "61.7 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "386,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "70,810 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "1.083 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "659,700 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "1.433 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "475,900 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "314,100 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "410,600 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "7.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "13.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "79.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "61.94 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "226.9 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "239.7 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Southern Cross constellation (five, seven-pointed stars), kangaroo, emu; national colors: green, gold", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :11.7%; male: :12.4%; female: :11% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "26.8% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "3.9 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3.27 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "9.1% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "0.2% (2007)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "7 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-1.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "33.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "Sydney 4.475 million; Melbourne 4.151 million; Brisbane 2.167 million; Perth 1.827 million; Adelaide 1.247 million; CANBERRA (capital) 415,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Advance Australia Fair\"; lyrics/music: :Peter Dodds McCORMICK; note: :adopted 1984; although originally written in the late 19th century, the anthem was not used for all official occasions until 1984; as a Commonwealth country, in addition to the national anthem, \"God Save the Queen\" is also played at Royal functions (see United Kingdom)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$1.661 trillion (31 December 2013 est.); $1.648 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$269.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $244.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) runs multiple national and local radio networks and TV stations, as well as Australia Network, a TV service that broadcasts throughout the Asia-Pacific region and is the main public broadcaster; Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), a second large public broadcaster, operates radio and TV networks broadcasting in multiple languages; several large national commercial TV networks, a large number of local commercial TV stations, and hundreds of commercial radio stations are accessible; cable and satellite systems are available (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :89.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.47% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$2.247 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.11 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$617 billion (31 December 2008); $667.2 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$248.5 billion (31 December 2008); $298.5 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "6% (31 December 2014 est.); 6.18% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "3% (28 February 2013); 4.35% (31 December 2010); note: :this is the Reserve Bank of Australia's \"cash rate target,\" or policy rate", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.6% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :20 years; male: :20 years; female: :21 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :22.58 cu km/yr (27%/18%/55%); per capita: :1,152 cu m/yr (2010)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "492 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$1.286 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); $1.198 trillion (31 December 2011); $1.455 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$482.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $471.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$646.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $593.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$1.483 trillion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :8,368 (Afghanistan) (2014)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$65.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $52.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$37 billion (2014 est.); -$43.82 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "34.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 33.1% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "17.081 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :38.3 years; male: :37.5 years; female: :39 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "30.3 (2008); 35.2 (1994)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "fewer than 100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "28,200 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.17% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".au", "INTERNET_USERS": "15.81 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "24.4 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "10.47 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Kim Christian BEAZLEY (since 7 February 2010); chancery: :1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco", "AREA": "total: :7,741,220 sq km; land: :7,682,300 sq km; water: :58,920 sq km; note: :includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "25,460 sq km (2006)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "6% (2014 est.); 5.7% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "federal parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.77 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :excellent domestic and international service; domestic: :domestic satellite system; significant use of radiotelephone in areas of low population density; rapid growth of mobile telephones; international: :country code - 61; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable with links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; the Southern Cross fiber optic submarine cable provides links to New Zealand and the United States; satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean), 2 Inmarsat, 2 Globalstar, 5 other) (2007)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal and compulsory", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 30.1% (Anglican 17.1%, Uniting Church 5.0%, Presbyterian and Reformed 2.8%, Baptist, 1.6%, Lutheran 1.2%, Pentecostal 1.1%, other Protestant 1.3%), Catholic 25.3% (Roman Catholic 25.1%, other Catholic .2%), other Christian 2.9%, Orthodox 2.8%, Buddhist 2.5%, Muslim 2.2%, Hindu 1.3%, other 1.3%, none 22.3%, unspecified 9.3% (2011 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :38,445 km; broad gauge: :3,355 km 1.600-m gauge; standard gauge: :21,674 km 1.435-m gauge (650 km electrified); narrow gauge: :9,539 km 1.067-m gauge (2,067 km electrified); 3,877 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Fremantle, Geelong, Gladstone, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Port Adelaide, Port Kembla, Sydney; dry bulk cargo port(s): :Dampier (iron ore), Dalrymple Bay (coal), Hay Point (coal), Port Hedland (iron ore), Port Walcott (iron ore); container port(s) (TEUs): :Brisbane (1,004,983), Melbourne (2,467,967), Sydney (2,028,074)(2011); LNG terminal(s) (export): :Darwin, Karratha", "POPULATION": "22,507,617 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Australian Greens Party [Christine MILNE; Australian Labor Party [Bill SHORTEN; Country Liberal Party [Terry MILLS; Family First Party [Steve FIELDING; Katter's Australian Party [Bob KATTER; Liberal National Party of Queensland [Campbell NEWMAN; Liberal Party [Tony ABBOTT; National Party of Australia [Warren TRUSS; Palmer United Party [Clive PALMER", "PIPELINES": "condensate/gas 637 km; gas 30,054 km; liquid petroleum gas 240 km; oil 3,609 km; oil/gas/water 110 km; refined products 72 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The Australian economy has experienced continuous growth and features low unemployment, contained inflation, very low public debt, and a strong and stable financial system. By 2014, Australia had experienced more than 20 years of continued economic growth, averaging more than 3% a year. Demand for resources and energy from Asia and especially China has grown rapidly, creating a channel for resources investments and growth in commodity exports. The high Australian dollar has hurt the manufacturing sector, while the services sector is the largest part of the Australian economy, accounting for about 70% of GDP and 75% of jobs. Australia was comparatively unaffected by the global financial crisis as the banking system has remained strong and inflation is under control. Australia has benefited from a dramatic surge in its terms of trade in recent years, stemming from rising global commodity prices. Australia is a significant exporter of natural resources, energy, and food. Australia's abundant and diverse natural resources attract high levels of foreign investment and include extensive reserves of coal, iron, copper, gold, natural gas, uranium, and renewable energy sources. A series of major investments, such as the US$40 billion Gorgon Liquid Natural Gas project, will significantly expand the resources sector. Australia is an open market with minimal restrictions on imports of goods and services. The process of opening up has increased productivity, stimulated growth, and made the economy more flexible and dynamic. Australia plays an active role in the World Trade Organization, APEC, the G20, and other trade forums. Australia has bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) with Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, and the US, has a regional FTA with ASEAN and New Zealand, is negotiating agreements with China, India, Indonesia, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, as well as with its Pacific neighbors and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and is also working on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement with Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the US, and Vietnam.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :business groups, environmental groups, social groups, trade unions", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country; the largest country in Oceania, the largest country entirely in the Southern Hemisphere, and the largest country without land borders; the only continent without glaciers; population concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts; the invigorating sea breeze known as the \"Fremantle Doctor\" affects the city of Perth on the west coast and is one of the most consistent winds in the world", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "5.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, rare earth elements, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum; note: :Australia is the world's largest net exporter of coal accounting for 29% of global coal exports", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Australian(s); adjective: :Australian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Australia Day (commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet of Australian settlers), 26 January (1788); ANZAC Day (commemorates the anniversary of the landing of troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I at Gallipoli, Turkey), 25 April (1915)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :41; by type: :bulk carrier 8, cargo 7, liquefied gas 4, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 5, roll on/roll off 5; foreign-owned: :17 (Canada 5, Germany 2, Singapore 2, South Africa 1, UK 5, US 2); registered in other countries: :25 (Bahamas 1, Dominica 1, Fiji 2, Liberia 1, Netherlands 1, Panama 4, Singapore 12, Tonga 1, UK 1, US 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, ANZUS, APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CD, CP, EAS, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, G-20, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF, SAARC (observer), SICA (observer), Sparteca, SPC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNMISS, UNMIT, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :5,316,464; females age 16-49: :5,116,722 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :82.07 years; male: :79.63 years; female: :84.64 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76 seats - 12 members from each of the 6 states and 2 from each of the 2 mainland territories; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of state membership renewed every 3 years and territory membership renewed every 3 years) and the House of Representatives (150 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by majority preferential vote; members serve terms of up to 3 years); elections: :Senate - last held on 7 September 2013; House of Representatives - last held on 7 September 2013 (the latest a simultaneous half-Senate and House of Representative elections can be held is 30 November 2016); election results: :Senate NA; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - Liberal/National Coalition 53.45%, Australian Labor Party 46.55%; seats by party - Liberal/National Coalition 90 (Liberal 58, Liberal National 22, Nationals 9, Country Liberals 1), Australian Labor Party 55, Australian Greens Party 1, Katter's Australian Party 1, Palmer United Party 1, independents 2", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "common law system based on the English model", "LANGUAGES": "English 76.8%, Mandarin 1.6%, Italian 1.4%, Arabic 1.3%, Greek 1.2%, Cantonese 1.2%, Vietnamese 1.1%, other 10.4%, unspecified 5% (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :6.13% (includes about 27 million hectares of cultivated grassland); permanent crops: :0.05%; other: :93.82% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "12.37 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :High Court of Australia (consists of 7 justices, including the chief justice); note - each of the 6 states, 2 territories, and Norfolk Island has a Supreme Court; the High Court is the final appellate court beyond the state and territory supreme courts; judge selection and term of office: :justices appointed by the governor-general in council for life with mandatory retirement at age 70; subordinate courts: :subordinate courts at the federal level: Federal Court; Federal Magistrates' Courts of Australia; Family Court; subordinate courts at the state and territory level: Local Court - New South Wales; Magistrates' Courts � Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory; District Courts � New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia; County Court � Victoria; Family Court � Western Australia; Court of Petty Sessions � Norfolk Island", "WATERWAYS": "2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling river systems) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.7% (2014 est.); 2.5% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :4.43 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :4.74 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :4.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.1% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1 January 1901 (from the federation of UK colonies)", "IMPORTS": "$245.9 billion (2014 est.); $250.5 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :823,217 km; paved: :356,343 km; unpaved: :466,874 km (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side quadrant known as the Commonwealth or Federation Star, representing the federation of the colonies of Australia in 1901; the star depicts one point for each of the six original states and one representing all of Australia's internal and external territories; on the fly half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one small, five-pointed star and four larger, seven-pointed stars", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 July - 30 June", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$1.48 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.459 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$250.8 billion (2014 est.); $254.8 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen of Australia ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Sir Peter COSGROVE (since 28 March 2014); head of government: :Prime Minister Anthony John \"Tony\" ABBOTT (since 18 September 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Warren TRUSS (since 18 September 2013); cabinet: :prime minister nominates, from among members of Parliament, candidates who are subsequently sworn in by the governor general to serve as government ministers; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is sworn in as prime minister by the governor general", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar -; 1.098 (2014 est.); 1.0358 (2013 est.); 0.97 (2012 est.); 0.9695 (2011 est.); 1.0902 (2010)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "English 25.9%, Australian 25.4%, Irish 7.5%, Scottish 6.4%, Italian 3.3%, German 3.2%, Chinese 3.1%, Indian 1.4%, Greek 1.4%, Dutch 1.2%, other 15.8% (includes Australian aboriginal .5%), unspecified 5.4%; note: :data represents self-identified ancestry, over a third of respondents reported two ancestries (2011 est.)", "DEPENDENT_AREAS": "Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Macquarie Island, Norfolk Island", "DEATH_RATE": "7.07 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "9 July 1900; effective 1 January 1901; amended several times, last in 1977; note - a referendum to amend the constitution to reflect the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Recognition Act 2013 is to be completed by the end of 2014 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 19.5%, US 10.4%, Japan 7.8%, Singapore 5.4%, Germany 4.7%, Thailand 4.7%, South Korea 4.2% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "25,760 km", "CLIMATE": "generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products", "CAPITAL": "name: :Canberra; geographic coordinates: :35 16 S, 149 08 E; time difference: :UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends first Sunday in April; note: :Australia has three time zones", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$493.1 billion; expenditures: :$521.3 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Australian Defense Force (ADF): Australian Army; Royal Australian Navy (includes Naval Aviation Force); Royal Australian Air Force; Joint Operations Command (JOC) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "12.19 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "480 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits; cattle, sheep, poultry", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 36.1%, Japan 18%, South Korea 7.3% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "coal, iron ore, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and transport equipment", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :3.6%; industry: :21.1%; services: :75% (2009 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2%; highest 10%: :25.4% (1994)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.71% of GDP (2012); 1.84% of GDP (2011); 1.71% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "soil erosion from overgrazing, industrial development, urbanization, and poor farming practices; soil salinity rising due to the use of poor quality water; desertification; clearing for agricultural purposes threatens the natural habitat of many unique animal and plant species; the Great Barrier Reef off the northeast coast, the largest coral reef in the world, is threatened by increased shipping and its popularity as a tourist site; limited natural freshwater resources", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :131; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :16; 914 to 1,523 m: :101; 14 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :349; over 3,047 m: :11; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :14; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :155; 914 to 1,523 m: :155; under 914 m: :14 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Prehistoric settlers arrived on the continent from Southeast Asia at least 40,000 years before the first Europeans began exploration in the 17th century. No formal territorial claims were made until 1770, when Capt. James COOK took possession of the east coast in the name of Great Britain (all of Australia was claimed as British territory in 1829 with the creation of the colony of Western Australia). Six colonies were created in the late 18th and 19th centuries; they federated and became the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. The new country took advantage of its natural resources to rapidly develop agricultural and manufacturing industries and to make a major contribution to the Allied effort in World Wars I and II. In recent decades, Australia has become an internationally competitive, advanced market economy due in large part to economic reforms adopted in the 1980s and its location in one of the fastest growing regions of the world economy. Long-term concerns include aging of the population, pressure on infrastructure, and environmental issues such as floods, droughts, and bushfires. Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth, making it particularly vulnerable to the challenges of climate change. Australia is home to 10 per cent of the world's biodiversity, and a great number of its flora and fauna exist nowhere else in the world.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :143,565; female: :135,800 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :4,411,958; females age 16-49: :4,239,985 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "17 years of age for voluntary military service (with parental consent); no conscription; women allowed to serve in most combat roles, except the Army special forces (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires; volcanism: :volcanic activity on Heard and McDonald Islands", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Lake Eyre -15 m; highest point: :Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.85 male(s)/female; total population: :1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "104 (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :3.7%; industry: :28.9%; services: :67.4% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "27 00 S, 133 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :18% (male 2,075,316/female 1,969,645); 15-24 years: :13.3% (male 1,534,947/female 1,457,250); 25-54 years: :41.8% (male 4,783,473/female 4,626,603); 55-64 years: :11.8% (male 1,321,246/female 1,341,329); 65 years and over: :15.1% (male 1,569,197/female 1,828,611) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Austria", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Alexa Lange WESNER (since 22 October 2013); embassy: :Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1090, Vienna; mailing address: :use embassy street address; telephone: :[43; FAX: :[43", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$45,400 (2014 est.); $45,100 (2013 est.); $45,100 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1% (2014 est.); 0.3% (2013 est.); 0.9% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.01% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$386.9 billion (2014 est.); $383 billion (2013 est.); $382 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :49.1%; youth dependency ratio: :21.6%; elderly dependency ratio: :27.6%; potential support ratio: :3.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "23.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 23.8% of GDP (2013 est.); 25.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :55%; government consumption: :19.5%; investment in fixed capital: :21.1%; investment in inventories: :0.2%; exports of goods and services: :56.4%; imports of goods and services: :-52.1%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "69.6%; note: :percent of women aged 18-46 (2008/09)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "28.5 (2011 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "66.68 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "9.656 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "10.41 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "3.973 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "8.528 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "1.369 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "123,900 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "43,010 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "263,300 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "191,900 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "48.5 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "139,000 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "20,240 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "19.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "51.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "28.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "22.36 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "24.96 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "17.69 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "65.01 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "69 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "golden eagle, edelweiss, Alpine gentian; national colors: red, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :8.7%; male: :8.8%; female: :8.7% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "20.9% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "7.6 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "4.83 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "11.5% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "4 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "48.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "VIENNA (capital) 1.743 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Bundeshymne\" (Federal Hymn); lyrics/music: :Paula von PRERADOVIC/Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART or Johann HOLZER (disputed); note: :adopted 1947; the anthem is also known as \"Land der Berge, Land am Strome\" (Land of the Mountains, Land on the River); Austria adopted a new national anthem after World War II to replace the former imperial anthem composed by Franz Josef HAYDN, which had been appropriated by Germany in 1922 and was thereafter associated with the Nazi regime", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$428.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $439.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$222.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $225.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.); note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "Austria's public broadcaster, Osterreichischer Rundfunk (ORF), was the main broadcast source until commercial radio and TV service was introduced in the 1990s; cable and satellite TV are available, including German TV stations (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :65.9% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$539.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $559.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "2.1% (31 December 2014 est.); 2.21% (31 December 2013 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.9% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :16 years; male: :15 years; female: :16 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :3.66 cu km/yr (18%/79%/3%); per capita: :452.4 cu m/yr (2008)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "77.7 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$106 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $82.37 billion (31 December 2011); $67.68 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$365.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $346.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$300.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $286.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$436.1 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :11,906 (Afghanistan); 19,577 (Russia) (2014); stateless persons: :604 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$23.29 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $23.29 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$4.5 billion (2014 est.); $11.25 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "80.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 74.5% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :this is general government gross debt, defined in the Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value, outstanding at the end of the year; it covers the following categories of government liabilities (as defined in ESA95): currency and deposits (AF.2), securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives (AF.3, excluding AF.34), and loans (AF.4); the general government sector comprises the sub-sectors of central government, state government, local government and social security funds; as a percentage of GDP, the GDP used as a denominator is the gross domestic product in current year prices", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "3.512 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :44.3 years; male: :43.2 years; female: :45.3 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "26.3 (2007); 31 (1995)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".at", "INTERNET_USERS": "6.143 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "13.59 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "3.342 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Hans Peter MANZ (since 2 December 2011); chancery: :3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Chicago, Los Angeles, New York", "AREA": "total: :83,871 sq km; land: :82,445 sq km; water: :1,426 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1,170 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Austria; conventional short form: :Austria; local long form: :Republik Oesterreich; local short form: :Oesterreich; note: :the name Oesterreich means \"eastern realm\" or \"eastern march\" and dates back to the 10th century; the designation refers to the fact that Austria was the easternmost extension of Bavaria, and in fact of all the Germans; the word Austria is a Latinization of the German name", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "4.5% (2014 est.); 4.9% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "federal republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.43 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :highly developed and efficient; domestic: :fixed-line subscribership has been in decline since the mid-1990s with mobile-cellular subscribership eclipsing it by the late 1990s; the fiber-optic net is very extensive; all telephone applications and Internet services are available; international: :country code - 43; satellite earth stations - 15; in addition, there are about 600 VSATs (very small aperture terminals) (2007)", "SUFFRAGE": "16 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Catholic 73.8% (includes Roman Catholic 73.6%, other Catholic .2%), Protestant 4.9%, Muslim 4.2%, Orthodox 2.2%, other 0.8% (includes other Christian), none 12%, unspecified 2% (2001 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :6,399 km; standard gauge: :5,927 km 1.435-m gauge (3,853 km electrified); narrow gauge: :384 km 1.000-m gauge (15 km electrified); 88 km 0.760-m gauge (10 km electrified) (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "river port(s): :Enns, Krems, Linz, Vienna (Danube)", "POPULATION": "8,223,062 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alliance for the Future of Austria or BZOe [Josef BUCHER; Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Reinhold MITTERLEHNER; Communist Party of Austria or KPOe [Mirko MESSNER; Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe [Heinz Christian STRACHE; The Greens [Eva GLAWISCHNIG; NEOS - The New Austria [Matthias STROLZ; Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe [Werner FAYMANN; \"Team Stronach for Austria\" [Frank STRONACH", "PIPELINES": "gas 4,736 km; oil 663 km; refined products 157 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Austria, with its well-developed market economy, skilled labor force, and high standard of living, is closely tied to other EU economies, especially Germany's. Its economy features a large service sector, a sound industrial sector, and a small, but highly developed agricultural sector. Following several years of solid foreign demand for Austrian exports and record employment growth, the international financial crisis of 2008 and subsequent global economic downturn led to a sharp but brief recession. Austrian GDP contracted 3.8% in 2009 but saw positive growth of in 2010-12. Growth fell below 1% in 2013-14. Unemployment did not rise as steeply in Austria as elsewhere in Europe, partly because the government subsidized reduced working hour schemes to allow companies to retain employees. Stabilization measures, stimulus spending, and an income tax reform pushed the budget deficit to 4.5% in 2010. In March 2012, the Austrian parliament approved an austerity package consisting of a mix of expenditure cuts and new revenues that will bring public finances into balance by 2016. The deficit was steadily reduced to 1.5% of GDP in 2014 as a result of the measures. The international financial crisis of 2008 caused difficulties for Austria's largest banks whose extensive operations in central, eastern, and southeastern Europe faced large losses. The government provided bank support - including in some instances, nationalization - to support aggregate demand and stabilize the banking system. Austria's fiscal position compares favorably with other euro-zone countries, but it faces external risks, such as Austrian banks' continued exposure to Central and Eastern Europe as well as political and economic uncertainties caused by the European sovereign debt crisis. In 2011, the government attempted to pass a constitutional amendment limiting public debt to 60% of GDP by 2020, but it was unable to obtain sufficient support in parliament and instead passed the measure as a simple law.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Austrian Trade Union Federation or OeGB (nominally independent but primarily Social Democratic); Federal Economic Chamber; Labor Chamber or AK (Social Democratic-leaning think tank); OeVP-oriented Association of Austrian Industrialists or IV; Roman Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization, Catholic Action; other: :three composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party or OeVP representing business, labor, farmers, and other nongovernment organizations in the areas of environment and human rights", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major river is the Danube; population is concentrated on eastern lowlands because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewhere", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "1.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Austrian(s); adjective: :Austrian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "National Day, 26 October (1955); note - commemorates the passage of the law on permanent neutrality", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "registered in other countries: :3 (Cyprus 1, Kazakhstan 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,941,110; females age 16-49: :1,910,434 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :80.17 years; male: :77.25 years; female: :83.24 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of the Federal Council or Bundesrat (62 seats; members appointed by state parliaments with each state receiving 3 to 12 seats in proportion to its population; members serve 5- or 6-year terms) and the National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :National Council - last held on 29 September 2013 (next to be held by September 2018); election results: :National Council - percent of vote by party - SPOe 27.1%, OeVP 23.8%, FPOe 21.4%, Greens 11.5%, Team Stronach 5.8%, NEOS 4.8%, other 5.6%; seats by party - SPOe 53, OeVP 46, FPOe 42, Greens 22; Team Stronach 11, NEOS 9", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Court", "LANGUAGES": "German (official nationwide) 88.6%, Turkish 2.3%, Serbian 2.2%, Croatian (official in Burgenland) 1.6%, other (includes Slovene, official in South Carinthia, and Hungarian, official in Burgenland) 5.3% (2001 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :16.44%; permanent crops: :0.79%; other: :82.77% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,524 km; border countries: :Czech Republic 402 km, Germany 801 km, Hungary 321 km, Italy 404 km, Liechtenstein 34 km, Slovakia 105 km, Slovenia 299 km, Switzerland 158 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "3.778 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Justice or Oberster Gerichtshof (consists of 85 judges organized into 17 senates or panels of five judges each); Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof (consists of 20 judges including 6 substitutes; Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof - 2 judges plus other members depending on the importance of the case); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges nominated by executive branch departments and appointed by the president; judges serve for life; Constitutional Court judges nominated by several executive branch departments and approved by the president; judges serve for life; Administrative Court judges recommended by executive branch departments and appointed by the president; terms of judges and members determined by the president; subordinate courts: :Courts of Appeal (4); Regional Courts (20); district courts (120); county courts", "WATERWAYS": "358 km (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.5% (2014 est.); 2.1% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :4.16 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :5.01 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :3.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "construction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, metals, chemicals, lumber and wood, paper and paperboard, communications equipment, tourism", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.8% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "12 November 1918 (republic proclaimed); notable earlier dates: 976 (Margravate of Austria established); 17 September 1156 (Duchy of Austria founded); 11 August 1804 (Austrian Empire proclaimed)", "IMPORTS": "$166.5 billion (2014 est.); $165.2 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :124,508 km; paved: :124,508 km (includes 1,719 km of expressways) (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red; the flag design is certainly one of the oldest - if not the oldest - national banners in the world; according to tradition, in 1191, following a fierce battle in the Third Crusade, Duke Leopold V of Austria's white tunic became completely blood-spattered; upon removal of his wide belt or sash, a white band was revealed; the red-white-red color combination was subsequently adopted as his banner", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$812 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $786.1 billion (31 December 2011)", "EXPORTS": "$164.4 billion (2014 est.); $165.1 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Heinz FISCHER (SPOe) (since 8 July 2004); head of government: :Chancellor Werner FAYMANN (SPOe) (since 2 December 2008); Vice Chancellor Reinhold MITTERLEHNER (since 1 September 2014); cabinet: :Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor; elections: :president elected for a six-year term (eligible for a second term) by direct popular vote and formally sworn into office before the Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung; presidential election last held on 25 April 2010 (next to be held on 25 April 2016); chancellor formally chosen by the president but determined by the coalition parties forming a parliamentary majority; vice chancellor chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor; election results: :Heinz FISCHER reelected president; percent of vote - Heinz FISCHER 79.33%, Barbara ROSENKRANZ 15.24%, Rudolf GEHRING 5.43%; note: :government coalition - SPOe and OeVP", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.78 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Austrians 91.1%, former Yugoslavs 4% (includes Croatians, Slovenes, Serbs, and Bosniaks), Turks 1.6%, German 0.9%, other or unspecified 2.4% (2001 census)", "DEATH_RATE": "10.38 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted 1 October 1920, revised 1929, replaced May 1934 (authoritarian-corporate constitution), replaced by German Weimar constitution in 1938 following German annexation; latest reinstated 1 May 1945 (1920 constitution with 1929 revisions); amended many times, last in 2008 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 41.7%, Italy 6.4%, Switzerland 4.8%, Czech Republic 4.2% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal goods, oil and oil products; foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Vienna; geographic coordinates: :48 12 N, 16 22 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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$212.3 billion; expenditures: :$225.3 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Land Forces (KdoLdSK), Air Forces (KdoLuSK)", "BIRTH_RATE": "8.76 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "52 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "grains, potatoes, wine, fruit; dairy products, cattle, pigs, poultry; lumber", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland, Karnten (Carinthia), Niederoesterreich (Lower Austria), Oberoesterreich (Upper Austria), Salzburg, Steiermark (Styria), Tirol (Tyrol), Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 30.7%, Italy 6.6%, France 4.8%, US 4.4%, Switzerland 4.3%, Slovakia 4.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, paper and paperboard, metal goods, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :5.5%; industry: :26%; services: :68.5% (2012 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :4%; highest 10%: :22% (2011)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "6.2% (2012)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.81% of GDP (2012); 0.82% of GDP (2011); 0.81% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "some forest degradation caused by air and soil pollution; soil pollution results from the use of agricultural chemicals; air pollution results from emissions by coal- and oil-fired power stations and industrial plants and from trucks transiting Austria between northern and southern Europe", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :28; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :3; 24 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :24; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :5; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :4; under 914 m: :13 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Once the center of power for the large Austro-Hungarian Empire, Austria was reduced to a small republic after its defeat in World War I. Following annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938 and subsequent occupation by the victorious Allies in 1945, Austria's status remained unclear for a decade. A State Treaty signed in 1955 ended the occupation, recognized Austria's independence, and forbade unification with Germany. A constitutional law that same year declared the country's \"perpetual neutrality\" as a condition for Soviet military withdrawal. The Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 and Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995 have altered the meaning of this neutrality. A prosperous, democratic country, Austria entered the EU Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :48,108; female: :45,752 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,579,862; females age 16-49: :1,554,130 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "registration requirement at age 17, the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; 18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory service; males under the age of 35 must complete basic military training (6 month duration); males 18 to 50 years old in the militia or inactive reserve are subject to compulsory service (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Maine", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "landslides; avalanches; earthquakes", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Neusiedler See 115 m; highest point: :Grossglockner 3,798 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.73 male(s)/female; total population: :0.95 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "9 (2010)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "FM 65 (plus several hundred repeaters), shortwave 1 (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :1.5%; industry: :28.6%; services: :69.8% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "47 20 N, 13 20 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :13.6% (male 573,146/female 546,596); 15-24 years: :11.6% (male 488,564/female 468,891); 25-54 years: :42.9% (male 1,766,729/female 1,756,880); 55-64 years: :12.7% (male 515,913/female 528,988); 65 years and over: :19.2% (male 670,750/female 906,605) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Azerbaijan", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Robert CEKUTA (since 16 February 2015); embassy: :111 Azadlig Prospecti, Baku AZ1007; mailing address: :American Embassy Baku, US Department of State, 7050 Baku Place, Washington, DC 20521-7050; telephone: :[994; FAX: :[994", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$17,900 (2014 est.); $17,300 (2013 est.); $16,500 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "4.5% (2014 est.); 5.8% (2013 est.); 2.2% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.99% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$168.4 billion (2014 est.); $161.2 billion (2013 est.); $152.3 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :38.4%; youth dependency ratio: :30.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :7.7%; potential support ratio: :13% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "38.1% of GDP (2014 est.); 40.1% of GDP (2013 est.); 44.5% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :43.3%; government consumption: :11.1%; investment in fixed capital: :26.3%; investment in inventories: :0.1%; exports of goods and services: :46%; imports of goods and services: :-26.7%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "51.1% (2006)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "23.4 (2011 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :144,397; percentage: :7%; note: :data represents children ages 5-17 (2005 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "35.14 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "991.1 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "250 million cu m (2011 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "6.99 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "10.74 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "17.18 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "499 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "53,440 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "93,430 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "133,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "7 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "821,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "874,400 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "15.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "84.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "6.398 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "128 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "805 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "20.29 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "22.99 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "flames of fire; national colors: blue, red, green", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :14.2%; male: :12.2%; female: :16.3% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "23.8% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "4.7 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3.43 physicians/1,000 population (2012)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.4% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "8.4% (2006)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "43 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-1.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "31.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "BAKU (capital) 2.317 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Azerbaijan Marsi\" (March of Azerbaijan); lyrics/music: :Ahmed JAVAD/Uzeyir HAJIBEYOV; note: :adopted 1992; although originally written in 1919 during a brief period of independence, \"Azerbaijan Marsi\" did not become the official anthem until after the dissolution of the Soviet Union", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 85.9% of population; rural: 77.5% of population; total: 82% of population; urban: 14.1% of population; rural: 22.5% of population; total: 18% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 88.4% of population; rural: 70.7% of population; total: 80.2% of population; urban: 11.6% of population; rural: 29.3% of population; total: 19.8% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$24.18 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $20.95 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$18.01 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $16.24 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "3 state-run and 1 public TV channels; 4 domestic commercial TV stations and about 15 regional TV stations; cable TV services are available in Baku; 1 state-run and 1 public radio network operating; a small number of private commercial radio stations broadcasting; local FM relays of Baku commercial stations are available in many localities; local relays of several international broadcasters had been available until late 2008 when their broadcasts were banned from FM frequencies (2010)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :54.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.56% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$22.85 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $18.76 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$4.125 billion (31 December 2008); $2.593 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$6.381 billion (31 December 2008); $4.261 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "18% (31 December 2014 est.); 18.25% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "5% (31 December 2012); 5.25% (31 December 2011); note: :this is the Refinancing Rate, the key policy rate for the National Bank of Azerbaijan", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.4% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :12 years; male: :12 years; female: :12 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :12.21 cu km/yr (4%/18%/78%); per capita: :1,384 cu m/yr (2010)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "34.68 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$10.41 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $9.007 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$57.47 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $50.97 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$77.91 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "IDPs: :up to 543400 (conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh; IDPs are mainly ethnic Azerbaijanis but also include ethnic Kurds, Russians, and Turks predominantly from occupied territories around Nagorno-Karabakh; number includes IDPs' descendants, returned IDPs, and people living in insecure areas and excludes people displaced by natural disasters; around half the IDPs live in the capital Baku) (2014); stateless persons: :3,585 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$17.71 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $15.01 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$11.19 billion (2014 est.); $13.08 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "10.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 9.1% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "46,856 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :30.1 years; male: :28.5 years; female: :31.9 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "33.7 (2008); 36.5 (2001)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "9,200 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.16% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".az", "INTERNET_USERS": "2.42 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "10.125 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "1.734 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Elin SULEYMANOV (since 5 December 2011); chancery: :2741 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Los Angeles", "AREA": "total: :86,600 sq km; land: :82,629 sq km; water: :3,971 sq km; note: :includes the exclave of Naxcivan Autonomous Republic and the Nagorno-Karabakh region; the region's autonomy was abolished by Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet on 26 November 1991", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "14,250 sq km (2010)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Asia", "LOCATION": "Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Azerbaijan; conventional short form: :Azerbaijan; local long form: :Azarbaycan Respublikasi; local short form: :Azarbaycan; former: :Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic; note: :the name translates as \"The Land of Fire\"", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "5.4% (2014 est.); 4.7% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.91 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "large, flat Kur-Araz Ovaligi (Kura-Araks Lowland, much of it below sea level) with Great Caucasus Mountains to the north, Qarabag Yaylasi (Karabakh Upland) in west; Baku lies on Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) that juts into Caspian Sea", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :requires considerable expansion and modernization; fixed-line telephone and a broad range of other telecom services are controlled by a state-owned telecommunications monopoly and growth has been stagnant; more competition exists in the mobile-cellular market with four providers in 2009; domestic: :teledensity of 17 fixed lines per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity has increased and now exceeds 100 telephones per 100 persons; satellite service connects Baku to a modern switch in its exclave of Naxcivan (Nakhichevan); international: :country code - 994; the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic link transits Azerbaijan providing international connectivity to neighboring countries; the old Soviet system of cable and microwave is still serviceable; satellite earth stations - 2 (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian Orthodox 2.3%, other 1.8% (1995 est.); note: :religious affiliation is still nominal in Azerbaijan; percentages for actual practicing adherents are much lower", "RAILWAYS": "total: :2,918 km; broad gauge: :2,918 km 1.520-m gauge (1,278 km electrified) (2009)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Baku (Baki) located on the Caspian Sea", "POPULATION": "9,686,210 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Azerbaijan Democratic Party or ADP [Sardar JALALOGLU; Azerbaijan Popular Front or AXCP [Ali KARIMLI; Civil Solidarity Party or CSP [Sabir RUSTAMKHANLI; Civil Unity Party [Sabir HACIYEV; Classical Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan [Mirmahmud MIRALI-OGLU; Democratic Reforms Party [Asim MOLLAZADE; Free Democrats Party [Sulhaddin AKBAR; Great Creation Party [Fazil Gazanfaroglu MUSTAFAYEV; Hope (Umid) Party [Igbal AGAZADE; Justice Party [Ilyas ISMAILOV; Liberal Party of Azerbaijan [Lala Shovkat HACIYEVA, Avaz TEMIRKHAN; Modern Musavat Party [Hafiz HACIYEV; Motherland Party [Fazail AGAMALI; Musavat (Equality) [Isa GAMBAR; Social Democratic Party of Azerbaijan or SDP [Araz ALIZADE; Social Welfare Party [Khanhusein KAZIMLI; Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front Party [Gudrat HASANGULIYEV; Yeni (New) Azerbaijan Party or YAP [President Ilham ALIYEV", "PIPELINES": "condensate 89 km; gas 3,890 km; oil 2,446 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Azerbaijan's high economic growth has been attributable to large and growing oil and gas exports, but some non-export sectors also featured double-digit growth, including construction, banking, and real estate. Oil exports through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline, the Baku-Novorossiysk, and the Baku-Supsa pipelines remain the main economic driver, but efforts to boost Azerbaijan's gas production are underway. The eventual completion of the geopolitically important Southern Gas Corridor between Azerbaijan and Europe will open up another, albeit, smaller source of revenue from gas exports. Azerbaijan has made only limited progress on instituting market-based economic reforms. Pervasive public and private sector corruption and structural economic inefficiencies remain a drag on long-term growth, particularly in non-energy sectors. Several other obstacles impede Azerbaijan's economic progress, including the need for stepped up foreign investment in the non-energy sector and the continuing conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Trade with Russia and the other former Soviet republics is declining in importance, while trade is building with Turkey and the nations of Europe. Long-term prospects depend on world oil prices, Azerbaijan's ability to negotiate export routes for its growing gas production, and its ability to use its energy wealth to promote growth and spur employment in non-energy sectors of the economy.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Club-125 [Ilhamia RZAYEVA; EL Movement [Eldar NAMAZOV; Forum of Intelligentsia [Rustam IBRAHIMBEYOV; Ireli Youth Movement [Rauf MERDIYEV; National Council of Democratic Forces [Jamil HASANLI; NIDA Youth Movement [Turgut GAMBAR, Zaur GURBANLI (in jail); Positive Change Youth Movement [Narmin RAHIMLI; Republican Alternative (REAL) [Ilgar MAMMADOV", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "both the main area of the country and the Naxcivan exclave are landlocked", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, bauxite", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Azerbaijani(s); adjective: :Azerbaijani", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Founding of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan, 28 May (1918)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :90; by type: :cargo 27, chemical tanker 1, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 8, petroleum tanker 47, roll on/roll off 3, specialized tanker 2; foreign-owned: :1 (Turkey 1); registered in other countries: :2 (Malta 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, BSEC, CD, CE, CICA, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, EITI (compliant country), FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,354,249; females age 16-49: :2,334,632 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :99.8%; male: :99.9%; female: :99.7% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :71.91 years; male: :68.92 years; female: :75.26 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 7 November 2010 (next to be held in November 2015); election results: :percent of vote by party - YAP 45.8%, CSP 1.6%, Motherland 1.4%, independents 48.2%, other 3.1%; seats by party - YAP 71, CSP 3, Motherland 2, Civil Unity 1, Democratic Reforms 1, Great Creation 1, Hope Party 1, Justice 1, Social Welfare 1, Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front 1, independents 42", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system", "LANGUAGES": "Azerbaijani (Azeri) (official) 92.5%, Russian 1.4%, Armenian 1.4%, other 4.7% (2009 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :22.95%; permanent crops: :2.79%; other: :74.26% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,468 km; border countries: :Armenia 996 km, Georgia 428 km, Iran 689 km, Russia 338 km, Turkey 17 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "4.821 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the chairman, deputy chairman, and at least 24 judges in plenum sessions); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the Milli Majlis; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court chairman and deputy chairman appointed by the president; other court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the Milli Majlis to serve single 15-year terms; subordinate courts: :Courts of Appeal (replaced the Economic Court in 2002); district and municipal courts;", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.4% (2014 est.); 2.5% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :26.67 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :27.47 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :25.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, oilfield equipment; steel, iron ore; cement; chemicals and petrochemicals; textiles", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "30 August 1991 (declared from the Soviet Union); 18 October 1991 (adopted by the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan)", "IMPORTS": "$10.68 billion (2014 est.); $10.32 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; small government eradication program; transit point for Southwest Asian opiates bound for Russia and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe", "ROADWAYS": "total: :52,942 km; paved: :26,789 km; unpaved: :26,153 km (2006)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and green; a crescent and eight-pointed star in white are centered in the red band; the blue band recalls Azerbaijan's Turkic heritage, red stands for modernization and progress, and green refers to Islam; the crescent moon is an Islamic symbol, while the eight-pointed star represents the eight Turkic peoples of the world", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$12.91 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $10.64 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$30.89 billion (2014 est.); $31.7 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Ilham ALIYEV (since 31 October 2003); head of government: :Prime Minister Artur RASIZADE (since 4 November 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Yaqub EYYUBOV (since June 2006); note - RASIZADE was previously prime minister from 20 July 1996-4 August 2003; cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for unlimited terms); election last held on 9 October 2013 (next to be held in October 2018); prime minister and first deputy prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly; election results: :Ilham ALIYEV reelected president; percent of vote - Ilham ALIYEV 84.5%, Jamil HASANLI 5.5%, other 10%; note: :OSCE observers concluded that the election did not meet international standards", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Azerbaijani manats (AZN) per US dollar -; 0.7846 (2014 est.); 0.7846 (2013 est.); 0.79 (2012 est.); 0.7897 (2011 est.); 0.8027 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Azerbaijani 91.6%, Lezgian 2%, Russian 1.3%, Armenian 1.3%, Talysh 1.3%, other 2.4%; note: :almost all Armenians live in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region (2009 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "7.09 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted 12 November 1995; amended 1996, 2002, 2009 (2009)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Turkey 15.8%, Russia 14.1%, UK 11.1%, Germany 7.8%, China 6%, Ukraine 5.5% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked); note - Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea (713 km)", "CLIMATE": "dry, semiarid steppe", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, metals, chemicals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Baku (Baki, Baky); geographic coordinates: :40 23 N, 49 52 E; time difference: :UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$24.25 billion; expenditures: :$25.24 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Army, Navy, Air, and Air Defense Forces (2010)", "BIRTH_RATE": "16.96 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "37 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "fruit, vegetables, grain, rice, grapes, , tea, cotton, tobacco; cattle, pigs, sheep, goats", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "66 rayons (rayonlar; rayon - singular), 11 cities (saharlar; sahar - singular);; rayons: :Abseron, Agcabadi, Agdam, Agdas, Agstafa, Agsu, Astara, Babak, Balakan, Barda, Beylaqan, Bilasuvar, Cabrayil, Calilabad, Culfa, Daskasan, Fuzuli, Gadabay, Goranboy, Goycay, Goygol, Haciqabul, Imisli, Ismayilli, Kalbacar, Kangarli, Kurdamir, Lacin, Lankaran, Lerik, Masalli, Neftcala, Oguz, Ordubad, Qabala, Qax, Qazax, Qobustan, Quba, Qubadli, Qusar, Saatli, Sabirabad, Sabran, Sadarak, Sahbuz, Saki, Salyan, Samaxi, Samkir, Samux, Sarur, Siyazan, Susa, Tartar, Tovuz, Ucar, Xacmaz, Xizi, Xocali, Xocavand, Yardimli, Yevlax, Zangilan, Zaqatala, Zardab; cities: :Baku, Ganca, Lankaran, Mingacevir, Naftalan, Naxcivan (Nakhichevan), Saki, Sirvan, Sumqayit, Xankandi, Yevlax", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Italy 25.6%, Indonesia 11.1%, Thailand 7.4%, Germany 6.1%, France 5.5%, India 4.4%, Russia 4.2%, Israel 4.1% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "oil and gas 90%, machinery, foodstuffs, cotton", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :38.3%; industry: :12.1%; services: :49.6% (2008)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.4%; highest 10%: :27.4% (2008)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "6% (2012 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "4.7% of GDP (2013); 4.64% of GDP (2012); 4.67% of GDP (2011); 4.64% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "local scientists consider the Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) (including Baku and Sumqayit) and the Caspian Sea to be the ecologically most devastated area in the world because of severe air, soil, and water pollution; soil pollution results from oil spills, from the use of DDT pesticide, and from toxic defoliants used in the production of cotton", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :7; 7 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :30; over 3,047 m: :5; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :5; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :13; 914 to 1,523 m: :4; under 914 m: :3 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Azerbaijan - a nation with a majority-Turkic and majority-Shia Muslim population - was briefly independent (from 1918 to 1920) following the collapse of the Russian Empire; it was subsequently incorporated into the Soviet Union for seven decades. Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated region that Moscow recognized in 1923 as an autonomous republic within Soviet Azerbaijan after Armenia and Azerbaijan disputed the territory's status. Armenia and Azerbaijan began fighting over the area in 1988; the struggle escalated after both countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, ethnic Armenian forces held not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also seven surrounding provinces in the territory of Azerbaijan. The OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by the United States, France, and Russia, is the framework established to mediate a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Corruption in the country is widespread, and the government, which eliminated presidential term limits in a 2009 referendum, has been accused of authoritarianism. Although the poverty rate has been reduced and infrastructure investment has increased substantially in recent years due to revenue from oil and gas production, reforms have not adequately addressed weaknesses in most government institutions, particularly in the education and health sectors.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :76,923; female: :71,024 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,773,993; females age 16-49: :1,964,012 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "men between 18 and 35 are liable for military service; length of service is 18 months and 12 months for university graduates; 17 years of age for voluntary service; 17 year olds are considered to be on active service at cadet military schools (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Maine", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "droughts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caspian Sea -28 m; highest point: :Bazarduzu Dagi 4,485 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2012)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.12 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.16 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.62 male(s)/female; total population: :0.98 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "10 (2010)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 10, FM 11, shortwave 1 (2010)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :5.7%; industry: :61.2%; services: :33.2% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "40 30 N, 47 30 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :22.7% (male 1,176,438/female 1,017,926); 15-24 years: :17.5% (male 877,773/female 818,380); 25-54 years: :45.1% (male 2,127,239/female 2,236,520); 55-64 years: :8.5% (male 379,081/female 442,970); 65 years and over: :6.3% (male 232,297/female 377,586) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Bahamas, The", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d' Affaires John DINKELMAN (since November 2011); embassy: :42 Queen Street, Nassau, New Providence; mailing address: :local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; US Department of State, 3370 Nassau Place, Washington, DC 20521-3370; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$25,100 (2014 est.); $25,100 (2013 est.); $25,200 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.2% (2014 est.); 0.7% (2013 est.); 1% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.87% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$9.034 billion (2014 est.); $8.927 billion (2013 est.); $8.868 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :40.9%; youth dependency ratio: :29.6%; elderly dependency ratio: :11.3%; potential support ratio: :8.9% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "8.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 8.1% of GDP (2013 est.); 10.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :69.7%; government consumption: :16.5%; investment in fixed capital: :27%; investment in inventories: :1.3%; exports of goods and services: :42.5%; imports of goods and services: :-57%; (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "3.836 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "64,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "41,770 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "25,760 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "493,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "2.037 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "2.19 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "blue marlin, flamingo, Yellow Elder flower; national colors: aquamarine, yellow, black", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :30.8%; male: :29.6%; female: :32.2% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "34.7% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.9 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.82 physicians/1,000 population (2008)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "7.5% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "47 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-4.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "19.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "NASSAU (capital) 267,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"March On, Bahamaland!\"; lyrics/music: :Timothy GIBSON; note: :adopted 1973; as a Commonwealth country, in addition to the national anthem, \"God Save the Queen\" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 92% of population; rural: 92% of population; total: 92% of population; urban: 8% of population; rural: 8% of population; total: 8% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 98.4% of population; rural: 98.4% of population; total: 98.4% of population; urban: 1.6% of population; rural: 1.6% of population; total: 1.6% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$6.453 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $6.076 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$1.659 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.641 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "2 TV stations operated by government-owned, commercially run Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas (BCB); multi-channel cable TV subscription service is available; about 15 radio stations operating with BCB operating a multi-channel radio broadcasting network alongside privately owned radio stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :82.8% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.53% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$9.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $8.926 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$4.637 billion (31 December 2008); $4.324 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$1.255 billion (31 December 2008); $1.274 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "5.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 4.75% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "4.5% (1 January 2014); 4.5% (31 December 2012)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "0.02 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$2.78 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$8.649 billion (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$1.025 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $807.4 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.49 billion (2014 est.); -$1.637 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "57.6% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "20,661 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :31.2 years; male: :30.1 years; female: :32.3 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "7,700 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "3.22% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".bs", "INTERNET_USERS": "115,800 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "254,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "137,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Dr. Eugene Glenwood NEWRY (since 3 December 2013); chancery: :2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Atlanta, Miami, New York", "AREA": "total: :13,880 sq km; land: :10,010 sq km; water: :3,870 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "10 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Commonwealth of The Bahamas; conventional short form: :The Bahamas; note: :name derives from the Spanish \"baha mar,\" meaning shallow sea, which describes the shallow waters of the Bahama Banks", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "16.2% (2013 est.); 14% (2012 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.97 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modern facilities; domestic: :totally automatic system; highly developed; the Bahamas Domestic Submarine Network links 14 of the islands and is designed to satisfy increasing demand for voice and broadband Internet services; international: :country code - 1-242; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic submarine cable that provides links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 (2007)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 69.9% (includes Baptist 34.9%, Anglican 13.7%, Pentecostal 8.9% Seventh Day Adventist 4.4%, Methodist 3.6%, Church of God 1.9%, Brethren 1.6%), Roman Catholic 12%, other Christian 13% (includes Jehovah's Witness 1.1%), other 0.6%, none 1.9%, unspecified 2.6% (2010 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Freeport, Nassau, South Riding Point; container port(s) (TEUs): :Freeport (1,116,272)(2011); cruise port(s): :Nassau", "POPULATION": "321,834; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert MINNIS; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The Bahamas is one of the wealthiest Caribbean countries with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism together with tourism-driven construction and manufacturing accounts for approximately 60% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs half of the archipelago's labor force. Financial services constitute the second-most important sector of the Bahamian economy and, when combined with business services, account for about 35% of GDP. Manufacturing and agriculture combined contribute less than a 10th of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. The economy of The Bahamas shrank at an average pace of 0.8% annually between 2007 and 2011, and tourism, financial services, and construction - pillars of the national economy - remain subdued. Conditions are improving in the tourism sector, however, due to steady foreign investment led activity. New resort and marina developments are likely to provide sustained employment opportunities.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Friends of the Environment; other: :trade unions", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "salt, aragonite, timber, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Bahamian(s); adjective: :Bahamian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 10 July (1973)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :1,160; by type: :barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 238, cargo 170, carrier 2, chemical tanker 87, combination ore/oil 8, container 57, liquefied gas 71, passenger 102, passenger/cargo 26, petroleum tanker 225, refrigerated cargo 97, roll on/roll off 13, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 61; foreign-owned: :1,063 (Angola 6, Australia 1, Belgium 6, Bermuda 15, Brazil 1, Canada 96, Croatia 1, Cyprus 23, Denmark 69, Finland 8, France 15, Germany 30, Greece 225, Guernsey 6, Hong Kong 3, Indonesia 2, Ireland 3, Italy 1, Japan 88, Jordan 2, Kuwait 1, Malaysia 13, Monaco 8, Montenegro 2, Netherlands 23, Nigeria 2, Norway 186, Poland 34, Saudi Arabia 16, Singapore 7, South Korea 1, Spain 6, Sweden 11, Switzerland 1, Thailand 4, Turkey 3, UAE 23, UK 18, US 109); registered in other countries: :6 (Panama 6) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :85,568 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :71.93 years; male: :69.48 years; female: :74.46 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16 seats; members appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and the opposition leader to serve 5-year terms) and the House of Assembly (38 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms); note - the government may dissolve the parliament and call elections at any time; elections: :last held on 7 May 2012 (next to be held by May 2017); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLP 30, FNM 8", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "common law system based on the English model", "LANGUAGES": "English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0.8%; permanent crops: :0.4%; other: :98.8% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "196,900 (2013 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest resident court(s): :The Bahamas Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 4 justices, organized in 3-member panels); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 9 justices � as of 2015); note: :as of 2008, the Bahamas was not a party to the agreement establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice as the highest appellate court for the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM); the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) serves as the final court of appeal for The Bahamas; judge selection and term of office: :Court of Appeal president and Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister after consultation with the leader of the opposition party; other Court of Appeal and Supreme Court justices appointed by the governor general upon recommendation of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, a 5-member body headed by the chief justice; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement normally at age 68, but can be extended until age 70; Supreme Court justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement normally at age 65, but can be extended until age 67; subordinate courts: :Industrial Tribunal; Stipendiary and Magistrates' Courts; Family Island Administrators", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.8% (2014 est.); 0.4% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :12.5 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :12.51 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :12.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, banking, oil bunkering, maritime industries, transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "10 July 1973 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$3.05 billion (2014 est.); $3.127 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; offshore financial center", "ROADWAYS": "total: :2,700 km; paved: :1,620 km; unpaved: :1,080 km (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side; the band colors represent the golden beaches of the islands surrounded by the aquamarine sea; black represents the vigor and force of a united people, while the pointing triangle indicates the enterprise and determination of the Bahamian people to develop the rich resources of land and sea", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 July - 30 June", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$17.56 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $16.35 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$960 million (2014 est.); $909.3 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Dame Marguerite PINDLING (since 8 July 2014); head of government: :Prime Minister Perry CHRISTIE (since 8 May 2012); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the prime minister's recommendation; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Bahamian dollars (BSD) per US dollar -; 1 (2014 est.); 1 (2013 est.); 1 (2012 est.); 1 (2011 est.); 1 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "black 90.6%, white 4.7%, black and white 2.1%, other 1.9%, unspecified 0.7% (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "7 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1964 (preindependence); latest adopted 20 June 1973, effective 10 July 1973; amended many times, last in 2002; note - in 2012, a constitutional commission was appointed to review and recommend constitutional changes (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 36.6%, South Korea 10%, Singapore 9.7%, India 8%, Colombia 5.8%, Japan 5.7% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "3,542 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Nassau; geographic coordinates: :25 05 N, 77 21 W; time difference: :UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.7 billion; expenditures: :$2.1 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Royal Bahamas Defense Force: Land Force, Navy, Air Wing (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "15.65 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "61 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "citrus, vegetables; poultry", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "31 districts; Acklins Islands, Berry Islands, Bimini, Black Point, Cat Island, Central Abaco, Central Andros, Central Eleuthera, City of Freeport, Crooked Island and Long Cay, East Grand Bahama, Exuma, Grand Cay, Harbour Island, Hope Town, Inagua, Long Island, Mangrove Cay, Mayaguana, Moore's Island, North Abaco, North Andros, North Eleuthera, Ragged Island, Rum Cay, San Salvador, South Abaco, South Andros, South Eleuthera, Spanish Wells, West Grand Bahama", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Cote dIvoire 25.6%, US 21.5%, Dominican Republic 18%, Turkey 4.8%, Ecuador 4.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "crawfish, aragonite, crude salt, polystyrene products", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :3%; industry: :11%; tourism: :49%; other services: :37% (2011 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1%; highest 10%: :22% (2007 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "9.3% (2010 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "coral reef decay; solid waste disposal", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :37; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :4; 914 to 1,523 m: :16; 17 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :24; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :13; 914 to 1,523 m: :7 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Lucayan Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher COLUMBUS first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas has prospered through tourism, international banking, and investment management. Because of its location, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US and Europe, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :2,829; female: :2,750 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :63,429; females age 16-49: :64,645 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary male and female service; no conscription (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Connecticut", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mount Alvernia on Cat Island 63 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.96 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.62 male(s)/female; total population: :0.96 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "2 (2006)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 3, FM 11, shortwave 0 (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :2.1%; industry: :7.3%; services: :90.6% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "24 15 N, 76 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :23.2% (male 37,962/female 36,857); 15-24 years: :17.4% (male 28,387/female 27,639); 25-54 years: :44.1% (male 70,765/female 71,038); 55-64 years: :8.3% (male 11,882/female 14,885); 65 years and over: :7% (male 8,591/female 13,828) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Bahrain", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador William ROEBUCK (since 13 January 2015); mailing address: :PSC 451, Box 660, FPO AE 09834-5100; international mail: American Embassy, Box 26431, Manama; telephone: :[973; FAX: :[973; embassy: :Building ", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$51,400 (2014 est.); $50,500 (2013 est.); $48,900 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.9% (2014 est.); 5.3% (2013 est.); 3.4% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.49% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$61.56 billion (2014 est.); $59.26 billion (2013 est.); $56.26 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :30.9%; youth dependency ratio: :27.9%; elderly dependency ratio: :3%; potential support ratio: :33.3% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "25.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 24.2% of GDP (2013 est.); 27.4% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :41.8%; government consumption: :16.4%; investment in fixed capital: :21.7%; investment in inventories: :0.8%; exports of goods and services: :76.6%; imports of goods and services: :-57.3%; (2014 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :5,530; percentage: :5% (2000 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "32.2 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "92.03 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "13.63 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "13.63 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "226,000 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "49,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "270,800 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "124.6 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "256,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "152,600 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "58,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "3.169 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "35 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "190 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "12.12 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "13 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "a red field surmounted by a white serrated band with five white points; national colors: red, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :5%; male: :2.5%; female: :11.6% (2010 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "32.9% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.1 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.91 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "3.9% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "20 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-3.2% of GDP (2013 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "22.9% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "MANAMA (capital) 398,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Bahrainona\" (Our Bahrain); lyrics/music: :unknown; note: :adopted 1971; although Mohamed Sudqi AYYASH wrote the original lyrics, they were changed in 2002 following the transformation of Bahrain from an emirate to a kingdom", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 99.2% of population; rural: 99.2% of population; total: 99.2% of population; urban: 0.8% of population; rural: 0.8% of population; total 0.8% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$25.91 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $24.36 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$7.996 billion (30 September 2014 est.); $7.416 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-run Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation (BRTC) operates 5 terrestrial TV networks and several radio stations; satellite TV systems provide access to international broadcasts; 1 private FM station directs broadcasts to Indian listeners; radio and TV broadcasts from countries in the region are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :88.7% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.71% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$28.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $25.77 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$12.71 billion (31 December 2008); $10.63 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$4.997 billion (31 December 2008); $4.169 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "6.8% (31 December 2014 est.); 5.93% (31 December 2013 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.6% of GDP (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.36 cu km/yr (50%/6%/45%); per capita: :386 cu m/yr (2003)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "0.12 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$22.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $18.57 billion (31 December 2013); $15.65 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$11.81 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $10.75 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$18.89 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $17.82 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Bahrain is a destination country for men and women subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; unskilled and domestic workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Eritrea, Uzbekistan, and other countries migrate willingly to Bahrain, but some face conditions of forced labor through the withholding of passports, restrictions on movement, nonpayment, threats, and abuse; many Bahraini labor recruitment agencies and some employers charge foreign workers exorbitant fees that make them vulnerable to forced labor and debt bondage; domestic workers are particularly at risk of experiencing forced labor and sexual exploitation because they are not protected under labor laws; women from Thailand, the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Morocco, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Russia, Ukraine, and other Eastern European countries are forced into prostitution in Bahrain; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Bahrain does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute a significant effort toward meeting the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking; an increased number of trafficking offenders were investigated, prosecuted, and convicted in 2013; the government did not prosecute or convict any forced labor perpetrators and often treated these cases as labor violations rather than serious crimes; some progress was made in identifying victims and referring them to protection services, but trafficking victims continued to be punished for crimes committed as a direct result of being trafficked (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$34.05 billion (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$6.011 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.354 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$2.546 billion (2014 est.); $2.56 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "43.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 41.4% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "47,727 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :31.6 years; male: :33 years; female: :28.8 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".bh", "INTERNET_USERS": "419,500 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "2.125 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "290,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador ABDALLAH bin Muhammad bin Rashid Al Khalifa (since 3 December 2013); chancery: :3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :New York", "AREA": "total: :760 sq km; land: :760 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "40.15 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Middle East", "LOCATION": "Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Kingdom of Bahrain; conventional short form: :Bahrain; local long form: :Mamlakat al Bahrayn; local short form: :Al Bahrayn; former: :Dilmun, State of Bahrain; note: :the name means \"The Two Seas\" in Arabic and refers to the water bodies surrounding the archipelago", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "3.8% (2014 est.); note: :(2004 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional monarchy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.81 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modern system; domestic: :modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of mobile-cellular telephones; international: :country code - 973; landing point for the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and US; tropospheric scatter to Qatar and UAE; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite earth station - 1 (2007)", "SUFFRAGE": "20 years of age; universal; note - Bahraini Cabinet in May 2011 endorsed a draft law lowering eligibility to 18 years", "RELIGIONS": ".1, unaffiliated 1.9%, other 0.2% (2010 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Mina' Salman, Sitrah", "POPULATION": "1,314,089; note: :immigrants make up almost 55% of the total population, according to UN data (2013) (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "note: :political parties are prohibited but political societies were legalized per a July 2005 law; Arab Islamic Center Society [Ahmad Sanad AL-BENALI; Constitutional Gathering Society; Islamic Asalah [Abd al-Halim MURAD; Islamic Saff Society [Abdullah Khalil BU GHAMAR; Islamic Shura Society; Movement of National Justice Society [Muhi al-Din KHAN; National Action Charter Society [Muhammad AL-BUAYNAYN; National Dialogue Society; National Islamic Minbar [Ali AHMAD; National Unity Gathering [Abdullah AL-HUWAYHI; National Democratic Action Society [Ibrahim SHARIF; National Democratic Assembly [Hasan AL-ALI; National Fraternity Society [Musa AL-ANSARI; National Progressive Tribune [Abd al-Nabi SALMAN; Unitary National Democratic Assemblage [Fadhil ABBAS; Wifaq National Islamic Society [Ali SALMAN", "PIPELINES": "gas 20 km; oil 54 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Bahrain has made great efforts to diversify its economy; its highly developed communication and transport facilities make Bahrain home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf. As part of its diversification plans, Bahrain implemented a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US in August 2006, the first FTA between the US and a Gulf state. Bahrain's economy, however, continues to depend heavily on oil. In 2013, petroleum production and refining accounted for 73% of Bahrain's export receipts, 88% of government revenues, and 21% of GDP. Other major economic activities are production of aluminum - Bahrain's second biggest export after oil - finance, and construction. Bahrain continues to seek new natural gas supplies as feedstock to support its expanding petrochemical and aluminum industries. In 2011 Bahrain experienced economic setbacks as a result of domestic unrest, however, the economy recovered in 2012-14, partly as a result of improved tourism. Some economic policies aimed at restoring confidence in Bahrain's economy, such as the suspension of an expatriate labor tax and frequent bailouts of Gulf Air, will make Bahrain's long-term economic challenges - youth unemployment and the growth of government debt - more difficult to address. Lower oil prices in 2015 will likely exacerbate Bahrain�s budget deficit.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Sunni: :Al-Fatih Awakening; Shia: :14 February Revolution Youth Coalition; Bahrain Islamic Freedom Movement [Said SHIHABI; Haqq Movement [Hasan MUSHAYMA; Islamic Amal [Muhammad Ali AL-MAHFUDH; Khalas [Abd al-Rauf AL-SHAYIB; Wafa Islamic Society [Abd al-Wahab HUSAYN", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf, through which much of the Western world's petroleum must transit to reach open ocean", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "13.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Bahraini(s); adjective: :Bahraini", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "National Day, 16 December (1971); note - 15 August 1971 was the date of independence from the UK, 16 December 1971 was the date of independence from British protection", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :8; by type: :bulk carrier 2, container 4, petroleum tanker 2; foreign-owned: :5 (Kuwait 5); registered in other countries: :5 (Honduras 5) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CICA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; continental shelf: :extending to boundaries to be determined", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :508,863; females age 16-49: :290,801 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :94.6%; male: :96.1%; female: :91.6% (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :78.58 years; male: :76.4 years; female: :80.81 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral National Assembly consists of the Consultative Council or Majlis al Shura (40 seats; members appointed by the king) and the Council of Representatives or Majlis al Nuwab (40 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed; members serve 4-year renewable terms); elections: :Council of Representatives - last held in two rounds on 23 and 30 October 2010 (next scheduled for 22 November 2014); byelections to fill 18 vacated seats held in two rounds on 24 September and 1 October 2011; election results: :Council of Representatives (2010) - percent of vote by society - NA; seats by society - Wifaq (Shia) 18, Asalah (Sunni Salafi) 3, Minbar (Sunni Muslim Brotherhood) 2, independents 17; Council of Representatives byelection for 18 seats vacated by Wifaq (2011) - seats by society - independent Sunni 8, independent Shia 8, other 2; note - Bahrain has societies rather than parties", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of Islamic law, English common law, Egyptian civil, criminal, and commercial codes; customary law", "LANGUAGES": "Arabic (official), English, Farsi, Urdu", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :2.11%; permanent crops: :3.95%; other: :93.95% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "738,000; note: :excludes unemployed; 44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Court of Cassation or Supreme Court of Appeal (consists of the chairman and 3 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the president and 6 members); High Sharia Court of Appeal; note: :the judiciary of Bahrain is divided into civil law courts and sharia law courts; judge selection and term of office: :Court of Cassation judges appointed by royal decree and serve for a specified tenure; Constitutional Court president and members appointed by the Higher Judicial Council, a body chaired by the monarch and includes judges from the Court of Cassation, sharia law courts, and Civil High Courts of Appeal; members serve 9-year terms; High Sharia Court of Appeal member appointment and tenure NA; subordinate courts: :Civil High Courts of Appeal; middle and lower civil courts; High Sharia Court of Appeal; Senior Sharia Court", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.5% (2014 est.); 3.3% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :9.68 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :10.69 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :8.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, iron pelletization, fertilizers, Islamic and offshore banking, insurance, ship repairing, tourism", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "4.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "15 August 1971 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$14.28 billion (2014 est.); $13.66 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :4,122 km; paved: :3,392 km; unpaved: :730 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "red, the traditional color for flags of Persian Gulf states, with a white serrated band (five white points) on the hoist side; the five points represent the five pillars of Islam; note: :until 2002 the flag had eight white points, but this was reduced to five to avoid confusion with the Qatari flag", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$18.72 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $17.56 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$22 billion (2014 est.); $20.93 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :King HAMAD bin Isa Al-Khalifa (since 6 March 1999); Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad Al-Khalifa (son of the monarch, born 21 October 1969); head of government: :Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al-Khalifa (since 1971); First Deputy Prime Minister SALMAN bin Hamad Al Khalifa (since 11 March 2013); Deputy Prime Ministers ALI bin Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa, Jawad bin Salim al-ARAIDH, KHALID bin Abdallah Al Khalifa, MUHAMMAD bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa; cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the monarch; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Bahraini dinars (BHD) per US dollar -; 0.376 (2014 est.); 0.376 (2013 est.); 0.376 (2012 est.); 0.376 (2011 est.); 0.376 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Bahraini 46%, Asian 45.5%, other Arabs 4.7%, African 1.6%, European 1%, other 1.2% (includes Gulf Co-operative country nationals, North and South Americans, and Oceanians) (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "2.67 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "adopted 14 February 2002; amended 2012 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Saudi Arabia 27.9%, China 10.1%, US 8.3%, Japan 6.2%, India 5.5%, Australia 5.2% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "161 km", "CLIMATE": "arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "crude oil, machinery, chemicals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Manama; geographic coordinates: :26 14 N, 50 34 E; time difference: :UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$7.808 billion; expenditures: :$8.896 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Bahrain Defense Force (BDF): Royal Bahraini Army (RBA), Royal Bahraini Navy (RBN), Royal Bahraini Air Force (RBAF), Royal Bahraini Air Defense Force (RBADF) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "13.92 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "4 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "4 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Asimah (Capital), Janubiyah (Southern), Muharraq, Shamaliyah (Northern); note: :each governorate administered by an appointed governor", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Saudi Arabia 3.2%, UAE 2.1%, Qatar 1.8%, US 1.6% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :1%; industry: :32%; services: :67% (2004 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "3.14% of GDP (2012); 3.02% of GDP (2011); 3.14% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "desertification resulting from the degradation of limited arable land, periods of drought, and dust storms; coastal degradation (damage to coastlines, coral reefs, and sea vegetation) resulting from oil spills and other discharges from large tankers, oil refineries, and distribution stations; lack of freshwater resources (groundwater and seawater are the only sources for all water needs)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :4; over 3,047 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "In 1783, the Sunni Al-Khalifa family took power in Bahrain. In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a series of treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made Bahrain a British protectorate. The archipelago attained its independence in 1971. Facing declining oil reserves, Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has become an international banking center. Bahrain's small size and central location among Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors. The Sunni-led government has struggled to manage relations with its large Shia-majority population. In early 2011, amid Arab uprisings elsewhere in the region, the Bahraini Government confronted similar protests at home with police and military action, including deploying Gulf Cooperation Council security forces to Bahrain. Sporadic clashes between demonstrators and security forces continue in Bahrain. Ongoing dissatisfaction with the political status quo has led to a broader discussion termed the Bahrain National Dialogue, a process that convenes members of the executive, parliament, and political societies in an attempt to reach a political agreement.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :8,988; female: :8,117 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :423,757; females age 16-49: :245,302 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; 15 years of age for NCOs, technicians, and cadets; no conscription (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "3.5 times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "periodic droughts; dust storms", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Persian Gulf 0 m; highest point: :Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.28 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.9 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.54 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.91 male(s)/female; total population: :1.54 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "4 (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :0.3%; industry: :47.1%; services: :52.6% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "26 00 N, 50 33 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :19.7% (male 131,698/female 127,663); 15-24 years: :15.9% (male 117,156/female 91,477); 25-54 years: :56.2% (male 483,449/female 254,627); 55-64 years: :5.5% (male 47,172/female 25,354); 65 years and over: :2.7% (male 17,106/female 18,387) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Barbados", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Larry L. PALMER (since 9 May 2012); note - also accredited to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; embassy: :U.S. Embassy, Wildey Business Park, Wildey, St. Michael BB 14006; mailing address: :P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown BB 11000; (Department Name) Unit 3120, DPO AA 34055; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$16,200 (2014 est.); $16,300 (2013 est.); $16,400 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.6% (2014 est.); -0.3% (2013 est.); 0% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.33% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$4.513 billion (2014 est.); $4.538 billion (2013 est.); $4.552 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :42.6%; youth dependency ratio: :26.8%; elderly dependency ratio: :15.8%; potential support ratio: :6.3% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "5.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 3.7% of GDP (2013 est.); 5% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :80.9%; government consumption: :14.5%; investment in fixed capital: :14.1%; investment in inventories: :2%; exports of goods and services: :39.2%; imports of goods and services: :-50.7%; (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "1.312 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "141.6 million cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "20 million cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "20 million cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "8,736 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "7,980 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "31 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "2.84 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "764.5 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "1,001 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "239,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "934 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "1.002 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Neptune's trident, pelican, Red Bird of Paradise flower (also known as Pride of Barbados); national colors: blue, yellow, black", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "34.7% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "6.2 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.81 physicians/1,000 population (2005)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.3% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "51 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-9.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "25.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "BRIDGETOWN (capital) 90,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"The National Anthem of Barbados\"; lyrics/music: :Irving BURGIE/C. Van Roland EDWARDS; note: :adopted 1966; the anthem is also known as \"In Plenty and In Time of Need\"", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 91.6% of population; rural: 91.6% of population; total: 91.6% of population; urban: 8.4% of population; rural: 8.4% of population; total: 8.4% of population (2006 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.8% of population; rural: 99.8% of population; total: 99.8% of population; urban: 0.2% of population; rural: 0.2% of population; total: 0.2% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$4.407 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.201 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$1.848 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.737 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "government-owned Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) operates the lone terrestrial TV station; CBC also operates a multi-channel cable TV subscription service; roughly a dozen radio stations, consisting of a CBC-operated network operating alongside privately owned radio stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :31.6% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.13% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$5.374 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.003 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$3.701 billion (31 December 2008); $3.835 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$1.637 billion (31 December 2008); $1.454 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "9% (31 December 2014 est.); 8.7% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "7% (31 December 2010); 7% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.6% of GDP (2012)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :15 years; male: :14 years; female: :17 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.1 cu km/yr (20%/26%/54%); per capita: :371.3 cu m/yr (2009)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "0.08 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$4.495 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $4.571 billion (31 December 2011); $4.366 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$4.277 billion (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$667.6 million (31 December 2014 est.); $681 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$402.7 million (2014 est.); -$440.7 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "101.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 97.6% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "1,524 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :37.6 years; male: :36.5 years; female: :38.7 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "1,500 (2012 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.88% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".bb", "INTERNET_USERS": "188,000 (2008)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "347,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "144,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador John E. BEALE (since 29 January 2009); chancery: :2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Miami, New York; consulate(s): :Los Angeles", "AREA": "total: :430 sq km; land: :430 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "54.35 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Barbados; note: :the name derives from the Portuguese \"as barbadas,\" which means the bearded ones and can refer either to the long, hanging roots of the island's bearded-fig trees or to the alleged beards of the native Carib inhabitants", "MILITARY___NOTE": "the Royal Barbados Defense Force includes a land-based Troop Command and a small Coast Guard; the primary role of the land element is island defense against external aggression; the Command consists of a single, part-time battalion with a small regular cadre deployed throughout the island; the cadre increasingly supports the police in patrolling the coastline for smuggling and other illicit activities (2007)", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "11.5% (2014 est.); 11.7% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.68 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :island-wide automatic telephone system; domestic: :fixed-line teledensity of roughly 50 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density approaching 125 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 1-246; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; satellite earth stations - 1 (Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia (2009)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 66.3% (includes Anglican 23.9%, other Pentecostal 19.5%, Adventist 5.9%, Methodist 4.2%, Wesleyan 3.4%, Nazarene 3.2%, Church of God 2.4%, Baptist 1.8%, Moravian 1.2%, other Protestant .8%), Roman Catholic 3.8%, other Christian 5.4% (includes Jehovah's Witness 2.0%, other 3.4%), Rastafarian 1%, other 1.5%, none 20.6%, unspecified 1.2% (2010 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Bridgetown", "POPULATION": "289,680 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Owen ARTHUR; Democratic Labor Party or DLP [Freundel STUART; People's Empowerment Party or PEP [David COMISSIONG", "PIPELINES": "gas 33 km; oil 64 km; refined products 6 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Barbados is the wealthiest and most developed country in the Eastern Caribbean and enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in Latin America. Historically, the Barbadian economy was dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities. However, in recent years the economy has diversified into light industry and tourism with about four-fifths of GDP and of exports being attributed to services. Offshore finance and information services are important foreign exchange earners and thrive from having the same time zone as eastern US financial centers and a relatively highly educated workforce. Barbados' tourism, financial services, and construction industries have been hard hit since the onset of the global economic crisis in 2008. Barbados' public debt-to-GDP ratio rose from 56% in 2008 to 90.5% in 2014. Growth prospects are limited because of a weak tourism outlook and planned austerity measures.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Barbados Secondary Teachers' Union or BSTU [Mary REDMAN; Barbados Union of Teachers or BUT [Karen BEST; Barbados Workers Union or BWU [Linda BROOKS; Clement Payne Labor Union [David COMISSIONG; Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados or CTUSAB, (includes the BWU, NUPW, BUT, and BSTU) [Leroy TROTMAN; National Union of Public Workers [Walter MALONEY", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "easternmost Caribbean island", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, fish, natural gas", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial); adjective: :Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 30 November (1966)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :109; by type: :bulk carrier 23, cargo 52, chemical tanker 13, container 6, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 8, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 1; foreign-owned: :83 (Canada 11, Greece 14, Iran 5, Lebanon 2, Norway 38, Sweden 4, Syria 1, Turkey 1, UAE 1, UK 6) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :73,820; females age 16-49: :73,835 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :74.99 years; male: :72.64 years; female: :77.37 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21 seats; members appointed by the governor general - 12 on the advice of the Prime Minister, 2 on the advice of the opposition leader, and 7 at the discretion of the governor general) and the House of Assembly (30 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms); elections: :House of Assembly - last held on 21 February 2013 (next to be called in 2018); election results: :House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - DLP 51.3%, BLP 48.3%, other 0.4%; seats by party - DLP 16, BLP 14", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts", "LANGUAGES": "English (official), Bajan (English-based creole language, widely spoken in informal settings)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :25.58%; permanent crops: :2.33%; other: :72.09% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "142,800 (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the High Court with 8 justices) and the Court of Appeal (consists of the chief Justice and president of the court and 4 justices; note - Barbados, a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice, replaced the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) as the final court of appeal; judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the governor-general on the recommendation of the prime minister and opposition leader of Parliament; other justices appointed by the governor-general on the recommendation of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, a 5-member independent body consisting of the Supreme Court chief justice, the commission head, and governor-general appointees recommended by the prime minister; justices serve until mandatory retirement at age 65; subordinate courts: :Magistrates' Courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.3% (2014 est.); 1.8% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :10.93 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :12.58 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :9.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-5.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "30 November 1966 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$1.697 billion (2014 est.); $1.671 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for Europe and the US; offshore financial center", "ROADWAYS": "total: :1,600 km; paved: :1,600 km (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, and blue with the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the band colors represent the blue of the sea and sky and the gold of the beaches; the trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident)", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$4.49 billion (2010 est.); $668 million (2003 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$774.9 million (2014 est.); $775.4 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Elliot BELGRAVE (since 1 June 2012); head of government: :Prime Minister Freundel STUART (since 23 October 2010); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Barbadian dollars (BBD) per US dollar -; 2 (2014 est.); 2 (2013 est.); 2 (2012 est.); 2 (2011 est.); note: :the Barbadian dollar is pegged to the US dollar", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "black 92.4%, white 2.7%, mixed 3.1%, East Indian 1.3%, other 0.2%, unspecified 0.2% (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "8.41 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "adopted 22 November 1966, effective 30 November 1966; amended several times, last in 2003 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Trinidad and Tobago 35%, US 24.6%, Canada 8% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "97 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; rainy season (June to October)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components", "CAPITAL": "name: :Bridgetown; geographic coordinates: :13 06 N, 59 37 W; time difference: :UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.1 billion (2013 est.); expenditures: :$1.5 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Royal Barbados Defense Force: Troops Command, Barbados Coast Guard (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "11.97 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "sugarcane, vegetables, cotton", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "11 parishes and 1 city*; Bridgetown*, Christ Church, Saint Andrew, Saint George, Saint James, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy, Saint Michael, Saint Peter, Saint Philip, Saint Thomas", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Trinidad and Tobago 20.7%, US 11.2%, St. Lucia 9.6%, St. Vincent and the Grenadines 6%, Jamaica 5.5%, Antigua and Barbuda 4.9%, St. Kitts and Nevis 4.6% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "manufactures, sugar, molasses, rum, other foodstuffs and beverages, chemicals, electrical components", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :10%; industry: :15%; services: :75% (1996 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; over 3,047 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. African slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :1,842; female: :1,849 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :58,125; females age 16-49: :58,016 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service, or earlier with parental consent; no conscription (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "2.5 times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mount Hillaby 336 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.01 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.65 male(s)/female; total population: :0.94 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (plus 2 cable channels) (2004)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 2, FM 13, shortwave 0 (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :3.1%; industry: :12%; services: :85% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "13 10 N, 59 32 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :18.4% (male 26,709/female 26,716); 15-24 years: :13.6% (male 19,705/female 19,754); 25-54 years: :45% (male 64,821/female 65,394); 55-64 years: :12.5% (male 16,837/female 19,286); 65 years and over: :10.5% (male 12,068/female 18,390) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Belarus", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Scott RAULAND (since 30 June 2014); embassy: :46 Starovilenskaya Street, Minsk 220002; mailing address: :PSC 78, Box B Minsk, APO 09723; telephone: :[375; FAX: :[375", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$18,200 (2014 est.); $17,900 (2013 est.); $17,800 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "0.9% (2014 est.); 0.9% (2013 est.); 1.7% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.19% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$171.2 billion (2014 est.); $169.6 billion (2013 est.); $168.1 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :41.5%; youth dependency ratio: :22%; elderly dependency ratio: :19.6%; potential support ratio: :5.1% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "29.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 27.2% of GDP (2013 est.); 31.6% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :50.9%; government consumption: :15.2%; investment in fixed capital: :33.8%; investment in inventories: :0.5%; exports of goods and services: :57.4%; imports of goods and services: :-57.9%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "63.1% (2012)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "25.1 (2011 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :54,218; percentage: :5% (2005 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "67.13 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "2.832 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "20.71 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "20.92 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "213 million cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "43,240 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "224,200 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "187,100 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "346,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "198 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "294,800 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "30,710 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "99.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "8.032 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "9.289 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "3.704 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "32.51 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "30.33 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "mounted knight known as Pahonia (the Chaser); national colors: green, red, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :12.6%; male: :12.4%; female: :12.6% (2009 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "24.3% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "11.3 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3.76 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "1.3% (2005)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "4 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-0.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "34.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "MINSK (capital) 1.905 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"My, Bielarusy\" (We Belarusians); lyrics/music: :Mikhas KLIMKOVICH and Uladzimir KARYZNA/Nester SAKALOUSKI; note: :music adopted 1955, lyrics adopted 2002; after the fall of the Soviet Union, Belarus kept the music of its Soviet-era anthem but adopted new lyrics; also known as \"Dziarzauny himn Respubliki Bielarus\" (State Anthem of the Republic of Belarus)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 94% of population; rural: 95.3% of population; total: 94.3% of population; urban: 6% of population; rural: 4.7% of population; total: 5.7% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.8% of population; rural: 99% of population; total: 99.6% of population; urban: 0.2% of population; rural: 1% of population; total: 0.4% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$9.073 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $7.655 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$3.753 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.901 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "4 state-controlled national TV channels; Polish and Russian TV broadcasts are available in some areas; state-run Belarusian Radio operates 3 national networks and an external service; Russian and Polish radio broadcasts are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :76.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.05% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$28.06 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $26.31 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$8.784 billion (31 December 2008); $6.823 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$4.872 billion (31 December 2008); $4.065 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "20% (31 December 2014 est.); 19.13% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "10.5% (31 December 2010); 13.5% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.1% of GDP (2012)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :16 years; male: :15 years; female: :16 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :4.34 cu km/yr (32%/65%/3%); per capita: :435.4 cu m/yr (2009)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "58 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Belarus is a source, transit, and destination country for women, men, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; women and children are trafficked to European and Middle Eastern countries and within Belarus for sexual exploitation; Belarusian men, women, and children are found in forced labor in the construction industry and other sectors in Russia, Belarus, and other countries; Ukrainian women may be sex trafficked in Belarus; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Belarus does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute a significant effort toward meeting the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking; authorities did not convict any trafficker and conducted the fewest investigations in the last four years; a 2013 law permitting state funding for NGOs that provide services to victims has not been implemented; the government retained a decree forbidding workers from leaving their jobs in the wood processing industry without their employer�s permission, and authorities did not identify any labor trafficking victims; continuing efforts to prevent human trafficking included awareness campaigns, penalizing fraudulent labor recruitment, and a safe migration hotline (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$77.17 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :80,885 applicants for forms of legal stay other than asylum (Ukraine) (2015); stateless persons: :6,712 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$3.483 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.937 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$3.042 billion (2014 est.); -$7.276 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "22.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 27% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "295,217 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :39.4 years; male: :36.3 years; female: :42.4 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "27.2 (2008); 21.7 (1998)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "1,000 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "25,200 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.49% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".by", "INTERNET_USERS": "2.643 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "10.675 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "4.407 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Pavel SHIDOVSKY (since 23 April 2014); chancery: :1619 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :New York", "AREA": "total: :207,600 sq km; land: :202,900 sq km; water: :4,700 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1,150 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Eastern Europe, east of Poland", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Belarus; conventional short form: :Belarus; local long form: :Respublika Byelarus'/Respublika Belarus'; local short form: :Byelarus'/Belarus'; former: :Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic; note: :the name is a compound of the Belarusian words \"bel\" (white) and \"Rus\" (the Old East Slavic ethnic designation) to form the meaning White Rusian or White Ruthenian", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "1% (2009 est.); 1.6% (2005); note: :official registered unemployed; large number of underemployed workers", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.47 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "generally flat and contains much marshland", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :Belarus lags behind its neighbors in upgrading telecommunications infrastructure; modernization of the network progressing with roughly two-thirds of switching equipment now digital; domestic: :state-owned Beltelcom is the sole provider of fixed-line local and long distance service; fixed-line teledensity is improving although rural areas continue to be underserved; multiple GSM mobile-cellular networks are experiencing rapid growth; mobile-cellular teledensity now exceeds 100 telephones per 100 persons; international: :country code - 375; Belarus is a member of the Trans-European Line (TEL), Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line, and has access to the Trans-Siberia Line (TSL); 3 fiber-optic segments provide connectivity to Latvia, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine; worldwide service is available to Belarus through this infrastructure; additional analog lines to Russia; Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik earth stations (2008)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :5,537 km; broad gauge: :5,512 km 1.520-m gauge (874 km electrified); standard gauge: :25 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "river port(s): :Mazyr (Prypyats')", "POPULATION": "9,608,058 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Belarusian Agrarian Party or AP [Mikhail SHIMANSKY; Belarusian Socialist Sporting Party [Vladimir ALEKSANDROVICH; Belaya Rus [Aleksandr RADKOV; Communist Party of Belarus or KPB [Igor KARPENKO; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Sergey GAYDUKEVICH; Republican Party of Labor and Justice [Vasiliy ZADNEPRYANIY; Belarusian Christian Democracy Party [Pavel SEVERINETS; Belarusian Labor Party [Aleksandr BUCHVOSTOV; Belarusian Liberal Party of Freedom and Progress [Vladimir NOVOSYAD; Belarusian Party of the Left \"Fair World\" [Sergey KALYAKIN; Belarusian Popular Front or BPF [Aleksey YANUKEVICH; Belarusian Social-Democratic Assembly [Stanislav SHUSHKEVICH; Belarusian Social Democratic Party (\"Assembly\") or BSDPH [Irina VESHTARD; Belarusian Social Democratic Party (People's Assembly) [Nikolay STATKEVICH; Christian Conservative Party or BPF [Zyanon PAZNIAK; European Belarus Campaign [Andrey SANNIKOV; \"Tell the Truth\" Campaign [Vladimir NEKLYAYEV; United Civic Party or UCP [Anatoliy LEBEDKO", "PIPELINES": "gas 5,386 km; oil 1,589 km; refined products 1,730 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "As part of the former Soviet Union, Belarus had a relatively well-developed industrial base; it retained this industrial base - which is now outdated, energy inefficient, and dependent on subsidized Russian energy and preferential access to Russian markets - following the breakup of the USSR. The country also has a broad agricultural base which is inefficient and dependent on government subsidies. After an initial burst of capitalist reform from 1991-94, including privatization of state enterprises, creation of institutions of private property, and development of entrepreneurship, Belarus' economic development greatly slowed. About 80% of all industry remains in state hands, and foreign investment has been hindered by a climate hostile to business. A few banks, which had been privatized after independence, were renationalized. State banks account for 75% of the banking sector. Economic output, which had declined for several years following the collapse of the Soviet Union, revived in the mid-2000s thanks to the boom in oil prices. Belarus has only small reserves of crude oil, though it imports most of its crude oil and natural gas from Russia at prices substantially below the world market. Belarus exported refined oil products at market prices produced from Russian crude oil purchased at a steep discount. In late 2006, Russia began a process of rolling back its subsidies on oil and gas to Belarus. Tensions over Russian energy reached a peak in 2010, when Russia stopped the export of all subsidized oil to Belarus save for domestic needs. In December 2010, Russia and Belarus reached a deal to restart the export of discounted oil to Belarus. Little new foreign investment has occurred in recent years. In 2011, a financial crisis began, triggered by government directed salary hikes unsupported by commensurate productivity increases. The crisis was compounded by an increased cost in Russian energy inputs and an overvalued Belarusian ruble, and eventually led to a near three-fold devaluation of the Belarusian ruble in 2011. In November 2011, Belarus agreed to sell to Russia its remaining shares in Beltransgaz, the Belarusian natural gas pipeline operator, in exchange for reduced prices for Russian natural gas. Receiving more than half of a $3 billion loan from the Russian-dominated Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) Bail-out Fund, a $1 billion loan from the Russian state-owned bank Sberbank, and the $2.5 billion sale of Beltranzgas to Russian state-owned Gazprom helped stabilize the situation in 2012; nevertheless, the Belarusian currency lost more than 60% of its value, as the rate of inflation reached new highs in 2011 and 2012, before calming in 2013. As of January 2014, the final tranche of the EurAsEC loan has been delayed, but in December 2013 Russia announced a new loan for Belarus of up to $2 billion for 2014. Notwithstanding foreign assistance, the Belarusian economy continues to struggle under the weight of high external debt servicing payments, a growing trade deficit, stagnant economic growth, and low foreign reserves.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs [Sergey MATSKEVICH; Belarusian Association of Journalists [Zhana LITVINA; Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions [Aleksandr YAROSHUK; Belarusian Helsinki Committee [Aleh HULAK; Belarusian Independence Bloc (unregistered) and For Freedom movement [Aleksandr MILINKEVICH; Belarusian Organization of Working Women [Irina ZHIKHAR; BPF-Youth [Andrus KRECHKA; Charter 97 [Andrey SANNIKOV; Malady Belarus (Young Belarus) [Zmitser KASPYAROVICH; Malady Front (Young Front) [Zmitser DASHKEVICH; Nasha Vyasna (\"Our Spring\") human rights center [Ales BELYATSKIY; Perspektiva small business association [Anatol SHUMCHENKO; \"Tell the Truth\" Movement [Vladimir NEKLYAYEV; Women's Independent Democratic Movement [Ludmila PETINA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "timber, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Belarusian(s); adjective: :Belarusian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 3 July (1944); note - 3 July 1944 was the date Minsk was liberated from German troops, 25 August 1991 was the date of independence from the Soviet Union", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CEI, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SCO (dialogue member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer), ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,401,785; females age 16-49: :2,429,653 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :99.6%; male: :99.8%; female: :99.5% (2009 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :72.15 years; male: :66.53 years; female: :78.1 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral National Assembly or Natsionalnoye Sobraniye consists of the Council of the Republic or Sovet Respubliki (64 seats; 56 members indirectly elected by regional and Minsk city councils and 8 members appointed by the president; members serve 4-year terms) and the Chamber of Representatives or Palata Predstaviteley (110 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote with a second round if needed; members serve 4-year terms); note - the US does not recognize the legitimacy of the National Assembly; elections: :Palata Predstaviteley - last held on 23 September 2012 (next to be held September 2016); OSCE observers determined that the election was neither free nor impartial and that vote counting was problematic in a number of polling stations; pro-LUKASHENKO candidates won every seat with no opposition representation in the chamber; international observers determined that the previous election, on 28 September 2008, despite minor improvements also fell short of democratic standards, with pro-LUKASHENKO candidates winning every seat; election results: :Sovet Respubliki - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Palata Predstaviteley - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - KPB 3, AP 1, Republican Party of Labor and Justice 1, no affiliation 105", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system; note - nearly all major codes (civil, civil procedure, criminal, criminal procedure, family and labor) have been revised and came into force in 1999 or 2000", "LANGUAGES": "Belarusian (official) 23.4%, Russian (official) 70.2%, other 3.1% (includes small Polish- and Ukrainian-speaking minorities), unspecified 3.3% (2009 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :27.21%; permanent crops: :0.59%; other: :72.19% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :3,642 km; border countries: :Latvia 161 km, Lithuania 640 km, Poland 418 km, Russia 1,312 km, Ukraine 1,111 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "5 million (2009 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the chairman, deputy chairman, and NA judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 12 judges including a chairman and deputy chairman); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges appointed by the president with the consent of the Council of the Republic; judges initially appointed for 5 years and evaluated for life appointment; Constitutional Court judges - 6 appointed by the president and 6 elected by the Chamber of Representatives; term of judges is 11 years with an age limit of 70; subordinate courts: :regional, district, city, town, and military courts", "WATERWAYS": "2,500 km (major rivers are the west-flowing Western Dvina and Neman rivers and the south-flowing Dnepr River and its tributaries, the Berezina, Sozh, and Pripyat rivers) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "18.3% (2014 est.); 18.3% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :3.64 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :4.07 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :3.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, televisions, synthetic fibers, fertilizer, textiles, radios, refrigerators", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "25 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)", "IMPORTS": "$40.47 billion (2014 est.); $41.11 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for the domestic market; transshipment point for illicit drugs to and via Russia, and to the Baltics and Western Europe; a small and lightly regulated financial center; anti-money-laundering legislation does not meet international standards and was weakened further when know-your-customer requirements were curtailed in 2008; few investigations or prosecutions of money-laundering activities (2008)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :86,392 km; paved: :74,651 km; unpaved: :11,741 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "red horizontal band (top) and green horizontal band one-half the width of the red band; a white vertical stripe on the hoist side bears Belarusian national ornamentation in red; the red band color recalls past struggles from oppression, the green band represents hope and the many forests of the country", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$40.33 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $39.22 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$37.89 billion (2014 est.); $36.57 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :president Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (since 20 July 1994); note - the US does not recognize the results of the 19 December 2010 elections under which the Central Election Commission of Belarus declared LUKASHENKO president; head of government: :prime minister Andrey KABYAKOW (since 27 December 2014); first deputy prime minister Vasily MATYUSHEVSKIY (since 27 December 2014); cabinet: :Council of Ministers; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; first election took place on 23 June and 10 July 1994; according to the 1994 constitution, the next election should have been held in 1999, however, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO extended his term to 2001 via a November 1996 referendum; subsequent election held on 9 September 2001; an October 2004 referendum ended presidential term limits and allowed the president to run in a third (19 March 2006) and fourth election (19 December 2010); next election to be held by 20 November 2015, when LUKASHENKO�s term ends; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president; election results: :Aleksandr LUKASHENKO reelected president; percent of vote - Aleksandr LUKASHENKO 79.7%, Andrey SANNIKOV 2.6%, other candidates 17.7%; note - election marred by electoral fraud", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Belarusian rubles (BYB/BYR) per US dollar -; 10,200.7 (2014 est.); 8,880.1 (2013 est.); 8,336.9 (2012 est.); 4,974.6 (2011 est.); 2,978.5 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Belarusian 83.7%, Russian 8.3%, Polish 3.1%, Ukrainian 1.7%, other 2.4%, unspecified 0.9% (2009 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "13.51 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest drafted between late 1991 and early 1994, signed 15 March 1994; amended 1996, 2004 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Russia 53.2%, Germany 7.1%, China 6.6%, Ukraine 4.8% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, metals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Minsk; geographic coordinates: :53 54 N, 27 34 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$26.55 billion; expenditures: :$26.71 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Belarus Armed Forces: Land Force, Air and Air Defense Force, Special Operations Force (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "10.86 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "65 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef, milk", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "6 provinces (voblastsi, singular - voblasts') and 1 municipality* (horad); Brest, Homyel' (Gomel), Horad Minsk* (Minsk City), Hrodna (Grodno), Mahilyow (Mogilev), Minsk, Vitsyebsk (Vitebsk); note: :administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers; Russian spelling provided for reference when different from Belarusian", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Russia 45.3%, Ukraine 11.3%, Netherlands 9%, Germany 4.7% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals, textiles, foodstuffs", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :9.4%; industry: :45.9%; services: :44.7% (2005 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.8%; highest 10%: :21.9% (2008)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "27.1% (2003 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.2% of GDP (2012); 1.27% of GDP (2011); 1.2% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl' in northern Ukraine", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :32; over 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :2; 28 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :33; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :20; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :4; 914 to 1,523 m: :1; under 914 m: :7 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than have any of the other former Soviet republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place. Since his election in July 1994 as the country's first and only directly elected president, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means and a centralized economic system. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion have remained in place since security services cracked down on protests challenging election results in the capital Minsk immediately following the December 2010 presidential election.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :51,855; female: :48,760 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,693,626; females age 16-49: :2,012,401 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-27 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation is 12-18 months, depending on academic qualifications; 17 year olds are eligible to become cadets at military higher education institutes, where they are classified as military personnel (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Kansas", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Nyoman River 90 m; highest point: :Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.96 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.87 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.46 male(s)/female; total population: :0.87 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "47 (plus 27 repeaters) (1995)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 28, FM 37, shortwave 11 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :7.3%; industry: :37%; services: :55.7% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "53 00 N, 28 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :15.4% (male 759,285/female 717,118); 15-24 years: :11.7% (male 575,907/female 544,170); 25-54 years: :45.5% (male 2,141,419/female 2,227,433); 55-64 years: :13.3% (male 562,639/female 716,216); 65 years and over: :14.2% (male 430,225/female 933,646) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Belgium", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Denise Campbell BAUER (since 26 September 2013); embassy: :27 Boulevard du Regent [Regentlaan; mailing address: :PSC 82, Box 002, APO AE 09710; telephone: :[32; FAX: :[32", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$41,700 (2014 est.); $41,400 (2013 est.); $41,600 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1% (2014 est.); 0.2% (2013 est.); -0.1% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.05% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$467.1 billion (2014 est.); $462.6 billion (2013 est.); $461.7 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :54.8%; youth dependency ratio: :26.4%; elderly dependency ratio: :28.4%; potential support ratio: :3.5% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "18.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 18.2% of GDP (2013 est.); 19% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :53.7%; government consumption: :25.5%; investment in fixed capital: :20.6%; investment in inventories: :0.4%; exports of goods and services: :85.9%; imports of goods and services: :-86%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "70.4%; note: :percent of women aged 18-49 (2008/10)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "28.2 (2010 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "139.1 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "23.33 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "5.613 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "17.63 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "433,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "442,800 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "612,800 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "715,300 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "667,700 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "22.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "30.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "46.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "20.79 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "17.24 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "7.603 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "83.16 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "74.13 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "lion; national colors: red, black, yellow", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :19.8%; male: :20.4%; female: :19.8% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "22.1% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "6.5 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.99 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "10.8% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "8 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "50.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "BRUSSELS (capital) 2.029 million; Antwerp 990,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"La Brabanconne\" (The Song of Brabant); lyrics/music: :Louis-Alexandre DECHET[French; note: :adopted 1830; according to legend, Louis-Alexandre DECHET, an actor at the theater in which the revolution against the Netherlands began, wrote the lyrics with a group of young people in a Brussels cafe", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$606.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $630.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$202.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $205.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.); note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "a segmented market with the three major communities (Flemish, French, and German-speaking) each having responsibility for their own broadcast media; multiple TV channels exist for each community; additionally, in excess of 90% of households are connected to cable and can access broadcasts of TV stations from neighboring countries; each community has a public radio network co-existing with private broadcasters (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :97.8% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.48% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$568.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $596 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$NA; note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi money circulating within their own borders", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "3.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 3.49% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.75% (31 December 2013); 1.5% (31 December 2010); note: :this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "6.6% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :16 years; male: :16 years; female: :17 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :6.22 cu km/yr (12%/88%/1%); per capita: :589.8 cu m/yr (2007)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "18.3 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$300.1 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $229.9 billion (31 December 2011); $269.3 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$1.077 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.084 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$1.196 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.169 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$527.8 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :5,038 (Afghanistan) (2014); stateless persons: :2,466 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$26.92 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $26.92 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$10 billion (2014 est.); -$9.661 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "101.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 101.2% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions; general government debt is defined by the Maastricht definition and calculated by the National Bank of Belgium as consolidated gross debt; the debt is defined in European Regulation EC479/2009 concerning the implementation of the protocol on the excessive deficit procedure annexed to the Treaty on European Union (Treaty of Maastricht) of 7 February 1992; the sub-sectors of consolidated gross debt are: federal government, communities and regions, local government, and social security funds", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "5.192 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :43.1 years; male: :41.7 years; female: :44.4 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "25.9 (2013 est.); 28.7 (1996)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".be", "INTERNET_USERS": "8.113 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "12.88 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "4.631 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Johan VERBEKE (since 10 March 2014); chancery: :3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York", "AREA": "total: :30,528 sq km; land: :30,278 sq km; water: :250 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "233.5 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Kingdom of Belgium; conventional short form: :Belgium; local long form: :Royaume de Belgique (French)/Koninkrijk Belgie (Dutch)/Koenigreich Belgien (German); local short form: :Belgique/Belgie/Belgien", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "8.5% (2014 est.); 8.4% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.65 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :highly developed, technologically advanced, and completely automated domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities; domestic: :nationwide mobile-cellular telephone system; extensive cable network; limited microwave radio relay network; international: :country code - 32; landing point for a number of submarine cables that provide links to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia; satellite earth stations - 7 (Intelsat - 3) (2007)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal and compulsory", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 75%, other (includes Protestant) 25%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :3,233 km; standard gauge: :3,233 km 1.435-m gauge (2,950 km electrified) (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Oostende, Zeebrugge; river port(s): :Antwerp, Gent (Schelde River); Brussels (Senne River); Liege (Meuse River); container port(s) (TEUs): :Antwerp (8,664,243), Zeebrugge (2,207,257) (2011); LNG terminal(s) (import): :Zeebrugge", "POPULATION": "10,449,361 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Christian Democratic and Flemish or CD&V [Wouter BEKE; Flemish Liberals and Democrats or Open VLD [Gwendolyn RUTTEN; Groen! [Wouter VAN BESIEN; Libertarian, Direct, Democratic or LDD (formerly Dedecker's List) [Jean-Marie DEDECKER; New Flemish Alliance or N-VA [Bart DE WEVER; People's Party [Mischael MODRIKAMEN; Social Progressive Alternative or SP.A [Bruno TOBBACK; Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) or VB [Gerolf ANNEMANS; Ecolo (Francophone Greens) [Olivier DELEUZE, Emily HOYOS; Francophone Federalist Democrats or FDF [Olivier MAINGAIN; Humanist and Democratic Center or CDH [Benoit LUTGEN; Reform Movement or MR [Charles MICHEL; Socialist Party or PS [Elio DI RUPO; Workers' Party [Peter Mertens; other minor parties", "PIPELINES": "gas 3,139 km; oil 154 km; refined products 535 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "This modern, open, and private-enterprise-based economy has capitalized on its central geographic location, highly developed transport network, and diversified industrial and commercial base. Industry is concentrated mainly in the more heavily-populated region of Flanders in the north. With few natural resources, Belgium imports substantial quantities of raw materials and exports a large volume of manufactures, making its economy vulnerable to shifts in foreign demand, particularly in Belgium�s EU trade partners. Roughly three-quarters of Belgium's trade is with other EU countries. In 2014 Belgian GDP grew by 0.9%, the unemployment rate stabilized at 8.5%, and the government maintained the budget deficit below the euro-zone threshold of 3% of GDP for a second year in a row. Prime Minister Charles MICHEL�s center-right government has pledged to further reduce the deficit in response to EU pressure to reduce Belgium�s high public debt, which remains above 100% of GDP, but such efforts could also dampen economic growth. In addition to restrained public spending, low wage growth and high unemployment promise to curtail a more robust recovery in private consumption. The government has pledged to pursue an reform program to improve Belgium�s competitiveness, including changes to tax policy, labor market rules, and welfare benefits. These changes risk worsening tensions with trade unions and triggering extended strikes.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Belgian General Federation of Labor [Rudy DE LEEUW/Anne DEMELENNE; Confederation of Christan Trade Unions [Luc CORTEBEECK/Claude ROLIN; Federation of Enterprises in Belgium [Pieter TIMMERMANS/Pierre Alain DE SMEDT; other: :trade unions; numerous other associations representing bankers, manufacturers, middle-class artisans, and the legal and medical professions; various organizations representing the cultural interests of Flanders and Wallonia; various peace groups such as Pax Christi and groups representing immigrants", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "crossroads of Western Europe; most West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the European Union and NATO", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "1.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "construction materials, silica sand, carbonates, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Belgian(s); adjective: :Belgian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "21 July (1831) ascension to the Throne of King LEOPOLD I", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :87; by type: :bulk carrier 23, cargo 15, chemical tanker 5, container 4, liquefied gas 23, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 8, roll on/roll off 7; foreign-owned: :15 (Denmark 4, France 7, Russia 1, UK 2, US 1); registered in other countries: :107 (Bahamas 6, Cambodia 1, Cyprus 3, France 7, Gibraltar 1, Greece 17, Hong Kong 26, Liberia 1, Luxembourg 11, Malta 7, Marshall Islands 1, Mozambique 2, North Korea 1, Panama 1, Portugal 8, Russia 4, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 7, Singapore 1, Vanuatu 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :geographic coordinates define outer limit; continental shelf: :median line with neighbors", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,359,232; females age 16-49: :2,291,689 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :79.92 years; male: :76.76 years; female: :83.22 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate or Senaat in Dutch, Senat in French (71 seats; 40 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 31 indirectly elected by Community Parliaments; members serve 4-year terms) and the Chamber of Representatives or Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers in Dutch, Chambre des Representants in French (150 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); note: :the 1993 constitutional revision that further devolved Belgium into a federal state created three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities; this reality leaves six governments, each with its own legislative assembly; elections: :Chamber of Deputies - last held on 23 May 2014 (next to be held May 2019); note - elections will coincide with the EU's elections; election results: :Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - N-VA 20.3%, PS 11.7%, CD&V 11.6%, Open VLD 9.8%, MR 9.6%, SP.A 8.8%, Groen! 5.3%, CDH 5.0% Workers' Party 3.7%, VB 3.7%, Ecolo 3.3%, FDF 1.8%, the People's Party 1.5%, other 7.2%; seats by party - N-VA 33, PS 23, CD&V 18, Open VLD 14, MR 20, SP.A 13, Groen! 6, CDH 9, Workers' Party 2, VB 3, Ecolo 6, FDF 2, the People's Party 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system based on the French Civil Code; note - Belgian law continues to be modified in conformance with the legislative norms mandated by the European Union; judicial review of legislative acts", "LANGUAGES": "Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :26.49%; permanent crops: :0.79%; other: :72.72% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,297 km; border countries: :France 556 km, Germany 133 km, Luxembourg 130 km, Netherlands 478 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "5.225 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Constitutional Court or Grondwettelijk Hof in Dutch and Cour constitutionelle in French (consists of 12 judges - 6 Dutch-speaking and 6 French-speaking); Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie in Dutch and Cour de Cassation in French (court organized into 3 chambers: civil and commercial; criminal; social, fiscal, and armed forces; each chamber includes a Dutch division and a French division, each with a chairperson and 5-6 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Constitutional Court judges appointed by the monarch from candidates submitted by Parliament; judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 70; Supreme Court judges appointed by the monarch from candidates submitted by the High Council of Justice, a 44-member independent body of judicial and non-judicial members; judges appointed for life; subordinate courts: :Courts of Appeal; regional courts; specialized courts for administrative, commercial, labor, and audit issues; magistrate's courts; justices of the peace", "WATERWAYS": "2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.7% (2014 est.); 1.2% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :4.18 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :4.67 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :3.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and beverages, chemicals, base metals, textiles, glass, petroleum", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne)", "IMPORTS": "$340.2 billion (2014 est.); $331.2 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "growing producer of synthetic drugs and cannabis; transit point for US-bound ecstasy; source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for cocaine, heroin, hashish, and marijuana entering Western Europe; despite a strengthening of legislation, the country remains vulnerable to money laundering related to narcotics, automobiles, alcohol, and tobacco; significant domestic consumption of ecstasy", "ROADWAYS": "total: :154,012 km; paved: :120,514 km (includes 1,756 km of expressways); unpaved: :33,498 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the vertical design was based on the flag of France; the colors are those of the arms of the duchy of Brabant (yellow lion with red claws and tongue on a black field)", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$1.424 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); $1.417 trillion (31 December 2011)", "EXPORTS": "$323.4 billion (2014 est.); $321 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :King PHILIPPE (since 21 July 2013); Heir Apparent Princess ELISABETH, daughter of the monarch; head of government: :Prime Minister Charles MICHEL (since 11 October 2014); Deputy Prime Minister Didier REYNDERS (since 30 December 2008); Deputy Prime Minister Alexander DE CROO (since 22 October 2012); Deputy Prime Minister Kris PEETERS (since 11 October 2014); Deputy Prime Minister Jan JAMBON (since 11 October 2014); cabinet: :Council of Ministers are formally appointed by the monarch; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary and constitutional; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch and approved by parliament", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.78 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Fleming 58%, Walloon 31%, mixed or other 11%", "DEATH_RATE": "10.76 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "drafted 25 November 1830, approved 7 February 1831, entered into force 26 July 1831, revised 14 July 1993 (creating a federal state); amended many times, last in 2012 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Netherlands 20.7%, Germany 13.6%, France 10.6%, US 6.8%, UK 5.3% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "66.5 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "raw materials, machinery and equipment, chemicals, raw diamonds, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, oil products", "CAPITAL": "name: :Brussels; geographic coordinates: :50 50 N, 4 20 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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$267.9 billion; expenditures: :$280.8 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Belgian Armed Forces: Land Operations Command, Naval Operations Command, Air Operations Command (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "9.99 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "41 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; beef, veal, pork, milk", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "3 regions (French: regions, singular - region; Dutch: gewesten, singular - gewest); Brussels-Capital Region, also known as Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest (Dutch), Region de Bruxelles-Capitale (French long form), Bruxelles-Capitale (French short form); Flemish Region (Flanders), also known as Vlaams Gewest (Dutch long form), Vlaanderen (Dutch short form), Region Flamande (French long form), Flandre (French short form); Walloon Region (Wallonia), also known as Region Wallone (French long form), Wallonie (French short form), Waals Gewest (Dutch long form), Wallonie (Dutch short form); note: :as a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 17.5%, France 16.2%, Netherlands 12.7%, UK 7.8%, US 4.6%, Italy 4.6% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "chemicals, machinery and equipment, finished diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :1.3%; industry: :18.6%; services: :80.1% (2013 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.4%; highest 10%: :28.4% (2006)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "15.2% (2007 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.05% of GDP (2012); 1.08% of GDP (2011); 1.05% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "the environment is exposed to intense pressures from human activities: urbanization, dense transportation network, industry, extensive animal breeding and crop cultivation; air and water pollution also have repercussions for neighboring countries; uncertainties regarding federal and regional responsibilities (now resolved) had slowed progress in tackling environmental challenges", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :15; 15 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :26; over 3,047 m: :6; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :9; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :1; under 914 m: :8 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Political divisions between the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led in recent years to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy. Its capital, Brussels, is home to numerous international organizations including the EU and NATO.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :59,665; female: :57,142 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,934,957; females age 16-49: :1,877,268 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 1994 (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about the size of Maryland", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :North Sea 0 m; highest point: :Botrange 694 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.96 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.72 male(s)/female; total population: :0.96 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "25 (plus 10 repeaters) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 7, FM 79, shortwave 1 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :0.8%; industry: :21.1%; services: :78.1% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "50 50 N, 4 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :15.6% (male 830,980/female 797,624); 15-24 years: :11.7% (male 624,486/female 598,904); 25-54 years: :40.4% (male 2,131,869/female 2,086,212); 55-64 years: :13.3% (male 690,395/female 704,284); 65 years and over: :19% (male 836,685/female 1,147,922) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Belize", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Carlos Roberto MORENO (since 24 June 2014); embassy: :Floral Park Road, Belmopan City, Cayo District; mailing address: :P.O. Box 497, Belmopan City, Cayo District, Belize; telephone: :[501; FAX: :[501", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$8,100 (2014 est.); $8,100 (2013 est.); $8,300 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2% (2014 est.); 0.7% (2013 est.); 4% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.92% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$2.907 billion (2014 est.); $2.85 billion (2013 est.); $2.83 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :59.7%; youth dependency ratio: :53.3%; elderly dependency ratio: :6.4%; potential support ratio: :15.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "11.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 10.9% of GDP (2013 est.); 12% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :79.3%; government consumption: :16.8%; investment in fixed capital: :31.2%; investment in inventories: :1.2%; exports of goods and services: :62.1%; imports of goods and services: :-90.6%; (2013 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "55.2% (2011)", "DEMOGRAPHIC_PROFILE": "Migration continues to transform Belize's population. About 16% of Belizeans live abroad, while immigrants constitute approximately 15% of Belize's population. Belizeans seeking job and educational opportunities have preferred to emigrate to the United States rather than former colonizer Great Britain because of the United States' closer proximity and stronger trade ties with Belize. Belizeans also emigrate to Canada, Mexico, and English-speaking Caribbean countries. The emigration of a large share of Creoles (Afro-Belizeans) and the influx of Central American immigrants, mainly Guatemalans, Salvadorans, and Hondurans, has changed Belize's ethnic composition. Mestizos have become the largest ethnic group, and Belize now has more native Spanish speakers than English or Creole speakers, despite English being the official language. In addition, Central American immigrants are establishing new communities in rural areas, which contrasts with the urbanization trend seen in neighboring countries. Recently, Chinese, European, and North American immigrants have become more frequent.; Immigration accounts for an increasing share of Belize's population growth rate, which is steadily falling due to fertility decline. Belize's declining birth rate and its increased life expectancy are creating an aging population. As the elderly population grows and nuclear families replace extended households, Belize's government will be challenged to balance a rising demand for pensions, social services, and healthcare for its senior citizens with the need to reduce poverty and social inequality and to improve sanitation.", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :27,751; percentage: :40% (2001 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "675,200 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "3,493 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "4,980 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "6.7 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "4,345 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "3,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "20.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "30.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "48.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "186,600 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "171.9 million kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "572.2 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "452.2 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Baird's tapir (a large, browsing, forest-dwelling mammal), keel-billed toucan, Black Orchid; national colors: red, blue", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :19.5%; male: :13.8%; female: :28.8% (2005 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "33.7% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.1 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.83 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.8% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "6.2% (2011)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "53 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "27% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "BELMOPAN (capital) 17,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Land of the Free\"; lyrics/music: :Samuel Alfred HAYNES/Selwyn Walford YOUNG; note: :adopted 1981; as a Commonwealth country, in addition to the national anthem, \"God Save the Queen\" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 94.2% of population; rural: 87.6% of population; total: 90.5% of population; urban: 5.8% of population; rural: 12.4% of population; total: 9.5% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 98.4% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 99.3% of population; urban: 1.6% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0.7% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$1.372 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.239 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$583.5 million (31 December 2014 est.); $561 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "8 privately owned TV stations; multi-channel cable TV provides access to foreign stations; about 25 radio stations broadcasting on roughly 50 different frequencies; state-run radio was privatized in 1998 (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :44.1% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.93% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$1.05 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $950 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$653.8 million (31 December 2008); $549 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$345.7 million (31 December 2008); $323.9 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "12% (31 December 2014 est.); 11.57% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "18% (31 December 2010); 12% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "6.6% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :14 years; male: :13 years; female: :14 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.22 cu km/yr (4%/49%/46%); per capita: :845.2 cu m/yr (2000)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "18.55 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Belize is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; the coerced prostitution of children, often by their parents, for school fees, money, and gifts is common; child sex tourism, involving primarily US citizens, is on the rise; women from Belize and other Central American countries are forced into prostitution in bars, nightclubs, and brothels; workers from Central America, Mexico, and Asia may fall victim to forced labor, especially in the agricultural and fishing sectors; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Belize does not comply fully with the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government made its first arrest under its 2013 trafficking law, but weak law enforcement efforts resulted in no prosecutions being initiated; authorities did not systematically identify trafficking victims, leaving them vulnerable to being jailed or deported for immigration violations; the government made minimal efforts to prevent trafficking, failing to implement an anti-trafficking strategic plan or to conduct public awareness campaigns (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$1.666 billion (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever and malaria (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$426.3 million (31 December 2014 est.); $402.8 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$73.6 million (2014 est.); -$72.1 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "79.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 81.1% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "3,392 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :21.8 years; male: :21.6 years; female: :22 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "3,300 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "1.49% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".bz", "INTERNET_USERS": "36,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "164,200 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "25,400 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Nestor MENDEZ (since 10 July 2008); chancery: :2535 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Los Angeles", "AREA": "total: :22,966 sq km; land: :22,806 sq km; water: :160 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "30 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Belize; former: :British Honduras", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "15.5% (2013); 11.3% (2012)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "3.02 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :above-average system; trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay; domestic: :fixed-line teledensity of slightly less than 10 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity approaching 70 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 501; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth station - 8 (Intelsat - 2, unknown - 6) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 40.1%, Protestant 31.5% (includes Pentecostal 8.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 5.4%, Anglican 4.7%, Mennonite 3.7%, Baptist 3.6%, Methodist 2.9%, Nazarene 2.8%), Jehovah's Witness 1.7%, other 10.5% (includes Baha'i, Buddhist, Hindu, Morman, Muslim, Rastafarian), unknown 0.6%, none 15.5% (2010 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Belize City, Big Creek", "POPULATION": "340,844 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "National Alliance for Belizean Rights or NABR; National Reform Party or NRP [Cornelius DUECK; People's National Party or PNP [Wil MAHEIA; People's United Party or PUP [John BRICENO; United Democratic Party or UDP [Dean Oliver BARROW; Vision Inspired by the People or VIP [Paul MORGAN; We the People Reform Movement or WTP [Hipolito BAUTISTA", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Tourism is the number one foreign exchange earner in this small economy, followed by exports of marine products, citrus, cane sugar, bananas, and garments. The government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, initiated in September 1998, led to GDP growth averaging nearly 4% in 1999-2007. Oil discoveries in 2006 bolstered this growth. Exploration efforts have continued and production has increased a small amount. Growth slipped to 0% in 2009, resulting from the global economic slowdown, natural disasters, and a temporary drop in the price of oil, but grew to 2.5% in 2014. With weak economic growth and a large public debt burden, fiscal spending is likely to be tight. A key government objective remains the reduction of poverty and inequality with the help of international donors. Although Belize has the second highest per capita income in Central America, the average income figure masks a huge income disparity between rich and poor. The sizable trade deficit and heavy foreign debt burden continue to be major concerns.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Association of Concerned Belizeans or ACB [David VASQUEZ; National Trade Union Congress of Belize or NTUC/B [Rene GOMEZ; Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Nicole HAYLOCK", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Belizean(s); adjective: :Belizean", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 21 September (1981)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :247; by type: :barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 33, cargo 156, chemical tanker 2, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 30, roll on/roll off 10, specialized tanker 1; foreign-owned: :152 (Bulgaria 1, China 61, Croatia 1, Estonia 1, Greece 2, Iceland 1, Italy 3, Latvia 9, Lithuania 1, Netherlands 1, Norway 2, Russia 30, Singapore 4, Switzerland 1, Syria 4, Thailand 1, Turkey 16, UAE 3, UK 4, Ukraine 6) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm in the north, 3 nm in the south; note - from the mouth of the Sarstoon River to Ranguana Cay, Belize's territorial sea is 3 nm; according to Belize's Maritime Areas Act, 1992, the purpose of this limitation is to provide a framework for negotiating a definitive agreement on territorial differences with Guatemala; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :81,284; females age 16-49: :79,185 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :68.49 years; male: :66.88 years; female: :70.17 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (12 seats; members appointed by the governor general - 6 on the advice of the prime minister, 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and 1 each on the advice of the Belize Council of Churches and Evangelical Association of Churches, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Belize Better Business Bureau, and the National Trade Union Congress and the Civil Society Steering Committee; members serve 5-year terms) and the House of Representatives (31 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms); elections: :House of Representatives - last held on 8 March 2012 (next to be held in 2017); election results: :percent of vote by party - UDP 50.4%, PUP 47.5%, other 2.1%; seats by party - UDP 17, PUP 14", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "English common law", "LANGUAGES": "English 62.9% (official), Spanish 56.6%, Creole 44.6%, Maya 10.5%, German 3.2%, Garifuna 2.9%, other 1.8%, unknown 0.3%, none 0.2% (cannot speak); note: :shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census (2010 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :3.42%; permanent crops: :1.4%; other: :95.18% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :542 km; border countries: :Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 276 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "120,500; note: :shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (2008 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Judicature (consists of the Court of Appeal with the court president and 3 justices, and the Supreme Court with the chief justice and 2 judges); note - in 2005, Belize ceased final appeals in civil and criminal cases to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London), replacing it with the Caribbean Court of Justice, the judicial organ of the Caribbean Community; judge selection and term of office: :Court of Appeal president and justices appointed by the governor general upon advice of the prime minister after consultation with the National Assembly opposition leader; justices' tenures vary by terms of appointment; Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the governor-general upon the advice of the prime minister and the National Assembly opposition leader; other judges appointed by the governor-general upon the advice of the Judicial and Legal Services Section of the Public Services Commission and with the concurrence of the prime minister after consultation with the National Assembly opposition leader; judges can be appointed beyond age 65 but must retire by age 75; subordinate courts: :Summary Jurisdiction Courts (criminal) and District Courts (civil)", "WATERWAYS": "825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.6% (2014 est.); 0.5% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :20.31 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :22.78 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :17.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "garment production, food processing, tourism, construction, oil", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-1% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "21 September 1981 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$922.7 million (2014 est.); $876 million (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit producer of cannabis, primarily for local consumption; offshore sector money-laundering activity related to narcotics trafficking and other crimes (2008)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :2,870 km; paved: :488 km; unpaved: :2,382 km (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "blue with a narrow red stripe along the top and the bottom edges; centered is a large white disk bearing the coat of arms; the coat of arms features a shield flanked by two workers in front of a mahogany tree with the related motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade) on a scroll at the bottom, all encircled by a green garland of 50 mahogany leaves; the colors are those of the two main political parties: blue for the PUP and red for the UDP; various elements of the coat of arms - the figures, the tools, the mahogany tree, and the garland of leaves - recall the logging industry that led to British settlement of Belize; note: :Belize's flag is the only national flag that depicts human beings; two British overseas territories, Montserrat and the British Virgin Islands, also depict humans", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$1.24 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.239 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$640.9 million (2014 est.); $608.6 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Sir Colville YOUNG, Sr. (since 17 November 1993); head of government: :Prime Minister Dean Oliver BARROW (since 8 February 2008); Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar VEGA (since 12 February 2008); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from the General Assembly; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Belizean dollars (BZD) per US dollar -; 2 (2014 est.); 2 (2013 est.); 2 (2012 est.); 2 (2011 est.); 2 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "mestizo 52.9%, Creole 25.9%, Maya 11.3%, Garifuna 6.1%, East Indian 3.9%, Mennonite 3.6%, white 1.2%, Asian 1%, other 1.2%, unknown 0.3%; note: :percentages add up to more than 100% because respondents were able to identify more than one ethnic origin (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "5.95 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1954, 1963 (preindependence); latest signed and entered into force 21 September 1981; amended several times, last in 2012 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 23.3%, Mexico 14.1%, China 11.8%, Cuba 9.6%, Guatemala 5.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.3% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "386 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco", "CAPITAL": "name: :Belmopan; geographic coordinates: :17 15 N, 88 46 W; time difference: :UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$450 million; expenditures: :$500 million (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Belize Defense Force (BDF): Army, BDF Air Wing (includes Special Boat Unit), BDF Volunteer Guard (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "25.14 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "47 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "bananas, cacao, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 26%, UK 22.1%, Nigeria 5.8%, Cote dIvoire 4.4%, Jamaica 4.1% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood, crude oil", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :10.2%; industry: :18.1%; services: :71.7% (2007)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "41% (2013 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "NA% (2012); 1.08% of GDP (2011); NA% (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :41; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :11; 29 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :6; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :2; under 914 m: :3 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Belize was the site of several Mayan city states until their decline at the end of the first millennium A.D. The British and Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1854. Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992 and the two countries are involved in an ongoing border dispute. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns include the country's heavy foreign debt burden, high unemployment, growing involvement in the Mexican and South American drug trade, high crime rates, and one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Central America.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :3,723; female: :3,584 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :59,431; females age 16-49: :57,221 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; laws allow for conscription only if volunteers are insufficient; conscription has never been implemented; volunteers typically outnumber available positions by 3:1; initial service obligation 12 years (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Massachusetts", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south)", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Doyle's Delight 1,160 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.9 male(s)/female; total population: :1.03 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "7 (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2006)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :13.1%; industry: :16%; services: :70.9% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "17 15 N, 88 45 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :35.3% (male 61,480/female 59,000); 15-24 years: :21% (male 36,432/female 35,093); 25-54 years: :35.5% (male 61,112/female 59,809); 55-64 years: :4.6% (male 7,719/female 7,807); 65 years and over: :3.6% (male 5,848/female 6,544) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Benin", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Michael RAYNOR (since 24 May 2012); embassy: :Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou; mailing address: :01 B. P. 2012, Cotonou; telephone: :[229; FAX: :[229", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$1,900 (2014 est.); $1,800 (2013 est.); $1,800 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "5.5% (2014 est.); 5.6% (2013 est.); 5.4% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.81% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$19.85 billion (2014 est.); $18.82 billion (2013 est.); $17.81 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :83%; youth dependency ratio: :77.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.3%; potential support ratio: :18.9% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "10.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 11.1% of GDP (2013 est.); 9.7% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :76.8%; government consumption: :11.7%; investment in fixed capital: :17.4%; investment in inventories: :6.8%; exports of goods and services: :12.5%; imports of goods and services: :-25.2%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "12.9% (2011/12)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "20.3; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2011/12 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :1,020,981; percentage: :46% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "4.581 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "1.133 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "34,840 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "34,410 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "8 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "99.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "171,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "925 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "858 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "146 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "leopard; national colors: green, yellow, red", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "6% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.5 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.06 physicians/1,000 population (2008)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "4.5% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "20.2% (2006)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "350 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "20.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "COTONOU (seat of government) 680,000; PORTO-NOVO (capital) 268,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"L'Aube Nouvelle\" (The Dawn of a New Day); lyrics/music: :Gilbert Jean DAGNON; note: :adopted 1960", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 25.3% of population; rural: 5.1% of population; total: 14.3% of population; urban: 74.7% of population; rural: 94.9% of population; total: 85.7% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 84.5% of population; rural: 69.1% of population; total: 76.1% of population; urban: 15.5% of population; rural: 30.9% of population; total: 23.9% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$4.165 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.61 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$2.509 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.268 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-run Office de Radiodiffusion et de Television du Benin (ORTB) operates a TV station with multiple channels providing a wide broadcast reach; several privately owned TV stations broadcast from Cotonou; satellite TV subscription service is available; state-owned radio, under ORTB control, includes a national station supplemented by a number of regional stations; substantial number of privately owned radio broadcast stations; transmissions of a few international broadcasters are available on FM in Cotonou (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :43.5% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.67% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$2.112 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.851 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$742.8 million (31 December 2008); $627.2 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$1.592 billion (31 December 2008); $1.324 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "NA%", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "4.25% (31 December 2010); 4.25% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.3% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :11 years; male: :13 years; female: :9 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.13 cu km/yr (32%/23%/45%); per capita: :18.74 cu m/yr (2001)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "26.39 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$9.237 billion (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever; respiratory disease: :meningococcal meningitis; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$972.6 million (31 December 2014 est.); $694.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$956.4 million (2014 est.); -$871.4 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "30.1% of GDP (2014 est.); 29.8% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "491 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :17.7 years; male: :17.4 years; female: :18.1 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "36.5 (2003)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "2,700 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "73,900 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "1.13% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".bj", "INTERNET_USERS": "200,100 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "8.408 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "156,700 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Omar AROUNA (since 21 May 2014); chancery: :2124 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :112,622 sq km; land: :110,622 sq km; water: :2,000 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "230.4 sq km (2008)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Benin; conventional short form: :Benin; local long form: :Republique du Benin; local short form: :Benin; former: :Dahomey", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "5.04 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :inadequate system of open-wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections; fixed-line network characterized by aging, deteriorating equipment; domestic: :fixed-line teledensity only about 2 per 100 persons; spurred by the presence of multiple mobile-cellular providers, cellular telephone subscribership has been increasing rapidly; international: :country code - 229; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; long distance fiber-optic links with Togo, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Nigeria; satellite earth stations - 7 (Intelsat-Atlantic Ocean) (2008)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Catholic 27.1%, Muslim 24.4%, Vodoun 17.3%, Protestant 10.4% (Celestial 5%, Methodist 3.2%, other Protestant 2.2%), other Christian 5.3%, other 15.5% (2002 census)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :438 km; narrow gauge: :438 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Cotonou", "POPULATION": "10,160,556; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Alliance of Progress Forces or AFP; Benin Renaissance or RB [Rosine SOGLO]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Force Cowrie for an Emerging Benin or FCBE [Yayi BONI]; Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD [Theophile NATA]; Key Force or FC [Lazare S�HOU�TO; note: :approximately 20 additional minor parties", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output had averaged almost 4% before the global recession and it has exceeded that level in 2013-14. Inflation has subsided over the past several years. In order to raise growth, Benin plans to attract more foreign investment, place more emphasis on tourism, facilitate the development of new food processing systems and agricultural products, and encourage new information and communication technology. Specific projects to improve the business climate by reforms to the land tenure system, the commercial justice system, and the financial sector were included in Benin's $307 million Millennium Challenge Account grant signed in February 2006. The 2001 privatization policy continues in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture. An insufficient electrical supply continues to hamper Benin's economic growth though the government recently has taken steps to increase domestic power production. Private foreign direct investment is small, and foreign aid accounts for the majority of investment in infrastructure projects. Cotton, a key export, suffered from flooding in 2010-11, but high prices supported export earnings. The government agreed to a 25% increase in civil servant salaries in 2011, following a series of strikes, increasing pressure on the national budget. Benin has appealed for international assistance to mitigate piracy against commercial shipping in its territory.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :economic groups; environmentalists; political groups; teachers' unions and other educational groups", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Beninese (singular and plural); adjective: :Beninese", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "National Day, 1 August (1960)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, CD, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,095,373; females age 16-49: :2,038,351 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :28.7%; male: :40.6%; female: :18.4% (2006 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :61.07 years; male: :59.75 years; female: :62.47 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 30 April 2011 (next to be held in 2015); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FCBE 41, UN 30, other 12", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system modeled largely on the French system and some customary law", "LANGUAGES": "French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :23.94%; permanent crops: :3.99%; other: :72.06% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,123 km; border countries: :Burkina Faso 386 km, Niger 277 km, Nigeria 809 km, Togo 651 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "3.662 million (2007 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of the court president and 3 chamber presidents organized into an administrative division, judicial chamber, and chamber of accounts); Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle (consists of 7 members including the court president); High Court of Justice (consists of the Constitutional Court members, 6 members appointed by the National Assembly, and the Supreme Court president); note - jurisdiction of the High Court of Justice is limited to cases of high treason by the national president or members of the government; judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court president and judges appointed by the national president upon the advice of the National Assembly; judges appointed for single renewable 5-year terms; Constitutional Court members - 4 appointed by the National Assembly and 3 by the national president; members appointed for single renewable 5-year terms; High Court of Justice \"other\" members elected by the National Assembly; member tenure NA; subordinate courts: :Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; district courts; village courts; Assize courts", "WATERWAYS": "150 km (seasonal navigation on River Niger along northern border) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "-0.9% (2014 est.); 1% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :57.09 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :60.26 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :53.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "textiles, food processing, construction materials, cement", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1 August 1960 (from France)", "IMPORTS": "$2.905 billion (2014 est.); $2.659 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transshipment point used by traffickers for cocaine destined for Western Europe; vulnerable to money laundering due to poorly enforced financial regulations (2008)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :16,000 km; paved: :1,400 km; unpaved: :14,600 km (2006)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red (bottom) with a vertical green band on the hoist side; green symbolizes hope and revival, yellow wealth, and red courage; note: :uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$2.458 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.224 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$2.045 billion (2014 est.); $1.87 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Thomas YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Thomas YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006); Prime Minister Pascal KOUPAKI (since 28 May 2011); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); last held on 13 March 2011 (next to be held in March 2016); election results: :Thomas YAYI Boni re-elected president; percent of vote - Thomas YAYI Boni 53.1%, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI 35.6%, Abdoulaye Bio TCHANE 6.1%, other 5.2%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -; 491.2 (2014 est.); 494.04 (2013 est.); 510.53 (2012 est.); 471.87 (2011 est.); 495.28 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Fon and related 39.2%, Adja and related 15.2%, Yoruba and related 12.3%, Bariba and related 9.2%, Peulh and related 7%, Ottamari and related 6.1%, Yoa-Lokpa and related 4%, Dendi and related 2.5%, other 1.6% (includes Europeans), unspecified 2.9% (2002 census)", "DEATH_RATE": "8.39 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1946, 1958 (preindependence); latest adopted by referendum 2 December 1990, promulgated 11 December 1990 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 37.1%, India 10.3%, US 7.5%, Malaysia 6.7%, Thailand 6.1%, France 4.4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "121 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products", "CAPITAL": "name: :Porto-Novo (official capital); note - Cotonou (seat of government); geographic coordinates: :6 29 N, 2 37 E; time difference: :UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.885 billion; expenditures: :$2.074 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Benin Armed Forces (Forces Armees Beninoises, FAB): Army (l'Arme de Terre), Benin Navy (Forces Navales Beninois, FNB), Benin Air Force (Force Aerienne du Benin, FAB) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "36.51 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "6 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cotton, corn, cassava (manioc, tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, cashews; livestock", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "12 departments; Alibori, Atacora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Couffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Lebanon 21.7%, China 21.6%, India 18.5%, Nigeria 4.9%, Niger 4.9% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "cotton, cashews, shea butter, textiles, palm products, seafood", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.1%; highest 10%: :29% (2003)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "37.4% (2007 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.03% of GDP (2012); NA% (2011); 1.03% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :5; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :2 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Present day Benin was the site of Dahomey, a West African kingdom that rose to prominence in about 1600 and over the next two and a half centuries became a regional power, largely based on its slave trade. Coastal areas of Dahomey began to be controlled by the French in the second half of the 19th century; the entire kingdom was conquered by 1894. French Dahomey achieved independence in 1960; it changed its name to the Republic of Benin in 1975. A succession of military governments ended in 1972 with the rise to power of Mathieu KEREKOU and the establishment of a government based on Marxist-Leninist principles. A move to representative government began in 1989. Two years later, free elections ushered in former Prime Minister Nicephore SOGLO as president, marking the first successful transfer of power in Africa from a dictatorship to a democracy. KEREKOU was returned to power by elections held in 1996 and 2001, though some irregularities were alleged. KEREKOU stepped down at the end of his second term in 2006 and was succeeded by Thomas YAYI Boni, a political outsider and independent. YAYI, who won a second five-year term in March 2011, has attempted to stem corruption and has strongly promoted accelerating Benin's economic growth.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :108,496; female: :104,526 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,385,065; females age 16-49: :1,400,045 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-35 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntary military service; a higher education diploma is required; both sexes are eligible for military service; conscript tour of duty - 18 months (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Pennsylvania", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mont Sokbaro 658 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.67 male(s)/female; total population: :1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "6 (2007)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 34, shortwave 1 (2007)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :31.8%; industry: :12.3%; services: :55.9% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "9 30 N, 2 15 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :43.8% (male 2,269,896/female 2,179,026); 15-24 years: :20.1% (male 1,036,963/female 1,001,400); 25-54 years: :29.9% (male 1,530,283/female 1,504,201); 55-64 years: :3.5% (male 149,883/female 205,701); 65 years and over: :2.8% (male 112,830/female 170,373) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Bermuda", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Consul General Robert SETTJE (since August 2012); consulate(s) general: :Crown Hill, 16 Middle Road, Devonshire DVO3; mailing address: :P. O. Box HM325, Hamilton HMBX; American Consulate General Hamilton, US Department of State, 5300 Hamilton Place, Washington, DC 20520-5300; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "overseas territory of the UK", "AFFILIATION": "(overseas territory of the UK)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$86,000 (2011 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "-3.5% (2011 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.52% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$5.6 billion (2011 est.); $5.803 billion (2010 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :27.1%; government consumption: :14.8%; investment in fixed capital: :23.6%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :66.5%; imports of goods and services: :-32%; (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "614,200 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "2,747 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "4,310 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "1.8% of total installed capacity; note: :the Tynes Bay Waste Treatment Facility turns waste to electric energy (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "98.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "165,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "626.8 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "674 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "red lion", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-3.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "15.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "HAMILTON (capital) 10,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Hail to Bermuda\"; lyrics/music: :Bette JOHNS; note: :serves as a local anthem; as a territory of the United Kingdom, \"God Save the Queen\" is official (see United Kingdom)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "3 TV stations; cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; roughly 13 radio stations operating (2012)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :100% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.19% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.6% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :12 years; male: :11 years; female: :13 years (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$1.487 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $1.436 billion (31 December 2011); $1.535 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$5.6 billion (2011 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "20,040 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :42.9 years; male: :41.1 years; female: :44.6 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".bm", "INTERNET_USERS": "54,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "91,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "69,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "AREA": "total: :54 sq km; land: :54 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "North America", "LOCATION": "North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US)", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Bermuda; former: :Somers Islands", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the UK", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "8% (2012 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary; self-governing territory", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.95 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "low hills separated by fertile depressions", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :a good, fully automatic digital telephone system with fiber-optic trunk lines; domestic: :the system has a high fixed-line teledensity coupled with a mobile-cellular teledensity of roughly 125 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 1-441; landing points for the GlobeNet, Gemini Bermuda, CBUS, and the Challenger Bermuda-1 (CB-1) submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 46.1% (includes Anglican 15.8%, African Methodist Episcopal 8.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 6.7, Pentecostal 3.5%, Methodist 2.7%, Presbyterian 2.0 %, Church of God 1.6%, Baptist 1.2%, Salvation Army 1.1%, Bretheren 1.0%, other Protestant 2.0%), Roman Catholic 14.5%, Jehovah's Witness 1.3%, other Christian 9.1%, Muslim 1%, other 3.9%, none 17.8%, unspecified 6.2% (2010 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Hamilton, Ireland Island, Saint George", "POPULATION": "69,839 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "One Bermuda Alliance or OBA [Thad HOLLIS; Progressive Labor Party or PLP [Marc BEAN", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Despite four years of recession and a public debt of $1.4 billion, Bermuda enjoys the fourth highest per capita income in the world, about 70% higher than that of the US. The average cost of a single-family home in 2012 was $1.1 million. Its economy is primarily based on international business and the provision of financial services to that sector, and to a lesser extent tourism. A number of reinsurance companies relocated to the island following the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US and again after Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma in 2005, contributing to the expansion of an already robust international business sector. Bermuda's tourism industry - which derives over 80% of its visitors from the US - continues to struggle and has dropped in its relevant importance to the economy, although it is still important as a job creator. Bermuda must import almost everything. Agriculture is limited due to the small size of the island and Bermuda's industrial sector is small.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers or ABIR [Bradley KADING; Association of Bermuda International Companies or ABIC [George HUTCHINGS; Bermuda Employer's Council [Keith JENSEN; Bermuda Industrial Union or BIU [Chris Furbert; Bermuda Public Services Union or BPSU [Kevin GRANT and Ed BALL; Bermuda Union of Teachers [Michael CHARLES", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "consists of about 138 coral islands and islets with ample rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes; some land was leased by the US Government from 1941 to 1995", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "1.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Bermudian(s); adjective: :Bermudian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Bermuda Day, 24 May", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :139; by type: :bulk carrier 22, chemical tanker 3, container 14, liquefied gas 43, passenger 27, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 19, refrigerated cargo 9; foreign-owned: :105 (France 1, Germany 14, Greece 8, Hong Kong 4, Ireland 1, Israel 3, Japan 2, Monaco 2, Nigeria 11, Norway 5, Sweden 14, UK 14, US 26); registered in other countries: :241 (Bahamas 15, Cyprus 1, France 5, Greece 3, Hong Kong 20, Isle of Man 7, Liberia 4, Malta 15, Marshall Islands 35, Netherlands 1, Norway 24, Panama 27, Philippines 47, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Singapore 25, UK 6, US 5) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Caricom (associate), ICC (NGOs), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ITUC (NGOs), UPU, WCO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :15,081 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :81.04 years; male: :77.83 years; female: :84.31 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats; members appointed by the governor, the premier, and the opposition party to serve 5-year terms) and the House of Assembly (36 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve up to 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 17 December 2012 (next to be held not later than 2017); election results: :percent of vote by party - OBA 51.7%, PLP 46.1%, other 2.2%; seats by party - OBA 19, PLP 17", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "English common law", "LANGUAGES": "English (official), Portuguese", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :14.8%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :85.2% (55% developed, 45% rural/open space) (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "37,400 (2011 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest resident court(s): :Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 4 justices); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice, 4 puisne judges, and 1 associate justice); note - the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, in London, is the court of final appeal; judge selection and term of office: :Court of Appeal justice appointed by the governor; justice tenure by individual appointment; Supreme Court judges nominated by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission and appointed by the governor; judge tenure NA; subordinate courts: :commercial court (began in 2006); magistrates' courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2% (2014 est.); 1.8% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :2.48 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :2.58 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :2.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "international business, tourism, light manufacturing", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.7% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$1.02 billion (2014 est.); $1.012 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :447 km; paved: :447 km; note: :225 km public roads; 222 km private roads (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "red, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Bermudian coat of arms (a white shield with a red lion standing on a green grassy field holding a scrolled shield showing the sinking of the ship Sea Venture off Bermuda in 1609) centered on the outer half of the flag; it was the shipwreck of the vessel, filled with English colonists originally bound for Virginia, that led to settling of Bermuda; note: :the flag is unusual in that it is only British overseas territory that uses a red ensign, all others use blue", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$1.4 billion (2012 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$14 million (2014 est.); $13 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor George FERGUSSON (since 23 May 2012); head of government: :Premier Michael DUNKLEY (since 20 May 2014); cabinet: :Cabinet nominated by the premier, appointed by the governor; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed premier by the governor", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Bermudian dollars (BMD) per US dollar -; 1 (2014 est.); 1 (2013 est.); 1 (2012 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "black 53.8%, white 31%, mixed 7.5%, other 7.1%, unspecified 0.6% (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "8.06 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous (dating to 1684); latest entered into force 8 June 1968; amended several times, last in 2003 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 35.2%, South Korea 34.5%, US 11.5%, Singapore 7.6%, China 4.1% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "103 km", "CLIMATE": "subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "clothing, fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, chemicals, food and live animals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Hamilton; geographic coordinates: :32 17 N, 64 47 W; time difference: :UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$891.9 million; expenditures: :$1.112 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Bermuda Regiment (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "11.35 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products, honey", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "9 parishes and 2 municipalities*; Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*, Saint George's, Sandys, Smith's, Southampton, Warwick", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Indonesia 38.2%, US 8.7% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "reexports of pharmaceuticals", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture and fishing: :2%; laborers: :15%; clerical: :83%; professional and technical: :21%; administrative and managerial: :15%; sales: :7%; services: :19% (2013 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "11% (2008 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "sustainable development", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Bermuda was first settled in 1609 by shipwrecked English colonists heading for Virginia. Self-governing since 1620, Bermuda is the oldest and most populous of the British overseas territories. Vacationing to the island to escape North American winters first developed in Victorian times. Tourism continues to be important to the island's economy, although international business has overtaken it in recent years. Bermuda has also developed into a highly successful offshore financial center. A referendum on independence from the UK was soundly defeated in 1995.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :433; female: :410 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :12,323; females age 16-49: :12,174 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-45 years of age for voluntary male or female enlistment in the Bermuda Regiment; males must register at age 18 and may be subject to conscription; term of service is 38 months for volunteers or conscripts (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about one-third the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "hurricanes (June to November)", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Town Hill 76 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.02 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.72 male(s)/female; total population: :0.94 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "3 (2005)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 5, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :0.7%; industry: :5.2%; services: :94.1% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "32 20 N, 64 45 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :17.5% (male 6,165/female 6,031); 15-24 years: :12.2% (male 4,275/female 4,267); 25-54 years: :39.3% (male 13,706/female 13,741); 55-64 years: :14.6% (male 4,813/female 5,368); 65 years and over: :16.4% (male 4,821/female 6,652) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Bhutan", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "the US and Bhutan have no formal diplomatic relations, although frequent informal contact is maintained via the US embasssy in New Delhi (India) and Bhutan's Permanent Mission to the UN", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$7,700 (2014 est.); $7,300 (2013 est.); $7,100 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "6.4% (2014 est.); 5% (2013 est.); 6.5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.13% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$5.867 billion (2014 est.); $5.517 billion (2013 est.); $5.256 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :48.1%; youth dependency ratio: :40.8%; elderly dependency ratio: :7.2%; potential support ratio: :13.8% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "26.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 31.7% of GDP (2013 est.); 32.2% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :39%; government consumption: :20.6%; investment in fixed capital: :71.4%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :36.4%; imports of goods and services: :-67.5%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "65.6% (2010)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :25,801; percentage: :18% (2010 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "320,800 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "1,870 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "1,870 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "99.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "0.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "1.499 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "37 million kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "5.625 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "1.841 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "7.55 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "thunder dragon known as Druk Gyalpo; national colors: orange, yellow", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :7.2%; male: :7.3%; female: :7.2% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "5.3% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.8 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.26 physicians/1,000 population (2012)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "3.8% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "12.8% (2010)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "180 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-9.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "19.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "THIMPHU (capital) 152,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Druk tsendhen\" (The Thunder Dragon Kingdom); lyrics/music: :Gyaldun Dasho Thinley DORJI/Aku TONGMI; note: :adopted 1953", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 74.5% of population; rural: 31.1% of population; total: 46.9% of population; urban: 25.5% of population; rural: 68.9% of population; total: 53.1% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.4% of population; rural: 97.3% of population; total: 98.1% of population; urban: 0.6% of population; rural: 2.7% of population; total: 1.9% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$1.099 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $1.062 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$636 million (31 December 2014 est.); $550.6 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-owned TV station established in 1999; cable TV service offers dozens of Indian and other international channels; first radio station, privately launched in 1973, is now state-owned; 5 private radio stations are currently broadcasting (2012)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :37.9% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.69% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$796.1 million (31 December 2014 est.); $726.2 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$NA (31 December 2008); $220.3 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$NA (31 December 2008); $381.1 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "14% (31 December 2014 est.); 14% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "NA%", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.7% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :13 years; male: :13 years; female: :13 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.34 cu km/yr (5%/1%/94%); per capita: :458 cu m/yr (2008)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "78 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$320 million (31 December 2013); $283.4 million (31 December 2012)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$173.7 million (31 December 2014 est.); $131.7 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$2.086 billion (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever and malaria (2013)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$328.1 million (2014 est.); -$553.3 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "91.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 97% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "14,590 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :26.2 years; male: :26.8 years; female: :25.6 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "38.7 (2012); 38.1 (2007)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "600 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.13% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".bt", "INTERNET_USERS": "50,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "560,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "27,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none; note - the Permanent Mission to the UN for Bhutan has consular jurisdiction in the US; the permanent representative to the UN is Kunzang C. NAMGYEL (since February 2014); address: 343 East 43rd Street, New York, NY 10017; telephone [1; consulate(s) general: :New York", "AREA": "total: :38,394 sq km; land: :38,394 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "319.1 sq km (2010)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Asia", "LOCATION": "Southern Asia, between China and India", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Kingdom of Bhutan; conventional short form: :Bhutan; local long form: :Druk Gyalkhap; local short form: :Druk Yul", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "2.9% (2013 est.); 2.1% (2012 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional monarchy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.02 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :urban towns and district headquarters have telecommunications services; domestic: :low teledensity; domestic service is poor especially in rural areas; mobile-cellular service, started in 2003, is now widely available; international: :country code - 975; international telephone and telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2012)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Lamaistic Buddhist 75.3%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 22.1%, other 2.6% (2005 est.)", "POPULATION": "733,643; note: :the Factbook population estimate is consistent with the first modern census of Bhutan, conducted in 2005; previous Factbook population estimates for Bhutan, which were on the order of three times the total population reported here, were based on Bhutanese Government publications that did not include the census (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party or BNK [Sonam TOBGAY; Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party (Druk Phuensum Tshogpa) or DPT [Jigme THINLEY; Druck Chirwang Tshogpa or DCT; Druk Nymrub Tshogpa or DNT; People's Democratic Party or PDP [Tshering TOBGAY", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Bhutan's economy, small and less developed, is based largely on hydropower, agriculture, and forestry, which provide the main livelihood for more than half of the population. Because rugged mountains dominate the terrain and make the building of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive, industrial production is primarily of the cottage industry type. The economy is closely aligned with India's through strong trade and monetary links and is dependent on India for financial assistance and migrant laborers for development projects, especially for road construction. Multilateral development organizations administer most educational, social, and environment programs, and take into account the government's desire to protect the country's environment and cultural traditions. For example, the government, in its cautious expansion of the tourist sector, encourages visits by upscale, environmentally conscientious tourists. Complicated controls and uncertain policies in areas such as industrial licensing, trade, labor, and finance continue to hamper foreign investment. Bhutan�s largest export - hydropower to India - could spur sustainable growth in the coming years if Bhutan resolves chronic delays in construction. Bhutan currently taps only 5% of its 30,000-megawatt hydropower potential and is behind schedule in building 12 new hydropower dams with a combined capacity of 10,000 megawatts by 2020 in accordance with a deal signed in 2008 with India. The high volume of imported materials to build hydropower plants has expanded Bhutan's trade and current account deficits. However, Bhutan and India in April 2014 agreed to begin four additional hydropower projects, which would generate 2,120 megawatts in total. A declining GDP growth rate in each of the past three years in the absence of new hydropower facilities has constrained Bhutan�s ability to institute economic reforms. Bhutan inked a pact in December 2014 to expand duty-free trade with Bangladesh, the only trade partner with which Bhutan enjoys a surplus.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "United Front for Democracy (exiled); Druk National Congress (exiled); other: :Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepali-Bhutanese organizations (exiled); Indian merchant community", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbonate", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Bhutanese (singular and plural); adjective: :Bhutanese", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, BIMSTEC, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :202,407; females age 16-49: :180,349 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :52.8%; male: :65%; female: :38.7% (2005 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :68.98 years; male: :68.06 years; female: :69.95 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament or Chi Tshog consists of the non-partisan National Council or Gyelyong Tshogde (25 seats; 20 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 5 members appointed by the king; members serve 4-year terms) and the National Assembly or Tshogdu (47 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms); elections: :National Council election last held on 23 April 2013 (next to be held in 2017); National Assembly election (first round) held on 31 May 2013; second round on 13 July 2013; election results: :National Council - independents 20; note - all candidates required to run as independents; National Assembly - first round poll held on 31 May 2013 - percent of vote by party - DPT 44.52%; PDP 32.53%; DNT 17.04%; DCT 5.9%; second round poll held on 13 July 2013 - percent of vote by party - PDP 54.88%, DPT 45.12%; seats by party - PDP 32, DPT 15", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law based on Buddhist religious law", "LANGUAGES": "Sharchhopka 28%, Dzongkha (official) 24%, Lhotshamkha 22%, other 26% (includes foreign languages) (2005 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :2.62%; permanent crops: :0.34%; other: :97.04% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,136 km; border countries: :China 477 km, India 659 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "345,800; note: :major shortage of skilled labor (2013 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of 5 justices including the chief justice); note - the Supreme Court has sole jurisdiction in constitutional matters; judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the monarch upon the advice of the National Judicial Commission, a 4-member body to include the Legislative Committee of the National Assembly, the attorney general, the Chief Justice of Bhutan and the senior Associate Justice of the Supreme Court; other judges (drangpons) appointed by the monarch from among the High Court judges selected by the National Judicial Commission; chief justice serves a 5-year term or until reaching age 65 years, whichever is earlier; the four other judges serve 10-year terms or until age 65, whichever is earlier; subordinate courts: :High Court (first appellate court); District or Dzongkhag Courts; sub-district or Dungkhag Courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "8.6% (2014 est.); 8.8% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :37.89 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :38.34 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :37.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide, tourism", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "8% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1907 (became a unified kingdom under its first hereditary king)", "IMPORTS": "$980.6 million (2014 est.); $905.3 million (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :10,578 km; paved: :2,975 km (includes 2,180 km of natonal highways); unpaved: :7,603 km (2013)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "divided diagonally from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle is yellow and the lower triangle is orange; centered along the dividing line is a large black and white dragon facing away from the hoist side; the dragon, called the Druk (Thunder Dragon), is the emblem of the nation; its white color stands for purity and the jewels in its claws symbolize wealth; the background colors represent spiritual and secular powers within Bhutan: the orange is associated with Buddhism, while the yellow denotes the ruling dynasty", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 July - 30 June", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$1.707 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.578 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$650.3 million (2014 est.); $352 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :King Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK (since 14 December 2006); note - King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK abdicated the throne on 14 December 2006 and his son immediately succeeded him; the nearly two-year delay between the former King's abdication and his son's coronation on 6 November 2008 was to ensure an astrologically auspicious coronation date and to give the new king, who had limited experience, deeper administrative expertise under the guidance of his father; head of government: :Prime Minister Tshering TOBGAY (since July 2013); cabinet: :Council of Ministers (Lhengye Zhungtshog) nominated by the monarch in consultation with the prime minister and approved by the National Assembly; members serve fixed, five-year terms; the leader of the majority party is nominated as the prime minister; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary, but the 2008 constitution grants the Parliament authority to remove the monarch with two-thirds vote; election of a National Assembly last occurred in July 2013, resulting in the transfer of power to the former opposition party", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "ngultrum (BTN) per US dollar -; 60.42 (2014 est.); 58.6 (2013 est.); 53.44 (2012 est.); 46.67 (2011 est.); 45.73 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Ngalop (also known as Bhote) 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35% (includes Lhotsampas - one of several Nepalese ethnic groups), indigenous or migrant tribes 15%", "DEATH_RATE": "6.78 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous (various royal decrees); first constitution drafted November 2001 - March 2005, ratified 18 July 2008 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "India 72.3%, South Korea 6% (2013 est.)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fuel and lubricants, passenger cars, machinery and parts, fabrics, rice", "CAPITAL": "name: :Thimphu; geographic coordinates: :27 28 N, 89 38 E; time difference: :UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$407.1 million; expenditures: :$614 million; note: :the government of India finances nearly one-quarter of Bhutan's budget expenditures (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Royal Bhutan Army (includes Royal Bodyguard and Royal Bhutan Police) (2009)", "BIRTH_RATE": "18.12 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "2 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "rice, corn, root crops, citrus; dairy products, eggs", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "20 districts (dzongkhag, singular and plural); Bumthang, Chhukha, Chirang, Daga, Gasa, Geylegphug, Ha, Lhuntshi, Mongar, Paro, Pemagatsel, Punakha, Samchi, Samdrup Jongkhar, Shemgang, Tashigang, Tashi Yangtse, Thimphu, Tongsa, Wangdi Phodrang", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "India 83.8%, Hong Kong 10.8% (2013 est.)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "electricity (to India), ferrosilicon, cement, calcium carbide, copper wire, manganese, vegetable oil", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :56%; industry: :22%; services: :22% (2013 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.3%; highest 10%: :37.6% (2003)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "12% (2012)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified: :Law of the Sea", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "soil erosion; limited access to potable water", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2012)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "In 1865, Britain and Bhutan signed the Treaty of Sinchulu, under which Bhutan would receive an annual subsidy in exchange for ceding some border land to British India. Under British influence, a monarchy was set up in 1907; three years later, a treaty was signed whereby the British agreed not to interfere in Bhutanese internal affairs, and Bhutan allowed Britain to direct its foreign affairs. This role was assumed by independent India after 1947. Two years later, a formal Indo-Bhutanese accord returned to Bhutan the areas annexed by the British, formalized the annual subsidies the country received, and defined India's responsibilities in defense and foreign relations. In March 2005, King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK unveiled the government's draft constitution - which introduced major democratic reforms - and pledged to hold a national referendum for its approval. In December 2006, the King abdicated the throne in favor of his son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK. In early 2007, India and Bhutan renegotiated their treaty, eliminating the clause that stated that Bhutan would be \"guided by\" India in conducting its foreign policy, although Thimphu continues to coordinate closely with New Delhi. Elections for seating the country's first parliament were completed in March 2008; the king ratified the country's first constitution in July 2008. Bhutan experienced a peaceful turnover of power following parliamentary elections in 2013, which routed the incumbent party. The disposition of some 23,000 Nepali Bhutanese refugees who fled or were forced out of Bhutan in the 1990s - housed in two UN refugee camps in Nepal - remains unresolved.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :7,363; female: :7,095 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :157,664; females age 16-49: :144,861 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; militia training is compulsory for males aged 20-25, over a 3-year period (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about one-half the size of Indiana", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "violent storms from the Himalayas are the source of the country's name, which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon; frequent landslides during the rainy season", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Drangeme Chhu 97 m; highest point: :Gangkar Puensum 7,570 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.15 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.09 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :1.11 male(s)/female; total population: :1.1 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (2007)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 0, FM 9, shortwave 1 (2007)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :14.4%; industry: :41.6%; services: :44% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "27 30 N, 90 30 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :27.3% (male 102,196/female 97,923); 15-24 years: :20.1% (male 75,327/female 72,472); 25-54 years: :40.8% (male 159,868/female 139,236); 55-64 years: :5.8% (male 22,769/female 19,699); 65 years and over: :6% (male 23,153/female 21,000) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Bolivia", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Aruna AMIRTHANAYAGAM (since 28 February 2014); embassy: :Avenida Arce 2780, Casilla 425, La Paz; mailing address: :P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34032; telephone: :[591; FAX: :[591; note: :in September 2008, the Bolivian Government expelled the US Ambassador to Bolivia, and the countries have yet to reinstate ambassadors", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$6,200 (2014 est.); $6,000 (2013 est.); $5,800 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "5.8% (2014 est.); 6.8% (2013 est.); 5.2% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.6% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$70.38 billion (2014 est.); $66.52 billion (2013 est.); $62.3 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :65.3%; youth dependency ratio: :57%; elderly dependency ratio: :8.2%; potential support ratio: :12.1% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "23.1% of GDP (2014 est.); 23.9% of GDP (2013 est.); 25.7% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :58.8%; government consumption: :13.9%; investment in fixed capital: :20.3%; investment in inventories: :0.7%; exports of goods and services: :46%; imports of goods and services: :-39.7%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "60.5% (2008)", "DEMOGRAPHIC_PROFILE": "Bolivia ranks at or near the bottom among Latin American countries in several areas of health and development, including poverty, education, fertility, malnutrition, mortality, and life expectancy. On the positive side, more children are being vaccinated and more pregnant women are getting prenatal care and having skilled health practitioners attend their births. Bolivia's income inequality is the highest in Latin America and one of the highest in the world. Public education is of poor quality, and educational opportunities are among the most unevenly distributed in Latin America, with girls and indigenous and rural children less likely to be literate or to complete primary school. The lack of access to education and family planning services helps to sustain Bolivia's high fertility rate - approximately three children per woman. Bolivia's lack of clean water and basic sanitation, especially in rural areas, contributes to health problems.; Almost 7% of Bolivia's population lives abroad, primarily to work in Argentina, Brazil, Spain, and the United States. In recent years, more restrictive immigration policies in Europe and the United States have increased the flow of Bolivian emigrants to neighboring Argentina and Brazil.", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "21.2; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2008 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :757,352; percentage: :26.4%; note: :data represents children ages 5-17 (2008 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "17.28 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "281.5 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "44.94 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "9.432 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "54.37 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "15,560 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "68,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "40,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "209.8 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "60.71 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "63,110 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "1.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "34.9% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "63.6% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "1.365 million kW (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "6.944 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "7.375 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "llama, Andean condor; national colors: red, yellow, green", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :6.2%; male: :4.8%; female: :7.8% (2009 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "17.9% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.1 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.47 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.8% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "4.5% (2008)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "190 deaths/100,000 live births (2008)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-0.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "48.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "Santa Cruz 2.032 million; LA PAZ (capital) 1.8 million; Cochabamba 1.208 million; Sucre (constitutional capital) 358,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Cancion Patriotica\" (Patriotic Song); lyrics/music: :Jose Ignacio de SANJINES/Leopoldo Benedetto VINCENTI; note: :adopted 1852", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 57.5% of population; rural: 23.7% of population; total: 46.4% of population; urban: 42.5% of population; rural: 76.3% of population; total: 53.6% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 96% of population; rural: 71.9% of population; total: 88.1% of population; urban: 4% of population; rural: 28.1% of population; total: 11.9% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$20.19 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $17.4 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$8.362 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $7.26 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "large number of radio and TV stations broadcasting with private media outlets dominating; state-owned and private radio and TV stations generally operating freely, although both pro-government and anti-government groups have attacked media outlets in response to their reporting (2010)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :68.1% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.26% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$15.51 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $11.82 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$6.339 billion (31 December 2008); $4.729 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$3.998 billion (31 December 2008); $3.032 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "9.7% (31 December 2014 est.); 11.05% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "4.5% (31 December 2013); 4% (31 december 2012)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "6.9% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :13 years; male: :13 years; female: :13 years (2007)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :2.64 cu km/yr (25%/14%/61%); per capita: :305.8 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "622.5 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$9.684 billion (31 December 2013); $7.689 billion (31 December 2012); $6.089 billion (31 December 2011)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$0 (31 December 2013 est.); $0 (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$10.56 billion (31 December 2013); $8.809 billion (31 December 2012)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Bolivia is a source country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking domestically and abroad; indigenous children are particularly vulnerable; Bolivian adults and children perform forced labor in domestic service, mining, ranching, agriculture, and food processing; Bolivian women and girls are sex trafficked in neighboring countries, while other Bolivians are found in forced labor in neighboring countries, Spain, and the US; a limited number of women from nearby countries are forced into prostitution in Bolivia; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Bolivia does not comply fully with the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government did not demonstrate increasing anti-trafficking efforts during the reporting period; investigations decreased and convictions remained very low compared to the number of potential trafficking victims identified; the government did not offer adequate protective services for trafficking victims, leaving civil society organizations to provide most of the care without government support; trafficking prevention efforts were limited (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$34.08 billion (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$15.38 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $14.43 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$1.133 billion (2014 est.); $1.173 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "35.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 35.6% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "180,988 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :23.4 years; male: :22.6 years; female: :24.1 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "46.6 (2012); 57.9 (1999)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "1,200 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "15,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.25% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".bo", "INTERNET_USERS": "1.103 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "9.494 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "880,600 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Freddy BERSATTI Tudela; chancery: :3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Washington,DC; note: :as of September 2008, the US has expelled the Bolivian ambassador to the US", "AREA": "total: :1,098,581 sq km; land: :1,083,301 sq km; water: :15,280 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1,282 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "South America", "LOCATION": "Central South America, southwest of Brazil", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Plurinational State of Bolivia; conventional short form: :Bolivia; local long form: :Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia; local short form: :Bolivia", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "7.3% (2014 est.); 7.4% (2013 est.); note: :data are for urban areas; widespread underemployment", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic; note - the new constitution defines Bolivia as a \"Social Unitarian State\"", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.8 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :Bolivian National Telecommunications Company was privatized in 1995 but re-nationalized in 2007; the primary trunk system is being expanded and employs digital microwave radio relay; some areas are served by fiber-optic cable; system operations, reliability, and coverage have steadily improved.; domestic: :most telephones are concentrated in La Paz, Santa Cruz, and other capital cities; mobile-cellular telephone use expanding rapidly and, in 2011, teledensity reached about 80 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 591; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age, universal and compulsory", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 76.8%, Evangelical and Pentecostal 8.1%, Protestant 7.9%, other 1.7%, none 5.5% (2012 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :3,652 km; narrow gauge: :3,652 km 1.000-m gauge (2010)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "river port(s): :Puerto Aguirre (Paraguay/Parana); note: :Bolivia has free port privileges in maritime ports in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay", "POPULATION": "10,631,486 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Bacada Indigena or BI; Bolivia-National Convergence or PPB-CN [Adrian OLIVA; Fearless Movement or MSM [Juan DE GRANADO Cosio; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Juan Evo MORALES Ayma; National Unity or UN [Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana; People or Gente [Roman LOAYZA; Social Alliance or AS [Rene JOAQUINO; Social Democratic Movement or MDS [Ruben COSTAS", "PIPELINES": "gas 5,457 km; liquid petroleum gas 51 km; oil 2,511 km; refined products 1,627 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Bolivia is a resource rich country with strong growth attributed to captive markets for natural gas exports. However, the country remains one of the least developed countries in Latin America because of state-oriented policies that deter investment and growth. Following a disastrous economic crisis during the early 1980s, reforms spurred private investment, stimulated economic growth, and cut poverty rates in the 1990s. The period 2003-05 was characterized by political instability, racial tensions, and violent protests against plans - subsequently abandoned - to export Bolivia's newly discovered natural gas reserves to large Northern Hemisphere markets. In 2005, the government passed a controversial hydrocarbons law that imposed significantly higher royalties and required foreign firms then operating under risk-sharing contracts to surrender all production to the state energy company in exchange for a predetermined service fee. The global recession slowed growth, but Bolivia recorded the highest growth rate in South America during 2009. High commodity prices since 2010 sustained rapid growth and large trade surpluses. However, a lack of foreign investment in the key sectors of mining and hydrocarbons, along with conflict among social groups pose challenges for the Bolivian economy. President Evo MORALES passed an investment law and promised not to nationalize additional industries in an effort to improve Bolivia�s investment climate.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Bolivian Workers Central or COB; Federation of Neighborhood Councils of El Alto or FEJUVE; Landless Movement or MST; National Coordinator for Change or CONALCAM; Sole Confederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB; other: :Cocalero groups; indigenous organizations (including Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of Eastern Bolivia or CIDOB and National Council of Ayullus and Markas of Quollasuyu or CONAMAQ); Interculturales union or CSCIB; labor unions (including the Central Bolivian Workers' Union or COB and Cooperative Miners Federation or FENCOMIN)", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Bolivian(s); adjective: :Bolivian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 6 August (1825)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :18; by type: :bulk carrier 1, cargo 14, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 2; foreign-owned: :5 (Syria 4, UK 1, (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "CAN, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,472,490; females age 16-49: :2,535,768 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :94.5%; male: :97.1%; female: :91.9% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :68.55 years; male: :65.78 years; female: :71.45 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Plurinational Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional consists of the Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (36 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130 seats; 70 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 53 indirectly elected in single-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote, and 7 - apportioned to non-contiguous, rural areas in 7 of the 9 states - directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held on 6 December 2009 (next to be held in 2014); election results: :Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MAS 26, PPB-CN 10; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MAS 89, PPB-CN 36, UN 3, AS 2; note - as of 15 February 2013, the composition of the Chamber of Deputies was: MAS 88, PPB-CN 37, UN 3, AS 2", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system with influences from Roman, Spanish, canon (religious), French, and indigenous law", "LANGUAGES": "Spanish (official) 60.7%, Quechua (official) 21.2%, Aymara (official) 14.6%, foreign languages 2.4%, Guarani (official) 0.6%, other native languages 0.4%, none 0.1%; note: :Bolivia's 2009 constitution designates Spanish and all indigenous languages as official; 36 indigenous languages are specified, including some that are extinct (2001 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :3.97%; permanent crops: :0.2%; other: :95.83% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :7,252 km; border countries: :Argentina 942 km, Brazil 3,403 km, Chile 942 km, Paraguay 753 km, Peru 1,212 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "4.881 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo de Justicia (consists of 12 judges); Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal (consists of 7 primary and 7 alternate magistrates); Plurinational Electoral Organ (consists of 7 members); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court and Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal judges elected by popular vote from list of candidates pre-selected by Plurinational Legislative Assembly for 6-year terms); Plurinational Electoral Organ members - 6 judges elected by the Assembly and 1 appointed by the president; judges and members serve 6-year terms; note - the 2009 constitution reformed the procedure for selecting judicial officials for the Supreme Court, Constitutional Tribunal, and the Plurinational Electoral Organ by direct national vote, which occurred in October 2011; subordinate courts: :Agro-Environmental Court; Council of the Judiciary; District Courts (in each of the 9 administrative departments)", "WATERWAYS": "10,000 km (commercially navigable almost exclusively in the northern and eastern parts of the country) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "5.4% (2014 est.); 5.7% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :38.61 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :42.23 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :34.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "mining, smelting, petroleum, food and beverages, tobacco, handicrafts, clothing, jewelry", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "6% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "6 August 1825 (from Spain)", "IMPORTS": "$9.513 billion (2014 est.); $9.347 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after Colombia and Peru) with an estimated 30,000 hectares under cultivation in 2011, a decrease of 13 percent over 2010; third largest producer of cocaine, estimated at 265 metric tons potential pure cocaine in 2011, a 29 percent increase over 2010; transit country for Peruvian and Colombian cocaine destined for Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Europe; weak border controls; some money-laundering activity related to narcotics trade; major cocaine consumption (2013)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :80,488 km; paved: :11,993 km; unpaved: :68,495 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band; red stands for bravery and the blood of national heroes, yellow for the nation's mineral resources, and green for the fertility of the land; note: :similar to the flag of Ghana, which has a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; in 2009, a presidential decree made it mandatory for a so-called wiphala - a square, multi-colored flag representing the country's indigenous peoples - to be used alongside the traditional flag", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$8.073 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $7.734 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$12.34 billion (2014 est.); $11.51 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22 January 2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January 2006); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22 January 2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January 2006); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president; elections: :president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a five-year term and are eligible for re-election once; election last held on 12 October 2014 (next to be held in 2019); election results: :Juan Evo MORALES Ayma reelected president; percent of vote - Juan Evo MORALES Ayma 61%; Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana 24.5%; Jorge QUIROGA 9.1%; other 5.4%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "bolivianos (BOB) per US dollar -; 6.958 (2014 est.); 6.96 (2013 est.); 6.94 (2012 est.); 6.9875 (2011 est.); 7.0167 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry) 68%, indigenous 20%, white 5%, cholo/chola 2%, black 1%, other 1%, unspecified 3% ; 44% of respondents indicated feeling part of some indigenous group, predominantly Quechua or Aymara; note: :results among surveys vary based on the wording of the ethnicity question and the available response choices; the 2001 national census did not provide \"mestizo\" as a response choice, resulting in a much higher proportion of respondents identifying themselves as belonging to one of the available indigenous ethnicity choices; the use of \"mestizo\" and \"cholo\" varies among response choices in surveys, with surveys using the terms interchanageably, providing one or the other as a response choice, or providing the two as separate response choices (2009 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "6.59 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "many previous; latest drafted 6 August 2006 - 9 December 2008, approved by referendum 25 January 2009, effective 7 February 2009; amended 2013 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Brazil 17%, China 13%, US 13%, Argentina 11%, Peru 6%, Japan 5% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery, petroleum products, vehicles, iron and steel, plastics", "CAPITAL": "name: :La Paz (administrative capital); Sucre (constitutional capital); geographic coordinates: :16 30 S, 68 09 W; time difference: :UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$16.59 billion; expenditures: :$16.76 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Bolivian Armed Forces: Bolivian Army (Ejercito Boliviano, EB), Bolivian Naval Force (Fuerza Naval Boliviana, FNB; includes Marines), Bolivian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana, FAB) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "23.28 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "855 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "soybeans, quinoa, Brazil nuts, sugarcane, coffee, corn, rice, potatoes, coca", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "9 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Beni, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Brazil 34%, Argentina 20%, US 10%, Colombia 5%, Peru 5% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "natural gas, mineral ores, gold, soybeans and soy products, tin", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :32%; industry: :20%; services: :47.9% (2009 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :0.8%; highest 10%: :33.6% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "45%; note: :based on percent of population living on less than the international standard of $2/day (2011 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.47% of GDP (2012); 1.47% of GDP (2011); 1.47% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "the clearing of land for agricultural purposes and the international demand for tropical timber are contributing to deforestation; soil erosion from overgrazing and poor cultivation methods (including slash-and-burn agriculture); desertification; loss of biodiversity; industrial pollution of water supplies used for drinking and irrigation", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :834; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :4; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :47; 914 to 1,523 m: :151; 631 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :21; over 3,047 m: :5; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :4; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :6; 914 to 1,523 m: :6 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of nearly 200 coups and countercoups. Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and illegal drug production. In December 2005, Bolivians elected Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES president - by the widest margin of any leader since the restoration of civilian rule in 1982 - after he ran on a promise to change the country's traditional political class and empower the nation's poor, indigenous majority. In December 2009, President MORALES easily won reelection, and his party took control of the legislative branch of the government, which will allow him to continue his process of change. In October 2011, the country held its first judicial elections to select judges for the four highest courts.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :108,334; female: :104,945 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,762,260; females age 16-49: :2,013,281 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-49 years of age for 12-month compulsory male and female military service; Bolivian citizenship required; 17 years of age for voluntary service; when annual number of volunteers falls short of goal, compulsory recruitment is effected, including conscription of boys as young as 14; 15-19 years of age for voluntary premilitary service, provides exemption from further military service (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than three times the size of Montana", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "flooding in the northeast (March to April); volcanism: :volcanic activity in Andes Mountains on the border with Chile; historically active volcanoes in this region are Irruputuncu (elev. 5,163 m), which last erupted in 1995, and Olca-Paruma", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Rio Paraguay 90 m; highest point: :Nevado Sajama 6,542 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.79 male(s)/female; total population: :0.98 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "48 (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 171, FM 73, shortwave 77 (1999)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :13.1%; industry: :38.9%; services: :48% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "17 00 S, 65 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :33.3% (male 1,805,121/female 1,737,794); 15-24 years: :19.8% (male 1,063,823/female 1,037,320); 25-54 years: :36.3% (male 1,878,736/female 1,979,819); 55-64 years: :5.7% (male 280,809/female 322,057); 65 years and over: :4.9% (male 232,514/female 293,493) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Bosnia and Herzegovina", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Maureen CORMACK (since 16 January 2015); embassy: :1 Robert C. Frasure Street, 71000 Sarajevo; mailing address: :use embassy street address; telephone: :[387; FAX: :[387; branch office(s): :Banja Luka, Mostar", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$9,800 (2014 est.); $9,700 (2013 est.); $9,500 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1% (2014 est.); 2.1% (2013 est.); -1.2% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.11% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$38.08 billion (2014 est.); $37.7 billion (2013 est.); $36.93 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :44.8%; youth dependency ratio: :22%; elderly dependency ratio: :22.7%; potential support ratio: :4.4% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "8.8% of GDP (2014 est.); 12.8% of GDP (2013 est.); 8.9% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :82.1%; government consumption: :22.1%; investment in fixed capital: :17.7%; investment in inventories: :1.5%; exports of goods and services: :29%; imports of goods and services: :-52.4%; (2012 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "45.8% (2011/12)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "26.3 (2011 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :24,722; percentage: :5% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "26 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "256.9 million cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "256.9 million cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "16,330 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "10,460 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "36,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "22,430 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "22,140 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "3.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "53.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "43.3% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "3.963 million kW (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "1.245 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "1.569 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "12.62 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "12.93 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "golden lily; national colors: blue, yellow, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :62.8%; male: :62.8%; female: :62.8% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "26.5% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "3.5 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.69 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "9.9% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "1.5% (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "8 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-3.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "45.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "SARAJEVO (capital) 322,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Drzavna himna Bosne i Hercegovine\" (The National Anthem of Bosnia and Herzegovina); lyrics/music: :Dusan SESTIC and Benjamin ISOVIC/Dusan SESTIC; note: :music adopted 1999; lyrics adopted 2009", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 98.9% of population; rural: 92.1% of population; total: 95.4% of population; urban: 1.1% of population; rural: 7.9% of population; total: 4.6% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.6% of population; rural: 99.5% of population; total: 99.6% of population; urban: 0.4% of population; rural: 0.5% of population; total: 0.4% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$11.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $11.35 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$4.663 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.721 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "3 public TV broadcasters: Radio and TV of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Federation TV (operating 2 networks), and Republika Srpska Radio-TV; a local commercial network of 5 TV stations; 3 private, near-national TV stations and dozens of small independent TV stations broadcasting; 3 large public radio broadcasters and many private radio stations (2010)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :39.6% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.14% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$11.07 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $11.57 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$5.614 billion (31 December 2008); $5.597 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$4.49 billion (31 December 2008); $5.13 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "6.8% (31 December 2014 est.); 7.23% (31 December 2013 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "37.5 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$7.721 billion (2013 est.); $7.58 billion (2012 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Bosnia and Herzegovina is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children (including the developmentally disabled) subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; Bosnian women and girls are sexually exploited domestically; Roma children are forced to beg and to marry by local organized crime groups; Bosnians are also trafficked to other European countries; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Bosnia and Herzegovina does not comply fully with the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; some progress was made in 2013 in prosecuting and convicting trafficking offenders, but authorities significantly decreased their identification of victims; the national referral mechanism did not involve labor inspectors, hampering efforts to identify forced labor victims; the government has not amended all sub-national laws to criminalize all forms of trafficking consistent with national and international law (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$18.99 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :6,706 (Croatia) (2014); IDPs: :101,149 (Bosnian Croats, Serbs, and Bosniaks displaced by inter-ethnic violence, human rights violations, and armed conflict during the 1992-1995 war) (2013); stateless persons: :792 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$4.75 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.868 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.376 billion (2014 est.); -$975.9 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "45.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 44.7% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions.", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "155,252 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :40.8 years; male: :39.4 years; female: :42.2 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "36.2 (2007)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ba", "INTERNET_USERS": "1.422 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "3.35 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "878,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Jadranka NEGODIC (since 19 July 2012); chancery: :2109 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20037; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Chicago, New York", "AREA": "total: :51,197 sq km; land: :51,187 sq km; water: :10 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "30 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Bosnia and Herzegovina; local long form: :none; local short form: :Bosna i Hercegovina; former: :People's Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "44.3% (2013 est.); 45.4% (2012 est.); note: :official rate; actual rate is lower as many technically unemployed persons work in the gray economy", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "federal democratic republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.26 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mountains and valleys", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :post-war reconstruction of the telecommunications network, aided by an internationally sponsored program, resulting in sharp increases in the number of fixed telephone lines available; domestic: :fixed-line teledensity roughly 25 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership has been increasing rapidly and, stands at roughly 80 telephones per 100 persons; international: :country code - 387; no satellite earth stations (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age, 16 if employed; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, other 14%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :601 km; standard gauge: :601 km 1.435-m gauge (392 km electrified) (2009)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "river port(s): :Bosanska Gradiska, Bosanski Brod, Bosanski Samac, Brcko, Orasje (Sava River)", "POPULATION": "3,871,643 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alliance for a Better Future of BiH or SBB BiH [Fahrudin RADONCIC; Alliance of Independent Social Democrats or SNSD [Milorad DODIK; Bosnian-Herzegovinian Patriotic Party-Sefer Halilovic or BPS-Sefer Halilovic [Sefer HALILOVIC; Croat Peasants' Party-New Croat Initiative or HSS-NHI [Ante COLAK; Croatian Christian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HKDU [Ivan MUSA; Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HDZ-BiH [Dragan COVIC; Croatian Democratic Union 1990 or HDZ-1990 [Martin RAGUZ; Croatian Party of Rights dr. Ante Starcevic or HSP dr. Ante Starcevic; Croatian Party of Rights of Herceg-Bosne or HSP Herceg-Bosne [Vesna PINJUH; Democratic Front of DF [Zeljko KOMSIC; Democratic Peoples' Alliance or DNS [Marko PAVIC; Party of Democratic Action or SDA [Sulejman TIHIC; Party of Democratic Activity or A-SDA; Party of Democratic Progress or PDP [Mladen IVANIC; People's Democratic Movement or NDP [Dragan CAVIC and Krsto JANDRIC; Serb Democratic Party or SDS [Mladen BOSIC; Social Democratic Party of BiH or SDP BiH [Nermin NIKSIC", "PIPELINES": "gas 147 km; oil 9 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Bosnia has a transitional economy with limited market reforms. The economy relies heavily on the export of metals, energy, textiles and furniture as well as on remittances and foreign aid. A highly decentralized government hampers economic policy coordination and reform, while excessive bureaucracy and a segmented market discourage foreign investment. Interethnic warfare in Bosnia and Herzegovina caused production to plummet by 80% from 1992 to 1995 and unemployment to soar, but the economy made progress until 2009, when the global economic crisis caused a downturn. Foreign banks, primarily from Austria and Italy, now control most of the banking sector. The konvertibilna marka (convertible mark or BAM) - the national currency introduced in 1998 - is pegged to the euro, and confidence in the currency and the banking sector has remained stable. Bosnia's private sector is growing slowly, but foreign investment has dropped sharply since 2007. Government spending - including transfer payments - remains high, at roughly 40% of GDP, because of redundant government offices at the state, entity and municipal level. High unemployment remains the most serious macroeconomic problem. Successful implementation of a value-added tax in 2006 provided a steady source of revenue for the government and helped rein in gray-market activity. National-level statistics have also improved over time but a large share of economic activity remains unofficial and unrecorded. Bosnia and Herzegovina became a full member of the Central European Free Trade Agreement in September 2007. Bosnia and Herzegovina's top economic priorities are: acceleration of integration into the EU; strengthening the fiscal system; public administration reform; World Trade Organization (WTO) membership; and securing economic growth by fostering a dynamic, competitive private sector. Flooding caused significant damage in the spring of 2014, and Bosnia will struggle to recover from it in 2015.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :war veterans; displaced persons associations; family associations of missing persons; private media", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "within Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized borders, the country is divided into a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation (about 51% of the territory) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska or RS (about 49% of the territory); the region called Herzegovina is contiguous to Croatia and Montenegro, and traditionally has been settled by an ethnic Croat majority in the west and an ethnic Serb majority in the east", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "coal, iron ore, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, cobalt, manganese, nickel, clay, gypsum, salt, sand, timber, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Bosnian(s), Herzegovinian(s); adjective: :Bosnian, Herzegovinian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "National Day (Statehood Day), 25 November (1943); note - observed only in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "BIS, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "no data available", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,180,829; females age 16-49: :1,143,919 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :98.2%; male: :99.5%; female: :96.9% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :76.33 years; male: :73.33 years; female: :79.55 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina consists of the House of Peoples or Dom Naroda (15 seats - 5 Bosniak, 5 Croat, 5 Serb; members designated by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's House of Peoples and the Republika Srpska's National Assembly to serve 4-year terms) and the state-level House of Representatives or Predstavnicki Dom (42 seats to include 28 seats allocated to the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 14 to the Republika Srpska; members directly elected by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms); note - the Bosniak/Croat Federation has a bicameral legislature that consists of the House of Peoples (58 seats - 17 Bosniak, 17 Croat, 17 Serb, 7 other) and the House of Representatives (98 seats; members directly elected by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms); elections: :House of Peoples - last constituted in 9 June 2011 (next likely to be constituted in 2015); state-level House of Representatives - election last held on 12 October 2014 (next to be held in October 2018); election results: :House of Peoples - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - NA; state-level House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - Federation votes: SDA 27.9%, DF 15.3%, SBB BiH 14.4%, HDZ BiH-HSSS-NHI-HKDU-HSP-dr. Ante Starcevic-HSP Herceg-Bosne 12.2%, SDP BiH 9.5%, HDZ-1990 4.1%, BPS-Sefer Halilovic 3.7%, A-SDA 2.3%, other 10.6%; Republika Srpska votes: SNSD 38.5%, SDS 32.6%, PDP-NDP 7.8%, DNS 5.7%, SDA 4.9%, other 10.5%; seats by party/coalition - SDA 10, SNSD 6, SDS 5, DF 5, SBB BiH 4, HDZ BiH-HSS-NHI-HKDU-HSP-Dr. Ante Starcevic-HSP Herceg-Bosne 4, SDP BiH 3, PDP-NDP 1, HDZ-1990 1, BPS-Sefer Halilovic 1, DNS 1, A-SDA 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts", "LANGUAGES": "Bosnian (official), Croatian (official), Serbian (official)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :19.73%; permanent crops: :2.06%; other: :78.22% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,543 km; border countries: :Croatia 956 km, Montenegro 242 km, Serbia 345 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "1.468 million (2013 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :BiH Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members); Court of BiH (consists of 44 national judges and 7 international judges organized into three divisions - Administrative, Appellate, and Criminal, which includes a War Crimes Chamber); judge selection and term of office: :BiH Constitutional Court judges - 4 selected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's House of Representatives, 2 selected by the Republika Srpska's National Assembly, and 3 non-Bosnian judges selected by the president of the European Court of Human Rights; Court of BiH president and national judges appointed by the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council; Court of BiH president appointed for renewable 6-year term; other national judges appointed to serve until age 70; international judges recommended by the president of the Court of BiH and appointed by the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina; international judges appointed to serve until age 70; subordinate courts: :the Federation has 10 cantonal courts plus a number of municipal courts; the Republika Srpska has a supreme court, 5 district courts, and a number of municipal courts", "WATERWAYS": "(Sava River on northern border; open to shipping but use limited) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "-0.8% (2014 est.); -0.1% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :5.84 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :5.91 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :5.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, ammunition, domestic appliances, oil refining", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1 March 1992 (from Yugoslavia; referendum for independence completed on 1 March 1992; independence declared on 3 March 1992)", "IMPORTS": "$9.561 billion (2014 est.); $9.02 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :22,926 km; paved: :19,426 km (4,652 km of interurban roads); unpaved: :3,500 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "a wide medium blue vertical band on the fly side with a yellow isosceles triangle abutting the band and the top of the flag; the remainder of the flag is medium blue with seven full five-pointed white stars and two half stars top and bottom along the hypotenuse of the triangle; the triangle approximates the shape of the country and its three points stand for the constituent peoples - Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs; the stars represent Europe and are meant to be continuous (thus the half stars at top and bottom); the colors (white, blue, and yellow) are often associated with neutrality and peace, and traditionally are linked with Bosnia", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$11.37 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $11.14 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$3.865 billion (2014 est.); $3.717 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Chairman of the Presidency Mladan IVANIC (chairman since 17 November 2014; presidency member since 17 November 2014 - Serb) ; other members of the three-member presidency rotate every eight months: Dragan COVIC (presidency member since 17 November 2014 - Croat); Bakir IZETBEGOVIC (presidency member since 10 November 2010 - Bosniak); head of government: :Chairman of the Council of Ministers Denis ZVIZDIC (since 11 February 2015); cabinet: :Council of Ministers nominated by the council chairman; approved by the state-level House of Representatives; elections: :the three members of the presidency (one Bosniak, one Croat, one Serb) elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term, but then ineligible for four years) by constituencies referring to the three ethnic groups; the candidate with the most votes in a constituency is elected; the chairmanship rotates every eight months and resumes where it left off following each general election; election last held on 12 October 2014 (next to be held in October 2018); the chairman of the Council of Ministers appointed by the presidency and confirmed by the state-level House of Representatives; election results: :percent of vote - Mladen IVANIC with 48.7% of the votes for the Serb seat; Dragan COVIC with 52.2% of the votes for the Croat seat; Bakir IZETBEGOVIC with 32.9% of the votes for the Bosniak seat; note: :President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zivko BUDIMIR (since 17 March 2011); Vice Presidents Svetozar PUDARIC (since 17 March 2011) and Mirsad KEBO (since 17 March 2007); President of the Republika Srpska Milorad DODIK (since 15 November 2010); Vice Presidents Enes SULJKANOVIC (since 15 November 2010) and Emil VLAJKI (since 15 November 2010)", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "konvertibilna markas (BAM) per US dollar -; 1.465 (2014 est.); 1.42 (2013 est.); 1.52 (2012 est.); 1.407 (2011 est.); 1.4767 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Bosniak 48.4%, Serb 32.7%, Croat 14.6%, other 4.3%; note: :final 2013 census results are pending; Bosniak has replaced Muslim as an ethnic term in part to avoid confusion with the religious term Muslim - an adherent of Islam (2013 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "9.64 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "14 December 1995 (constitution included as part of the Dayton Peace Accords); amended several times, last in 2003; note - each of the entities has its own constitution (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Croatia 20.5%, Germany 13%, Slovenia 12.3%, Italy 10.1%, Russia 8%, Austria 6.2%, Hungary 5.4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "20 km", "CLIMATE": "hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Sarajevo; geographic coordinates: :43 52 N, 18 25 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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$8.672 billion; expenditures: :$9.363 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH): Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Air and Air Defense Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Zrakoplovstvo i Protuzracna Obrana, ZPO) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "8.89 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "24 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "wheat, corn, fruits, vegetables; livestock", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "2 first-order administrative divisions and 1 internationally supervised district* - the Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federacija Bosne i Hercegovine), the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska, Brcko District (Brcko Distrikt)*; note - Brcko District is in northeastern Bosnia and is a self-governing administrative unit under the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina and formally held in condominium between the two entities", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Slovenia 17.3%, Croatia 15.6%, Italy 14.8%, Germany 13.1%, Austria 12% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "metals, clothing, wood products", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :18.9%; industry: :29.8%; services: :51.3% (2013)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.7%; highest 10%: :27.3% (2007)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "18.6% (2007 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.35% of GDP (2012); 1.15% of GDP (2011); 1.35% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air pollution from metallurgical plants; sites for disposing of urban waste are limited; water shortages and destruction of infrastructure because of the 1992-95 civil strife; deforestation", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :17; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :5; 11 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :7; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :4; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; under 914 m: :2 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Bosnia and Herzegovina declared sovereignty in October 1991 and independence from the former Yugoslavia on 3 March 1992 after a referendum boycotted by ethnic Serbs. The Bosnian Serbs - supported by neighboring Serbia and Montenegro - responded with armed resistance aimed at partitioning the republic along ethnic lines and joining Serb-held areas to form a \"Greater Serbia.\" In March 1994, Bosniaks and Croats reduced the number of warring factions from three to two by signing an agreement creating a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 21 November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties initialed a peace agreement that ended three years of interethnic civil strife (the final agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December 1995). The Dayton Peace Accords retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's international boundaries and created a multi-ethnic and democratic government charged with conducting foreign, diplomatic, and fiscal policy. Also recognized was a second tier of government composed of two entities roughly equal in size: the Bosniak/Bosnian Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska (RS). The Federation and RS governments are responsible for overseeing most government functions. Additionally, the Dayton Accords established the Office of the High Representative (OHR) to oversee the implementation of the civilian aspects of the agreement. The Peace Implementation Council (PIC) at its conference in Bonn in 1997 also gave the High Representative the authority to impose legislation and remove officials, the so-called \"Bonn Powers.\" An original NATO-led international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops assembled in 1995 was succeeded over time by a smaller, NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR). In 2004, European Union peacekeeping troops (EUFOR) replaced SFOR. Currently EUFOR deploys around 600 troops in theater in a policing capacity.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :26,601; female: :24,879 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :968,242; females age 16-49: :937,327 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; mandatory retirement at age 35 or after 15 years of service (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than West Virginia", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "destructive earthquakes", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Adriatic Sea 0 m; highest point: :Maglic 2,386 m", "HELIPORTS": "6 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.07 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.63 male(s)/female; total population: :0.95 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "33 (1995)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 8, FM 16, shortwave 1 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :8%; industry: :26.3%; services: :65.7% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "44 00 N, 18 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :13.7% (male 272,812/female 256,152); 15-24 years: :12.7% (male 255,074/female 238,428); 25-54 years: :46.7% (male 906,265/female 899,870); 55-64 years: :13.7% (male 253,045/female 276,769); 65 years and over: :13.3% (male 199,515/female 313,713) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Botswana", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Michael J. MURPHY; embassy: :Embassy Drive, Government Enclave (off Khama Crescent), Gaborone; mailing address: :Embassy Enclave, P. O. Box 90, Gaborone; telephone: :[267; FAX: :[267", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$16,000 (2014 est.); $15,500 (2013 est.); $14,800 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "4.4% (2014 est.); 5.9% (2013 est.); 4.3% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.26% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$33.62 billion (2014 est.); $32.22 billion (2013 est.); $30.43 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :58.6%; youth dependency ratio: :52.8%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.9%; potential support ratio: :17.1% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "37.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 44.2% of GDP (2013 est.); 34.5% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :49.8%; government consumption: :18.9%; investment in fixed capital: :32.2%; investment in inventories: :1.7%; exports of goods and services: :51.3%; imports of goods and services: :-53.9%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "52.8%; note: :percent of women aged 12-49 (2007/08)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "19 (2007 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :45,036; percentage: :9%; note: :data represents children ages 7-17 (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "3.919 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "19,360 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "15,520 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "132,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "3.18 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "3.162 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "350 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "zebra; national colors: blue, white, black", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "11.2% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.8 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.34 physicians/1,000 population (2006)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.3% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "11.2% (2008)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "160 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "1.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "33.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "GABORONE (capital) 247,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Fatshe leno la rona\" (Our Land); lyrics/music: :Kgalemang Tumedisco MOTSETE; note: :adopted 1966", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 77.9% of population; rural: 41.8% of population; total: 64.3% of population; urban: 22.1% of population; rural: 58.2% of population; total: 35.7% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.3% of population; rural: 92.8% of population; total: 96.8% of population; urban: 0.7% of population; rural: 7.2% of population; total: 3.2% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$8.293 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $7.635 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$1.465 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.435 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "2 TV stations - 1 state-owned and 1 privately owned; privately owned satellite TV subscription service is available; 2 state-owned national radio stations; 3 privately owned radio stations broadcast locally (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :57.2% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.29% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$2.069 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.852 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$4.183 billion (31 December 2008); $4.336 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$1.008 billion (31 December 2008); $1.026 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "9% (31 December 2014 est.); 10.19% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "7.5% (31 December 2014); 7.5% (31 December 2013)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "9.5% of GDP (2009)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :12 years; male: :12 years; female: :12 years (2006)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.19 cu km/yr (42%/19%/39%); per capita: :107.3 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "12.24 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$4.588 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $4.107 billion (31 December 2011); $4.076 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "currrent situation: :Botswana is a source and destination country for women and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; young Batswana serving as domestic workers, sometimes sent by their parents, may be denied education and basic necessities or experience confinement and abuse indicative of forced labor; adults and children of San ethnicity were reported to be in forced labor on farms and at cattle posts; Batswana girls also are forced into prostitution domestically; undocumented Asian workers may be vulnerable to forced labor due to the threat of deportation; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Botswana does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; nevertheless, authorities did not increase anti-trafficking efforts in 2013; no cases involving domestic trafficking were investigated, no trafficking offenders were criminally prosecuted and convicted, and no reports of official complicity were investigated; the government did not pass anti-trafficking legislation or launch a public awareness campaign; formal victim identification and referral procedures were not developed (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$16.3 billion (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne disease: :malaria (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$8.885 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $7.726 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$1.348 billion (2014 est.); $1.535 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "17.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 19.4% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "1,806 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :22.9 years; male: :22.9 years; female: :22.8 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "63 (1993)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "5,800 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "319,700 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "21.86% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".bw", "INTERNET_USERS": "120,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "3.082 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "160,500 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Tebelelo Mazile SERETSE (since 16 February 2011); chancery: :1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :581,730 sq km; land: :566,730 sq km; water: :15,000 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "14.39 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Southern Africa, north of South Africa", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Botswana; conventional short form: :Botswana; local long form: :Republic of Botswana; local short form: :Botswana; former: :Bechuanaland", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "17.8% (2009 est.); 7.5% (2007 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.37 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :Botswana is participating in regional development efforts; expanding fully digital system with fiber-optic cables linking the major population centers in the east as well as a system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relays links, and radiotelephone communication stations; domestic: :fixed-line teledensity has declined in recent years and now stands at roughly 7 telephones per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity now pushing 140 telephones per 100 persons; international: :country code - 267; international calls are made via satellite, using international direct dialing; 2 international exchanges; digital microwave radio relay links to Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Christian 71.6%, Badimo 6%, other 1.4% (includes Baha'i, Hindu, Muslim), unspecified 0.4%, none 20.6% (2001 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :888 km; narrow gauge: :888 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)", "POPULATION": "2,155,784; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO; Botswana Congress Party or BCP [Dumelang SALESHANDO; Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Ian KHAMA; Botswana Movement for Democracy or BMD [Ndaba GAOLATLHE; Botswana National Front or BNF [Duma BOKO; Botswana Peoples Party or BPP [Motlatsi MOLAPISI; Umbrella for Democratic Change or UDC [Duma BOKO", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Botswana�s diamond dependent economy has maintained one of the world's highest economic growth rates since independence in 1966. However, economic growth was negative in 2009, with the industrial sector shrinking by 30%, after the global crisis reduced demand for Botswana's diamonds. Although the economy recovered in 2010-12, GDP growth slowed in 2012-14. Through fiscal discipline and sound management, Botswana transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in the world to a middle-income country with a per capita GDP of $16,600 in 2014. Two major investment services rank Botswana as the best credit risk in Africa. Diamond mining has fueled much of the expansion and currently accounts for more than one-third of GDP, 70-80% of export earnings, and about one-third of the government's revenues. Botswana's heavy reliance on a single luxury export was a critical factor in the sharp economic contraction of 2009. Tourism, financial services, subsistence farming, and cattle raising are other key sectors. According to official government statistics, unemployment reached 17.8% in 2009, but unofficial estimates run much higher. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS is second highest in the world and threatens Botswana's impressive economic gains. An expected leveling off in diamond production within the next 10-15 years overshadows long-term prospects. A major international diamond company signed a 10-year deal with Botswana in 2012 to move its rough stone sorting and trading division from London to Gaborone by the end of 2013. The move has supported the development of Botswana's nascent downstream diamond industry.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "First People of the Kalahari (Bushman organization); Pitso Ya Ba Tswana; Society for the Promotion of Ikalanga Language (Kalanga elites); other: :diamond mining companies", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "4.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population; note: :there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural); adjective: :Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day (Botswana Day), 30 September (1966)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :557,647; females age 16-49: :531,095 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :86.7%; male: :86.3%; female: :87.1% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :54.06 years; male: :55.75 years; female: :52.32 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Parliament consists of the National Assembly (63 seats; 57 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 4 nominated by the president and indirectly elected by simple majority vote by the rest of the National Assembly, and 2 ex-officio members - the president and attorney general; elected members serve 5-year terms); note - the House of Chiefs (Ntlo ya Dikgosi), an advisory body to the National Assembly, consists of 35 members - 8 hereditary chiefs from Botswana's principal tribes, 22 indirectly elected by the chiefs, and 5 appointed by the president; the House of Chiefs consults on issues including powers of chiefs, customary courts, customary law, tribal property, and constitutional amendments; elections: :National Assembly elections last held on 24 October 2014 (next to be held in October 2019); election results: :percent of vote by party - BDP 46.5%, UDC 30.0%, BCP 20.4%, independents 3.1%; seats by party - BDP 37, UDC 17, BCP 3", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of civil law influenced by the Roman-Dutch model and also customary and common law", "LANGUAGES": "Setswana 78.2%, Kalanga 7.9%, Sekgalagadi 2.8%, English (official) 2.1%, Sesarwa 1.9%, Sempukushu 1.7%, other 5.1%, unspecified 0.2% (2001 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0.5%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :99.49% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :4,347.15 km; border countries: :Namibia 1,544 km, South Africa 1,969 km, Zambia 0.15 km, Zimbabwe 834 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "1.017 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Court of Appeal, High Court (each consists of a chief justice and a number of other judges as prescribed by the Parliament); judge selection and term of office: :Court of Appeal and High Court chief justices appointed by the president and other judges appointed by the president upon the advice of the Judicial Service Commission; all judges appointed to serve until age 70", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "4.6% (2014 est.); 5.9% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :9.38 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :9.77 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :8.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver; livestock processing; textiles", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "5.3% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "30 September 1966 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$7.141 billion (2014 est.); $7.362 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :17,916 km; note: :includes 8,916 km of Public Highway Network roads (6,116 km paved and 2,800 km unpaved) and other 9,000 km of District Council roads (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center; the blue symbolizes water in the form of rain, while the black and white bands represent racial harmony", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$2.505 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.461 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$7.477 billion (2014 est.); $7.603 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA (since 1 April 2008); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA (since 1 April 2008); Vice President Mokgweetsi Eric MASISI (since 12 November 2014); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president; elections: :president indirectly elected for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 24 October 2014 (next to be held in October 2019); vice president appointed by the president; election results: :Seretse Khama Ian KHAMA re-elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "pulas (BWP) per US dollar -; 9.19 (2014 est.); 8.3989 (2013 est.); 7.62 (2012 est.); 6.8382 (2011 est.); 6.7936 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including Kgalagadi and white 7%", "DEATH_RATE": "13.32 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1960 (preindependence); latest adopted March 1965, effective 30 September 1966; amended several times, last in 2006 (2006)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "semiarid; warm winters and hot summers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products, metal and metal products", "CAPITAL": "name: :Gaborone; geographic coordinates: :24 38 S, 25 54 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$5.442 billion; expenditures: :$5.164 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Botswana Defense Force (BDF): Ground Forces Command, Air Wing Command, Defense Logistics Command, Special Forces Group (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "21.34 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "74 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "10 districts and 6 town councils*; Central, Chobe, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Jwaneng*, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, North East, North West, Selebi-Phikwe*, South East, Southern, Sowa Town", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :NA%; industry: :NA%; services: :NA%", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "30.3% (2003)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "2.31% of GDP (2012); 2.43% of GDP (2011); 2.31% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "overgrazing; desertification; limited freshwater resources", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :64; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :5; 914 to 1,523 m: :46; 13 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :10; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :6; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name upon independence in 1966. More than four decades of uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and significant capital investment have created one of the most stable economies in Africa. Mineral extraction, principally diamond mining, dominates economic activity, though tourism is a growing sector due to the country's conservation practices and extensive nature preserves. Botswana has one of the world's highest known rates of HIV/AIDS infection, but also one of Africa's most progressive and comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :23,649; female: :23,063 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :340,949; females age 16-49: :302,332 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Texas", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m; highest point: :Tsodilo Hills 1,489 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.12 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.67 male(s)/female; total population: :1.02 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "2 (1 state-owned, 1 private) (2007)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 8, FM 13, shortwave 4 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :1.9%; industry: :28.7%; services: :69.4% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "22 00 S, 24 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :32.9% (male 361,717/female 348,150); 15-24 years: :21.6% (male 231,576/female 234,852); 25-54 years: :37% (male 422,182/female 375,836); 55-64 years: :4.4% (male 42,099/female 52,917); 65 years and over: :4% (male 34,567/female 51,888) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Brazil", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Liliana AYALDE (since 31 October 2013); embassy: :Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3, Distrito Federal Cep 70403-900, Brasilia; mailing address: :Unit 7500, DPO, AA 34030; telephone: :[55; FAX: :[55; consulate(s) general: :Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo; consulate(s): :Recife", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$15,200 (2014 est.); $15,200 (2013 est.); $15,000 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "0.3% (2014 est.); 2.5% (2013 est.); 1% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.8% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$3.073 trillion (2014 est.); $3.063 trillion (2013 est.); $2.989 trillion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :45.8%; youth dependency ratio: :34.4%; elderly dependency ratio: :11.3%; potential support ratio: :8.8% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "13.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 14.5% of GDP (2013 est.); 15.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :63.5%; government consumption: :22.4%; investment in fixed capital: :16.7%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :12.9%; imports of goods and services: :-15.5%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "80.3% (2006)", "DEMOGRAPHIC_PROFILE": "Brazil's rapid fertility decline since the 1960s is the main factor behind the country's slowing population growth rate, aging population, and fast-paced demographic transition. Brasilia has not taken full advantage of its large working-age population to develop its human capital and strengthen its social and economic institutions but is funding a study abroad program to bring advanced skills back to the country. The current favorable age structure will begin to shift around 2025, with the labor force shrinking and the elderly starting to compose an increasing share of the total population. Well-funded public pensions have nearly wiped out poverty among the elderly, and Bolsa Familia and other social programs have lifted tens of millions out of poverty. More than half of Brazil's population is considered middle class, but poverty and income inequality levels remain high; the Northeast, North, and Center-West, women, and black, mixed race, and indigenous populations are disproportionately affected. Disparities in opportunities foster social exclusion and contribute to Brazil's high crime rate, particularly violent crime in cities and favelas.; Brazil has traditionally been a net recipient of immigrants, with its southeast being the prime destination. After the importation of African slaves was outlawed in the mid-19th century, Brazil sought Europeans (Italians, Portuguese, Spaniards, and Germans) and later Asians (Japanese) to work in agriculture, especially coffee cultivation. Recent immigrants come mainly from Argentina, Chile, and Andean countries (many are unskilled illegal migrants) or are returning Brazilian nationals. Since Brazil's economic downturn in the 1980s, emigration to the United States, Europe, and Japan has been rising but is negligible relative to Brazil's total population. The majority of these emigrants are well-educated and middle-class. Fewer Brazilian peasants are emigrating to neighboring countries to take up agricultural work.", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :959,942; percentage: :3%; note: :data represents children ages 5-13 (2009 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "500.2 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "388.7 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "13.85 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "460 million cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "37.6 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "21.3 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "457,400 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "158,400 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "3.097 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "2.108 million bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "13.22 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "343,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "619,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "2.641 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "10.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "1.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "69.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "18.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "119.1 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "40.33 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "467 million kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "478.8 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "530.4 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Southern Cross constellation; national colors: green, yellow, blue", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :15.4%; male: :12.2%; female: :19.8% (2011 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "18.8% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.3 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.89 physicians/1,000 population (2013)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "9.3% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "2.2% (2007)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "56 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "1.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "38.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "Sao Paulo 20.831 million; Rio de Janeiro 12.825 million; Belo Horizonte 5.667 million; BRASILIA (capital) 4.074 million; Fortaleza 3.815 million; Recife 3.711 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Hino Nacional Brasileiro\" (Brazilian National Anthem); lyrics/music: :Joaquim Osorio Duque ESTRADA/Francisco Manoel DA SILVA; note: :music adopted 1890, lyrics adopted 1922; the anthem's music, composed in 1822, was used unofficially for many years before it was adopted", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 87% of population; rural: 49.2% of population; total: 81.3% of population; urban: 13% of population; rural: 50.8% of population; total: 18.7% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.7% of population; rural: 85.3% of population; total: 97.5% of population; urban: 0.3% of population; rural: 14.7% of population; total: 2.5% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$928.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $835.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$160.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $147.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-run Radiobras operates a radio and a TV network; more than 1,000 radio stations and more than 100 TV channels operating - mostly privately owned; private media ownership highly concentrated (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :85.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.17% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$2.564 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.277 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$645 billion (30 November 2009); $724.5 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$125 billion (30 November 2009); $95.03 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "33% (31 December 2014 est.); 27.4% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "10% (31 December 2013); 11% (31 December 2011)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.8% of GDP (2010)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :58.07 cu km/yr (28%/17%/55%); per capita: :306 cu m/yr (2006)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "8,233 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$1.23 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); $1.229 trillion (31 December 2011); $1.546 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$177.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $173.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$728.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $668.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$2.244 trillion (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$381 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $358.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$80.92 billion (2014 est.); -$81.22 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "59.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 56.7% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "26.577 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :30.7 years; male: :29.9 years; female: :31.5 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "51.9 (2012); 55.3 (2001)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "15,800 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA 726,000 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.55% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".br", "INTERNET_USERS": "75.982 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "248.324 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "44.3 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); chancery: :3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Hartford (CT), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco", "AREA": "total: :8,514,877 sq km; land: :8,459,417 sq km; water: :55,460 sq km; note: :includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "54,000 sq km (2011)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "South America", "LOCATION": "Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Federative Republic of Brazil; conventional short form: :Brazil; local long form: :Republica Federativa do Brasil; local short form: :Brasil; note: :the country name derives from the brazilwood tree that used to grow plentifully along the coast of Brazil and that was used to produce a deep red dye", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "5.5% (2014 est.); 5.4% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "federal republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.79 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :good working system including an extensive microwave radio relay system and a domestic satellite system with 64 earth stations; domestic: :fixed-line connections have remained relatively stable in recent years and stand at about 20 per 100 persons; less expensive mobile-cellular technology has been a major driver in expanding telephone service to the lower-income segments of the population with mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 120 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 55; landing point for a number of submarine cables, including Americas-1, Americas-2, Atlantis-2, GlobeNet, South America-1, South American Crossing/Latin American Nautilus, and UNISUR that provide direct connectivity to South and Central America, the Caribbean, the US, Africa, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region east), connected by microwave relay system to Mercosur Brazilsat B3 satellite earth station (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "voluntary between 16 to 18 years of age and over 70; compulsory between 18 to 70 years of age; note - military conscripts by law cannot vote", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 64.6%, other Catholic 0.4%, Protestant 22.2% (includes Adventist 6.5%, Assembly of God 2.0%, Christian Congregation of Brazil 1.2%, Universal Kingdom of God 1.0%, other Protestant 11.5%), other Christian 0.7%, Spiritist 2.2%, other 1.4%, none 8%, unspecified 0.4% (2010 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :28,538 km; broad gauge: :5,627 km 1.600-m gauge (467 km electrified); standard gauge: :194 km 1.440-m gauge; narrow gauge: :22,717 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Belem, Paranagua, Rio Grande, Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Sao Sebastiao, Tubarao; river port(s): :Manaus (Amazon); dry bulk cargo port(s): :Sepetiba ore terminal, Tubarao; container ports (TEUs): :Santos (2,985,922), Itajai (983,985)(2011); oil/gas terminal(s): :DTSE/Gegua oil terminal, Ilha Grande (Gebig), Guaiba Island terminal, Guamare oil terminal; LNG terminal(s) (import): :Pecem, Rio de Janiero", "POPULATION": "202,656,788 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Brazilian Communist Party or PCB [Ivan Martins PINHEIRO; Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Michel TEMER; Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Cristiane BRASIL; Brazilian Renewal Labor Party or PRTB [Jose Levy FIDELIX da Cruz; Brazilian Republican Party or PRB [Marcos Antonio PEREIRA; Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB [Aecio NEVES; Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB; Christian Labor Party or PTC [Daniel TOURINHO; Christian Social Democratic Party or PSDC [Jose Maria EYMAEL; Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB [Jose Renato RABELO; Democratic Labor Party or PDT [Carlos Roberto LUPI; The Democrats or DEM [Jose AGRIPINO; Free Homeland Party or PPL [Sergio RUBENS; Green Party or PV [Jose Luiz PENNA; Humanist Party of Solidarity or PHS [Eduardo MACHADO; Labor Party of Brazil or PTdoB [Luis Henrique de Oliveira RESENDE; National Ecologic Party or PEN [Adilson Barroso OLIVEIRA; National Labor Party or PTN [Jose Masci de ABREU; National Mobilization Party or PMN [Oscar Noronha FILHO; Party of the Republic or PR [Alfredo NASCIMENTO; Popular Socialist Party or PPS [Roberto Joao Pereira FREIRE; Progressive Party or PP [Ciro NOGUEIRA; Progressive Republican Party or PRP [Ovasco Roma Altimari RESENDE; Social Christian Party or PSC [Vitor Jorge Abdala NOSSEIS; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Gilberto KASSAB; Social Liberal Party or PSL [Luciano Caldas BIVAR; Socialism and Freedom Party or PSOL [Luiz ARAUJO; United Socialist Workers' Party or PSTU [Jose Maria DE ALMEIDA; Workers' Cause Party or PCO [Rui Costa PIMENTA; Workers' Party or PT [Rui FALCAO", "PIPELINES": "condensate/gas 251 km; gas 17,312 km; liquid petroleum gas 352 km; oil 4,831 km; refined products 4,722 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Characterized by large and well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, and a rapidly expanding middle class, Brazil's economy outweighs that of all other South American countries, and Brazil is expanding its presence in world markets. Since 2003, Brazil has steadily improved its macroeconomic stability, building up foreign reserves, and reducing its debt profile by shifting its debt burden toward real denominated and domestically held instruments. Since 2008, Brazil became a net external creditor and all three of the major ratings agencies awarded investment grade status to its debt. After strong growth in 2007 and 2008, the onset of the global financial crisis hit Brazil in 2008. Brazil experienced two quarters of recession, as global demand for Brazil's commodity-based exports dwindled and external credit dried up. However, Brazil was one of the first emerging markets to begin a recovery. In 2010, consumer and investor confidence revived and GDP growth reached 7.5%, the highest growth rate in the past 25 years. Unemployment is at historic lows and Brazil's traditionally high level of income inequality has declined for each of the last 15 years. Rising inflation led the authorities to take measures to cool the economy in 2011; these actions and the deteriorating international economic situation slowed growth in 2011-14. Brazil�s fiscal and current account balances have eroded during the past three years as the government attempted to boost economic growth through targeted tax cuts for industry and incentives to spur household consumption. President Dilma ROUSSEFF has indicated that her government in her second term will pursue more austere fiscal policies to reduce these imbalances and preserve the country�s credit rating.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Landless Workers' Movement or MST; other: :industrial federations; labor unions and federations; large farmers' associations; religious groups including evangelical Christian churches and the Catholic Church", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "largest country in South America and in the Southern Hemisphere; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, rare earth elements, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Brazilian(s); adjective: :Brazilian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 7 September (1822)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :109; by type: :bulk carrier 18, cargo 16, chemical tanker 7, container 13, liquefied gas 11, petroleum tanker 39, roll on/roll off 5; foreign-owned: :27 (Chile 1, Denmark 3, Germany 6, Greece 1, Norway 3, Spain 12, Turkey 1); registered in other countries: :36 (Argentina 1, Bahamas 1, Ghana 1, Liberia 20, Marshall Islands 1, Panama 3, Singapore 9) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "AfDB (nonregional member), BIS, BRICS, CAN (associate), CD, CELAC, CPLP, FAO, FATF, G-15, G-20, G-24, G-5, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, LAS (observer), Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OECD (Enhanced Engagement, OPANAL, OPCW, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :53,350,703; females age 16-49: :53,433,918 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :91.3%; male: :91%; female: :91.6% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :73.28 years; male: :69.73 years; female: :77 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral National Congress or Congresso Nacional consists of the Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats; 3 members each from 26 states and 3 from the federal district directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 8-year terms, with one-third and two-thirds of the membership elected alternately every 4 years) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara dos Deputados (513 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms); elections: :Federal Senate - last held on 5 October 2014 for one-third of the Senate (next to be held in October 2018 for two-thirds of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 5 October 2014 (next to be held in October 2018); election results: :Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PMDB 5, PSDB 4, PDT 4, PSB 3, DEM (formerly PFL) 3, PT 2, PSD 2, PTB 2, PP 1, PR 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PT 70, PMDB 66, PSDB 54, PSD 37, PP 36, PR 34, PSB 34, PTB 25, DEM (formerly PFL) 22, PRB 21, PDT 19, SD 15, PSC 12, PROS 11, PCdoB 10, PPS 10, PV 8, PHS 5, PSOL 5, PTN 4, PMN 3, PRP 3, PEN 2, PTC 2, PSDC 2, PTdoB 1, PSL 1, PRTB 1; note: :as of 27 October 2014, the total allocation of Federal Senate seats is as follows: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PMDB 18, PT 12, PSDB 10, PDT 8, PSB 7, DEM 5, PP 5, PR 4, PSD 3, PTB 3, PRB 1, SD 1, PROS 1, PCdoB 1, PV 1, PSOL 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law; note - a new civil law code was enacted in 2002 replacing the 1916 code", "LANGUAGES": "Portuguese (official and most widely spoken language); note: :less common languages include Spanish (border areas and schools), German, Italian, Japanese, English, and a large number of minor Amerindian languages", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :8.69%; permanent crops: :0.84%; other: :90.48% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :16,145 km; border countries: :Argentina 1,263 km, Bolivia 3,403 km, Colombia 1,790 km, French Guiana 649 km, Guyana 1,308 km, Paraguay 1,371 km, Peru 2,659 km, Suriname 515 km, Uruguay 1,050 km, Venezuela 2,137 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "110.9 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Federal Court (consists of 11 justices); judge selection and term of office: :justices appointed by the president and approved by the Federal Senate; justices appointed to serve until mandatory retirement at age 70; subordinate courts: :Federal Appeals Court, Superior Court of Justice, Superior Electoral Court, regional federal courts; state court system", "WATERWAYS": "50,000 km (most in areas remote from industry and population) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "6.3% (2014 est.); 5.9% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :19.21 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :22.47 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :15.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-1.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "7 September 1822 (from Portugal)", "IMPORTS": "$241.9 billion (2014 est.); $239.6 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "second-largest consumer of cocaine in the world; illicit producer of cannabis; trace amounts of coca cultivation in the Amazon region, used for domestic consumption; government has a large-scale eradication program to control cannabis; important transshipment country for Bolivian, Colombian, and Peruvian cocaine headed for Europe; also used by traffickers as a way station for narcotics air transshipments between Peru and Colombia; upsurge in drug-related violence and weapons smuggling; important market for Colombian, Bolivian, and Peruvian cocaine; illicit narcotics proceeds are often laundered through the financial system; significant illicit financial activity in the Tri-Border Area (2008)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :1,580,964 km; paved: :212,798 km; unpaved: :1,368,166 km; note: :does not include urban roads (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "green with a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a blue celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars; the globe has a white equatorial band with the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress); the current flag was inspired by the banner of the former Empire of Brazil (1822-1889); on the imperial flag, the green represented the House of Braganza of Pedro I, the first Emperor of Brazil, while the yellow stood for the Habsburg Family of his wife; on the modern flag the green represents the forests of the country and the yellow rhombus its mineral wealth; the blue circle and stars, which replaced the coat of arms of the original flag, depict the sky over Rio de Janeiro on the morning of 15 November 1889 - the day the Republic of Brazil was declared; the number of stars has changed with the creation of new states and has risen from an original 21 to the current 27 (one for each state and the Federal District)", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$535.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $482.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$242.7 billion (2014 est.); $242 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Dilma ROUSSEFF (since 1 January 2011); Vice President Michel Miguel Elias TEMER Lulia (since 1 January 2011); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Dilma ROUSSEFF (since 1 January 2011); Vice President Michel Miguel Elias TEMER Lulia (since 1 January 2011); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president; elections: :president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held on 5 October 2014 with runoff on 26 October 2014 (next to be held October 2018); election results: :Dilma ROUSSEFF (PT) reelected president in a runoff election; percent of vote - Dilma ROUSSEFF 51.6%, Aecio NEVES 48.4%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "reals (BRL) per US dollar -; 2.36 (2014 est.); 2.1576 (2013 est.); 1.95 (2012 est.); 1.675 (2011 est.); 1.7592 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "white 47.7%, mulatto (mixed white and black) 43.1%, black 7.6%, Asian 1.1%, indigenous 0.4% (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "6.54 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest ratified 5 October 1988; amended many times, last in 2012 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 15.6%, US 15.1%, Argentina 6.9%, Germany 6.3%, Nigeria 4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "7,491 km", "CLIMATE": "mostly tropical, but temperate in south", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery, electrical and transport equipment, chemical products, oil, automotive parts, electronics", "CAPITAL": "name: :Brasilia; geographic coordinates: :15 47 S, 47 55 W; time difference: :UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins third Sunday in October; ends third Sunday in February; note: :Brazil has three time zones, including one for the Fernando de Noronha Islands", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$861.4 billion; expenditures: :$834.4 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Brazilian Army (Exercito Brasileiro, EB), Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil (MB), includes Naval Air and Marine Corps (Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais)), Brazilian Air Force (Forca Aerea Brasileira, FAB) (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "14.72 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "4,093 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "26 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Acre, Alagoas, Amapa, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara, Distrito Federal*, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 19%, US 10.3%, Argentina 8.1%, Netherlands 7.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, automobiles", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :15.7%; industry: :13.3%; services: :71%; (2011 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :0.8%; highest 10%: :42.9% (2009 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "21.4%; note: :approximately 4% of the population are below the \"extreme\" poverty line (2009 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.47% of GDP (2012); 1.49% of GDP (2011); 1.47% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation in Amazon Basin destroys the habitat and endangers a multitude of plant and animal species indigenous to the area; there is a lucrative illegal wildlife trade; air and water pollution in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and several other large cities; land degradation and water pollution caused by improper mining activities; wetland degradation; severe oil spills", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :3,395; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :92; 914 to 1,523 m: :1,619; 1,684 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :698; over 3,047 m: :7; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :27; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :179; 914 to 1,523 m: :436; under 914 m: :49 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Following more than three centuries under Portuguese rule, Brazil gained its independence in 1822, maintaining a monarchical system of government until the abolition of slavery in 1888 and the subsequent proclamation of a republic by the military in 1889. Brazilian coffee exporters politically dominated the country until populist leader Getulio VARGAS rose to power in 1930. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil underwent more than a half century of populist and military government until 1985, when the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers. Brazil continues to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of its interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, it is today South America's leading economic power and a regional leader, one of the first in the area to begin an economic recovery. Pressing problems include high income inequality, crime, inflation, rising unemployment, and corruption.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :1,733,168; female: :1,672,477 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :38,993,989; females age 16-49: :44,841,661 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-45 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation is 9-12 months; 17-45 years of age for voluntary service; an increasing percentage of the ranks are \"long-service\" volunteer professionals; women were allowed to serve in the armed forces beginning in early 1980s when the Brazilian Army became the first army in South America to accept women into career ranks; women serve in Navy and Air Force only in Women's Reserve Corps (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than the US", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Pico da Neblina 2,994 m", "HELIPORTS": "13 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.74 male(s)/female; total population: :0.98 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "138 (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1,365, FM 296, shortwave 161 (of which 91 are collocated with AM stations) (1999)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :5.8%; industry: :23.8%; services: :70.4%; (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "10 00 S, 55 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :23.8% (male 24,534,129/female 23,606,332); 15-24 years: :16.5% (male 16,993,708/female 16,521,057); 25-54 years: :43.7% (male 43,910,790/female 44,674,915); 55-64 years: :8.4% (male 8,067,022/female 9,036,519); 65 years and over: :7.6% (male 6,507,069/female 8,805,247) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "British Indian Ocean Territory", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London", "AFFILIATION": "(overseas territory of the UK)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) broadcasts over 3 separate frequencies for US and UK military personnel stationed on the islands (2009)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "75,006 (2012)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".io", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "AREA": "total: :54,400 sq km; land: :60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km; water: :54,340 sq km; note: :includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Political Map of the World", "LOCATION": "archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about halfway between Africa and Indonesia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :British Indian Ocean Territory; conventional short form: :none; abbreviation: :BIOT", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016", "TERRAIN": "flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation)", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :separate facilities for military and public needs are available; domestic: :all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet; international: :country code (Diego Garcia) - 246; international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Diego Garcia", "POPULATION": "no indigenous inhabitants; note: :approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s; approximately 3,000 UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors were living on the island of Diego Garcia", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where a joint UK-US military facility is located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installation are performed by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. Some of the natural resources found in this territory include coconuts, fish, and sugarcane. Sugarcane is still a major export for this territory. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. The territory earns foreign exchange by selling fishing licenses and postage stamps.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "coconuts, fish, sugarcane", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :3 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (2014 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "ROADWAYS": "note: :short section of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown (the symbols of the territory) centered on the outer half of the flag; the wavy stripes represent the Indian Ocean; although not officially described, the six blue stripes may stand for the six main atolls of the archipelago", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); head of government: :Commissioner Colin ROBERTS (since July 2008); Administrator John MCMANUS (since April 2011); note - both reside in the UK and are represented by the officer commanding British Forces on Diego Garcia; cabinet: :NA; elections: :none; the monarchy is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "the US dollar is used", "COASTLINE": "698 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces (2014)", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; over 3,047 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Formerly administered as part of the British Crown Colony of Mauritius, the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) was established as an overseas territory of the UK in 1965. A number of the islands of the territory were later transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Between 1967 and 1973, former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius, but also to the Seychelles. Negotiations between 1971 and 1982 resulted in the establishment of a trust fund by the British Government as compensation for the displaced islanders, known as Chagossians. Beginning in 1998, the islanders pursued a series of lawsuits against the British Government seeking further compensation and the right to return to the territory. In 2006 and 2007, British court rulings invalidated the immigration policies contained in the 2004 BIOT Constitution Order that had excluded the islanders from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. In 2008, the House of Lords, as the final court of appeal in the UK, ruled in favor of the British Government by overturning the lower court rulings and finding no right of return for the Chagossians.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "land area is about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Indian Ocean 0 m; highest point: :unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E" }, { "country": "British Virgin Islands", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing", "AFFILIATION": "(overseas territory of the UK)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$42,300 (2010 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.3% (2010 est.); -0.6% (2008 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.36% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$500 million (2010 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :32%; government consumption: :8.6%; investment in fixed capital: :24.5%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :109.6%; imports of goods and services: :-74.7%; (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "160,100 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "773 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "1,190 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "44,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "49.29 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "53 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "zenaida dove, white cedar flower; yellow, green, red, white, blue", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "0% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "27.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "ROAD TOWN (capital) 13,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "note: :as a territory of the United Kingdom, \"God Save the Queen\" is official (see United Kingdom)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 97.5% of population; rural: 97.5% of population; total: 97.5% of population; urban: 2.5% of population; rural: 2.5% of population; total: 2.5% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 98% of population; rural: 98% of population; total: 98% of population; urban: 2% of population; rural: 2% of population; total: 2% of population (2010 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 private TV station; multi-channel TV is available from cable and satellite subscription services; about a half dozen private radio stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :45.9% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.8% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.4% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :15 years; male: :15 years; female: :16 years (2009)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$1.095 billion (2008)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$362.6 million (2010 est.); $279.8 million (2010 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "505 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :35.6 years; male: :35.5 years; female: :35.7 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".vg", "INTERNET_USERS": "4,000 (2002)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "48,700 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "12,268 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "AREA": "total: :151 sq km; land: :151 sq km; water: :0 sq km; note: :comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :British Virgin Islands; abbreviation: :BVI", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the UK", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "8.7% (2010 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "NA", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.25 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :good overall telephone service; domestic: :fixed line connections exceed 80 per 100 persons and mobile cellular subscribership is roughly 150 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 1-284; connected via submarine cable to Bermuda; the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) submarine cable provides connectivity to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 72.2% (Methodist 22.7%, Anglican 11.6%, Church of God 11.4%, Pentecostal 9.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.4%, Baptist 8.2%, other Protestant .9%), Roman Catholic 9.5%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2.2%, Hindu 2%, other 5.2%, none 6.4%, unspecified 2.7% (2001 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "seaport(s): :Road Harbor", "POPULATION": "32,680 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism generating an estimated 45% of the national income. More than 934,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 2008. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, made the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the US dollar as its currency since 1959.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "The Family Support Network; The Women's Desk; other: :environmentalists", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "17.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "NEGL", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :British Virgin Islander(s); adjective: :British Virgin Islander", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Territory Day, 1 July (1956)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS, UNESCO (associate), UPU", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :3 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :7,266 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :78.29 years; male: :76.99 years; female: :79.66 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral House of Assembly (13 seats; 9 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies and 4 at-large seats by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms); note - the Assembly includes the attorney general, a non-voting ex officio member; elections: :last held on 7 November 2011 (next to be held in 2015); election results: :percent of vote by party - NDP 49.4%, VIP 42%, other 8.6%; seats by party - NDP 9, VIP 4", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "English common law", "LANGUAGES": "English (official)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :6.67%; permanent crops: :6.67%; other: :86.67% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "12,770 (2004)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to include the British Virgin Islands; the ECSC - with its headquarters on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the 9 member states; 3 High Court judges reside in member states; 3 High Court judges reside on the British Virgin Islands; judge selection and term of office: :Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court chief justice appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62; subordinate courts: :Magistrates' Courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2% (2014 est.); 1.5% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :13.45 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :15.31 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :11.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore banking center", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$320 million (2013 est.); $320 million (2012 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering", "ROADWAYS": "total: :200 km; paved: :200 km (2007)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful); the islands were named by COLUMBUS in 1493 in honor of Saint Ursula and her 11 virgin followers (some sources say 11,000) who reputedly were martyred by the Huns in the 4th or 5th century; the figure on the banner holding a lamp represents the saint; the other lamps symbolize her followers", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$36.1 million (1997)", "EXPORTS": "$25.5 million (2013 est.); $25.5 million (2012 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor John DUNCAN (since 15 August 2014); head of government: :Premier Orlando SMITH (since 9 November 2011); cabinet: :Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the House of Assembly; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed premier by the governor", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "the US dollar is used", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "black 82%, white 6.8%, mixed 5.9%, East Indian 3%, other 1.6%, unspecified 0.7% (2001 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "4.93 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest effective 15 June 2007 (2007)", "COASTLINE": "80 km", "CLIMATE": "subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery", "CAPITAL": "name: :Road Town; geographic coordinates: :18 25 N, 64 37 W; time difference: :UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$300 million; expenditures: :$300 million (2014 est.)", "BIRTH_RATE": "10.83 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "4 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :0.6%; industry: :40%; services: :59.4% (2005)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "limited natural freshwater resources except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola; most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :2 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :1; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "First inhabited by Arawak and later by Carib Indians, the Virgin Islands were settled by the Dutch in 1648 and then annexed by the English in 1672. The islands were part of the British colony of the Leeward Islands from 1872-1960; they were granted autonomy in 1967. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :168; female: :162 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :6,057; females age 16-49: :5,805 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Mount Sage 521 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.91 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.9 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.92 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.95 male(s)/female; total population: :0.93 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (plus 1 cable company) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :1.1%; industry: :12%; services: :86.9% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "18 30 N, 64 30 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :17.2% (male 2,770/female 2,861); 15-24 years: :14.5% (male 2,252/female 2,472); 25-54 years: :49.8% (male 7,697/female 8,574); 55-64 years: :10.6% (male 1,709/female 1,763); 65 years and over: :7.9% (male 1,258/female 1,324) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Brunei", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Daniel L. SHIELDS III (since 28 March 2011); embassy: :Simpang 336-52-16-9, Jalan Datu, Bandar Seri Begawan, BC4115; mailing address: :Unit 4280, Box 40, FPO AP 96507; P.O. Box 2991, Bandar Seri Begawan BS8675, Negara Brunei Darussalam; telephone: :[673; FAX: :[673", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$77,700 (2014 est.); $75,100 (2013 est.); $77,600 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "5.3% (2014 est.); -1.8% (2013 est.); 0.9% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.65% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$32.11 billion (2014 est.); $30.49 billion (2013 est.); $31.03 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :41.8%; youth dependency ratio: :35.3%; elderly dependency ratio: :6.5%; potential support ratio: :15.5% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "56.1% of GDP (2014 est.); 54.3% of GDP (2013 est.); 47.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :20.6%; government consumption: :19.9%; investment in fixed capital: :16.8%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :78.2%; imports of goods and services: :-35.5%; (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "8.678 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "390.8 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "9.039 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "3.022 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "12.06 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "3,198 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "18,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "13,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "1.1 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "147,900 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "135,100 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "759,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "3.233 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "3.5 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "royal parasol; national colors: yellow, white, black", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "7.5% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.8 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.5 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "2.3% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "24 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "14.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "50.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (capital) 241,000; note: :the boundaries of the capital city were expanded in 2007, greatly increasing the city area; the population of the capital increased tenfold (2011)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Allah Peliharakan Sultan\" (God Bless His Majesty); lyrics/music: :Pengiran Haji Mohamed YUSUF bin Pengiran Abdul Rahim/Awang Haji BESAR bin Sagap; note: :adopted 1951", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$11.92 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $11.41 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$3.531 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.517 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-controlled Radio Television Brunei (RTB) operates 5 channels; 3 Malaysian TV stations are available; foreign TV broadcasts are available via satellite and cable systems; RTB operates 5 radio networks and broadcasts on multiple frequencies; British Forces Broadcast Service (BFBS) provides radio broadcasts on 2 FM stations; some radio broadcast stations from Malaysia are available via repeaters (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :76.9% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :-1.79% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$3.939 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.452 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$8.151 billion (30 March 2009); $4.551 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$3.374 billion (30 March 2009); $3.046 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "5.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 5.5% (31 December 2013 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.5% of GDP (2013)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :15 years; male: :14 years; female: :15 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.09 cu km/yr (97%/0%/3%); per capita: :301.6 cu m/yr (2009)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "8.5 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$17.43 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :20,524 (2013); note - thousands of stateless persons, often ethnic Chinese, are permanent residents and their families have lived in Brunei for generations; obtaining citizenship is difficult and requires individuals to pass rigorous tests on Malay culture, customs, and language; stateless residents receive an International Certificate of Identity, which enables them to travel overseas; the government is considering changing the law prohibiting non-Bruneians, including stateless permanent residents, from owning land", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$6.124 billion (2014 est.); $6.283 billion (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "49,457 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :29.3 years; male: :28.9 years; female: :29.6 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".bn", "INTERNET_USERS": "314,900 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "469,700 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "70,933 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Dato Yusoff Abd HAMID (since 2 October 2009); telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s): :New York; chancery: :3520 International Court NW ", "AREA": "total: :5,765 sq km; land: :5,265 sq km; water: :500 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "10 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Southeast Asia", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Brunei Darussalam; conventional short form: :Brunei; local long form: :Negara Brunei Darussalam; local short form: :Brunei", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "2.6% (2011); 2.7% (2010)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional sultanate (locally known as Malay Islamic Monarchy)", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.82 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :service throughout the country is good; international service is good to Southeast Asia, Middle East, Western Europe, and the US; domestic: :every service available; international: :country code - 673; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; the Asia-America Gateway submarine cable network provides new links to Asia and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age for village elections; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim (official) 78.8%, Christian 8.7%, Buddhist 7.8%, other (includes indigenous beliefs) 4.7% (2011 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Muara; oil/gas terminal(s): :Lumut, Seria; LNG terminal (export): :Lumut", "POPULATION": "422,675 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "National Development Party or NDP [YASSIN Affendi; note: :Brunei National Solidarity Party or PPKB [Abdul LATIF bin Chuchu", "PIPELINES": "condensate 33 km; condensate/gas 86 km; gas 628 km; oil 492 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Brunei has a small well-to-do economy that depends on revenue from natural resource extraction but encompasses a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation, welfare measures, and village tradition. Crude oil and natural gas production account for 60% of GDP and more than 90% of exports. Per capita GDP is among the highest in Asia, and substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production. For Bruneian citizens the government provides for all medical services and free education through the university level. The government of Brunei has been emphasizing through policy and resource investments it strong desire to diversity its economy both within the oil and gas sector and to new sectors. Brunei is a member of the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement negotiations and, with the nine other ASEAN members, will form the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea linking Indian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by Malaysia; almost an enclave within Malaysia", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "2.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, natural gas, timber", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Bruneian(s); adjective: :Bruneian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "National Day, 23 February (1984); note - 1 January 1984 was the date of independence from the UK, 23 February 1984 was the date of independence from British protection", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :9; by type: :chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 8; foreign-owned: :2 (UK 2) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, C, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm or to median line", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :112,688; females age 16-49: :117,536 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :95.4%; male: :97.1%; female: :93.7% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :76.77 years; male: :74.46 years; female: :79.19 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :Legislative Council or Majlis Mesyuarat Negara Brunei (36 seats; members appointed by the sultan including 3 ex-officio members - the speaker and first and second secretaries); elections: :last held in March 1962 (date of next election NA)", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system based on English common law and Islamic law; note - in May 2014, the first sharia-based penal codes were instituted and apply to Muslims and non-Muslims", "LANGUAGES": "Malay (official), English, Chinese dialects", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0.76%; permanent crops: :1.14%; other: :98.1% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :266 km; border countries: :Malaysia 266 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "205,800 (2011 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest resident court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of Court of Appeal and High Court, each with a chief justice and 2 judges); Sharia Court of Appeal (consists of judges appointed by the monarch); note - Brunei has a dual judicial system of secular and sharia (religious) courts; the Judicial Committee of Privy Council in London serves as the final appellate court for civil cases only; judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges appointed by the monarch to serve until age 65, and older if approved by the monarch; Sharia Court of Appeal judges appointed by the monarch; judge tenure NA; subordinate courts: :Intermediate Court; Magistrate's Courts; Juvenile Court; small claims courts; lower sharia courts", "WATERWAYS": "209 km (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m; the Belait, Brunei, and Tutong rivers are major transport links) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.2% (2014 est.); 0.4% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :10.48 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :12.48 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :8.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction, agriculture, transportation", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-3% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1 January 1984 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$4.308 billion (2014 est.); $4.075 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "drug trafficking and illegally importing controlled substances are serious offenses in Brunei and carry a mandatory death penalty", "ROADWAYS": "total: :3,029 km; paved: :2,425 km; unpaved: :604 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "yellow with two diagonal bands of white (top, almost double width) and black starting from the upper hoist side; the national emblem in red is superimposed at the center; yellow is the color of royalty and symbolizes the sultanate; the white and black bands denote Brunei's chief ministers; the emblem includes five main components: a swallow-tailed flag, the royal umbrella representing the monarchy, the wings of four feathers symbolizing justice, tranquility, prosperity, and peace, the two upraised hands signifying the government's pledge to preserve and promote the welfare of the people, and the crescent moon denoting Islam, the state religion; the state motto \"Always render service with God's guidance\" appears in yellow Arabic script on the crescent; a ribbon below the crescent reads \"Brunei, the Abode of Peace\"", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$0 (2005); note: :public external debt only; private external debt unavailable", "EXPORTS": "$11.38 billion (2014 est.); $11.46 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both chief of state (Yang Di-Pertuan Agong) and head of government; head of government: :Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); cabinet: :Council of Cabinet Ministers appointed and presided over by the monarch; deals with executive matters; note - there is also a Religious Council (members appointed by the monarch) that advises on religious matters, a Privy Council (members appointed by the monarch) that deals with constitutional matters, and the Council of Succession (members appointed by the monarch) that determines the succession to the throne if the need arises; elections: :none; the monarchy is hereditary", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Bruneian dollars (BND) per US dollar -; 1.244 (2014 est.); 1.2512 (2013 est.); 1.25 (2012 est.); 1.2579 (2011 est.); 1.3635 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Malay 65.7%, Chinese 10.3%, other indigenous 3.4%, other 20.6% (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "3.47 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "drafted 1954 to 1959, signed 29 September 1959; amended 1984, 2004, 2011; note - some constitutional provisions suspended since 1962 under a State of Emergency, others since independence in 1984 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Singapore 28.6%, China 22.1%, UK 18.9%, Malaysia 10.8%, US 7.2% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "161 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; hot, humid, rainy", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "iron and steel, motor vehicles, machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Bandar Seri Begawan; geographic coordinates: :4 53 N, 114 56 E; time difference: :UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$8.762 billion; expenditures: :$6.27 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Royal Brunei Armed Forces: Royal Brunei Land Forces, Royal Brunei Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "17.49 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "rice, vegetables, fruits; chickens, water buffalo, cattle, goats, eggs", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei-Muara, Temburong, Tutong", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Japan 41.9%, South Korea 17%, Australia 8.2%, India 6.8%, Indonesia 5.7%, Vietnam 5.7%, Thailand 4.8%, NZ 4.3% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "crude oil, natural gas, garments", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :4.2%; industry: :62.8%; services: :33% (2008 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "2.43% of GDP (2012); 2.54% of GDP (2011); 2.43% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; over 3,047 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Sultanate of Brunei's influence peaked between the 15th and 17th centuries when its control extended over coastal areas of northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines. Brunei subsequently entered a period of decline brought on by internal strife over royal succession, colonial expansion of European powers, and piracy. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate; independence was achieved in 1984. The same family has ruled Brunei for over six centuries. Brunei benefits from extensive petroleum and natural gas fields, the source of one of the highest per capita GDPs in Asia.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :3,572; female: :3,465 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :95,141; females age 16-49: :99,386 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "17 years of age for voluntary military service; non-Malays are ineligible to serve; recruits from the army, navy, and air force all undergo 43-week initial training (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Delaware", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :South China Sea 0 m; highest point: :Bukit Pagon 1,850 m", "HELIPORTS": "3 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.95 male(s)/female; total population: :1 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "4 (includes 2 UHF stations broadcasting a subscription service) (2006)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 2 (transmitting on 18 different frequencies), shortwave 0 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) station transmits two FM signals with English and Nepali service) (2006)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :0.8%; industry: :66.5%; services: :32.8% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "4 30 N, 114 40 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :24.2% (male 52,753/female 49,548); 15-24 years: :17.3% (male 36,187/female 36,965); 25-54 years: :46.9% (male 96,006/female 102,028); 55-64 years: :7.6% (male 16,542/female 15,589); 65 years and over: :4% (male 8,301/female 8,756) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Bulgaria", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Marcie B. RIES (since 5 September 2012); embassy: :16 Kozyak Street, Sofia 1408; mailing address: :American Embassy Sofia, US Department of State, 5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740; telephone: :[359; FAX: :[359", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$17,100 (2014 est.); $16,800 (2013 est.); $16,600 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.4% (2014 est.); 0.9% (2013 est.); 0.6% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.83% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$123.3 billion (2014 est.); $121.6 billion (2013 est.); $120.5 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :50.3%; youth dependency ratio: :20.8%; elderly dependency ratio: :29.5%; potential support ratio: :3.4% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "23.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 22.8% of GDP (2013 est.); 20.8% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :63.7%; government consumption: :17.1%; investment in fixed capital: :21.2%; investment in inventories: :-0.9%; exports of goods and services: :71.4%; imports of goods and services: :-72.5%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "69.2%; note: :percent of women age 20-49 (2007)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "26.3 (2011 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "48.85 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "2.99 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "3.07 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "80 million cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "50,130 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "73,740 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "94,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "128,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "15 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "124,700 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "1,400 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "7.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "20.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "23.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "48.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "10.29 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "3.351 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "9.532 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "31.6 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "46.65 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "lion; national colors: white, green, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :28.1%; male: :29.5%; female: :26% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "23.7% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "6.4 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3.81 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "7.4% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "1.6% (2004)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "11 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "35.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "SOFIA (capital) 1.222 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Mila Rodino\" (Dear Homeland); lyrics/music: :Tsvetan Tsvetkov RADOSLAVOV; note: :adopted 1964; composed in 1885 by a student en route to fight in the Serbo-Bulgarian War", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.6% of population; rural: 99% of population; total: 99.5% of population; urban: 0.4% of population; rural: 1% of population; total: 0.5% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$46.42 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $47.33 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$20.85 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $19.05 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "4 national terrestrial TV stations with 1 state-owned and 3 privately owned; a vast array of TV stations are available from cable and satellite TV providers; state-owned national radio broadcasts over 3 networks; large number of private radio stations broadcasting, especially in urban areas (2010)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :73.6% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :-0.31% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$38.58 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $40.21 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$20.61 billion (31 December 2009); $19.67 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$12.63 billion (31 December 2009); $13.84 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "8.4% (31 December 2014 est.); 9.05% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.03% (31 December 2012); 0.22% (31 December 2011); note: :Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) has had no independent monetary policy since the introduction of the Currency Board regime in 1997; this is BNB's base interest rate", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.1% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :14 years; male: :14 years; female: :15 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :6.12 cu km/yr (16%/68%/16%); per capita: :821.8 cu m/yr (2009)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "21.3 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$6.666 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $8.253 billion (31 December 2011); $7.276 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$2.599 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.199 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$52.75 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $50.75 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$55.08 billion (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$20.27 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $19.78 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$309.3 million (2014 est.); $1.139 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "22.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 18.6% of GDP (2013 est.); defined by the EU's Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value, outstanding at the end of the year in the following categories of government liabilities: currency and deposits, securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives, and loans; general government sector comprises the subsectors: central government, state government, local government, and social security funds", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "976,277 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :42.6 years; male: :40.3 years; female: :44.8 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "45.3 (2007); 26 (2001)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".bg", "INTERNET_USERS": "3.395 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "10.78 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "2.253 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Elena POPTODOROVA (since 4 August 2010); chancery: :1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Chicago, Los Angeles, New York", "AREA": "total: :110,879 sq km; land: :108,489 sq km; water: :2,390 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1,046 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Bulgaria; conventional short form: :Bulgaria; local long form: :Republika Balgariya; local short form: :Balgariya", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "11% (2014 est.); 11.3% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.44 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :inherited an extensive but antiquated telecommunications network from the Soviet era; quality has improved with a modern digital trunk line now connecting switching centers in most of the regions; remaining areas are connected by digital microwave radio relay; domestic: :the Bulgaria Telecommunications Company's fixed-line monopoly terminated in 2005 in an effort to upgrade fixed-line services; mobile-cellular teledensity, fostered by multiple service providers, has reached 150 telephones per 100 persons; international: :country code - 359; submarine cable provides connectivity to Ukraine and Russia; a combination submarine cable and land fiber-optic system provides connectivity to Italy, Albania, and Macedonia; satellite earth stations - 3 (1 Intersputnik in the Atlantic Ocean region, 2 Intelsat in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Eastern Orthodox 59.4%, Muslim 7.8%, other (including Catholic, Protestant, Armenian Apostolic Orthodox, and Jewish) 1.7%, none 3.7%, unspecified 27.4% (2011 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :4,152 km; standard gauge: :4,072 km 1.435-m gauge (2,863 km electrified); narrow gauge: :80 km 0.760-m gauge (2011)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Burgas, Varna (Black Sea)", "POPULATION": "6,924,716 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alternative for Bulgarian Revival or ABV [Georgi PARVANOV; Attack (Ataka) [Volen Nikolov SIDEROV; Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Mihail MIKOV; Bulgaria of the Citizens or DBG [Meglena KUNEVA; Bulgaria Without Censorship or BBTs [Nikolay BAREKOV; Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria or GERB [Boyko BORISOV; Coalition for Bulgaria or CfB [Sergei STANISHEV; Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria or DSB [Radan KANEV; IMRO - Bulgarian National Movement or IMRO-BNM [Krasimir KARAKACHANOV; Movement for Rights and Freedoms or DPS [Lyutvi MESTAN; National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria or NFSB [Valeri SIMEONOV; National Movement for Stability and Progress or NDSV [Hristina HRISTOVA; Order, Law, and Justice or RZS [Yane YANEV; Patriotic Front or PF (alliance of IMRO-BNM and NFSB); Union of Democratic Forces or SDS [Bozhidar LUKARSKI; Reformist Bloc or RB (a five-party alliance including the DSB, DBG, and SDS)", "PIPELINES": "gas 2,887 km; oil 346 km; refined products 378 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Bulgaria, a former Communist country that entered the EU on 1 January 2007, averaged more than 6% annual growth from 2004 to 2008, driven by significant amounts of bank lending, consumption, and foreign direct investment. Successive governments have demonstrated a commitment to economic reforms and responsible fiscal planning, but the global downturn sharply reduced domestic demand, exports, capital inflows, and industrial production. GDP contracted by 5.5% in 2009, and has been slow to recover in the years since. Despite having a favorable investment regime, including low, flat corporate income taxes, significant challenges remain. Corruption in public administration, a weak judiciary, and the presence of organized crime continue to hamper the country's investment climate and economic prospects.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB; Podkrepa Labor Confederation; other: :numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-2.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Bulgarian(s); adjective: :Bulgarian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Liberation Day, 3 March (1878)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :22; by type: :bulk carrier 9, cargo 8, liquefied gas 2, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 2; foreign-owned: :14 (Germany 12, Russia 2); registered in other countries: :30 (Belize 1, Comoros 4, Georgia 1, Malta 8, Moldova 1, Panama 6, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 9) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EU, FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,637,470; females age 16-49: :1,621,352 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :98.4%; male: :98.7%; female: :98% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :74.33 years; male: :70.74 years; female: :78.13 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sabranie (240 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 5 October 2014 (next to be held in 2018); election results: :percent of vote by party - GERB 32.7%, BSP 15.4%, DPS 14.8%, RB 8.9%, PF 7.3%, BBTs 5.7%, Ataka 4.5%, ABV 4.2%, other 6.5%; seats by party - GERB 84, BSP 39, DPS 38, RB 23, PF 19, BBTs 15, Ataka 11, ABV 11", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law", "LANGUAGES": "Bulgarian (official) 76.8%, Turkish 8.2%, Roma 3.8%, other 0.7%, unspecified 10.5% (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :30.55%; permanent crops: :1.46%; other: :67.98% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,806 km; border countries: :Greece 472 km, Macedonia 162 km, Romania 605 km, Serbia 344 km, Turkey 223 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "2.513 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Cassation (consists of a chairman and approximately 72 judges organized into penal, civil, and commercial colleges); Supreme Administrative Court (organized in 2 colleges with various panels of 5 judges each); Constitutional Court (consists of 12 justices); note - Constitutional Court resides outside the Judiciary; judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court of Cassation and Supreme Administrative judges elected by the Supreme Judicial Council or SJC (consists of 25 members with extensive legal experience) and appointed by the president; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court justices elected by the National Assembly and appointed by the president and the SJC; justices appointed for 9-year terms with renewal of four justices every 3 years; subordinate courts: :appeals courts; regional and district courts; administrative courts; courts martial", "WATERWAYS": "470 km (2009)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "-0.6% (2014 est.); 0.9% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :15.08 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :18.07 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :11.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "electricity, gas, water; food, beverages, tobacco; machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "3 March 1878 (as an autonomous principality within the Ottoman Empire); 22 September 1908 (complete independence from the Ottoman Empire)", "IMPORTS": "$33.56 billion (2014 est.); $32.81 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "major European transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and, to a lesser degree, South American cocaine for the European market; limited producer of precursor chemicals; vulnerable to money laundering because of corruption, organized crime; some money laundering of drug-related proceeds through financial institutions (2008)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :19,512 km; paved: :19,235 km (includes 458 km of expressways); unpaved: :277 km; note: :does not include Category IV local roads (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red; the pan-Slavic white-blue-red colors were modified by substituting a green band (representing freedom) for the blue; note: :the national emblem, formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe, has been removed", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$54.04 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $52 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$29.25 billion (2014 est.); $29.58 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Rosen PLEVNELIEV (since 22 January 2012); Vice President Margarita POPOVA (since 22 January 2012); head of government: :Prime Minister Boyko BORISOV (since 7 November 2014), Deputy Prime Ministers Tomislav DONCHEV (since 7 November 2014), Rumyana BACHVAROVA (since 7 November 2014), Meglena KUNEVA (since 7 November 2014), and Ivaylo KALFIN (since 7 November 2014); note - this is BORISOV's second term as prime minister, he first served between 27 July 2009 and 13 March 2013; cabinet: :Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly; elections: :president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 23 and 30 October 2011 (next to be held in 2016); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) elected by the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly; election results: :Rosen PLEVNELIEV elected president in a runoff election; percent of vote - Rosen PLEVNELIEV 52.6%, Ivailo KALFIN 47.4%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "leva (BGN) per US dollar -; 1.465 (2014 est.); 1.4736 (2013 est.); 1.52 (2012 est.); 1.4053 (2011 est.); 1.4774 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Bulgarian 76.9%, Turkish 8%, Roma 4.4%, other 0.7% (including Russian, Armenian, and Vlach), other (unknown) 10% (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "14.3 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest drafted between late 1990 and early 1991, adopted 12 July 1991; amended several times, last in 2007 (2007)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Russia 18.6%, Germany 10.9%, Italy 7.5%, Romania 6.7%, Turkey 5.7%, Greece 5.6%, Spain 5.2% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "354 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; fuels, minerals, and raw materials", "CAPITAL": "name: :Sofia; geographic coordinates: :42 41 N, 23 19 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$19.62 billion; expenditures: :$21.25 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Bulgarian Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Bulgarian Air Forces (Bulgarski Voennovazdyshni Sily, BVVS) (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "8.92 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "68 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "vegetables, fruits, tobacco, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets; livestock", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "28 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Khaskovo, Kurdzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofiya (Sofia), Sofiya-Grad (Sofia City), Stara Zagora, Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 12.6%, Italy 8.8%, Turkey 8.6%, Romania 7.9%, Greece 7.1%, France 4.4% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :7.1%; industry: :35.2%; services: :57.7% (2009)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2%; highest 10%: :35.2% (2007)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "21.8% (2008)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.46% of GDP (2012); 1.55% of GDP (2011); 1.46% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air pollution from industrial emissions; rivers polluted from raw sewage, heavy metals, detergents; deforestation; forest damage from air pollution and resulting acid rain; soil contamination from heavy metals from metallurgical plants and industrial wastes", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :11; 914 to 1,523 m: :2; 9 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :57; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :17; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :12; under 914 m: :26 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :33,444; female: :32,075 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,320,955; females age 16-49: :1,337,616 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription ended in January 2008; service obligation 6-9 months (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than Tennessee", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "earthquakes; landslides", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Black Sea 0 m; highest point: :Musala 2,925 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.92 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.68 male(s)/female; total population: :0.92 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "39 (plus 1,242 repeaters) (2001)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 31, FM 63, shortwave 2 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :4.9%; industry: :31.2%; services: :63.9% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "43 00 N, 25 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :14.2% (male 505,025/female 479,899); 15-24 years: :10.1% (male 359,730/female 340,203); 25-54 years: :42.4% (male 1,459,753/female 1,475,240); 55-64 years: :14% (male 446,784/female 519,513); 65 years and over: :19.3% (male 538,720/female 799,849) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Burkina Faso", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Tulinabo Salama MUSHINGI (since 17 September 2013); embassy: :602 Avenue Raoul Follereau, Koulouba, Secteur 4; mailing address: :01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou 01; pouch mail - US Department of State, 2440 Ouagadougou Place, Washington, DC 20521-2440; telephone: :[226; FAX: :[226", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$1,700 (2014 est.); $1,700 (2013 est.); $1,600 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "6.7% (2014 est.); 6.6% (2013 est.); 9% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.05% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$30.08 billion (2014 est.); $28.2 billion (2013 est.); $26.46 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :91.3%; youth dependency ratio: :86.6%; elderly dependency ratio: :4.7%; potential support ratio: :21.5% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "10.8% of GDP (2014 est.); 13.6% of GDP (2013 est.); 16.9% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :63.2%; government consumption: :19.4%; investment in fixed capital: :23%; investment in inventories: :1.6%; exports of goods and services: :28.3%; imports of goods and services: :-35.4%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "16.2% (2010/11)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "19.4; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2010 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :1,521,006; percentage: :38% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "1.406 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "11,660 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "10,250 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "13.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "86.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "238,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "495 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "1.033 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "579 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "white stallion; national colors: red, yellow, green", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :3.8%; male: :4.6%; female: :2.9% (2006 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "2.3% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.4 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.05 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.2% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "26.2% (2010)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "300 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-3.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "24.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "OUAGADOUGOU (capital) 2.565 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Le Ditanye\" (Anthem of Victory); lyrics/music: :Thomas SANKARA; note: :adopted 1974; also known as \"Une Seule Nuit\" (One Single Night); written by the country's president, an avid guitar player", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 50.4% of population; rural: 6.7% of population; total: 18.6% of population; urban: 49.6% of population; rural: 93.3% of population; total: 81.4% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 97.5% of population; rural: 75.8% of population; total: 81.7% of population; urban: 2.5% of population; rural: 24.2% of population; total: 18.3% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$4.211 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $3.343 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$2.013 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.088 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "2 TV stations - 1 state-owned and 1 privately owned; state-owned radio runs a national and regional network; substantial number of privately owned radio stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters available in Ouagadougou (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :29% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :5.87% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$3.485 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.058 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$751.3 million (31 December 2008); $663 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$1.068 billion (31 December 2008); $1.051 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "NA% (31 December 2014 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "4.25% (31 December 2010); 4.25% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.4% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :8 years; male: :8 years; female: :7 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.72 cu km/yr (46%/3%/51%); per capita: :54.99 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "12.5 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$13.38 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :32,002 (Mali) (2015)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne disease: :dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; respiratory disease: :meningococcal meningitis; animal contact disease: :rabies; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$493.6 million (31 December 2014 est.); $628.5 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.05 billion (2014 est.); -$495.9 million (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "1,795 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :17 years; male: :16.9 years; female: :17.2 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "39.5 (2007); 48.2 (1994)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "5,800 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "112,800 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.92% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".bf", "INTERNET_USERS": "178,100 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "9.98 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "141,400 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Seydou SINKA (since 1 November 2014); chancery: :2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :274,200 sq km; land: :273,800 sq km; water: :400 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "250 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Western Africa, north of Ghana", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Burkina Faso; local long form: :none; local short form: :Burkina Faso; former: :Upper Volta, Republic of Upper Volta", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "77% (2004)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "5.93 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west and southeast", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :system includes microwave radio relay, open-wire, and radiotelephone communication stations; in 2006, the government sold a 51% stake in the national telephone company and ultimately plans to retain only a 23% stake in the company; domestic: :fixed-line connections stand at less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage, fostered by multiple providers, is increasing rapidly from a low base; international: :country code - 226; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 60.5%, Catholic 19%, animist 15.3%, Protestant 4.2%, other 0.6%, none 0.4% (2006 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :622 km; narrow gauge: :622 km 1.000-m gauge; note: :another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote d'Ivoire (2008)", "POPULATION": "18,365,123; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "African Democratic Rally-Alliance for Democracy and Federation or ADF-RDA [Gilbert OUEDRAOGO; Citizen's Popular Rally or RPC [Antoine QUARE; Coalition of Democratic Forces of Burkina or CFD-B [Zio Eric FRANCOIS; Congress for Democracy and Progress or CDP [Assimi KOUANDA; Democratic and Popular Rally or RDP [Nana THIBAUT; Movement for Tolerance and Progress or MTP [Nayabtigungou Congo KABORE; Party for African Independence or PAI [Soumane TOURE; Party for Democracy and Progress-Socialist Party or PDP-PS [Francois O. KABORE; Party for Democracy and Socialism/Metba or PDS/Metba [Hama Arba DIALLO; Party for National Rebirth or PAREN [Barry TAHIROU; People's Movement for Progress or MPP [Roch March KABORE; Rally for the Development of Burkina or RDB [Celestin Saidou COMPAORE; Rally of Ecologists of Burkina Faso or RDEB [Ram OUEDRAGO; Republican Party for Integration and Solidarity or PARIS; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Fidele HIEN; Union for Progress and Change or UPC [Zephirin DIABRE; Union for Rebirth - Sankarist Movement or UNIR-MS [Benewende Stanislas SANKARA; Union for the Republic or UPR [Toussaint Abel COULIBALY; Union of Sankarist Parties or UPS [Ernest Nongma OUEDRAOGO", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Burkina Faso is a poor, landlocked country that depends on adequate rainfall. About 80% of the population is engaged in subsistence farming and cotton is the main cash crop. The country has few natural resources and a weak industrial base. Cotton and gold are Burkina Faso�s key exports and Burkina Faso�s economic growth and revenue depends on global prices for the two commodities. The Burkinabe economy experienced high levels of growth over the last few years and gold accounted for about three-quarters of the country�s total export revenues in 2013. The country has seen an upswing in gold exploration, production, and exports. Burkina Faso experienced a number of public protests over the high cost of living, corruption, and other socioeconomic issues in 2013 and the fall of the COMPAORE government in 2014 gave rise to laborers pushing for better pay and working conditions. A new three-year IMF program was approved in 2013 to focus on improving the quality of public investment and ensuring inclusive growth. Political insecurity in neighboring Mali, unreliable energy supplies, and poor transportation links pose long-term challenges.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Burkinabe General Confederation of Labor or CGTB [Tole SAGNON; Burkinabe Movement for Human Rights or MBDHP [Chrysigone ZOUGMORE; Citizen's Resistance Front [Luc Marius IBRIGA; Group of 14 February [Benewende Stanislas SANKARA; National Confederation of Burkinabe Workers or CNTB [Laurent OUEDRAOGO; National Organization of Free Unions or ONSL [Paul KABORE; other: :watchdog/political action groups throughout the country in both organizations and communities", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black, Red, and White Voltas", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, phosphates, pumice, salt", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Burkinabe (singular and plural); adjective: :Burkinabe", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Republic Day, 11 December (1958); note - commemorates the day that Upper Volta became an autonomous republic in the French Community", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, CD, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :3,735,735 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :28.7%; male: :36.7%; female: :21.6% (2007 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :54.78 years; male: :52.77 years; female: :56.85 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale consists of the Senate or Senat (99 seats; 39 members indirectly elected by regional councils, 39 appointed by the president, and 21 indirectly elected by interest groups; members serve 5-year terms) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (127 seats; 111 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies and 16 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - the Senate was created in 2013; elections: :last held on 2 December 2012 (next to be held in 2015); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CDP 70, ADF-RDA 19, Union for Progress and Reform 19, UNIR-MS 4, UPR 4, CFD-B 3, PDS/Metba 2, other 6", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law based on the French model and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "French (official), native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :21.93%; permanent crops: :0.26%; other: :77.81% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :3,611 km; border countries: :Benin 386 km, Cote d'Ivoire 545 km, Ghana 602 km, Mali 1,325 km, Niger 622 km, Togo 131 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "7.468 million; note: :a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment (2012 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation (consists of NA judges); Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel (consists of the council president and 3 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judge appointments mostly controlled by the president of Burkina Faso; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Council judges appointed by the president of Burkina Faso upon the proposal of the minister of justice and the president of the National Assembly; judges appointed for 9-year terms with one-third of judges renewed every 3 years; subordinate courts: :Appeals Court; High Court; first instance tribunals; district courts; specialized courts relating to issues of labor, children, and juveniles; village (customary) courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "-0.6% (2014 est.); 0.5% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :76.8 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :84.1 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :69.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "4.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "5 August 1960 (from France)", "IMPORTS": "$3.117 billion (2014 est.); $2.901 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :15,272 km; note: :does not include urban roads (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a yellow five-pointed star in the center; red recalls the country's struggle for independence, green is for hope and abundance, and yellow represents the country's mineral wealth; note: :uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$2.974 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.669 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$2.254 billion (2014 est.); $2.499 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Interim President Michel KAFANDO (since 18 November 2014); note - President Blaise COMPAORE resigned on 31 October 2014 after efforts to amend the constitution to enable him to run for another term led to violent protests; military chief Gen. Honore TRAORE temporarily took power on 31 October 2014, but the army named Lt. Col. Yacouba Isaac ZIDA as the head of a transitional government on 1 November 2014; on 14 November, military and opposition party leaders agreed to a charter returning the government to civilian rule and holding elections in late 2015; Michel Kafando became interim president on 18 November 2014 and ZIDA became prime minister on 19 November 2014; head of government: :Prime Minister Yacouba Issac ZIDA (since 19 November 2014); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 21 November 2010 (next to be held on 11 October 2015); prime minister appointed by the president with the consent of the National Assembly; election results: :Blaise COMPAORE reelected president; percent of popular vote - Blaise COMPAORE 80.2%, Hama Arba DIALLO 8.2%, Benewende Stanislas SANKARA 6.3%, other 5.3%; note - President COMPAORE resigned on 31 October 2014; Michel KAFANDO took office as interim president on 18 November, after being selected by a special electoral college; Lt. Col. Yacouba Isaac ZIDA was appointed as prime minister on 19 November; a 25-member transitional government will rule until elections on 11 October 2015; a 90-member national transitional council will serve as a legislative body", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -; 491.2 (2014 est.); 494.04 (2013 est.); 510.53 (2012 est.); 471.87 (2011 est.); 495.28 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Mossi over 40%, other approximately 60% (includes Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, and Fulani)", "DEATH_RATE": "11.96 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest approved by referendum 2 June 1991, adopted 11 June 1991; amended several times, last in 2012 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Cote dIvoire 18.9%, France 18.1%, Ghana 4.5%, India 4.3%, China 4.3%, Togo 4.2% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "capital goods, foodstuffs, petroleum", "CAPITAL": "name: :Ouagadougou; geographic coordinates: :12 22 N, 1 31 W; time difference: :UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$3.234 billion; expenditures: :$3.724 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Army, Air Force of Burkina Faso (Force Aerienne de Burkina Faso, FABF), National Gendarmerie (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "42.42 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "23 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cotton, peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, sorghum, millet, corn, rice; livestock", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "13 regions; Boucle du Mouhoun, Cascades, Centre, Centre-Est, Centre-Nord, Centre-Ouest, Centre-Sud, Est, Hauts-Bassins, Nord, Plateau-Central, Sahel, Sud-Ouest", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 25.9%, Indonesia 12%, Japan 5.7%, Thailand 5.6%, Turkey 5.1%, Cote dIvoire 4.9%, Ghana 4.6% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "gold, cotton, livestock", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :90%; industry and services: :10% (2000 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.9%; highest 10%: :32.2% (2009 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "46.7% (2009 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.39% of GDP (2012); 1.34% of GDP (2011); 1.39% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :21; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :13; 5 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from France in 1960. Repeated military coups during the 1970s and 1980s were followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Former President Blaise COMPAORE (1987-2014) resigned on 31 October 2014 following popular protests against his efforts to amend the Constitution's two-term presidential limit. An interim administration, led by President Michel KAFANDO and Prime Minister Yacouba Isaac ZIDA is organizaing presidential and legislative elections to be held in late 2015. Burkina Faso's high population growth and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :193,905; female: :191,662 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,366,168; females age 16-49: :2,367,673 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women may serve in supporting roles (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than Colorado", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "recurring droughts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 m; highest point: :Tena Kourou 749 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.62 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "3 (1 national, 2 private)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 2, FM 26, shortwave 3 (2007)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :38%; industry: :22%; services: :40% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "13 00 N, 2 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :45.4% (male 4,173,236/female 4,156,245); 15-24 years: :20.1% (male 1,851,801/female 1,833,496); 25-54 years: :29% (male 2,702,573/female 2,622,603); 55-64 years: :3.1% (male 240,520/female 332,421); 65 years and over: :2.5% (male 171,284/female 280,944) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Burma", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Derek J. MITCHELL (since 11 July 2012); embassy: :110 University Avenue, Kamayut Township, Rangoon; mailing address: :Box B, APO AP 96546; telephone: :[95; FAX: :[95", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$4,800 (2014 est.); $4,400 (2013 est.); $4,100 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "8.5% (2014 est.); 8.3% (2013 est.); 7.3% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.03% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$244.3 billion (2014 est.); $225.2 billion (2013 est.); $208 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :42.5%; youth dependency ratio: :35%; elderly dependency ratio: :7.6%; potential support ratio: :13.2% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "19.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 17.9% of GDP (2013 est.); 13.7% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :82%; government consumption: :3.8%; investment in fixed capital: :19.3%; investment in inventories: :0.3%; exports of goods and services: :23.7%; imports of goods and services: :-29.1%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "46% (2009/10)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "21.8 (2007 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "13.34 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "283.2 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "8.468 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "3.299 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "11.77 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "4,855 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "28,120 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "18,920 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "50 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "20,200 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "73.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "26.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "3.413 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "5.588 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "7.144 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "chinthe (mythical lion); national colors: yellow, green, red, white", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "4% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.6 beds/1,000 population (2006)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.61 physicians/1,000 population (2012)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "1.8% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "22.6% (2010)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "200 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "4.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "RANGOON (capital) 4.705 million; Mandalay 1.139 million; Nay Pyi Taw 1.016 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Kaba Ma Kyei\" (Till the End of the World, Myanmar); lyrics/music: :SAYA TIN; note: :adopted 1948; Burma is among a handful of non-European nations that have anthems rooted in indigenous traditions; the beginning portion of the anthem is a traditional Burmese anthem before transitioning into a Western-style orchestrated work", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 84.3% of population; rural: 73.9% of population; total: 77.4% of population; urban: 15.7% of population; rural: 26.1% of population; total: 22.6% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 94.8% of population; rural: 81.1% of population; total: 85.7% of population; urban: 5.2% of population; rural: 18.9% of population; total: 14.3% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$15.19 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $12.28 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "government controls all domestic broadcast media; 2 state-controlled TV stations with 1 of the stations controlled by the armed forces; 2 pay-TV stations are joint state-private ventures; access to satellite TV is limited; 1 state-controlled domestic radio station and 9 FM stations that are joint state-private ventures; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available in parts of Burma; the Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Asia (RFA), BBC Burmese service, the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), and Radio Australia use shortwave to broadcast in Burma; VOA, RFA, and DVB produce daily TV news programs that are transmitted by satellite to audiences in Burma", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :33.6% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.49% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$19.59 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $15.82 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$289.3 billion (31 December 2008); $216.9 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$622.6 billion (31 December 2008); $598 billion (31 December 2007); note: :this number reflects the vastly overvalued official exchange rate of 5.38 kyat per dollar in 2007; at the unofficial black market rate of 1,305 kyat per dollar for 2007, the stock of kyats would equal only US$2.465 billion and Burma's velocity of money (the number of times money turns over in the course of a year) would be six, in line with the velocity of money for other countries in the region; in 2009, the unofficial black market rate averaged 1,090 kyat per dollar.", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "13% (31 December 2014 est.); 13% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "9.95% (31 December 2010); 12% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "0.8% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :9 years (2007)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :33.23 cu km/yr (10%/1%/89%); per capita: :728.6 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "1,168 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Burma is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purpose of forced labor, and for women and children subjected to sex trafficking in other countries; poor economic conditions have led to increased legal and illegal migration of Burmese adults and children to East Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, and the US where they are subject to forced labor and sex trafficking; men are forced to work in the fishing, manufacturing, and construction industries, while women and girls are forced into prostitution or domestic servitude; some Burmese economic migrants and Rohingya asylum seekers have become forced laborers in Thailand; military personnel and insurgent militia unlawfully conscript child soldiers and continue to be the leading perpetrators of forced labor inside the country; Burmese children are also forced to work in tea shops, home industries, on plantations, and as beggars; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List - Burma does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, but it is making significant efforts to do so; the government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute a significant effort toward meeting the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking; in 2013, an anti-trafficking division was created; authorities continued to investigate and prosecute cross-border sex trafficking offenses but did little to address domestic trafficking; forced labor and forced recruitment of child soldiers remain serious problems; the government continued modest efforts to provide temporary shelter and facilitate safe passage to Burmese victims repatriated from abroad, but its overall victim protection efforts were inadequate and left victims vulnerable to being re-trafficked (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$65.29 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "IDPs: :up to 643,000 (government offensives against armed ethnic minority groups near its borders with China and Thailand) (2014); stateless persons: :1.45 million (2014); note - Burma's main group of stateless people is the Rohingya, Muslims living in northern Rakhine State; the Burmese Government does not recognize the Rohingya as a \"national race\" and stripped them of their citizenship under the 1982 Citizenship law, categorizing them as \"non-national\" or \"foreign residents,\" under the Rakhine State Action Plan drafted in October 2014, the Rohingya must demonstrate their family has lived in Burman for at least 60 years to qualify for a lesser naturalized citizenship and the classification of Bengali or be put in detention camps and face deportation; native-born but non-indigenous people, such as Indians, are also stateless; the Burmese Government does not grant citizenship to children born outside of the country to Burmese parents who left the country illegally or fled persecution, such as those born in Thailand", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis; water contact disease: :leptospirosis; animal contact disease: :rabies; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$8.727 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $8.278 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$3.738 billion (2014 est.); -$2.997 billion (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "1,055 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :27.9 years; male: :27.3 years; female: :28.5 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "10,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "192,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.61% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".mm", "INTERNET_USERS": "110,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "5.44 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "556,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador KYAW MYO HTUT (since 3 December 2013); chancery: :2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :none; Burma has a Mission to the UN in New York", "AREA": "total: :676,578 sq km; land: :653,508 sq km; water: :23,070 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "21,100 sq km (2004)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Southeast Asia", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Union of Burma; conventional short form: :Burma; local long form: :Pyidaungzu Thammada Myanma Naingngandaw (translated as the Republic of the Union of Myanmar); local short form: :Myanma Naingngandaw; former: :Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma, Union of Myanmar; note: :since 1989 the military authorities in Burma and the current parliamentary government have promoted the name Myanmar as a conventional name for their state; the US Government has not adopted the name", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "5.1% (2014 est.); 5.2% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary government took power in March 2011", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.18 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service for business and government; domestic: :system barely capable of providing basic service; mobile-cellular phone system is grossly underdeveloped; international: :country code - 95; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2, Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and ShinSat (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, Animist 1%, other 2%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :5,031 km; narrow gauge: :5,031 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Moulmein, Sittwe; river port(s): :Rangoon (Rangoon River)", "POPULATION": "55,746,253; note: :estimates for this country 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "All Mon Region Democracy Party or AMRDP [NAING NGWE THEIN; National Democratic Force or NDF [KHIN MAUNG SWE, Dr.THAN NYEIN; National League for Democracy or NLD [AUNG SAN SUU KYI; National Unity Party or NUP [TUN YE; Rakhine Nationalities Development Party or RNDP [Dr. AYE MG; Shan Nationalities Democratic Party or SNDP [SAI AIKE PAUNG; Shan Nationalities League for Democracy or SNLD [HKUN HTUN OO; Union Solidarity and Development Party or USDP [SHWE MANN, HTAY OO; numerous smaller parties", "PIPELINES": "gas 3,739 km; oil 551 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Since the transition to a civilian government in 2011, Burma has begun an economic overhaul aimed at attracting foreign investment and reintegrating into the global economy. Economic reforms have included establishing a managed float of the Burmese kyat in 2012, granting the Central Bank operational independence in July 2013, and enacting a new Anti-corruption Law in September 2013. The government�s commitment to reform, and the subsequent easing of most Western sanctions, has begun to pay dividends. The economy accelerated in 2013 and 2014. And Burma�s abundant natural resources, young labor force, and proximity to Asia�s dynamic economies have attracted foreign investment in the energy sector, garment industry, information technology, and food and beverages. Foreign direct investment grew from US$1.9 billion in FY 2011 to US$2.7 billion in FY 2012. Despite these improvements, living standards have not improved for the majority of the people residing in rural areas. Burma remains one of the poorest countries in Asia � nearly one-third of the country�s 60 million people live in poverty. The previous government�s isolationist policies and economic mismanagement have left Burma with poor infrastructure, endemic corruption, underdeveloped human resources, and inadequate access to capital, which will require a major commitment to reverse. The Burmese government has been slow to address impediments to economic development such as an opaque revenue collection system and antiquated banking system. Key benchmarks of sustained economic progress would include modernizing and opening the financial sector, increasing budget allocations for social services, and accelerating agricultural and land reforms.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Thai border: :Ethnic Nationalities Council or ENC; Federation of Trade Unions-Burma or FTUB (exile trade union and labor advocates); National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma or NCGUB (self-proclaimed government in exile) [\"Prime Minister\" Dr. SEIN WIN; National Council-Union of Burma or NCUB (exile coalition of opposition groups); United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC); inside Burma: :Karen National Union or KNU; Karenni National People's Party or KNPP; United Wa State Army or UWSA; 88 Generation Students (pro-democracy movement); several other Chin, Karen, Mon, and Shan factions; note: :freedom of expression has been highly restricted in Burma; the restrictions are being relaxed by the government; a limited number of political groups, other than parties are approved by the government", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydropower, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Burmese (singular and plural); adjective: :Burmese", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 4 January (1948); Union Day, 12 February (1947)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :29; by type: :cargo 22, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1; foreign-owned: :2 (Germany 1, Japan 1); registered in other countries: :3 (Panama 3) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, ARF, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, CP, EAS, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), NAM, OPCW (signatory), SAARC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :14,747,845; females age 16-49: :14,710,871 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :92.6%; male: :95%; female: :90.5% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :65.94 years; male: :63.57 years; female: :68.46 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral People's Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw consists of the House of Nationalities (224 seats; 168 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote with a second round if needed and 56 appointed by the military; members serve 5-year terms) and the House of Representatives (440 seats; 330 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote with a second round if needed and 110 appointed by the military; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 7 November 2010 (next to be held in November 2015); election results: :House of Nationalities - percent of vote by party - USDP 74.8%, other (NUP, SNDP, RNDP, NDF, AMRDP) 25.2%; seats by party - USDP 129, other 39; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - USDP 79.6%, other (NUP, SNDP, RNDP, NDF, AMRDP) 20.4%; seats by party - USDP 259, other 71", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of English common law (as introduced in codifications designed for colonial India) and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "Burmese (official); note: :minority ethnic groups have their own languages", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :16.56%; permanent crops: :2.24%; other: :81.2% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :6,522 km; border countries: :Bangladesh 271 km, China 2,129 km, India 1,468 km, Laos 238 km, Thailand 2,416 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "35.23 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of the Union (consists of the chief justice and 7-11 judges); judge selection and term of office: :chief justice and judges nominated by the president, with approval of the Pythu Hluttaw, and appointed by the president; judges normally serve until mandatory retirement at age 70; subordinate courts: :High Courts of the Region; High Courts of the State; Court of the Self-Administered Division; Court of the Self-Administered Zone; district and township courts; special courts (for juvenile, municipal, and traffic offenses); courts martial", "WATERWAYS": "12,800 km (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "6.6% (2014 est.); 5.5% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :44.91 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :51.35 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :38.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "agricultural processing; wood and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; cement, construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer; oil and natural gas; garments, jade, gems", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "12% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "4 January 1948 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$12.53 billion (2014 est.); $10.51 billion (2013 est.); note: :import figures are grossly underestimated due to the value of consumer goods, diesel fuel, and other products smuggled in from Thailand, China, Malaysia, and India", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "world's third largest producer of illicit opium with an estimated production in 2012 of 690 metric tons, an increase of 13% over 2011, and poppy cultivation in 2012 totaled 51,000 hectares, a 17% increase over 2011; production in the United Wa State Army's areas of greatest control remains low; Shan state is the source of 94.5% of Burma's poppy cultivation; lack of government will to take on major narcotrafficking groups and lack of serious commitment against money laundering continues to hinder the overall antidrug effort; major source of methamphetamine and heroin for regional consumption (2013)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :34,377 km (includes 358 km of expressways) (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "design consists of three equal horizontal stripes of yellow (top), green, and red; centered on the green band is a large white five-pointed star that partially overlaps onto the adjacent colored stripes; the design revives the triband colors used by Burma from 1943-45, during the Japanese occupation", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$2.491 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.56 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$10.31 billion (2014 est.); $9.033 billion (2013 est.); note: :official export figures are grossly underestimated due to the value of timber, gems, narcotics, rice, and other products smuggled to Thailand, China, and Bangladesh", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President THEIN SEIN (since 4 February 2011); Vice President SAI MAUK KHAM (since 3 February 2011); Vice President NYAN TUN (since 15 August 2012); head of government: :President THEIN SEIN (since 4 February 2011); cabinet: :cabinet is appointed by the president and confirmed by the parliament; elections: :THEIN SEIN elected president by the parliament from among three vice presidents; the upper house, the lower house, and military members of the parliament each nominate one vice president (president serves a five-year term)", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "kyats (MMK) per US dollar -; 975.5 (2014 est.); 930.42 (2013 est.); 853.48 (2012 est.); 815 (2011 est.); 5.58 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%, Mon 2%, other 5%", "DEATH_RATE": "8.01 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1947, 1974 (suspended until 2008); latest approved by referendum 29 May 2008; reformed 2011 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 40%, Thailand 20.3%, Singapore 12.2%, Japan 5.7% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "1,930 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers (southwest monsoon, June to September); less cloudy, scant rainfall, mild temperatures, lower humidity during winter (northeast monsoon, December to April)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fabric, petroleum products, fertilizer, plastics, machinery, transport equipment; cement, construction materials, crude oil; food products, edible oil", "CAPITAL": "name: :Rangoon (Yangon); note - Nay Pyi Taw is the administrative capital; geographic coordinates: :16 48 N, 96 09 E; time difference: :UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$2.931 billion; expenditures: :$4.835 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw): Army (Tatmadaw Kyi), Navy (Tatmadaw Yay), Air Force (Tatmadaw Lay) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "18.65 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "64 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "rice, pulses, beans, sesame, groundnuts, sugarcane; fish and fish products; hardwood", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "7 regions (taing-myar, singular - taing) and 7 states (pyi ne-myar, singular - pyi ne); regions: :Ayeyawady (Irrawaddy), Bago, Magway, Mandalay, Sagaing, Taninthayi, Yangon; states: :Chin, Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Mon, Rakhine (Arakan), Shan; union territory: :Nay Pyi Taw", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Thailand 35%, China 24.5%, India 11.9%, Japan 6.6%, South Korea 4.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "natural gas, wood products, pulses, beans, fish, rice, clothing, jade and gems", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :70%; industry: :7%; services: :23% (2001)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.8%; highest 10%: :32.4% (1998)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "32.7% (2007 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and water; inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute to disease", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :28; over 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :4; 914 to 1,523 m: :10; 13 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :36; over 3,047 m: :12; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :11; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :12; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Various ethnic Burmese and ethnic minority city-states or kingdoms occupied the present borders through the 19th century. Over a period of 62 years (1824-1886), Britain conquered Burma and incorporated the country into its Indian Empire. Burma was administered as a province of India until 1937 when it became a separate, self-governing colony; in 1948, Burma attained independence from the British Commonwealth. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to 1988, first as military ruler, then as self-appointed president, and later as political kingpin. In response to widespread civil unrest, NE WIN resigned in 1988, but within months the military crushed student-led protests and took power. Multiparty legislative elections in 1990 resulted in the main opposition party - the National League for Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory. Instead of handing over power, the junta placed NLD leader (and Nobel Peace Prize recipient) AUNG SAN SUU KYI (ASSK) under house arrest from 1989 to 1995, 2000 to 2002, and from May 2003 to November 2010. In late September 2007, the ruling junta brutally suppressed protests over increased fuel prices led by prodemocracy activists and Buddhist monks, killing at least 13 people and arresting thousands for participating in the demonstrations. In early May 2008, Burma was struck by Cyclone Nargis, which left over 138,000 dead and tens of thousands injured and homeless. Despite this tragedy, the junta proceeded with its May constitutional referendum, the first vote in Burma since 1990. Parliamentary elections held in November 2010, considered flawed by many in the international community, saw the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party garner over 75% of the seats. Parliament convened in January 2011 and selected former Prime Minister THEIN SEIN as president. Although the vast majority of national-level appointees named by THEIN SEIN are former or current military officers, the government has initiated a series of political and economic reforms leading to a substantial opening of the long-isolated country. These reforms have included allowing ASSK to contest parliamentary by-elections on 1 April 2012, releasing hundreds of political prisoners, reaching preliminary peace agreements with 10 of the 11 major armed ethnic groups, enacting laws that provide better protections for basic human rights, and gradually reducing restrictions on freedom of the press, association, and civil society. At least due in part to these reforms, ASSK now serves as an elected Member of Parliament and chair of the Committee for Rule of Law and Tranquility. Most political parties have begun building their institutions in preparation for the next round of general elections in 2015. The country is the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for 2014.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :522,478; female: :506,388 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :10,451,515; females age 16-49: :11,181,537 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-35 years of age (men) and 18-27 years of age (women) for voluntary military service; no conscription (a 2010 law reintroducing conscription has not yet entered into force); service obligation 2 years; male (ages 18-45) and female (ages 18-35) professionals (including doctors, engineers, mechanics) serve up to 3 years; service terms may be stretched to 5 years in an officially declared emergency; Burma signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on 15 August 1991; on 27 June 2012, the regime signed a Joint Action Plan on prevention of child recruitment; in February 2013, the military formed a new task force to address forced child conscription, which reportedly continues (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Texas", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); periodic droughts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Andaman Sea / Bay of Bengal 0 m; highest point: :Gamlang Razi 5,870 m", "HELIPORTS": "11 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.77 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "4 (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 3 (2007)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :37.1%; industry: :21.3%; services: :41.6% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "22 00 N, 98 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :26.4% (male 7,498,179/female 7,209,588); 15-24 years: :18.3% (male 5,163,399/female 5,037,117); 25-54 years: :43.1% (male 11,930,777/female 12,073,741); 55-64 years: :7% (male 1,836,463/female 2,059,482); 65 years and over: :5.3% (male 1,277,919/female 1,659,588) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Burundi", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Dawn M. LIBERI (since 10 July 2012); embassy: :Avenue des Etats-Unis, Bujumbura; mailing address: :B. P. 1720, Bujumbura; telephone: :[257; FAX: :[257", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$900 (2014 est.); $900 (2013 est.); $900 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "4.7% (2014 est.); 4.5% (2013 est.); 4% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.28% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$8.396 billion (2014 est.); $8.016 billion (2013 est.); $7.673 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :89.2%; youth dependency ratio: :84.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :4.5%; potential support ratio: :22.2% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "2.6% of GDP (2014 est.); -0.7% of GDP (2013 est.); 2.7% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :74.6%; government consumption: :21.9%; investment in fixed capital: :27.9%; investment in inventories: :-1.7%; exports of goods and services: :7.1%; imports of goods and services: :-29.6%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "21.9% (2010/11)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "21.3; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2010 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :433,187; percentage: :19% (2005 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "315,100 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "1,429 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "2,270 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "98.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "1.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "52,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "95 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "236.4 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "152 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "lion; national colors: red, white, green", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "2.9% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.9 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.03 physicians/1,000 population (2004)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "8.1% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "29.1% (2011)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "800 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "27.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "BUJUMBURA (capital) 707,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Burundi Bwacu\" (Our Beloved Burundi); lyrics/music: :Jean-Baptiste NTAHOKAJA/Marc BARENGAYABO; note: :adopted 1962", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 42.7% of population; rural: 48.1% of population; total: 47.5% of population; urban: 57.3% of population; rural: 51.9% of population; total: 52.5% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 91.5% of population; rural: 73.2% of population; total: 75.3% of population; urban: 8.5% of population; rural: 26.8% of population; total: 24.7% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$551.4 million (31 December 2014 est.); $521.6 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$394.9 million (31 December 2014 est.); $375.2 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-controlled La Radiodiffusion et Television Nationale de Burundi (RTNB) operates the lone TV station and the only national radio network; about 10 privately owned radio stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available in Bujumbura (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :11.8% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :5.66% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$691.2 million (31 December 2014 est.); $617.5 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$189.9 million (31 December 2008); $141 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$261.6 million (31 December 2008); $208.7 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "15% (31 December 2014 est.); 15.15% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "11.25% (31 December 2010); 10% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.8% of GDP (2012)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :10 years; male: :11 years; female: :10 years (2010)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.29 cu km/yr (15%/5%/79%); per capita: :43.27 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "12.54 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Burundi is a source country for children and possibly women subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; business people recruit Burundian girls for prostitution domestically, as well as in Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, and the Middle East, and recruit boys and girls for forced labor in Burundi and Tanzania; children and young adults are coerced into forced labor in farming, mining, construction, informal commerce, or fishing; some family members, friends, and neighbors are complicit in exploiting children, luring them in with offers of educational or job opportunities; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Burundi does not comply fully with the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute a significant effort toward meeting the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking; in 2013, the government established a national coordinating body to oversee anti-trafficking efforts, completed a national action plan, and worked to finalize anti-trafficking legislation; law enforcement efforts remained modest, and investigations focused on transnational trafficking; most victim assistance continued to be provided by NGOs without government support; a system for identifying victims among vulnerable populations and referring victims to care providers was not finalized (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$3.037 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :53,628 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2015); IDPs: :77,600 (the majority are ethnic Tutsi displaced by inter-communal violence that broke out after the 1993 coup and fighting between government forces and rebel groups; no new displacements since 2008 when the last rebel group laid down its arms) (2013); stateless persons: :1,302 (2013)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria and dengue fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$321.4 million (31 December 2014 est.); $329.4 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$554 million (2014 est.); -$562.9 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "38.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 38.6% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "229 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :17 years; male: :16.7 years; female: :17.2 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "42.4 (1998)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "4,700 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "82,600 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "1.03% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".bi", "INTERNET_USERS": "157,800 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "2.247 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "17,400 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Ernest NDABASHINZE (since 21 May 2014); chancery: :Suite 408, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :27,830 sq km; land: :25,680 sq km; water: :2,150 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "214.3 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Burundi; conventional short form: :Burundi; local long form: :Republique du Burundi/Republika y'u Burundi; local short form: :Burundi; former: :Urundi", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "6.14 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, some plains", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :sparse system of open-wire, radiotelephone communications, and low-capacity microwave radio relays; domestic: :telephone density one of the lowest in the world; fixed-line connections stand at well less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage is increasing but remains at roughly 20 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 257; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Catholic 62.1%, Protestant 23.9% (includes Adventist 2.3% and other Protestant 21.6%), Muslim 2.5%, other 3.6%, unspecified 7.9% (2008 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "lake port(s): :Bujumbura (Lake Tanganyika)", "POPULATION": "10,395,931; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Burundi Democratic Front or FRODEBU [Leonce NGENDAKUMANA; National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Front for the Defense of Democracy or CNDD-FDD [Jeremie NGENDAKUMANA; Union for National Progress (Union pour le Progress Nationale) or UPRONA [Bonaventure NIYOYANKANA; note: :a multiparty system introduced in 1998 includes:; National Council for the Defense of Democracy or CNDD [Leonard NYANGOMA; National Resistance Movement for the Rehabilitation of the Citizen or MRC-Rurenzangemero [Epitace BANYAGANAKANDI; Party for National Redress or PARENA [Jean-Baptiste BAGAZA", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country with an underdeveloped manufacturing sector. The economy is predominantly agricultural; agriculture accounts for just over 40% of GDP and employs more than 90% of the population. Burundi's primary exports are coffee and tea, which account for 90% of foreign exchange earnings, though exports are a relatively small share of GDP. Therefore, Burundi's export earnings - and its ability to pay for imports - rests primarily on weather conditions and international coffee and tea prices. An ethnic-based war that lasted until 2005 resulted in more than 200,000 deaths, forced more than 48,000 refugees into Tanzania, and displaced 140,000 others internally. Food, medicine, and electricity remain in short supply. Burundi's GDP grew around 4% annually in 2006-14. Political stability and the end of the civil war have improved aid flows and economic activity has increased, but underlying weaknesses - a high poverty rate, poor education rates, a weak legal system, a poor transportation network, overburdened utilities, and low administrative capacity - risk undermining planned economic reforms. Government corruption is hindering the development of a healthy private sector as companies have to deal with ever changing rules. The purchasing power of most Burundians has decreased as wage increases have not kept up with inflation. Burundi will remain heavily dependent on aid from bilateral and multilateral donors - foreign aid represents 42% of Burundi's national income, the second highest rate in Sub-Saharan Africa. Burundi joined the East African Community (EAC) in 2009, and regional infrastructure improvements driven by the EAC and funded by the World Bank may help improve Burundi�s transport connections and lower transportation costs.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Forum for the Strengthening of Civil Society or FORSC [Pacifique NININAHAZWE; Observatoire de lutte contre la corruption et les malversations economiques or OLUCOME [Gabriel RUFYIRI; other: :Hutu and Tutsi militias (loosely organized)", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed; the Kagera, which drains into Lake Victoria, is the most remote headstream of the White Nile", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum, vanadium, arable land, hydropower, niobium, tantalum, gold, tin, tungsten, kaolin, limestone", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Burundian(s); adjective: :Burundian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 1 July (1962)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, CEMAC, CEPGL, CICA, COMESA, EAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,182,327; females age 16-49: :2,202,125 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :86.9%; male: :88.8%; female: :84.6% (2008 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :59.55 years; male: :57.94 years; female: :61.22 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate (54 seats; 34 members indirectly elected by an electoral college of provincial councils using a two-thirds majority vote and 20 seats reserved for former heads of state; members serve 5-year terms) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (100 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote with a required ethnic mix of 60 percent Hutu and 40 percent Tutsi, and at least 30 percent women; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 23 July 2010 (next to be held in 2015); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CNDD-FDD 81.2%, UPRONA 11.6%, FRODEBU 5.9%, other 1.3%; seats by party - CNDD-FDD 81, UPRONA 17, FRODEBU 5, other 3", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of Belgian civil law and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "Kirundi 29.7% (official), Kirundi and other language 9.1%, French (official) and French and other language 0.3%, Swahili and Swahili and other language 0.2% (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area), English and English and other language 0.06%, more than 2 languages 3.7%, unspecified 56.9% (2008 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :42.83%; permanent crops: :13.63%; other: :43.54% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,140 km; border countries: :Democratic Republic of the Congo 236 km, Rwanda 315 km, Tanzania 589 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "4.806 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of 9 judges and organized into judicial, administrative, and cassation chambers); judge selection and term of office: :judges nominated by the Judicial Service Commission, a 15-member independent body of judicial and legal profession officials); judges appointed by the president with the approval of the Senate; judge tenure NA; subordinate courts: :Courts of Appeal; County Courts; Courts of Residence", "WATERWAYS": "(mainly on Lake Tanganyika between Bujumbura, Burundi's principal port, and lake ports in Tanzania, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "5.4% (2014 est.); 7.9% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :63.44 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :70.22 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :56.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "light consumer goods (blankets, shoes, soap, beer); assembly of imported components; public works construction; food processing", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "6% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration)", "IMPORTS": "$873 million (2014 est.); $884.3 million (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :12,322 km; paved: :1,286 km; unpaved: :11,036 km (2004)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "divided by a white diagonal cross into red panels (top and bottom) and green panels (hoist side and fly side) with a white disk superimposed at the center bearing three red six-pointed stars outlined in green arranged in a triangular design (one star above, two stars below); green symbolizes hope and optimism, white purity and peace, and red the blood shed in the struggle for independence; the three stars in the disk represent the three major ethnic groups: Hutu, Twa, Tutsi, as well as the three elements in the national motto: unity, work, progress", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$742.1 million (31 December 2014 est.); $705.8 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$113.6 million (2014 est.); $91.8 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Pierre NKURUNZIZA (since 26 August 2005); First Vice President Prosper BAZOMBAZA (since 13 February 2014); Second Vice President Gervais RUFYIKIRI (since 29 August 2010); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Pierre NKURUNZIZA (since 26 August 2005); First Vice President Prosper BAZOMBAZA (since 13 February 2014); Second Vice President Gervais RUFYIKIRI (since 29 August 2010); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by president; elections: :the president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 28 June 2010 (next to be held in 2015); vice presidents nominated by the president, endorsed by parliament; election results: :Pierre NKURUNZIZA elected president by popular vote; Pierre NKURUNZIZA 91.6%, other 8.4%; note - opposition parties withdrew from the election due to alleged government interference in the electoral process", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Burundi francs (BIF) per US dollar -; 1,548.5 (2014 est.); 1,555.09 (2013 est.); 1,442.51 (2012 est.); 1,261.07 (2011 est.); 1,230.8 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%, Europeans 3,000, South Asians 2,000", "DEATH_RATE": "9.54 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest ratified by popular referendum 28 February 2005 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Saudi Arabia 13.3%, China 8.7%, Tanzania 8%, Belgium 7.6%, Kenya 7.5%, Uganda 7%, Zambia 5.6%, India 5.2%, South Africa 4.6% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude variation (772 m to 2,670 m above sea level); average annual temperature varies with altitude from 23 to 17 degrees centigrade but is generally moderate as the average altitude is about 1,700 m; average annual rainfall is about 150 cm; two wet seasons (February to May and September to November), and two dry seasons (June to August and December to January)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "capital goods, petroleum products, foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Bujumbura; geographic coordinates: :3 22 S, 29 21 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$847.3 million; expenditures: :$933.2 million (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "National Defense Forces (Forces de Defense Nationale, FDN): Army (includes maritime wing, Air Wing), National Gendarmerie (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "42.33 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "7 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coffee, cotton, tea, corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, cassava (manioc, tapioca); beef, milk, hides", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "17 provinces; Bubanza, Bujumbura Mairie, Bujumbura Rural, Bururi, Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Gitega, Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo, Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Mwaro, Ngozi, Rutana, Ruyigi", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 11.4%, Pakistan 9.3%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 9.2%, Sweden 8.2%, China 7.5%, Uganda 7%, Egypt 5.9%, Belgium 4.4%, France 4.4% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "coffee, tea, sugar, cotton, hides", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :93.6%; industry: :2.3%; services: :4.1% (2002 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :4.1%; highest 10%: :28% (2006)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "68% (2002 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "2.39% of GDP (2012); NA% (2011); 2.39% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Law of the Sea", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "soil erosion as a result of overgrazing and the expansion of agriculture into marginal lands; deforestation (little forested land remains because of uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel); habitat loss threatens wildlife populations", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :6; 914 to 1,523 m: :4; 2 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; over 3,047 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "___no_BACKGROUND__provided__", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :117,956; female: :116,956 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,398,769; females age 16-49: :1,481,417 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; the armed forces law of 31 December 2004 did not specify a minimum age for enlistment, but the government claimed that no one younger than 18 was being recruited; mandatory retirement age 45 (enlisted), 50 (NCOs), and 55 (officers) (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Maryland", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "flooding; landslides; drought", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Lake Tanganyika 772 m; highest point: :Heha 2,670 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2012)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.67 male(s)/female; total population: :0.98 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (2001)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 0, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :40.3%; industry: :17.1%; services: :42.5% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "3 30 S, 30 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :45.7% (male 2,385,571/female 2,361,367); 15-24 years: :19.3% (male 1,001,486/female 1,005,617); 25-54 years: :28.6% (male 1,483,936/female 1,491,401); 55-64 years: :3.9% (male 190,707/female 216,983); 65 years and over: :2.5% (male 109,434/female 149,429) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Cabo Verde", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Donald L. HEFLIN (since 29 January 2015); embassy: :Rua Abilio Macedo 6, Praia; mailing address: :C. P. 201, Praia; telephone: :[238; FAX: :[238", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$6,300 (2014 est.); $6,400 (2013 est.); $6,400 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1% (2014 est.); 0.5% (2013 est.); 1.2% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.39% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$3.286 billion (2014 est.); $3.253 billion (2013 est.); $3.236 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :51.7%; youth dependency ratio: :43.8%; elderly dependency ratio: :8%; potential support ratio: :12.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "33.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 35% of GDP (2013 est.); 28.8% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :57%; government consumption: :17.7%; investment in fixed capital: :33.6%; investment in inventories: :0.8%; exports of goods and services: :36.9%; imports of goods and services: :-46%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "61.3% (2005)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "19.5; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2005 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :1,948; percentage: :3%; note: :data represent children ages 10-14 (2001 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "385,700 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "2,646 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "2,780 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "31.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "68.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "121,300 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "285.5 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "307 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "ten, five-pointed, yellow stars; national colors: blue, white, red, yellow", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "10% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.1 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.3 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "3.9% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "79 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-7.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "24.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "PRAIA (capital) 145,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Cantico da Liberdade\" (Song of Freedom); lyrics/music: :Amilcar Spencer LOPES/Adalberto Higino Tavares SILVA; note: :adopted 1996", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 75.2% of population; rural: 47.2% of population; total: 64.9% of population; urban: 24.8% of population; rural: 52.8% of population; total: 35.1% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 91.2% of population; rural: 86% of population; total: 89.3% of population; urban: 8.8% of population; rural: 14% of population; total: 10.7% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$1.606 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$579.4 million (31 December 2014 est.); $596.1 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-run TV and radio broadcast network plus a growing number of private broadcasters; Portuguese public TV and radio services for Africa are available; transmissions of a few international broadcasters are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :64.8% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.99% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$1.55 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.616 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$721.3 million (31 December 2008); $689 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$563.4 million (31 December 2008); $574 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "10.6% (31 December 2014 est.); 10.54% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "7.5% (31 December 2010); 7.5% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :13 years; male: :13 years; female: :14 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.02 cu km/yr (6%/1%/93%); per capita: :48.57 cu m/yr (2004)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "0.3 cu km (2011)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$1.975 billion (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$491.1 million (31 December 2014 est.); $475 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$162 million (2014 est.); -$51.5 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "86.2% of GDP (2012 est.); 78.1% of GDP (2011 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "38 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :24 years; male: :23.2 years; female: :24.8 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "1,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.47% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".cv", "INTERNET_USERS": "150,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "425,300 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "70,200 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Jose Luis Fialho ROCHA (since 14 July 2014); chancery: :3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Boston", "AREA": "total: :4,033 sq km; land: :4,033 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "34.76 sq km (2004)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Cabo Verde; conventional short form: :Cabo Verde; local long form: :Republica de Cabo Verde; local short form: :Cabo Verde", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "21% (2000 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.34 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :effective system, extensive modernization from 1996-2000 following partial privatization in 1995; domestic: :major service provider is Cabo Verde Telecom ;fiber-optic ring, completed in 2001, links all islands providing Internet access and ISDN services; cellular service introduced in 1998; broadband services launched in 2004; international: :country code - 238; landing point for the Atlantis-2 fiber-optic transatlantic telephone cable that provides links to South America, Senegal, and Europe; HF radiotelephone to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 77.3%, Protestant 3.7% (includes Church of the Nazarene 1.7%, Adventist 1.5%, Universal Kingdom of God 0.4%, and God and Love 0.1%), other Christian 4.3% (includes Christian Rationalism 1.9%, Jehovah's Witness 1%, Assembly of God 0.9%, and New Apostolic 0.5%), Muslim 1.8%, other 1.3%, none 10.8%, unspecified 0.7% (2010 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Porto Grande", "POPULATION": "538,535 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "African Party for Independence of Cabo Verde or PAICV [Janira Hopffer ALMADA; Democratic and Independent Cabo Verdean Union or UCID [Antonio MONTEIRO; Democratic Christian Party or PDC [Manuel RODRIGUES; Democratic Renovation Party or PRD [Victor FIDALGO; Movement for Democracy or MPD [Ulisses CORREIA e Silva; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO; Party of Work and Solidarity or PTS [Anibal MEDINA; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Joao ALEM", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Cabo Verde�s economy is vulnerable to external shocks and depends on development aid, foreign investment, remittances, and tourism. The economy is service-oriented with commerce, transport, tourism, and public services accounting for about three-fourths of GDP. Tourism is the mainstay of the economy and depends on conditions in the euro zone countries. Although about 40% of the population lives in rural areas, the share of food production in GDP is low. The island economy suffers from a poor natural resource base, including serious water shortages, exacerbated by cycles of long-term drought, and poor soil for growing food on several of the islands, requiring it to import most of what it consumes. The fishing potential, mostly lobster and tuna, is not fully exploited. Cabo Verde annually runs a high trade deficit financed by foreign aid and remittances from its large pool of emigrants; remittances as a share of GDP are one of the highest in sub-Saharan Africa. Economic reforms are aimed at developing the private sector and attracting foreign investment to diversify the economy and mitigate high unemployment. The government�s elevated debt levels have limited its capacity to finance any shortfalls.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :environmentalists; political pressure groups", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish, clay, gypsum", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Cabo Verdean(s); adjective: :Cabo Verdean", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 5 July (1975)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :13; by type: :cargo 3, chemical tanker 2, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 1; foreign-owned: :3 (Greece 1, Spain 1, UK 1); registered in other countries: :1 (unknown 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, CD, CPLP, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "measured from claimed archipelagic baselines; territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :132,087; females age 16-49: :136,956 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :85.3%; male: :90.5%; female: :80.5% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :71.57 years; male: :69.32 years; female: :73.89 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (72 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 6 February 2011 (next to be held by 2016); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAICV 38, MPD 32, UCID 2", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system of Portugal", "LANGUAGES": "Portuguese (official), Crioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West African words)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :11.66%; permanent crops: :0.74%; other: :87.59% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "196,100 (2007 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Justice (consists of the chief justice and at least 5 judges); judge selection and term of office: :judges appointments - 1 by the president of the republic, 1 elected by the National Assembly, and the remainder by the Supreme Council of Magistrates, a 9-member independent body presided over by the chief justice and includes the high judicial inspector, 2 presidential appointees, 3 elected by the National Assembly, and 2 by their court peers; chief justice appointed by the president of the republic from among peers of the Supreme Court and in consultation with the Supreme Council of Magistrates; judge tenure NA; subordinate courts: :first instance (municipal) courts; audit, military, and fiscal and customs courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.4% (2014 est.); 1.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :24.28 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :27.82 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :20.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "food and beverages, fish processing, shoes and garments, salt mining, ship repair", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.6% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "5 July 1975 (from Portugal)", "IMPORTS": "$888.2 million (2014 est.); $804.4 million (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "used as a transshipment point for Latin American cocaine destined for Western Europe, particularly because of Lusophone links to Brazil, Portugal, and Guinea-Bissau; has taken steps to deter drug money laundering, including a 2002 anti-money laundering reform that criminalizes laundering the proceeds of narcotics trafficking and other crimes and the establishment in 2008 of a Financial Intelligence Unit (2008)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :1,350 km; paved: :932 km; unpaved: :418 km (2013)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "five unequal horizontal bands; the top-most band of blue - equal to one half the width of the flag - is followed by three bands of white, red, and white, each equal to 1/12 of the width, and a bottom stripe of blue equal to one quarter of the flag width; a circle of 10, yellow, five-pointed stars is centered on the red stripe and positioned 3/8 of the length of the flag from the hoist side; blue stands for the sea and the sky, the circle of stars represents the 10 major islands united into a nation, the stripes symbolize the road to formation of the country through peace (white) and effort (red)", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$1.559 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.421 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$189.8 million (2014 est.); $184.2 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Jorge Carlos FONSECA (since 9 September 2011); head of government: :Prime Minister Jose Maria Pereira NEVES (since 1 February 2001); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 7 August 2011 with a second round on 21 August 2011 (next to be held in 2016); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the president; election results: :percent of vote (second round) - Jorge Carlos FONSECA 53.4%, Manuel Inocencio SOUSA 46.6%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Cabo Verdean escudos (CVE) per US dollar -; 82.58 (2014 est.); 83.051 (2013 est.); 85.82 (2012 est.); 79.32 (2011 est.); 83.259 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Creole (mulatto) 71%, African 28%, European 1%", "DEATH_RATE": "6.17 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1981; latest effective 25 September 1992; revised 1995, 1999, 2010 (2010)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Portugal 33.5%, Netherlands 25.2%, China 7.7%, Spain 6.4%, Belgium 5.6% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "965 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and erratic", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foodstuffs, industrial products, transport equipment, fuels", "CAPITAL": "name: :Praia; geographic coordinates: :14 55 N, 23 31 W; time difference: :UTC-1 (4 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$478.3 million; expenditures: :$617.6 million (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Armed Forces: Army (also called the National Guard, GN), Cabo Verde Coast Guard (Guardia Costeira de Cabo Verde, GCCV; includes naval infantry) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "20.72 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "9 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "bananas, corn, beans, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, coffee, peanuts; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "22 municipalities (concelhos, singular - concelho); Boa Vista, Brava, Maio, Mosteiros, Paul, Porto Novo, Praia, Ribeira Brava, Ribeira Grande, Ribeira Grande de Santiago, Sal, Santa Catarina, Santa Catarina do Fogo, Santa Cruz, Sao Domingos, Sao Filipe, Sao Lourenco dos Orgaos, Sao Miguel, Sao Salvador do Mundo, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal, Tarrafal de Sao Nicolau", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Spain 56%, Portugal 19.4%, India 5.3%, Italy 4.8% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fuel (re-exports), shoes, garments, fish, hides", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.9%; highest 10%: :40.6% (2000)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "30% (2000)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "NA% (2012); 0.51% of GDP (2011); NA% (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "soil erosion; deforestation due to demand for firewood; water shortages; desertification; environmental damage has threatened several species of birds and reptiles; illegal beach sand extraction; overfishing", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :9; over 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :3; under 914 m: :2 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century; Cabo Verde subsequently became a trading center for African slaves and later an important coaling and resupply stop for whaling and transatlantic shipping. Following independence in 1975, and a tentative interest in unification with Guinea-Bissau, a one-party system was established and maintained until multi-party elections were held in 1990. Cabo Verde continues to exhibit one of Africa's most stable democratic governments. Repeated droughts during the second half of the 20th century caused significant hardship and prompted heavy emigration. As a result, Cabo Verde's expatriate population is greater than its domestic one. Most Cabo Verdeans have both African and Portuguese antecedents.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :6,029; female: :6,026 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :106,864; females age 16-49: :117,518 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-35 years of age for male and female selective compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years; 17 years of age for voluntary service (with parental consent) (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than Rhode Island", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active; volcanism: :Fogo (elev. 2,829 m), which last erupted in 1995, is Cabo Verde's only active volcano", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mt. Fogo 2,829 m (a volcano on Fogo Island)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.6 male(s)/female; total population: :0.94 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (plus 7 repeaters) (2001)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 0, FM 22 (plus 12 repeaters), shortwave 0 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :10%; industry: :18.6%; services: :71.4% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "16 00 N, 24 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :30.6% (male 82,942/female 82,069); 15-24 years: :21.4% (male 57,633/female 57,637); 25-54 years: :38% (male 99,248/female 105,381); 55-64 years: :4.9% (male 10,917/female 15,352); 65 years and over: :5.1% (male 10,322/female 17,034) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Cambodia", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador William E. TODD (since 17 April 2012); mailing address: :Box P, APO AP 96546; telephone: :[855; FAX: :[855", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$3,300 (2014 est.); $3,100 (2013 est.); $2,900 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "7.2% (2014 est.); 7.4% (2013 est.); 7.3% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.63% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$50.25 billion (2014 est.); $46.88 billion (2013 est.); $43.64 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :57.6%; youth dependency ratio: :49%; elderly dependency ratio: :8.6%; potential support ratio: :11.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "12.8% of GDP (2014 est.); 15% of GDP (2013 est.); 14.8% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :77%; government consumption: :7.3%; investment in fixed capital: :18.4%; investment in inventories: :1.5%; exports of goods and services: :60.8%; imports of goods and services: :-65%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "50.5% (2010/11)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "22.8; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2010 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :1,345,269; percentage: :39% (2001 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "6.055 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "26,250 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "47,490 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0.5 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "36% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "63% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "574,900 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "1.644 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "2.339 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "991.2 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Angkor Wat temple, kouprey (wild ox); national colors: red, blue", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :3.4%; male: :3.5%; female: :3.3% (2008 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "2.1% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.23 physicians/1,000 population (2008)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.4% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "29% (2011)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "250 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "17.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "PHNOM PENH (capital) 1.684 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Nokoreach\" (Royal Kingdom); lyrics/music: :CHUON NAT/F. PERRUCHOT and J. JEKYLL; note: :adopted 1941, restored 1993; the anthem, based on a Cambodian folk tune, was restored after the defeat of the Communist regime", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 81.6% of population; rural: 25.5% of population; total: 36.8% of population; urban: 18.4% of population; rural: 74.5% of population; total: 63.2% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 93.9% of population; rural: 65.6% of population; total: 71.3% of population; urban: 6.1% of population; rural: 34.4% of population; total: 28.7% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$9.918 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $8.236 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$1.354 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.194 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "mixture of state-owned, joint public-private, and privately owned broadcast media; 9 TV broadcast stations with most operating on multiple channels, including 1 state-operated station broadcasting from multiple locations, 6 stations either jointly operated or privately owned with some broadcasting from several locations, and 2 TV relay stations - one relaying a French TV station and the other relaying a Vietnamese TV station; multi-channel cable and satellite systems are available; roughly 50 radio broadcast stations - 1 state-owned broadcaster with multiple stations and a large mixture of public and private broadcasters; several international broadcasters are available (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :20.5% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.65% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$7.37 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $6.184 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$3.197 billion (31 December 2009); $2.328 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$591.7 million (31 December 2008); $513.6 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "12.6% (31 December 2014 est.); 12.8% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "NA% (31 December 2012); 5.25% (31 December 2007)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.6% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :11 years; male: :12 years; female: :10 years (2008)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :2.18 cu km/yr (4%/2%/94%); per capita: :159.8 cu m/yr (2006)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "476.1 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Cambodia is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Cambodian men, women, and children migrate to countries within the region and, increasingly, Africa for legitimate work but are subsequently subjected to sex trafficking, domestic servitude, debt bondage, or forced labor, often in the fishing industry; poor Cambodian children are subject to forced labor, including domestic servitude and forced begging, in Thailand and Vietnam; Cambodian and ethnic Vietnamese women and girls are trafficked from rural areas to urban centers for sexual exploitation; Cambodian men are the main exploiters of child prostitutes, but men from other Asian countries, the US, and Europe travel to Cambodia for child sex tourism; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List - Cambodia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; in 2013, the government drafted and implemented a pilot program to test a standardized, nationwide system for identifying victims of vulnerable groups; authorities prosecuted and convicted fewer trafficking offenders and identified fewer victims than in the previous year; corruption continued to impede anti-trafficking endeavors; victims were systematically referred to NGO shelters, which provide the majority of services to those in need, but the lack of available long-term care made victims, particularly children, vulnerable to re-trafficking; efforts to punish fraudulent labor recruiters declined (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$16.9 billion (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$5.801 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.995 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.791 billion (2014 est.); -$1.607 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "NA% of GDP", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "13,784 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :24.1 years; male: :23.4 years; female: :24.8 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "37.9 (2008 est.); 41.9 (2004 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "2,200 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "75,200 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.74% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".kh", "INTERNET_USERS": "78,500 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "19.1 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "584,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador HENG HEM (since 29 January 2009); chancery: :4530 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Seattle", "AREA": "total: :181,035 sq km; land: :176,515 sq km; water: :4,520 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "3,536 sq km (2006)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Southeast Asia", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Kingdom of Cambodia; conventional short form: :Cambodia; local long form: :Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea (phonetic pronunciation); local short form: :Kampuchea; former: :Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea, People's Republic of Kampuchea, State of Cambodia", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "0% (2011 est.); 0.3% (2010 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.66 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :adequate fixed-line and/or cellular service in Phnom Penh and other provincial cities; mobile-cellular phone systems are widely used in urban areas to bypass deficiencies in the fixed-line network; mobile-phone coverage is rapidly expanding in rural areas; domestic: :fixed-line connections stand at about 4 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage, aided by competition among service providers, is increasing rapidly and stands at 92 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 855; adequate but expensive landline and cellular service available to all countries from Phnom Penh and major provincial cities; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Buddhist (official) 96.9%, Muslim 1.9%, Christian 0.4%, other 0.8% (2008 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :690 km; narrow gauge: :690 km 1.000-m gauge; note: :under restoration (2010)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Sihanoukville (Kampong Saom); river port(s): :Phnom Penh (Mekong)", "POPULATION": "15,458,332; note: :estimates for this country 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Cambodian National Rescue Party or CNRP [SAM RANGSI also spelled SAM RAINSY; Cambodian People's Party or CPP [CHEA SIM; National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia or FUNCINPEC [NORODOM RANARIDDH; Nationalist Party or NP former Norodom Ranariddh Party or NRP [SAO RANY; note: :the CNRP is a merger between the former Human Rights Party or HRP [KHEM SOKHA, also spelled KEM SOKHA", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Since 2004, garments, construction, agriculture, and tourism have driven Cambodia's growth. GDP climbed at least 7% per year between 2011 and 2014. The garment industry currently employs about 500,000 people and accounts for some 70% of Cambodia's total exports. In 2005, exploitable oil deposits were found beneath Cambodia's territorial waters, representing a potential revenue stream for the government, if commercial extraction becomes feasible. Mining also is attracting some investor interest and the government has touted opportunities for mining bauxite, gold, iron and gems. The tourism industry has continued to grow rapidly with foreign arrivals exceeding 2 million per year since 2007 and reaching over 3 million visitors in 2012. Cambodia, nevertheless, remains one of the poorest countries in Asia and long-term economic development remains a daunting challenge, inhibited by endemic corruption, limited educational opportunities, high income inequality, and poor job prospects. Approximately 4 million people live on less than $1.25 per day, and 37% of Cambodian children under the age of 5 suffer from chronic malnutrition. More than 50% of the population is less than 25 years old. The population lacks education and productive skills, particularly in the impoverished countryside, which also lacks basic infrastructure. The Cambodian Government is working with bilateral and multilateral donors, including the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and IMF, to address the country's many pressing needs; more than 50% of the government budget comes from donor assistance. A major economic challenge for Cambodia over the next decade will be fashioning an economic environment in which the private sector can create enough jobs to handle Cambodia's demographic imbalance. Worker unrest over labor conditions and the minimum monthly wage will prove challenging.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Cambodian Freedom Fighters or CFF; Partnership for Transparency Fund or PTF (anti-corruption organization); Students Movement for Democracy; The Committee for Free and Fair Elections or Comfrel; other: :human rights organizations; vendors", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap (Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake)", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "oil and gas, timber, gemstones, iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Cambodian(s); adjective: :Cambodian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 9 November (1953)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :544; by type: :bulk carrier 38, cargo 459, carrier 7, chemical tanker 4, container 4, liquefied gas 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 8, refrigerated cargo 11, roll on/roll off 4, vehicle carrier 1; foreign-owned: :352 (Belgium 1, Canada 2, China 177, Cyprus 4, Egypt 4, Estonia 1, French Polynesia 1, Gabon 1, Greece 2, Hong Kong 10, Indonesia 2, Ireland 1, Japan 1, Lebanon 5, Russia 50, Singapore 3, South Korea 10, Syria 22, Taiwan 1, Turkey 15, UAE 2, UK 1, Ukraine 35, Vietnam 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, ARF, ASEAN, CICA, CICA (observer), EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MINUSMA, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :3,883,724; females age 16-49: :4,003,585 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :73.9%; male: :82.8%; female: :65.9% (2009 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :63.78 years; male: :61.35 years; female: :66.32 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament of Cambodia consists of the Senate (61 seats; 57 indirectly elected by parliamentarians and commune councils, 2 indirectly elected by the National Assembly, and 2 appointed by the monarch; members serve 6-year terms) and the National Assembly (123 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :Senate - last held on 4 February 2012 (next to be held in February 2018); National Assembly - last held on 28 July 2013 (next to be held in July 2018); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - CPP 77.8%, CNRP (SRP) 22.2%; seats by party - CPP 46, CNRP (SRP) 11; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP 48.8%, NRP 44.5%, FUNCINPEC 3.9%, other 2.8%; seats by party - CPP 68, CNRP 55", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system (influenced by the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia) customary law, Communist legal theory, and common law", "LANGUAGES": "Khmer (official) 96.3%, other 3.7% (2008 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :23.23%; permanent crops: :0.88%; other: :75.9% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,530 km; border countries: :Laos 555 km, Thailand 817 km, Vietnam 1,158 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "7.9 million (2011 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (organized into 5- and 9-judge panels and includes a court chief and deputy chief); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members); note - in 1997, the Cambodian Government requested UN assistance in establishing trials to prosecute former Khmer Rouge senior leaders for crimes against humanity committed during the 1975-1979 Khmer Rouge regime; the Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts in Cambodia were established and began hearings for the first case in 2009; judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judge candidates recommended by the Supreme Council of Magistracy, a 9-member body chaired by the monarch and includes other high-level judicial officers; judges of both courts appointed by the monarch; Supreme Court judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed for 9-year terms with one-third of the court renewed every 3 years; subordinate courts: :municipal and provincial courts; appellate courts; military court", "WATERWAYS": "3,700 km (mainly on Mekong River) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "4.2% (2014 est.); 2.9% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :51.36 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :58.1 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :44.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, garments, construction, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "9% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "9 November 1953 (from France)", "IMPORTS": "$10.05 billion (2014 est.); $9.489 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :39,618 km; paved: :2,492 km; unpaved: :37,126 km (2009)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (double width), and blue with a white three-towered temple representing Angkor Wat outlined in black in the center of the red band; red and blue are traditional Cambodian colors; note: :only national flag to incorporate an actual building in its design", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$7.377 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $6.562 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$6.806 billion (2014 est.); $6.53 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :King Norodom SIHAMONI (since 29 October 2004); head of government: :Prime Minister HUN SEN (since 14 January 1985) [co-prime minister from 1993 to 1997; cabinet: :Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch; elections: :the king chosen by a Royal Throne Council from among all eligible males of royal descent; following legislative elections, a member of the majority party or majority coalition named prime minister by the Chairman of the National Assembly and appointed by the king", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "riels (KHR) per US dollar -; 4,032.9 (2014 est.); 4,027.3 (2013 est.); 4,033 (2012 est.); 4,058.5 (2011 est.); 4,184.9 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4%", "DEATH_RATE": "7.78 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1947; latest promulgated 21 September 1993; amended 1999, 2008 (2008)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Thailand 27%, China 22%, Vietnam 19.3%, Singapore 7.2%, Hong Kong 6% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "443 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum products, cigarettes, gold, construction materials, machinery, motor vehicles, pharmaceutical products", "CAPITAL": "name: :Phnom Penh; geographic coordinates: :11 33 N, 104 55 E; time difference: :UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$2.969 billion; expenditures: :$3.329 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Royal Cambodian Armed Forces: Royal Cambodian Army, Royal Khmer Navy, Royal Cambodian Air Force (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "24.4 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "16 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "rice, rubber, corn, vegetables, cashews, cassava (manioc, tapioca), silk", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "24 provinces (khett, singular and plural) and 1 municipality (krong, singular and plural); provinces: :Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Speu, Kampong Thom, Kampot, Kandal, Kep, Koh Kong, Kratie, Mondolkiri, Oddar Meanchey, Pailin, Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Pursat, Ratanakiri, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Stung Treng, Svay Rieng, Takeo, Tbong Khmum; municipalities: :Phnom Penh (Phnum Penh)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 28.6%, UK 8.8%, Germany 8.5%, Canada 7.6%, Japan 5.9%, Vietnam 5.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "clothing, timber, rubber, rice, fish, tobacco, footwear", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :55.8%; industry: :16.9%; services: :27.3% (2010 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3%; highest 10%: :37.3% (2007)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "20% (2012 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.54% of GDP (2012); 1.5% of GDP (2011); 1.54% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :Law of the Sea", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "illegal logging activities throughout the country and strip mining for gems in the western region along the border with Thailand have resulted in habitat loss and declining biodiversity (in particular, destruction of mangrove swamps threatens natural fisheries); soil erosion; in rural areas, most of the population does not have access to potable water; declining fish stocks because of illegal fishing and overfishing", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :10; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :7; 1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :6; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :3; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Most Cambodians consider themselves to be Khmers, descendants of the Angkor Empire that extended over much of Southeast Asia and reached its zenith between the 10th and 13th centuries. Attacks by the Thai and Cham (from present-day Vietnam) weakened the empire, ushering in a long period of decline. The king placed the country under French protection in 1863, and it became part of French Indochina in 1887. Following Japanese occupation in World War II, Cambodia gained full independence from France in 1953. In April 1975, after a five-year struggle, communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh and evacuated all cities and towns. At least 1.5 million Cambodians died from execution, forced hardships, or starvation during the Khmer Rouge regime under POL POT. A December 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside, began a 10-year Vietnamese occupation, and touched off almost 13 years of civil war. The 1991 Paris Peace Accords mandated democratic elections and a ceasefire, which was not fully respected by the Khmer Rouge. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of normalcy under a coalition government. Factional fighting in 1997 ended the first coalition government, but a second round of national elections in 1998 led to the formation of another coalition government and renewed political stability. The remaining elements of the Khmer Rouge surrendered in early 1999. Some of the surviving Khmer Rouge leaders have been tried or are awaiting trial for crimes against humanity by a hybrid UN-Cambodian tribunal supported by international assistance. Elections in July 2003 were relatively peaceful, but it took one year of negotiations between contending political parties before a coalition government was formed. In October 2004, King Norodom SIHANOUK abdicated the throne and his son, Prince Norodom SIHAMONI, was selected to succeed him. Local elections were held in Cambodia in April 2007, with little of the pre-election violence that preceded prior elections. National elections in July 2008 were relatively peaceful, as were commune council elections in June 2012.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :151,143; female: :154,542 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,638,167; females age 16-49: :2,965,328 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Oklahoma", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Gulf of Thailand 0 m; highest point: :Phnum Aoral 1,810 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.6 male(s)/female; total population: :0.94 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "9 (2009)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 50, shortwave NA (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :32.7%; industry: :25.5%; services: :41.8% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "13 00 N, 105 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :31.6% (male 2,460,659/female 2,423,619); 15-24 years: :20.5% (male 1,565,135/female 1,596,099); 25-54 years: :38.9% (male 2,938,366/female 3,082,496); 55-64 years: :5.1% (male 298,733/female 482,588); 65 years and over: :4% (male 229,684/female 380,953) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Cameroon", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Michael Stephen HOZA (since 19 September 2014); embassy: :Avenue Rosa Parks, Yaounde; mailing address: :P. O. Box 817, Yaounde; pouch: American Embassy, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520; telephone: :[237; FAX: :[237; branch office(s): :Douala", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$3,000 (2014 est.); $2,900 (2013 est.); $2,800 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "5.1% (2014 est.); 5.5% (2013 est.); 4.6% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.6% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$67.23 billion (2014 est.); $63.98 billion (2013 est.); $60.67 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :85.1%; youth dependency ratio: :79.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :6%; potential support ratio: :16.8% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "16.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 17.2% of GDP (2013 est.); 17.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :68.9%; government consumption: :14%; investment in fixed capital: :21%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :28.6%; imports of goods and services: :-32.5%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "23.4% (2011)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "19.7; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2011 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :1,396,281; percentage: :31% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "6.224 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "135.1 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "165 million cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "165 million cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "6,018 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "13,370 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "29,680 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "43,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "200 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "34,220 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "55,680 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "62,760 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "71.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "28.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "1.007 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "5.267 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "5.857 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "lion; national colors: green, red, yellow", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "10.3% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.3 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.08 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.1% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "15.1% (2011)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "690 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-4.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "17.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "YAOUNDE (capital) 2.93 million; Douala 2.838 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"O Cameroun, Berceau de nos Ancetres\" (O Cameroon, Cradle of Our Forefathers); lyrics/music: :Rene Djam AFAME, Samuel Minkio BAMBA, Moise Nyatte NKO'O [French; note: :adopted 1957; Cameroon's anthem, also known as \"Chant de Ralliement\" (The Rallying Song), has been used unofficially since 1948 and officially adopted in 1957; the anthem has French and English versions whose lyrics differ", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 61.7% of population; rural: 26.8% of population; total: 45.2% of population; urban: 38.3% of population; rural: 73.2% of population; total: 54.8% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 94.1% of population; rural: 51.9% of population; total: 74.1% of population; urban: 5.9% of population; rural: 48.1% of population; total: 25.9% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$6.439 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $6.633 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$3.861 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.988 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "government maintains tight control over broadcast media; state-owned Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), broadcasting on both a TV and radio network, was the only officially recognized and fully licensed broadcaster until August 2007 when the government finally issued licenses to 2 private TV broadcasters and 1 private radio broadcaster; about 70 privately owned, unlicensed radio stations operating but are subject to closure at any time; foreign news services required to partner with state-owned national station (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :53.8% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.6% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$3.318 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.114 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$1.756 billion (31 December 2008); $1.698 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$2.881 billion (31 December 2008); $2.616 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "13.8% (31 December 2014 est.); 14% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "4.25% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.2% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :10 years; male: :11 years; female: :10 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.97 cu km/yr (23%/10%/68%); per capita: :58.9 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "285.5 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$230 million (31 December 2012 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$32.16 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :245,300 (Central African Republic); 66,000 (Nigeria) (2015); IDPs: :117,700 (2015)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; respiratory disease: :meningococcal meningitis; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$3.503 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.384 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.253 billion (2014 est.); -$1.332 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "22.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 19.4% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "10,207 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :18.3 years; male: :18.2 years; female: :18.4 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "44.6 (2001); 47.7 (1996)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "43,600 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "603,800 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "4.27% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".cm", "INTERNET_USERS": "749,600 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "13.1 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "737,400 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Joseph FOE-ATANGANA (since 12 September 2008); chancery: :2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; current temporary address - 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s): :Houston, San Francisco", "AREA": "total: :475,440 sq km; land: :472,710 sq km; water: :2,730 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "256.5 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Central Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Cameroon; conventional short form: :Cameroon; local long form: :Republique du Cameroun/Republic of Cameroon; local short form: :Cameroun/Cameroon; former: :French Cameroon, British Cameroon, Federal Republic of Cameroon, United Republic of Cameroon", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "30% (2001 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic; multiparty presidential regime", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "4.82 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :system includes cable, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter; Camtel, the monopoly provider of fixed-line service, provides connections for only about 3 per 100 persons; equipment is old and outdated, and connections with many parts of the country are unreliable; domestic: :mobile-cellular usage, in part a reflection of the poor condition and general inadequacy of the fixed-line network, has increased sharply, reaching a subscribership base of 50 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 237; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "20 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :1,245 km; narrow gauge: :1,245 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "river port(s): :Douala (Wouri); Garoua (Benoue); oil/gas terminal(s): :Limboh Terminal", "POPULATION": "23,130,708; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Cameroon People's Democratic Movement or CPDM [Paul BIYA; Cameroon People's Party or CPP [Edith Kah WALLA; Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou Ndam NJOYA; Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA; Movement for the Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC [Marcel YONDO; National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Maigari BELLO BOUBA; Progressive Movement or MP [Jean-Jacques EKINDI; Social Democratic Front or SDF [John FRU NDI; Union of Peoples of Cameroon or UPC [Provisionary Management Bureau", "PIPELINES": "gas 53 km; liquid petroleum gas 5 km; oil 1,107 km; water 35 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Because of its modest oil resources and favorable agricultural conditions, Cameroon has one of the best-endowed primary commodity economies in sub-Saharan Africa. Still, it faces many of the serious problems confronting other underdeveloped countries, such as stagnant per capita income, a relatively inequitable distribution of income, a top-heavy civil service, endemic corruption, and a generally unfavorable climate for business enterprise. Since 1990, the government has embarked on various IMF and World Bank programs designed to spur business investment, increase efficiency in agriculture, improve trade, and recapitalize the nation's banks. The IMF is pressing for more reforms, including increased budget transparency, privatization, and poverty reduction programs. Subsidies for electricity, food, and fuel have strained the budget. Cameroon has several large infrastructure projects under construction, including a deep sea port in Kribi and the Lom Pangar Hydropower Project. It also recently opened a natural gas powered electricity generating plant. Cameroon must attract more investment to improve its inadequate infrastructure, but its unfavorable business environment is a deterrent to foreign investment.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Human Rights Defense Group [Albert MUKONG, president; Southern Cameroon National Council [Ayamba Ette OTUN", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa; throughout the country there are areas of thermal springs and indications of current or prior volcanic activity; Mount Cameroon, the highest mountain in Sub-Saharan west Africa, is an active volcano", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Cameroonian(s); adjective: :Cameroonian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Republic Day (National Day), 20 May (1972)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, C, CEMAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :4,667,251; females age 16-49: :4,548,909 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :71.3%; male: :78.3%; female: :64.8% (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :57.35 years; male: :56.09 years; female: :58.65 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (100 seats; 70 members indirectly elected by regional councils and 30 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (180 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms); note - the 100-member Senate was formed at the time of the April 2013 election; elections: :Senate last held on 14 April 2013 (next to be held NA); National Assembly last held on 30 September 2013 (next to be held in 2018); election results: :Senate percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPDM 56, SDF 14; National Assembly percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPDM 148, SDF 18, UNDP 5, UDC 4, UPC 3, other 2", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of English common law, French civil law, and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :13.12%; permanent crops: :3.28%; other: :83.61% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :5,018 km; border countries: :Central African Republic 901 km, Chad 1,116 km, Republic of the Congo 494 km, Equatorial Guinea 183 km, Gabon 349 km, Nigeria 1,975 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "9.105 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Cameroon (consists of 9 titular and 6 surrogate judges and organized into judicial, administrative, and audit chambers); Constitutional Council (consists of 11 members); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges appointed by the president with the advice of the Higher Judicial Council of Cameroon, a body chaired by the president and includes the minister of justice, selected magistrates, and representatives of the National Assembly; judge term NA; Constitutional Council members appointed by the president for single 9-year terms; subordinate courts: :Parliamentary Court of Justice (jurisdiction limited to cases involving the president and prime minister); appellate and first instance courts; circuit and magistrate's courts", "WATERWAYS": "(major rivers in the south, such as the Wouri and the Sanaga, are largely non-navigable; in the north, the Benue, which connects through Nigeria to the Niger River, is navigable in the rainy season only to the port of Garoua) (2010)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.2% (2014 est.); 1.9% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :55.1 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :58.78 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :51.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "petroleum production and refining, aluminum production, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber, ship repair", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "4.9% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)", "IMPORTS": "$6.937 billion (2014 est.); $6.484 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :51,350 km; paved: :4,108 km; unpaved: :47,242 km; note: :there are 28,857 km of national roads (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), red, and yellow, with a yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band; the vertical tricolor recalls the flag of France; red symbolizes unity, yellow the sun, happiness, and the savannahs in the north, and green hope and the forests in the south; the star is referred to as the \"star of unity\"; note: :uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 July - 30 June", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$5.006 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.217 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$6.376 billion (2014 est.); $5.819 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982); head of government: :Prime Minister Philemon YANG (since 30 June 2009); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president from proposals submitted by the prime minister; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (with no term limits per 2008 constitutional amendment); election last held on 9 October 2011 (next to be held in October 2018); prime minister appointed by the president; election results: :President Paul BIYA reelected; percent of vote - Paul BIYA 78.0%, John FRU NDI 10.7%, Garga Haman ADJI 3.2%, Adamou Ndam NJOYA 1.7%, Paul Abine AYAH 1.3%, other 5.1%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per dollar -; 491.2 (2014 est.); 494.04 (2013 est.); 510.53 (2012 est.); 471.87 (2011 est.); 495.28 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Cameroon Highlanders 31%, Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%, Fulani 10%, Northwestern Bantu 8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other African 13%, non-African less than 1%", "DEATH_RATE": "10.4 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest effective 18 January 1996; amended 2008 (2008)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 23.2%, France 14%, Nigeria 10.8%, Belgium 5.6%, US 5.1%, India 4.4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "402 km", "CLIMATE": "varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery, electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food", "CAPITAL": "name: :Yaounde; geographic coordinates: :3 52 N, 11 31 E; time difference: :UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$5.503 billion; expenditures: :$6.92 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Cameroon Armed Forces (Forces Armees Camerounaises, FAC), Army (L'Armee de Terre), Navy (Marine Nationale Republique (MNR), includes naval infantry), Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Cameroun, AAC), Fire Fighter Corps, Gendarmerie (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "36.58 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "33 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, cassava (manioc, tapioca); livestock; timber", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "10 regions (regions, singular - region); Adamaoua, Centre, East (Est), Far North (Extreme-Nord), Littoral, North (Nord), North-West (Nord-Ouest), West (Ouest), South (Sud), South-West (Sud-Ouest)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Portugal 18.5%, Spain 10%, Netherlands 8.4%, US 6.4%, China 6.3%, India 5.1%, France 4.5% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "crude oil and petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans, aluminum, coffee, cotton", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :70%; industry: :13%; services: :17% (2001 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.3%; highest 10%: :35.4% (2001)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "48% (2000 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.42% of GDP (2012); 1.37% of GDP (2011); 1.42% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :22; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :4; 914 to 1,523 m: :10; 8 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :11; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :5; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "French Cameroon became independent in 1960 as the Republic of Cameroon. The following year the southern portion of neighboring British Cameroon voted to merge with the new country to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon. In 1972, a new constitution replaced the federation with a unitary state, the United Republic of Cameroon. The country has generally enjoyed stability, which has enabled the development of agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry. Despite slow movement toward democratic reform, political power remains firmly in the hands of President Paul BIYA.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :215,248; female: :211,636 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,794,998; females age 16-49: :2,718,110 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-23 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; high school graduation required; service obligation 4 years; periodic government calls for volunteers (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than California", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes; volcanism: :Mt. Cameroon (elev. 4,095 m), which last erupted in 2000, is the most frequently active volcano in West Africa; lakes in Oku volcanic field have released fatal levels of gas on occasion, killing some 1,700 people in 1986", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Fako 4,095 m (on Cameroon Mountain)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.84 male(s)/female; total population: :1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (2001)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 3 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :19.9%; industry: :27.6%; services: :52.5% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "6 00 N, 12 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :42.9% (male 5,001,984/female 4,927,122); 15-24 years: :19.6% (male 2,286,244/female 2,257,231); 25-54 years: :30.4% (male 3,529,203/female 3,491,125); 55-64 years: :3.9% (male 445,181/female 468,388); 65 years and over: :3.1% (male 337,490/female 386,740) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Canada", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Bruce A. HEYMAN (since 8 April 2014); embassy: :490 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 1G8; mailing address: :P. O. Box 5000, Ogdensburg, NY 13669-0430; P.O. Box 866, Station B, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5T1; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg;", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$44,500 (2014 est.); $44,000 (2013 est.); $43,600 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.3% (2014 est.); 2% (2013 est.); 1.7% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.76% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$1.579 trillion (2014 est.); $1.544 trillion (2013 est.); $1.513 trillion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :47.2%; youth dependency ratio: :24.2%; elderly dependency ratio: :22.9%; potential support ratio: :4.4% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "21.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 21.1% of GDP (2013 est.); 21.2% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :56.2%; government consumption: :21.4%; investment in fixed capital: :24.1%; investment in inventories: :0.3%; exports of goods and services: :30.9%; imports of goods and services: :-33%; (2014 est.)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "28.1 (2011 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "550.8 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "1.889 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "26.7 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "82.45 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "89.48 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "145.2 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "238,900 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "1.073 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "2.39 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "1.927 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "173.2 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "770,300 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "1.576 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "4.001 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "5.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "9.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "54.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "31.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "138.6 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "10.68 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "62.33 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "551.6 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "644.1 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "maple leaf, beaver; national colors: red, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :14.3%; male: :15.9%; female: :12.6% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "26.2% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.7 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.07 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "10.9% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "12 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "37.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "Toronto 5.901 million; Montreal 3.948 million; Vancouver 2.447 million; Calgary 1.309 million; OTTAWA (capital) 1.306 million; Edmonton 1.246 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"O Canada\"; lyrics/music: :Adolphe-Basile ROUTHIER [French; note: :adopted 1980; originally written in 1880, \"O Canada\" served as an unofficial anthem many years before its official adoption; the anthem has French and English versions whose lyrics differ; as a Commonwealth realm, in addition to the national anthem, \"God Save the Queen\" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 99% of population; total: 99.8% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 1% of population; total: 0.2% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 99% of population; total: 99.8% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 1% of population; total: 0.2% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$1.486 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.47 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$661.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $638.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "2 public TV broadcasting networks each with a large number of network affiliates; several private-commercial networks also with multiple network affiliates; overall, about 150 TV stations; multi-channel satellite and cable systems provide access to a wide range of stations including US stations; mix of public and commercial radio broadcasters with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the public radio broadcaster, operating 4 radio networks, Radio Canada International, and radio services to indigenous populations in the north; roughly 2,000 licensed radio stations in Canada (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :81.6% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.22% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$3.031 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.044 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$1.299 trillion (31 December 2008); $1.381 trillion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$356.2 billion (31 December 2008); $391.6 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "3% (31 December 2014 est.); 3% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "1% (31 December 2010); 0.25% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.4% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :16 years; male: :15 years; female: :16 years (2000)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :42.2 cu km/yr (20%/70%/10%); per capita: :1,589 cu m/yr (2010)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "2,902 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$2.016 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); $1.907 trillion (31 December 2011); $2.16 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$1.211 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.153 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$1.065 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $993.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$1.794 trillion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :17,381 (Colombia); 15,344 (China); 12,326 (Sri Lanka); 10,641 (Pakistan); 7,872 (Haiti); 6,512 (Mexico) (2014)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$71.94 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $71.94 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$50.8 billion (2014 est.); -$58.54 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "92.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 93.5% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :figures are for gross general government debt, as opposed to net federal debt; gross general government debt includes both intragovernmental debt and the debt of public entities at the sub-national level", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "8.743 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :41.7 years; male: :40.4 years; female: :42.9 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "32.1 (2005); 31.5 (1994)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "fewer than 400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ca", "INTERNET_USERS": "26.96 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "26.263 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "18.01 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Gary DOER (since 23 October 2009); chancery: :501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco/Silicon Valley, Seattle; Trade office(s): :Houston, Palo Alto (CA), San Diego", "AREA": "total: :9,984,670 sq km; land: :9,093,507 sq km; water: :891,163 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "8,699 sq km (2004)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "North America", "LOCATION": "Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous US", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Canada; note: :the country name is derived from the St. Lawrence Iroquoian word \"kanata\" meaning village or settlement", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "6.9% (2014 est.); 7.1% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "a parliamentary democracy, a federation, and a constitutional monarchy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.59 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :excellent service provided by modern technology; domestic: :domestic satellite system with about 300 earth stations; international: :country code - 1; submarine cables provide links to the US and Europe; satellite earth stations - 7 (5 Intelsat - 4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean, and 2 Intersputnik - Atlantic Ocean region) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Catholic 40.6% (includes Roman Catholic 38.8%, Orthodox 1.6%, other Catholic .2%), Protestant 20.3% (includes United Church 6.1%, Anglican 5%, Baptist 1.9%, Lutheran 1.5%, Pentecostal 1.5%, Presbyterian 1.4%, other Protestant 2.9%), other Christian 6.3%, Muslim 3.2%, Hindu 1.5%, Sikh 1.4%, Buddhist 1.1%, Jewish 1%, other 0.6%, none 23.9% (2011 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :46,552 km; standard gauge: :46,552 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Halifax, Saint John (New Brunswick), Vancouver; river and lake port(s): :Montreal, Quebec City, Sept-Isles (St. Lawrence); Fraser River Port (Fraser); Hamilton (Lake Ontario); oil/gas terminal(s): :Lower Lakes terminal; dry bulk cargo port(s): :Port-Cartier (iron ore and grain),; container port(s): :Montreal (1,362,975), Vancouver (2,507,032)(2011); LNG terminal(s) (import): :Saint John", "POPULATION": "34,834,841 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Bloc Quebecois [Mario BEAULIEU; Conservative Party of Canada [Stephen HARPER; Green Party [Elizabeth MAY; Liberal Party [Justin TRUDEAU; New Democratic Party or NDP [Thomas MULCAIR", "PIPELINES": "gas and liguid petroleum 100,000 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "As a high-tech industrial society in the trillion-dollar class, Canada resembles the US in its market-oriented economic system, pattern of production, and high living standards. Since World War II, the impressive growth of the manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural economy into one primarily industrial and urban. The 1989 US-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (which includes Mexico) touched off a dramatic increase in trade and economic integration with the US, its principal trading partner. Canada enjoys a substantial trade surplus with the US, which absorbs about three-fourths of Canadian merchandise exports each year. Canada is the US's largest foreign supplier of energy, including oil, gas, uranium, and electric power. Given its abundant natural resources, highly skilled labor force, and modern capital plant, Canada enjoyed solid economic growth from 1993 through 2007. Buffeted by the global economic crisis, the economy dropped into a sharp recession in the final months of 2008, and Ottawa posted its first fiscal deficit in 2009 after 12 years of surplus. Canada's major banks, however, emerged from the financial crisis of 2008-09 among the strongest in the world, owing to the early intervention by the Bank of Canada and the financial sector's tradition of conservative lending practices and strong capitalization. Canada achieved marginal growth in 2010-14 and plans to balance the budget by 2015. In addition, the country's petroleum sector is rapidly expanding, because Alberta's oil sands significantly boosted Canada's proven oil reserves. Canada now ranks third in the world in proved oil reserves behind Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :agricultural sector; automobile industry; business groups; chemical industry; commercial banks; communications sector; energy industry; environmentalists; public administration groups; steel industry; trade unions", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "second-largest country in world (after Russia) and largest in the Americas; strategic location between Russia and US via north polar route; approximately 90% of the population is concentrated within 160 km (100 mi) of the US border; Canada has more fresh water than any other country and almost 9% of Canadian territory is water; Canada has at least 2 million and possibly over 3 million lakes - that is more than all other countries combined", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "5.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, rare earth elements, molybdenum, potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Canadian(s); adjective: :Canadian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Canada Day, 1 July (1867)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :181; by type: :bulk carrier 62, cargo 15, carrier 1, chemical tanker 15, combination ore/oil 1, container 2, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 63, petroleum tanker 11, roll on/roll off 6; foreign-owned: :19 (Estonia 1, France 1, Netherlands 1, Norway 4, Sweden 2, US 10); registered in other countries: :225 (Australia 5, Bahamas 96, Barbados 11, Cambodia 2, Cyprus 2, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 77, Liberia 2, Malta 5, Marshall Islands 8, Norway 1, Panama 6, Spain 4, Vanuatu 5) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CD, CDB, CE (observer), EAPC, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAFTA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :8,031,266; females age 16-49: :7,755,550 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :81.67 years; male: :79.07 years; female: :84.42 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (105 seats; members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister and can serve until age 75) and the House of Commons or Chambre des Communes (308 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve a maximum of 4-year terms); elections: :House of Commons - last held on 2 May 2011 (next to be held no later than 19 October 2015); election results: :House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Conservative Party 39.6%, NDP 30.6%, Liberal Party 18.9%, Bloc Quebecois 6%, Greens 3.9%; seats by party - Conservative Party 166, NDP 103, Liberal Party 34, Bloc Quebecois 4, Greens 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "common law system except in Quebec, where civil law based on the French civil code prevails", "LANGUAGES": "English (official) 58.7%, French (official) 22%, Punjabi 1.4%, Italian 1.3%, Spanish 1.3%, German 1.3%, Cantonese 1.2%, Tagalog 1.2%, Arabic 1.1%, other 10.5% (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :5.05%; permanent crops: :0.53%; other: :94.42% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :8,893 km; border countries: :US 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska); note: :Canada is the World's largest country that borders only one country", "LABOR_FORCE": "19.21 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Canada (consists of the chief justice and 8 judges); note - in 1949, Canada finally abolished all appeals beyond its Supreme Court to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London); judge selection and term of office: :chief justice and judges appointed by the prime minister in council; all judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 75; subordinate courts: :federal level: Federal Court of Appeal; Federal Court; Tax Court; federal administrative tribunals; courts martial; provincial/territorial: provincial superior, appeals, first instance, and specialized courts; in 1999, the Nunavut Court - a circuit court with the power of a superior court and the territorial courts - was established to serve isolated settlements", "WATERWAYS": "636 km (Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with United States) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2% (2014 est.); 1% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :4.71 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :5.04 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :4.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, fish products, petroleum, natural gas", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December 1931 (recognized by UK per Statute of Westminster)", "IMPORTS": "$482.1 billion (2014 est.); $472.6 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :1,042,300 km; paved: :415,600 km (includes 17,000 km of expressways); unpaved: :626,700 km (2008)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "two vertical bands of red (hoist and fly side, half width) with white square between them; an 11-pointed red maple leaf is centered in the white square; the maple leaf has long been a Canadian symbol; the official colors of Canada are red and white", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$1.331 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); $1.191 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$465.1 billion (2014 est.); $465.5 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "head of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General David Lloyd JOHNSTON (since 1 October 2010); head of government: :Prime Minister Stephen Joseph HARPER (since 6 February 2006); cabinet: :Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister usually from among the members of his own party sitting in Parliament; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister generally for a five-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition in the House of Commons is generally designated prime minister by the governor general; note - the term for Governor General David Lloyd JOHNSTON has been extended to September 2017", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Canadian dollars (CAD) per US dollar -; 1.099 (2014 est.); 1.0298 (2013 est.); 1 (2012 est.); 0.9895 (2011 est.); 1.0302 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Canadian 32.2%, English 19.8%, French 15.5%, Scottish 14.4%, Irish 13.8%, German 9.8%, Italian 4.5%, Chinese 4.5%, North American Indian 4.2%, other 50.9%; note: :percentages add up to more than 100% because respondents were able to identify more than one ethnic origin (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "8.31 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "made up of unwritten and written acts, customs, judicial decisions, and traditions dating from 1763; the written part of the constitution consists of the Constitution Act of 29 March 1867, which created a federation of four provinces, and the Constitution Act of 17 April 1982; several amendments to the 1982 Constitution Act, last in 2011 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 52.1%, China 11.1%, Mexico 5.6% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "202,080 km", "CLIMATE": "varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, crude oil, chemicals, electricity, durable consumer goods", "CAPITAL": "name: :Ottawa; geographic coordinates: :45 25 N, 75 42 W; time difference: :UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November; note: :Canada has six time zones", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$675.1 billion; expenditures: :$717.1 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Canadian Forces: Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force, Canada Command (homeland security) (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "10.29 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "1,467 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy products; fish; forest products", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "10 provinces and 3 territories*; Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories*, Nova Scotia, Nunavut*, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon*", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 75.8%, China 4.3% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, aircraft, telecommunications equipment; chemicals, plastics, fertilizers; wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, natural gas, electricity, aluminum", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :2%; manufacturing: :13%; construction: :6%; services: :76%; other: :3% (2006 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.6%; highest 10%: :24.8% (2000)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "9.4%; note: :this figure is the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO), a calculation that results in higher figures than found in many comparable economies; Canada does not have an official poverty line (2008)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.24% of GDP (2012); 1.31% of GDP (2011); 1.24% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Marine Life Conservation", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "metal smelting, coal-burning utilities, and vehicle emissions impacting on agricultural and forest productivity; air pollution and resulting acid rain severely affecting lakes and damaging forests; ocean waters becoming contaminated due to agricultural, industrial, mining, and forestry activities", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :944; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :75; 914 to 1,523 m: :385; 484 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :523; over 3,047 m: :21; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :19; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :147; 914 to 1,523 m: :257; under 914 m: :79 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867, while retaining ties to the British crown. Economically and technologically, the nation has developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across the world's longest unfortified border. Canada faces the political challenges of meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care, education, social services, and economic competitiveness, as well as responding to the particular concerns of predominantly francophone Quebec. Canada also aims to develop its diverse energy resources while maintaining its commitment to the environment.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :218,069; female: :206,195 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :6,633,472; females age 16-49: :6,389,669 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "17 years of age for voluntary male and female military service (with parental consent); 16 years of age for Reserve and Military College applicants; Canadian citizenship or permanent residence status required; maximum 34 years of age; service obligation 3-9 years (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than the US", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "continuous permafrost in north is a serious obstacle to development; cyclonic storms form east of the Rocky Mountains, a result of the mixing of air masses from the Arctic, Pacific, and North American interior, and produce most of the country's rain and snow east of the mountains; volcanism: :the vast majority of volcanoes in Western Canada's Coast Mountains remain dormant", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mount Logan 5,959 m", "HELIPORTS": "26 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.79 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "148 (2007)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 245, FM 582, shortwave 6 (2004)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :1.7%; industry: :28.2%; services: :70.1% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "60 00 N, 95 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :15.5% (male 2,764,691/female 2,628,413); 15-24 years: :12.7% (male 2,267,210/female 2,142,085); 25-54 years: :41% (male 7,244,109/female 7,052,512); 55-64 years: :13.5% (male 2,336,202/female 2,380,703); 65 years and over: :17.3% (male 2,670,482/female 3,348,434) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Cayman Islands", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK); consular services provided through the US Embassy in Jamaica", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "overseas territory of the UK", "AFFILIATION": "(overseas territory of the UK)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$43,800 (2004 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.7% (2014 est.); 1.2% (2013 est.); 1.6% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.14% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$2.507 billion (2014 est.); $2.465 billion (2013 est.); $2.435 billion (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :62.7%; government consumption: :14.9%; investment in fixed capital: :22.3%; exports of goods and services: :0%; imports of goods and services: :57%; (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "473,000 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "3,754 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "3,360 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "151,200 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "552.4 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "594 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "green sea turtle", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :13.5%; male: :13.6%; female: :13.3% (2008 est.)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "1.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "35% of GDP (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "GEORGE TOWN (capital) 31,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Beloved Isle Cayman\"; lyrics/music: :Leila E. ROSS; note: :adopted 1993; served as an unofficial anthem since 1930; as a territory of the United Kingdom, in addition to the local anthem, \"God Save the Queen\" is official (see United Kingdom)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 96.2% of population; total: 96.2% of population; urban: 3.8% of population; total: 3.8% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 95.6% of population; total: 95.6% of population; urban: 4.4% of population; total: 4.4% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$5.564 billion (31 December 2008 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$334.3 million (31 December 2008)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "4 TV stations; cable and satellite subscription services offer a variety of international programming; government-owned Radio Cayman operates 2 networks broadcasting on 5 stations; 10 privately owned radio stations operate alongside Radio Cayman (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :100% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.54% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$5.23 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$334.3 million (31 December 2008)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA; $183.5 million (31 December 2007); $188.4 million (31 December 2006)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$2.25 billion (2008 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "23,472 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :39.5 years; male: :38.8 years; female: :40.1 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ky", "INTERNET_USERS": "23,000 (2008)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "96,300 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "37,400 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "AREA": "total: :264 sq km; land: :264 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Caribbean, three-island group (Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, Little Cayman) in Caribbean Sea, 240 km south of Cuba and 268 km northwest of Jamaica", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Cayman Islands", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the UK", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "4% (2008); 4.4% (2004)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.86 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :reasonably good overall telephone system with a high fixed-line teledensity; domestic: :liberalization of telecom market in 2003; introduction of competition in the mobile-cellular market in 2004; international: :country code - 1-345; landing points for the Maya-1, Eastern Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS), and the Cayman-Jamaica Fiber System submarine cables that provide links to the US and parts of Central and South America; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 67.8% (includes Church of God 22.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 9.4%, Presbyterian/United Church 8.6%, Baptist 8.3%,Pentecostal 7.1%, non-denominational 5.3%, Anglican 4.1%, Wesleyan Holiness 2.4%), Roman Catholic 14.1%, Jehovah's Witness 1.1%, other 7%, none 9.3%, unspecified 0.7% (2010 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Cayman Brac, George Town", "POPULATION": "54,914 (July 2013 est.); note: :most of the population lives on Grand Cayman (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "People's Progressive Movement or PPM [Kurt TIBBETTS; United Democratic Party or UDP [McKeeva BUSH", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "With no direct taxation, the islands are a thriving offshore financial center. More than 93,000 companies were registered in the Cayman Islands as of 2008, including almost 300 banks, 800 insurers, and 10,000 mutual funds. A stock exchange was opened in 1997. Tourism is also a mainstay, accounting for about 70% of GDP and 75% of foreign currency earnings. The tourist industry is aimed at the luxury market and caters mainly to visitors from North America. Total tourist arrivals exceeded 1.9 million in 2008, with about half from the US. Nearly 90% of the islands' food and consumer goods must be imported. The Caymanians enjoy a standard of living comparable to that of Switzerland.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Coalition for Cayman or C4C; National People's Alliance or PNA; National Trust; other: :environmentalists", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "important location between Cuba and Central America", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "14.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population; note: :major destination for Cubans trying to migrate to the US (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Caymanian(s); adjective: :Caymanian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Constitution Day, first Monday in July", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :116; by type: :bulk carrier 19, cargo 3, chemical tanker 61, liquefied gas 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 5, refrigerated cargo 10, vehicle carrier 16; foreign-owned: :102 (Germany 3, Greece 9, Italy 7, Japan 23, Switzerland 1, UK 2, US 57) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :12,238 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over has ever attended school; total population: :98.9%; male: :98.7%; female: :99% (2007 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :81.02 years; male: :78.33 years; female: :83.76 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Legislative Assembly (20 seats; 18 members directly elected by majority vote and 2 ex officio members - the deputy governor and attorney general - appointed by the governor; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 22 May 2013 (next to be held in 2017); election results: :percent of vote by party - PPM 36.1%, UDP 27.8%, C4C 18.6%, PNA 5.7%, independents 11.9%; seats by party - PPM 9, UDP 3, C4C 3, PNA 1, independent 2", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "English common law and local statutes", "LANGUAGES": "English (official) 90.9%, Spanish 4%, Filipino 3.3%, other 1.7%, unspecified 0.1% (2010 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0.83%; permanent crops: :2.08%; other: :97.08% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "39,000; note: :nearly 55% are non-nationals (2007 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest resident court(s): :Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and at least 2 judges); Grand Court (consists of the court president and at least 2 judges); note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London); judge selection and term of office: :Court of Appeal and Grand Court judges appointed by the governor on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, an 8-member independent body consisting of governor appointees, Court of Appeal president, and attorneys; Court of Appeal judges' tenure based on their individual instruments of appointment; Grand Court judges normally appointed until retirement at age 65 but can be extended until age 70; subordinate courts: :Summary Court", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.2% (2014 est.); 1.8% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :6.21 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :7.1 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :5.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction materials, furniture", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$705.3 million (2014 est.); $719 million (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "major offshore financial center; vulnerable to drug transshipment to the US and Europe (2008)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :785 km; paved: :785 km (2007)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "a blue field with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Caymanian coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms includes a crest with a pineapple, representing the connection with Jamaica, and a turtle, representing Cayman's seafaring tradition, above a shield bearing a golden lion, symbolizing Great Britain, below which are three green stars (representing the three islands) surmounting white and blue wavy lines representing the sea and a scroll at the bottom bearing the motto HE HATH FOUNDED IT UPON THE SEAS", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "EXPORTS": "$15.2 million (2014 est.); $13.9 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Helen KILPATRICK (since 6 September 2013); head of government: :Premier Alden MCLAUGHLIN (since 29 May 2013); cabinet: :The Cabinet (six members are appointed by the governor on the advice of the premier, selected from among the elected members of the Legislative Assembly); elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; the governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or coalition appointed by the governor as premier", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Caymanian dollars (KYD) per US dollar -; 0.83 (2014 est.); 0.83 (2013 est.); 0.83 (2012 est.); 0.83 (2011 est.); 0.83 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "mixed 40%, white 20%, black 20%, expatriates of various ethnic groups 20%", "DEATH_RATE": "5.41 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest approved 10 June 2009, entered into force 6 November 2009 (The Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009) (2013)", "COASTLINE": "160 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels", "CAPITAL": "name: :George Town (on Grand Cayman); geographic coordinates: :19 18 N, 81 23 W; time difference: :UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$788.1 million; expenditures: :$763.4 million (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces; Royal Cayman Islands Police Force (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "12.13 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "3 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "vegetables, fruit; livestock; turtle farming", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "6 districts; Bodden Town, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, East End, George Town, North Side, West Bay", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "turtle products, manufactured consumer goods", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :1.9%; industry: :19.1%; services: :79% (2008 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "no natural freshwater resources; drinking water supplies must be met by rainwater catchments", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2012)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :3; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Cayman Islands were colonized from Jamaica by the British during the 18th and 19th centuries and were administered by Jamaica after 1863. In 1959, the islands became a territory within the Federation of the West Indies. When the Federation dissolved in 1962, the Cayman Islands chose to remain a British dependency. The teritory has transformed itself into a significant offshore financial center.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :333; female: :342 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :9,981; females age 16-49: :10,417 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "1.5 times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "hurricanes (July to November)", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: :The Bluff on Cayman Brac 43 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.02 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.9 male(s)/female; total population: :0.95 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "4 with cable system (2004)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 14, shortwave 0 (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :0.3%; industry: :28.4%; services: :71.3% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "19 30 N, 80 30 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :18.4% (male 5,093/female 5,022); 15-24 years: :12.9% (male 3,505/female 3,579); 25-54 years: :44% (male 11,771/female 12,384); 55-64 years: :13.6% (male 3,549/female 3,922); 65 years and over: :11.1% (male 2,870/female 3,219) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Central African Republic", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); embassy: :Avenue David Dacko, Bangui; mailing address: :B. P. 924, Bangui; telephone: :[236; FAX: :[236; note: :the embassy suspended operations in December, 2012", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$600 (2014 est.); $600 (2013 est.); $1,000 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1% (2014 est.); -36% (2013 est.); 4.1% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.13% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$2.861 billion (2014 est.); $2.832 billion (2013 est.); $4.429 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :76.5%; youth dependency ratio: :69.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :6.7%; potential support ratio: :14.8% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "-0.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 3.2% of GDP (2013 est.); 9.9% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :95.4%; government consumption: :5.6%; investment in fixed capital: :8%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :10.2%; imports of goods and services: :-19.1%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "15.2% (2010/11)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :532,518; percentage: :47% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "435,000 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "2,318 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "2,910 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "56.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "43.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "44,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "162.8 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "175 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "elephant; national colors: blue, white, green, yellow, red", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "3.5% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.05 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "3.8% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "23.5% (2011)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "890 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "9.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "BANGUI (capital) 781,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Le Renaissance\" (The Renaissance); lyrics/music: :Barthelemy BOGANDA/Herbert PEPPER; note: :adopted 1960; Barthelemy BOGANDA wrote the anthem's lyrics and was the first prime minister of the autonomous French territory", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 43.6% of population; rural: 7.2% of population; total: 21.5% of population; urban: 56.4% of population; rural: 92.8% of population; total: 78.5% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 89.6% of population; rural: 54.4% of population; total: 68.2% of population; urban: 10.4% of population; rural: 45.6% of population; total: 31.8% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$292.5 million (31 December 2014 est.); $358.5 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$196.6 million (31 December 2014 est.); $250.8 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "government-owned network, Radiodiffusion Television Centrafricaine, provides domestic TV broadcasting; licenses for 2 private TV stations are pending; state-owned radio network is supplemented by a small number of privately owned broadcast stations as well as a few community radio stations; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :39.8% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.59% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$349 million (31 December 2014 est.); $425.3 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$51.65 million (31 December 2008); $47.57 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$241.3 million (31 December 2008); $218.3 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "15% (31 December 2014 est.); 15% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "4.25% (31 December 2009); 4.75% (31 December 2008)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "1.2% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :7 years; male: :9 years; female: :6 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.07 cu km/yr (83%/17%/1%); per capita: :17.42 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "144.4 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Central African Republic (CAR) is a source, transit, and destination country for children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking, women subjected to forced prostitution, and adults subjected to forced labor; increased violence and displacement rendered Central Africans more vulnerable to exploitation; the recruitment of child soldiers, at times through force, increased dramatically during the year; most victims appear to be CAR citizens exploited within the country, with a smaller number transported back forth between the CAR and nearby countries; armed groups operating in the CAR, including the Lord�s Resistance Army, continue to recruit and re-recruit children for military activities and labor; children are also forced into domestic servitude, commercial sexual exploitation, agricultural labor, mining, and street vending; tier rating: :Tier 3 - Central African Republic does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government did not investigate or prosecute any suspected cases of human trafficking in 2013, including the use of child soldiers; the government also failed to identify, provide protection to, or refer to service providers any trafficking victims (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$1.731 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :5,342 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2015); IDPs: :436,256 (clashes between army and rebel groups since 2005; tensions between ethnic groups) (2015)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria and dengue fever; respiratory disease: :meningococcal meningitis; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$144.7 million (2014 est.); -$142.9 million (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "20 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :19.4 years; male: :19.1 years; female: :19.8 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "61.3 (1993)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "10,800 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "118,800 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "3.82% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".cf", "INTERNET_USERS": "22,600 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "1.07 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "5,600 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Stanislas MOUSSA-KEMBE (since 24 August 2009); chancery: :2704 Ontario Road NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Los Angeles; consulate(s): :New York", "AREA": "total: :622,984 sq km; land: :622,984 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1.35 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Central African Republic; conventional short form: :none; local long form: :Republique Centrafricaine; local short form: :none; former: :Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire; abbreviation: :CAR", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "8% (2001 est.); note: :23% unemployment in the capital, Bangui", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "4.46 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "vast, flat to rolling plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :network consists principally of microwave radio relay and low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication; domestic: :limited telephone service with less than 1 fixed-line connection per 100 persons; spurred by the presence of multiple mobile-cellular service providers, cellular usage is increasing from a low base; most fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone services are concentrated in Bangui; international: :country code - 236; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%; note: :animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "river port(s): :Bangui (Oubangui); Nola (Sangha)", "POPULATION": "5,277,959; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP [Clement BELIBANGA; Central African Democratic Rally or RDC [Louis-Pierre GAMBA; Civic Forum or FC; Democratic Forum for Modernity or FODEM [Saturnin NDOMBY; Liberal Democratic Party or PLD; Londo Association or LONDO; Movement for Democracy and Development or MDD; Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People or MLPC [Martin ZIGUELE; National Convergence or KNK [Francois BOZIZE; National Unity Party or PUN; New Alliance for Progress or NAP [Jean-Jacques DEMAFOUTH; Patriotic Front for Progress or FPP [Alexandre Philippe GOUMBA; People's Union for the Republic or UPR [Pierre Sammy MAKFOY; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Enoch LAKOUE", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry and mining, remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR), with about 60% of the population living in outlying areas. The agricultural sector generates more than half of GDP. Timber and diamonds account for most export earnings, followed by cotton. Important constraints to economic development include the CAR's landlocked position, a poor transportation system, a largely unskilled work force, and a legacy of misdirected macroeconomic policies. Factional fighting between the government and its opponents remains a drag on economic revitalization. Since 2009 the IMF has worked closely with the government to institute reforms that have resulted in some improvement in budget transparency, but other problems remain. The government's additional spending in the run-up to the election in 2011 worsened CAR's fiscal situation. Distribution of income is extraordinarily unequal. Grants from France and the international community can only partially meet humanitarian needs. In 2012, the World Bank approved $125 million in funding for transport infrastructure and regional trade, focused on the route between CAR's capital and the port of Douala in Cameroon. After a two-year lag in donor support, the IMF's first review of CAR's extended credit facility for 2012-15 praised improvements in revenue collection but warned of weak management of spending.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Central African(s); adjective: :Central African", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Republic Day, 1 December (1958)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, EITI (compliant country) (suspended), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,149,856; females age 16-49: :1,145,897 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :36.8%; male: :50.7%; female: :24.4% (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :51.35 years; male: :50.06 years; female: :52.67 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (105 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote with a second round if needed; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 23 January 2011 and 27 March 2011 (next to be held in February 2015); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - KNK 61, MLPC 1, RDC 1, independent 16, other 11", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system based on the French model", "LANGUAGES": "French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :2.89%; permanent crops: :0.13%; other: :96.98% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :5,920 km; border countries: :Cameroon 901 km, Chad 1,556 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,747 km, Republic of the Congo 487 km, South Sudan 1,055 km, Sudan 174 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "2.217 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of NA judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges, at least 3 of which are women); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges appointed by the president; Constitutional Court judge appointments - 2 by the president, 1 by the speaker of the National Assembly, 2 elected by their peers, 2 are advocates elected by their peers, and 2 are law professors elected by their peers; judges serve 7-year non-renewable terms; subordinate courts: :high courts; magistrates' courts", "WATERWAYS": "2,800 km (the primary navigable river is the Ubangi, which joins the River Congo; it was the traditional route for the export of products because it connected with the Congo-Ocean railway at Brazzaville; because of the warfare on both sides of the River Congo from 1997, however, importers and exporters preferred routes through Cameroon) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "9% (2014 est.); 1.5% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :92.86 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :100.55 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :84.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "gold and diamond mining, logging, brewing, sugar refining", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-3% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "13 August 1960 (from France)", "IMPORTS": "$216.7 million (2014 est.); $212.4 million (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :20,278 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "four equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, green, and yellow with a vertical red band in center; a yellow five-pointed star to the hoist side of the blue band; banner combines the Pan-African and French flag colors; red symbolizes the blood spilled in the struggle for independence, blue represents the sky and freedom, white peace and dignity, green hope and faith, and yellow tolerance; the star represents aspiration towards a vibrant future", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$560.6 million (31 December 2014 est.); $543.3 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$102.4 million (2014 est.); $102.9 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Interim President Catherine SAMBA-PANZA (since 23 January 2014); elected by the National Transitional Council; head of government: :Prime Minister Mahamat KAMOUN (since 10 August 2014); note - Prime Minister Andre NZAPAYEKE replaced Prime Minister Nicolas TIANGAYE on 25 January 2014 and was fired 5 August 2014; Nicolas TIANGAYE resigned 10 January 2014; cabinet: :Council of Ministers; elections: :interim president was elected by the National Transitional Council on 20 January 2014 and sworn in three days later; she will be in office until February 2015 when new general elections are to be held; election results: :Catherine SAMBA-PANZA elected in second round; SAMBA-PANZA 75 votes from the National Transitional Council, Desire KOLINGBA 53 votes (129 MPs out of 135 voted); note: :rebel forces seized the capital in March 2013, forcing former President BOZIZE to flee the country; Interim President Michel DJOTODIA assumed the presidency, reinstated the prime minister, and established a National Transitional Council (CNT) in April 2013; the NTC elected Catherine SAMBA-PANZA interim president in January 2014 to serve until February 2015 when new elections are scheduled", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar -; 491.2 (2014 est.); 494.04 (2013 est.); 510.53 (2012 est.); 471.87 (2011 est.); 495.28 (2010)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%, Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2%", "DEATH_RATE": "14.11 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest ratified by referendum 5 December 2004, effective 27 December 2004; amended 2010; note - the transitional parliament has begun work on a new constitution which should be ready for citizens feedback in early 2015 (2010)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "South Korea 17.4%, Netherlands 12.9%, Singapore 9%, Cameroon 8.5%, France 6.2% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Bangui; geographic coordinates: :4 22 N, 18 35 E; time difference: :UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$157.7 million; expenditures: :$205.4 million (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Central African Armed Forces (Forces Armees Centrafricaines, FACA): Ground Forces (includes Military Air Service), General Directorate of Gendarmerie Inspection (DGIG), National Police (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "35.45 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "39 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cotton, coffee, tobacco, cassava (manioc, tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture), 2 economic prefectures* (prefectures economiques, singular - prefecture economique), and 1 commune**; Bamingui-Bangoran, Bangui**, Basse-Kotto, Haute-Kotto, Haut-Mbomou, Kemo, Lobaye, Mambere-Kadei, Mbomou, Nana-Grebizi*, Nana-Mambere, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Sangha-Mbaere*, Vakaga", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 30.3%, Belgium 18.9%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 10.7%, Indonesia 9.6%, Morocco 5.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.1%; highest 10%: :33% (2003)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Law of the Sea", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished the country's reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :37; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :11; 914 to 1,523 m: :19; 6 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After three tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments - civilian rule was established in 1993 and lasted for one decade. In March, 2003 President Ange-Felix PATASSE was deposed in a military coup led by General Francois BOZIZE, who established a transitional government. Elections held in 2005 affirmed General BOZIZE as president; he was reelected in 2011 in voting widely viewed as flawed. The government still lacks full control of the countryside, where pockets of lawlessness persist. The militant group, Lord's Resistance Army, continues to destabilize southeastern Central African Republic, and several rebel groups joined together in early December 2012 to launch a series of attacks that left them in control of numerous towns in the northern and central parts of the country. The rebels - unhappy with BOZIZE's government - participated in peace talks in early January 2013 which resulted in a coalition government including the rebellion's leadership. In March 2013, the coalition government dissolved, rebels seized the capital, and President BOZIZE fled the country. Rebel leader Michel DJOTODIA assumed the presidency and the following month established a National Transitional Council (CNT). In January 2014 the CNT elected Catherine SAMBA-PANZA as interim president, to serve until February 2015 when new general elections are to be held.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :54,843; female: :53,999 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :655,875; females age 16-49: :661,308 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for selective military service; 2-year conscript service obligation (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Texas", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Oubangui River 335 m; highest point: :Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.66 male(s)/female; total population: :0.98 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (2001)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :55.1%; industry: :12.5%; services: :32.3% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "7 00 N, 21 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :40.6% (male 1,077,247/female 1,064,660); 15-24 years: :20.1% (male 534,257/female 528,822); 25-54 years: :31.8% (male 838,484/female 838,858); 55-64 years: :3.9% (male 91,696/female 115,600); 65 years and over: :3.6% (male 73,914/female 114,421) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Chad", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador James KNIGHT (since 6 September 2013); embassy: :Avenue Felix Eboue, N'Djamena; mailing address: :B. P. 413, N'Djamena; telephone: :[235; FAX: :[235", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$2,600 (2014 est.); $2,500 (2013 est.); $2,400 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "9.6% (2014 est.); 3.9% (2013 est.); 8.9% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.92% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$29.85 billion (2014 est.); $27.23 billion (2013 est.); $26.2 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :102.2%; youth dependency ratio: :97.4%; elderly dependency ratio: :4.8%; potential support ratio: :20.7% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "26.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 17.3% of GDP (2013 est.); 22.8% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :76.1%; government consumption: :6.3%; investment in fixed capital: :29.3%; investment in inventories: :0.3%; exports of goods and services: :27.1%; imports of goods and services: :-39%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "4.8% (2010)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :1,475,960; percentage: :48% (2010 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "264,300 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "1,754 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "1,870 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "1.5 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "125,700 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "97,910 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "31,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "186 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "200 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "goat (north), lion (south); national colors: blue, yellow, red", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "2.7% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.4 beds/1,000 population (2005)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.04 physicians/1,000 population (2006)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "3.5% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "30.3% (2010)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "1,100 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-5.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "18.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "N'DJAMENA (capital) 1.212 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"La Tchadienne\" (The Chadian); lyrics/music: :Louis GIDROL and his students/Paul VILLARD; note: :adopted 1960", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 31.4% of population; rural: 6.5% of population; total: 11.9% of population; urban: 68.6% of population; rural: 93.5% of population; total: 88.1% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 71.8% of population; rural: 44.8% of population; total: 50.7% of population; urban: 28.2% of population; rural: 55.2% of population; total: 49.3% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$1.976 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.751 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$1.746 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.606 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 state-owned TV station; state-owned radio network, Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne (RNT), operates national and regional stations; about 10 private radio stations; some stations rebroadcast programs from international broadcasters (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :22.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.42% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$895.3 million (31 December 2014 est.); $757.6 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$63.42 million (31 December 2008); $55.23 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$934.9 million (31 December 2008); $874.5 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "15.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 15.5% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "4.25% (31 December 2009); 4.75% (31 December 2008)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.3% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :7 years; male: :9 years; female: :6 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.88 cu km/yr (12%/12%/76%); per capita: :84.81 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "43 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$NA (31 December 2010); $4.5 billion (2006 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$15.84 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :362,771 (Sudan); 93,474 (Central African Republic) (2014); 18,131 (Nigeria) (2015); IDPs: :90,000 (majority are in the east) (2013)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria and dengue fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; respiratory disease: :meningococcal meningitis; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$1.389 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.196 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$997 million (2014 est.); -$1.225 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "34.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 31.4% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "6 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :17.2 years; male: :16.1 years; female: :18.2 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "14,700 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "205,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "2.48% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".td", "INTERNET_USERS": "168,100 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "4.2 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "29,900 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Mahamat NASSER (since 21 May 2014); chancery: :2401 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :1.284 million sq km; land: :1,259,200 sq km; water: :24,800 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "302.7 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Central Africa, south of Libya", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Chad; conventional short form: :Chad; local long form: :Republique du Tchad/Jumhuriyat Tshad; local short form: :Tchad/Tshad", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "4.68 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in northwest, lowlands in south", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :inadequate system of radiotelephone communication stations with high maintenance costs and low telephone density; domestic: :fixed-line connections for less than 1 per 100 persons coupled with mobile-cellular subscribership base of only about 35 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 235; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 53.1%, Catholic 20.1%, Protestant 14.2%, animist 7.3%, other 0.5%, unknown 1.7%, atheist 3.1% (1993 census)", "POPULATION": "11,412,107 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alliance for the Renaissance of Chad or ART, an alliance among the ruling MPS, RDP, and Viva-RNDP; Federation Action for the Republic or FAR [Ngarledjy YORONGAR; National Rally for Development and Progress or Viva-RNDP [Dr. Nouradine Delwa Kassire COUMAKOYE; National Union for Democracy and Renewal or UNDR [Saleh KEBZABO; Party for Liberty and Development or PLD [Jean-Baptiste LAOKOLE; Patriotic Salvation Movement or MPS [Mahamat Saleh AHMAT, chairman; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Lol Mahamat CHOUA; Union for Renewal and Democracy or URD [Sande NGARYIMBE", "PIPELINES": "oil 582 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Chad�s landlocked location results in high transportation costs for imported goods and dependence on neighboring countries. Oil and agriculture are mainstays of Chad�s economy. At least 80% of Chad's population live on less than $2 a day and rely on subsistence farming and livestock raising for their livelihood. Oil provides about 60% of export revenues, while cotton, cattle, and gum arabic provide the bulk of Chad's non-oil export earnings. Remittances have also been an important source of income and Chad relies on foreign assistance and foreign capital for most public and private sector investment. The services sector contributes about one-third of GDP and has attracted foreign investment mostly through telecommunications and banking. Chad�s fiscal position is encumbered by declining oil prices and drought, though high oil prices and strong local harvests supported the economy in recent years. Nearly all of Chad�s fuel is provided by one refinery, and unanticipated shut-downs frequently result in shortages. The country regulates the price of domestic fuel, providing an incentive for black market sales. Chad's investment climate remains challenging due to limited infrastructure, a lack of trained workers, extensive government bureaucracy, and corruption. Chad obtained a three-year extended credit facility from the IMF in 2014, and seeks to obtain debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :rebel groups", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "note 1: :Chad is the largest of Africa's 16 landlocked countries; note 2: :not long ago - geologically speaking - what is today the Sahara was green savannah teeming with wildlife; during the African Humid Period, roughly 11,000 to 5,000 years ago, a vibrant animal community, including elephants, giraffes, hippos, and antelope lived there; the last remnant of the \"Green Sahara\" exists in the Lakes of Ounianga (oo-nee-ahn-ga) in northern Chad, a series of 18 interconnected freshwater, saline, and hypersaline lakes now protected as a World Heritage site; note 3: :Lake Chad, the most significant water body in the Sahel, is a remnant of a former inland sea, paleolake Mega-Chad; at its greatest extent, sometime before 5000 B.C., Lake Mega-Chad was the largest of four Saharan paleolakes that existed during the African Humid Period; it covered an area of about 400,000 sq km (150,000 sq mi), roughly the size of today's Caspian Sea", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-3.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad), gold, limestone, sand and gravel, salt", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Chadian(s); adjective: :Chadian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 11 August (1960)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,090,244; females age 16-49: :2,441,321 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic; total population: :37.3%; male: :46.9%; female: :27.8% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :49.44 years; male: :48.3 years; female: :50.63 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly (188 seats; 118 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 70 directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote with a second round if needed; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :National Assembly - last held on 13 February 2011 (next to be held by 2015); note - legislative elections, originally scheduled for 2006, were first delayed by National Assembly action but subsequently signed in an August 2007 accord between government and opposition parties; election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ART 133, UNDR 11, other 44", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of civil and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "French (official), Arabic (official), Sara (in south), more than 120 different languages and dialects", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :3.89%; permanent crops: :0.03%; other: :96.08% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :6,406 km; border countries: :Cameroon 1,116 km, Central African Republic 1,556 km, Libya 1,050 km, Niger 1,196 km, Nigeria 85 km, Sudan 1,403 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "4.919 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 15 judges or councilors and divided into 3 chambers); Constitutional Council (consists of 3 judges and 6 jurists); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court chief justice selected by the president; councilors - 8 designated by the president and 7 by the speaker of the National Assembly; chief justice and councilors appointed for life; Constitutional Council judges - 2 appointed by the president and 1 by the speaker of the National Assembly; jurists - 3 each by the president and by the speaker of the National Assembly; judge term NA; subordinate courts: :High Court of Justice; Courts of Appeal; tribunals; justices of the peace", "WATERWAYS": "(Chari and Legone rivers are navigable only in wet season) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.4% (2014 est.); 0.1% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :90.3 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :95.92 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :84.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "oil, cotton textiles, meatpacking, brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "6% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "11 August 1960 (from France)", "IMPORTS": "$3.481 billion (2014 est.); $3.193 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :40,000 km; note: :consists of 25,000 km of national and regional roads and 15,000 km of local roads; 206 km of urban roads are paved (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; the flag combines the blue and red French (former colonial) colors with the red and yellow of the Pan-African colors; blue symbolizes the sky, hope, and the south of the country, which is relatively well-watered; yellow represents the sun, as well as the desert in the north of the country; red stands for progress, unity, and sacrifice; note: :similar to the flag of Romania; also similar to the flags of Andorra and Moldova, both of which have a national coat of arms centered in the yellow band; design was based on the flag of France", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$3.222 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.878 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$4.912 billion (2014 est.); $3.926 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Idriss DEBY Itno, Lt. Gen. (since 4 December 1990); head of government: :Prime Minister Kalzeube Pahimi DEUBET (since 21 November 2013); cabinet: :Council of State; members appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; if no candidate receives at least 50% of the total vote, the two candidates receiving the most votes must stand for a second round of voting; last election held on 25 April 2011 (next to be held by 2016); prime minister appointed by the president; election results: :Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno reelected president; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY 83.6%, Albert Pahimi PADACKE 8.6%, Nadji MADOU 7.8%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar -; 491.2 (2014 est.); 494.04 (2013 est.); 510.53 (2012 est.); 471.87 (2011 est.); 495.28 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Sara 27.7%, Arab 12.3%, Mayo-Kebbi 11.5%, Kanem-Bornou 9%, Ouaddai 8.7%, Hadjarai 6.7%, Tandjile 6.5%, Gorane 6.3%, Fitri-Batha 4.7%, other 6.4%, unknown 0.3% (1993 census)", "DEATH_RATE": "14.56 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest passed by referendum 31 March 1996, entered into force 8 April 1996; amended 2005 (2010)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 31%, Cameroon 13.2%, France 11.6%, Belgium 5.4%, India 4.3% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "tropical in south, desert in north", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and transportation equipment, industrial goods, foodstuffs, textiles", "CAPITAL": "name: :N'Djamena; geographic coordinates: :12 06 N, 15 02 E; time difference: :UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$2.884 billion; expenditures: :$3.713 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Chadian National Army (Armee Nationale du Tchad, ANT): Ground Forces (l'Armee de Terre, AdT), Chadian Air Force (l'Armee de l'Air Tchadienne, AAT), National Gendarmerie, National and Nomadic Guard of Chad (GNNT) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "37.29 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "59 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cotton, sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice, potatoes, cassava (manioc, tapioca), cattle, sheep, goats, camels", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "23 regions (regions, singular - region); Barh el Gazel, Batha, Borkou, Chari-Baguirmi, Ennedi-Est, Ennedi-Quest, Guera, Hadjer-Lamis, Kanem, Lac, Logone Occidental, Logone Oriental, Mandoul, Mayo-Kebbi Est, Mayo-Kebbi Ouest, Moyen-Chari, Ouaddai, Salamat, Sila, Tandjile, Tibesti, Ville de N'Djamena, Wadi Fira", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 80.7%, Japan 5.9%, India 4.6% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "oil, cattle, cotton, gum arabic", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :80%; industry and services: :20% (2006 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.6%; highest 10%: :30.8% (2003)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "80% (2001 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "NA% (2012); 2.28% of GDP (2011); NA% (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "inadequate supplies of potable water; improper waste disposal in rural areas contributes to soil and water pollution; desertification", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :50; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :14; 914 to 1,523 m: :22; 11 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :9; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :4; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Chad, part of France's African holdings until 1960, endured three decades of civil warfare, as well as invasions by Libya, before a semblance of peace was finally restored in 1990. The government eventually drafted a democratic constitution and held flawed presidential elections in 1996 and 2001. In 1998, a rebellion broke out in northern Chad, which has sporadically flared up despite several peace agreements between the government and insurgents. In 2005, new rebel groups emerged in western Sudan and made probing attacks into eastern Chad despite signing peace agreements in December 2006 and October 2007. In June 2005, President Idriss DEBY held a referendum successfully removing constitutional term limits and won another controversial election in 2006. Sporadic rebel campaigns continued throughout 2006 and 2007. The capital experienced a significant insurrection in early 2008, but has had no significant rebel threats since then, in part due to Chad's 2010 rapprochement with Sudan, which previously used Chadian rebels as proxies. DEBY in 2011 was reelected to his fourth term in an election that international observers described as proceeding without incident. Power remains in the hands of an ethnic minority. In January 2014, Chad began a two-year rotation on the UN Security Council.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :128,723; female: :128,244 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,183,242; females age 16-49: :1,395,811 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "20 is the legal minimum age for compulsory military service, with a 3-year service obligation; 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary service; no minimum age restriction for volunteers with consent from a parent or guardian; women are subject to 1 year of compulsory military or civic service at age 21 (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly more than three times the size of California", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic droughts; locust plagues", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Djourab 160 m; highest point: :Emi Koussi 3,415 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.04 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.83 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.93 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.72 male(s)/female; total population: :0.93 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (2001)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 5 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :54.3%; industry: :13.2%; services: :32.4% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "15 00 N, 19 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :44.7% (male 2,588,424/female 2,515,935); 15-24 years: :20.6% (male 1,143,812/female 1,211,136); 25-54 years: :27.8% (male 1,436,018/female 1,737,901); 55-64 years: :3.9% (male 193,173/female 247,584); 65 years and over: :3% (male 140,592/female 197,532) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Chile", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Michael HAMMER (since April 2014); embassy: :Avenida Andres Bello 2800, Las Condes, Santiago; mailing address: :APO AA 34033; telephone: :[56; FAX: :[56", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$23,200 (2014 est.); $22,900 (2013 est.); $22,200 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2% (2014 est.); 4.2% (2013 est.); 5.5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.84% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$410.3 billion (2014 est.); $402.2 billion (2013 est.); $386.2 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :45.1%; youth dependency ratio: :30.2%; elderly dependency ratio: :14.9%; potential support ratio: :6.7% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "20.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 20.6% of GDP (2013 est.); 21.6% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :65.4%; government consumption: :13.1%; investment in fixed capital: :22.1%; investment in inventories: :0.2%; exports of goods and services: :34.1%; imports of goods and services: :-35%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "64.2%; note: :percent of women aged 15-44 (2006)", "DEMOGRAPHIC_PROFILE": "Chile is in the advanced stages of demographic transition and is becoming an aging society - with fertility below replacement level, low mortality rates, and life expectancy on par with developed countries. Nevertheless, with its dependency ratio nearing its low point, Chile could benefit from its favorable age structure. It will need to keep its large working-age population productively employed, while preparing to provide for the needs of its growing proportion of elderly people, especially as women - the traditional caregivers - increasingly enter the workforce. Over the last two decades, Chile has made great strides in reducing its poverty rate, which is now lower than most Latin American countries. However, its severe income inequality ranks as the worst among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Unequal access to quality education perpetuates this uneven income distribution.; Chile has historically been a country of emigration but has slowly become more attractive to immigrants since transitioning to democracy in 1990 and improving its economic stability (other regional destinations have concurrently experienced deteriorating economic and political conditions). Most of Chile's small but growing foreign-born population consists of transplants from other Latin American countries, especially Peru.", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :82,882; percentage: :3% (2003 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "81.51 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "97.97 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "3.779 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "4.705 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "947 million cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "138,900 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "13,040 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "341,200 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "198,000 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "150 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "169,700 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "10,640 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "6.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "33.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "60.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "17.95 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "700 million kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "57.89 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "61.85 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "huemul (mountain deer), Andean condor; national colors: red, white, blue", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :16.3%; male: :14.3%; female: :19.1% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "29.4% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.1 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.02 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "7.2% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "0.5% (2013)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "25 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "19.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "SANTIAGO (capital) 6.472 million; Valparaiso 902,000; Concepcion 806,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Himno Nacional de Chile\" (National Anthem of Chile); lyrics/music: :Eusebio LILLO Robles and Bernardo DE VERA y Pintado/Ramon CARNICER y Battle; note: :music adopted 1828, original lyrics adopted 1818, adapted lyrics adopted 1847; under Augusto PINOCHET\"s military rule, a verse glorifying the army was added; however, as a protest, some citizens refused to sing this verse; it was removed when democracy was restored in 1990", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 89.3% of population; total: 98.9% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 10.7% of population; total: 1.1% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.6% of population; rural: 91.3% of population; total: 98.8% of population; urban: 0.4% of population; rural: 8.7% of population; total: 1.2% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$154.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $158 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$40.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $42.22 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "national and local terrestrial TV channels, coupled with extensive cable TV networks; the state-owned Television Nacional de Chile (TVN) network is self-financed through commercial advertising revenues and is not under direct government control; large number of privately owned TV stations; about 250 radio stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :89.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.09% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$201.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $206.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$73.66 billion (31 December 2008); $80.42 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$14.72 billion (31 December 2008); $16.6 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "8.1% (31 December 2014 est.); 9.26% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "3.12% (31 December 2010); 0.5% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.5% of GDP (2012)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :15 years; male: :15 years; female: :15 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :26.67 cu km/yr (4%/10%/86%); per capita: :1,603 cu m/yr (2007)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "922 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$313.3 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $270.3 billion (31 December 2011); $341.6 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$87.97 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $76.83 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$204 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $185 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$264.1 billion (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$41.99 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $41.09 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$3.805 billion (2014 est.); -$9.485 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "16.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 12.8% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "2.152 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :33.3 years; male: :32.2 years; female: :34.6 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "52.1 (2009); 57.1 (2000)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "700 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "37,900 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.33% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".cl", "INTERNET_USERS": "7.009 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "24.13 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "3.276 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Juan Gabriel VALDES Soublette (since 21 May 2014); chancery: :1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco", "AREA": "total: :756,102 sq km; land: :743,812 sq km; water: :12,290 sq km; note: :includes Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) and Isla Sala y Gomez", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "11,990 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "South America", "LOCATION": "Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Chile; conventional short form: :Chile; local long form: :Republica de Chile; local short form: :Chile", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "6.5% (2014 est.); 6% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.84 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in east", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :privatization began in 1988; most advanced telecommunications infrastructure in South America; modern system based on extensive microwave radio relay facilities; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations; domestic: :number of fixed-line connections have stagnated in recent years as mobile-cellular usage continues to increase, reaching 130 telephones per 100 persons; international: :country code - 56; landing points for the Pan American, South America-1, and South American Crossing/Latin America Nautilus submarine cables providing links to the US and to Central and South America; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 66.7%, Evangelical or Protestant 16.4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1%, other 3.4%, none 11.5%, unspecified 1.1% (2012 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :7,082 km; broad gauge: :3,435 km 1.676-m gauge (850 km electrified); narrow gauge: :3,647 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Coronel, Huasco, Lirquen, Puerto Ventanas, San Antonio, San Vicente, Valparaiso; LNG terminal (import): :Mejillones, Quintero", "POPULATION": "17,363,894 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Broad Social Movement or MAS [Alejandro NAVARRO Brain; Citizen Left or IC; Coalition for Change or CC (also known as the Alliance for Chile (Alianza) or APC) (including National Renewal or RN [Carlos LARRAIN Pena; Coalition of Parties for Democracy (Concertacion) or CPD (including Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Ignacio WALKER Prieto; Communist Party of Chile (Partido Comunista de Chile) or PC [Guillermo TEILLIER del Valle; Ecological Green Party [Cristian VILLAROEL Novoa; Equality Party [Lautaro GUANCA Vallejos; Humanist Party or PH [Danilo MONTEVERDE Reyes; Independent Democratic Union or UDI [Ernesto SILVA; Independent Regionalist Party or PRI [Carlos OLIVARES Zepeda; Liberal Party [Vlado MIROSEVIC; National Renewal or RN [Carlos LARRAIN; Progressive Party or PRO [Marco ENRIQUEZ-OMINAMI Gumucio", "PIPELINES": "gas 3,160 km; liquid petroleum gas 781 km; oil 985 km; refined products 722 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Chile has a market-oriented economy characterized by a high level of foreign trade and a reputation for strong financial institutions and sound policy that have given it the strongest sovereign bond rating in South America. Exports of goods and services account for approximately one-third of GDP, with commodities making up some three-quarters of total exports. Copper alone provides 19% of government revenue. From 2003 through 2013, real growth averaged almost 5% per year, despite the slight contraction in 2009 that resulted from the global financial crisis. Growth slowed to 4.2% in 2014. Chile deepened its longstanding commitment to trade liberalization with the signing of a free trade agreement with the US, which took effect on 1 January 2004. Chile has 22 trade agreements covering 60 countries including agreements with the European Union, Mercosur, China, India, South Korea, and Mexico. Chile has joined the United States and nine other countries in negotiating the Trans-Pacific-Partnership trade agreement. The Chilean Government has generally followed a countercyclical fiscal policy, accumulating surpluses in sovereign wealth funds during periods of high copper prices and economic growth, and generally allowing deficit spending only during periods of low copper prices and growth. As of 31 December 2012, those sovereign wealth funds - kept mostly outside the country and separate from Central Bank reserves - amounted to more than $20.9 billion. Chile used these funds to finance fiscal stimulus packages during the 2009 economic downturn. In May 2010 Chile signed the OECD Convention, becoming the first South American country to join the OECD.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Roman Catholic Church, particularly conservative groups such as Opus Dei; United Labor Central or CUT includes trade unionists from the country's five largest labor confederations; other: :university student federations at all major universities", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the longest north-south trending country in the world, extending across 38 degrees of latitude; strategic location relative to sea lanes between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage); Atacama Desert - the driest desert in the world - spreads across the northern part of the country; the crater lake of Ojos del Salado is the world's highest lake (at 6,390 m)", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Chilean(s); adjective: :Chilean", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 18 September (1810)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :42; by type: :bulk carrier 13, cargo 5, chemical tanker 7, container 2, liquefied gas 1, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 8, roll on/roll off 1; foreign-owned: :1 (Norway 1); registered in other countries: :52 (Argentina 6, Brazil 1, Honduras 1, Isle of Man 9, Liberia 9, Panama 14, Peru 6, Singapore 6) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "APEC, BIS, CAN (associate), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OECD (Enhanced Engagement, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance, PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200/350 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :4,324,732; females age 16-49: :4,251,954 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :98.6%; male: :98.6%; female: :98.5% (2009 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :78.44 years; male: :75.42 years; female: :81.59 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (38 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by majority vote to serve 8-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 4 years) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (120 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by majority vote to serve 4-year terms); note - in both the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, the party winning at least two-thirds of the votes is entitled to 2 seats in the constituency; if it obtains less than two-thirds of the votes, it is entitled to one seat with the remaining seat awarded to the next highest winning party; elections: :Senate - last held on 17 November 2013 (next to be held on 15 November 2017); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 17 November 2013 (next to be held on 15 November 2017); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - New Majority Coalition (formerly known as Concertacion) 19 (PDC 6, PS 6, PPD 6, MAS 1), Coalition for Change (formerly known as the Alianza coalition) 15 (RN 6, UDI 8, Amplitude Party 1), independents 4; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - New Majority 67 (PDC 21, PS 16, PPD 15, PC 6, PRSD 6, Citizen Left 1, independents 2), Coalition for Change 49 (UDI 29, RN 15, independents 4), Liberal Party 1, independents 4; note: :In January 2015, the Chilean Congress voted to end the binomial system that was put in place under Gen. Augusto PINOCHET; the Congress also voted to expand its size and establish rules to ensure that there is equitable gender representation; the new electoral system will be put in place in 2017", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system influenced by several West European civil legal systems; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Tribunal", "LANGUAGES": "Spanish 99.5% (official), English 10.2%, indigenous 1% (includes Mapudungun, Aymara, Quechua, Rapa Nui), other 2.3%, unspecified 0.2%; note: :shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census (2012 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :1.8%; permanent crops: :0.61%; other: :97.59% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :7,801 km; border countries: :Argentina 6,691 km, Bolivia 942 km, Peru 168 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "8.514 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (consists of a court president and 20 members or ministros); Constitutional Court (consists of 7 members); Electoral Court (consists of 5 members); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges appointed by the president and ratified by the Senate from lists of candidates provided by the court itself; judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 70; Constitutional Court members appointed - 3 by the Supreme Court, 1 by the president of the republic, 2 by the National Security Council, and 1 by the Senate; members serve 8-year terms with partial membership replacement every 4 years (the court reviews constitutionality of legislation); Electoral Court member appointments - 4 by the Supreme Court and 1 a former president or vice-president of the Senate or Chamber of Deputies selected by the Supreme Court; member term NA; subordinate courts: :Courts of Appeal; oral criminal tribunals; military tribunals; local police courts; specialized tribunals and courts in matters such as family, labor, customs, taxes, and electoral affairs", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "4.3% (2014 est.); 1.9% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :7.02 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :7.51 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :6.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "copper, lithium, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "18 September 1810 (from Spain)", "IMPORTS": "$70.67 billion (2014 est.); $74.57 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transshipment country for cocaine destined for Europe and the region; some money laundering activity, especially through the Iquique Free Trade Zone; imported precursors passed on to Bolivia; domestic cocaine consumption is rising, making Chile a significant consumer of cocaine (2008)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :77,764 km; paved: :18,119 km (includes 2,387 km of expressways); unpaved: :59,645 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; a blue square the same height as the white band at the hoist-side end of the white band; the square bears a white five-pointed star in the center representing a guide to progress and honor; blue symbolizes the sky, white is for the snow-covered Andes, and red represents the blood spilled to achieve independence; note: :design was influenced by the US flag", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$140 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $130.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$76.98 billion (2014 est.); $76.68 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Michelle BACHELET Jeria (since 11 March 2014); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Michelle BACHELET Jeria (since 11 March 2014); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held on 17 November 2013 with a runoff election held on 15 December 2013 (next to be held on 19 November 2017); election results: :Michelle BACHELET Jeria elected president; percent of vote - Michelle BACHELET Jeria 62.2%; Evelyn Rose MATTHEI Fornet 37.8%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Chilean pesos (CLP) per US dollar -; 568 (2014 est.); 495.31 (2013 est.); 486.49 (2012 est.); 483.67 (2011 est.); 510.25 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "white and non-indigenous 88.9%, Mapuche 9.1%, Aymara 0.7%, other indigenous groups 1% (includes Rapa Nui, Likan Antai, Quechua, Colla, Diaguita, Kawesqar, Yagan or Yamana), unspecified 0.3% (2012 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "5.93 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "many previous; latest adopted 11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; amended many times, last in 2011 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 20.3%, China 19.7%, Brazil 6.5%, Argentina 5%, Germany 4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "6,435 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, electrical and telecommunications equipment, industrial machinery, vehicles, natural gas", "CAPITAL": "name: :Santiago; note - Valparaiso is the seat of the national legislature; geographic coordinates: :33 27 S, 70 40 W; time difference: :UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, under a new pilot program that begins second Sunday in September and ends fourth Sunday in April", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$50.67 billion; expenditures: :$56.32 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Chilean Army; Chilean Navy (Armada de Chile, includes Naval Aviation, Marine Corps, and Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine Directorate (Directemar)); Chilean Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de Chile, FACh) (2015)", "BIRTH_RATE": "13.97 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "481 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "grapes, apples, pears, onions, wheat, corn, oats, peaches, garlic, asparagus, beans; beef, poultry, wool; fish; timber", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "15 regions (regiones, singular - region); Aysen, Antofagasta, Araucania, Arica y Parinacota, Atacama, Biobio, Coquimbo, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins, Los Lagos, Los Rios, Magallanes y de la Antartica Chilena, Maule, Region Metropolitana (Santiago), Tarapaca, Valparaiso; note: :the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 24.9%, US 12.8%, Japan 9.9%, Brazil 5.8%, South Korea 5.5% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "copper, fruit, fish products, paper and pulp, chemicals, wine", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :13.2%; industry: :23%; services: :63.9% (2005)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.5%; highest 10%: :42.8% (2009 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "15.1% (2009 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "2.04% of GDP (2012); 2.17% of GDP (2011); 2.04% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "widespread deforestation and mining threaten natural resources; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :391; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :5; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :11; 914 to 1,523 m: :56; 319 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :90; over 3,047 m: :5; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :7; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :23; 914 to 1,523 m: :31; under 914 m: :24 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century, the Inca ruled northern Chile while the Mapuche inhabited central and southern Chile. Although Chile declared its independence in 1810, decisive victory over the Spanish was not achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879-83), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia and won its present northern regions. It was not until the 1880s that the Mapuche were brought under central government control. After a series of elected governments, the three-year-old Marxist government of Salvador ALLENDE was overthrown in 1973 by a military coup led by General Augusto PINOCHET, who ruled until a freely elected president was inaugurated in 1990. Sound economic policies, maintained consistently since the 1980s, contributed to steady growth, reduced poverty rates by over half, and helped secure the country's commitment to democratic and representative government. Chile has increasingly assumed regional and international leadership roles befitting its status as a stable, democratic nation. In January 2014, Chile assumed a two-year nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :141,500; female: :135,709 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :3,621,475; females age 16-49: :3,561,099 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-45 years of age for voluntary male and female military service, although the right to compulsory recruitment of males 18-45 is retained; service obligation is 12 months for Army and 22 months for Navy and Air Force (2015)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis; volcanism: :significant volcanic activity due to more than three-dozen active volcanoes along the Andes Mountains; Lascar (elev. 5,592 m), which last erupted in 2007, is the most active volcano in the northern Chilean Andes; Llaima (elev. 3,125 m) in central Chile, which last erupted in 2009, is another of the country's most active; Chaiten's 2008 eruption forced major evacuations; other notable historically active volcanoes include Cerro Hudson, Copahue, Guallatiri, Llullaillaco, Nevados de Chillan, Puyehue, San Pedro, and Villarrica", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,880 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.04 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.71 male(s)/female; total population: :0.97 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "63 (plus 121 repeaters) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 180, FM 64, shortwave 17 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :3.5%; industry: :35.5%; services: :61.1% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "30 00 S, 71 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :20.7% (male 1,834,247/female 1,760,315); 15-24 years: :16.3% (male 1,442,610/female 1,383,738); 25-54 years: :43.2% (male 3,733,261/female 3,766,912); 55-64 years: :9.9% (male 806,044/female 910,818); 65 years and over: :9.9% (male 720,681/female 1,005,268) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "China", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Max Sieben BAUCUS (since 18 March 2014); embassy: :55 An Jia Lou Lu, 100600 Beijing; mailing address: :PSC 461, Box 50, FPO AP 96521-0002; telephone: :[86; FAX: :[86; consulate(s) general: :Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang, Wuhan", "AFFILIATION": "(also see separate Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan entries)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$12,900 (2014 est.); $12,100 (2013 est.); $11,300 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "7.4% (2014 est.); 7.7% (2013 est.); 7.7% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.44% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$17.63 trillion (2014 est.); $16.42 trillion (2013 est.); $15.25 trillion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :37.4%; youth dependency ratio: :24.9%; elderly dependency ratio: :12.5%; potential support ratio: :8% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "49.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 49.7% of GDP (2013 est.); 50.3% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :36.8%; government consumption: :14%; investment in fixed capital: :46%; investment in inventories: :1.1%; exports of goods and services: :23.9%; imports of goods and services: :-21.7%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "84.6% (2006)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "10 billion Mt (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "3.3 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "51.9 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "2.8 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "161.6 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "117.1 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "1.236 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "612,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "10.76 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "9.648 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "18.1 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "5.664 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "33,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "4.18 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "7.2% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "1.2% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "22.5% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "69.1% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "1.247 billion kW (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "7.438 billion kWh (2013)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "18.67 billion kWh (2013)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "4.831 trillion kWh (Up to November 2013)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "5.169 trillion kWh (2013)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "dragon; national colors: red, yellow", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "5.7% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "3.8 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.46 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.4% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "3.4% (2010)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "37 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "22.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "Shanghai 2,299,100; BEIJING (capital) 19.52 million; Chongqing 12.916 million; Guangdong 11.843 million; Tianjin 10.86 million; Shenzhen 10.68 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Yiyongjun Jinxingqu\" (The March of the Volunteers); lyrics/music: :TIAN Han/NIE Er; note: :adopted 1949; the anthem, though banned during the Cultural Revolution, is more commonly known as \"Zhongguo Guoge\" (Chinese National Song); it was originally the theme song to the 1935 Chinese movie, \"Sons and Daughters in a Time of Storm\"", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 74.1% of population; rural: 55.8% of population; total: 65.3% of population; urban: 25.9% of population; rural: 44.2% of population; total: 34.7% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 98.4% of population; rural: 84.9% of population; total: 91.9% of population; urban: 1.6% of population; rural: 15.1% of population; total: 8.1% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$20.34 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $18.13 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$5.846 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.528 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "all broadcast media are owned by, or affiliated with, the Communist Party of China or a government agency; no privately owned TV or radio stations; state-run Chinese Central TV, provincial, and municipal stations offer more than 2,000 channels; the Central Propaganda Department lists subjects that are off limits to domestic broadcast media with the government maintaining authority to approve all programming; foreign-made TV programs must be approved prior to broadcast", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :54.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.05% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$16.91 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $15.19 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$4.523 trillion (31 December 2008); $3.437 trillion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$2.434 trillion (31 December 2008); $2.09 trillion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "6% (31 December 2014 est.); 6% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "2.25% (31 December 2013); 2.25% (31 December 2012)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :13 years; male: :13 years; female: :13 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :554.1 cu km/yr (12%/23%/65%); per capita: :409.9 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "2,840 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$6.499 trillion (31 December 2013 est.); $5.753 trillion (31 December 2012); $3.389 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$792.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $613.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$1.287 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $956.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :China is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; Chinese adults and children are forced into prostitution and various forms of forced labor, including begging and working in brick kilns, coal mines, and factories; women and children are recruited from rural areas and taken to urban centers for sexual exploitation, often trafficked by criminal syndicates or gangs; state-sponsored forced labor continues to be an area of serious concern; Chinese men, women, and children also may be subjected to conditions of sex trafficking and forced labor worldwide, particularly in overseas Chinese communities; women and children are trafficked to China from neighboring countries, as well as Europe and Africa, for forced labor and prostitution; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List - China does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however it is making significant efforts to do so; the government�s conflation of human trafficking with other crimes in 2013 made it difficult to assess law enforcement efforts to investigate and to prosecute trafficking offenses according to international law; authorities did not provide the data needed to ascertain the number of victims identified or assisted or the services provided; the National People�s Congress ratified a decision to abolish �reform through labor� (RTL); reports indicate some detainees were released and many RTL camps ceased operations, but others show that some RTL facilities have been converted into different types of detention centers; some North Korean refugees continued to be forcibly repatriated as illegal economic migrants, despite reports that some were trafficking victims (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$10.36 trillion; note: :because China's exchange rate is determine by fiat, rather than by market forces, the official exchange rate measure of GDP is not an accurate measure of China's output; GDP at the official exchange rate substantially understates the actual level of China's output vis-a-vis the rest of the world; in China's situation, GDP at purchasing power parity provides the best measure for comparing output across countries (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :300,896 (Vietnam); undetermined (North Korea) (2014); IDPs: :undetermined (2014)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :intermediate; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne disease: :Japanese encephalitis; soil contact disease: :hantaviral hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS); note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$3.98 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.849 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$204.3 billion (2014 est.); $182.8 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "22.4% of GDP (2013 est.); 26.1% of GDP (2012); note: :official data; data cover both central government debt and local government debt, which China's National Audit Office estimated at RMB 10.72 trillion (approximately US$1.66 trillion) in 2011; data exclude policy bank bonds, Ministry of Railway debt, China Asset Management Company debt, and non-performing loans", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "20.602 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :36.7 years; male: :35.8 years; female: :37.5 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "47.3 (2013); 47.4 (2012)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "780,000 (2012 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.1% (2012 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".cn", "INTERNET_USERS": "389 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "1.1 billion (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "278.86 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador CUI Tiankai (since 3 April 2013); chancery: :3505 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco", "AREA": "total: :9,596,960 sq km; land: :9,326,410 sq km; water: :270,550 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "629,380 sq km (2006)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Asia", "LOCATION": "Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :People's Republic of China; conventional short form: :China; local long form: :Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo; local short form: :Zhongguo; abbreviation: :PRC", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "4.1% (2014 est.); 4.1% (2013 est.); note: :data are for registered urban unemployment, which excludes private enterprises and migrants", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "Communist state", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.55 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains, deltas, and hills in east", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :domestic and international services are increasingly available for private use; unevenly distributed domestic system serves principal cities, industrial centers, and many towns; China continues to develop its telecommunications infrastructure; China in the summer of 2008 began a major restructuring of its telecommunications industry, resulting in the consolidation of its six telecom service operators to three, China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom, each providing both fixed-line and mobile services; domestic: :interprovincial fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular telephone systems have been installed; mobile-cellular subscribership is increasing rapidly; the number of Internet users exceeded 564 million by the end of 2012; a domestic satellite system with several earth stations is in place; international: :country code - 86; a number of submarine cables provide connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the US; satellite earth stations - 7 (5 Intelsat - 4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean; 1 Intersputnik - Indian Ocean region; and 1 Inmarsat - Pacific and Indian Ocean regions) (2012)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": " .1%, other 0.7% (includes Daoist (Taoist)), unaffiliated 52.2%; note: :officially atheist (2010 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :86,000 km; standard gauge: :86,000 km 1.435-m gauge (36,000 km electrified) (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Dalian, Ningbo, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin; river port(s): :Guangzhou (Pearl); container port(s) (TEUs): :Dalian (6,400,300), Guangzhou (14,260,400), Ningbo (14,719,200), Qingdao (13,020,100), Shanghai (31,739,000), Shenzhen (22,570,800), Tianjin (11,587,600)(2011); LNG terminal(s) (import): :Putian, Shanghai, Shenzhen", "POPULATION": "1,355,692,576 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Chinese Communist Party or CCP [XI Jinping; note: :China has eight nominally independent small parties ultimately controlled by the CCP", "PIPELINES": "condensate 9 km; gas 48,502 km; oil 23,072 km; oil/gas/water 31 km; refined products 15,298 km; water 9 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Since the late 1970s China has moved from a closed, centrally planned system to a more market-oriented one that plays a major global role - in 2010 China became the world's largest exporter. Reforms began with the phasing out of collectivized agriculture, and expanded to include the gradual liberalization of prices, fiscal decentralization, increased autonomy for state enterprises, growth of the private sector, development of stock markets and a modern banking system, and opening to foreign trade and investment. China has implemented reforms in a gradualist fashion. In recent years, China has renewed its support for state-owned enterprises in sectors considered important to \"economic security,\" explicitly looking to foster globally competitive industries. After keeping its currency tightly linked to the US dollar for years, in July 2005 China moved to an exchange rate system that references a basket of currencies. From mid 2005 to late 2008 cumulative appreciation of the renminbi against the US dollar was more than 20%, but the exchange rate remained virtually pegged to the dollar from the onset of the global financial crisis until June 2010, when Beijing allowed resumption of a gradual appreciation. In 2014 the People�s Bank of China (PBOC) doubled the daily trading band within which the RMB is permitted to fluctuate. The restructuring of the economy and resulting efficiency gains have contributed to a more than tenfold increase in GDP since 1978. Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis that adjusts for price differences, China in 2014 stood as the largest economy in the world, surpassing the US that year� Still, per capita income is below the world average. The Chinese government faces numerous economic challenges, including: (a) reducing its high domestic savings rate and correspondingly low domestic consumption; (b) facilitating higher-wage job opportunities for the aspiring middle class, including rural migrants and increasing numbers of college graduates; � reducing corruption and other economic crimes; and (d) containing environmental damage and social strife related to the economy's rapid transformation. Economic development has progressed further in coastal provinces than in the interior, and by 2011 more than 250 million migrant workers and their dependents had relocated to urban areas to find work. One consequence of population control policy is that China is now one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world. Deterioration in the environment - notably air pollution, soil erosion, and the steady fall of the water table, especially in the North - is another long-term problem. China continues to lose arable land because of erosion and economic development. The Chinese government is seeking to add energy production capacity from sources other than coal and oil, focusing on nuclear and alternative energy development. Several factors are converging to slow China's growth, including debt overhang from its credit-fueled stimulus program, industrial overcapacity, inefficient allocation of capital by state-owned banks, and the slow recovery of China's trading partners. The government's 12th Five-Year Plan, adopted in March 2011 and reiterated at the Communist Party's \"Third Plenum\" meeting in November 2013, emphasizes continued economic reforms and the need to increase domestic consumption in order to make the economy less dependent in the future on fixed investments, exports, and heavy industry. However, China has made only marginal progress toward these rebalancing goals. The new government of President XI Jinping has signaled a greater willingness to undertake reforms that focus on China's long-term economic health, including giving the market a more decisive role in allocating resources. In 2014 China agreed to begin limiting carbon dioxide emissions by 2030. China implemented several economic reforms in 2014, including legislation allowing local governments to issue bonds, further opening several state-owned enterprises to private investment, loosening the one-child policy, passing harsher pollution fines, and cutting administrative red tape.; The Chinese government faces numerous economic challenges, including: (a) reducing its high domestic savings rate and correspondingly low domestic consumption; (b) facilitating higher-wage job opportunities for the aspiring middle class, including rural migrants and increasing numbers of college graduates; (c) reducing corruption and other economic crimes; and (d) containing environmental damage and social strife related to the economy's rapid transformation. Economic development has progressed further in coastal provinces than in the interior, and by 2011 more than 250 million migrant workers and their dependents had relocated to urban areas to find work. One consequence of population control policy is that China is now one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world. Deterioration in the environment - notably air pollution, soil erosion, and the steady fall of the water table, especially in the North - is another long-term problem. China continues to lose arable land because of erosion and economic development. The Chinese government is seeking to add energy production capacity from sources other than coal and oil, focusing on nuclear and alternative energy development. Several factors are converging to slow China's growth, including debt overhang from its credit-fueled stimulus program, industrial overcapacity, inefficient allocation of capital by state-owned banks, and the slow recovery of China's trading partners. The government's 12th Five-Year Plan, adopted in March 2011 and reiterated at the Communist Party's \"Third Plenum\" meeting in November 2013, emphasizes continued economic reforms and the need to increase domestic consumption in order to make the economy less dependent in the future on fixed investments, exports, and heavy industry. However, China has made only marginal progress toward these rebalancing goals. The new government of President XI Jinping has signaled a greater willingness to undertake reforms that focus on China's long-term economic health, including giving the market a more decisive role in allocating resources. In 2014 China agreed to begin limiting carbon dioxide emissions by 2030. China implemented several economic reforms in 2014, including legislation allowing local governments to issue bonds, further opening several state-owned enterprises to private investment, loosening the one-child policy, passing harsher pollution fines, and cutting administrative red tape. ", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "no substantial political opposition groups exist", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "world's fourth largest country (after Russia, Canada, and US) and largest country situated entirely in Asia; Mount Everest on the border with Nepal is the world's tallest peak", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, rare earth elements, uranium, hydropower potential (world's largest), arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Chinese (singular and plural); adjective: :Chinese", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, 1 October (1949)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :2,030; by type: :barge carrier 7, bulk carrier 621, cargo 566, carrier 10, chemical tanker 140, container 206, liquefied gas 60, passenger 9, passenger/cargo 81, petroleum tanker 264, refrigerated cargo 33, roll on/roll off 8, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 23; foreign-owned: :22 (Hong Kong 18, Indonesia 2, Japan 2); registered in other countries: :1,559 (Bangladesh 1, Belize 61, Cambodia 177, Comoros 1, Cyprus 6, Georgia 10, Honduras 2, Hong Kong 500, India 1, Indonesia 1, Kiribati 26, Liberia 4, Malta 6, Marshall Islands 14, North Korea 3, Panama 534, Philippines 4, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 65, Sao Tome and Principe 1, Sierra Leone 19, Singapore 29, South Korea 6, Thailand 1, Togo 1, Tuvalu 4, UK 7, Vanuatu 1, unknown 73) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, Arctic Council (observer), ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, BRICS, CDB, CICA, EAS, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-24 (observer), G-5, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SCO, SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNSC (permanent), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :385,821,101; females age 16-49: :363,789,674 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :95.1%; male: :97.5%; female: :92.7% (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :75.15 years; male: :73.09 years; female: :77.43 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui (2,987 seats; members indirectly elected by municipal, regional, and provincial people's congresses, and the People's Liberation Army; members serve 5-year terms); note - in practice, only members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), its 8 allied parties, and CCP-approved independent candidates are elected; elections: :last held in December 2012-February 2013 (next to be held in late 2017 to early 2018); election results: :percent of vote - NA; seats - 2,987", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law influenced by Soviet and continental European civil law systems; legislature retains power to interpret statutes; note - criminal procedure law revised in early 2012", "LANGUAGES": "Standard Chinese or Mandarin (official; Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry); note: :Zhuang is official in Guangxi Zhuang, Yue is official in Guangdong, Mongolian is official in Nei Mongol, Uighur is official in Xinjiang Uygur, Kyrgyz is official in Xinjiang Uyghur, and Tibetan is official in Xizang (Tibet)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :11.28%; permanent crops: :1.68%; other: :87.03% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :22,457 km; border countries: :Afghanistan 91 km, Bhutan 477 km, Burma 2,129 km, India 2,659 km, Kazakhstan 1,765 km, North Korea 1,352 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,063 km, Laos 475 km, Mongolia 4,630 km, Nepal 1,389 km, Pakistan 438 km, Russia (northeast) 4,133 km, Russia (northwest) 46 km, Tajikistan 477 km, Vietnam 1,297 km; regional borders: :Hong Kong 33 km, Macau 3 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "801.6 million; note: :by the end of 2012, China's population at working age (15-64 years) was 1.0040 billion (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme People's Court (consists of over 340 judges including the chief justice, 13 grand justices organized into a civil committee and tribunals for civil, economic, administrative, complaint and appeal, and communication and transportation cases); judge selection and term of office: :chief justice appointed by the People's National Congress; term limited to two consecutive 5-year terms; other justices and judges nominated by the chief justice and appointed by the Standing Committee of the People's National Congress; term of other justices and judges NA; subordinate courts: :Higher People's Courts; Intermediate People's Courts; District and County People's Courts; Autonomous Region People's Courts; Special People's Courts for military, maritime, transportation, and forestry issues; note: :in late 2014, China unveiled planned judicial reforms", "WATERWAYS": "110,000 km (navigable waterways) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.1% (2014 est.); 2.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :14.79 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :14.93 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :14.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "world leader in gross value of industrial output; mining and ore processing, iron, steel, aluminum, and other metals, coal; machine building; armaments; textiles and apparel; petroleum; cement; chemicals; fertilizers; consumer products (including footwear, toys, and electronics); food processing; transportation equipment, including automobiles, rail cars and locomotives, ships, aircraft; telecommunications equipment, commercial space launch vehicles, satellites", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "7.3% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1 October 1949 (People's Republic of China established); notable earlier dates: 221 B.C. (unification under the Qin Dynasty); 1 January 1912 (Qing Dynasty replaced by the Republic of China)", "IMPORTS": "$1.949 trillion (2013 est.); $1.817 trillion (2012 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "major transshipment point for heroin produced in the Golden Triangle region of Southeast Asia; growing domestic consumption of synthetic drugs, and heroin from Southeast and Southwest Asia; source country for methamphetamine and heroin chemical precursors, despite new regulations on its large chemical industry (2008)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :4,106,387 km; paved: :3,453,890 km (includes 84,946 km of expressways); unpaved: :652,497 km (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "red with a large yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of the flag) in the upper hoist-side corner; the color red represents revolution, while the stars symbolize the four social classes - the working class, the peasantry, the urban petty bourgeoisie, and the national bourgeoisie (capitalists) - united under the Communist Party of China", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$894.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $822.4 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$2.252 trillion (2014 est.); $2.21 trillion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013); Vice President LI Yuanchao (since 14 March 2013); head of government: :Premier LI Keqiang (since 16 March 2013); Executive Vice Premier ZHANG Gaoli (since 16 March 2013); Vice Premier LIU Yandong (since 16 March 2013); Vice Premier MA Kai (since 16 March 2013); Vice Premier WANG Yang (since 16 March 2013); cabinet: :State Council appointed by National People's Congress; elections: :president and vice president elected by National People's Congress for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 5-17 March 2013 (next to be held in March 2018); premier nominated by president, confirmed by National People's Congress; election results: :XI Jinping elected president by National People's Congress with 2,952 votes; LI Yuanchao elected vice president with 2,940 votes", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Renminbi yuan (RMB) per US dollar -; 6.12 (2014 est.); 6.1958 (2013 est.); 6.31 (2012 est.); 6.4615 (2011 est.); 6.7703 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Han Chinese 91.6%, Zhuang 1.3%, other (includes Hui, Manchu, Uighur, Miao, Yi, Tujia, Tibetan, Mongol, Dong, Buyei, Yao, Bai, Korean, Hani, Li, Kazakh, Dai and other nationalities) 7.1%; note: :the Chinese government officially recognizes 56 ethnic groups (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "7.44 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest promulgated 4 December 1982; amended several times, last in 2005 (2005)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "South Korea 9.4%, Japan 8.3%, Taiwan 8%, United States 7.5%, Germany 4.8%, Australia 4.7% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "14,500 km", "CLIMATE": "extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "electrical and other machinery, oil and mineral fuels; nuclear reactor, boiler, and machinery components; optical and medical equipment, metal ores, motor vehicles; soybeans", "CAPITAL": "name: :Beijing; geographic coordinates: :39 55 N, 116 23 E; time difference: :UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); note: :despite its size, all of China falls within one time zone; many people in Xinjiang Province observe an unofficial \"Xinjiang time zone\" of UTC+6, two hours behind Beijing", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$2.297 trillion; expenditures: :$2.595 trillion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "People's Liberation Army (PLA): Ground Forces, Navy (PLAN; includes marines and naval aviation), Air Force (Zhongguo Renmin Jiefangjun Kongjun, PLAAF; includes Airborne Forces), and Second Artillery Corps (strategic missile force); People's Armed Police (Renmin Wuzhuang Jingcha Budui, PAP); PLA Reserve Force (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "12.17 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "507 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "world leader in gross value of agricultural output; rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, peanuts, tea, millet, barley, apples, cotton, oilseed; pork; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "23 provinces (sheng, singular and plural), 5 autonomous regions (zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 4 municipalities (shi, singular and plural); provinces: :Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang; (see note on Taiwan); autonomous regions: :Guangxi, Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia), Ningxia, Xinjiang Uygur, Xizang (Tibet); municipalities: :Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin; note: :China considers Taiwan its 23rd province; see separate entries for the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Hong Kong 17.4%, US 16.7%, Japan 6.8%, South Korea 4.1% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "electrical and other machinery, including data processing equipment, apparel, furniture, textiles, integrated circuits", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :33.6%; industry: :30.3%; services: :36.1%; (2012 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.7%; highest 10%: :30%; note: :data are for urban households only (2009)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "6.1%; note: :in 2011, China set a new poverty line at RMB 2300 (approximately US $400); (2013)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.99% of GDP (2012); 2% of GDP (2011); 1.99% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air pollution (greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide particulates) from reliance on coal produces acid rain; China is the world's largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels; water shortages, particularly in the north; water pollution from untreated wastes; deforestation; estimated loss of one-fifth of agricultural land since 1949 to soil erosion and economic development; desertification; trade in endangered species", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :44; over 3,047 m: :4; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :7; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :6; 914 to 1,523 m: :9; 18 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :463; over 3,047 m: :71; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :158; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :123; 914 to 1,523 m: :25; under 914 m: :86 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, MAO's successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight. Since the early 1990s, China has increased its global outreach and participation in international organizations.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :10,406,544; female: :9,131,990 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :318,265,016; females age 16-49: :300,323,611 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-24 years of age for selective compulsory military service, with a 2-year service obligation; no minimum age for voluntary service (all officers are volunteers); 18-19 years of age for women high school graduates who meet requirements for specific military jobs; a recent military decision allows women in combat roles; the first class of women warship commanders was in 2011 (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than the US", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern and eastern coasts); damaging floods; tsunamis; earthquakes; droughts; land subsidence; volcanism: :China contains some historically active volcanoes including Changbaishan (also known as Baitoushan, Baegdu, or P'aektu-san), Hainan Dao, and Kunlun although most have been relatively inactive in recent centuries", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Turpan Pendi -154 m; highest point: :Mount Everest 8,850 m (highest peak in Asia and highest point on earth above sea level)", "HELIPORTS": "47 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.11 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.16 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.13 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.92 male(s)/female; total population: :1.06 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "3,240 (of which 209 are operated by China Central Television, 31 are provincial TV stations, and nearly 3,000 are local city stations) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 369, FM 259, shortwave 45 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :9.7%; industry: :43.9%; services: :46.4%; (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "35 00 N, 105 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :17.1% (male 124,340,516/female 107,287,324); 15-24 years: :14.7% (male 105,763,058/female 93,903,845); 25-54 years: :47.2% (male 327,130,324/female 313,029,536); 55-64 years: :11.3% (male 77,751,100/female 75,737,968); 65 years and over: :9.6% (male 62,646,075/female 68,102,830) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Christmas Island", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (territory of Australia)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport", "AFFILIATION": "(territory of Australia)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.11% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$NA", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "golden bosun bird", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "note: :as a territory of Australia, \"Advance Australia Fair\" remains official as the national anthem, while \"God Save the Queen\" serves as the royal anthem (see Australia)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 community radio station; satellite broadcasts of several Australian radio and TV stations (2009)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "3,028 (2012)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".cx", "INTERNET_USERS": "464 (2001)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (territory of Australia)", "AREA": "total: :135 sq km; land: :135 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Southeast Asia", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Territory of Christmas Island; conventional short form: :Christmas Island", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of Australia", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "NA", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "NA", "TERRAIN": "steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :service provided by the Australian network; domestic: :GSM mobile-cellular telephone service replaced older analog system in February 2005; international: :country code - 61-8; satellite earth station - 1 (Intelsat provides telephone and telex service) (2005)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age", "RELIGIONS": "Christian 23.1%, Buddhist 16.8%, Muslim 14.8%, Hindu 0.4%, none 9.2% (2011 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :18 km; standard gauge: :18 km 1.435-m (not in operation) (2010)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Flying Fish Cove", "POPULATION": "1,530 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "none", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The main economic activities on Christmas Island are the mining of low grade phosphate, limited tourism, the provision of government services and more recently the construction and operation of the Immigration Detention Center. The government sector includes administration, health, education, policing, customs, quarantine and defense.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "none", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "phosphate, beaches", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Christmas Islander(s); adjective: :Christmas Island", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Australia Day, 26 January (1788)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "none", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :12 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :NA; male: :NA; female: :NA", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members directly elected by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms with a portion of the membership renewed every 2 years); elections: :held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held In 2011 (next to be held in 2013); election results: :percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "legal system is under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law", "LANGUAGES": "English (official), Chinese, Malay", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park) (2014 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "NA", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :under the terms of the Territorial Law Reform Act 1992, Western Australia provides court services as needed for the island including the Supreme Court and subordinate courts (District Court, Magistrate Court, Family Court, Children's Court, and Coroners' Court)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :NA; male: :NA; female: :NA", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion)", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (territory of Australia)", "IMPORTS": "$NA", "ROADWAYS": "total: :140 km; paved: :30 km; unpaved: :110 km (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "territorial flag; divided diagonally from upper hoist to lower fly; the upper triangle is green with a yellow image of the Golden Bosun Bird superimposed; the lower triangle is blue with the Southern Cross constellation, representing Australia, superimposed; a centered yellow disk displays a green map of the island; note: :the flag of Australia is used for official purposes", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 July - 30 June", "EXPORTS": "$NA", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) represented by the Australian governor general; head of government: :Administrator Barry HAASE (since 6 October 2014); elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the Australian prime minister; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia for a two-year term and represents the monarch and Australia", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar -; 1.098 (2014); 1.0358 (2013); 0.97 (2012); 0.9695 (2011); 1.0902 (2010)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%; note: :no indigenous population (2001)", "CONSTITUTION": "1 October 1958 (Christmas Island Act 1958); amended many times, last in 2010 (Territories Law Reform Act 2010) (2010)", "COASTLINE": "138.9 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical with a wet season (December to April) and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "consumer goods", "CAPITAL": "name: :The Settlement; geographic coordinates: :10 25 S, 105 43 E; time difference: :UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$NA; expenditures: :$NA", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "NA", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (territory of Australia)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "phosphate", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "loss of rainforest; impact of phosphate mining", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement began by the UK in 1888 with the discovery of the island's phosphate deposits. Following the Second World War, Christmas Island came under the jurisdiction of the new British Colony of Singapore. The island existed as a separate Crown colony from 1 January 1958 to 1 October 1958 when its transfer to Australian jurisdiction was finalized. That date is still celebrated on the first Monday in October as Territory Day. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Indian Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Murray Hill 361 m", "SEX_RATIO": "NA (2009 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "0 (TV broadcasts received via satellite from mainland Australia) (2006)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2006)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "10 30 S, 105 40 E" }, { "country": "Cocos (Keeling) Islands", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (territory of Australia)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport", "AFFILIATION": "(territory of Australia)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1% (2003)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$NA", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "note: :as a territory of Australia, \"Advance Australia Fair\" remains official as the national anthem, while \"God Save the Queen\" serves as the royal anthem (see Australia)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 local radio station staffed by community volunteers; satellite broadcasts of several Australian radio and TV stations available (2009)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "42,820 (2012)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".cc", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (territory of Australia)", "AREA": "total: :14 sq km; land: :14 sq km; water: :0 sq km; note: :includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Southeast Asia", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway between Australia and Sri Lanka", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands; conventional short form: :Cocos (Keeling) Islands", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory has a five-person police force", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "60% (2000 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "NA", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "NA", "TERRAIN": "flat, low-lying coral atolls", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :telephone service is part of the Australian network; an operational local mobile-cellular network available; wireless Internet connectivity available; domestic: :NA; international: :country code - 61; telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; satellite earth station - 1 (Intelsat) (2001)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age", "RELIGIONS": "Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Port Refuge", "POPULATION": "596 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "none", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Coconuts, grown throughout the islands, are the sole cash crop. Small local gardens and fishing contribute to the food supply, but additional food and most other necessities must be imported from Australia. There is a small tourist industry.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "The Cocos Islands Youth Support Centre", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation; site of a World War I naval battle in November 1914 between the Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney and the German raider SMS Emden; after being heavily damaged in the engagement, the Emden was beached by her captain on North Keeling Island", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Cocos Islander(s); adjective: :Cocos Islander", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Australia Day, 26 January (1788)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "none", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :NA; male: :NA; female: :NA", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (7 seats; members directly elected by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms with a portion of the membership renewed every 2 years); elections: :held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held in October 2011 (next to be held in October 2013)", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "common law based on the Australian model", "LANGUAGES": "Malay (Cocos dialect), English", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (2014 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "NA", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :under the terms of the Territorial Law Reform Act 1992, Western Australia provides court services as needed for the island including the Supreme Court and subordinate courts (District Court, Magistrate Court, Family Court, Children's Court, and Coroners' Court)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :NA; male: :NA; female: :NA", "INDUSTRIES": "copra products, tourism", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (territory of Australia)", "IMPORTS": "$NA", "ROADWAYS": "total: :22 km; paved: :10 km; unpaved: :12 km (2007)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "the flag of Australia is used", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 July - 30 June", "EXPORTS": "$NA", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) represented by the Australian governor general; head of government: :Administrator (nonresident) Barry HAASE (since 6 October 2014); cabinet: :NA; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the Australian prime minister; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia for a two-year term and represents the monarch and Australia", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar -; 1.098 (2014); 1.0358 (2013); 0.97 (2012); 0.9695 (2011); 1.0902 (2010)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Europeans, Cocos Malays", "CONSTITUTION": "23 November 1955 (Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act 1955); amended many times, last in 2010 (2010)", "COASTLINE": "26 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :West Island; geographic coordinates: :12 10 S, 96 50 E; time difference: :UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$NA; expenditures: :$NA", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (territory of Australia)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "copra", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "note: :the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism is the other main source of employment", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "freshwater resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "There are 27 coral islands in the group. Captain William KEELING discovered the islands in 1609, but they remained uninhabited until the 19th century. From the 1820s to 1978, members of the CLUNIE-ROSS family controlled the islands and the copra produced from local coconuts. Annexed by the UK in 1857, the Cocos Islands were transferred to the Australian Government in 1955. Apart from North Keeling Island, which lies 30 kilometers north of the main group, the islands form a horseshoe-shaped atoll surrounding a lagoon. North Keeling Island was declared a national park in 1995 and is administered by Parks Australia. The population on the two inhabited islands generally is split between the ethnic Europeans on West Island and the ethnic Malays on Home Island.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "cyclone season is October to April", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Indian Ocean 0 m; highest point: :unnamed location 5 m", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "4 (2007)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2004)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "12 30 S, 96 50 E" }, { "country": "Colombia", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Kevin WHITAKER (since 11 June 2014); embassy: :Calle 24 Bis No. 48-50, Bogota, D.C.; mailing address: :Carrera 45 No. 24B-27, Bogota, D.C.; telephone: :[57; FAX: :[57", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$13,500 (2014 est.); $13,000 (2013 est.); $12,600 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "5% (2014 est.); 4.7% (2013 est.); 4% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.07% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$642.7 billion (2014 est.); $612.1 billion (2013 est.); $584.7 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :50.9%; youth dependency ratio: :41.2%; elderly dependency ratio: :9.6%; potential support ratio: :10.4% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "21.1% of GDP (2014 est.); 21.4% of GDP (2013 est.); 20.8% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :59.8%; government consumption: :17%; investment in fixed capital: :25.5%; investment in inventories: :0.1%; exports of goods and services: :18.5%; imports of goods and services: :-20.8%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "79.1% (2009/10)", "DEMOGRAPHIC_PROFILE": "Colombia is in the midst of a demographic transition resulting from steady declines in its fertility, mortality, and population growth rates. The birth rate has fallen from more than 6 children per woman in the 1960s to just above replacement level today as a result of increased literacy, family planning services, and urbanization. However, income inequality is among the worst in the world, and more than a third of the population lives below the poverty line.; Colombia experiences significant legal and illegal economic emigration and refugee flows. Large-scale labor emigration dates to the 1960s; Venezuela and the United States continue to be the main host countries. Colombia is the largest source of Latin American refugees in Latin America, nearly 400,000 of whom live primarily in Venezuela and Ecuador. Forced displacement remains prevalent because of violence among guerrillas, paramilitary groups, and Colombian security forces. Afro-Colombian and indigenous populations are disproportionately affected. A leading NGO estimates that 5.2 million people have been displaced since 1985, while the Colombian Government estimates 3.6 million since 2000. These estimates may undercount actual numbers because not all internally displaced persons are registered. Historically, Colombia also has one of the world's highest levels of forced disappearances. About 30,000 cases have been recorded over the last four decades - although the number is likely to be much higher - including human rights activists, trade unionists, Afro-Colombians, indigenous people, and farmers in rural conflict zones.", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "21.4; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2010 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :988,362; percentage: :9%; note: :data represents children ages 5-17 (2009 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "74.9 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "198.4 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "2.54 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "9.39 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "11.93 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "49,790 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "92,410 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "306,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "313,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "2.377 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "10 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "777,900 bbl/day (2009)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "1.022 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "67.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "32.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "14.47 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "8.22 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "236 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "50.25 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "59.22 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Andean condor; national colors: yellow, blue, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :21.9%; male: :17%; female: :28.9% (2011 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "17.3% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.5 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.47 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.8% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "3.4% (2010)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "92 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-1.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "28.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "BOGOTA (capital) 9.558 million; Medellin 3.85 million; Cali 2.61 million; Barranquilla 1.975 million; Bucaramanga 1.195 million; Cartagena 1.072 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Himno Nacional de la Republica de Colombia\" (National Anthem of the Republic of Colombia); lyrics/music: :Rafael NUNEZ/Oreste SINDICI; note: :adopted 1920; the anthem was created from an inspirational poem written by President Rafael NUNEZ", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 84.9% of population; rural: 65.7% of population; total: 80.2% of population; urban: 15.1% of population; rural: 34.3% of population; total: 19.8% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 96.9% of population; rural: 73.6% of population; total: 91.2% of population; urban: 3.1% of population; rural: 26.4% of population; total: 8.8% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$177.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $161.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$47.31 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $44.55 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "combination of state-owned and privately owned broadcast media provide service; more than 500 radio stations and many national, regional, and local TV stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :76.2% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.66% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$177.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $166.4 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$26.57 billion (31 December 2008); $27.25 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$25.01 billion (31 December 2009); $21.58 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "10.9% (31 December 2014 est.); 11% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "4.75% (31 December 2011); 5% (31 December 2010)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.4% of GDP (2012)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :13 years; male: :13 years; female: :13 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :12.65 cu km/yr (55%/4%/41%); per capita: :308 cu m/yr (2010)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "2,132 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$262.1 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $201.3 billion (31 December 2011); $208.5 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$44 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $39 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$144.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $127.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$400.1 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "IDPs: :5.4 - 5.7 million (conflict between government and illegal armed groups and drug traffickers since 1985; about 300,000 new IDPs each year since 2000) (2013); stateless persons: :12 (2013)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$47.74 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $43.16 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$16.08 billion (2014 est.); -$12.28 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "41.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 43.3% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "4.41 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :28.9 years; male: :27.9 years; female: :29.9 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "53.5 (2012); 56.9 (1996)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "6,500 (2012 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "136,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.45% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".co", "INTERNET_USERS": "22.538 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "49.066 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "6.291 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Luis Carlos VILLEGAS Echeverri (since 3 December 2013); chancery: :2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Newark (New Jersey), San Juan (Puerto Rico); consulate(s): :Boston, San Francisco", "AREA": "total: :1,138,910 sq km; land: :1,038,700 sq km; water: :100,210 sq km; note: :includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, and Serrana Bank", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "10,870 sq km (2011)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "South America", "LOCATION": "Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Colombia; conventional short form: :Colombia; local long form: :Republica de Colombia; local short form: :Colombia", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "9.2% (2014 est.); 9.7% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic; executive branch dominates government structure", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.07 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern lowland plains (Llanos)", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modern system in many respects with a nationwide microwave radio relay system, a domestic satellite system with 41 earth stations, and a fiber-optic network linking 50 cities; telecommunications sector liberalized during the 1990s; multiple providers of both fixed-line and mobile-cellular services; domestic: :fixed-line connections stand at about 15 per 100 persons; mobile cellular telephone subscribership is about 100 per 100 persons; competition among cellular service providers is resulting in falling local and international calling rates and contributing to the steep decline in the market share of fixed line services; international: :country code - 57; multiple submarine cable systems provide links to the US, parts of the Caribbean, and Central and South America; satellite earth stations - 10 (6 Intelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 3 fully digitalized international switching centers) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 90%, other 10%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :874 km; standard gauge: :150 km 1.435-m gauge; narrow gauge: :498 km 0.950-m gauge; 226 km 0.914-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean) - Cartagena, Santa Marta, Turbo; Pacific Ocean - Buenaventura; river port(s): :Barranquilla (Rio Magdalena); oil/gas terminal(s): :Covenas offshore terminal; dry bulk cargo port(s): :Puerto Bolivar (coal); container port(s) (TEUs): :Cartagena (1,853,342)", "POPULATION": "46,245,297 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alternative Democratic Pole or PDA [Clara LOPEZ; Conservative Party or PC [Omar YEPES Alzate; Democratic Center Party or CD [Alvaro URIBE Velez; Green Party [Alfonso PRADA; Liberal Party or PL [Simon GAVIRIA Munoz; National Integration Party or PIN [Angel ALIRIO Moreno; Radical Change or CR [Carlos Fernando GALAN; Social National Unity Party or U Party [Sergio Diaz GANADOS; note: :Colombia has seven major political parties, and numerous smaller movements", "PIPELINES": "gas 4,991 km; oil 6,796 km; refined products 3,429 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Colombia's consistently sound economic policies and aggressive promotion of free trade agreements in recent years have bolstered its ability to weather external shocks. Real GDP has grown more than 4% per year for the past four years, continuing almost a decade of strong economic performance. All three major ratings agencies have upgraded Colombia's government debt to investment grade, which helped to attract record levels of investment in 2013 and 2014, mostly in the hydrocarbons sector. Colombia depends heavily on energy and mining exports, making it vulnerable to a drop in commodity prices. Colombia is the world's fourth largest coal exporter and Latin America's fourth largest oil producer. Economic development is stymied by inadequate infrastructure, inequality, poverty, narco-trafficking and an uncertain security situation. Moreover, the unemployment rate of 9.2% in 2014 is still one of Latin America's highest. The SANTOS Administration's foreign policy has focused on bolstering Colombia's commercial ties and boosting investment at home. Colombia has signed or is negotiating Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with more than a dozen countries; the US-Colombia FTA went into force on May 2012. Colombia is also a founding member of the Pacific Alliance - a regional grouping formed in 2012 by Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru to promote regional trade and economic integration. In 2013, Colombia began its ascension process to the OECD. In 2014, Colombia passed a tax reform bill to offset the lost revenue from the global drop in oil prices. The SANTOS administration is also using tax reform to help finance implementation of a peace deal, in the event FARC and the government reach an agreement in 2015. Colombian officials estimate a peace deal may bolster economic growth by almost 2%.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Central Union of Workers or CUT; Colombian Confederation of Workers or CTC; General Confederation of Workers or CGT; National Liberation Army or ELN; Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC; note: :FARC and ELN are the two largest insurgent groups active in Colombia", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "only South American country with coastlines on both the North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Colombian(s); adjective: :Colombian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 20 July (1810)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :12; by type: :cargo 9, chemical tanker 1, petroleum tanker 2; registered in other countries: :4 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Panama 2, Portugal 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "BCIE, BIS, CAN, Caricom (observer), CD, CDB, CELAC, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-3, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance, PCA, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :11,692,647; females age 16-49: :11,727,625 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :93.6%; male: :93.5%; female: :93.7% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :75.25 years; male: :72.08 years; female: :78.61 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Congress or Congreso consists of the Senate or Senado (102 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms) and the Chamber of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (166 seats; members elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms); elections: :Senate - last held on 9 March 2014 (next to be held in March 2018); Chamber of Representatives - last held on 9 March 2014 (next to be held in March 2018); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - U Party 21, CD 19, CD PC, PL 17, CR 9, PDA 5, Green Party 5, other 7; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - U Party 39, PL 37, PC 27, CR 16, CD 12, Green Party 6, PDA 3, other 26", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system influenced by the Spanish and French civil codes", "LANGUAGES": "Spanish (official)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :1.43%; permanent crops: :1.68%; other: :96.89% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :6,672 km; border countries: :Brazil 1,790 km, Ecuador 708 km, Panama 339 km, Peru 1,494 km, Venezuela 2,341 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "23.67 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of the Civil-Agrarian and Labor Chambers each with 7 judges, and the Penal Chamber with 9 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 magistrates); Council of State (consists of 10 members); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges appointed by the Congress from candidates submitted by the president; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Court magistrates - 3 nominated by the president, 3 by the Supreme Court, and 3 elected by the Senate; judges elected for individual 2-8 year terms; Council of State members nominated by the president and elected by the Congress biannually to serve 4-year terms; subordinate courts: :Superior Tribunals (appellate courts for each of the judicial districts); regional courts; civil municipal courts; Superior Military Tribunal; first instance administrative courts", "WATERWAYS": "24,725 km (18,300 km navigable; the most important waterway, the River Magdalena, of which 1,488 km is navigable, is dredged regularly to ensure the safe passage of cargo vessels and container barges) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.9% (2014 est.); 2% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :15.02 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :18.22 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :11.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages, chemicals, cement; gold, coal, emeralds", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "4.2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "20 July 1810 (from Spain)", "IMPORTS": "$56.75 billion (2014 est.); $55.03 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "illicit producer of coca, opium poppy, and cannabis; world's leading coca cultivator with 83,000 hectares in coca cultivation in 2011, a 17% decrease over 2010, producing a potential of 195 mt of pure cocaine; the world's largest producer of coca derivatives; supplies cocaine to nearly all of the US market and the great majority of other international drug markets; in 2012, aerial eradication dispensed herbicide to treat over 100,549 hectares combined with manual eradication of 30,486 hectares; a significant portion of narcotics proceeds are either laundered or invested in Colombia through the black market peso exchange; important supplier of heroin to the US market; opium poppy cultivation is estimated to have fallen to 1,100 hectares in 2009 while pure heroin production declined to 2.1 mt; most Colombian heroin is destined for the US market (2013)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :141,374 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double-width), blue, and red; the flag retains the three main colors of the banner of Gran Colombia, the short-lived South American republic that broke up in 1830; various interpretations of the colors exist and include: yellow for the gold in Colombia's land, blue for the seas on its shores, and red for the blood spilled in attaining freedom; alternatively, the colors have been described as representing more elemental concepts such as sovereignty and justice (yellow), loyalty and vigilance (blue), and valor and generosity (red); or simply the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity; note: :similar to the flag of Ecuador, which is longer and bears the Ecuadorian coat of arms superimposed in the center", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$84 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $80.63 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$55 billion (2014 est.); $58.03 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Juan Manuel SANTOS Calderon (since 7 August 2010); Vice President German VARGAS Lleras (since 7 August 2014); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Juan Manuel SANTOS Calderon (since 7 August 2010); Vice President German VARGAS Lleras (since 7 August 2014); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president; elections: :president and vice president elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 30 May 2010 with a runoff election 20 June 2010 (next to be held on 25 May 2014); election results: :Juan Manuel SANTOS Calderon elected president in runoff election; percent of vote - Juan Manuel SANTOS Calderon 69.06%, Antanas MOCKUS 27.52%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Colombian pesos (COP) per US dollar -; 1,992 (2014 est.); 1,868.9 (2013 est.); 1,798 (2012 est.); 1,848 (2011 est.); 1,898.6 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "mestizo 58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed black-Amerindian 3%, Amerindian 1%", "DEATH_RATE": "5.36 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest promulgated 5 July 1991; amended many times, last in 2011 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 28%, China 18%, Mexico 9%, Brazil 4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "3,208 km (Caribbean Sea 1,760 km, North Pacific Ocean 1,448 km)", "CLIMATE": "tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "industrial equipment, transportation equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, paper products, fuels, electricity", "CAPITAL": "name: :Bogota; geographic coordinates: :4 36 N, 74 05 W; time difference: :UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$114.1 billion; expenditures: :$120.2 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "National Army (Ejercito Nacional), Republic of Colombia Navy (Armada Republica de Colombia, ARC, includes Naval Aviation, Naval Infantry (Infanteria de Marina, IM), and Coast Guard), Colombian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de Colombia, FAC) (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "16.73 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "836 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coffee, cut flowers, bananas, rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa beans, oilseed, vegetables; shrimp; forest products", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "32 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 capital district* (distrito capital); Amazonas, Antioquia, Arauca, Atlantico, Bogota*, Bolivar, Boyaca, Caldas, Caqueta, Casanare, Cauca, Cesar, Choco, Cordoba, Cundinamarca, Guainia, Guaviare, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Meta, Narino, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Quindio, Risaralda, Archipielago de San Andres, Providencia y Santa Catalina (colloquially San Andres y Providencia), Santander, Sucre, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vaupes, Vichada", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 31%, China 9%, Panama 6%, India 5%, Spain 5% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum, coal, emeralds, coffee, nickel, cut flowers, bananas, apparel", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :17%; industry: :21%; services: :62% (2011 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.1%; highest 10%: :42% (2010 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "32.7% (2012 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "3.28% of GDP (2012); 3.06% of GDP (2011); 3.63% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Law of the Sea", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; soil and water quality damage from overuse of pesticides; air pollution, especially in Bogota, from vehicle emissions", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :715; over 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :25; 914 to 1,523 m: :201; 488 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :121; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :9; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :39; 914 to 1,523 m: :53; under 914 m: :18 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and Venezuela). A nearly five-decade long conflict between government forces and anti-government insurgent groups, principally the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) heavily funded by the drug trade, escalated during the 1990s. More than 31,000 former paramilitaries had demobilized by the end of 2006 and the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia as a formal organization had ceased to function. In the wake of the paramilitary demobilization, emerging criminal groups arose, whose members include some former paramilitaries. The insurgents lack the military or popular support necessary to overthrow the government, but continue attacks against civilians. Large areas of the countryside are under guerrilla influence or are contested by security forces. In November 2012, the Colombian Government started formal peace negotiations with the FARC aimed at reaching a definitive bilateral ceasefire and incorporating demobilized FARC members into mainstream society and politics. The Colombian Government has stepped up efforts to reassert government control throughout the country, and now has a presence in every one of its administrative departments. Despite decades of internal conflict and drug related security challenges, Colombia maintains relatively strong democratic institutions characterized by peaceful, transparent elections and the protection of civil liberties.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :430,634; female: :413,974 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :9,150,400; females age 16-49: :9,861,760 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-24 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; service obligation is 18 months (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than twice the size of Texas", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts; volcanism: :Galeras (elev. 4,276 m) is one of Colombia's most active volcanoes, having erupted in 2009 and 2010 causing major evacuations; it has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Nevado del Ruiz (elev. 5,321 m), 129 km (80 mi) west of Bogota, erupted in 1985 producing lahars (mudflows) that killed 23,000 people; the volcano last erupted in 1991; additionally, after 500 years of dormancy, Nevado del Huila reawakened in 2007 and has experienced frequent eruptions since then; other historically active volcanoes include Cumbal, Dona Juana, Nevado del Tolima, and Purace", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Pico Cristobal Colon 5,775 m; note: :nearby Pico Simon Bolivar also has the same elevation", "HELIPORTS": "3 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.72 male(s)/female; total population: :0.98 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "60 (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 454, FM 34, shortwave 27 (1999)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :6.1%; industry: :37.3%; services: :56.6% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "4 00 N, 72 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :25.3% (male 5,998,645/female 5,720,229); 15-24 years: :18% (male 4,243,251/female 4,099,299); 25-54 years: :41.6% (male 9,515,723/female 9,720,894); 55-64 years: :8.3% (male 1,796,050/female 2,051,948); 65 years and over: :6.7% (male 1,293,258/female 1,806,000) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Comoros", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to Madagascar is accredited to Comoros", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$1,700 (2014 est.); $1,600 (2013 est.); $1,600 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.9% (2014 est.); 3.5% (2013 est.); 3% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.87% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$1.211 billion (2014 est.); $1.165 billion (2013 est.); $1.126 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :81%; youth dependency ratio: :75.9%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.1%; potential support ratio: :19.5% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "8.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 13.8% of GDP (2013 est.); 8.5% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :99%; government consumption: :17.3%; investment in fixed capital: :18.5%; investment in inventories: :6.3%; exports of goods and services: :14.5%; imports of goods and services: :-55.6%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "19.4% (2012)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "24.6; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2012 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :39,550; percentage: :27% (2000 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "157,400 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "877 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "1,080 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "4.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "95.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "22,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "39.99 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "43 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "four stars and crescent; national colors: green, white", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "4.4% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.2 beds/1,000 population (2006)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.15 physicians/1,000 population (2004)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "4.5% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "16.9% (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "280 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-1.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "24.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "MORONI (capital) 56,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Udzima wa ya Masiwa\" (The Union of the Great Islands); lyrics/music: :Said Hachim SIDI ABDEREMANE/Said Hachim SIDI ABDEREMANE and Kamildine ABDALLAH; note: :adopted 1978", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 50% of population; rural: 29.7% of population; total: 35.4% of population; urban: 50% of population; rural: 70.3% of population; total: 64.6% of population (2010 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "rural: 96.7% of population; rural: 3.3% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$269.6 million (31 December 2014 est.); $251.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$171.9 million (31 December 2014 est.); $159.4 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "national state-owned TV station and a TV station run by Anjouan regional government; national state-owned radio; regional governments on the islands of Grande Comore and Anjouan each operate a radio station; a few independent and small community radio stations operate on the islands of Grande Comore and Moheli, and these two islands have access to Mayotte Radio and French TV (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :28.2% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.67% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$179.1 million (31 December 2014 est.); $167.3 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$41.74 million (31 December 2008); $37.48 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$100.6 million (31 December 2008); $96.01 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "10.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 10.5% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "1.93% (31 December 2010); 2.21% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "7.6% of GDP (2008)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :13 years; male: :13 years; female: :12 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.01 cu km/yr (48%/5%/47%); per capita: :16.86 cu m/yr (1999)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "1.2 cu km (2011)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Comoros is a source country for children subjected to forced labor and, reportedly, sex trafficking; Comoran children are forced to labor within the country in domestic service, roadside and street vending, baking, fishing, and agriculture; some Comoran students at Koranic schools are exploited for forced agricultural or domestic labor, sometimes being subjected to physical and sexual abuse; Comoros may be particularly vulnerable to transnational trafficking because of inadequate border controls, government corruption, and the presence of criminal networks and may be a destination for the forced labor of Malagasy and East African women; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Comoros does not comply fully with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute a significant effort toward meeting the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking; the penal code was revised to include prohibitions against and penalties for human trafficking, but these modifications await parliamentary adoption; authorities failed to vigorously investigate or prosecute trafficking offenses, including official complicity in these crimes; although the government provided some funding to NGO-run centers, victim protection provisions remained very modest (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$722 million (2014 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$48.4 million (2014 est.); -$35.5 million (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "14 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :19.2 years; male: :18.5 years; female: :19.8 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".km", "INTERNET_USERS": "24,300 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "250,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "24,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Mohamed SOILIH (since 18 November 2014); chancery: :Mission to the US, 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 418, New York, NY 10017; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :2,235 sq km; land: :2,235 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1.3 sq km NA (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Southern Africa, group of islands at the northern mouth of the Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Union of the Comoros; conventional short form: :Comoros; local long form: :Udzima wa Komori (Comorian); Union des Comores (French); Jumhuriyat al Qamar al Muttahidah (Arabic); local short form: :Komori (Comorian); Comores (French); Juzur al Qamar (Arabic)", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "20% (1996 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "3.76 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :sparse system of microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communication stations; domestic: :fixed-line connections only about 3 per 100 persons; mobile cellular usage about 30 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 269; landing point for the EASSy fiber-optic submarine cable system connecting East Africa with Europe and North America; HF radiotelephone communications to Madagascar and Reunion (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2%", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Moroni, Mutsamudu", "POPULATION": "766,865 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Camp of the Autonomous Islands or CdIA (a coalition of parties organized by the islands' presidents in opposition to the Union President); Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros or CRC [AZALI Assoumani; Front National pour la Justice or FNJ [Ahmed RACHID; Juwa [Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI; Mouvement pour la Democratie et le Progress or MDP-NGDC [Abbas DJOUSSOUF; Orange Party [Niganned \"Kiki\" DAOUDI; Parti Comorien pour la Democratie et le Progress or PCDP [Ali MROUDJAE; Rassemblement Democratique des Comores [Mougini Baraka Said SOILIHI; Rassemblement National pour le Development or RND [Omar TAMOU, Abdoulhamid AFFRAITANE", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "One of the world's poorest countries, Comoros is made up of three islands that are hampered by inadequate transportation links, a young and rapidly increasing population, and few natural resources. The low educational level of the labor force contributes to a subsistence level of economic activity, high unemployment, and a heavy dependence on foreign grants and technical assistance. Agriculture, including fishing, hunting, and forestry, contributes 50% to GDP, employs 80% of the labor force, and provides most of the exports. Export income is heavily reliant on the three main crops of vanilla, cloves, and ylang-ylang; and Comoros' export earnings are easily disrupted by disasters such as fires and extreme weather. Despite agriculture�s importance to the economy, the country imports roughly 70% of its food; rice, the main staple, accounts for the bulk of imports. The government - which is racked by internal political disputes - is struggling to provide basic services, upgrade education and technical training, privatize commercial and industrial enterprises, improve health services, diversify exports, promote tourism, and reduce the high population growth rate. Recurring political instability since independence has inhibited growth. Remittances from 200,000 Comorans contribute about 25% of the country�s GDP. In December 2012, IMF and the World Bank's International Development Association supported $176 million in debt relief for Comoros, resulting in a 59% reduction of its future external debt service over a period of 40 years. In late 2013, a US-based investment company invested $200 million in a project to explore for hydrocarbons in Comoran territorial waters, the largest financial investment in the country�s history.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :environmentalists", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-2.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Comoran(s); adjective: :Comoran", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 6 July (1975)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :149; by type: :bulk carrier 16, cargo 83, carrier 5, chemical tanker 5, container 2, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 8; foreign-owned: :73 (Bangladesh 1, Bulgaria 4, China 1, Cyprus 2, Greece 4, Kenya 2, Kuwait 1, Latvia 2, Lebanon 2, Lithuania 1, Nigeria 1, Norway 1, Pakistan 5, Russia 12, Syria 5, Turkey 8, UAE 8, UK 1, Ukraine 10, US 2) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AMF, AOSIS, AU, CAEU (candidates), COMESA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :184,236; females age 16-49: :183,363 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :75.9%; male: :80.7%; female: :71.2% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :63.48 years; male: :61.23 years; female: :65.8 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Assembly of the Union (33 seats; 24 members elected by absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed and 9 members indirectly selected by island assemblies; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 6 and 20 December 2009 (next to be held in 2015 - first round held on 25 January 2015; second round to be held on 22 February 2015); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - pro-union coalition 19, autonomous coalition 4, independent 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of Islamic religious law, the French civil code of 1975, and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (official; a blend of Swahili and Arabic) (Comorian)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :47.29%; permanent crops: :29.55%; other: :23.16% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "239,000 (2012 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of 7 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 8 members); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges selected - 2 by the president of the Union, 2 by the Assembly of the Union, and 1 each by the 3 island councils; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Court members appointed - 1 by the president, 1 each by the 3 vice presidents, 1 by the Assembly, and 1 each by the island executives; all members serve 6-year renewable terms; subordinate courts: :Court of Appeals (in Moroni); Tribunal de premiere; island village (community) courts; religious courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.5% (2014 est.); 1.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :65.31 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :76.11 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :54.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "fishing, tourism, perfume distillation", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "4.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "6 July 1975 (from France)", "IMPORTS": "$235.8 million (2014 est.); $231.4 million (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :880 km; paved: :673 km; unpaved: :207 km (2002)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "four equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), white, red, and blue, with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist; centered within the triangle is a white crescent with the convex side facing the hoist and four white, five-pointed stars placed vertically in a line between the points of the crescent; the horizontal bands and the four stars represent the four main islands of the archipelago - Mwali, N'gazidja, Ndzuwani, and Mahore (Mayotte - department of France, but claimed by Comoros); note: :the crescent, stars, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$251.6 million (31 December 2014 est.); $251.4 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$24.3 million (2014 est.); $22.8 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Ikililou DHOININE (since 26 May 2011); the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Ikililou DHOININE (since 26 May 2011); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president; elections: :as defined by the 2001 constitution, the presidency rotates every four years among the elected presidents from the three main islands in the Union; election last held on 7 November and 26 December 2010 (next to be held in 2015-16); election results: :Ikililou DHOININE elected president; percent of vote - Ikililou DHOININE 61.1%, Mohamed Said FAZUL 32.7%, Abdou DJABIR 6.2%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Comoran francs (KMF) per US dollar -; 364.4 (2014 est.); 370.53 (2013 est.); 382.9 (2012 est.); 353.9 (2011 est.); 371.46 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava", "DEATH_RATE": "7.76 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1996; latest ratified 23 December 2001; amended 2009 and 2014 (2014)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "France 16.9%, Pakistan 15.8%, China 12.8%, UAE 11%, India 6.7%, Kenya 6.1% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "340 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum products, cement, transport equipment", "CAPITAL": "name: :Moroni; geographic coordinates: :11 42 S, 43 14 E; time difference: :UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$175.6 million; expenditures: :$183.3 million (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Army of National Development (l'Armee du Developpement Nationale, AND): Comoran Security Force (also called Comoran Defense Force (Force Comorienne de Defense, FCD), includes Gendarmerie), Comoran Coast Guard, Comoran Federal Police (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "29.05 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "4 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "vanilla, cloves, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), copra, coconuts, bananas, cassava (manioc)", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "3 islands and 4 municipalities*; Anjouan (Ndzuwani), Domoni*, Fomboni*, Grande Comore (N'gazidja), Moheli (Mwali), Moroni*, Moutsamoudou*", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "India 15.1%, Singapore 15%, France 14.9%, Netherlands 12.9%, Turkey 11.9%, US 5.7%, Saudi Arabia 5.4%, Germany 4.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), cloves, copra", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :80%; industry and services: :20% (1996 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :0.9%; highest 10%: :55.2% (2004)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "60% (2002 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "soil degradation and erosion results from crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing; deforestation", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :4; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :3 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Comoros has endured more than 20 coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1975. In 1997, the islands of Anjouan and Moheli declared independence from Comoros. In 1999, military chief Col. AZALI seized power of the entire government in a bloodless coup; he helped negotiate the 2000 Fomboni Accords power-sharing agreement in which the federal presidency rotates among the three islands, and each island maintains its local government. AZALI won the 2002 federal presidential election, and each island in the archipelago elected its president. AZALI stepped down in 2006 and President SAMBI was elected to office. In 2007, Mohamed BACAR effected Anjouan's de-facto secession from the Union of Comoros, refusing to step down when Comoros' other islands held legitimate elections in July. The African Union (AU) initially attempted to resolve the political crisis by applying sanctions and a naval blockade to Anjouan, but in March 2008 the AU and Comoran soldiers seized the island. The island's inhabitants generally welcomed the move. In May 2011, Ikililou DHOININE won the presidency in peaceful elections widely deemed to be free and fair.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :8,831; female: :8,809 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :134,562; females age 16-49: :145,797 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for 2-year voluntary military service; no conscription; women first inducted into the Army in 2004 (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); volcanic activity on Grand Comore; volcanism: :Karthala (elev. 2,361 m) on Grand Comore Island last erupted in 2007; a 2005 eruption forced thousands of people to be evacuated and produced a large ash cloud", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Indian Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Karthala 2,360 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.9 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.92 male(s)/female; total population: :0.94 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "NA", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :50.4%; industry: :13.7%; services: :35.9% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "12 10 S, 44 15 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :41.3% (male 157,996/female 159,088); 15-24 years: :18.8% (male 69,688/female 74,418); 25-54 years: :31.9% (male 116,235/female 128,647); 55-64 years: :4.1% (male 14,074/female 17,700); 65 years and over: :3.8% (male 13,696/female 15,323) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Congo, Democratic Republic of the", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador James C. SWAN (since 1 November 2013); embassy: :310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa; mailing address: :Unit 2220, DPO AE 09828; telephone: :[243; FAX: :[243", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$700 (2014 est.); $700 (2013 est.); $600 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "8.6% (2014 est.); 8.5% (2013 est.); 7.2% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.5% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$55.73 billion (2014 est.); $51.3 billion (2013 est.); $47.26 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :91.1%; youth dependency ratio: :85.6%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.5%; potential support ratio: :18.3% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "12.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 11.2% of GDP (2013 est.); 12.3% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :60.6%; government consumption: :12%; investment in fixed capital: :26.1%; investment in inventories: :0.1%; exports of goods and services: :58%; imports of goods and services: :-56.8%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "17.7% (2010)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "19.9; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2013/14 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :8,284,395; percentage: :42% (2010 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "2.481 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "991.1 million cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "9 million cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "9 million cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "16,200 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "9,320 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "180 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "22,240 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "20,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "98.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "1.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "2.506 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "44 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "171 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "6.653 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "7.802 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "leopard; national colors: sky blue, red, yellow", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "1.7% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.8 beds/1,000 population (2006)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.11 physicians/1,000 population (2004)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.6% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "24.2% (2010)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "540 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-0.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "14.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "KINSHASA (capital) 11.116 million; Lubumbashi 1.936 million; Mbuji-Mayi 1.919 million; Kananga 1.119 million; Kisangani 1.001 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Debout Congolaise\" (Arise Congolese); lyrics/music: :Joseph LUTUMBA/Simon-Pierre BOKA di Mpasi Londi; note: :adopted 1960; replaced when the country was known as Zaire; but readopted in 1997", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 29.1% of population; rural: 32.6% of population; total: 31.4% of population; urban: 70.9% of population; rural: 67.4% of population; total: 68.6% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 79.1% of population; rural: 29% of population; total: 46.5% of population; urban: 20.9% of population; rural: 71% of population; total: 53.5% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$4.142 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.523 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$1.231 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.088 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-owned TV broadcast station with near national coverage; more than a dozen privately owned TV stations - 2 with near national coverage; 2 state-owned radio stations are supplemented by more than 100 private radio stations; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :42% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.96% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$1.956 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.81 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$947.8 million (31 December 2008); $677.9 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$613.9 million (31 December 2008); $597 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "17.4% (31 December 2014 est.); 19.38% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "4% (31 December 2012); 20% (31 December 2011)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.5% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :10 years; male: :11 years; female: :8 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.68 cu km/yr (68%/21%/11%); per capita: :11.25 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "1,283 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a source, destination, and possibly a transit country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; the majority of this trafficking is internal, and much of it is perpetrated by armed groups and government forces outside government control within the country's unstable eastern provinces; Congolese women and children have been exploited internally as domestic servants, while others migrate to Angola, South Africa, the Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan, as well as East African, Middle Eastern, and European nations where they are subjected to forced prostitution, domestic servitude, and forced labor in agriculture and diamond mining; indigenous and foreign armed groups, including the Lord�s Resistance Army, abduct and forcibly recruit Congolese adults and children to serve as laborers, porters, domestics, combatants, and sex slaves; some commanders of the Congolese national army also recruit, at times through force, men and children for use as combatants, escorts, and porters; tier rating: :Tier 3 - The Democratic Republic of the Congo does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; in 2013, the government took steps to implement a UN-backed action plan to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers within its armed forces; authorities investigated a few cases of transnational sex trafficking but did not prosecute or convict any trafficking offenders or report providing victims with protection services or referring victims to NGOs for care; no action was taken against security forces complicit in exploiting adults and children in forced labor, sex trafficking, or in military recruitment; NGOs continued to provide the vast majority of the limited shelter, legal, medical, and psychological services available to victims (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$32.67 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :38,783 (Rwanda); 9,317 (Burundi) (2014); 90,851 (Central African Republic) (2015); IDPs: :2,715,185 (fighting between government forces and rebels since mid-1990s; most IDPs are in eastern provinces) (2014)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria, dengue fever, and trypanosomiasis-gambiense (African sleeping sickness); water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$1.872 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.678 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$2.297 billion (2014 est.); -$1.927 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "33.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 35% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "2,515 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :17.9 years; male: :17.7 years; female: :18.1 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "30,100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "442,700 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "1.08% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".cd", "INTERNET_USERS": "290,000 (2008)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "19.487 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "58,200 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Faida Maramuke MITIFU (since 3 February 2000); chancery: :Suite 601, 1726 M Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20036; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :New York", "AREA": "total: :2,344,858 sq km; land: :2,267,048 sq km; water: :77,810 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "105 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Central Africa, northeast of Angola", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Democratic Republic of the Congo; conventional short form: :DRC; local long form: :Republique Democratique du Congo; local short form: :RDC; former: :Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo/Leopoldville, Congo/Kinshasa, Zaire; abbreviation: :DRC", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "4.8 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :barely adequate wire and microwave radio relay service in and between urban areas; domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations; inadequate fixed-line infrastructure; domestic: :state-owned operator providing less than 1 fixed-line connection per 100 persons; given the backdrop of a wholly inadequate fixed-line infrastructure, the use of mobile-cellular services has surged and mobile teledensity is roughly 20 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 243; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal and compulsory", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other (includes syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs) 10%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :4,007 km; narrow gauge: :3,882 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified); 125 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Banana; river or lake port(s): :Boma, Bumba, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka (Congo); Kindu (Lualaba); Bukavu, Goma (Lake Kivu); Kalemie (Lake Tanganyika)", "POPULATION": "77,433,744; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Christian Democrat Party or PDC [Jose ENDUNDO; Congolese Rally for Democracy or RCD [Azarias RUBERWA; Convention of Christian Democrats or CDC; Forces of Renewal or FR [Mbusa NYAMWISI; Movement for the Liberation of the Congo or MLC [Jean-Pierre BEMBA; People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy or PPRD [Evariste BOSHAB; Social Movement for Renewal or MSR [Pierre LUMBI; Unified Lumumbist Party or PALU [Antoine GIZENGA; Union for the Congolese Nation or UNC [Vital KAMERHE; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Etienne TSHISEKEDI; Union of Mobutuist Democrats or UDEMO [MOBUTU Nzanga", "PIPELINES": "gas 62 km; oil 77 km; refined products 756 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - a nation endowed with vast natural resource wealth - is slowly recovering after decades of decline. Systemic corruption since independence in 1960, combined with countrywide instability and conflict that began in the mid-90s has dramatically reduced national output and government revenue and increased external debt. With the installation of a transitional government in 2003 after peace accords, economic conditions slowly began to improve as the transitional government reopened relations with international financial institutions and international donors, and President KABILA began implementing reforms. Progress has been slow to reach the interior of the country although clear changes are evident in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. Renewed activity in the mining sector, the source of most export income, has boosted Kinshasa's fiscal position and GDP growth in recent years. An uncertain legal framework, corruption, and a lack of transparency in government policy are long-term problems for the large mining sector and for the economy as a whole. Much economic activity still occurs in the informal sector and is not reflected in GDP data. The DRC signed a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility with the IMF in 2009 and received $12 billion in multilateral and bilateral debt relief in 2010, but the IMF at the end of 2012 suspended the last three payments under the loan facility - worth $240 million - because of concerns about the lack of transparency in mining contracts. In 2012, the DRC updated its business laws by adhering to OHADA, the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa. The country marked its twelfth consecutive year of positive economic expansion in 2014.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Forces Arm�es de la R�publique D�mocratique du Congor or FARDC - Army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Forces Democratiques de Liberation du Rwanda or FDLR (Rwandan militia group made up of some of the perpetrators of Rwanda's genocide in 1994); M23 - rebel group comprised largely of ex-CNDP forces; Allied Democratic Forces or ADF (anti-Ugandan government rebel groups", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "second largest country in Africa (after Algeria) and largest country in Sub-Saharan Africa; straddles the equator; has narrow strip of land that controls the lower Congo River and is only outlet to South Atlantic Ocean; dense tropical rain forest in central river basin and eastern highlands", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "cobalt, copper, niobium, tantalum, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium, coal, hydropower, timber", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Congolese (singular and plural); adjective: :Congolese or Congo", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 30 June (1960)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :1; by type: :petroleum tanker 1; foreign-owned: :1 (Republic of the Congo 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, CEMAC, CEPGL, COMESA, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :since 2011 the DRC has a Common Interest Zone agreement with Angola for the mutual development of off-shore resources", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :15,980,106 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write French, Lingala, Kingwana, or Tshiluba; total population: :61.2%; male: :76.9%; female: :46.1% (2007 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :56.54 years; male: :55.03 years; female: :58.09 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate (108 seats; members indirectly elected by provincial assemblies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms) and the National Assembly (500 seats; 439 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 61 directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :Senate - last held on 19 January 2007 (follow-on elections have been delayed); National Assembly - last held on 28 November 2011 (next to be held in 2016); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPRD 22, MLC 14, FR 7, RCD 7, PDC 6, CDC 3, MSR 3, PALU 2, independent 26, other 18; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPRD 62, UDPS 41, PPPD 29, MSR 27, MLC 22, PALU 19, UNC 17, ARC 16, AFDC 15, ECT 11, RRC 11, independent 16, other 214 (includes numerous political parties that won 10 or fewer seats and 2 constituencies where voting was halted); note - the November 2011 election was marred by violence including the destruction of ballots in two constituencies resulting in the closure of polling sites; election results were delayed three months, stongly contested, and continue to be unresolved", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil legal system based on Belgian version of French civil law", "LANGUAGES": "French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :3.09%; permanent crops: :0.36%; other: :96.55% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :10,481 km; border countries: :Angola 2,646 km (of which 225 km is the boundary of Angola's discontiguous Cabinda Province), Burundi 236 km, Central African Republic 1,747 km, Republic of the Congo 1,229 km, Rwanda 221 km, South Sudan 714 km, Tanzania 479 km, Uganda 877 km, Zambia 2,332 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "27.59 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Justice (organized into legislative and judiciary sections and consists of 26 justices); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court of Justice judges nominated by the Judicial Service Council, an independent body of public prosecutors and selected judges of the lower courts; judges tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges - 3 nominated by the president, 3 by the Judicial Service Council, and 3 by the legislature; judges appointed by the president to serve 9-year non-renewable terms; subordinate courts: :State Security Court; Court of Appeals (organized into administrative and judiciary sections); Tribunal de Grande; magistrates' courts; customary courts", "WATERWAYS": "15,000 km (including the Congo, its tributaries, and unconnected lakes) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.8% (2014 est.); 1.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :73.15 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :76.8 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :69.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "mining (copper, cobalt, gold, diamonds, coltan, zinc, tin, tungsten), mineral processing, consumer products (textiles, plastics, footwear, cigarettes), metal products, processed foods and beverages, timber, cement, commercial ship repair", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "11.4% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "30 June 1960 (from Belgium)", "IMPORTS": "$9.781 billion (2014 est.); $9.141 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "one of Africa's biggest producers of cannabis, but mostly for domestic consumption; traffickers exploit lax shipping controls to transit pseudoephedrine through the capital; while rampant corruption and inadequate supervision leave the banking system vulnerable to money laundering, the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center (2008)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :153,497 km; paved: :2,794 km; unpaved: :150,703 km (2004)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "sky blue field divided diagonally from the lower hoist corner to upper fly corner by a red stripe bordered by two narrow yellow stripes; a yellow, five-pointed star appears in the upper hoist corner; blue represents peace and hope, red the blood of the country's martyrs, and yellow the country's wealth and prosperity; the star symbolizes unity and the brilliant future for the country", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$6.955 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $6.292 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$10.09 billion (2014 est.); $9.388 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Joseph KABILA (since 17 January 2001); head of government: :12) Prime Minister Augustin MATATA PONYO Mapon (since 18 April 2012); cabinet: :Ministers of State appointed by the president; elections: :under the new constitution, the president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 28 November 2011 (next to be held in November 2016); prime minister appointed by the president; election results: :Joseph KABILA reelected president; percent of vote - Joseph KABILA 49%, Etienne TSHISEKEDI 32.3%, other 18.7%; note - election marred by serious voting irregularities", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Congolese francs (CDF) per US dollar -; 926.8 (2014 est.); 919.67 (2013 est.); 920.25 (2012 est.); 899 (2011 est.); 905.91 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "over 200 African ethnic groups of which the majority are Bantu; the four largest tribes - Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all Bantu), and the Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic) make up about 45% of the population", "DEATH_RATE": "10.3 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted 13 May 2005, approved by referendum 18-19 December 2005, promulgated 18 February 2006; revised 2011 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "South Africa 20.7%, China 15.4%, Zambia 12.3%, Belgium 7.2%, Zimbabwe 5.2%, France 4.8% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "37 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands; north of Equator - wet season (April to October), dry season (December to February); south of Equator - wet season (November to March), dry season (April to October)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels", "CAPITAL": "name: :Kinshasa; geographic coordinates: :4 19 S, 15 18 E; time difference: :UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$4.711 billion; expenditures: :$4.814 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Forces d'Armees de la Republique Democratique du Congo, FARDC): Army, National Navy (La Marine Nationale), Congolese Air Force (Force Aerienne Congolaise, FAC) (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "35.62 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "198 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, cotton, cocoa, quinine, cassava (manioc), bananas, plantains, peanuts, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "10 provinces (provinces, singular - province) and 1 city* (ville); Bandundu, Bas-Congo (Lower Congo), Equateur, Kasai-Occidental (West Kasai), Kasai-Oriental (East Kasai), Katanga, Kinshasa*, Maniema, Nord-Kivu (North Kivu), Orientale, Sud-Kivu (South Kivu); note: :according to the December 2005 constitution, the current administrative divisions were to be subdivided into 26 new provinces by 2009 but this has yet to be implemented", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 43.7%, Zambia 21.1%, Italy 11%, Belgium 4.8% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "diamonds, copper, gold, cobalt, wood products, crude oil, coffee", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :NA%; industry: :NA%; services: :NA%", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.3%; highest 10%: :34.7% (2006)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "63% (2006 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.72% of GDP (2012); 1.53% of GDP (2011); 1.72% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Environmental Modification", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "poaching threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; deforestation; refugees responsible for significant deforestation, soil erosion, and wildlife poaching; mining of minerals (coltan - a mineral used in creating capacitors, diamonds, and gold) causing environmental damage", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :172; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :20; 914 to 1,523 m: :87; 65 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :26; over 3,047 m: :3; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :3; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :17; 914 to 1,523 m: :2; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Established as an official Belgian colony in 1908, the then-Republic of the Congo gained its independence in 1960, but its early years were marred by political and social instability. Col. Joseph MOBUTU seized power and declared himself president in a November 1965 coup. He subsequently changed his name - to MOBUTU Sese Seko - as well as that of the country - to Zaire. MOBUTU retained his position for 32 years through several sham elections, as well as through brutal force. Ethnic strife and civil war, touched off by a massive inflow of refugees in 1994 from fighting in Rwanda and Burundi, led in May 1997 to the toppling of the MOBUTU regime by a rebellion backed by Rwanda and Uganda and fronted by Laurent KABILA. He renamed the country the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), but in August 1998 his regime was itself challenged by a second insurrection again backed by Rwanda and Uganda. Troops from Angola, Chad, Namibia, Sudan, and Zimbabwe intervened to support KABILA's regime. In January 2001, KABILA was assassinated and his son, Joseph KABILA, was named head of state. In October 2002, the new president was successful in negotiating the withdrawal of Rwandan forces occupying the eastern DRC; two months later, the Pretoria Accord was signed by all remaining warring parties to end the fighting and establish a government of national unity. A transitional government was set up in July 2003; it held a successful constitutional referendum in December 2005 and elections for the presidency, National Assembly, and provincial legislatures took place in 2006. In 2009, following a resurgence of conflict in the eastern DRC, the government signed a peace agreement with the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP), a primarily Tutsi rebel group. An attempt to integrate CNDP members into the Congolese military failed, prompting their defection in 2012 and the formation of the M23 armed group - named after the 23 March 2009 peace agreements. Renewed conflict led to the displacement of large numbers of people and significant human rights abuses before the M23 was pushed out of DRC to Uganda in late 2013 by a joint DRC and UN offensive. In addition, the DRC continues to experience violence committed by other armed groups including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, the Allied Democratic Forces, and assorted Mai Mai militias. In the most recent national elections, held in November 2011, disputed results allowed Joseph KABILA to be reelected to the presidency; the next presidential election is expected in 2016.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :877,684; female: :871,880 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :10,168,258; females age 16-49: :10,331,693 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-45 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "periodic droughts in south; Congo River floods (seasonal); active volcanoes in the east along the Great Rift Valley; volcanism: :Nyiragongo (elev. 3,470 m), which erupted in 2002 and is experiencing ongoing activity, poses a major threat to the city of Goma, home to a quarter million people; the volcano produces unusually fast-moving lava, known to travel up to 100 km /hr; Nyiragongo has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; its neighbor, Nyamuragira, which erupted in 2010, is Africa's most active volcano; Visoke is the only other historically active volcano", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Pic Marguerite on Mont Ngaliema (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.72 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "4 (2001)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 3, FM 11, shortwave 2 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :40.4%; industry: :23%; services: :36.6% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "0 00 N, 25 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :43.1% (male 16,810,549/female 16,552,685); 15-24 years: :21.4% (male 8,292,444/female 8,248,326); 25-54 years: :29.4% (male 11,359,385/female 11,405,442); 55-64 years: :3.5% (male 1,287,895/female 1,457,499); 65 years and over: :2.6% (male 849,840/female 1,169,679) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Congo, Republic of the", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Stephanie S. SULLIVAN (since 12 August 2013); embassy: :70-83 Section D, Maya-Maya Boulevard, Brazzaville;; mailing address: :B.P. 1015, Brazzaville; telephone: :[242", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$6,600 (2014 est.); $6,300 (2013 est.); $6,300 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "6% (2014 est.); 3.3% (2013 est.); 3.8% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.94% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$28.09 billion (2014 est.); $26.5 billion (2013 est.); $25.65 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :85%; youth dependency ratio: :78.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :6.3%; potential support ratio: :16% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "33.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 27.6% of GDP (2013 est.); 24.8% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :25.3%; government consumption: :14%; investment in fixed capital: :54%; investment in inventories: :7.1%; exports of goods and services: :81.1%; imports of goods and services: :-81.5%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "44.7% (2011/12)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "19.7; note: :median age at first birth among women 20-24 (2011/12 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :252,171; percentage: :25% (2005 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "6.691 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "90.61 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "39 million cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "1.16 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "1.16 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "4,156 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "4,288 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "13,180 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "13,820 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "1.6 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "290,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "279,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "48.8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "51.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "559,000 kW (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "27 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "588 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "559 million kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "lion, elephant; national colors: green, yellow, red", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "4.7% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.6 beds/1,000 population (2005)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.1 physicians/1,000 population (2007)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "3.2% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "11.8% (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "560 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "3.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "46.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "BRAZZAVILLE (capital) 1.827 million; Pointe-Noire 939,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"La Congolaise\" (The Congolese); lyrics/music: :Jacques TONDRA and Georges KIBANGHI/Jean ROYER and Joseph SPADILIERE; note: :originally adopted 1959, restored 1991", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 19.6% of population; rural: 5.6% of population; total: 14.6% of population; urban: 80.4% of population; rural: 94.4% of population; total: 85.4% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 95.7% of population; rural: 38.8% of population; total: 75.3% of population; urban: 4.3% of population; rural: 61.2% of population; total: 24.7% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$5.119 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $4.795 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$3.894 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.115 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 state-owned TV and 3 state-owned radio stations; several privately owned TV and radio stations; satellite TV service is available; rebroadcasts of several international broadcasters are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :65% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.22% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$-724.8 million (31 December 2014 est.); $-1.136 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$268.4 million (31 December 2008); $204.3 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$1.811 billion (31 December 2008); $1.4 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "14.8% (31 December 2014 est.); 14.8% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "4.25% (31 December 2009); 4.75% (31 December 2008)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "6.2% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :11 years; male: :11 years; female: :11 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.05 cu km/yr (69%/26%/4%); per capita: :13.99 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "832 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$14.11 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :23,257 (Democratic Republic of Congo); 8,910 (Rwanda) (2014); 24,646 (Central African Republic) (2015); IDPs: :7,800 (multiple civil wars since 1992) (2013)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne disease: :malaria and dengue fever; animal contact disease: :rabies; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$5.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.382 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$170.7 million (2014 est.); $462.3 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "30.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 26% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "45 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :19.8 years; male: :19.7 years; female: :20 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "5,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "68,900 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "2.49% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".cg", "INTERNET_USERS": "245,200 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "4.283 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "14,900 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Serge MOMBOULI (since 31 July 2001); chancery: :1720 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s): :New Orleans", "AREA": "total: :342,000 sq km; land: :341,500 sq km; water: :500 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "20 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Central Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of the Congo; conventional short form: :Congo (Brazzaville); local long form: :Republique du Congo; local short form: :Congo; former: :French Congo, Middle Congo, People's Republic of the Congo, Congo/Brazzaville", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "53% (2012 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "4.73 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :primary network consists of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable with services barely adequate for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo; intercity lines frequently out of order; domestic: :fixed-line infrastructure inadequate, providing less than 1 connection per 100 persons; in the absence of an adequate fixed line infrastructure, mobile-cellular subscribership has surged to 90 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 242; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 33.1%, Awakening Churches/Christian Revival 22.3%, Protestant 19.9%, Salutiste 2.2%, Muslim 1.6%, Kimbanguiste 1.5%, other 8.1%, none 11.3% (2010 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :886 km; narrow gauge: :886 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Pointe-Noire; river port(s): :Brazzaville (Congo); Impfondo (Oubangi); Ouesso (Sangha); Oyo (Alima); oil/gas terminal(s): :Djeno", "POPULATION": "4,662,446; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Action Movement for Renewal or MAR; Congolese Labour Party or PCT; Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development or MCDDI [Michel MAMPOUYA; Movement for Solidarity and Development or MSD; Pan-African Union for Social Development or UPADS [Martin MBERI; Rally for Democracy and the Republic or RDR [Raymond Damasge NGOLLO; Rally for Democracy and Social Progress or RDPS [Jean-Pierre Thystere TCHICAYA, president; Rally of the Presidential Majority or RMP; Union for Democracy and Republic or UDR; United Democratic Forces or FDU [Sebastian EBAO; many smaller parties", "PIPELINES": "gas 232 km; liquid petroleum gas 4 km; oil 982 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The economy is a mixture of subsistence farming and hunting, an industrial sector based largely on oil and support services, and government spending. Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing a major share of government revenues and exports. Natural gas is increasingly being converted to electricity rather than being flared, greatly improving energy prospects. New mining projects, particularly iron ore, which entered production in late 2013 may add as much as $1 billion to annual government revenue. Economic reform efforts have been undertaken with the support of international organizations, notably the World Bank and the IMF, including recently concluded Article IV consultations. The current administration faces difficult economic challenges of stimulating recovery and reducing poverty. The recent drop in oil prices has constrained government spending; lower oil prices forced the government to cut more than $1 billion in planned spending. Officially the country became a net external creditor as of 2011, with external debt representing only about 16% of GDP and debt servicing less than 3% of government revenue.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Congolese Trade Union Congress or CSC; General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students or UGEEC; Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women or URFC; Union of Congolese Socialist Youth or UJSC", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-7.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, gold, magnesium, natural gas, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Congolese (singular and plural); adjective: :Congolese or Congo", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 15 August (1960)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "registered in other countries: :1 (Democratic Republic of the Congo 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :928,664; females age 16-49: :914,265 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :79.3%; male: :86.4%; female: :72.9% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :58.52 years; male: :57.38 years; female: :59.7 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate (72 seats; members indirectly elected by regional councils by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms) and the National Assembly (139 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed; members serve 6-year terms); elections: :Senate - last held on 5 August 2008 (next to be held in July 2014); National Assembly - last held on 15 July and 5 August 2012 (next to be held in 2018); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RMP 33, FDU 23, UPADS 2, other 7, independent 7; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PCT (and allies) 117, UPADS 7, independent 12, vacant 3", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of French civil law and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo is the most widespread)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :1.55%; permanent crops: :0.2%; other: :98.24% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :5,008 km; border countries: :Angola 231 km, Cameroon 494 km, Central African Republic 487 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,229 km, Gabon 2,567 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "2.89 million (2011 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of NA judges); note - the High Court of Justice, outside the judicial authority, tries cases involving treason by the president of the republic; judge selection and term of office: :judges elected by parliament and serve until retirement age; subordinate courts: :courts of appeal; regional and district courts; employment tribunals; juvenile courts", "WATERWAYS": "1,120 km (commercially navigable on Congo and Oubanqui rivers above Brazzaville; there are many ferries across the river to Kinshasa; the Congo south of Brazzaville-Kinshasa to the coast is not navigable because of rapids, thereby necessitating a rail connection to Pointe Noire; other rivers are used for local traffic only) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.9% (2014 est.); 6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :59.34 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :64.49 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :54.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "petroleum extraction, cement, lumber, brewing, sugar, palm oil, soap, flour, cigarettes", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "15 August 1960 (from France)", "IMPORTS": "$4.389 billion (2014 est.); $4.336 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :17,289 km; paved: :864 km; unpaved: :16,425 km (2004)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a yellow band; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower triangle is red; green symbolizes agriculture and forests, yellow the friendship and nobility of the people, red is unexplained but has been associated with the struggle for independence; note: :uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$3.956 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.561 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$8.972 billion (2014 est.); $9.707 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Denis SASSOU-Nguesso (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Denis SASSOU-Nguesso (since 25 October 1997); note - the position of prime minister was abolished in September 2009; cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 12 July 2009 (next to be held in 2016); election results: :Denis SASSOU-Nguesso reelected president; percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-Nguesso 78.6%, Joseph Kignoumbi Kia MBOUNGOU 7.5%, Nicephore Fylla de SAINT-EUDES 7%, other 6.9%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar -; 491.2 (2014 est.); 494.04 (2013 est.); 510.53 (2012 est.); 471.87 (2011 est.); 495.28 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3%", "DEATH_RATE": "10.17 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1992; latest approved by referendum 20 January 2002 (2002)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 19%, France 18.7%, Italy 6.2%, US 5.5%, India 5.1%, Belgium 4.5% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "169 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); persistent high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Brazzaville; geographic coordinates: :4 15 S, 15 17 E; time difference: :UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$6.508 billion; expenditures: :$5.982 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Congolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Congolaises, FAC): Army (Armee de Terre), Navy, Congolese Air Force (Armee de l'Air Congolaise); Gendarmerie; Special Presidential Security Guard (GSSP) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "36.59 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "27 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cassava (manioc, tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "12 departments (departments, singular - department); Bouenza, Brazzaville, Cuvette, Cuvette-Ouest, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pointe-Noire, Pool, Sangha", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 53.8%, US 11.1%, Australia 9.4%, France 5.3% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.1%; highest 10%: :37.1% (2005)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "46.5% (2011 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :19; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :8; 914 to 1,523 m: :9; 2 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :8; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :5 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. A quarter century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a democratically elected government took office in 1992. A brief civil war in 1997 restored former Marxist President Denis SASSOU-Nguesso, and ushered in a period of ethnic and political unrest. Southern-based rebel groups agreed to a final peace accord in March 2003. The Republic of Congo is one of Africa's largest petroleum producers, but with declining production it will need new offshore oil finds to sustain its oil earnings over the long term.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :50,000; female: :49,641 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :577,944; females age 16-49: :566,587 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; women may serve in the Armed Forces (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Montana", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "seasonal flooding", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mount Berongou 903 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.69 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (2001)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 3 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :3.3%; industry: :74.4%; services: :22.3% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "1 00 S, 15 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :41.1% (male 966,852/female 950,411); 15-24 years: :17.7% (male 411,263/female 413,594); 25-54 years: :34.2% (male 808,181/female 787,554); 55-64 years: :4% (male 90,795/female 94,837); 65 years and over: :3% (male 60,400/female 78,559) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Cook Islands", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (self-governing in free association with New Zealand)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "self-governing in free association with New Zealand; Cook Islands is fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs and defense in consultation with the Cook Islands", "AFFILIATION": "(self-governing in free association with New Zealand)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$9,100 (2005 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "0.1% (2005 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-3% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$183.2 million (2005 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "150,300 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "485 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "1,050 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "1.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "98.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "8,090 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "29.88 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "32.13 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "a circle of 15, five-pointed, white stars on a blue field; national colors: blue, white", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "63.7% (2008)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.33 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "3.4% of GDP (2012)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "1% of GDP (FY05/06 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "38.7% of GDP (FY05/06 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration (New Zealand normally retains responsibility for external affairs); accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Te Atua Mou E\" (To God Almighty); lyrics/music: :Tepaeru Te RITO/Thomas DAVIS; note: :adopted 1982; as prime minister, Sir Thomas DAVIS composed the anthem; his wife, a tribal chief, wrote the lyrics", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 97.2% of population; rural: 97.2% of population; total: 97.2% of population; urban: 2.8% of population; rural: 2.8% of population; total: 2.8% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.9% of population; rural: 99.9% of population; total: 99.9% of population; urban: 0.1% of population; rural: 0.1% of population; total: 0.1% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$148.2 million (31 December 2011 est.); $170.9 million (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$38.99 million (31 December 2011 est.); $38.99 million (31 December 2011 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 privately owned TV station broadcasts from Rarotonga providing a mix of local news and overseas-sourced programs; a satellite program package is available; 6 radio stations broadcast with 1 reportedly reaching all of the islands (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :74.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.88% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.1% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :15 years; male: :16 years; female: :15 years (2012)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$183.2 million (2005 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$26.67 million (2005)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "3,562 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :34.4 years; male: :33.8 years; female: :35 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ck", "INTERNET_USERS": "6,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "7,800 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "7,200 (2009)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (self-governing in free association with New Zealand)", "AREA": "total: :236 sq km; land: :236 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Cook Islands; former: :Harvey Islands", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of New Zealand in consultation with the Cook Islands and at its request", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "13.1% (2005)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "self-governing parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.27 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :Telecom Cook Islands offers international direct dialing, Internet, email, fax, and Telex; domestic: :individual islands are connected by a combination of satellite earth stations, microwave systems, and VHF and HF radiotelephone; within the islands, service is provided by small exchanges connected to subscribers by open-wire, cable, and fiber-optic cable; international: :country code - 682; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 62.8% (Cook Islands Christian Church 49.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 7.9%, Assemblies of God 3.7%, Apostolic Church 2.1%), Roman Catholic 17%, Mormon 4.4%, other 8%, none 5.6%, no response 2.2% (2011 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Avatiu", "POPULATION": "10,134; note: :the Cook Islands' Ministry of Finance & Economic Management estimated the resident population to have been 13,700 in September 2013 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Cook Islands Party or CIP [Henry PUNA; Democratic Party or Demo [Dr. Terepai MAOATE; One Cook Islands Movement [Teina BISHOP", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Like many other South Pacific island nations, the Cook Islands' economic development is hindered by the isolation of the country from foreign markets, the limited size of domestic markets, lack of natural resources, periodic devastation from natural disasters, and inadequate infrastructure. Agriculture, employing more than one-quarter of the working population, provides the economic base with major exports of copra and citrus fruit. Black pearls are the Cook Islands' leading export. Manufacturing activities are limited to fruit processing, clothing, and handicrafts. Trade deficits are offset by remittances from emigrants and by foreign aid overwhelmingly from New Zealand. In the 1980s and 1990s, the country lived beyond its means, maintaining a bloated public service and accumulating a large foreign debt. Subsequent reforms, including the sale of state assets, the strengthening of economic management, the encouragement of tourism, and a debt restructuring agreement, have rekindled investment and growth.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Reform Conference (lobby for political system changes); other: :various groups lobbying for political change", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the northern Cook Islands are seven low-lying, sparsely populated, coral atolls; the southern Cook Islands, where most of the population lives, consist of eight elevated, fertile, volcanic isles, including the largest, Rarotonga, at 67 sq km", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "coconuts (copra)", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Cook Islander(s); adjective: :Cook Islander", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Constitution Day, first Monday in August (1965)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :35; by type: :bulk carrier 2, cargo 25, passenger 1, refrigerated cargo 6, roll on/roll off 1; foreign-owned: :23 (Estonia 1, Germany 1, Lithuania 1, Norway 8, NZ 2, Russia 1, Sweden 3, Turkey 4, UK 2) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, ADB, AOSIS, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IMO, IMSO, IOC, ITUC (NGOs), OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :75.38 years; male: :72.56 years; female: :78.33 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Parliament, formerly the Legislative Assembly (24 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms); note - the House of Ariki, a 24-member parliamentary body of traditional leaders appointed by the Queen's representative serves as a consultative body to the Parliament; elections: :last held on 9 July 2014 (next to be held by 2018); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CIP 13, Demo 8, One Cook Islands Movement 2, 1 undecided", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "common law similar to New Zealand common law", "LANGUAGES": "English (official) 86.4%, Cook Islands Maori (Rarotongan) (official) 76.2%, other 8.3%; note: :shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :4.17%; permanent crops: :4.17%; other: :91.67% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "6,820 (2001)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest reident court(s): :Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and 3 judges of the High Court); High Court (consists of the chief justice and at least 4 judges and organized into civil, criminal, and land divisions); note - appeals beyond the Cook Islands Court of Appeal are brought before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London); judge selection and term of office: :High Court chief justice appointed by the Queen's Representative on the advice of the Executive Council tendered by the prime minister; other judges appointed by the Queen's Representative, on the advice of the Executive Council tendered by the chief justice, High Court chief justice, and the minister of justice; chief justice and judges appointed for 3-year renewable terms; subordinate courts: :justices of the peace", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.2% (2011 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :14.33 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :17.43 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :11.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "fruit processing, tourism, fishing, clothing, handicrafts", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "1% (2002)", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (became self-governing in free association with New Zealand on 4 August 1965 and has the right at any time to move to full independence by unilateral action)", "IMPORTS": "$83.49 million (2011 est.); $80.55 million (2010 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :320 km; paved: :33 km; unpaved: :287 km (2003)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large circle of 15 white five-pointed stars (one for every island) centered in the outer half of the flag", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$141 million (1996 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$3,000 (2011 est.); $5.222 million (2005 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) represented by Tom J. MARSTERS (since 9 August 2013); New Zealand High Commissioner Joanna KEMPKERS (since 19 July 2013); head of government: :Prime Minister Henry PUNA (since 30 November 2010); cabinet: :Cabinet chosen by the prime minister; collectively responsible to Parliament; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; the UK representative appointed by the monarch; the New Zealand high commissioner appointed by the New Zealand Government; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually becomes prime minister", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "NZ dollars (NZD) per US dollar -; 1.206 (2013); 1.2187 (2013 est.); 1.23 (2012 est.); 1.263 (2011 est.); 1.3874 (2010)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Cook Island Maori (Polynesian) 81.3%, part Cook Island Maori 6.7%, other 11.9% (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "7.8 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "effective 4 August 1965 (Cook islands Constitution Act 1964); amended many times, last in 2004 (2004)", "COASTLINE": "120 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical oceanic; moderated by trade winds; a dry season from April to November and a more humid season from December to March", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foodstuffs, textiles, fuels, timber, capital goods", "CAPITAL": "name: :Avarua; geographic coordinates: :21 12 S, 159 46 W; time difference: :UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$70.95 million; expenditures: :$69.05 million (FY05/06)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces; National Police Department (2009)", "BIRTH_RATE": "14.7 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "11 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "copra, citrus, pineapples, tomatoes, beans, pawpaws, bananas, yams, taro, coffee; pigs, poultry", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "copra, papayas, fresh and canned citrus fruit, coffee; fish; pearls and pearl shells; clothing", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :29%; industry: :15%; services: :56% (1995)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :10; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :7; 1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Named after Captain COOK, who sighted them in 1770, the islands became a British protectorate in 1888. By 1900, administrative control was transferred to New Zealand; in 1965, residents chose self-government in free association with New Zealand. The emigration of skilled workers to New Zealand, government deficits, and limited natural resources are of continuing concern.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :127; female: :107 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,198; females age 16-49: :2,156 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "1.3 times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "typhoons (November to March)", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Te Manga 652 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.04 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.13 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.15 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.96 male(s)/female; total population: :1.07 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (outer islands receive satellite broadcasts) (2004)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :5.1%; industry: :12.7%; services: :82.1% (2010 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "21 14 S, 159 46 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :22.8% (male 1,224/female 1,084); 15-24 years: :17.9% (male 971/female 845); 25-54 years: :38% (male 1,937/female 1,917); 55-64 years: :10.3% (male 555/female 487); 65 years and over: :11% (male 548/female 566) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Coral Sea Islands", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (territory of Australia)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport", "AFFILIATION": "(territory of Australia)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (territory of Australia)", "AREA": "total: :less than 3 sq km; land: :less than 3 sq km; water: :0 sq km; note: :includes numerous small islands and reefs scattered over a sea area of about 780,000 sq km (300,000 sq mi) with the Willis Islets the most important", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "0 sq km (2011)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, islands in the Coral Sea, northeast of Australia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Coral Sea Islands Territory; conventional short form: :Coral Sea Islands", "COMMUNICATIONS___NOTE": "automatic weather stations on many of the isles and reefs relay data to the mainland", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of Australia", "TERRAIN": "sand and coral reefs and islands (or cays)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "none; offshore anchorage only", "POPULATION": "no indigenous inhabitants; note: :there is a staff of three to four at the meteorological station on Willis Island (July 2007 est.)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "no economic activity", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "important nesting area for birds and turtles", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "NEGL", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :3 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "the common law legal system of Australia, where applicable, applies", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (mostly grass or scrub cover) (2014 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "the flag of Australia is used", "COASTLINE": "3,095 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "no permanent freshwater resources", "BACKGROUND": "Scattered over more than three-quarters of a million square kilometers of ocean, the Coral Sea Islands were declared a territory of Australia in 1969. They are uninhabited except for a small meteorological staff on the Willis Islets. Automated weather stations, beacons, and a lighthouse occupy many other islands and reefs. The Coral Sea Islands Act 1969 was amended in 1997 to extend the boundaries of the Coral Sea Islands Territory around Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "NA", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "occasional tropical cyclones", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :unnamed location on Cato Island 6 m", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "18 00 S, 152 00 E" }, { "country": "Costa Rica", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Gonzalo GALLEGOS (since July 2013); embassy: :Calle 120 Avenida O, Pavas, San Jose; mailing address: :APO AA 34020; telephone: :[506; FAX: :[506", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$14,900 (2014 est.); $14,600 (2013 est.); $14,300 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.6% (2014 est.); 3.5% (2013 est.); 5.1% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.24% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$71.21 billion (2014 est.); $68.74 billion (2013 est.); $66.41 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :43.6%; youth dependency ratio: :33.2%; elderly dependency ratio: :10.4%; potential support ratio: :9.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "16.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 16.2% of GDP (2013 est.); 16.4% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :64.9%; government consumption: :18.1%; investment in fixed capital: :22%; investment in inventories: :0.6%; exports of goods and services: :36.2%; imports of goods and services: :-41.8%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "76.2% (2011)", "DEMOGRAPHIC_PROFILE": "Costa Rica's political stability, high standard of living, and well-developed social benefits system set it apart from its Central American neighbors. Through the government's sustained social spending - almost 20% of GDP annually - Costa Rica has made tremendous progress toward achieving its goal of providing universal access to education, healthcare, clean water, sanitation, and electricity. Since the 1970s, expansion of these services has led to a rapid decline in infant mortality, an increase in life expectancy at birth, and a sharp decrease in the birth rate. The average number of children born per women has fallen from about 7 in the 1960s to 3.5 in the early 1980s to below replacement level today. Costa Rica's poverty rate is lower than in most Latin American countries, but it has stalled at around 20% for almost two decades.; Costa Rica is a popular regional immigration destination because of its job opportunities and social programs. Almost 9% of the population is foreign-born, with Nicaraguans comprising nearly three-quarters of the foreign population. Many Nicaraguans who perform unskilled seasonal labor enter Costa Rica illegally or overstay their visas, which continues to be a source of tension. Less than 3% of Costa Rica's population lives abroad. The overwhelming majority of expatriates have settled in the United States after completing a university degree or in order to work in a highly skilled field.", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :39,082; percentage: :5% (2002 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "7.29 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "40,290 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "1,898 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "54,170 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "10,630 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "10,040 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "400 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "13.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "57.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "29.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "2.944 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "419 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "402 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "8.792 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "9.889 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "clay-colored robin known as Yiguirro; national colors: blue, white, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :18.4%; male: :15%; female: :24.2% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "23.7% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.2 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.11 physicians/1,000 population (2013)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "10.1% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "1.1% (2009)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "40 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-5.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "13.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "SAN JOSE (capital) 1.16 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Himno Nacional de Costa Rica\" (National Anthem of Costa Rica); lyrics/music: :Jose Maria ZELEDON Brenes/Manuel Maria GUTIERREZ; note: :adopted 1949; the anthem's music was originally written for an 1853 welcome ceremony for diplomatic missions from the United States and United Kingdom; the lyrics were added in 1903", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 94.9% of population; rural: 92% of population; total: 93.9% of population; urban: 5.1% of population; rural: 8% of population; total: 6.1% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.6% of population; rural: 90.9% of population; total: 96.6% of population; urban: 0.4% of population; rural: 9.1% of population; total: 3.4% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$17.41 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $17.15 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$4.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.599 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "multiple privately owned TV stations and 1 publicly owned TV station; cable network services are widely available; more than 100 privately owned radio stations and a public radio network (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :75.9% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.74% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$26.95 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $24.94 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$3.143 billion (31 December 2008); $2.87 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$4.209 billion (31 December 2008); $4.504 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "15.4% (31 December 2014 est.); 15.19% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "21.5% (31 December 2010); 23% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "6.3% of GDP (2009)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :14 years; male: :13 years; female: :14 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :5.77 cu km/yr (15%/9%/77%); per capita: :1,582 cu m/yr (2006)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "112.4 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$2.015 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $1.443 billion (31 December 2011); $1.445 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$2.492 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.292 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$24.71 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $22.25 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$50.46 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :16,598 (Colombia) (2014)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :intermediate; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$7.067 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $7.331 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$2.569 billion (2014 est.); -$2.529 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "59.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 54.7% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "147,258 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :30 years; male: :29.5 years; female: :30.5 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "50.3 (2009); 45.9 (1997)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "300 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "7,600 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.23% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".cr", "INTERNET_USERS": "1.485 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "6.151 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "1.018 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Roman MACAYA Hayes (since 18 September 2014); chancery: :2114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Tampa (Florida), Washington DC; note - Honorary Consulate: Boston, Dallas (Texas), Denver (Colorado), Tucson (Arizona)", "AREA": "total: :51,100 sq km; land: :51,060 sq km; water: :40 sq km; note: :includes Isla del Coco", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1,031 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Costa Rica; conventional short form: :Costa Rica; local long form: :Republica de Costa Rica; local short form: :Costa Rica", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "8.5% (2014 est.); 8.5% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "democratic republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.91 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major active volcanoes", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :good domestic telephone service in terms of breadth of coverage; under the terms of CAFTA-DR, the state-run telecommunications monopoly is scheduled to be opened to competition from domestic and international firms, but has been slow to open to competition; domestic: :point-to-point and point-to-multi-point microwave, fiber-optic, and coaxial cable link rural areas; Internet service is available; international: :country code - 506; landing points for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1), MAYA-1, and the Pan American Crossing submarine cables that provide links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal and compulsory", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :278 km; narrow gauge: :278 km 1.067-m gauge; note: :none of the railway network is in use (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean) Puerto Limon; Pacific Ocean - Caldera", "POPULATION": "4,755,234 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Accessibility Without Exclusion or PASE [Oscar Andres LOPEZ Arias; Broad Front (Frente Amplio) or PFA [Ana Patricia MORA; Citizen Action Party or PAC [Olivier PEREZ Gonzalez; Costa Rican Renovation Party or PRC [Gerardo Justo OROZCO Alvarez; Libertarian Movement Party or ML [Victor Danilo CUBERO Corrales; National Integration Party or PIN [Walter MUNOZ Cespedes; National Liberation Party or PLN [Bernal JIMENEZ; National Restoration Party or PRN [Carlos AVENDANO; Patriotic Alliance [Jorge ARAYA Westover; Popular Vanguard [Humberto VARGAS; Social Christian Unity Party or PUSC [Gerardo VARGAS", "PIPELINES": "refined products 662 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Prior to the global economic crisis, Costa Rica enjoyed stable economic growth. The economy contracted 1.3% in 2009 but resumed growth at about 4% per year in 2010-14. While the traditional agricultural exports of bananas, coffee, sugar, and beef are still the backbone of commodity export trade, a variety of industrial and specialized agricultural products have broadened export trade in recent years. High value-added goods and services, including microchips, have further bolstered exports. Tourism continues to bring in foreign exchange, as Costa Rica's impressive biodiversity makes it a key destination for ecotourism. Foreign investors remain attracted by the country's political stability and relatively high education levels, as well as the incentives offered in the free-trade zones; and Costa Rica has attracted one of the highest levels of foreign direct investment per capita in Latin America. However, many business impediments remain, such as high levels of bureaucracy, legal uncertainty due to overlapping and at times conflicting responsibilities between agencies, difficulty of enforcing contracts, and weak investor protection. Poverty has remained around 20-25% for nearly 20 years, and the strong social safety net that had been put into place by the government has eroded due to increased financial constraints on government expenditures. Unlike the rest of Central America, Costa Rica is not highly dependent on remittances as they only represent about 2% of GDP. Immigration from Nicaragua has increasingly become a concern for the government. The estimated 300,000-500,000 Nicaraguans in Costa Rica legally and illegally are an important source of mostly unskilled labor but also place heavy demands on the social welfare system. The US-Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) entered into force on 1 January 2009 after significant delays within the Costa Rican legislature. CAFTA-DR has increased foreign direct investment in key sectors of the economy, including the insurance and telecommunications sectors recently opened to private investors.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Authentic Confederation of Democratic Workers or CATD (Communist Party affiliate); Chamber of Coffee Growers; Confederated Union of Workers or CUT (Communist Party affiliate); Confederation of Workers Rerum Novarum or CTRN (PLN affiliate); Costa Rican Confederation of Democratic Workers or CCTD (Liberation Party affiliate); Costa Rican Exporter's Chamber or CADEXCO; Costa Rican Solidarity Movement; Costa Rican Union of Private Sector Enterprises or UCCAEP; Federation of Public Service Workers or FTSP; National Association for Economic Development or ANFE; National Association of Educators or ANDE; National Association of Public and Private Employees or ANEP", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "four volcanoes, two of them active, rise near the capital of San Jose in the center of the country; one of the volcanoes, Irazu, erupted destructively in 1963-65", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Costa Rican(s); adjective: :Costa Rican", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 15 September (1821)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :1; by type: :passenger/cargo 1 (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OIF (observer), OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,255,798; females age 16-49: :1,230,202 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :97.4%; male: :97.3%; female: :97.5% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :78.23 years; male: :75.59 years; female: :81.01 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (57 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies - corresponding to the country's 7 provinces - by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 2 February 2014 (next to be held in February 2018); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLN 18, PAC 13, FA 9, PUSC 8, PML 4, other 5", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system based on Spanish civil code; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court", "LANGUAGES": "Spanish (official), English", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :4.8%; permanent crops: :6.66%; other: :88.54% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :661 km; border countries: :Nicaragua 313 km, Panama 348 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "2.257 million; note: :this official estimate excludes Nicaraguans living in Costa Rica (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Justice (consists of 22 judges organized into 3 cassation chambers each with 5 judges, and the Constitutional Chamber with 7 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court of Justice judges elected by the National Assembly for 8-year terms with renewal decided by the National Assembly; subordinate courts: :appellate courts; first instance and justice of the peace courts; Superior Electoral Tribunal", "WATERWAYS": "730 km (seasonally navigable by small craft) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "4.7% (2014 est.); 5.2% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :8.7 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :9.5 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :7.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "microprocessors, food processing, medical equipment, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "4.7% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "15 September 1821 (from Spain)", "IMPORTS": "$17.91 billion (2014 est.); $17.15 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transshipment country for cocaine and heroin from South America; illicit production of cannabis in remote areas; domestic cocaine consumption, particularly crack cocaine, is rising; significant consumption of amphetamines; seizures of smuggled cash in Costa Rica and at the main border crossing to enter Costa Rica from Nicaragua have risen in recent years (2008)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :39,018 km; paved: :10,133 km; unpaved: :28,885 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "five horizontal bands of blue (top), white, red (double width), white, and blue, with the coat of arms in a white elliptical disk placed toward the hoist side of the red band; Costa Rica retained the earlier blue-white-blue flag of Central America until 1848 when, in response to revolutionary activity in Europe, it was decided to incorporate the French colors into the national flag and a central red stripe was added; today the blue color is said to stand for the sky, opportunity, and perseverance, white denotes peace, happiness, and wisdom, while red represents the blood shed for freedom, as well as the generosity and vibrancy of the people; note: :somewhat resembles the flag of North Korea; similar to the flag of Thailand but with the blue and red colors reversed", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$18.37 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $17.19 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$11.75 billion (2014 est.); $11.53 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Luis Guillermo SOLIS Rivera (since 8 May 2014); First Vice President Helio FALLAS Venega (since 8 May 2014); Second Vice President Ana Helena CHACON Echeverr�a (since 8 May 2014); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Luis Guillermo SOLIS Rivera (since 8 May 2014); First Vice President Helio FALLAS Venega (since 8 May 2014); Second Vice President Ana Helena CHACON Echeverr�a (since 8 May 2014); cabinet: :Cabinet selected by the president; elections: :president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held on 2 February 2014, with a runoff on 6 April 2014 (next to be held in February 2018); election results: :Luis Guillermo SOLIS Rivera elected president; percent of vote - Luis Guillermo SOLIS Rivera (PAC) 77.81%; Johnny ARAYA (PLN) 22.19%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Costa Rican colones (CRC) per US dollar -; 539.3 (2014 est.); 499.77 (2013 est.); 502.9 (2012 est.); 505.66 (2011 est.); 525.83 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "white or mestizo 83.6%, mulato 6.7%, indigenous 2.4%, black of African descent 1.1%, other 1.1%, none 2.9%, unspecified 2.2% (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "4.49 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1825; latest adopted 7 November 1949; amended many times, last in 2005 (2005)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 47.6%, Mexico 6.4%, China 6.1%, Japan 5.2% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "1,290 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum, construction materials", "CAPITAL": "name: :San Jose; geographic coordinates: :9 56 N, 84 05 W; time difference: :UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$6.931 billion; expenditures: :$9.728 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces; Ministry of Public Security, Government, and Police (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "16.08 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "161 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef, poultry, dairy; timber", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 31.9%, China 12.6%, Mexico 9.3%, UK 8.6%, Hong Kong 5.2%, Netherlands 5.1%, Malaysia 4.5% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar; beef; seafood; electronic components, medical equipment", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :14%; industry: :22%; services: :64% (2006 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.2%; highest 10%: :39.5% (2009 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "24.8% (2011 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :Marine Life Conservation", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation and land use change, largely a result of the clearing of land for cattle ranching and agriculture; soil erosion; coastal marine pollution; fisheries protection; solid waste management; air pollution", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :114; 914 to 1,523 m: :18; 96 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :47; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :27; under 914 m: :16 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Although explored by the Spanish early in the 16th century, initial attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved unsuccessful due to a combination of factors, including disease from mosquito-infested swamps, brutal heat, resistance by natives, and pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement of Cartago was established in the cooler, fertile central highlands. The area remained a colony for some two and a half centuries. In 1821, Costa Rica became one of several Central American provinces that jointly declared their independence from Spain. Two years later it joined the United Provinces of Central America, but this federation disintegrated in 1838, at which time Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty and independence. Since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred the country's democratic development. In 1949, Costa Rica dissolved its armed forces. Although it still maintains a large agricultural sector, Costa Rica has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism industries. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :42,201; female: :40,444 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,058,419; females age 16-49: :1,037,053 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than West Virginia", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes; volcanism: :Arenal (elev. 1,670 m), which erupted in 2010, is the most active volcano in Costa Rica; a 1968 eruption destroyed the town of Tabacon; Irazu (elev. 3,432 m), situated just east of San Jose, has the potential to spew ash over the capital city as it did between 1963 and 1965; other historically active volcanoes include Miravalles, Poas, Rincon de la Vieja, and Turrialba", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.86 male(s)/female; total population: :1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "20 (plus 43 repeaters) (2002)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 65, FM 51, shortwave 19 (2002)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :6%; industry: :20.5%; services: :73.4% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "10 00 N, 84 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :23.5% (male 570,311/female 545,026); 15-24 years: :17.5% (male 423,340/female 407,335); 25-54 years: :43.8% (male 1,045,296/female 1,035,273); 55-64 years: :8.3% (male 193,205/female 201,377); 65 years and over: :7% (male 154,467/female 179,604) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Cote d'Ivoire", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Terence Patrick MCCULLEY (since 21 November 2013); embassy: :Cocody Riviera Golf 01, Abidjan; mailing address: :B. P. 1712, Abidjan 01; telephone: :[225; FAX: :[225", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$2,900 (2014 est.); $2,800 (2013 est.); $2,600 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "8.5% (2014 est.); 8.7% (2013 est.); 10.7% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.96% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$71.95 billion (2014 est.); $66.32 billion (2013 est.); $61.01 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :79.7%; youth dependency ratio: :74%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.7%; potential support ratio: :17.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "15.8% of GDP (2014 est.); 14.9% of GDP (2013 est.); 16.2% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :65.5%; government consumption: :12.4%; investment in fixed capital: :18.2%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :49.6%; imports of goods and services: :-45.6%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "18.2% (2011/12)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "20; note: :median age at first birth among women 20-24 (2011/12 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :1,796,802; percentage: :35% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "6.403 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "28.32 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "1.619 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "1.619 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "4,810 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "38,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "22,760 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "55,890 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "100 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "49,780 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "32,190 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "37,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "39.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "60.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "1.522 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "615 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "3.89 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "5.87 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "elephant; national colors: orange, white, green", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "6.2% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.4 beds/1,000 population (2006)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.14 physicians/1,000 population (2008)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "7.1% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "15.7% (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "400 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "21.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction under Article 12(3)of the Rome Statute", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "ABIDJAN (seat of government) 4.708 million; YAMOUSSOUKRO (capital) 259,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"L'Abidjanaise\" (Song of Abidjan); lyrics/music: :Mathieu EKRA, Joachim BONY, and Pierre Marie COTY/Pierre Marie COTY and Pierre Michel PANGO; note: :adopted 1960; although the nation's capital city moved from Abidjan to Yamoussoukro in 1983, the anthem still owes its name to the former capital", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 32.7% of population; rural: 10% of population; total: 21.9% of population; urban: 67.3% of population; rural: 90% of population; total: 78.1% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 91.5% of population; rural: 67.8% of population; total: 80.2% of population; urban: 8.5% of population; rural: 32.2% of population; total: 19.8% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$12.23 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $11.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$8.227 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $7.72 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "2 state-owned TV stations; no private terrestrial TV stations, but satellite TV subscription service is available; 2 state-owned radio stations; some private radio stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :53.5% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.69% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$9.294 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $8.693 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$2.117 billion (31 December 2008); $1.915 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$4.242 billion (31 December 2008); $4.451 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "3.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 3.5% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "4.25% (31 December 2010); 4.25% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.6% of GDP (2008)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :1.55 cu km/yr (41%/21%/38%); per capita: :83.07 cu m/yr (2008)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "81.14 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$7.829 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $6.288 billion (31 December 2011); $7.099 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$33.96 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "IDPs: :at least 70,000 (post-election conflict in 2010-2011, as well as civil war from 2002-2004; most pronounced in western and southwestern regions) (2013); stateless persons: :700,000 (2013); note - many Ivoirians lack documentation proving their nationality, which prevent them from accessing education and healthcare; birth on Ivorian soil does not automatically result in citizenship; disputes over citizenship and the associated rights of the large population descended from migrants from neighboring countries is an ongoing source of tension and contributed to the country's 2002 civil war; some observers believe the government's mass naturalizations of thousands of people over the last couple of years is intended to boost its electoral support base; the government in October 2013 acceded to international conventions on statelessness and in August 2013 reformed its nationality law, key steps to clarify the nationality of thousands of residents", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; animal contact disease: :rabies; respiratory disease: :meningococcal meningitis; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$4.752 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.243 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$55.1 million (2014 est.); -$350.2 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "42.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 44.6% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "9,115 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :20.3 years; male: :20.3 years; female: :20.2 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "41.5 (2008); 36.7 (1995)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "27,900 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "371,600 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "2.67% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ci", "INTERNET_USERS": "967,300 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "19.827 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "268,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Daouda DIABATE (since 11 February 2011); chancery: :2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :322,463 sq km; land: :318,003 sq km; water: :4,460 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "727.5 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Cote d'Ivoire; conventional short form: :Cote d'Ivoire; local long form: :Republique de Cote d'Ivoire; local short form: :Cote d'Ivoire; note: :pronounced coat-div-whar; former: :Ivory Coast", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic; multiparty presidential regime established 1960", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "3.63 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :well-developed by African standards; telecommunications sector privatized in late 1990s and operational fixed-lines have increased since that time with two fixed-line providers operating over open-wire lines, microwave radio relay, and fiber-optics; 90% digitalized; domestic: :with multiple mobile-cellular service providers competing in the market, usage has increased sharply to roughly 80 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 225; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 38.6%, Christian 32.8%, indigenous 11.9%, none 16.7% (2008 est.); note: :the majority of foreigners (migratory workers) are Muslim (70%) and Christian (20%)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :660 km; narrow gauge: :660 km 1.000-m gauge; note: :an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina Faso (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Abidjan, San-Pedro; oil/gas terminal(s): :Espoir Offshore Terminal", "POPULATION": "22,848,945; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Citizen's Democratic Union or UDCY [Theodore MEL EG; Democracy and Liberty for the Republic or LIDER [Mamadou KOULIBALY; Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire or PDCI [Henri Konan BEDIE; Ivorian Popular Front or FPI [Pascal AFFI NGUESSAN; Ivorian Worker's Party or PIT [Daniel AKA AHIZ; Movement of the Future Forces or MFA [Innocent Augustin ANAKY KOBENA; Rally of the Republicans or RDR [Alassane OUATTARA; Union for Democracy and Peace in Cote d'Ivoire or UDPCI [Toikeuse MABRI; over 144 smaller registered parties", "PIPELINES": "condensate 101 km; gas 256 km; oil 118 km; oil/gas/water 5 km; water 7 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Cote d'Ivoire is heavily dependent on agriculture and related activities, which engage roughly two-thirds of the population. Cote d'Ivoire is the world's largest producer and exporter of cocoa beans and a significant producer and exporter of coffee and palm oil. Consequently, the economy is highly sensitive to fluctuations in international prices for these products and in climatic conditions. Cocoa, oil, and coffee are the country's top export revenue earners, but the country is also mining gold. The country boasted two offshore oil finds in 2012. Since the end of the civil war in 2003, political turmoil has continued to damage the economy, resulting in the loss of foreign investment and slow economic growth. In June 2012, the IMF and the World Bank announced $4.4 billion in debt relief for Cote d'Ivoire under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiative. Long-term challenges include political instability and degrading infrastructure.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Federation of University and High School Students of Cote d'Ivoire or FESCI [Augustin MIAN; National Congress for the Resistance and Democracy or CNRD [Bernard DADIE; Panafrican Congress for Justice and Peoples Equality or COJEP [Roselin BLY; Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace or RHDP", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "most of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region; apart from the capital area, the forested interior is sparsely populated", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper, gold, nickel, tantalum, silica sand, clay, cocoa beans, coffee, palm oil, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Ivoirian(s); adjective: :Ivoirian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 7 August (1960)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :5,247,522; females age 16-49: :5,047,901 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :41%; male: :51.6%; female: :30.5% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :58.01 years; male: :56.9 years; female: :59.16 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (225 seats; members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 11 December 2011 (next to be held in 2016); election results: :percent of vote by party - RDR 42.1%, PDCI 28.6%, UDPCI 3.1%, RDP 1.7%, other 24.5% ; seats by party - RDR 127, PDCI 76, UDPCI 7, RDP 4, other 2, independents 39", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system based on the French civil code; judicial review of legislation held in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court", "LANGUAGES": "French (official), 60 native dialects of which Dioula is the most widely spoken", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :9.12%; permanent crops: :14.15%; other: :76.73% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :3,458 km; border countries: :Burkina Faso 545 km, Ghana 720 km, Guinea 816 km, Liberia 778 km, Mali 599 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "8.118 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (organized into Judicial, Audit, Constitutional, and Administrative Chambers; consists of the court president, 3 vice-presidents for the Judicial, Audit, and Administrative chambers, and 9 associate justices or magistrates); judge selection and term offfice: :judges nominated by the Superior Council of the Magistrature, a 7-member body consisting of the national president (chairman), 3 \"bench\" judges, and 3 public prosecutors; judges appointed for life; subordinate courts: :Courts of Appeal (organized into civil, criminal, and social chambers); first instance courts; peace courts", "WATERWAYS": "980 km (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.3% (2014 est.); 2.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :60.16 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :66.4 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :53.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining, gold mining, truck and bus assembly, textiles, fertilizer, building materials, electricity", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "8.4% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "7 August 1960 (from France)", "IMPORTS": "$9.788 billion (2014 est.); $8.976 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for local consumption; utility as a narcotic transshipment point to Europe reduced by ongoing political instability; while rampant corruption and inadequate supervision leave the banking system vulnerable to money laundering, the lack of a developed financial system limits the country's utility as a major money-laundering center (2008)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :81,996 km; paved: :6,502 km; unpaved: :75,494 km; note: :includes intercity and urban roads; another 20,000 km of dirt roads are in poor condition and 150,000 km of dirt roads are impassable (2007)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal vertical bands of orange (hoist side), white, and green; orange symbolizes the land (savannah) of the north and fertility, white stands for peace and unity, green represents the forests of the south and the hope for a bright future; note: :similar to the flag of Ireland, which is longer and has the colors reversed - green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of Italy, which is green (hoist side), white, and red; design was based on the flag of France", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$11.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $10.26 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$14.58 billion (2014 est.); $12.87 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Alassane Dramane OUATTARA (since 4 December 2010); head of government: :Prime Minister Daniel Kablan DUNCAN (since 21 November 2012); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held on 31 October and 28 November 2010 (next to be held in 2015); prime minister appointed by the president; election results: :Alassane OUATTARA elected president; percent of vote - Alassane OUATTARA 54.1%, Laurent GBAGBO 45.9%; note - President OUATTARA was declared winner by the election commission and took the oath of office on 4 December; Prime Minister SORO resigned from the incumbent administration and was subsequently appointed to the same position by OUATTARA; on 12 March, SORO was elected to the National Assembly and resigned as prime minister the same day; former president GBAGBO refused to cede resulting in a 5-month stand-off and was finally forced to stand down in April 2011", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -; 492.6 (2014 est.); 494.04 (2013 est.); 510.29 (2012 est.); 471.87 (2011 est.); 495.28 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Akan 42.1%, Voltaiques or Gur 17.6%, Northern Mandes 16.5%, Krous 11%, Southern Mandes 10%, other 2.8% (includes 130,000 Lebanese and 14,000 French) (1998)", "DEATH_RATE": "9.67 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1960; latest approved by referendum 23 July 2000; amended 2012 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Nigeria 23.1%, France 12.1%, China 8.7%, Bahamas, The 6.4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "515 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical along coast, semiarid in far north; three seasons - warm and dry (November to March), hot and dry (March to May), hot and wet (June to October)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fuel, capital equipment, foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Yamoussoukro; note - although Yamoussoukro has been the official capital since 1983, Abidjan remains the commercial and administrative center; the US, like other countries, maintains its Embassy in Abidjan; geographic coordinates: :6 49 N, 5 16 W; time difference: :UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$7.218 billion; expenditures: :$8.173 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Republican Forces of Cote d'Ivoire (Force Republiques de Cote d'Ivoire, FRCI): Army, Navy, Cote d'Ivoire Air Force (Force Aerienne de la Cote d'Ivoire); note: :FRCI is the former Armed Forces of the New Forces (FAFN) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "29.25 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "27 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coffee, cocoa beans, bananas, palm kernels, corn, rice, cassava (manioc, tapioca), sweet potatoes, sugar, cotton, rubber; timber", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "12 districts and 2 autonomous districts*; Abidjan*, Bas-Sassandra, Comoe, Denguele, Goh-Djiboua, Lacs, Lagunes, Montagnes, Sassandra-Marahoue, Savanes, Vallee du Bandama, Woroba, Yamoussoukro*, Zanzan", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Ghana 8.8%, Netherlands 8.5%, Nigeria 8.4%, US 6.8%, Germany 6.1%, Gabon 5.7%, France 5.1%, Belgium 4.5% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "cocoa, coffee, timber, petroleum, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, fish", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :68%; industry and services: :NA% (2007 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.2%; highest 10%: :31.8% (2008)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "42% (2006 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.65% of GDP (2012); 1.49% of GDP (2011); 1.65% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation (most of the country's forests - once the largest in West Africa - have been heavily logged); water pollution from sewage and industrial and agricultural effluents", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :20; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :6; 914 to 1,523 m: :11; 3 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :7; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :4 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Close ties to France following independence in 1960, the development of cocoa production for export, and foreign investment all made Cote d'Ivoire one of the most prosperous of the West African states but did not protect it from political turmoil. In December 1999, a military coup - the first ever in Cote d'Ivoire's history - overthrew the government. Junta leader Robert GUEI blatantly rigged elections held in late 2000 and declared himself the winner. Popular protest forced him to step aside and brought Laurent GBAGBO into power. Ivorian dissidents and disaffected members of the military launched a failed coup attempt in September 2002 that developed into a rebellion and then a civil war. The war ended in 2003 with a cease-fire that left the country divided with the rebels holding the north, the government the south, and peacekeeping forces a buffer zone between the two. In March 2007, President GBAGBO and former New Forces rebel leader Guillaume SORO signed an agreement in which SORO joined GBAGBO's government as prime minister and the two agreed to reunite the country by dismantling the buffer zone, integrating rebel forces into the national armed forces, and holding elections. Difficulties in preparing electoral registers delayed balloting until 2010. In November 2010, Alassane Dramane OUATTARA won the presidential election over GBAGBO, but GBAGBO refused to hand over power, resulting in a five-month stand-off. In April 2011, after widespread fighting, GBAGBO was formally forced from office by armed OUATTARA supporters with the help of UN and French forces. Several thousand UN peacekeepers and several hundred French troops remain in Cote d'Ivoire to support the transition process. OUATTARA is focused on rebuilding the country's infrastructure and military after the five months of post-electoral fighting and faces ongoing threats from GBAGBO supporters, many of whom have sought shelter in Ghana. GBAGBO is in The Hague awaiting trial for crimes against humanity.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :247,011; female: :242,958 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :3,360,087; females age 16-49: :3,196,033 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary male and female military service; conscription is not enforced; voluntary recruitment of former rebels into the new national army is restricted to ages 22-29 (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than New Mexico", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; during the rainy season torrential flooding is possible", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Gulf of Guinea 0 m; highest point: :Monts Nimba 1,752 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.96 male(s)/female; total population: :1.03 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "14 (1998)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 3 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :25.9%; industry: :21.9%; services: :52.1% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "8 00 N, 5 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :38.4% (male 4,427,193/female 4,353,342); 15-24 years: :21% (male 2,415,504/female 2,378,196); 25-54 years: :33% (male 3,864,593/female 3,677,996); 55-64 years: :4.3% (male 494,063/female 493,213); 65 years and over: :3.3% (male 361,135/female 383,710) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Croatia", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Kenneth MERTEN (since 3 October 2012); embassy: :2 Thomas Jefferson Street, 10010 Zagreb; mailing address: :use street address; telephone: :[385; FAX: :[385", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$20,400 (2014 est.); $20,600 (2013 est.); $20,800 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.8% (2014 est.); -0.9% (2013 est.); -2.2% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.12% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$87.3 billion (2014 est.); $88.02 billion (2013 est.); $88.83 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :50%; youth dependency ratio: :22%; elderly dependency ratio: :27.9%; potential support ratio: :3.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "21.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 21.3% of GDP (2013 est.); 20.4% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :60.2%; government consumption: :19.6%; investment in fixed capital: :18.2%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :46.5%; imports of goods and services: :-44.4%; (2014 est.)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "27.9 (2011 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "20.18 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "24.92 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "1.137 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "392 million cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "3.253 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "1.863 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "26,670 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "30,120 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "84,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "65,410 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "71 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "51,470 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "16,200 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "3.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "47.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "48.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "4.171 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "6.844 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "3.294 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "16.7 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "14.24 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "red-white checkerboard; national colors: red, white, blue", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :43.1%; male: :42.3%; female: :44.3% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "24.2% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "5.9 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.84 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.8% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "17 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-4.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "38.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "ZAGREB (capital) 687,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Lijepa nasa domovino\" (Our Beautiful Homeland); lyrics/music: :Antun MIHANOVIC/Josip RUNJANIN; note: :adopted 1972; \"Lijepa nasa domovino,\" whose lyrics were written in 1835, served as an unofficial anthem beginning in 1891", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 98.6% of population; rural: 97.6% of population; total: 98.2% of population; urban: 1.4% of population; rural: 2.4% of population; total: 1.8% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.8% of population; rural: 96.8% of population; total: 98.6% of population; urban: 0.2% of population; rural: 3.2% of population; total: 1.4% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$46.32 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $48.93 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$10.86 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $10.55 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "the national state-owned public broadcaster, Croatian Radiotelevision, operates 4 terrestrial TV networks, a satellite channel that rebroadcasts programs for Croatians living abroad, and 6 regional TV centers; 2 private broadcasters operate national terrestrial networks; roughly 25 privately owned regional TV stations; multi-channel cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; state-owned public broadcaster operates 3 national radio networks and 9 regional radio stations; 2 privately owned national radio networks and more than 170 regional, county, city, and community radio stations (2012)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :58.7% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.11% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$48.58 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $55.99 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$34.57 billion (31 December 2009); $33.17 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$9.27 billion (31 December 2009); $10.71 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "8.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 9.25% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "7% (31 December 2013); 7% (31 December 2012)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.3% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :15 years; male: :14 years; female: :15 years (2012)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "105.5 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$21.63 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $23.24 billion (31 December 2012); $23.75 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$6.131 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.531 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$37.07 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $36.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$58.33 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :2,886 (2013)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :intermediate; vectorborne diseases: :tickborne encephalitis; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$18.15 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $17.77 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$624.5 million (2014 est.); $442.8 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "70.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 67.4% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "729,420 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :42.1 years; male: :40.2 years; female: :43.9 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "32 (2010); 29 (1998)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".hr", "INTERNET_USERS": "2.234 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "4.97 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "1.64 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Josko PARO (since 20 April 2012); chancery: :2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Chicago, Los Angeles, New York; consulate(s): :Kansas City (MO), New Orleans, Pittsburgh (PA), St. Paul (MN), Seattle", "AREA": "total: :56,594 sq km; land: :55,974 sq km; water: :620 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "36.27 sq km (2010)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Croatia; conventional short form: :Croatia; local long form: :Republika Hrvatska; local short form: :Hrvatska; former: :People's Republic of Croatia, Socialist Republic of Croatia", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "21% (2014 est.); 20.3% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.45 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border, low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :the telecommunications network has improved steadily since the mid-1990s, covering much of what were once inaccessible areas; local lines are digital; domestic: :fixed-line teledensity holding steady at about 40 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscriptions exceed the population; international: :country code - 385; digital international service is provided through the main switch in Zagreb; Croatia participates in the Trans-Asia-Europe (TEL) fiber-optic project, which consists of 2 fiber-optic trunk connections with Slovenia and a fiber-optic trunk line from Rijeka to Split and Dubrovnik; the ADRIA-1 submarine cable provides connectivity to Albania and Greece (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age, 16 if employed; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 86.3%, Orthodox 4.4%, Muslim 1.5%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.5%, not religious or atheist 3.8% (2011 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :2,722 km; standard gauge: :2,722 km 1.435-m gauge (984 km electrified) (2011)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Ploce, Rijeka, Sibernik, Split; river port(s): :Vukovar (Danube); oil/gas terminal(s): :Omisalj", "POPULATION": "4,470,534 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Bosniak Democratic Party of Croatia or BDSH [Medzad HODZIC; Croatian Civic Party or HGS [Zeljko KERUM; Croatian Democratic Congress of Slavonia and Baranja or HDSSB [Vladimir SISLJAGIC; Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ [Tomislav KARAMARKO; Croatian Laborists - Labor Party [Dragutin LESAR; Croatian Party of Rights - dr. Ante Starcevic or HSP AS [Ruza TOMASIC; Croatian Peasant Party or HSS [Branko HRG; Croatian Pensioner Party or HSU [Silvano HRELJA; Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats or HNS [Vesna PUSIC; Croatian Pure Party of Rights or HCSP [Josip MILJIC; Democratic Centre or DC [Vesna SKARE-OZBOLT; HDZ-led Coalition [Tomislav KARAMARKO; Independent Democratic Serb Party or SDSS [Vojislav STANIMIROVIC; Independent List of Ivan Grubisic [Ivan GRUBISIC; Istrian Democratic Assembly or IDS [Ivan JAKOVCIC; Kukuriku Coalition [Zoran MILANOVIC; Social Democratic Party of Croatia or SDP [Zoran MILANOVIC; Sustainable Development for Croatia or ORaH [Mirela HOLY", "PIPELINES": "gas 2,410 km; oil 610 km (2011)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Though still one of the wealthiest of the former Yugoslav republics, Croatia's economy suffered badly during the 1991-95 war. The country's output during that time collapsed and Croatia missed the early waves of investment in Central and Eastern Europe that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall. Between 2000 and 2007, however, Croatia's economic fortunes began to improve with moderate but steady GDP growth between 4% and 6% led by a rebound in tourism and credit-driven consumer spending. Inflation over the same period remained tame and the currency, the kuna, stable. Croatia experienced an abrupt slowdown in the economy in 2008 and has yet to recover; economic growth was stagnant or negative in each year since 2009. Difficult problems still remain, including a stubbornly high unemployment rate, uneven regional development, and a challenging investment climate. Croatia continues to face reduced foreign investment. On 1 July 2013 Croatia joined the EU, following a decade-long application process. Croatia will be a member of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism until it meets the criteria for joining the Economic and Monetary Union and adopts the euro as its currency. EU accession has increased pressure on the government to reduce Croatia�s relatively high public debt, which triggered the EU�s excessive deficit procedure for fiscal consolidation. Zagreb has cut spending since 2012, and the government also raised additional revenues through more stringent tax collection and by raising the Value Added Tax. The government has also sought to accelerate privatization of non-strategic assets, with mixed success.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :human rights groups", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and Turkish Straits; most Adriatic Sea islands lie off the coast of Croatia - some 1,200 islands, islets, ridges, and rocks", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "1.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, gypsum, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Croat(s), Croatian(s); adjective: :Croatian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 8 October (1991) and Statehood Day, 25 June (1991); note - 25 June 1991 was the day the Croatian parliament voted for independence; following a three-month moratorium to allow the European Community to solve the Yugoslav crisis peacefully, parliament adopted a decision on 8 October 1991 to sever constitutional relations with Yugoslavia", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :77; by type: :bulk carrier 24, cargo 7, chemical tanker 8, passenger/cargo 27, petroleum tanker 10, refrigerated cargo 1; foreign-owned: :2 (Norway 2); registered in other countries: :31 (Bahamas 1, Belize 1, Liberia 1, Malta 6, Marshall Islands 12, Panama 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 8) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EMU, EU, FAO, G-11, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (observer), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMOGIP, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,016,234; females age 16-49: :1,017,355 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :99.1%; male: :99.6%; female: :98.7% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :76.41 years; male: :72.81 years; female: :80.2 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Assembly or Hrvatski Sabor (151 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies - including special constituencies for minorities and Croatians living abroad - by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); note: :seats by party as of 25 March 2014 - SDP 58, HDZ 42, HNS 13, HDSSB 7, Croatian Laborists - Labor Party 6, HSU 4, SDSS 3, HGS 2, IDS 2, BDSH 1, DC 1, HSS 1, HSP AS 1, ORaH 1, independents 9; elections: :last held on 4 December 2011 (next to be held in late 2015); election results: :percent of vote by party/coalition - Kukuriku 40.0%, HDZ-led Coalitiion 23.8%, Croatian Laborists-Labor Party 5.1%, HSS 3.0%, HDSSB 2.9%, Independent list of Ivan Grubisic 2.8%, HCSP-HSP AS 2.8%, other 19.6%; number of seats by party/coalition - Kukuriku 80 (SDP 61, HNS 13, IDS 3, HSU 3), HDZ-led coalition 47 (HDZ 44, HGS 2, DC 1), Croatian Laborists-Labor Party 6, HDSSB 6, SDSS 3, Independent list of Ivan Grubisic 2, HSS 1, HCSP-HSP AS 1, other 5", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system influenced by legal heritage of Austria-Hungary; note - Croatian law was fully harmonized with the European Community acquis as of the June 2010 completion of EU accession negotiations", "LANGUAGES": "Croatian (official) 95.6%, Serbian 1.2%, other 3% (including Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and Albanian), unspecified 0.2% (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :16.14%; permanent crops: :1.41%; other: :82.45% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,237 km; border countries: :Bosnia and Herzegovina 956 km, Hungary 348 km, Montenegro 19 km, Serbia 314 km, Slovenia 600 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "1.714 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the court president and vice president, 25 civil department justices, and 16 criminal department justices); judge selection and term of office: :president of Supreme Court nominated by president of Croatia and elected by Croatian Sabor for a 4-year term; other Supreme Court justices appointed by National Judicial Council; all judges serve until age 70; subordinate courts: :Administrative Court; county, municipal, and specialized courts; note - there is an 11-member Constitutional Court with jurisdiction limited to constitutional issues but is outside Croatia's judicial system", "WATERWAYS": "785 km (2009)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "-0.2% (2014 est.); 2.2% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :5.87 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :5.99 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :5.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "chemicals and plastics, machine tools, fabricated metal, electronics, pig iron and rolled steel products, aluminum, paper, wood products, construction materials, textiles, shipbuilding, petroleum and petroleum refining, food and beverages, tourism", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.4% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)", "IMPORTS": "$22.44 billion (2014 est.); $21.43 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transit point along the Balkan route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe; has been used as a transit point for maritime shipments of South American cocaine bound for Western Europe (2008)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :29,410 km (includes 1,254 km of expressways) (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue - the Pan-Slav colors - superimposed by the Croatian coat of arms; the coat of arms consists of one main shield (a checkerboard of 13 red and 12 silver (white) fields) surmounted by five smaller shields that form a crown over the main shield; the five small shields represent five historic regions, they are (from left to right): Croatia, Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Istria, and Slavonia; note: :the Pan-Slav colors were inspired by the 19th-century flag of Russia", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$61.04 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $61.74 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$14.08 billion (2014 est.); $12.99 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Kolinda GRABAR-KITAROVIC (since 19 February 2015); head of government: :Prime Minister Zoran MILANOVIC (since 23 December 2011); First Deputy Prime Minister Vesna PUSIC (since 16 November 2012); cabinet: :Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and approved by the parliamentary assembly; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 28 December 2014 (first round) and 11 January 2015 (second round) (next to be held in December 2019); the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the president and then approved by the assembly; election results: :Kolinda GRABAR-KITAROVIC elected president; percent of vote in the second round - Kolinda GRABAR-KITAROVIC 50.7%, Ivo JOSIPOVIC 49.3%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "kuna (HRK) per US dollar -; 5.725 (2014 est.); 5.7049 (2013 est.); 5.85 (2012 est.); 5.3439 (2011 est.); 5.498 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Croat 90.4%, Serb 4.4%, other 4.4% (including Bosniak, Hungarian, Slovene, Czech, and Roma), unspecified 0.8% (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "12.13 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted 22 December 1990; amended several times, last in December 2013 by referendum", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Italy 14.3%, Germany 13.6%, Slovenia 7.5%, Russia 7.1%, Austria 6.4%, China 6%, Hungary 4.8% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "5,835 km (mainland 1,777 km, islands 4,058 km)", "CLIMATE": "Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery, transport and electrical equipment; chemicals, fuels and lubricants; foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Zagreb; geographic coordinates: :45 48 N, 16 00 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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$22.63 billion; expenditures: :$25.49 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia (Oruzane Snage Republike Hrvatske, OSRH) consists of five major commands directly subordinate to a General Staff: Ground Forces (Hrvatska Kopnena Vojska, HKoV), Naval Forces (Hrvatska Ratna Mornarica, HRM; includes coast guard), Air Force and Air Defense Command (Hrvatsko Ratno Zrakoplovstvo I Protuzracna Obrana), Joint Education and Training Command, Logistics Command; Military Police Force supports each of the three Croatian military forces (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "9.49 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "69 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "arable crops (wheat, corn, barley, sugar beet, sunflower, rapeseed, alfalfa, clover); vegetables (potatoes, cabbage, onion, tomato, pepper); fruits (apples, plum, mandarins, olives), grapes for wine; livestock (cattle, cows, pigs); dairy products", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "20 counties (zupanije, zupanija - singular) and 1 city* (grad - singular) with special county status; Bjelovarsko-Bilogorska(Bjelovar-Bilogora), Brodsko-Posavska (Brod-Posavina), Dubrovacko-Neretvanska (Dubrovnik-Neretva), Istarska (Istria), Karlovacka (Karlovac), Koprivnicko-Krizevacka (Koprivinica-Krizevci), Krapinsko-Zagorska (Krapina-Zagorje), Licko-Senjska (Lika-Senj), Medimurska (Medimurje), Osjecko-Baranjska (Osijek-Baranja), Pozesko-Slavonska (Pozega-Slavonia), Primorsko-Goranska (Primorje-Gorski Kotar), Sibensko-Kninska (Sibenik-Knin), Sisacko-Moslavacka (Sislak-Moslavina), Splitsko-Dalmatinska (Split-Dalmatia), Varazdinska (Varazdin), Viroviticko-Podravska (Virovitica-Podravina), Vukovarsko-Srijemska (Vukovar-Syrmia), Zadarska (Zadar), Zagreb*, Zagrebacka (Zagreb county)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Italy 14.1%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 13.2%, Germany 11%, Slovenia 10.1%, Austria 6.2%, Serbia 4.3% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "transport equipment, machinery, textiles, chemicals, foodstuffs, fuels", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :2.1%; industry: :29%; services: :69% (2012)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.3%; highest 10%: :27.5% (2008 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "21.1% (2011)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.7% of GDP (2012); 1.77% of GDP (2011); 1.7% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air pollution (from metallurgical plants) and resulting acid rain is damaging the forests; coastal pollution from industrial and domestic waste; landmine removal and reconstruction of infrastructure consequent to 1992-95 civil strife", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :45; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :6; 38 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :24; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :6; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :3; under 914 m: :10 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The lands that today comprise Croatia were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the close of World War I. In 1918, the Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes formed a kingdom known after 1929 as Yugoslavia. Following World War II, Yugoslavia became a federal independent communist state under the strong hand of Marshal TITO. Although Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, it took four years of sporadic, but often bitter, fighting before occupying Serb armies were mostly cleared from Croatian lands, along with a majority of Croatia's ethnic Serb population. Under UN supervision, the last Serb-held enclave in eastern Slavonia was returned to Croatia in 1998. The country joined NATO in April 2009 and the EU in July 2013.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :28,334; female: :27,015 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :770,710; females age 16-49: :839,732 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; 6-month service obligation (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than West Virginia", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "destructive earthquakes", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Adriatic Sea 0 m; highest point: :Dinara 1,831 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.93 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.66 male(s)/female; total population: :0.93 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "36 (plus 321 repeaters) (1995)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 16, FM 98, shortwave 5 (1999)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :4.5%; industry: :26.6%; services: :68.9% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "45 10 N, 15 30 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :14.5% (male 332,079/female 314,842); 15-24 years: :12.1% (male 275,957/female 263,796); 25-54 years: :41.1% (male 910,591/female 928,434); 55-64 years: :14.5% (male 315,791/female 334,017); 65 years and over: :17.8% (male 320,898/female 474,129) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Cuba", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none; note - the United States Interests Section of the Embassy of Switzerland is headed by John P. CAULFIELD (since September 2011); address: USINT, Swiss Embassy, Calzada between L and M Streets, Vedado, Havana; telephone: [53", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$10,200 (2010 est.); $10,000 (2009 est.); $10,000 (2008 est.); note: :data are in 2010 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.3% (2014 est.); 2.7% (2013 est.); 2.4% (2010 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.14% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$128.5 billion (2014 est.); $126.9 billion (2013 est.); $123.5 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2012 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :41.9%; youth dependency ratio: :22.6%; elderly dependency ratio: :19.3%; potential support ratio: :5.2% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "21.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 12.8% of GDP (2013 est.); 13.7% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :54%; government consumption: :24.7%; investment in fixed capital: :15.4%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :26.5%; imports of goods and services: :-20.6%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "74.3% (2010/11)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "25.99 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "70.79 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "1.03 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "1.03 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "4,877 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "11,320 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "170,900 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "100,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "124 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "165,000 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "83,000 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "50,500 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "98.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "6.241 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "13.95 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "16.75 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "royal palm; national colors: red, white, blue", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :3.1%; male: :2.8%; female: :3.5% (2008 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "21.5% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "5.3 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "6.72 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "8.6% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "3.4% (2000)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "73 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "NA% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "NA% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "HAVANA (capital) 2.146 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"La Bayamesa\" (The Bayamo Song); lyrics/music: :Pedro FIGUEREDO; note: :adopted 1940; Pedro FIGUEREDO first performed \"La Bayamesa\" in 1868 during the Ten Years War against the Spanish; a leading figure in the uprising, FIGUEREDO was captured in 1870 and executed by a firing squad; just prior to the fusillade he is reputed to have shouted, \"Morir por la Patria es vivir\" (To die for the country is to live), a line from the anthem", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 94% of population; rural: 88.2% of population; total: 92.6% of population; urban: 6% of population; rural: 11.8% of population; total: 7.4% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 96.3% of population; rural: 87.3% of population; total: 94% of population; urban: 3.7% of population; rural: 12.7% of population; total: 6% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$24.63 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $24.08 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$924.8 million (31 December 2014 est.); $13.72 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "government owns and controls all broadcast media with private ownership of electronic media prohibited; government operates 4 national TV networks and many local TV stations; government operates 6 national radio networks, an international station, and many local radio stations; Radio-TV Marti is beamed from the US (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :77% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.07% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$NA", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "NA%", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "NA%", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "12.8% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :14 years; male: :14 years; female: :15 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :4.42 cu km/yr (22%/14%/65%); per capita: :392.6 cu m/yr (2010)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "38.12 cu km (2011)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$4.138 billion (2006 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$NA", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Cuba is a source country for adults and children subjected to sex trafficking, and possibly forced labor; child prostitution and child sex tourism reportedly occurs in Cuba, while some Cubans are forced into prostitution abroad; allegations have been made of Cubans being subjected to forced labor at Cuban work missions abroad; the scope of trafficking within Cuba is difficult to gauge due to a dearth of independent reporting, but the Cuban government provided information on human trafficking for the first time in 2013; tier rating: :Tier 3 - Cuba does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government has not established a legal framework criminalizing all forms of human trafficking but intends to amend its criminal code to comply with the 2000 UN TIP Protocol, which it acceded to in 2013; the government provided assistance to vulnerable women and children in 2013 but did not offer services specifically for trafficking victims; some prosecutions and convictions for sex trafficking occurred, but none for forced labor were registered (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$72.3 billion (2012 est.)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :intermediate; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$10.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $10.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$945.1 million (2014 est.); -$951.6 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "40.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 37.5% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "3,244 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :39.9 years; male: :39.1 years; female: :40.8 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "200 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "15,600 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.23% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".cu", "INTERNET_USERS": "1.606 million; note: :private citizens are prohibited from buying computers or accessing the Internet without special authorization; foreigners may access the Internet in large hotels but are subject to firewalls; some Cubans buy illegal passwords on the black market or take advantage of public outlets to access limited email and the government-controlled \"intranet\" (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "1.682 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "1.217 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none; note - the Cuban Interests Section of the Embassy of Switzerland is headed by Jose R. CABANAS Rodriguez (since October 2012); address: Cuban Interests Section, Swiss Embassy, 2630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: [1", "AREA": "total: :110,860 sq km; land: :109,820 sq km; water: :1,040 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "8,703 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Cuba; conventional short form: :Cuba; local long form: :Republica de Cuba; local short form: :Cuba", "MILITARY___NOTE": "the collapse of the Soviet Union deprived the Cuban military of its major economic and logistic support and had a significant impact on the state of Cuban equipment; the army remains well trained and professional in nature; the lack of replacement parts for its existing equipment has increasingly affected operational capabilities (2013)", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "3.6% (2014 est.); 3.3% (2013 est.); note: :these are official rates; unofficial estimates are about double the official figures", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "Communist state", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.46 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :greater investment beginning in 1994 and the establishment of a new Ministry of Information Technology and Communications in 2000 has resulted in improvements in the system; national fiber-optic system under development; 95% of switches digitized by end of 2006; mobile-cellular telephone service is expensive and must be paid in convertible pesos; cell phones in Cuba number around 2 million; state communications started service of email to cell phones through nauta.cu accounts; Cuban Government has opened Internet cafes around the island, which are expensive and offer slow-speed connections; domestic: :fixed-line density remains low at 10 per 100 inhabitants; mobile-cellular service expanding but remains only about 10 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 53; the ALBA-1 fiber-optic submarine cable links Cuba, Jamaica, and Venezuela; fiber-optic cable laid to but not linked to US network; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "16 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "nominally Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jewish, Santeria; note: :prior to CASTRO assuming power", "RAILWAYS": "total: :8,203 km; standard gauge: :8,134 km 1.435-m gauge (124 km electrified); narrow gauge: :69 km 1.000-m gauge; note: :48 km of standard gauge track is not for public use (2011)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Antilla, Cienfuegos, Guantanamo, Havana, Matanzas, Mariel, Nuevitas Bay, Santiago de Cuba", "POPULATION": "11,047,251 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Raul CASTRO Ruz, first secretary", "PIPELINES": "gas 41 km; oil 230 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The government continues to balance the need for loosening its socialist economic system against a desire for firm political control. The government in April 2011 held the first Cuban Communist Party Congress in almost 13 years, during which leaders approved a plan for wide-ranging economic changes. Since then, the Cuban government has slowly and incrementally implemented limited economic reforms, including allowing Cubans to buy electronic appliances and cell phones, stay in hotels, and buy and sell used cars. The Cuban government also opened up some retail services to \"self-employment,\" leading to the rise of so-called \"cuentapropistas\" or entrepreneurs. Recent moves include permitting the private ownership and sale of real estate and new vehicles, allowing private farmers to sell agricultural goods directly to hotels, and expanding categories of self-employment. Despite these reforms, the average Cuban's standard of living remains at a lower level than before the collapse of the Soviet Union and the resulting downturn of the 1990s. Since late 2000, Venezuela has been providing oil on preferential terms, and it supplies nearly 100,000 barrels per day of petroleum products. Cuba has been paying for the oil, in part, with the services of Cuban personnel in Venezuela, including some 30,000 medical professionals.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Damas de Blanco; National Association of Small Farmers; Patriotic Union of Cuba; The Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation; other: :political dissidents and bloggers", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-3.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Cuban(s); adjective: :Cuban", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Triumph of the Revolution, 1 January (1959)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :3; by type: :cargo 1, passenger 1, refrigerated cargo 1; registered in other countries: :5 (Curacao 1, Panama 2, unknown 2) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, ALBA, AOSIS, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS (excluded from formal participation since 1962), OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, PIF (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,998,201; females age 16-49: :2,919,107 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :99.8%; male: :99.8%; female: :99.8% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :78.22 years; male: :75.92 years; female: :80.65 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea Nacional del Poder Popular (614 seats; members directly elected by absolute majority in a modified two-round vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - the National Candidature Commission submits a slate of approved candidates who must obtain 50-percent of valid votes to be elected; if not, a byelection may be held or the seat remains vacant; elections: :last held on 3 February 2013 (next to be held in 2018); election results: :Cuba's Communist Party is the only legal party, and officially sanctioned candidates run unopposed", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system based on Spanish civil code", "LANGUAGES": "Spanish (official)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :30.08%; permanent crops: :3.48%; other: :66.44% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :28.5 km; border countries: :US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 28.5 km; note: :Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and remains part of Cuba", "LABOR_FORCE": "5.092 million; note: :state sector 72.3%, non-state sector 27.7% (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :People's Supreme Court (consists of court president, vice president, 41 professional justices, and NA lay judges; organized into the \"Whole,\" State Council, and criminal, civil, administrative, labor, crimes against the state, and military courts); judge selection and term of office: :professional judges elected by the National Assembly to serve 2.5-year terms; lay judges nominated by workplace collectives and neighborhood associations and elected by municipal or provincial assemblies; lay judges appointed for 5-year terms and serve up to 30 days per year; subordinate courts: :People's Provincial Courts; People's Regional Courts; People's Courts", "WATERWAYS": "240 km (almost all navigable inland waterways are near the mouths of rivers) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "5.3% (2014 est.); 6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :4.7 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :5.04 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :4.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "petroleum, nickel, cobalt, pharmaceuticals, tobacco, construction, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, sugar", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "4.6% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902); not acknowledged by the Cuban Government as a day of independence", "IMPORTS": "$14.93 billion (2014 est.); $14.77 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone for US- and European-bound drugs; established the death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999 (2008)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :60,858 km; paved: :29,820 km (includes 639 km of expressways); unpaved: :31,038 km (2001)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "five equal horizontal bands of blue (top, center, and bottom) alternating with white; a red equilateral triangle based on the hoist side bears a white, five-pointed star in the center; the blue bands refer to the three old divisions of the island: central, occidental, and oriental; the white bands describe the purity of the independence ideal; the triangle symbolizes liberty, equality, and fraternity, while the red color stands for the blood shed in the independence struggle; the white star, called La Estrella Solitaria (the Lone Star) lights the way to freedom and was taken from the flag of Texas; note: :design similar to the Puerto Rican flag, with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$25.23 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $24.65 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$5.67 billion (2014 est.); $5.566 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (president since 24 February 2008); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez (since 24 February 2013); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (president since 24 February 2008); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez (since 24 February 2013); cabinet: :Council of Ministers proposed by the president of the Council of State, appointed by the National Assembly or the 28-member Council of State, and elected by the assembly to act on its behalf when it is not in session; elections: :president and vice presidents elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term; election last held on 24 February 2013 (next to be held in 2018); election results: :Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz reelected president; percent of legislative vote - 100%; Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez elected vice president; percent of legislative vote - 100%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Cuban pesos (CUP) per US dollar -; 22.57 (2014 est.); 1 (2013 est.); 1 (2012 est.); 0.9847 (2011 est.); 0.9259 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "white 64.1%, mestizo 26.6%, black 9.3% (2012 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "7.64 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted by referendum 15 February 1976, effective 24 February 1976; amended 1978, 1992, 2002 (2010)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Venezuela 37.4%, China 12.3%, Spain 9.4%, Brazil 4.7%, Canada 4.1% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "3,735 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum, food, machinery and equipment, chemicals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Havana; geographic coordinates: :23 07 N, 82 21 W; time difference: :UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November; note - Cuba has been known to alter the schedule of DST on short notice in an attempt to conserve electricity for lighting", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.917 billion; expenditures: :$2.089 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Revolutionary Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias, FAR): Revolutionary Army (Ejercito Revolucionario, ER, includes Territorial Militia Troops (Milicia de Tropas de Territoriales, MTT)); Revolutionary Navy (Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria, MGR, includes Marine Corps); Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Forces (Defensas Anti-Aereas y Fuerza Aerea Revolucionaria, DAAFAR), Youth Labor Army (Ejercito Juvenil del Trabajo, EJT) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "9.9 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "133 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "15 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 special municipality* (municipio especial); Artemisa, Camaguey, Ciego de Avila, Cienfuegos, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguin, Isla de la Juventud*, La Habana, Las Tunas, Matanzas, Mayabeque, Pinar del Rio, Sancti Spiritus, Santiago de Cuba, Villa Clara", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Canada 16%, China 15.2%, Venezuela 14.2%, Spain 7.5%, Netherlands 5.6% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum, nickel, medical products, sugar, tobacco, fish, citrus, coffee", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :19.7%; industry: :17.1%; services: :63.2% (2011)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Marine Life Conservation", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :69; 914 to 1,523 m: :11; 58 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :64; over 3,047 m: :7; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :10; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :16; 914 to 1,523 m: :4; under 914 m: :27 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The native Amerindian population of Cuba began to decline after the European discovery of the island by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1492 and following its development as a Spanish colony during the next several centuries. Large numbers of African slaves were imported to work the coffee and sugar plantations, and Havana became the launching point for the annual treasure fleets bound for Spain from Mexico and Peru. Spanish rule eventually provoked an independence movement and occasional rebellions that were harshly suppressed. US intervention during the Spanish-American War in 1898 assisted the Cubans in overthrowing Spanish rule. Subsequently, the 1901 Platt Amendment to the Cuban constitution authorized the US to intervene in Cuba in the event of instability. The Treaty of Paris established Cuban independence from the US in 1902 after which the island experienced a string of governments mostly dominated by the military and corrupt politicians. Fidel CASTRO led a rebel army to victory in 1959; his iron rule held the subsequent regime together for nearly five decades. He stepped down as president in February 2008 in favor of his younger brother Raul CASTRO. Cuba's communist revolution, with Soviet support, was exported throughout Latin America and Africa during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The country faced a severe economic downturn in 1990 following the withdrawal of former Soviet subsidies worth $4-6 billion annually. Cuba at times portrays the US embargo, in place since 1961, as the source if its difficulties. Illicit migration to the US - using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, air flights, or via the US's southwest border - is a continuing problem. The US Coast Guard interdicted 1,357 Cuban nationals attempting to cross the Straits of Florida in 2013. Also in 2013, 14,251 Cuban migrants presented themselves at various land border ports of entry throughout the US.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :72,823; female: :69,108 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,446,131; females age 16-49: :2,375,590 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "17-28 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year service obligation; both sexes subject to military service (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Pennsylvania", "PEOPLE___NOTE": "illicit emigration is a continuing problem; Cubans attempt to depart the island and enter the US using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, direct flights, or falsified visas; Cubans also use non-maritime routes to enter the US including direct flights to Miami and over-land via the southwest border", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "the east coast is subject to hurricanes from August to November (in general, the country averages about one hurricane every other year); droughts are common", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Pico Turquino 2,005 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.82 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "58 (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 169, FM 55, shortwave 1 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :3.9%; industry: :22.3%; services: :73.7% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "21 30 N, 80 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :16.3% (male 923,602/female 873,156); 15-24 years: :13.6% (male 770,515/female 732,056); 25-54 years: :47.1% (male 2,618,089/female 2,581,895); 55-64 years: :10.4% (male 551,637/female 602,658); 65 years and over: :12.6% (male 625,330/female 768,313) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Curacao", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Consul General James R. Moore (since June 2013); note - also accredited to Aruba and Sint Martin; consulate(s) general: :J. B. Gorsiraweg ; mailing address: :P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao; telephone: :[599; FAX: :[599", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 2010; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs", "AFFILIATION": "(part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$15,000 (2004 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.6% (2012 est.); 2% (2011 est.); 0.1% (2010 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$3.128 billion (2012 est.); $3.02 billion (2011 est.); $2.96 billion (2010 est.); note: :data are in 2012 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :50.6%; youth dependency ratio: :29%; elderly dependency ratio: :21.6%; potential support ratio: :4.6% (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2009 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2009 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2009 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2009 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "291,700 bbl/day (2009 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "211,100 bbl/day (2009 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "72,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "531 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2009 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2009 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "968 million kWh (2008 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "1.785 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "laraha (citrus tree); national colors: blue, yellow, white", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-0.4% of GDP (2012 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "16.6% of GDP (2012 est.)", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "WILLEMSTED (capital) 145,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :Himmo di Korsou (Anthem of Curacao); lyrics/music: :Guillermo ROSARIO, Mae HENRIQUEZ, Enrique MULLER, Betty DORAN/Frater Candidus NOWENS, Errol \"El Toro\" COLINA; note: :adapted 1978; the lyrics, originally written in 1899, were rewritten in 1978 to make them less colonial in nature", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "government-run Telecuracao operates a TV station and a radio station; several privately-owned radio stations", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :89.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.04% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$5.6 billion (2012 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "33.2% of GDP (2012 est.); 40.6% of GDP (2011 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "NA", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :36.2 years; male: :32.7 years; female: :39.9 years (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".cw", "INTERNET_USERS": "NA", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)", "AREA": "total: :444 sq km; land: :444 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Caribbean, an island in the Caribbean Sea - 55 km off the coast of Venezuela", "COUNTRY_NAME": "Dutch long form: :Land Curacao; Dutch short form: :Curacao; Papiamentu long form: :Pais Korsou; Papiamentu short form: :Korsou; former: :Netherlands Antilles; Curacao and Dependencies", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "13% (2013 est.); 9.8% (2011 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.09 children born/woman (2013 est.)", "TERRAIN": "generally low, hilly terrain", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "international: :country code - 599", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 72.8%, Pentecostal 6.6%, Protestant 3.2%, Adventist 3%, Jehovah's Witness 2%, Evangelical 1.9%, other 3.8%, none 6%, unspecified 0.6% (2011 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Willemstad; oil/gas terminal(s): :Bullen Baai (Curacao Terminal); bulk cargo port(s): :Fuik Bay (phosphate rock)", "POPULATION": "146,836 (July 2013 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Frente Obrero Liberashon (Workers' Liberation Front) or FOL [Anthony GODETT; Movementu Futuro Korsou or MFK [Gerrit SCHOTTE; Movishon Antia Nobo or MAN [Eunice EISDEN; Partido Antia Restruktura or PAR [Emily DE JONGH-ELHAGE; Partido pa Adelanto I Inovashon Soshal or PAIS [Alex ROSARIA; Partido Nashonal di Pueblo or PNP [Humphrey DAVELAAR; Pueblo Soberano or PS [Helmin WIELS", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Tourism, petroleum refining, offshore finance, and trade and transport are the mainstays of this small economy, which is closely tied to the outside world. Although GDP grew slightly during the past decade, the island enjoys a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared with other countries in the region. Curacao has an excellent natural harbor that can accommodate large oil tankers. Venezuelan state oil company PdVSA, under a contract in effect until 2019, leases the single refinery on the island from the government, employing some 1,500 people; most of the oil for the refinery is imported from Venezuela; most of the refined products are exported to the US. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, with the US, Brazil, Italy, and Mexico being the major suppliers. The government is attempting to diversify its industry and trade and has signed an Association Agreement with the EU to expand business there. Most of Curacao�s GDP results from services. Curacao has limited natural resources, poor soils, and inadequate water supplies, and budgetary problems complicate reform of the health and education systems. In 2013 the government implemented changes to the sales tax and reformed the public pension and health care systems, including increasing the sales tax from 5% to as high as 9% on some products, raising the age for public pension withdrawals to 65, and requiring citizens to pay higher premiums.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "Curacao is a part of the Windward Islands (southern) group", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "1.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "calcium phosphates, aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Curacaoan; adjective: :Curacaoan; Dutch", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX), 30 April (1909 and 1980)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :12 nm", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total: :77.98 years; males: :75.72 years; females: :80.35 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "elections: :last held 19 October 2012 (next to be held in 2016); election results: :percent of vote by party - PS 22.6%, MFK 21.2%, PAR 19.7%, PAIS 17.7%, MAN 9.5%, PNP 5.9%, other 3.4%; seats by party - PS 5, MFK 5, PAR 4, PAIS 4, MAN 2, PNP 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "based on Dutch civil law system with some English common law influence", "LANGUAGES": "Papiamentu (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) 81.2%, Dutch (official) 8%, Spanish 4%, English 2.9%, other 3.9% (2001 census)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :10%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :90% (2011 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "73,010 (2013)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Common Court of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (consists of judges from the subordinate courts); judge selection and terms of office: :NA; subordinate courts: :first instance courts, appeals court; specialized courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.6% (2013 est.); 2.8% (2012 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, petroleum refining, petroleum transshipment, light manufacturing", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)", "IMPORTS": "$1.285 billion (2011 est.); $1.275 billion (2010 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :550 km", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "on a blue field a horizontal yellow band somewhat below the center divides the flag into proportions of 5:1:2; two five-pointed white stars - the smaller above and to the left of the larger - appear in the canton; the blue of the upper and lower sections symbolizes the sky and sea respectively; yellow represents the sun; the stars symbolize Curacao and its uninhabited smaller sister island of Klein Curacao; the five star points signify the five continents from which Curacao's people derive", "EXPORTS": "$1.607 billion (2011 est.); $1.44 billion (2010 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :King WILLEM-ALEXANDER of the Netherlands (since 30 April 2013); represented by Governor Lucille A. GEORGE-WOUT (since 4 November 2013); head of government: :Prime Minister Ivar ASJES (since 7 June 2013); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the governor; elections: :the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually elected prime minister by the parliament; next election is scheduled for 2016", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Netherlands Antillean guilders (ANG) per US dollar -; 1.79 (2013); 1.79 (2012 est.); 1.79 (2011 est.); 1.79 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Afro-Caribbean majority; Dutch, French, Latin American, East Asian, South Asian, Jewish minorities", "DEATH_RATE": "8 deaths/1,000 population (2009)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1947, 1955; latest adopted 5 September 2010, entered into force 10 October 2010 (regulates governance of Curacao but is subordinate to the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - in October 2010, with the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles, Curacao became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands (2013)", "COASTLINE": "364 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical marine climate, ameliorated by northeast trade winds, results in mild temperatures; semiarid with average rainfall of 600 mm/year", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "crude petroleum, food, manufactures", "CAPITAL": "name: :Willemstad; geographic coordinates: :12 06 N, 68 55 W; time difference: :UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces; the Dutch Government controls foreign and defense policy (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "NA", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "aloe, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum products", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :1.2%; industry: :16.9%; services: :81.8% (2008 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "BACKGROUND": "Originally settled by Arawak Indians, Curacao was seized by the Dutch in 1634 along with the neighboring island of Bonaire. Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, Curacao was hard hit economically by the abolition of slavery in 1863. Its prosperity (and that of neighboring Aruba) was restored in the early 20th century with the construction of the Isla Refineria to service the newly discovered Venezuelan oil fields. In 1954, Curacao and several other Dutch Caribbean possessions were reorganized as the Netherlands Antilles, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In referenda in 2005 and 2009, the citizens of Curacao voted to become a self-governing country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The change in status became effective in October 2010 with the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "no conscription (2010)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "more than twice the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "Curacao is south of the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Mt. Christoffel, 372m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.15 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.08 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.92 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.79 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.71 male(s)/female; total population: :0.92 male(s)/female (2013 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :0.7%; industry: :15.5%; services: :83.8% (2012 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "12 10 N, 69 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :20.6% (male 15,342/female 14,645); 15-24 years: :15.4% (male 11,599/female 10,790); 25-54 years: :38.5% (male 26,869/female 29,348); 55-64 years: :12.6% (male 8,059/female 10,259); 65 years and over: :13% (male 7,833/female 11,090) (2013 est.)" }, { "country": "Cyprus", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador John M. KOENIG (since 17 August 2012); embassy: :corner of Metochiou and Ploutarchou Streets, 2407 Engomi, Nicosia; mailing address: :P. O. Box 24536, 1385 Nicosia; telephone: :[357; FAX: :[357", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$28,000 (2014 est.); $29,200 (2013 est.); $31,200 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "-3.2% (2014 est.); -5.4% (2013 est.); -2.4% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.48% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$24.94 billion (2014 est.); $25.76 billion (2013 est.); $27.24 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :41.4%; youth dependency ratio: :23.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :17.7%; potential support ratio: :5.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "8.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 8.6% of GDP (2013 est.); 8.3% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :71.5%; government consumption: :18.2%; investment in fixed capital: :10.6%; investment in inventories: :-0.5%; exports of goods and services: :46.8%; imports of goods and services: :-46.5%; (2014 est.)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "28.5; note: :data cover only government-controlled areas; data are based on events and not on fertility rates (2010 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "8.801 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "58,310 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "58,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "13.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "86.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "1.11 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "4.409 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "4.443 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Cypriot mouflon (wild sheep), white dove; national colors: blue, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :27.8%; male: :28.8%; female: :26.6% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "25.5% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "3.5 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.29 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "7.3% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "10 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "39.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "NICOSIA (capital) 251,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Ymnos eis tin Eleftherian\" (Hymn to Liberty); lyrics/music: :Dionysios SOLOMOS/Nikolaos MANTZAROS; note: :adopted 1960; Cyprus adopted the Greek national anthem as its own; the Turkish community in Cyprus uses the anthem of Turkey", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$43.41 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $47.99 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$4.554 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.883 billion (31 December 2013 est.); note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "mixture of state and privately run TV and radio services; the public broadcaster operates 2 TV channels and 4 radio stations; 6 private TV broadcasters, satellite and cable TV services including telecasts from Greece and Turkey, and a number of private radio stations are available; in areas administered by Turkish Cypriots, there are 2 public TV stations, 4 public radio stations, and privately owned TV and radio broadcast stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :67% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.89% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$47.08 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $52.05 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$NA (31 December 2008); $75.06 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$NA (31 December 2008); $6.996 billion (31 December 2007); note: :this figure represents the US dollar value of Cypriot pounds in circulation prior to Cyprus joining the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the EMU; individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi money circulating within their own borders", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "6.1% (31 December 2014 est.); 6.89% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.75% (31 December 2013); 1.5% (31 December 2010); note: :this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "7.3% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :14 years; male: :14 years; female: :14 years (2012)", "ECONOMY_OF_THE_AREA_ADMINISTERED_BY_TURKISH_CYPRIOTS": "GDP (purchasing power parity): :$1.829 billion (2007 est.); GDP - real growth rate: :-0.6% (2010 est.); GDP - per capita: :$11,700 (2007 est.); GDP - composition by sector: :agriculture: 8.6%, industry: 22.4%, services: 69.1% (2006 est.); Labor force: :95,030 (2007 est.); Labor force - by occupation: :agriculture: 14.5%, industry: 29%, services: 56.5% (2004); Unemployment rate: :9.4% (2005 est.); Population below poverty line: :%NA; Inflation rate: :11.4% (2006); Budget: :revenues: $2.5 billion, expenditures: $2.5 billion (2006); Agriculture - products: :citrus fruit, dairy, potatoes, grapes, olives, poultry, lamb; Industries: :foodstuffs, textiles, clothing, ship repair, clay, gypsum, copper, furniture; Industrial production growth rate: :-0.3% (2007 est.); Electricity production: :998.9 million kWh (2005); Electricity consumption: :797.9 million kWh (2005); Exports: :$68.1 million, f.o.b. (2007 est.); Export - commodities: :citrus, dairy, potatoes, textiles; Export - partners: :Turkey 40%; direct trade between the area administered by Turkish Cypriots and the area under government control remains limited; Imports: :$1.2 billion, f.o.b. (2007 est.); Import - commodities: :vehicles, fuel, cigarettes, food, minerals, chemicals, machinery; Import - partners: :Turkey 60%; direct trade between the area administered by Turkish Cypriots and the area under government control remains limited; Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: :$NA; Debt - external: :$NA; Currency (code): :Turkish new lira (YTL); Exchange rates: :Turkish new lira per US dollar: 1.9 (2013) 1.8 (2012) 1.668 (2011) 1.5026 (2010) 1.55 (2009)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.18 cu km/yr (10%/3%/86%); per capita: :164.7 cu m/yr (2009)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "0.78 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$1.996 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $2.853 billion (31 December 2011); $6.834 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$12.52 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $11.57 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$21.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $20.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Cyprus is a source and destination country for men and women from Eastern Europe, India, Vietnam, and sub-Saharan Africa who are subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; migrant workers and asylum seekers from these countries are subjected to forced work in the construction, agriculture, and domestic service sectors; migrant workers are often subjected to debt bondage, threats, and withholding of pay and documents once work permits expire; sex trafficking occurs within Cyprus� commercial sex industry outlets, including bars, coffee shops, and cabarets; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Cyprus does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; in 2013, the government implemented an EU directive that strengthened its legal framework for combating human trafficking, and a new-anti-trafficking action plan was adopted for 2013-2015; significant decreases occurred in investigations, prosecutions, and convictions of trafficking offenses, and punishments remained weak; fewer trafficking victims were identified (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$21.34 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "IDPs: :212,400 (both Turkish and Greek Cypriots; many displaced since 1974) (2014)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$1.011 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $915 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$229 million (2014 est.); -$412 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "119.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 111.7% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "252,013 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :35.7 years; male: :34.4 years; female: :37.4 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "32.4 (2013 est.); 31 (2012 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "fewer than 100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.06% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".cy", "INTERNET_USERS": "433,900 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "1.11 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "373,200 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador George CHACALLI (since 30 May 2013); chancery: :2211 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :New York; note: :representative of the Turkish Cypriot community in the US is Ahmet ERDENGIZ; office at 1667 K Street NW, Washington, DC; telephone [1", "AREA": "total: :9,251 sq km (of which 3,355 sq km are in north Cyprus); land: :9,241 sq km; water: :10 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "457.9 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Middle East", "LOCATION": "Middle East, island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Cyprus; conventional short form: :Cyprus; local long form: :Kypriaki Dimokratia/Kibris Cumhuriyeti; local short form: :Kypros/Kibris; note: :the Turkish Cypriot community, which administers the northern part of the island, refers to itself as the \"Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus\" or \"TRNC\" (Kuzey Kibris Turk Cumhuriyeti or KKTC)", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "15.9% (2013 est.); 15.9% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic; note: :a separation of the two ethnic communities inhabiting the island began following the outbreak of communal strife in 1963; this separation was further solidified after the Turkish intervention in July 1974, following a Greek military-junta-supported coup attempt that gave the Turkish Cypriots de facto control in the north; Greek Cypriots control the only internationally recognized government; on 15 November 1983 Turkish Cypriot \"President\" Rauf DENKTAS declared independence and the formation of a \"Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus\" (\"TRNC\"), which is recognized only by Turkey", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.46 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "central plain with mountains to north and south; scattered but significant plains along southern coast", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :excellent in both area under government control and area administered by Turkish Cypriots; domestic: :open-wire, fiber-optic cable, and microwave radio relay; international: :country code - 357 (area administered by Turkish Cypriots uses the country code of Turkey - 90); a number of submarine cables, including the SEA-ME-WE-3, combine to provide connectivity to Western Europe, the Middle East, and Asia; tropospheric scatter; satellite earth stations - 8 (3 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, 2 Eutelsat, 2 Intersputnik, and 1 Arabsat)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Orthodox Christian 89.1%, Roman Catholic 2.9%, Protestant/Anglican 2%, Muslim 1.8%, Buddhist 1%, other (includes Maronite, Armenian Church, Hindu) 1.4%, unknown 1.1%, none/atheist 0.6% (2011 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :area under government control: Larnaca, Limassol, Vasilikos; area administered by Turkish Cypriots: Famagusta, Kyrenia", "POPULATION": "1,172,458 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Citizens' Alliance or SP [Giorgos LILLIKAS; Democratic Party or DIKO [Nicolas PAPADOPOULOS; Democratic Rally or DISY [Averof NEOPHYTOU (Neofytou); Ecological and Environmental Movement or KOP (Green Party) [Giorgos PERDIKIS; European Party or EVROKO [Dimitris SYLLOURIS; Movement of Social Democrats or KS-EDEK [Yiannakis OMIROU; National Popular Front or ELAM [Christos CHRISTOU; Progressive Party of the Working People or AKEL (Communist Party) [Andros KYPRIANOU; United Democrats or EDI [Praxoula ANTONIADOU; Communal Democracy Party or TDP [Cemal OZYIGIT; Cyprus Socialist Party or KSP [Mehmet BIRINCI; Democrat Party- National Forces or DP-UG [Serdar DENKTAS; National Unity Party or UBP [Huseyin OZGURGUN; New Cyprus Party or YKP [Murat KANATLI; Republican Turkish Party-United Forces or CTP-BG [Ozkan YORGANCIOGLU; United Cyprus Party or BKP [Izzet IZCAN", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The area of the Republic of Cyprus under government control has a market economy dominated by the service sector, which accounts for four-fifths of GDP. Tourism, financial services, and real estate have traditionally been the most important sectors. Cyprus has been a member of the European Union (EU) since May 2004 and adopted the euro as its national currency in January 2008. During the first five years of EU membership, the Cyprus economy grew at an average rate of about 4%, with unemployment between 2004 and 2008 averaging about 4%. However, the economy tipped into recession in 2009 as the ongoing global financial crisis and resulting low demand hit the tourism and construction sectors. An overextended banking sector with excessive exposure to Greek debt added to the contraction. Cyprus�s biggest two banks were among the largest holders of Greek bonds in Europe and had a substantial presence in Greece through bank branches and subsidiaries. Following numerous downgrades of its credit rating, Cyprus lost access to international capital markets in May 2011. In July 2012, Cyprus became the fifth eurozone government to request an economic bailout program from the European Commission, European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund - known collectively as the \"Troika.\" Shortly after the election of President Nikos ANASTASIADIS in February 2013, Cyprus faced an economic crisis when it agreed with the Troika to a $13 billion bailout that included losses on uninsured bank deposits. The bailout triggered a two-week bank closure and the imposition of capital controls, some of which remained in place through 2014. Cyprus' two largest banks merged and the combined entity was recapitalized through conversion of some large bank deposits to shares and imposition of losses on bank bondholders. As with other EU countries, the Troika conditioned the bailout on passing financial and structural reforms and privatizing state-owned enterprises. Despite downsizing and restructuring, the Cypriot financial sector throughout 2014 remained burdened by the largest stock of non-performing loans (NPLs) in the euro-zone, equal to nearly half of all loans. Since the bailout, Cyprus has received positive appraisals by the Troika but met its first signs of resistance to passing bailout-mandated legislation in 2014. Political disagreements held up passage of contentious legislation required by the Troika to resolve the NPL issue, delaying disbursal of bailout funds during the second half of the year. The economy contracted by an accumulated 11% between 2009 and 2014 but is expected to return to modest positive growth in 2015. Unemployment was nearly 16% in 2014. In October 2013, Cyprus completed preliminary appraisal of hydrocarbon deposits in its territorial waters, which revealed less than anticipated natural gas reserves, although additional exploration drilling will continue through 2015.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Confederation of Cypriot Workers or SEK (pro-West); Pan-Cyprian Labor Federation or PEO (Communist controlled); area administered by Turkish Cypriots: :Federation of Turkish Cypriot Labor Unions or Turk-Sen; Confederation of Revolutionary Labor Unions or Dev-Is", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and Sardinia)", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "9.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earth pigment", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Cypriot(s); adjective: :Cypriot", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 1 October (1960); note - Turkish Cypriots celebrate 15 November (1983) as \"Independence Day\"", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :838; by type: :bulk carrier 278, cargo 163, chemical tanker 77, container 201, liquefied gas 11, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 25, petroleum tanker 62, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 9, vehicle carrier 4; foreign-owned: :622 (Angola 1, Austria 1, Belgium 3, Bermuda 1, Canada 2, China 6, Denmark 6, Estonia 6, France 16, Germany 192, Greece 201, Hong Kong 2, India 4, Iran 10, Ireland 3, Italy 6, Japan 16, Netherlands 23, Norway 14, Philippines 1, Poland 24, Portugal 2, Russia 46, Singapore 1, Slovenia 5, Spain 6, Sweden 5, Turkey 1, UAE 3, UK 7, Ukraine 3, US 5); registered in other countries: :152 (Bahamas 23, Cambodia 4, Comoros 2, Finland 1, Gibraltar 1, Greece 3, Hong Kong 3, Liberia 9, Malta 32, Marshall Islands 40, Norway 1, Panama 5, Russia 13, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, Sierra Leone 2, Singapore 6, unknown 4) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Australia Group, C, CD, CE, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :327,875; females age 16-49: :287,891 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :98.7%; male: :99.3%; female: :98.1% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :78.34 years; male: :75.54 years; female: :81.27 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :area under government control: unicameral House of Representatives or Vouli Antiprosopon (80 seats; 56 assigned to Greek Cypriots, 24 to Turkish Cypriots, but only those assigned to Greek Cypriots are filled; members directly elected by both proportional representation and preferential vote; members serve 5-year terms); area administered by Turkish Cypriots: unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Cumhuriyet Meclisi (50 seats; members directly elected by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms); elections: :area under government control: last held on 22 May 2011 (next to be held in May 2016); area administered by Turkish Cypriots: last held on 28 July 2013 (next to be held on July 2018); election results: :area under government control: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - DISY 34.3%, AKEL 32.7%, DIKO 15.8%, KS-EDEK 8.9%, EVROKO 3.9%, other 4.4%; seats by party - DISY 20, AKEL 19, DIKO 9, KS-EDEK 5, EVROKO 2, KOP 1; note - as of 1 January 2014, the composition of the Cypriot House of Representatives was DISY 20, AKEL 19, DIKO 8, KS-EDEK 5, EVROKO 1, SP 1, KOP 1, independent 1; area administered by Turkish Cypriots: \"Assembly of the Republic\" - percent of vote by party - CTP-BG 38%, UBP 27%, DP-UG 23%, TDP 7%, other 5%; seats by party - CTP-BG 21, UBP 14, DP-UG 12, TDP 3", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of English common law and civil law with Greek Orthodox religious law influence", "LANGUAGES": "Greek (official) 80.9%, Turkish (official) 0.2%, English 4.1%, Romanian 2.9%, Russian 2.5%, Bulgarian 2.2%, Arabic 1.2%, Filippino 1.1%, other 4.3%, unspecified 0.6% (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :9.9%; permanent crops: :3.24%; other: :86.86% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :156 km; border sovereign base areas: :Akrotiri 48 km, Dhekelia 108 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "356,700 (2013 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Cyprus (consists of 13 judges including the court president); note - the highest court in the \"Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)\" is the \"Supreme Court\" (consists of 8 \"judges\" including the \"court president\"); judge selection and term of office: :Republic of Cyprus Supreme Court judges appointed by the president of the republic upon the recommendation of the Supreme Court judges; judges tenure is until the age of 68; \"TRNC Supreme Court\" judges appointed by the \"Supreme Council of Judicature\", a 12-member body of \"judges\", the \"attorney general\", \"appointees\" - one each by the \"president\" of the \"TRNC\" and by the \"Legislative Assembly\", and a member elected by the Bar Association; \"judge\" tenure NA; subordinate courts: :Republic of Cyprus district courts; Assize Courts; specialized courts for issues relating to family, industrial disputes, military, and rent control; \"TRNC Assize Courts\"; \"district and family courts\"", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.4% (2013 est.); 3.1% (2012 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :8.54 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :10.1 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :6.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, food and beverage processing, cement and gypsum, ship repair and refurbishment, textiles, light chemicals, metal products, wood, paper, stone and clay products", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-3.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "16 August 1960 (from the UK); note - Turkish Cypriots proclaimed self-rule on 13 February 1975 and independence in 1983, but these proclamations are only recognized by Turkey", "IMPORTS": "$6.32 billion (2013 est.); $7.302 billion (2012 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "minor transit point for heroin and hashish via air routes and container traffic to Europe, especially from Lebanon and Turkey; some cocaine transits as well; despite a strengthening of anti-money-laundering legislation, remains vulnerable to money laundering; reporting of suspicious transactions in offshore sector remains weak (2008)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :20,006 km; government control: :13,006 km (includes 2,277 km of expressways); paved: :8,564 km; unpaved: :4,442 km; Turkish Cypriot control: :7,000 km (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "white with a copper-colored silhouette of the island (the name Cyprus is derived from the Greek word for copper) above two green crossed olive branches in the center of the flag; the branches symbolize the hope for peace and reconciliation between the Greek and Turkish communities; note: :the \"Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus\" flag retains the white field of the Cyprus national flag but displays narrow horizontal red stripes positioned a small distance from the top and bottom edges between which are centered a red crescent and a red five-pointed star; the banner is modeled after the Turkish national flag but with the colors reversed", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$95.28 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $103.5 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$2.018 billion (2013 est.); $1.742 billion (2012 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Nicos ANASTASIADES (since 28 February 2013); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; post of vice president is currently vacant; under the 1960 constitution, the post is reserved for a Turkish Cypriot; head of government: :President Nicos ANASTASIADES (since 28 February 2013); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - under the 1960 constitution, three of the ministerial posts are reserved for Turkish Cypriots appointed by the Vice President but the positions are currently filled by Greek Cypriots; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held on 17 and 24 February 2013 (next to be held in February 2018); election results: :Nicos ANASTASIADES elected president; percent of vote (first round) - Nicos ANASTASIADES 45.46%, Stavros MALAS 26.91%, Giorgos LILLIKAS 24.93%, other 2.7%; (second round) Nicos ANASTASIADES 57.48%, Savros MALAS 42.52%; note: :Dervis EROGLU became \"president\" of the \"TRNC\" on 23 April 2010 after \"presidential\" elections on 18 April 2010; results - Dervis EROGLU 50.4%, Mehmet Ali TALAT 42.9%; Ozkan YORGANCIOGLU is \"TRNC prime minister\"", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.78 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Greek 77%, Turkish 18%, other 5% (2001)", "DEATH_RATE": "6.57 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "ratified 16 August 1960; note - in 1963, the constitution was partly suspended as Turkish Cypriots withdrew from the government; Turkish-held territory in 1983 was declared the \"Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus\" (\"TRNC\"); in 1985, the \"TRNC\" approved its own constitution (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Greece 23.6%, Israel 13.7%, Italy 7.1%, Germany 6.6%, UK 6.5%, France 6.4%, Netherlands 6.2%, Spain 4.4%, China 4.3% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "648 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "consumer goods, petroleum and lubricants, machinery, transport equipment", "CAPITAL": "name: :Nicosia (Lefkosia/Lefkosa); geographic coordinates: :35 10 N, 33 22 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October", "BUDGET": "revenues:: :$8.381 billion; expenditures:: :$9.448 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Republic of Cyprus: Cypriot National Guard (Ethniki Froura, EF; includes naval and air elements); Northern Cyprus: Turkish Cypriot Security Force (GKK) (2014)", "BIRTH_RATE": "11.44 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "15 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "citrus, vegetables, barley, grapes, olives, vegetables; poultry, pork, lamb; dairy, cheese", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "6 districts; Ammochostos (Famagusta; all but a small part administered by Turkish Cypriots), Keryneia (Kyrenia; the only district completely administered by Turkish Cypriots), Larnaka (Larnaca; a small part administered by Turkish Cypriots), Lemesos (Limassol), Lefkosia (Nicosia; a small part administered by Turkish Cypriots), Pafos (Paphos); note - the five districts of Turkish Cypriot-administered part of Cyprus are Gazimagusa (Famagusta), Girne (Kyrenia), Guzelyurt (Morphou), Lefkosia (Nicosia) and Iskele (Trikomo)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Greece 17.6%, UK 14.6% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "citrus, potatoes, pharmaceuticals, cement, clothing", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :3.9%; industry: :16%; services: :80.1% (2013 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.5%; highest 10%: :26.4%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "2.05% of GDP (2012); 2.14% of GDP (2011); 2.05% of GDP (2010) (U)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "water resource problems (no natural reservoir catchments, seasonal disparity in rainfall, sea water intrusion to island's largest aquifer, increased salination in the north); water pollution from sewage and industrial wastes; coastal degradation; loss of wildlife habitats from urbanization", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 2 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :13; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :7; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :3; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "A former British colony, Cyprus became independent in 1960 following years of resistance to British rule. Tensions between the Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority came to a head in December 1963, when violence broke out in the capital of Nicosia. Despite the deployment of UN peacekeepers in 1964, sporadic intercommunal violence continued forcing most Turkish Cypriots into enclaves throughout the island. In 1974, a Greek Government-sponsored attempt to overthrow the elected president of Cyprus was met by military intervention from Turkey, which soon controlled more than a third of the island. In 1983, the Turkish Cypriot-occupied area declared itself the \"Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus\" (\"TRNC\"), but it is recognized only by Turkey. In February 2014, after a hiatus of nearly two years, the leaders of the two communities resumed formal discussions under UN auspices aimed at reuniting the divided island. The talks are ongoing. The entire island entered the EU on 1 May 2004, although the EU acquis - the body of common rights and obligations - applies only to the areas under the internationally recognized government, and is suspended in the areas administered by Turkish Cypriots. However, individual Turkish Cypriots able to document their eligibility for Republic of Cyprus citizenship legally enjoy the same rights accorded to other citizens of European Union states.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :8,167; female: :7,398 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :275,842; females age 16-49: :239,862 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "Cypriot National Guard (CNG): 18-50 years of age for compulsory military service for all Greek Cypriot males; 17 years of age for voluntary service; length of service obligation is 24 months (2014)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about 0.6 times the size of Connecticut", "PEOPLE___NOTE": "demographic data for Cyprus include the population in the government-controlled area and the area administered by Turkish Cypriots", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "moderate earthquake activity; droughts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Mediterranean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Mount Olympus 1,951 m", "HELIPORTS": "9 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.19 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.77 male(s)/female; total population: :1.04 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "area under government control: :8; area administered by Turkish Cypriots: :2 (plus 4 relay) (2004)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "area under government control: :AM 5, FM 76, shortwave 0; area administered by Turkish Cypriots: :AM 1, FM 20, shortwave 1 (2004)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :2.8%; industry: :12.8%; services: :84.4% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "35 00 N, 33 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :15.7% (male 94,437/female 89,174); 15-24 years: :15.3% (male 97,773/female 82,053); 25-54 years: :46.9% (male 288,673/female 261,651); 55-64 years: :10.8% (male 60,639/female 66,336); 65 years and over: :11.2% (male 57,188/female 74,534) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Czech Republic", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Andrew H. SCHAPIRO (since 30 September 2014); embassy: :Trziste 15, 118 01 Prague 1 - Mala Strana; mailing address: :use embassy street address; telephone: :[420; FAX: :[420", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$28,400 (2014 est.); $27,800 (2013 est.); $28,100 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.5% (2014 est.); -0.9% (2013 est.); -1% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.17% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$299.7 billion (2014 est.); $292.4 billion (2013 est.); $295.2 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :47.7%; youth dependency ratio: :22.4%; elderly dependency ratio: :25.4%; potential support ratio: :3.9% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "22.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 20.8% of GDP (2013 est.); 22% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :48.2%; government consumption: :19.2%; investment in fixed capital: :25%; investment in inventories: :0.4%; exports of goods and services: :84.5%; imports of goods and services: :-77.2%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "86.3%; note: :percent of women aged 18-49 (2008)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "27.8 (2011 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "91.15 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "4.276 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "8.479 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "8 million cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "8.477 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "252 million cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "60,820 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "35,720 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "187,800 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "166,300 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "15 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "154,000 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "403.8 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "7,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "11.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "19.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "5.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "63.6% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "20.52 million kW (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "10.57 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "27.46 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "70.45 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "81.71 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "double-tailed lion; national colors: white, red, blue", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :19.5%; male: :19.9%; female: :19% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "32.7% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "6.8 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3.71 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "7.7% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "2% (2007)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "5 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-1.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "41% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "PRAGUE (capital) 1.303 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Kde domov muj?\" (Where is My Home?); lyrics/music: :Josef Kajetan TYL/Frantisek Jan SKROUP; note: :adopted 1993; the anthem is a verse from the former Czechoslovak anthem originally written as part of the opera \"Fidlovacka\"", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.9% of population; rural: 99.6% of population; total: 99.8% of population; urban: 0.1% of population; rural: 0.4% of population; total: 0.2% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$152.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $155.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$126.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $126.4 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "roughly 130 TV broadcasters operating some 350 channels with 4 publicly operated and the remainder in private hands; 16 TV stations have national coverage with 4 being publicly operated; cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; 63 radio broadcasters are registered operating roughly 80 radio stations with 15 stations publicly operated; 10 radio stations provide national coverage with the remainder local or regional (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :73% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.35% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$131.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $137.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$58.69 billion (31 December 2008); $58.77 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$86.56 billion (31 December 2008); $84.43 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "4.7% (31 December 2014 est.); 4.97% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.05% (31 December 2013); 0.05% (31 December 2012); note: :this is the two-week repo, the main rate CNB uses", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.2% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :16 years; male: :16 years; female: :17 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :1.7 cu km/yr (41%/56%/2%); per capita: :164.7 cu m/yr (2009)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "13.15 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$54.92 billion (30 December 3013 est.); $59.88 billion (28 December 2012); $53.2 billion (30 December 2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$22.38 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $21.38 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$140.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $136 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$200 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :1,502 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$59.15 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $56.22 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$522 million (2014 est.); -$2.853 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "43.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 45.7% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "4.148 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :40.9 years; male: :39.6 years; female: :42.3 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "24.9 (2012); 25.4 (1996)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "fewer than 100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "3,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.05% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".cz", "INTERNET_USERS": "6.681 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "12.973 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "2.1 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Petr GANDALOVIC (since 23 May 2011); chancery: :3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Chicago, Los Angeles, New York", "AREA": "total: :78,867 sq km; land: :77,247 sq km; water: :1,620 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "385.3 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Central Europe, between Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and Austria", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Czech Republic; conventional short form: :Czech Republic; local long form: :Ceska republika; local short form: :Cesko", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "7.9% (2014 est.); 7.7% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.43 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "Bohemia in the west consists of rolling plains, hills, and plateaus surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in the east consists of very hilly country", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :privatization and modernization of the Czech telecommunication system got a late start but is advancing steadily; virtually all exchanges now digital; existing copper subscriber systems enhanced with Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) equipment to accommodate Internet and other digital signals; trunk systems include fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay; domestic: :access to the fixed-line telephone network expanded throughout the 1990s but the number of fixed line connections has been dropping since then; mobile telephone usage increased sharply beginning in the mid-1990s and the number of cellular telephone subscriptions now greatly exceeds the population; international: :country code - 420; satellite earth stations - 6 (2 Intersputnik - Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions, 1 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 1 Globalstar) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 10.4%, Protestant (includes Czech Brethren and Hussite) 1.1%, other and unspecified 54%, none 34.5% (2011 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :9,469 km; standard gauge: :9,449 km 1.435-m gauge (3,165 km electrified); narrow gauge: :20 km 0.750-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "river port(s): :Prague (Vltava); Decin, Usti nad Labem (Elbe)", "POPULATION": "10,627,448 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "parties in parliament: :Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party or KDU-CSL [Pavel BELOBRADEK; Citizens for Budejovice or HOPB [Juraj THOMA; Civic Democratic Party or ODS [Petr FIALA; Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia or KSCM [Vojtech FILIP; Czech Social Democratic Party or CSSD [Bohuslav SOBOTKA; Dawn of Direct Democracy or Usvit [Tomio OKAMURA; Green Party or SZ [Jana DRAPALOVA; Mayors and Independents or STAN [Martin PUTA; Mayors for Liberec Region or SLK [Marek PIETER; Movement of Dissatisfied Citizens or ANO [Andrej BABIS; North Bohemians or S.cz [Bronislav SCHWARZ; Party of Civic Rights or SPO [Jan VELEBA; Tradition Responsibility Prosperity 09 or TOP 09 [Karel SCHWARZENBERG; parties outside parliament: :Czech Pirate Party [Lukas CERNOHORSKY; Free Citizens Party or Svobodni [Petr MACH; Liberal Reform Party or Ostravak [Eva SCHWARZOVA", "PIPELINES": "gas 7,160 km; oil 536 km; refined products 94 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The Czech Republic is a stable and prosperous market economy closely integrated with the EU, especially since the country's EU accession in 2004. The auto industry is the largest single industry, and, together with its upstream suppliers, accounts for nearly 24% of Czech manufacturing. The Czech Republic produced more than a million cars for the first time in 2010, over 80% of which were exported. While the conservative, inward-looking Czech financial system has remained relatively healthy, the small, open, export-driven Czech economy remains sensitive to changes in the economic performance of its main export markets, especially Germany. When Western Europe and Germany fell into recession in late 2008, demand for Czech goods plunged, leading to double digit drops in industrial production and exports. As a result, real GDP fell sharply in 2009. The economy slowly recovered in the second half of 2009 and registered weak growth in the next two years. In 2012 and 2013, however, the economy fell into a recession again, due both to a slump in external demand in the EU and to the government�s austerity measures, returning to weak growth in 2014. Foreign and domestic businesses alike voice concerns about corruption, especially in public procurement. Other long term challenges include dealing with a rapidly aging population, funding an unsustainable pension and health care system, and diversifying away from manufacturing and toward a more high-tech, services-based, knowledge economy.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions or CMKOS [Jaroslav ZAVADIL", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; strategically located astride some of oldest and most significant land routes in Europe; Moravian Gate is a traditional military corridor between the North European Plain and the Danube in central Europe", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "2.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite, timber, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Czech(s); adjective: :Czech", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Czechoslovak Founding Day, 28 October (1918)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "registered in other countries: :1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,506,826; females age 16-49: :2,407,634 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :NA; total population: :99%; male: :99%; female: :99% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :78.31 years; male: :75.34 years; female: :81.45 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (81 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in two-rounds if needed; members serve 6-year terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 2 years) and the Chamber of Deputies or Poslanecka Snemovna (200 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :Senate - last held in two rounds on 10-11 and 17-18 October 2014 (next to be held in October 2016); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 25-26 October 2013 (next to be held in 2017); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CSSD 33, ODS 14, KDU-CSL 11, ANO 4, SPO 2, Green 2, KSCM 1, S.cz 1, STAN 1, HOPB 1, SLK 1, independent 10; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - CSSD 20.5%, ANO 2011 18.7%, KSCM 14.9%, TOP 09 12%, ODS 7.7%, Usvit 6.9%, KDU-CSL 6.8% other 12.5%; seats by party - CSSD 50, ANO 2011 47, KSCM 33, TOP 09 26, ODS 16, Usvit 14, KDU-CSL 14", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "new civil code enacted on 2014, replacing civil code of 1964 - based on former Austro-Hungarian civil codes and socialist theory - and reintroducing former Czech legal terminology", "LANGUAGES": "Czech (official) 95.4%, Slovak 1.6%, other 3% (2011 census)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :40.88%; permanent crops: :0.98%; other: :58.14% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,143 km; border countries: :Austria 402 km, Germany 704 km, Poland 796 km, Slovakia 241 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "5.416 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (organized into Civil Law and Commercial Division, and Criminal Division each with a court chief justice, vice justice, and several judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 15 justices); Supreme Administrative Court (consists of 28 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges proposed by the Chamber of Deputies and appointed by the president; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate; judges appointed for 10-year, renewable terms; Supreme Administrative Court judges selected by the president of the Court; judge term NA; subordinate courts: :High Court; superior, regional, and district courts", "WATERWAYS": "664 km (principally on Elbe, Vltava, Oder, and other navigable rivers, lakes, and canals) (2010)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.5% (2014 est.); 1.4% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :2.63 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :2.76 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :2.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "motor vehicles, metallurgy, machinery and equipment, glass, armaments", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "4% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia); note - although 1 January is the day the Czech Republic came into being, the Czechs commemorate 28 October 1918, the day the former Czechoslovakia declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, as their independence day", "IMPORTS": "$135.1 billion (2014 est.); $126 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and minor transit point for Latin American cocaine to Western Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for local and regional markets; susceptible to money laundering related to drug trafficking, organized crime; significant consumer of ecstasy (2008)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :130,671 km (includes urban roads); paved: :130,671 km (includes 730 km of expressways) (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; note: :is identical to the flag of the former Czechoslovakia", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$116.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $114.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$147.3 billion (2014 est.); $135.6 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Milos ZEMAN (since 8 March 2013); head of government: :Prime Minister Bohuslav SOBOTKA (since 17 January 2014); First Deputy Prime Minister Andrej BABIS and Deputy Prime Minister Pavel BELOBRADEK (both since 29 January 2014); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister; elections: :constitutional amendment passed in 2012 introduced presidential election by popular vote instead of by Parliament; president elected for a five-year term (may not serve more than two consecutive terms); elections last held on 11-12 January 2013 with a runoff on 25-26 January 2013 (next to be held in January 2018); prime minister appointed by the president; election results: :Milos ZEMAN elected president; percent of popular vote - Milos ZEMAN 54.8%, Karel SCHWARZENBERG 45.2%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "koruny (CZK) per US dollar -; 20.63 (2014 est.); 19.571 (2013 est.); 19.59 (2012 est.); 17.696 (2011 est.); 19.098 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Czech 64.3%, Moravian 5%, Slovak 1.4%, other 1.8%, unspecified 27.5% (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "10.29 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1960; latest ratified 16 December 1992, effective 1 January 1993; amended several times, last in 2013 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 30.3%, Poland 8.1%, Slovakia 7.2%, China 5.8%, Netherlands 5.5%, Russia 5.1%, Austria 4.1% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and transport equipment, raw materials and fuels, chemicals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Prague; geographic coordinates: :50 05 N, 14 28 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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$81.98 billion; expenditures: :$85.32 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Army of the Czech Republic (Armada Ceske Republiky): Joint Forces Command (Spolocene Sily; includes Land Forces (Pozemni Sily) and Air Forces (Vzdusne Sily)) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "9.79 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "128 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, poultry", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "13 regions (kraje, singular - kraj) and 1 capital city* (hlavni mesto); Jihocesky (South Bohemia), Jihomoravsky (South Moravia), Karlovarsky (Karlovy Vary), Kralovehradecky (Hradec Kralove), Liberecky (Liberec), Moravskoslezsky (Moravia-Silesia), Olomoucky (Olomouc), Pardubicky (Pardubice), Plzensky (Pilsen), Praha (Prague)*, Stredocesky (Central Bohemia), Ustecky (Usti), Vysocina (Highlands), Zlinsky (Zlin)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 31.7%, Slovakia 9%, Poland 6%, France 5%, UK 4.9%, Austria 4.6% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and transport equipment, raw materials, fuel, chemicals", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :2.6%; industry: :37.4%; services: :60% (2012)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.5%; highest 10%: :29.1% NA% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "9.8% (2011 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.08% of GDP (2013); 1.13% of GDP (2012); 1.15% of GDP (2011); 1.13% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air and water pollution in areas of northwest Bohemia and in northern Moravia around Ostrava present health risks; acid rain damaging forests; efforts to bring industry up to EU code should improve domestic pollution", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :87; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :25; 61 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :41; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :9; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :12; 914 to 1,523 m: :2; under 914 m: :16 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "At the close of World War I, the Czechs and Slovaks of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire merged to form Czechoslovakia. During the interwar years, having rejected a federal system, the new country's predominantly Czech leaders were frequently preoccupied with meeting the increasingly strident demands of other ethnic minorities within the republic, most notably the Slovaks, the Sudeten Germans, and the Ruthenians (Ukrainians). On the eve of World War II, Nazi Germany occupied the territory that today comprises the Czech Republic and Slovakia became an independent state allied with Germany. After the war, a reunited but truncated Czechoslovakia (less Ruthenia) fell within the Soviet sphere of influence. In 1968, an invasion by Warsaw Pact troops ended the efforts of the country's leaders to liberalize communist rule and create \"socialism with a human face,\" ushering in a period of repression known as \"normalization.\" The peaceful \"Velvet Revolution\" swept the Communist Party from power at the end of 1989 and inaugurated a return to democratic rule and a market economy. On 1 January 1993, the country underwent a nonviolent \"velvet divorce\" into its two national components, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :49,999; female: :47,501 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,072,267; females age 16-49: :1,988,839 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-28 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than South Carolina", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "flooding", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Labe (Elbe) River 115 m; highest point: :Snezka 1,602 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.67 male(s)/female; total population: :0.95 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "71 (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 31, FM 304, shortwave 17 (2000)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :2.6%; industry: :37.4%; services: :60% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "49 45 N, 15 30 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :14.9% (male 812,503/female 769,849); 15-24 years: :10.6% (male 576,304/female 547,765); 25-54 years: :43.6% (male 2,377,962/female 2,256,989); 55-64 years: :13.4% (male 687,155/female 735,277); 65 years and over: :17.5% (male 766,402/female 1,097,242) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Denmark", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Rufus GIFFORD (since 13 September 2013); embassy: :Dag Hammarskjolds Alle 24, 2100 Copenhagen 0; mailing address: :Unit 5280, DPO, AE 09716; telephone: :[45; FAX: :[45", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$44,300 (2014 est.); $43,800 (2013 est.); $43,700 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.5% (2014 est.); 0.4% (2013 est.); -0.4% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.22% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$248.7 billion (2014 est.); $244.9 billion (2013 est.); $243.9 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :55.6%; youth dependency ratio: :27.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :28.5%; potential support ratio: :3.5% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "24.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 24.6% of GDP (2013 est.); 23.4% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :49.3%; government consumption: :26.9%; investment in fixed capital: :18.9%; investment in inventories: :0.1%; exports of goods and services: :53.7%; imports of goods and services: :-48.9%; (2014 est.)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "29.1 (2012 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "40.51 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "43.01 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "1.363 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "2.236 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "3.721 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "4.845 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "120,400 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "104,400 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "154,700 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "155,700 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "805.1 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "55,010 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "155,200 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "178,200 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "38.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "61.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "13.51 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "11.46 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "10.38 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "32.62 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "29.85 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "lion, mute swan; national colors: red, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :14.2%; male: :14.8%; female: :14.1% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "18.2% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "3.5 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3.419 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "11.2% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "12 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-1.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "55.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "COPENHAGEN (capital) 1.255 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Der er et yndigt land\" (There is a Lovely Land); \"Kong Christian\" (King Christian); lyrics/music: :Adam Gottlob OEHLENSCHLAGER/Hans Ernst KROYER; Johannes EWALD/unknown; note: :Denmark has two national anthems with equal status; \"Der er et yndigt land,\" adopted 1844, is a national anthem, while \"Kong Christian,\" adopted 1780, serves as both a national and royal anthem; \"Kong Christian\" is also known as \"Kong Christian stod ved hojen mast\" (King Christian Stood by the Lofty Mast) and \"Kongesangen\" (The King's Anthem); within Denmark, the royal anthem is played only when royalty is present and is usually followed by the national anthem; when royalty is not present, only the national anthem is performed; outside Denmark, the royal anthem is played, unless the national anthem is requested", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$181.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $189.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$155.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $162.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "strong public-sector TV presence with state-owned Danmarks Radio operating 4 channels and publicly owned TV2 operating roughly a half dozen channels; broadcasts of privately owned stations are available via satellite and cable feed; DR operates 4 nationwide FM radio stations, 15 digital audio broadcasting stations, and about 15 web-based radio stations; approximately 250 commercial and community radio stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :87.5% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.6% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$648.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $695.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$95.82 billion (31 December 2008); $81.64 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$155.6 billion (31 December 2009); $143 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "3.9% (31 December 2014 est.); 4.04% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.75% (31 December 2011); 0.75% (31 December 2010)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "8.7% of GDP (2009)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :19 years; male: :18 years; female: :19 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.66 cu km/yr (58%/5%/36%); per capita: :118.4 cu m/yr (2009)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "6 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$224.9 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $179.5 billion (31 December 2011); $231.7 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$266.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $260 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$136 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $147.4 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$347.2 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :4,263 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$85.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $88.67 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$23 billion (2014 est.); $23.48 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "44.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 43.7% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "4.297 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :41.6 years; male: :40.7 years; female: :42.5 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "24.8 (2011 est.); 24.7 (1992)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "fewer than 100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "5,800 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.16% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".dk", "INTERNET_USERS": "4.75 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "6.6 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "2.431 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Peter TAKSOE-JENSEN (since 1 September 2010); chancery: :3200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Chicago, New York", "AREA": "total: :43,094 sq km; land: :42,434 sq km; water: :660 sq km; note: :includes the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and the rest of metropolitan Denmark (the Jutland Peninsula, and the major islands of Sjaelland and Fyn), but excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "4,354 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a peninsula north of Germany (Jutland); also includes several major islands (Sjaelland, Fyn, and Bornholm)", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Kingdom of Denmark; conventional short form: :Denmark; local long form: :Kongeriget Danmark; local short form: :Danmark", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "5.2% (2014 est.); 5.7% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional monarchy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.73 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "low and flat to gently rolling plains", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :excellent telephone and telegraph services; domestic: :buried and submarine cables and microwave radio relay form trunk network, multiple cellular mobile communications systems; international: :country code - 45; a series of fiber-optic submarine cables link Denmark with Canada, Faroe Islands, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and UK; satellite earth stations - 18 (6 Intelsat, 10 Eutelsat, 1 Orion, 1 Inmarsat (Blaavand-Atlantic-East)); note - the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) share the Danish earth station and the Eik, Norway, station for worldwide Inmarsat access (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Evangelical Lutheran (official) 80%, Muslim 4%, other (denominations of less than 1% each, includes Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Serbian Orthodox Christian, Jewish, Baptist, and Buddhist) 16% (2012 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :2,667 km; standard gauge: :2,667 km 1.435-m gauge (640 km electrified) (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Baltic Sea - Aarhus, Copenhagen, Fredericia, Kalundborg; North Sea - Esbjerg,; river port(s): :Aalborg (Langerak); dry bulk cargo port(s): :Ensted (coal); cruise port(s): :Copenhagen", "POPULATION": "5,569,077 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Conservative People's Party or C [Soren PAPE POULSEN; Danish People's Party or O [Kristian THULESEN DAHL; Liberal Alliance or I [Anders SAMUELSEN; Liberal Party or V [Lars LOKKE RAMUSSEN; Social Democratic Party or A [Helle THORNING-SCHMIDT; Social Liberal Party or B [Morten OSTERGAAR; Socialist People's Party or F [Pia OLSEN DYHR; Red Alliance (Unity List) [collective leadership, spokesperson Johanne SCHMIDT-NIELSEN; Blue Alliance [collective leadership, spokesperson Lars Lokke RASMUSSEN", "PIPELINES": "condensate 11 km; gas 4,377 km; oil 647 km; oil/gas/water 2 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "This thoroughly modern market economy features a high-tech agricultural sector, state-of-the-art industry with world-leading firms in pharmaceuticals, maritime shipping and renewable energy, and a high dependence on foreign trade. Denmark is a member of the European Union (EU); Danish legislation and regulations conform to EU standards on almost all issues. Danes enjoy a high standard of living and the Danish economy is characterized by extensive government welfare measures and an equitable distribution of income. Denmark is a net exporter of food and energy and enjoys a comfortable balance of payments surplus, but depends on imports of raw materials for the manufacturing sector. Within the EU, Denmark is among the strongest supporters of trade liberalization. After a long consumption-driven upswing, Denmark's economy began slowing in 2007 with the end of a housing boom. Housing prices dropped markedly in 2008-09 and, following a short respite in 2010, have since continued to decline. Household indebtedness is still relatively high at more than 275% of gross disposable income in the first half of 2013. The global financial crisis has exacerbated this cyclical slowdown through increased borrowing costs and lower export demand, consumer confidence, and investment. Denmark made a modest recovery in 2010, in part because of increased government spending; however, the country experienced a technical recession in late 2010-early 2011 and has been slow to emerge from it in 2012-14 . Historically low levels of unemployment rose sharply with the recession and have remained at about 6% in 2010-13, based on the national measure, about two-thirds average EU unemployment. An impending decline in the ratio of workers to retirees will be a major long-term issue. Denmark maintained a healthy budget surplus for many years up to 2008, but the budget balance swung into deficit in 2009, where it remains. In spite of the deficits, the new coalition government delivered a modest stimulus to the economy in 2012. Despite previously meeting the criteria to join the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), Denmark has negotiated an opt-out with the EU and is not required to adopt the euro.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Confederation of Danish Employers or DA [President Jorn Neergaard LARSEN; Confederation of Danish Industries [CEO Karsten DYBVAD; Confederation of Danish Labor Unions (Landsorganisationen) or LO [President Harald BORSTING; DaneAge Association [President Bjarne HASTRUP; Danish Shipowners' Association [Chairman Carsten MORTENSEN; Danish Bankers Association [CEO Joergen HORWITZ; Danish Society for Nature Conservation [President Ella Maria BISSCHOP-LARSEN; other: :environmental groups; humanitarian relief; development assistance; human rights NGOs", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "controls Danish Straits (Skagerrak and Kattegat) linking Baltic and North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives in greater Copenhagen", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "2.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, natural gas, fish, arable land, salt, limestone, chalk, stone, gravel and sand", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Dane(s); adjective: :Danish", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "none designated; Constitution Day, 5 June (1849) is generally viewed as the National Day", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :367; by type: :bulk carrier 4, cargo 48, carrier 1, chemical tanker 125, container 94, liquefied gas 4, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 40, petroleum tanker 36, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 8, specialized tanker 3; foreign-owned: :27 (Germany 9, Greenland 1, Norway 2, Sweden 15); registered in other countries: :582 (Antigua and Barbuda 20, Bahamas 69, Belgium 4, Brazil 3, Curacao 1, Cyprus 6, Egypt 1, France 11, Gibraltar 7, Hong Kong 42, Isle of Man 30, Italy 4, Jamaica 1, Liberia 8, Lithuania 8, Luxembourg 1, Malaysia 1, Malta 34, Marshall Islands 7, Moldova 1, Netherlands 27, Norway 7, Panama 41, Philippines 2, Portugal 4, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 9, Singapore 149, Sweden 4, UK 43, Uruguay 1, US 31, Venezuela 1, unknown 4) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,236,337; females age 16-49: :1,224,182 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :79.09 years; male: :76.68 years; female: :81.64 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral People's Assembly or Folketing (179 seats, including 2 representing Greenland and 2 representing the Faroe Islands; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms unless the Folketing is dissolved earlier); elections: :last held on 15 September 2011 (next to be held by September 2015); election results: :percent of vote by party - V 26.7%, A 24.9%, DF 12.3%, B 9.5%, F 9.2%, O 6.7%, I 5%, C 4.9%, other 0.8%; seats by party - V 47, A 44, DF 22, B 17, F 16, O 12, I 9, C 8; note - does not include the two seats from Greenland and the two seats from the Faroe Islands", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law; judicial review of legislative acts", "LANGUAGES": "Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German (small minority); note: :English is the predominant second language", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :56.99%; permanent crops: :0.14%; other: :42.87%; note: :highest percentage of arable land for any country in the world (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :140 km; border countries: :Germany 140 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "2.771 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the court president and 18 judges); judge selection and term of office: :judges appointed by the monarch upon the recommendation of the Minister of Justice with the advice of the Judicial Appointments Council, a 6-member independent body of judges and lawyers; judges appointed for life with retirement at age 70; subordinate courts: :Special Court of Indictment and Revision; 2 High Courts; Maritime and Commercial Court; county courts", "WATERWAYS": "400 km (2010)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.6% (2014 est.); 0.8% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :4.1 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :4.17 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :4.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "iron, steel, nonferrous metals, chemicals, food processing, machinery and transportation equipment, textiles and clothing, electronics, construction, furniture and other wood products, shipbuilding and refurbishment, windmills, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-1% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "ca. 965 (unified and Christianized under HARALD I Gormson); 5 June 1849 (became a constitutional monarchy)", "IMPORTS": "$101.6 billion (2014 est.); $101.5 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :73,929 km; paved: :73,929 km (includes 1,143 km of expressways) (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "red with a white cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side; the banner is referred to as the Dannebrog (Danish flag) and is one of the oldest national flags in the world; traditions as to the origin of the flag design vary, but the best known is a legend that the banner fell from the sky during an early-13th century battle; caught up by the Danish king before it ever touched the earth, this heavenly talisman inspired the royal army to victory; in actuality, the flag may derive from a crusade banner or ensign; note: :the shifted cross design element was subsequently adopted by the other Nordic countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$586.7 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $571.4 billion (31 December 2011)", "EXPORTS": "$108.8 billion (2014 est.); $109.7 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972); Heir Apparent Crown Prince FREDERIK, elder son of the monarch (born on 26 May 1968); head of government: :Prime Minister Helle THORNING-SCHMIDT (since 3 October 2011); cabinet: :Council of State appointed by the monarch; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar -; 5.587 (2014 est.); 5.6163 (2013 est.); 5.79 (2012 est.); 5.3687 (2011 est.); 5.6241 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Scandinavian, Inuit, Faroese, German, Turkish, Iranian, Somali", "DEATH_RATE": "10.23 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1665; latest adopted 5 June 1849; amended several times, last in 2009 (2009)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 21.3%, Sweden 13.2%, Netherlands 7.8%, Norway 6.8%, China 6%, UK 5.4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "7,314 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, raw materials and semimanufactures for industry, chemicals, grain and foodstuffs, consumer goods", "CAPITAL": "name: :Copenhagen; geographic coordinates: :55 40 N, 12 35 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; note: :applies to continental Denmark only, not to its North Atlantic components", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$192.6 billion; expenditures: :$197.5 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Defense Command: Army Operational Command, Admiral Danish Fleet, Arctic Command, Tactical Air Command, Home Guard (2010)", "BIRTH_RATE": "10.22 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "80 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "barley, wheat, potatoes, sugar beets; pork, dairy products; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "metropolitan Denmark - 5 regions (regioner, singular - region); Hovedstaden (Capital), Midtjylland (Central Jutland), Nordjylland (North Jutland), Sjaelland (Zealand), Syddanmark (Southern Denmark); note: :an extensive local government reform merged 271 municipalities into 98 and 13 counties into five regions, effective 1 January 2007", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 17.3%, Sweden 12.4%, UK 8.9%, US 6.2%, Norway 6.2%, Netherlands 4.7% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and instruments, meat and meat products, dairy products, fish, pharmaceuticals, furniture, windmills", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :2.6%; industry: :20.3%; services: :77.1% (2011 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.9%; highest 10%: :28.7% (2007)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "13.4% (2011)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.41% of GDP (2012); 1.35% of GDP (2011); 1.41% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air pollution, principally from vehicle and power plant emissions; nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of the North Sea; drinking and surface water becoming polluted from animal wastes and pesticides", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :52; 914 to 1,523 m: :5; 47 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :28; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :7; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :5; 914 to 1,523 m: :12; under 914 m: :2 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Once the seat of Viking raiders and later a major north European power, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation that is participating in the general political and economic integration of Europe. It joined NATO in 1949 and the EEC (now the EU) in 1973. However, the country has opted out of certain elements of the European Union's Maastricht Treaty, including the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), European defense cooperation, and issues concerning certain justice and home affairs.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :37,913; female: :35,865 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,014,560; females age 16-49: :1,003,921 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscripts serve an initial training period that varies from 4 to 12 months according to specialization; reservists are assigned to mobilization units following completion of their conscript service; women eligible to volunteer for military service (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "flooding is a threat in some areas of the country (e.g., parts of Jutland, along the southern coast of the island of Lolland) that are protected from the sea by a system of dikes", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Lammefjord -7 m; highest point: :Mollehoj/Ejer Bavnehoj 171 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.8 male(s)/female; total population: :0.97 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "172 (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 355, shortwave 0 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :1.3%; industry: :21.2%; services: :77.5% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "56 00 N, 10 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :17% (male 485,115/female 460,682); 15-24 years: :13.1% (male 371,258/female 355,984); 25-54 years: :39.2% (male 1,087,993/female 1,093,545); 55-64 years: :12.4% (male 343,685/female 347,732); 65 years and over: :18.4% (male 457,175/female 565,908) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Dhekelia", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "a special form of UK overseas territory; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus", "AFFILIATION": "(UK sovereign base area)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "note: :as a United Kingdom area of special sovereignty, \"God Save the Queen\" is official (see United Kingdom)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "British Forces Broadcast Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite TV service as well as BFBS radio broadcasts to the Dhekelia Sovereign Base (2009)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "AREA": "total: :130.8 sq km; note: :area surrounds three Cypriot enclaves", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Middle East", "LOCATION": "Eastern Mediterranean, on the southeast coast of Cyprus near Famagusta", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Dhekelia", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the UK; includes Dhekelia Garrison and Ayios Nikolaos Station connected by a roadway", "POPULATION": "approximately 15,700 live on the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia including 7,700 Cypriots, 3,600 service and UK based contract personnel, and 4,400 dependents", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Dhekelia. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus; of the Sovereign Base Area land 60% is privately owned and farmed, 20% is owned by the Ministry of Defense, and 20% is SBA Crown land", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "laws applicable to the Cypriot population are, as far as possible, the same as the laws of the Republic of Cyprus; note - the Sovereign Base Area Administration has its own court system to deal with civil and criminal matters", "LANGUAGES": "English, Greek", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :108 km; border countries: :Cyprus 108 km", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Senior Judges' Court (consists of several visiting judges from England and Wales); judge selection and term of office: :judges appointment and tenure NA; subordinate courts: :Resident Judges' Court; Courts Martial", "INDUSTRIES": "none", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "the flag of the UK is used", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); head of government: :Administrator Air Vice Marshall Graham STACEY (since 4 November 2010); note - reports to the British Ministry of Defense; elections: :none; the monarchy is hereditary; the administrator appointed by the monarch", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "note: :uses the euro", "CONSTITUTION": "presented 3 August 1960, effective 16 August 1960; amended 1966 (The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, serves as a basic legal document) (2013)", "COASTLINE": "27.5 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters", "CAPITAL": "name: :Episkopi Cantonment (base administrative center for Akrotiri and Dhekelia); located in Akrotiri; geographic coordinates: :34 40 N, 32 51 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "netting and trapping of small migrant songbirds in the spring and autumn", "BACKGROUND": "By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers - Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The larger of these is the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Eastern Sovereign Base Area.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "0 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM NA, FM 1 (located in Akrotiri), shortwave NA (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1 and Radio 2 service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "34 59 N, 33 45 E" }, { "country": "Dominica", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Dominica", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$10,700 (2014 est.); $10,500 (2013 est.); $10,400 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.4% (2014 est.); 0.8% (2013 est.); -1.1% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.22% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$757 million (2014 est.); $746.3 million (2013 est.); $740.5 million (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "-0.7% of GDP (2014 est.); -0.5% of GDP (2013 est.); 1.9% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :57.4%; government consumption: :20.4%; investment in fixed capital: :28.5%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :59.3%; imports of goods and services: :-65.6%; (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "132,100 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "916 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "960 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "73.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "6.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "20.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "98,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "98.12 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "105.5 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Sisserou parrot, Carib Wood flower; national colors: green, yellow, black, white, red", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "24.9% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "3.8 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.59 physicians/1,000 population (2001)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.9% of GDP (2012)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-7.2% of GDP (2013 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "28.8% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "ROSEAU (capital) 15,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Isle of Beauty\"; lyrics/music: :Wilfred Oscar Morgan POND/Lemuel McPherson CHRISTIAN; note: :adopted 1967", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 79.6% of population; rural: 84.3% of population; total: 81.1% of population; urban: 20.4% of population; rural: 15.7% of population; total: 18.9% of population (2007 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 95.7% of population; urban: 4.3% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$463.3 million (31 December 2014 est.); $429.1 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$88 million (31 December 2014 est.); $78.84 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "no terrestrial TV service available; subscription cable TV provider offers some locally produced programming plus channels from the US, Latin America, and the Caribbean; state-operated radio broadcasts on 6 stations; privately owned radio broadcasts on about 15 stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :69.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.84% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$370.4 million (31 December 2014 est.); $319.6 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$289.9 million (31 December 2008); $269.1 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$72.1 million (31 December 2008); $73.71 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "9.1% (31 December 2014 est.); 9.1% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "6.5% (31 December 2010); 6.5% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.5% of GDP (2010)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.02 cu km/yr; per capita: :244.1 cu m/yr (2004)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$514 million (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$90 million (31 December 2014 est.); $87.05 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$77.4 million (2014 est.); -$72.1 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "70% of GDP (2012 est.); 78% of GDP (2009 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "723 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :32.1 years; male: :31.7 years; female: :32.6 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".dm", "INTERNET_USERS": "28,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "109,300 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "14,600 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Hubert J. CHARLES (since 16 July 2010); chancery: :3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :New York", "AREA": "total: :751 sq km; land: :751 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about half way between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Commonwealth of Dominica; conventional short form: :Dominica; note: :island named by Christopher COLUMBUS after the day of the week on which he spotted it, Sunday (\"domingo\" in Latin), 3 November 1493", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "23% (2000 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.05 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "rugged mountains of volcanic origin", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :fully automatic network; domestic: :fixed-line connections continued to decline slowly with the two active operators providing about 20 fixed-line connections per 100 persons; subscribership among the three mobile-cellular providers continued to increase with teledensity reaching 150 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 1-767; landing points for the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and the Global Caribbean Network (GCN) submarine cables providing connectivity to other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 61.4%, Protestant 20.6% (Seventh Day Adventist 6%, Pentecostal 5.6%, Baptist 4.1%, Methodist 3.7%, Church of God 1.2%), Jehovah's Witnesses 1.2%, other Christian 7.7%, Rastafarian 1.3%, other or unspecified 1.6%, none 6.1% (2001 census)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Portsmouth, Roseau", "POPULATION": "73,449 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Judith PESTAINA; Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Roosevelt SKERRIT; Dominica United Workers Party or UWP [Hector JOHN", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The Dominican economy has been dependent on agriculture - primarily bananas - in years past, but increasingly has been driven by tourism as the government seeks to promote Dominica as an \"ecotourism\" destination. Moreover, Dominica has an offshore medical education sector. In order to diversify the island's economy, the government is also attempting to foster an offshore financial industry and plans to sign agreements with the private sector to develop geothermal energy resources. In 2003, the government began a comprehensive restructuring of the economy - including the elimination of price controls, privatization of the state banana company, and tax increases - to address an economic and financial crisis and to meet IMF requirements. In 2009 and 2013, the economy contracted as a result of the global recession; growth remains anemic. Although public debt levels continue to exceed pre-recession levels, the debt burden declined from 78% of GDP in 2011 to approximately 70% in 2012.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party)", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "known as \"The Nature Island of the Caribbean\" due to its spectacular, lush, and varied flora and fauna, which are protected by an extensive natural park system; the most mountainous of the Lesser Antilles, its volcanic peaks are cones of lava craters and include Boiling Lake, the second-largest, thermally active lake in the world", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-5.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "timber, hydropower, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Dominican(s); adjective: :Dominican", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 3 November (1978)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :43; by type: :bulk carrier 11, cargo 22, chemical tanker 2, petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 1; foreign-owned: :32 (Australia 1, Estonia 6, Germany 5, Greece 4, India 2, Latvia 2, Norway 1, Russia 3, Saudi Arabia 2, Syria 4, Turkey 1, Ukraine 1); registered in other countries: :1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, Commonwealth of Nations, ECCU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :19,075 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :76.59 years; male: :73.63 years; female: :79.7 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral House of Assembly (32 seats; 21 representatives directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 9 senators appointed by the Assembly, and 2 ex-officio members - the House Speaker and the Clerk of the House; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 8 December 2014 (next to be held in 2019); note - tradition dictates that the election is held within five years of the last election, but technically it is five years from the first seating of parliament plus a 90-day grace period; election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - DLP 15, UWP 6", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "common law based on the English model", "LANGUAGES": "English (official), French patois", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :8%; permanent crops: :24%; other: :68% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "25,000 (2000 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to include Dominica; the ECSC - based on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the 9 member states; 2 High Court judges reside in Dominica; note - Dominica is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice; judge selection and term of office: :ECSC chief justice appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62; subordinate courts: :Court of Summary Jurisdiction; magistrates' courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2% (2014 est.); -0.2% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :11.61 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :15.46 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :7.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-1% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "3 November 1978 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$186.9 million (2014 est.); $178.6 million (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; minor cannabis producer (2008)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :1,512 km; paved: :762 km; unpaved: :750 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "green with a centered cross of three equal bands - the vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white and the horizontal part is yellow (top), black, and white; superimposed in the center of the cross is a red disk bearing a Sisserou parrot, unique to Dominica, encircled by 10 green, five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes); green symbolizes the island's lush vegetation; the triple-colored cross represents the Christian Trinity; the yellow color denotes sunshine, the main agricultural products (citrus and bananas), and the native Carib Indians; black is for the rich soil and the African heritage of most citizens; white signifies rivers, waterfalls, and the purity of aspirations; the red disc stands for social justice", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 July - 30 June", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$299 million (31 December 2014 est.); $286.2 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$38.6 million (2014 est.); $41 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Charles A. SAVARIN (since 2 October 2013); head of government: :Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister; elections: :president elected by the House of Assembly for a five-year term; election last held on 30 September 2013 (next to be held in October 2018); prime minister appointed by the president; election results: :Charles A. SAVARIN elected president by a vote of 19-0 on 30 September 2013", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -; 2.7 (2014 est.); 2.7 (2013 est.); 2.7 (2012 est.); 2.7 (2011 est.); 2.7 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "black 86.8%, mixed 8.9%, Carib Amerindian 2.9%, white 0.8%, other 0.7% (2001 census)", "DEATH_RATE": "7.94 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1967 (preindependence); latest presented 25 July 1978, entered into force 3 November 1978; amended several times, last in 1984 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Japan 36.3%, US 16.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 15.4%, China 4.9% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "148 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Roseau; geographic coordinates: :15 18 N, 61 24 W; time difference: :UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$148.1 million; expenditures: :$185.2 million (2013 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "15.53 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "2 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "bananas, citrus, mangos, root crops, coconuts, cocoa; note: :forest and fishery potential not exploited", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Japan 41.6%, Jamaica 9.4%, Antigua and Barbuda 8.7%, Guyana 7.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.7% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :40%; industry: :32%; services: :28% (2002 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "29% (2009 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans due chiefly to the fierce resistance of the native Caribs. France ceded possession to Great Britain in 1763, which made the island a colony in 1805. In 1980, two years after independence, Dominica's fortunes improved when a corrupt and tyrannical administration was replaced by that of Mary Eugenia CHARLES, the first female prime minister in the Caribbean, who remained in office for 15 years. Some 3,000 Carib Indians still living on Dominica are the only pre-Columbian population remaining in the eastern Caribbean.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :675; female: :636 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :16,035; females age 16-49: :15,499 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Morne Diablotins 1,447 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.77 male(s)/female; total population: :1.02 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (2004)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 4, FM 18, shortwave 0 (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :14.8%; industry: :14.1%; services: :71.1% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "15 25 N, 61 20 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :22.1% (male 8,300/female 7,939); 15-24 years: :16.7% (male 6,311/female 5,946); 25-54 years: :41.5% (male 15,470/female 15,004); 55-64 years: :9.2% (male 3,604/female 3,147); 65 years and over: :10.5% (male 3,386/female 4,342) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Dominican Republic", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador James Walter BREWSTER, Jr. (since 9 December 2013); embassy: :corner of Calle Cesar Nicolas Penson and Calle Leopoldo Navarro, Santo Domingo; mailing address: :Unit 5500, APO AA 34041-5500; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$12,800 (2014 est.); $12,400 (2013 est.); $12,000 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "5.3% (2014 est.); 4.6% (2013 est.); 2.7% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.25% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$135.7 billion (2014 est.); $128.9 billion (2013 est.); $123.3 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :57.1%; youth dependency ratio: :47%; elderly dependency ratio: :10.1%; potential support ratio: :9.9% (2014 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :72%; government consumption: :10.2%; investment in fixed capital: :21.4%; investment in inventories: :0.8%; exports of goods and services: :26.1%; imports of goods and services: :-30.6%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "73% (2009/10)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "21.3; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2013 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :180,423; percentage: :10% (2000 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "20.8 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "1.28 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "1.28 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "85,490 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "123,500 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "28,050 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "27,260 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "1.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "17.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "81.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "3.04 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "9.176 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "13.09 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "palmchat (bird); national colors: red, white, blue", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :29.4%; male: :22.6%; female: :40.8% (2011 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "21.2% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.49 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.4% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "3.4% (2007)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "150 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "16.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "SANTO DOMINGO (capital) 2.873 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Himno Nacional\" (National Anthem); lyrics/music: :Emilio PRUD\"HOMME/Jose REYES; note: :adopted 1934; also known as \"Quisqueyanos valientes\" (Valient Sons of Quisqueye); the anthem never refers to the people as Dominican but rather calls them \"Quisqueyanos,\" a reference to the indigenous name of the island", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 85.5% of population; rural: 73.8% of population; total: 82% of population; urban: 14.5% of population; rural: 26.2% of population; total: 18% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 82.5% of population; rural: 77.2% of population; total: 80.9% of population; urban: 17.5% of population; rural: 22.8% of population; total: 19.1% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$17.42 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $15.97 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$5.621 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.203 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "combination of state-owned and privately owned broadcast media; 1 state-owned TV network and a number of private TV networks; networks operate repeaters to extend signals throughout country; combination of state-owned and privately owned radio stations with more than 300 radio stations operating (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :78.1% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.6% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$26.87 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $24.87 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$5.902 billion (31 December 2008); $5.64 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$3.619 billion (31 December 2008); $4.065 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "13.7% (31 December 2014 est.); 13.59% (31 December 2013 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.2% of GDP (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :5.47 cu km/yr (26%/1%/72%); per capita: :574.2 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "21 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$72.8 million (31 December 2014 est.); $72.8 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$28.52 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $26.42 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$62.48 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :210,000 (2013); note - a September 2013 Constitutional Court ruling revoked the citizenship of those born after 1929 to immigrants without proper documentation, even though the constitution at the time automatically granted citizenship to children born in the Dominican Republic and the 2010 constitution provides that constitutional provisions cannot be applied retroactively; the decision overwhelmingly affected people of Haitian descent whose relatives had come to the Dominican Republic since the 1940s as a cheap source of labor for sugar plantations; a May 2014 law passed by the Dominican Congress will regularize the status of those who have birth certificates but will require those without them to prove they were born in the Dominican Republic and to apply for naturalization", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne disease: :dengue fever (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$4.503 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.703 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.852 billion (2014 est.); -$2.467 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "48.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 45.6% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "404,500 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :27.1 years; male: :26.9 years; female: :27.3 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "45.7 (2012 est.); 52 (2000 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "1,700 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "45,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.7% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".do", "INTERNET_USERS": "2.701 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "9.038 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "1.065 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Anibal de Jesus de CASTRO Rodriguez (since 5 July 2011); chancery: :1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Mayaguez (Puerto Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico); consulate(s): :San Francisco", "AREA": "total: :48,670 sq km; land: :48,320 sq km; water: :350 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "3,065 sq km (2009)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Dominican Republic; conventional short form: :The Dominican; local long form: :Republica Dominicana; local short form: :La Dominicana", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "14.6% (2014 est.); 15% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "democratic republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.36 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :relatively efficient system based on island-wide microwave radio relay network; domestic: :fixed-line teledensity is about 10 per 100 persons; multiple providers of mobile-cellular service with a subscribership of nearly 90 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 1-809; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1), Antillas 1, and the Fibralink submarine cables that provide links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and US; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age can vote; note - members of the armed forces and national police by law cannot vote", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :142 km; standard gauge: :142 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Puerto Haina, Puerto Plata, Santo Domingo; oil/gas terminal(s): :Punta Nizao oil terminal; LNG terminal(s) (import): :Andres LNG terminal (Boca Chica)", "POPULATION": "10,349,741 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Dominican Liberation Party or PLD [Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna; Dominican Revolutionary Party or PRD [Miguel VARGAS Maldonado; National Progressive Front [Vinicio CASTILLO, Pelegrin CASTILLO; Social Christian Reformist Party or PRSC [Carlos MORALES Troncoso", "PIPELINES": "gas 27 km; oil 103 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The Dominican Republic has long been viewed primarily as an exporter of sugar, coffee, and tobacco, but in recent years the service sector has overtaken agriculture as the economy's largest employer, due to growth in telecommunications, tourism, and free trade zones. The economy is highly dependent upon the US, the destination for approximately half of exports. Remittances from the US amount to about 5% of GDP, equivalent to about a third of exports and two-thirds of tourism receipts. The country suffers from marked income inequality; the poorest half of the population receives less than one-fifth of GDP, while the richest 10% enjoys nearly 40% of GDP. High unemployment and underemployment remains an important long-term challenge. The Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) came into force in March 2007, boosting investment and exports and reducing losses to the Asian garment industry. The Dominican Republic's economy rebounded from the global recession in 2010-14, and the fiscal situation is improving. A tax reform package passed in November 2012 and a reduction in government spending helped to narrow the central government budget deficit from 6.6% of GDP in 2012 to 2.7% in 2014. A successful government bond placement in 2013 and 2014 helped finance the deficit.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Citizen Participation Group (Participacion Ciudadania); Collective of Popular Organizations or COP; Foundation for Institution-Building and Justice or FINJUS", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-1.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "nickel, bauxite, gold, silver, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Dominican(s); adjective: :Dominican", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 27 February (1844)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AOSIS, BCIE, Caricom (observer), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OAS, OIF (observer), OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA (associated member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines; territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,580,083; females age 16-49: :2,464,698 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :90.9%; male: :90.5%; female: :91.3% (2013 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :77.8 years; male: :75.6 years; female: :80.08 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (32 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Camara de Diputados (195 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :Senate - last held on 16 May 2010 (next to be held in May 2016); House of Representatives - last held on 16 May 2010 (next to be held in May 2016); note - in order to synchronize presidential, legislative, and local elections for 2016, members elected in 2010 will actually serve six-year terms; election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLD 31, PRSC 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLD 105, PRD 75, PRSC 3", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system based on the French civil code; Criminal Procedures Code modified in 2004 to include important elements of an accusatory system", "LANGUAGES": "Spanish (official)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :16.56%; permanent crops: :10.35%; other: :73.1% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :376 km; border countries: :Haiti 376 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "4.996 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Justice or Suprema Corte de Justicia (consists of a minimum of 16 magistrates); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 13 judges); note - the Constitutional Court was established in 2010 by constitutional amendment; judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges appointed by the National Council of the Judiciary comprised of the president, the leaders of both chambers of congress, the president of the Supreme Court, and a non-governing party congressional representative; Supreme Court judges appointed for 7-year terms; Constitutional Court judges appointed for 9-year terms; subordinate courts: :courts of appeal; courts of first instance; justices of the peace; special courts for juvenile, labor, and land cases; Contentious Administrative Court for cases filed against the government", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3.3% (2014 est.); 4.8% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :19.63 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :21.56 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :17.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "6% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "27 February 1844 (from Haiti)", "IMPORTS": "$16.97 billion (2014 est.); $16.81 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; has become a transshipment point for ecstasy from the Netherlands and Belgium destined for US and Canada; substantial money laundering activity in particular by Colombian narcotics traffickers; significant amphetamine consumption (2008)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :19,705 km; paved: :9,872 km; unpaved: :9,833 km (2002)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "a centered white cross that extends to the edges divides the flag into four rectangles - the top ones are blue (hoist side) and red, and the bottom ones are red (hoist side) and blue; a small coat of arms featuring a shield supported by a laurel branch (left) and a palm branch (right) is at the center of the cross; above the shield a blue ribbon displays the motto, DIOS, PATRIA, LIBERTAD (God, Fatherland, Liberty), and below the shield, REPUBLICA DOMINICANA appears on a red ribbon; in the shield a bible is opened to a verse that reads \"Y la verdad nos hara libre\" (And the truth shall set you free); blue stands for liberty, white for salvation, and red for the blood of heroes", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$19.72 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $18.78 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$10.11 billion (2014 est.); $9.504 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Danilo MEDINA Sanchez (since 16 August 2012); Vice President Margarita CEDENO DE FERNANDEZ (since 16 August 2012); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Danilo MEDINA Sanchez (since 16 August 2012); Vice President Margarita CEDENO DE FERNANDEZ (since 16 August 2012); cabinet: :Cabinet nominated by the president; elections: :president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held on 20 May 2012 (next to be held in 2016); election results: :Danilo MEDINA Sanchez elected president; percent of vote - Danilo MEDINA Sanchez 51.2%, Hipolito MEJIA 47%, other 1.8%; Margarita CEDENO DE FERNANDEZ elected vice president", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Dominican pesos (DOP) per US dollar -; 43.5 (2014 est.); 41.808 (2013 est.); 39.34 (2012 est.); 38.232 (2011 est.); 37.307 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11%", "DEATH_RATE": "4.5 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "many previous (38 total); latest proclaimed 26 January 2010; note - the Dominican Republic Government has a practice of promulgating a \"new\" constitution whenever an amendment is ratified (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 44.7%, Venezuela 7.8%, China 6.5%, Mexico 6.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.2% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "1,288 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Santo Domingo; geographic coordinates: :18 28 N, 69 54 W; time difference: :UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$10.11 billion; expenditures: :$11.77 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Army (Ejercito Nacional, EN), Navy (Marina de Guerra, MdG; includes naval infantry), Dominican Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Dominicana, FAD) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "18.97 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "36 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes, corn, bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products, beef, eggs", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "10 regions (regiones, singular - region); Cibao Nordeste, Cibao Noroeste, Cibao Norte, Cibao Sur, El Valle, Enriquillo, Higuamo, Ozama, Valdesia, Yuma", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 38.9%, Haiti 16%, Canada 11.8% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "ferronickel, sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats, consumer goods", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :14.6%; industry: :22.3%; services: :63.1% (2005)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.9%; highest 10%: :35.8% (2010 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "41.1% (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.61% of GDP (2012); 0.63% of GDP (2011); 0.61% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Law of the Sea", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "water shortages; soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs; deforestation", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :20; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1; 18 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :16; over 3,047 m: :3; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :4; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :4; 914 to 1,523 m: :4; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Taino - indigenous inhabitants of Hispaniola prior to the arrival of the Europeans - divided the island into five chiefdoms and territories. Christopher COLUMBUS explored and claimed the island on his first voyage in 1492; it became a springboard for Spanish conquest of the Caribbean and the American mainland. In 1697, Spain recognized French dominion over the western third of the island, which in 1804 became Haiti. The remainder of the island, by then known as Santo Domingo, sought to gain its own independence in 1821 but was conquered and ruled by the Haitians for 22 years; it finally attained independence as the Dominican Republic in 1844. In 1861, the Dominicans voluntarily returned to the Spanish Empire, but two years later they launched a war that restored independence in 1865. A legacy of unsettled, mostly non-representative rule followed, capped by the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas TRUJILLO from 1930 to 1961. Juan BOSCH was elected president in 1962 but was deposed in a military coup in 1963. In 1965, the United States led an intervention in the midst of a civil war sparked by an uprising to restore BOSCH. In 1966, Joaquin BALAGUER defeated BOSCH in an election to become president. BALAGUER maintained a tight grip on power for most of the next 30 years when international reaction to flawed elections forced him to curtail his term in 1996. Since then, regular competitive elections have been held in which opposition candidates have won the presidency. Former President Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna (first term 1996-2000) won election to a new term in 2004 following a constitutional amendment allowing presidents to serve more than one term, and was later reelected to a second consecutive term. In 2012, Danilo MEDINA Sanchez was elected president.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :100,047; female: :96,302 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,188,358; females age 16-49: :2,090,180 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "17-21 years of age for voluntary military service; recruits must have completed primary school and be Dominican Republic citizens; women may volunteer (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding; periodic droughts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Lago Enriquillo -46 m; highest point: :Pico Duarte 3,175 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.04 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.86 male(s)/female; total population: :1.03 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "25 (2003)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 120, FM 56, shortwave 4 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :6.3%; industry: :32.1%; services: :61.6% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "19 00 N, 70 40 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :28% (male 1,474,170/female 1,423,573); 15-24 years: :18.5% (male 974,688/female 937,103); 25-54 years: :39.3% (male 2,078,915/female 1,984,585); 55-64 years: :7.2% (male 376,175/female 371,152); 65 years and over: :7% (male 336,712/female 392,668) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Ecuador", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Adam E. NAMM (since 26 April 2012); embassy: :Avenida Avigiras E12-170 y Avenida Eloy Alfaro, Quito; mailing address: :Avenida Guayacanes N52-205 y Avenida Avigiras; telephone: :[593; FAX: :[593; consulate(s) general: :Guayaquil", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$11,400 (2014 est.); $11,100 (2013 est.); $10,800 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "4% (2014 est.); 4.5% (2013 est.); 5.1% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.37% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$182 billion (2014 est.); $175 billion (2013 est.); $167.4 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :56.9%; youth dependency ratio: :46.5%; elderly dependency ratio: :10.5%; potential support ratio: :9.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "27.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 27.3% of GDP (2013 est.); 27.9% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :60.2%; government consumption: :14.1%; investment in fixed capital: :27.4%; investment in inventories: :0.1%; exports of goods and services: :29.9%; imports of goods and services: :-31.6%; (2014 est.)", "DEMOGRAPHIC_PROFILE": "Ecuador's high poverty and income inequality most affect indigenous, mixed race, and rural populations. The government has increased its social spending to ameliorate these problems, but critics question the efficiency and implementation of its national development plan. Nevertheless, the conditional cash transfer program, which requires participants' children to attend school and have medical check-ups, has helped improve educational attainment and healthcare among poor children. Ecuador is stalled at above replacement level fertility and the population most likely will keep growing rather than stabilize.; An estimated 2 to 3 million Ecuadorians live abroad, but increased unemployment in key receiving countries - Spain, the United States, and Italy - is slowing emigration and increasing the likelihood of returnees to Ecuador. The first large-scale emigration of Ecuadorians occurred between 1980 and 2000, when an economic crisis drove Ecuadorians from southern provinces to New York City, where they had trade contacts. A second, nationwide wave of emigration in the late 1990s was caused by another economic downturn, political instability, and a currency crisis. Spain was the logical destination because of its shared language and the wide availability of low-skilled, informal jobs at a time when increased border surveillance made illegal migration to the US difficult. Ecuador has a small but growing immigrant population and is Latin America's top recipient of refugees; 98% are neighboring Colombians fleeing violence in their country.", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :227,599; percentage: :8% (2008 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "37.23 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "6.003 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "517 million cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "517 million cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "135,500 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "28,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "255,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "207,300 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "8.24 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "154,000 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "413,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "527,200 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "1.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "42% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "56% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "5.336 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "238 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "12 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "19.38 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "22.85 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Andean condor; national colors: yellow, blue, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :11.1%; male: :9%; female: :15% (2011 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "21.4% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.6 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.69 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.4% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "6.2% (2004)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "110 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-5.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "39.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "Guayaquil 2.664 million; QUITO (capital) 1.699 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Salve, Oh Patria!\" (We Salute You Our Homeland); lyrics/music: :Juan Leon MERA/Antonio NEUMANE; note: :adopted 1948; Juan Leon MERA wrote the lyrics in 1865; only the chorus and second verse are sung", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 86.5% of population; rural: 75.9% of population; total: 83.1% of population; urban: 13.5% of population; rural: 24.1% of population; total: 16.9% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 91.6% of population; rural: 75.2% of population; total: 86.4% of population; urban: 8.4% of population; rural: 24.8% of population; total: 13.6% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$34.53 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $28.44 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$10.81 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $9.274 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "Ecuador has multiple TV networks and many local channels, as well as more than 300 radio stations; many TV and radio stations are privately owned; the government owns or controls 5 national TV stations and multiple radio stations; broadcast media required by law to give the government free air time to broadcast programs produced by the state (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :63.5% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.9% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$34.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $28.01 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$9.79 billion (31 December 2009); $9.383 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$9.215 billion (31 December 2009); $5.907 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "8.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 8.17% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "8.17% (31 December 2011); 8.68% (31 December 2010)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.4% of GDP (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :9.92 cu km/yr (13%/6%/81%); per capita: :716.1 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "424.4 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$5.911 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $5.779 billion (31 December 2011); $5.263 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$6.33 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $6.33 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$14.28 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $13.68 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$100.5 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :122,276 (Colombia) (2013)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever and malaria (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$6.811 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.352 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$613.4 million (2014 est.); -$1.29 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "30% of GDP (2014 est.); 23.1% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "170,538 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :26.7 years; male: :26 years; female: :27.3 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "48.5 (December 2013); 50.5 (December 2010); note: :data are for urban households", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "1,600 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "37,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.41% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ec", "INTERNET_USERS": "3.352 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "16.457 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "2.31 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Saskia Nathalie CELY Suarez (since 2 December 2011); chancery: :2535 15th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New Haven (CT), New Orleans, New York, Newark (NJ), Phoenix, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)", "AREA": "total: :283,561 sq km; land: :276,841 sq km; water: :6,720 sq km; note: :includes Galapagos Islands", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "8,534 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "South America", "LOCATION": "Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Ecuador; conventional short form: :Ecuador; local long form: :Republica del Ecuador; local short form: :Ecuador; note: :the country's position on the globe, straddling the equator, accounts for its name", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "5% (2014 est.); 4.7% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.29 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :elementary fixed-line service, but increasingly sophisticated mobile-cellular network; domestic: :fixed-line services provided by multiple telecommunications operators; fixed-line teledensity stands at about 15 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular use has surged and subscribership has reached 100 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 593; landing points for the PAN-AM and South America-1 submarine cables that provide links to the west coast of South America, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, and extending onward to Aruba and the US Virgin Islands in the Caribbean; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18-65 years of age, universal and compulsory; 16-18, over 65, and other eligible voters, voluntary", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 74%, Evangelical 10.4%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, other 6.4% (includes Mormon Buddhist, Jewish, Spiritualist, Muslim, Hindu, indigenous religions, African American religions, Pentecostal), atheist 7.9%, agnostic 0.1%; note: :data represents persons at least 16 years of age from five Ecuadoran cities (2012 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :965 km; narrow gauge: :965 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Esmeraldas, Manta, Puerto Bolivar; river port(s): :Guayaquil (Guayas); container port(s) (TEUs): :Guayaquil (1,405,762)", "POPULATION": "15,654,411 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alianza PAIS movement [Rafael Vicente CORREA Delgado; Avanza Party or AVANZA [Ramiro GONZALEZ; Creating Opportunities Movement or CREO [Guillermo LASSO; Institutional Renewal and National Action Party or PRIAN [Alvaro NOBOA; Pachakutik Plurinational Unity Movement or MUPP [Rafael ANTUNI; Patriotic Society Party or PSP [Lucio GUTIERREZ Borbua; Popular Democracy Movement or MPD [Luis VILLACIS; Roldosist Party or PRE; Social Christian Party or PSC [Pascual DEL CIOPPO; Socialist Party [Fabian SOLANO; Society United for More Action or SUMA [Mauricio RODAS; Warrior's Spirit Movement [Jaime NEBOT", "PIPELINES": "extra heavy crude 527 km; gas 71 km; oil 2,131 km; refined products 1,526 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Ecuador is substantially dependent on its petroleum resources, which have accounted for more than half of the country's export earnings and approximately two-fifths of public sector revenues in recent years. In 1999/2000, Ecuador's economy suffered from a banking crisis, with GDP contracting by 5.3% and poverty increasing significantly. In March 2000, the Congress approved a series of structural reforms that also provided for the adoption of the US dollar as legal tender. Dollarization stabilized the economy, and positive growth returned in the years that followed, helped by high oil prices, remittances, and increased non-traditional exports. From 2002-06 the economy grew an average of 4.3% per year, the highest five-year average in 25 years. After moderate growth in 2007, the economy reached a growth rate of 6.4% in 2008, buoyed by high global petroleum prices and increased public sector investment. President Rafael CORREA Delgado, who took office in January 2007, defaulted in December 2008 on Ecuador's sovereign debt, which, with a total face value of approximately US$3.2 billion, represented about 30% of Ecuador's public external debt. In May 2009, Ecuador bought back 91% of its \"defaulted\" bonds via an international reverse auction. Economic policies under the CORREA administration - for example, an announcement in late 2009 of its intention to terminate 13 bilateral investment treaties, including one with the United States - have generated economic uncertainty and discouraged private investment. China has become Ecuador's largest foreign lender since Quito defaulted in 2008, allowing the government to maintain a high rate of social spending; Ecuador contracted with the Chinese government for more than $9.9 billion in forward oil sales, project financing, and budget support loans as of December 2013. Foreign investment levels in Ecuador continue to be the lowest in the region as a result of an unstable regulatory environment, weak rule of law, and the crowding-out effect of public investments. In 2013, oil output marginally reversed a declining trend and production is expected to increase slightly in 2014, although prices will likely remain lower than in previous years. Faced with a 2013 trade deficit of $1.1 billion, Ecuador erected technical barriers to trade in December 2013, causing tensions with its largest trading partners. Ecuador also decriminalized intellectual property rights violations in February 2014. Furthermore, the CORREA administration is considering de-dollarizing the economy to allow the government to use monetary policy tools to stabilize growth.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador or CONAIE [Humberto CHOLANGO; Federation of Indigenous Evangelists of Ecuador or FEINE [Manuel CHUGCHILAN, president; National Federation of Indigenous Afro-Ecuatorianos and Peasants or FENOCIN; National Teacher's Union or UNE [Mariana PALLASCO", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Ecuadorian(s); adjective: :Ecuadorian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day (independence of Quito), 10 August (1809)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :44; by type: :cargo 1, chemical tanker 4, liquefied gas 1, passenger 9, petroleum tanker 28, refrigerated cargo 1; registered in other countries: :4 (Panama 3, Peru 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "CAN, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :200 nm; continental shelf: :100 nm from 2,500-m isobath", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :3,728,906; females age 16-49: :3,844,918 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :93.3%; male: :94.4%; female: :92.2% (2013 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :76.36 years; male: :73.4 years; female: :79.46 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (137 seats; 116 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 15 members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote, and 6 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies for Ecuadorians living abroad by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 17 February 2013 (next to be held in 2017); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAIS 100, CREO 11, PSC 6, AVANZA 5, MUPP 5, PSP 5, other 5; note - defections by members of National Assembly are commonplace, resulting in frequent changes in the numbers of seats held by the various parties", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law based on the Chilean civil code with modifications; traditional law in indigenous communities", "LANGUAGES": "Spanish (Castillian) 93% (official), Quechua 4.1%, other indigenous 0.7%, foreign 2.2%; note: :(Quechua and Shuar are official languages of intercultural relations; other indigenous languages are in official use by indigenous peoples in the areas they inhabit) (2010 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :4.62%; permanent crops: :5.57%; other: :89.81% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,237 km; border countries: :Colombia 708 km, Peru 1,529 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "7.214 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :National Court of Justice or Corte Nacional de Justicia (consists of 21 judges including the chief justice and organized into 5 specialized chambers); Constitutional Court or Corte Constitucional (consists of 9 judges); judge selection and term of office: :justices of National Court of Justice elected by the Judiciary Council, a 9-member independent body of law professionals; judges elected for 9-year, non-renewable terms, with one-third of the membership renewed every 3 years; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the executive, legislative, and Citizen Participation branches of government; judges appointed for 9-year non-renewable terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 3 years; subordinate courts: :Fiscal Tribunal; Election Dispute Settlement Courts, provincial courts (one for each province); cantonal courts", "WATERWAYS": "1,500 km (most inaccessible) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3.9% (2014 est.); 2.7% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :17.93 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :21.11 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :14.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "petroleum, food processing, textiles, wood products, chemicals", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "4%; note: :excludes oil refining (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "24 May 1822 (from Spain)", "IMPORTS": "$26.4 billion (2014 est.); $26.33 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "significant transit country for cocaine originating in Colombia and Peru, with much of the US-bound cocaine passing through Ecuadorian Pacific waters; importer of precursor chemicals used in production of illicit narcotics; attractive location for cash-placement by drug traffickers laundering money because of dollarization and weak anti-money-laundering regime; increased activity on the northern frontier by trafficking groups and Colombian insurgents (2008)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :43,670 km; paved: :6,472 km; unpaved: :37,198 km (2007)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double width), blue, and red with the coat of arms superimposed at the center of the flag; the flag retains the three main colors of the banner of Gran Columbia, the South American republic that broke up in 1830; the yellow color represents sunshine, grain, and mineral wealth, blue the sky, sea, and rivers, and red the blood of patriots spilled in the struggle for freedom and justice; note: :similar to the flag of Colombia, which is shorter and does not bear a coat of arms", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$21.74 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $19.23 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$27.33 billion (2014 est.); $25.69 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Rafael CORREA Delgado (since 15 January 2007); Vice President Jorge GLAS Espinel (since 24 May 2013); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Rafael CORREA Delgado (since 15 January 2007); Vice President Jorge GLAS Espinel (since 24 May 2013); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president; elections: :the president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a four-year term and can be re-elected for another consecutive term; election last held on 17 February 2013 (next to be held in 2017); election results: :President Rafael CORREA Delgado reelected president; percent of vote - Rafael CORREA Delgado 57.2%, Guillermo LASSO 22.7%, Lucio GUTIERREZ 6.8%, Mauricio RODAS 3.9%, other 9.4%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "the US dollar became Ecuador's currency in 2001", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 71.9%, Montubio 7.4%, Amerindian 7%, white 6.1%, Afroecuadorian 4.3%, mulato 1.9%, black 1%, other 0.4% (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "5.04 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "many previous; latest approved 20 October 2008; amended 2011 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 29.1%, China 12.9%, Colombia 8.5%, Panama 6.8%, Peru 4.1% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "2,237 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "industrial materials, fuels and lubricants, nondurable consumer goods", "CAPITAL": "name: :Quito; geographic coordinates: :0 13 S, 78 30 W; time difference: :UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$39.5 billion; expenditures: :$44.7 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Ecuadorian Armed Forces: Ecuadorian Land Force (Fuerza Terrestre Ecuatoriana, FTE), Ecuadorian Navy (Fuerza Naval del Ecuador (FNE), includes Naval Infantry, Naval Aviation, Coast Guard), Ecuadorian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Ecuatoriana, FAE) (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "18.87 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "432 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "bananas, coffee, cocoa, rice, potatoes, cassava (manioc, tapioca), plantains, sugarcane; cattle, sheep, pigs, beef, pork, dairy products; fish, shrimp; balsa wood", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "24 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Azuay, Bolivar, Canar, Carchi, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Galapagos, Guayas, Imbabura, Loja, Los Rios, Manabi, Morona-Santiago, Napo, Orellana, Pastaza, Pichincha, Santa Elena, Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, Sucumbios, Tungurahua, Zamora-Chinchipe", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 44.6%, Chile 9.9%, Peru 7.5% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum, bananas, cut flowers, shrimp, cacao, coffee, wood, fish", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :27.8%; industry: :17.8%; services: :54.4% (2012)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.4%; highest 10%: :35.4%; note: :data for urban households only (2010 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "25.6% (December 2013 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "2.83% of GDP (2012); 3.2% of GDP (2011); 2.83% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution; pollution from oil production wastes in ecologically sensitive areas of the Amazon Basin and Galapagos Islands", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :328; 914 to 1,523 m: :37; 291 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :104; over 3,047 m: :4; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :5; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :18; 914 to 1,523 m: :26; under 914 m: :51 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "What is now Ecuador formed part of the northern Inca Empire until the Spanish conquest in 1533. Quito became a seat of Spanish colonial government in 1563 and part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717. The territories of the Viceroyalty - New Granada (Colombia), Venezuela, and Quito - gained their independence between 1819 and 1822 and formed a federation known as Gran Colombia. When Quito withdrew in 1830, the traditional name was changed in favor of the \"Republic of the Equator.\" Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost territories in a series of conflicts with its neighbors. A border war with Peru that flared in 1995 was resolved in 1999. Although Ecuador marked 30 years of civilian governance in 2004, the period was marred by political instability. Protests in Quito contributed to the mid-term ouster of three of Ecuador's last four democratically elected presidents. In late 2008, voters approved a new constitution, Ecuador's 20th since gaining independence. General elections were held in February 2013, and voters re-elected President Rafael CORREA.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :152,593; female: :147,143 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,834,213; females age 16-49: :3,269,535 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for selective conscript military service; conscription has been suspended; 18 years of age for voluntary military service; Air Force 18-22 years of age, Ecadorian birth requirement; 1-year service obligation (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Nevada", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "frequent earthquakes; landslides; volcanic activity; floods; periodic droughts; volcanism: :volcanic activity concentrated along the Andes Mountains; Sangay (elev. 5,230 m), which erupted in 2010, is mainland Ecuador's most active volcano; other historically active volcanoes in the Andes include Antisana, Cayambe, Chacana, Cotopaxi, Guagua Pichincha, Reventador, Sumaco, and Tungurahua; Fernandina (elev. 1,476 m), a shield volcano that last erupted in 2009, is the most active of the many Galapagos volcanoes; other historically active Galapagos volcanoes include Wolf, Sierra Negra, Cerro Azul, Pinta, Marchena, and Santiago", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Chimborazo 6,267 m; note: :due to the fact that the earth is not a perfect sphere and has an equatorial bulge, the highest point on the planet furthest from its center is Mount Chimborazo not Mount Everest, which is merely the highest peak above sea level", "HELIPORTS": "2 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.92 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "7 (plus 14 repeaters) (2000)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 392, FM 35, shortwave 29 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :6%; industry: :34.4%; services: :59.6% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "2 00 S, 77 30 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :28.5% (male 2,275,448/female 2,184,706); 15-24 years: :18.6% (male 1,478,184/female 1,439,288); 25-54 years: :38.9% (male 2,968,757/female 3,124,938); 55-64 years: :7.1% (male 544,097/female 562,326); 65 years and over: :6.9% (male 514,549/female 562,118) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Egypt", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador R. Stephen BEECROFT (since 18 December 2014); embassy: :5 Tawfik Diab St., Garden City, Cairo; mailing address: :Unit 64900, Box 15, APO AE 09839-4900; 5 Tawfik Diab Street, Garden City, Cairo; telephone: :[20; FAX: :[20", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$11,100 (2014 est.); $11,100 (2013 est.); $11,100 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.2% (2014 est.); 2.1% (2013 est.); 2.2% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.84% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$945.4 billion (2014 est.); $925 billion (2013 est.); $906 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :58.3%; youth dependency ratio: :49.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :9.3%; potential support ratio: :10.8% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "14% of GDP (2014 est.); 11.4% of GDP (2013 est.); 12.5% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :80.3%; government consumption: :12%; investment in fixed capital: :13%; investment in inventories: :0.5%; exports of goods and services: :15%; imports of goods and services: :-20.7%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "60.3% (2008)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "22.9; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2008 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :1,066,526; percentage: :7% (2005 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "206.3 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "2.18 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "2.832 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "3.823 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "53.8 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "56.63 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "170,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "83,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "770,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "445,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "4.4 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "48,740 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "85,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "700,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "90% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "27 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "102 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "1.679 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "129.4 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "152 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "golden eagle, white lotus; national colors: red, white, black", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :24.8%; male: :14.7%; female: :54.1% (2010 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "33.1% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.5 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.83 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "6.8% (2008)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "66 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-11.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "23% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "CAIRO (capital) 18.419 million; Alexandria 4.694 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Bilady, Bilady, Bilady\" (My Homeland, My Homeland, My Homeland); lyrics/music: :Younis-al QADI/Sayed DARWISH; note: :adopted 1979; after signing the 1979 peace treaty with Israel, Egypt sought to create an anthem less militaristic than its previous one; Sayed DARWISH, commonly considered the father of modern Egyptian music, composed the anthem", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 97.8% of population; rural: 94.4% of population; total: 95.9% of population; urban: 2.2% of population; rural: 5.6% of population; total: 4.1% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 98.8% of population; total: 99.3% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 1.2% of population; total: 0.7% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$219 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $199.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$60.18 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $53.71 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "mix of state-run and private broadcast media; state-run TV operates 2 national and 6 regional terrestrial networks as well as a few satellite channels; about 20 private satellite channels and a large number of Arabic satellite channels are available via subscription; state-run radio operates about 70 stations belonging to 8 networks; 2 privately owned radio stations operational (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :43.1% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.68% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$225.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $217.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$112.2 billion (31 December 2008); $102.6 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$31.72 billion (31 December 2008); $27.6 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "11.8% (31 December 2014 est.); 12.29% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "9.75% (30 October 2014); 8.75% (5 December 2013)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.8% of GDP (2008)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :14 years; male: :14 years; female: :13 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :68.3 cu km/yr (8%/6%/86%); per capita: :973.3 cu m/yr (2000)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "57.3 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$73.04 billion (30 November 2014 est.); $58.01 billion (31 December 2012); $48.68 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$6.684 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $6.475 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$79.19 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $76.76 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$284.9 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :70,026 (West Bank and Gaza Strip); 13,475 (Sudan); 5,458 (Iraq) (2014); 133,619 (Syria); 7,365 (Somalia) (2015); stateless persons: :23 (2013)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :intermediate; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$15.13 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $16.12 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$7.463 billion (2014 est.); -$2.258 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "93.8% of GDP (2014 est.); 91.5% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover central government debt and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are sold at public auctions", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "200,430 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :25.1 years; male: :24.7 years; female: :25.4 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "30.8 (2008); 32.1 (2005)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "7,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.02% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".eg", "INTERNET_USERS": "20.136 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "96.8 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "8.557 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Mohamed M. TAWFIK (since 7 September 2012); chancery: :3521 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York", "AREA": "total: :1,001,450 sq km; land: :995,450 sq km; water: :6,000 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "34,220 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes the Asian Sinai Peninsula", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Arab Republic of Egypt; conventional short form: :Egypt; local long form: :Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah; local short form: :Misr; former: :United Arab Republic (with Syria)", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "13.4% (2014 est.); 13.2% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.87 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :underwent extensive upgrading during 1990s; principal centers at Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah, Ismailia, Suez, and Tanta are connected by coaxial cable and microwave radio relay; domestic: :largest fixed-line system in the region; multiple mobile-cellular networks with a near 100-percent penetration of the market; international: :country code - 20; landing point for Aletar, the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable networks, Link Around the Globe (FLAG) Falcon and FLAG FEA; satellite earth stations - 4 (2 Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean, 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat); tropospheric scatter to Sudan; microwave radio relay to Israel; a participant in Medarabtel (2015)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal and compulsory", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 90%, Christian (majority Coptic Orthodox, other Christians include Armenian Apostolic, Catholic, Maronite, Orthodox, and Anglican) 10% (2012 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :5,083 km; standard gauge: :5,083 km 1.435-m gauge (62 km electrified) (2009)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Mediterranean Sea - Alexandria, Damietta, El Dekheila, Port Said; Gulf of Suez - Suez; oil/gas terminal(s): :Ain Sukhna terminal, Sidi Kerir terminal; container port(s) (TEUs): :Alexandria (1,108,826), Port Said(East) (2,617,043), Port Said(West) (1,138,753); LNG terminal(s) (export): :Damietta, Idku (Abu Qir Bay)", "POPULATION": "86,895,099 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "officially recognized: :Al-Asala [Ehab SHIHA; Al-Dustour (Constitution) Party [Hala SHUKRALLAH; Al-Karama Party [Mohamed SAMY; Al-Nour [Yunis MAKHYUN; Al-Wasat Party [Abou Elela MADY; Al-Watan [Imad Abd al-GHAFUR; Building and Development Party or BDP [Nasr Abdul-SALAM; Congress Party [Ambassador Mohamed ElORABY; Egyptian National Movement Party [Ahmed SHAFIK; Egyptian Social Democratic Party [Mohamed Aboul GHAR; El Tagamu'u Party [Sayed Abdel AAL; Free Egyptians Party [Amre HAMZAWY; New Wafd Party [Sayed al-BADADWI; Popular Current Party [Hamdeen SABAHI; Reform and Development Party [Muhammad Anwar al-SADAT; Socialist Popular Alliance [Abdel Ghafar SHOUKR; Strong Egypt Party [Abdel Aboul FOTOUH", "PIPELINES": "condensate 486 km; condensate/gas 74 km; gas 7,986 km; liquid petroleum gas 957 km; oil 5,225 km; oil/gas/water 37 km; refined products 895 km; water 65 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Occupying the northeast corner of the African continent, Egypt is bisected by the highly fertile Nile valley, where most economic activity takes place. Egypt's economy was highly centralized during the rule of former President Gamal Abdel NASSER but opened up considerably under former Presidents Anwar EL-SADAT and Mohamed Hosni MUBARAK. Cairo from 2004 to 2008 pursued business climate reforms to attract foreign investment and facilitate growth. Poor living conditions and limited job opportunities for the average Egyptian contribute to public discontent, a major factor leading to the January 2011 revolution that ousted Mubarak. The uncertain political, security, and policy environment since 2011 caused economic growth to slow significantly, hurting tourism, manufacturing, and other sectors and pushing up unemployment. Weak growth and limited foreign exchange earnings have made public finances unsustainable, leaving authorities dependent on expensive borrowing for deficit finance and on Gulf allies to help cover the import bill.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "controls Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, a sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and juxtaposition to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics; dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile basin issues; prone to influxes of refugees from Sudan and the Palestinian territories", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, rare earth elements, zinc", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Egyptian(s); adjective: :Egyptian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "National Day, 23 July (1952)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :67; by type: :bulk carrier 16, cargo 20, container 3, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 12, roll on/roll off 9; foreign-owned: :13 (Denmark 1, France 1, Greece 8, Jordan 2, Lebanon 1); registered in other countries: :42 (Cambodia 4, Georgia 7, Honduras 2, Liberia 3, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 1, Moldova 5, Panama 11, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2, Saudi Arabia 1, Sierra Leone 3, unknown 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, BSEC (observer), CAEU, CD, CICA, COMESA, D-8, EBRD, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm or the equidistant median line with Cyprus; continental shelf: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :21,012,199; females age 16-49: :20,145,021 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :73.9%; male: :81.7%; female: :65.8% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :73.45 years; male: :70.82 years; female: :76.2 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral House of Representatives (Majlis Al-Nowaab); will consist of up to 567 members; 420 members to be in elected in single- and multi-seat districts by simple majority vote, 120 members to be elected in party-list districts by simple majority vote, and up to 27 seats as optional presidential appointees; elections (for new House of Representatives): :initially scheduled for late December 2014, changed to 22 March 2015, but suspended on 3 March 2015 following ruling by Supreme Constitutional Court; election results (for previous legislature): :Advisory Council (held 29 January and 14 February 2012) - percent of vote by party - Democratic Alliance for Egypt 45%, Alliance for Egypt (Islamic Bloc) 28.6%, New Wafd Party 8.5%, Egyptian Bloc 5.4%, other 12.5%; seats by party - Democratic Alliance for Egypt 105, Alliance for Egypt (Islamic Bloc) 45, New Wafd Party 14, Egyptian Bloc 8, other 4, independents 4, presidential appointees 90; People's Assembly (held in three stages 28 November 2011 to 11 January 2012) - percent of vote by party - Democratic Alliance for Egypt 37.5%, Alliance for Egypt (Islamic Bloc) 27.8%, New Wafd Party 9.2%, Egyptian Bloc 8.9%, Al-Wasat Party 3.7%, The Revolution Continues Alliance 2.8%, Reform and Development Party 2.2%, National Party of Egypt 1.6%, Freedom Party 1.9%, Egyptian Citizen Party 0.9%, other 3.5%; seats by party - Democratic Alliance of Egypt 235, Alliance for Egypt (Islamic Bloc) 123, New Wafd Party 38, Egyptian Bloc 35, Al-Wasat 10, Reform and Development Party 9, The Revolution Continues Alliance 8, National Party of Egypt 5, Egyptian Citizen Party 4, Freedom Party 4, independents 21, other 6, SCAF appointees 10", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system based on Napoleonic civil and penal law, Islamic religious law, and vestiges of colonial-era laws; judicial review of the constitutionality of laws by the Supreme Constitutional Court", "LANGUAGES": "Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated classes", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :2.81%; permanent crops: :0.82%; other: :96.37% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,612 km; border countries: :Gaza Strip 13 km, Israel 208 km, Libya 1,115 km, Sudan 1,276 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "28.26 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Constitutional Court or SCC (consists of the court president and 10 justices); the SCC serves as the final court of arbitrator on the constitutionality of laws and conflicts between lower courts regarding jurisdiction and rulings; Court of Cassation (CC) (consists of the court president and 550 judges organized in circuits with cases heard by panels of 5 judges); the CC is the highest appeals body for civil and criminal cases, also known as �ordinary justices\"; Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) - consists of the court president and organized in circuits with cases heard by panels of 5 judges); the SAC is the highest court of the State Council; judge selection and term of office: :under the 2014 constitution, all judges and justices selected by the Supreme Judiciary Council and appointed by the president of the Republic; tenure NA; subordinate courts: :Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; courts of limited jurisdiction; Family Court (established in 2004)", "WATERWAYS": "3,500 km (includes the Nile River, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Waterway, and numerous smaller canals in Nile Delta; the Suez Canal (193.5 km including approaches) is navigable by oceangoing vessels drawing up to 17.68 m) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "10.1% (2014 est.); 9.5% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :22.41 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :23.9 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :20.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, hydrocarbons, construction, cement, metals, light manufactures", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "28 February 1922 (from UK protectorate status; the revolution that began on 23 July 1952 led to a republic being declared on 18 June 1953 and all British troops withdrawn on 18 June 1956); note - it was ca. 3200 B.C. that the Two Lands of Upper (southern) and Lower (northern) Egypt were first united politically", "IMPORTS": "$55.26 billion (2014 est.); $55.46 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :137,430 km; paved: :126,742 km (includes 838 km of expressways); unpaved: :10,688 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the national emblem (a gold Eagle of Saladin facing the hoist side with a shield superimposed on its chest above a scroll bearing the name of the country in Arabic) centered in the white band; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black), overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white); note: :similar to the flag of Syria, which has two green stars in the white band, Iraq, which has an Arabic inscription centered in the white band, and Yemen, which has a plain white band", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 July - 30 June", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$55.86 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $49.28 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$27.15 billion (2014 est.); $27.87 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "Chief of state: :President Abdelfattah Said ELSISI (since 8 June 2014); head of government: :Prime Minister Ibrahim MEHLAB (since 1 March 2014); cabinet: :cabinet sworn in 17 June 2014; elections: :last held on 26-28 May 2014 (next to be held in May 2018); election results: :percent of vote - Abdelfattah ELSISI 96.6%, Hamdeen SABAHI 3.4%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Egyptian pounds (EGP) per US dollar -; 7.1 (2014 est.); 6.8708 (2013 est.); 6.06 (2012 est.); 5.9358 (2011 est.); 5.6219 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Egyptian 99.6%, other 0.4% (2006 census)", "DEATH_RATE": "4.77 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest approved by a constitutional committee in December 2013, approved by referendum held on 14-15 January 2014, ratified by interim president on 19 January 2014 (2014)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 12.5%, US 7.8%, Italy 5.4%, Ukraine 5.1%, Turkey 4.8%, Germany 4.5% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "2,450 km", "CLIMATE": "desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, wood products, fuels", "CAPITAL": "name: :Cairo; geographic coordinates: :30 03 N, 31 15 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$65.48 billion; expenditures: :$99.14 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Army; Navy; Air Force; Air Defense Forces (2015)", "BIRTH_RATE": "23.35 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "83 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "27 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazat); Ad Daqahliyah, Al Bahr al Ahmar (Red Sea), Al Buhayrah, Al Fayyum, Al Gharbiyah, Al Iskandariyah (Alexandria), Al Isma'iliyah (Ismailia), Al Jizah (Giza), Al Minufiyah, Al Minya, Al Qahirah (Cairo), Al Qalyubiyah, Al Uqsur (Luxor), Al Wadi al Jadid (New Valley), As Suways (Suez), Ash Sharqiyah, Aswan, Asyut, Bani Suwayf, Bur Sa'id (Port Said), Dumyat (Damietta), Janub Sina' (South Sinai), Kafr ash Shaykh, Matruh, Qina, Shamal Sina' (North Sinai), Suhaj", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Italy 6.7%, India 6.5%, Saudi Arabia 6.1%, China 5%, Germany 4.8%, Libya 4.8%, US 4.5%, Turkey 4.4%, France 4.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "crude oil and petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton, textiles, metal products, chemicals, processed food", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :29%; industry: :24%; services: :47% (2011 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :4%; highest 10%: :26.6% (2008)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "25.2% (2008 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.67% of GDP (2013); 1.72% of GDP (2012); 1.86% of GDP (2011); 1.72% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "agricultural land being lost to urbanization and windblown sands; increasing soil salination below Aswan High Dam; desertification; oil pollution threatening coral reefs, beaches, and marine habitats; other water pollution from agricultural pesticides, raw sewage, and industrial effluents; limited natural freshwater resources away from the Nile, which is the only perennial water source; rapid growth in population overstraining the Nile and natural resources", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :11; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :4; 3 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :72; over 3,047 m: :15; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :36; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :15; under 914 m: :6 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the development of one of the world's great civilizations. A unified kingdom arose circa 3200 B.C., and a series of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last native dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 B.C., who in turn were replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. It was the Arabs who introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and who ruled for the next six centuries. A local military caste, the Mamluks took control about 1250 and continued to govern after the conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. Completion of the Suez Canal in 1869 elevated Egypt as an important world transportation hub. Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of Egypt's government in 1882, but nominal allegiance to the Ottoman Empire continued until 1914. Partially independent from the UK in 1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty from Britain in 1952. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake Nasser have altered the time-honored place of the Nile River in the agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly growing population (the largest in the Arab world), limited arable land, and dependence on the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress society. The government has struggled to meet the demands of Egypt's population through economic reform and massive investment in communications and physical infrastructure. Inspired by the 2010 Tunisian revolution, Egyptian opposition groups led demonstrations and labor strikes countrywide, culminating in President Hosni MUBARAK's ouster. Egypt's military assumed national leadership until a new parliament was in place in early 2012; later that same year, Mohammed MORSI won the presidential election. . Following often violent protests throughout the spring of 2013 against MORSI's government and the Muslim Brotherhood, and massive anti-government demonstrations, the Egyptian Armed Forces intervened and removed MORSI from power in July 2013 and replaced him with interim president Adly MANSOUR. In January 2014, voters approved a new constitution by referendum and in May 2014 elected Abdelfattah Said ELSISI president. The legislative elections will start in late March 2015 and voting will be staggered in phases over seven weeks.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :783,405; female: :748,647 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :18,060,543; females age 16-49: :17,244,838 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-30 years of age for male conscript military service; service obligation - 18-36 months, followed by a 9-year reserve obligation; voluntary enlistment possible from age 16 (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "more than eight times the size of Ohio; slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes; flash floods; landslides; hot, driving windstorms called khamsin occur in spring; dust storms; sandstorms", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Qattara Depression -133 m; highest point: :Mount Catherine 2,629 m", "HELIPORTS": "7 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.82 male(s)/female; total population: :1.03 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "64 (2010)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 42 (plus 15 repeaters), FM 22, shortwave 1 (2010)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :14.6%; industry: :38.9%; services: :46.5% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "27 00 N, 30 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :32.1% (male 14,272,494/female 13,639,550); 15-24 years: :17.8% (male 7,913,351/female 7,536,925); 25-54 years: :38.4% (male 16,942,145/female 16,398,524); 55-64 years: :6.7% (male 2,888,193/female 2,973,531); 65 years and over: :5% (male 1,949,145/female 2,381,241) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "El Salvador", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Mari Carmen APONTE (since 22 September 2010); embassy: :Final Boulevard Santa Elena Sur, Antiguo Cuscatlan, La Libertad, San Salvador; mailing address: :Unit 3450, APO AA 34023; 3450 San Salvador Place, Washington, DC 20521-3450; telephone: :[503; FAX: :[503", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$8,000 (2014 est.); $7,900 (2013 est.); $7,800 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.7% (2014 est.); 1.7% (2013 est.); 1.9% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.27% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$50.9 billion (2014 est.); $50.05 billion (2013 est.); $49.23 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :57.6%; youth dependency ratio: :46.2%; elderly dependency ratio: :11.4%; potential support ratio: :8.8% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "8.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 8.6% of GDP (2013 est.); 8.8% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :92.8%; government consumption: :12.1%; investment in fixed capital: :15.4%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :26.6%; imports of goods and services: :-46.9%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "72.3%; note: :percent of women aged 15-44 (2008)", "DEMOGRAPHIC_PROFILE": "El Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. It is well into its demographic transition, experiencing slower population growth, a decline in its number of youths, and the gradual aging of its population. The increased use of family planning has substantially lowered El Salvador's fertility rate, from approximately 6 children per woman in the 1970s to replacement level today. A 2008 national family planning survey showed that female sterilization remained the most common contraception method in El Salvador - its sterilization rate is among the highest in Latin America and the Caribbean - but that the use of injectable contraceptives is growing. Fertility differences between rich and poor and urban and rural women are narrowing.; Salvadorans fled during the 1979 to 1992 civil war mainly to the United States but also to Canada and to neighboring Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Emigration to the United States increased again in the 1990s and 2000s as a result of deteriorating economic conditions, natural disasters (Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and earthquakes in 2001), and family reunification. At least 20% of El Salvador's population lives abroad. The remittances they send home account for close to 20% of GDP, are the second largest source of external income after exports, and have helped reduce poverty.", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "20.8; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2008 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :179,303; percentage: :4%; note: :data represents children ages 5-17 (2007 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "6.375 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "29,020 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "2,425 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "46,210 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "16,620 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "16,160 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "3 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "15.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "31.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "53.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "1.507 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "163 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "78 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "5.412 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "5.992 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "turquoise-browed motmot (bird); national colors: blue, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :12.4%; male: :12.8%; female: :11.7% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "25.8% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.1 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.6 physicians/1,000 population (2008)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.7% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "6.6% (2008)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "81 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-3.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "20.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "SAN SALVADOR (capital) 1.097 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Himno Nacional de El Salvador\" (National Anthem of El Salvador); lyrics/music: :Juan Jose CANAS/Juan ABERLE; note: :officially adopted 1953, in use since 1879; the anthem of El Salvador is one of the world's longest", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 79.5% of population; rural: 53.4% of population; total: 70.5% of population; urban: 20.5% of population; rural: 46.6% of population; total: 29.5% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 95% of population; rural: 81% of population; total: 90.1% of population; urban: 5.8% of population; rural: 19% of population; total: 9.9% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$11.45 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $10.87 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$3.057 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.892 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "multiple privately owned national terrestrial TV networks, supplemented by cable TV networks that carry international channels; hundreds of commercial radio broadcast stations and 1 government-owned radio broadcast station (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :66.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$13.07 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $11.86 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$788.7 million (31 December 2008); $797.1 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$213.7 million (31 December 2008); $209.7 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "6% (31 December 2014 est.); 5.74% (31 December 2013 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.4% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :12 years; male: :12 years; female: :12 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :1.84 cu km/yr (22%/14%/64%); per capita: :301.9 cu m/yr (2007)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "25.23 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$10.74 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $5.474 billion (31 December 2011); $4.227 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$650.2 million (31 December 2014 est.); $650.2 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$9.124 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $8.873 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$25.14 billion (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$2.773 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.745 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.484 billion (2014 est.); -$1.577 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "63.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 59% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :El Salvador's total public debt includes non-financial public sector debt, financial public sector debt, and central bank debt", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "24,070 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :25.6 years; male: :24.1 years; female: :27.1 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "46.9 (2007); 52.5 (2001)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "600 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "21,300 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.53% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".sv", "INTERNET_USERS": "746,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "8.65 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "1.06 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Francisco Roberto ALTSCHUL Fuentes (since 18 September 2014); chancery: :Suite 100, 1400 16th Street, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Brentwood (NY), Chicago, Coral Gables (FL), Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Tucson, Woodbridge (VA), Woodstock (GA); consulate(s): :Elizabeth (NJ)", "AREA": "total: :21,041 sq km; land: :20,721 sq km; water: :320 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "449.9 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of El Salvador; conventional short form: :El Salvador; local long form: :Republica de El Salvador; local short form: :El Salvador; note: :name is an abbreviation of the original Spanish conquistador designation for the area \"Provincia de Nuestro Senor Jesus Cristo, el Salvador del Mundo\" (Province of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the World), which became simply \"El Salvador\" (The Savior)", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "6.2% (2014 est.); 6.3% (2013 est.); note: :data are official rates; but underemployment is high", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.95 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :multiple mobile-cellular providers are expanding services rapidly and in 2011 teledensity exceeded 135 per 100 persons; growth in fixed-line services has slowed in the face of mobile-cellular competition; domestic: :nationwide microwave radio relay system; international: :country code - 503; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 57.1%, Protestant 21.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.9%, Mormon 0.7%, other religions 2.3%, none 16.8% (2003 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :283 km; narrow gauge: :283 km 0.600-m gauge; note: :railways have been inoperable since 2005 because of disuse and high costs that led to a lack of maintenance (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Puerto Cutuco; oil/gas terminal(s): :Acajutla offshore terminal", "POPULATION": "6,125,512 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Democratic Change (Cambio Democratico) or CD [Douglas AVILES; Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front or FMLN [Medardo GONZALEZ; Great Alliance for National Unity or GANA [Jose Andres ROVIRA Caneles; National Coalition (Concertation Nacional) or CN [Manuel RODRIGUEZ; Nationalist Republican Alliance or ARENA [Jorge VELADO; Party of Hope or PES [Rodolfo Antonio PARKER Soto; Unidos por El Salvador [Manuel Rigoberto SOTO Lazo", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The smallest country in Central America geographically, El Salvador has the fourth largest economy in the region. With the global recession, real GDP contracted in 2009 and economic growth has since remained low, averaging less than 2% from 2010 to 2014. Remittances accounted for 17% of GDP in 2013 and were received by about a third of all households. In 2006, El Salvador was the first country to ratify the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), which has bolstered the export of processed foods, sugar, and ethanol, and supported investment in the apparel sector amid increased Asian competition. The Salvadoran Government maintained fiscal discipline during post-war reconstruction and reconstruction following earthquakes in 2001 and hurricanes in 1998 and 2005, but El Salvador's public debt has been growing over the last several years, amounting to some 59% of GDP in 2014. External debt was below 30% of GDP in 2014. In September 2014, El Salvador was awarded a $277 million second compact with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) - a United States Government agency aimed at stimulating economic growth and reducing poverty - to improve El Salvador's competitiveness and productivity in international markets.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Electrical Industry Union of El Salvador or SIES; Federation of the Construction Industry, Similar Transport and other activities, or FESINCONTRANS; National Confederation of Salvadoran Workers or CNTS; National Union of Salvadoran Workers or UNTS; Port Industry Union of El Salvador or SIPES; Salvadoran Union of Ex-Petroleros and Peasant Workers or USEPOC; Salvadoran Workers Central or CTS; Workers Union of Electrical Corporation or STCEL; National Association of Small Enterprise or ANEP; Salvadoran Assembly Industry Association or ASIC; Salvadoran Industrial Association or ASI", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean Sea", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-8.44 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Salvadoran(s); adjective: :Salvadoran", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 15 September (1821)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,449,214; females age 16-49: :1,611,248 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :85.5%; male: :88.4%; female: :83% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :74.18 years; male: :70.9 years; female: :77.62 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (84 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies and a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote to serve 3-year terms); elections: :last held on 11 March 2012 (next to be held in March 2015); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ARENA 33, FMLN 31, GANA 11, CN 7, PES 1, PCD 1; note - changes in party affiliation now reflect the following seat distribution: as of 28 March 2014 - FMLN 31, ARENA 28, GANA 11, CN 7, Unidos por El Salvador 5, CD 1, PDC 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system with minor common law influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court", "LANGUAGES": "Spanish (official), Nahua (among some Amerindians)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :34.03%; permanent crops: :10.86%; other: :55.12% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :590 km; border countries: :Guatemala 199 km, Honduras 391 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "2.752 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (consists of 15 judges assigned to constitutional, civil, penal, and administrative conflict divisions); judge selection and term of office: :judges elected by the Legislative Assembly on the recommendation of the National Council of the Judicature, an independent body elected by the Legislative Assembly; judges elected for single, 9-year terms with renewal of one-third of judges every 3 years.; subordinate courts: :Chambers of Second Instance; Courts of First Instance; Courts of Peace", "WATERWAYS": "(Rio Lempa is partially navigable for small craft) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.5% (2014 est.); 0.8% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :18.44 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :20.52 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :16.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "15 September 1821 (from Spain)", "IMPORTS": "$10.11 billion (2014 est.); $9.629 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transshipment point for cocaine; small amounts of marijuana produced for local consumption; significant use of cocaine", "ROADWAYS": "total: :6,918 km; paved: :3,247 km (includes 341 km of expressways); unpaved: :3,671 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL; the banner is based on the former blue-white-blue flag of the Federal Republic of Central America; the blue bands symbolize the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, while the white band represents the land between the two bodies of water, as well as peace and prosperity; note: :similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which has a different coat of arms centered in the white band - it features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$15.46 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $14.01 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$4.521 billion (2014 est.); $4.334 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Salvador SANCHEZ CEREN (since 1 June 2014); Vice President Salvador Oscar ORTIZ (since 1 June 2014); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Salvador SANCHEZ CEREN (since 1 June 2014); Vice President Salvador Oscar ORTIZ (since 1 June 2014); cabinet: :Council of Ministers selected by the president; elections: :president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held on 2 February 2014, with a runoff on 9 March 2014 (next to be held in February 2019); election results: :percent of vote - Salvador SANCHEZ CEREN elected president; first-round results - Salvador SANCHEZ CEREN 48.9%, Norman QUIJANO 39%, Antonio SACA 11.4%; second-round results - Salvador SANCHEZ CEREN 50.11%, Norman QUIJANO 49.89%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "note: :the US dollar is used as a medium of exchange and circulates freely in the economy", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "mestizo 86.3%, white 12.7%, Amerindian 1% (2007 census)", "DEATH_RATE": "5.67 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "many previous; latest drafted 16 December 1983, enacted 23 December 1983; amended many times, last in 2009 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 38.2%, Guatemala 8.7%, Mexico 6.8%, China 6.1%, Honduras 5.2% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "307 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, fuels, foodstuffs, petroleum, electricity", "CAPITAL": "name: :San Salvador; geographic coordinates: :13 42 N, 89 12 W; time difference: :UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :none scheduled for 2014", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$5.098 billion; expenditures: :$5.977 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Salvadoran Armed Forces (Fuerza Armada de El Salvador, FAES): Salvadoran Army (Ejercito de El Salvador, ES), Salvadoran Navy (Fuerza Naval de El Slavador, FNES), Salvadoran Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Salvadorena, FAS) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "16.79 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "68 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coffee, sugar, corn, rice, beans, oilseed, cotton, sorghum; beef, dairy products", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "14 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Ahuachapan, Cabanas, Chalatenango, Cuscatlan, La Libertad, La Paz, La Union, Morazan, San Miguel, San Salvador, San Vicente, Santa Ana, Sonsonate, Usulutan", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 43.6%, Honduras 14.5%, Guatemala 13%, Nicaragua 6%, Costa Rica 4.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "offshore assembly exports, coffee, sugar, textiles and apparel, gold, ethanol, chemicals, electricity, iron and steel manufactures", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :21%; industry: :20%; services: :58% (2011 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1%; highest 10%: :37% (2009 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "36.5% (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.99% of GDP (2012); 1.11% of GDP (2011); 0.99% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Law of the Sea", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :63; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :11; 51 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :5; over 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :2; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "El Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and from the Central American Federation in 1839. A 12-year civil war, which cost about 75,000 lives, was brought to a close in 1992 when the government and leftist rebels signed a treaty that provided for military and political reforms.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :71,530; female: :68,971 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,079,038; females age 16-49: :1,373,368 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for selective compulsory military service; 16-22 years of age for voluntary male or female service; service obligation is 12 months, with 11 months for officers and NCOs (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Massachusetts", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes; volcanism: :significant volcanic activity; San Salvador (elev. 1,893 m), which last erupted in 1917, has the potential to cause major harm to the country's capital, which lies just below the volcano's slopes; San Miguel (elev. 2,130 m), which last erupted in 2002, is one of the most active volcanoes in the country; other historically active volcanoes include Conchaguita, Ilopango, Izalco, and Santa Ana", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Cerro El Pital 2,730 m", "HELIPORTS": "2 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.85 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.93 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.8 male(s)/female; total population: :0.93 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "5 (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 52, FM 144, shortwave 0 (2005)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :10%; industry: :25.1%; services: :64.9% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "13 50 N, 88 55 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :28.1% (male 882,185/female 837,646); 15-24 years: :20.8% (male 640,322/female 635,409); 25-54 years: :37.5% (male 1,056,779/female 1,243,220); 55-64 years: :6.6% (male 182,937/female 224,019); 65 years and over: :6.9% (male 187,664/female 235,331) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Equatorial Guinea", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Mark L. ASQUINO (since 4 October 2012); embassy: :Carretera Malabo II, Malabo, Guinea Ecuatorial; mailing address: :US Embassy Malabo, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520; telephone: :[240", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$32,600 (2014 est.); $34,300 (2013 est.); $37,100 (2012 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "-2.5% (2014 est.); -4.8% (2013 est.); 3.2% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.54% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$25.33 billion (2014 est.); $25.99 billion (2013 est.); $27.31 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :70.8%; youth dependency ratio: :66.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :4.7%; potential support ratio: :21.1% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "43.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 46.3% of GDP (2013 est.); 49.9% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :15.5%; government consumption: :6.4%; investment in fixed capital: :57.6%; investment in inventories: :1.3%; exports of goods and services: :77.4%; imports of goods and services: :-58.4%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "12.6% (2011)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :35,382; percentage: :28% (2000 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "5.614 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "36.81 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "4.72 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "2.16 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "6.88 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "4,561 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "2,320 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "2,290 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "3,074 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "1.1 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "319,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "290,800 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "9.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "90.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "41,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "90.21 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "97 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "silk cotton tree; national colors: green, white, red, blue", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "10.6% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.1 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.3 physicians/1,000 population (2004)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "4.7% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "5.6% (2010)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "240 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-6.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "33.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "MALABO (capital) 145,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Caminemos pisando la senda\" (Let Us Tread the Path); lyrics/music: :Atanasio Ndongo MIYONO/Atanasio Ndongo MIYONO or Ramiro Sanchez LOPEZ (disputed); note: :adopted 1968", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 92.2% of population; rural: 86.8% of population; total: 88.9% of population; urban: 7.8% of population; rural: 13.2% of population; total: 11.1% of population (2006 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 65.5% of population; rural: 41.6% of population; total: 50.9% of population; urban: 34.5% of population; rural: 58.4% of population; total: 49.1% of population (2006 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$3.788 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.841 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$3.363 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.384 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state maintains control of broadcast media with domestic broadcast media limited to 1 state-owned TV station, 1 private TV station owned by the president's eldest son, 1 state-owned radio station, and 1 private radio station owned by the president's eldest son; satellite TV service is available; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are accessible (2013)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :39.8% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.12% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$-80.51 million (31 December 2014 est.); $-578 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$132.1 million (31 December 2008); $174.5 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$1.11 billion (31 December 2008); $835.2 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "15% (31 December 2014 est.); 15% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "8.5% (31 December 2010); 4.25% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "0.6% of GDP (2002)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.02 cu km/yr (80%/15%/5%); per capita: :31.41 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "26 cu km (2011)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Equatorial Guinea is a source and destination country for women and children subjected to forced labor and sexual exploitation; children are trafficked from nearby countries for work as domestic servants, market laborers, ambulant vendors, and launderers; women may also be trafficked to Equatorial Guinea from Cameroon, Benin, other neighboring countries, and China for forced labor or prostitution; Equatorial Guinean girls may be encouraged by their parents to engage in the sex trade in urban centers to receive groceries, gifts, housing, and money; tier rating: :Tier 3 � Equatorial Guinea is not making significant efforts to comply with the minimum standards on the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; in 2013, the government initiated no investigations or prosecutions of suspected trafficking offenses and demonstrated no efforts to identify victims or to provide them with necessary services, despite being required to do so under its 2004 anti-trafficking law; undocumented migrants were deported without screening to assess whether they were trafficking victims; the government did not launch any public anti-trafficking campaigns or implement any programs to address forced child labor (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$15.4 billion (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne disease: :malaria and dengue fever; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$2.763 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.507 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.509 billion (2014 est.); -$1.542 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "8.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 8.9% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "7 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :19.4 years; male: :18.8 years; female: :19.9 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "1,400 (2012 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "31,400 (2012 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "6.2% (2012 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".gq", "INTERNET_USERS": "14,400 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "501,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "14,900 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Miguel Ntutumu Evuna ANDEME (since 23 February 2015); chancery: :2020 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consul general(s): :Houston", "AREA": "total: :28,051 sq km; land: :28,051 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Central Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Equatorial Guinea; conventional short form: :Equatorial Guinea; local long form: :Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial/Republique de Guinee equatoriale; local short form: :Guinea Ecuatorial/Guinee equatoriale; former: :Spanish Guinea", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "22.3% (2009 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "4.66 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :digital fixed-line network in most major urban areas and good mobile cellular coverage; domestic: :fixed-line density is about 2 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership has been increasing and in 2011 stood at about 60 percent of the population; international: :country code - 240; international communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Bata, Luba, Malabo; LNG terminal(s) (export): :Bioko Island", "POPULATION": "722,254 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Convergence Party for Social Democracy or CPDS [Andres Esono ONDO; Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea or PDGE [Jeronimo Osa Osa ECORO; Electoral Coalition or EC; Party for Progress of Equatorial Guinea or PPGE [Severo MOTO; Popular Action of Equatorial Guinea or APGE [Carmelo Mba BACALE; Popular Union or UP [Daniel MARTINEZ Ayecaba", "PIPELINES": "condensate 42 km; condensate/gas 5 km; gas 79 km; oil 71 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The discovery and exploitation of large oil and gas reserves have contributed to dramatic economic growth, but fluctuating oil prices along with slowing or declining oil production have resulted in much lower GDP growth in recent years. The economy is still dominated by hydrocarbon production. The government has solicited foreign investment, particularly from the United States, to diversify the economy and in February 2014 the government hosted an economic diversification symposium focused on attracting investment in five sectors: agriculture and animal ranching, fishing, mining and petrochemicals, tourism, and financial services. Undeveloped mineral resources include gold, zinc, diamonds, columbite-tantalite, and other base metals. Forestry and farming are also minor components of GDP. Subsistence farming is the dominant form of livelihood. Although pre-independence Equatorial Guinea counted on cocoa production for hard currency earnings, the neglect of the rural economy under successive regimes has diminished potential for agriculture-led growth. The government has stated its intention to reinvest some oil revenue into agriculture. A number of aid programs sponsored by the World Bank and the IMF have been cut off since 1993 because of corruption and mismanagement. The government has been widely criticized for its lack of transparency and misuse of oil revenues and has attempted to address this issue by working towards compliance with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "ASODEGUE (Madrid-based pressure group for democratic reform); EG Justice (US-based anti-corruption group)", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "insular and continental regions widely separated", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, natural gas, timber, gold, bauxite, diamonds, tantalum, sand and gravel, clay", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s); adjective: :Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 12 October (1968)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :5; by type: :cargo 1, chemical tanker 1, petroleum tanker 3; foreign-owned: :1 (Norway 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, CPLP (associate), FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO (observer)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :151,147; females age 16-49: :150,345 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :94.5%; male: :97.2%; female: :91.6% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :63.49 years; male: :62.43 years; female: :64.58 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral National Assembly or Asemblea Nacional, formerly the unicameral Parliament, consists of the Senate or Senado (70 seats; 55 members directly elected by simple majority vote and 15 appointed by the president) and the House of People's Representatives or Camara de Representantes del Pueblo (100 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms); note - the constitutional referendum of 2011 established the Senate which was formed at the time of the May 2013 elections; elections: :last held on 26 May 2013 (next to be held in 2018); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDGE 54, CPDS 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDGE 99, CPDS 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed system of civil and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "Spanish (official) 67.6%, other (includes French (official), Fang, Bubi) 32.4% (1994 census)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :4.28%; permanent crops: :2.14%; other: :93.58% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :528 km; border countries: :Cameroon 183 km, Gabon 345 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "195,200 (2007 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Justice (consists of the chief justice and NA judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president and 4 members); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges appointed by the president for 5-year terms; Constitutional Court members appointed by the president, two of which are nominated by the Chamber of Deputies; subordinate courts: :Court of Guarantees; military courts; Courts of Appeal; first instance tribunals; district and county tribunals", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "6.1% (2014 est.); 6.3% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :71.12 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :72.17 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :70.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "petroleum, natural gas, sawmilling", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-4.7% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "12 October 1968 (from Spain)", "IMPORTS": "$6.436 billion (2014 est.); $6.913 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :2,880 km (2000)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red, with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side and the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms has six yellow six-pointed stars (representing the mainland and five offshore islands) above a gray shield bearing a silk-cotton tree and below which is a scroll with the motto UNIDAD, PAZ, JUSTICIA (Unity, Peace, Justice); green symbolizes the jungle and natural resources, blue represents the sea that connects the mainland to the islands, white stands for peace, and red recalls the fight for independence", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$1.385 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.548 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$13.26 billion (2014 est.); $14.74 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro Obiang NGUEMA MGASOGO (since 3 August 1979 when he seized power in a military coup); head of government: :Prime Minister Vicente Ehate TOMI (since 22 May 2012); First Deputy Prime Minister Clemente Engonga NGUEMA Onguene; Second Deputy Prime Minister Alfonso Nsue MOKOY; cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (two-term limit); election last held on 29 November 2009 (next to be held in 2016); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president; election results: :Teodoro Obiang NGUEMA MBASOGO reelected president; percent of vote - Teodoro Obiang NGUEMA MBASOGO 95.8%, Placido MICO Abogo 3.6%, other 0.6%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar -; 491.2 (2014 est.); 494.04 (2013 est.); 510.53 (2012 est.); 471.87 (2011 est.); 495.28 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Fang 85.7%, Bubi 6.5%, Mdowe 3.6%, Annobon 1.6%, Bujeba 1.1%, other 1.4% (1994 census)", "DEATH_RATE": "8.39 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "approved by referendum 17 November 1991; amended several times, last in 2012 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 28%, Spain 16.5%, China 13.2%, France 5.7%, Italy 5.1%, Cote dIvoire 4.1% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "296 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; always hot, humid", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum sector equipment, other equipment, construction materials, vehicles", "CAPITAL": "name: :Malabo; geographic coordinates: :3 45 N, 8 47 E; time difference: :UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$5.2 billion; expenditures: :$6.262 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Equatorial Guinea Armed Forces (FAGE): Equatorial Guinea National Guard (Guardia Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial, GNGE (Army); Navy; Air Force (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "33.83 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "7 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (manioc, tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts; livestock; timber", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Annobon, Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele-Nzas", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 18%, Japan 14.9%, UK 13.5%, France 11.1%, Brazil 7.8%, Spain 7.8%, US 6.7%, Norway 4.2%, Netherlands 4.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum products, timber", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "tap water is non-potable; deforestation", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :6; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; under 914 m: :2 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968 after 190 years of Spanish rule. This tiny country, composed of a mainland portion plus five inhabited islands, is one of the smallest on the African continent. President Teodoro Obiang NGUEMA MBASOGO has ruled since 1979 when he seized power in a coup. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996, 2002, and 2009 presidential elections - as well as the 1999, 2004, 2008, and 2013 legislative elections - were widely seen as flawed. The president exerts almost total control over the political system and has discouraged political opposition. Equatorial Guinea has experienced rapid economic growth due to the discovery of large offshore oil reserves, and in the last decade has become Sub-Saharan Africa's third largest oil exporter. Despite the country's economic windfall from oil production, resulting in a massive increase in government revenue in recent years, improvements in the population's living standards lagged.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :7,398; female: :7,126 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :113,277; females age 16-49: :115,320 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for selective compulsory military service, although conscription is rare in practice; 2-year service obligation; women hold only administrative positions in the Navy (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Maryland", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "violent windstorms; flash floods; volcanism: :Santa Isabel (elev. 3,007 m), which last erupted in 1923, is the country's only historically active volcano; Santa Isabel, along with two dormant volcanoes, form Bioko Island in the Gulf of Guinea", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Pico Basile 3,008 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.75 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (2001)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 5 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :5.1%; industry: :85.7%; services: :9.2% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "2 00 N, 10 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :40.8% (male 149,597/female 144,788); 15-24 years: :19.5% (male 71,609/female 69,061); 25-54 years: :31.5% (male 112,956/female 114,785); 55-64 years: :4.2% (male 13,052/female 17,247); 65 years and over: :4% (male 12,310/female 16,849) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Eritrea", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Louis MAZEL (since 10 July 2014); embassy: :179 Ala Street, Asmara; mailing address: :P. O. Box 211, Asmara; telephone: :[291; FAX: :[291", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$1,200 (2014 est.); $1,200 (2013 est.); $1,200 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2% (2014 est.); 1.3% (2013 est.); 7% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.3% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$7.855 billion (2014 est.); $7.699 billion (2013 est.); $7.598 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :83.3%; youth dependency ratio: :79.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :4.2%; potential support ratio: :23.7% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "7.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 8.9% of GDP (2013 est.); 12.2% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :77.8%; government consumption: :18.5%; investment in fixed capital: :14.2%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :9.7%; imports of goods and services: :-20.2%; (2014 est.)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "21.3; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2010 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "739,500 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "3,160 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "4,810 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "1.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "98.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "140,800 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "269 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "317 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "camel; national colors: green, red, blue", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "1.5% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.05 physicians/1,000 population (2004)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "2.6% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "34.5% (2002)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "240 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-12.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "29.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "ASMARA (capital) 775,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Ertra, Ertra, Ertra\" (Eritrea, Eritrea, Eritrea); lyrics/music: :SOLOMON Tsehaye Beraki/Isaac Abraham MEHAREZGI and ARON Tekle Tesfatsion; note: :adopted 1993; upon independence from Ethiopia", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 51.6% of population; rural: 3.5% of population; total: 13.2% of population; urban: 48.4% of population; rural: 96.5% of population; total: 86.8% of population (2008 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 73.7% of population; rural: 56.7% of population; total: 60.2% of population; urban: 26.3% of population; rural: 43.3% of population; total: 39.8% of population (2008 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$4.077 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $3.11 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$1.991 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.483 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "government controls broadcast media with private ownership prohibited; 1 state-owned TV station; state-owned radio operates 2 networks; purchases of satellite dishes and subscriptions to international broadcast media are permitted (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :22.2% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :5.11% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$4.025 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.868 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$1.053 billion (31 December 2008); $932.9 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$896.2 million (31 December 2008); $749.1 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "NA%", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.1% of GDP (2006)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :4 years; male: :5 years; female: :4 years (2010)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.58 cu km/yr (5%/0%/95%); per capita: :121.3 cu m/yr (2004)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "6.3 cu km (2011)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Eritrea is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor domestically and, to a lesser extent, sex and labor trafficking abroad; the country�s national service program is often abused to keep conscripts indefinitely and to force them to perform labor outside the scope of their duties; each year large numbers of migrants, often fleeing national service, depart Eritrea in search of work in Ethiopia, Sudan, Djibouti, and Yemen, where some are likely to become victims of forced labor; Eritrean children working in various economic sectors, including domestic service, workshops, and agriculture may be subjected to forced labor; some Eritrean refugees in Sudanese camps are held for ransom in the Sinai Peninsula, where they are forced to work and are abused; tier rating: :Tier 3 � Eritrea does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the Eritrean Government does not operate with transparency and reported no data in 2013 regarding its efforts to combat human trafficking; no investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of any traffickers were reported, and few efforts were made to identify or to refer any victims to protective services; authorities largely lacked an understanding of human trafficking, conflating it with all forms of transnational migration; the government continued to warn its citizens of the dangers of human trafficking; Eritrea is not a party to the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$3.87 billion (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria and dengue fever (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$220.4 million (31 December 2014 est.); $193.1 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$193.5 million (2014 est.); -$157.2 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "101.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 126% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "701 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :19.1 years; male: :18.8 years; female: :19.5 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "900 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "17,600 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.62% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".er", "INTERNET_USERS": "200,000 (2008)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "305,300 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "60,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires BERHANE Gebrehiwet Solomon (since 15 March 2011); chancery: :1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :San Francisco", "AREA": "total: :117,600 sq km; land: :101,000 sq km; water: :16,600 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "215.9 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :State of Eritrea; conventional short form: :Eritrea; local long form: :Hagere Ertra; local short form: :Ertra; former: :Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "8.6% (2013 est.); 10% (2012 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "transitional government; note: :following a successful referendum on independence for the Autonomous Region of Eritrea on 23-25 April 1993, a National Assembly composed entirely of the People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ was established as a transitional legislature, and a Constitutional Commission was established to draft a constitution; ISAIAS Afworki was named president by the transitional legislature; the constitution, ratified in May 1997, did not enter into effect, pending parliamentary and presidential elections; parliamentary elections were scheduled in December 2001 but were postponed indefinitely", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "4.14 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :inadequate; most fixed-line telephones are in Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to improve the system; cell phones in increasing use throughout the country; domestic: :combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership is less than 5 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 291 (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant", "RAILWAYS": "total: :306 km; narrow gauge: :306 km 0.950-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Assab, Massawa", "POPULATION": "6,380,803 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ [ISAIAS Afworki; note: :a National Assembly committee drafted a law on political parties in January 2001, but the full National Assembly never debated or voted on it", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Since formal independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea has faced many economic problems, including lack of resources and chronic drought, which have been exacerbated by restrictive economic policies. Eritrea has a command economy under the control of the sole political party, the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ). Like the economies of many African nations, a large share of the population - nearly 80% - is engaged in subsistence agriculture, but the sector only produces a small share of the country's total output. Since the conclusion of the Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 2000, the government has expanded use of military and party-owned businesses to complete President ISAIAS's development agenda. The government has strictly controlled the use of foreign currency by limiting access and availability; new regulations in 2013 aimed at relaxing currency controls have had little economic effect. Few large private enterprises exist in Eritrea and most operate in conjunction with government partners, including a number of large international mining ventures that have recently begun production. While reliable statistics on food security are difficult to obtain, erratic rainfall and the percentage of the labor force tied up in national service continue to interfere with agricultural production and economic development. Eritrea's harvests generally cannot meet the food needs of the country without supplemental grain purchases. Copper, potash, and gold production is likely to drive economic growth over the next few years, but military spending will continue to compete with development and investment plans. Eritrea's economic future will depend on market reform, international sanctions, global food prices, and success at addressing social problems such refugee emigration.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Democratic Movement for the Liberation of Eritrean Kunama or DMLEK; Eritrean Democratic Alliance or EDA; Eritrean National Congress for Democratic Change or ENCDC; Eritrean National Salvation Front or ENSF; Eritrean Islamic Party for Justice and Development or EIPJD (includes the Eritrean Islamic Jihad (EIJ), Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement (EIJM), Eritrean Islamic Salvation, and the Eritrean Islamic Foundation); Eritrean People's Democratic Party or EPDP; Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization or RSADO", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Eritrean(s); adjective: :Eritrean", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 24 May (1993)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :4; by type: :cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS (observer), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,350,446; females age 16-49: :1,362,575 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :70.5%; male: :80.1%; female: :61.3% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :63.51 years; male: :61.36 years; female: :65.72 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Hagerawi Baito (150 seats; 75 members indirectly elected by the ruling party and 75 directly elected by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :in May 1997, following the adoption of the new constitution, 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the old Central Committee of the EPLF), 60 members of the 527-member Constituent Assembly, which had been established in 1997 to discuss and ratify the new constitution, and 15 representatives of Eritreans living abroad were formed into a Transitional National Assembly to serve as the country's legislative body until countrywide elections to a National Assembly were held; although only 75 of 150 members of the Transitional National Assembly were elected, the constitution stipulates that once past the transition stage, all members of the National Assembly will be elected by secret ballot of all eligible voters; National Assembly elections scheduled for December 2001 were postponed indefinitely due to the war with Ethiopia", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic religious law", "LANGUAGES": "Tigrinya (official), Arabic (official), English (official), Tigre, Kunama, Afar, other Cushitic languages", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :6.83%; permanent crops: :0.02%; other: :93.15% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,840 km; border countries: :Djibouti 125 km, Ethiopia 1,033 km, Sudan 682 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "3.159 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :High Court (consists of 20 judges and organized into civil, commercial, criminal, labor, administrative, and customary sections); judge selection and term of office: :High Court judges appointed by the president; subordinate courts: :regional/zonal courts; community courts; special courts; sharia courts (for issues dealing with Muslim marriage, inheritance, and family); military courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "13% (2014 est.); 13% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :38.44 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :43.61 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :33.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles, light manufacturing, salt, cement", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "11% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)", "IMPORTS": "$1.16 billion (2014 est.); $1.028 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :4,010 km; paved: :874 km; unpaved: :3,136 km (2000)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) dividing the flag into two right triangles; the upper triangle is green, the lower one is blue; a gold wreath encircling a gold olive branch is centered on the hoist side of the red triangle; green stands for the country's agriculture economy, red signifies the blood shed in the fight for freedom, and blue symbolizes the bounty of the sea; the wreath-olive branch symbol is similar to that on the first flag of Eritrea from 1952; the shape of the red triangle broadly mimics the shape of the country", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$1.049 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.028 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$573.5 million (2014 est.); $505.3 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly; head of government: :President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); cabinet: :State Council; the collective exercises executive authority; members appointed by the president; elections: :president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); the most recent and only election was held on 8 June 1993 (next election date uncertain as the National Assembly did not hold a presidential election in December 2001 as anticipated); election results: :ISAIAS Afworki elected president by the transitional National Assembly; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki 95%, other 5%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "nakfa (ERN) per US dollar -; 15.38 (2014 est.); 15.375 (2013 est.); 15.375 (2012 est.); 15.375 (2011 est.); 15.375 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "nine recognized ethnic groups: Tigrinya 55%, Tigre 30%, Saho 4%, Kunama 2%, Rashaida 2%, Bilen 2%, other (Afar, Beni Amir, Nera) 5% (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "7.65 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "adopted 23 May 1997 (not fully implemented) (2014)", "COASTLINE": "2,234 km (mainland on Red Sea 1,151 km, islands in Red Sea 1,083 km)", "CLIMATE": "hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually, heaviest June to September); semiarid in western hills and lowlands", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods", "CAPITAL": "name: :Asmara (Asmera); geographic coordinates: :15 20 N, 38 56 E; time difference: :UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.144 billion; expenditures: :$1.638 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Eritrean Armed Forces: Eritrean Ground Forces, Eritrean Navy, Eritrean Air Force (includes Air Defense Force) (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "30.69 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "13 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, sisal; livestock, goats; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "6 regions (zobatat, singular - zoba); Anseba, Debub (South), Debubawi K'eyih Bahri (Southern Red Sea), Gash Barka, Ma'akel (Central), Semenawi Keyih Bahri (Northern Red Sea)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "Gold and other minerals, livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :80%; industry and services: :20% (2004 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "50% (2004 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of infrastructure from civil warfare", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :9; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :5; 914 to 1,523 m: :2 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :4; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "After independence from Italian colonial control in 1941 and 10 years of British administrative control, the UN established Eritrea as an autonomous region within the Ethiopian federation in 1952. Ethiopia's full annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a violent 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating government forces. Eritreans overwhelmingly approved independence in a 1993 referendum. ISAIAS Afworki has been Eritrea's only president since independence; his rule, particularly since 2001, has been highly autocratic and repressive. His government has created a highly militarized society by pursuing an unpopular program of mandatory conscription into national service, sometimes of indefinite length. A two-and-a-half-year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices in December 2000. A UN peacekeeping operation was established that monitored a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone. The Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) created in April 2003 was tasked \"to delimit and demarcate the colonial treaty border based on pertinent colonial treaties (1900, 1902, and 1908) and applicable international law.\" The EEBC on 30 November 2007 remotely demarcated the border, assigning the town of Badme to Eritrea, despite Ethiopia's maintaining forces there from the time of the 1998-2000 war. Eritrea insisted that the UN terminate its peacekeeping mission on 31 July 2008. Eritrea has accepted the EEBC's \"virtual demarcation\" decision and repeatedly called on Ethiopia to remove its troops. Ethiopia has not accepted the demarcation decision, and neither party has entered into meaningful dialogue to resolve the impasse. Eritrea is subject to several UN Security Council Resolutions (from 2009, 2011, and 2012) imposing various military and economic sanctions, in view of evidence that it has supported armed opposition groups in the region.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :66,829; female: :66,731 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :896,096; females age 16-49: :953,757 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-40 years of age for male and female voluntary and compulsory military service; 16-month conscript service obligation (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than Pennsylvania", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "frequent droughts, rare earthquakes and volcanoes; locust swarms; volcanism: :Dubbi (elev. 1,625 m), which last erupted in 1861, was the country's only historically active volcano until Nabro (2,218 m) came to life on 12 June 2011", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :near Kulul within the Danakil Depression -75 m; highest point: :Soira 3,018 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.79 male(s)/female; total population: :0.98 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "2 (2006)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 2, FM NA, shortwave 2 (2000)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :11.6%; industry: :28.1%; services: :60.2% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "15 00 N, 39 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :40.8% (male 1,307,550/female 1,293,867); 15-24 years: :20.2% (male 644,878/female 646,518); 25-54 years: :31.5% (male 996,856/female 1,014,798); 55-64 years: :3.8% (male 101,549/female 138,016); 65 years and over: :3.7% (male 102,525/female 134,246) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Estonia", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Jeffrey D. LEVINE (since 24 July 2012); embassy: :Kentmanni 20, 15099 Tallinn; mailing address: :use embassy street address; telephone: :[372; FAX: :[372", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$26,600 (2014 est.); $26,500 (2013 est.); $26,000 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.2% (2014 est.); 1.6% (2013 est.); 4.7% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.68% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$35.4 billion (2014 est.); $34.97 billion (2013 est.); $34.41 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :52%; youth dependency ratio: :24.3%; elderly dependency ratio: :27.7%; potential support ratio: :3.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "25.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 26.8% of GDP (2013 est.); 26.7% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :50.5%; government consumption: :20.1%; investment in fixed capital: :28.2%; investment in inventories: :-0.3%; exports of goods and services: :87.1%; imports of goods and services: :-85.6%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "63.4%; note: :percent of women aged 18-49 (2004/05)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "26.4 (2011 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "5.686 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "678 million cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "678 million cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "21,490 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "29,550 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "7,624 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "13,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "8.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "91.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "2.825 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "2.712 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "6.301 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "7.681 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "11.66 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "barn swallow, cornflower; national colors: blue, black, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :20.9%; male: :23.4%; female: :17.9% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "20.6% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "5.3 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3.26 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.9% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "2 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-0.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "37.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "TALLINN (capital) 392,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Mu isamaa, mu onn ja room\" (My Native Land, My Pride and Joy); lyrics/music: :Johann Voldemar JANNSEN/Fredrik PACIUS; note: :adopted 1920, though banned between 1940 and 1990 under Soviet occupation; the anthem, used in Estonia since 1869, shares the same melody as Finland's but has different lyrics", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 95.8% of population; rural: 93.8% of population; total: 95.2% of population; urban: 4.2% of population; rural: 6.2% of population; total: 4.8% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.8% of population; rural: 97.6% of population; total: 99.1% of population; urban: 0.2% of population; rural: 2.4% of population; total: 0.9% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$14.71 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $14.05 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$10.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $9.741 billion (31 December 2013 est.); note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "the publicly owned broadcaster, Eesti Rahvusringhaaling (ERR), operates 2 TV channels and 5 radio networks; growing number of private commercial radio stations broadcasting nationally, regionally, and locally; fully transitioned to digital television in 2010; national private TV channels expanding service; a range of channels are aimed at Russian-speaking viewers; high penetration rate for cable TV services with more than half of Estonian households connected (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :67.6% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :-0.45% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$21.54 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $21.24 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$5.478 billion (31 December 2008); $4.253 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$6.106 billion (31 December 2008); $7.158 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "5.1% (31 December 2014 est.); 5.37% (31 December 2013 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.7% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :16 years; male: :16 years; female: :17 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :1.8 cu km/yr (3%/97%/0%); per capita: :1,337 cu m/yr (2009)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "12.81 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$2.332 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $1.611 billion (31 December 2011); $2.26 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$9.012 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $8.762 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$25 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $24 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$26.36 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :91,281 (2013); note - following independence in 1991, automatic citizenship was restricted to those who were Estonian citizens prior to the 1940 Soviet occupation and their descendants; thousands of ethnic Russians remained stateless when forced to choose between passing Estonian language and citizenship tests or applying for Russian citizenship; one reason for demurring on Estonian citizenship was to retain the right of visa-free travel to Russia; stateless residents can vote in local elections but not general elections; stateless parents who have been lawful residents of Estonia for at least five years can apply for citizenship for their children before they turn 15", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :intermediate; vectorborne disease: :tickborne encephalitis (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$366 million (31 December 2014 est.); $314.4 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$118.4 million (2014 est.); -$271 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "9.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 9.8% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities, including sub-sectors of central government, state government, local government, and social security funds", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "865,494 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :41.2 years; male: :37.6 years; female: :44.5 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "31.3 (2010); 37 (1999)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "8,600 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "1.3% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ee", "INTERNET_USERS": "971,700 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "2.07 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "448,200 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Eerik MARMEI (since 18 September 2014); chancery: :2131 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :New York", "AREA": "total: :45,228 sq km; land: :42,388 sq km; water: :2,840 sq km; note: :includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "4.58 sq km (2010)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Estonia; conventional short form: :Estonia; local long form: :Eesti Vabariik; local short form: :Eesti; former: :Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "8.6% (2014 est.); 8.6% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.46 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "marshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :foreign investment in the form of joint business ventures greatly improved telephone service with a wide range of high quality voice, data, and Internet services available; domestic: :substantial fiber-optic cable systems carry telephone, TV, and radio traffic in the digital mode; Internet services are widely available; schools and libraries are connected to the Internet, a large percentage of the population files income-tax returns online, and online voting was used for the first time in the 2005 local elections; international: :country code - 372; fiber-optic cables to Finland, Sweden, Latvia, and Russia provide worldwide packet-switched service; 2 international switches are located in Tallinn (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens", "RELIGIONS": "Lutheran 9.9%, Orthodox 16.2%, other Christian (including Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal) 2.2%, other 0.9%, none 54.1%, unspecified 16.7% (2011 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :1,196 km; broad gauge: :1,196 km 1.520-m and 1.524-m gauge (133 km electrified) (2011)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Kuivastu, Kunda, Muuga, Parnu Reid, Sillamae, Tallinn", "POPULATION": "1,257,921 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Center Party of Estonia (Keskerakond) or K [Edgar SAVISAAR; Estonian Conservative People's Party (Konservatiivne Rahvaerakond) or EKRE [Mart HELME; Estonian Reform Party (Reformierakond) or RE [Taavi ROIVAS; Free Party or EV [Andres HERKEL; Social Democratic Party or SDE [Sven MIKSER; Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica (Isamaa je Res Publica Liit) or IRL [Urmas REINSALU", "PIPELINES": "gas 868 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Estonia, a member of the European Union since 2004 and the euro zone since 2011, has a modern market-based economy and one of the higher per capita income levels in Central Europe and the Baltic region. Estonia's successive governments have pursued a free market, pro-business economic agenda and have wavered little in their commitment to pro-market reforms. The current government has followed sound fiscal policies that have resulted in balanced budgets and low public debt. The economy benefits from strong electronics and telecommunications sectors and strong trade ties with Finland, Sweden, Russia, and Germany. Estonia's economy fell into recession in mid-2008, as a result of an investment and consumption slump following the bursting of the real estate market bubble and a decrease in export demand as result of economic slowdown in the rest of Europe, but the economy recovered strongly in the five years up to 2014. Growth fell below 2% in 2014 as a consequence of weak EU and Russian growth.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly wooded; offshore lie more than 1,500 islands", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-3.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "oil shale, peat, rare earth elements, phosphorite, clay, limestone, sand, dolomite, arable land, sea mud", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Estonian(s); adjective: :Estonian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 24 February (1918); note - 24 February 1918 was the date Estonia declared its independence from Soviet Russia and established its statehood; 20 August 1991 was the date it declared its independence from the Soviet Union", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :25; by type: :cargo 4, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 18, petroleum tanker 2; foreign-owned: :3 (Germany 1, Norway 2); registered in other countries: :63 (Antigua and Barbuda 10, Belize 1, Cambodia 1, Canada 1, Cook Islands 1, Cyprus 6, Dominica 6, Finland 2, Latvia 3, Malta 16, Russia 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 8, Sierra Leone 2, Sweden 3, Venezuela 1, unknown 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA (cooperating state), EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :limits as agreed to by Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Sweden, and Russia", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :291,801; females age 16-49: :302,696 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :99.8%; male: :99.8%; female: :99.9% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :74.07 years; male: :68.85 years; female: :79.61 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 1 March 2015 (next to be held in March 2019); election results: :percent of vote by party - RE 27.7%, K 24.8%, SDE 15.2%, IRL 13.7, EV 8.7%, EKRE 8.1%; seats by party - RE 30, K 27, SDE 15, IRL 14, EV 8, EKRE 7", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system", "LANGUAGES": "Estonian (official) 68.5%, Russian 29.6%, Ukrainian 0.6%, other 1.2%, unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :14.65%; permanent crops: :0.14%; other: :85.21% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :657 km; border countries: :Latvia 333 km, Russia 324 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "669,800 (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and organized into the Civil Chamber with a chamber chairman and 6 justices, the Criminal Chamber with a chamber chairman and 5 justices, the Administrative Law Chamber with a chamber chairman and 4 justices, and the Constitutional Review Chamber with 9 members - the chief justice and 2 justices from the Civil Chamber, 3 from the Criminal Chamber and 3 from the Administrative chamber); judge selection and term of office: :the chief justice is proposed by the president and appointed by the Riigikogu; other justices proposed by the chief justice and appointed by the Riigikogu; justices appointed for life; subordinate courts: :circuit (appellate) courts; administrative, county, city, and specialized courts", "WATERWAYS": "335 km (320 km are navigable year round) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.3% (2014 est.); 2.8% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :6.7 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :7.81 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :5.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "engineering, electronics, wood and wood products, textiles; information technology, telecommunications", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "20 August 1991 (declared); 6 September 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union)", "IMPORTS": "$17.05 billion (2014 est.); $16.52 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "growing producer of synthetic drugs; increasingly important transshipment zone for cannabis, cocaine, opiates, and synthetic drugs since joining the European Union and the Schengen Accord; potential money laundering related to organized crime and drug trafficking is a concern, as is possible use of the gambling sector to launder funds; major use of opiates and ecstasy", "ROADWAYS": "total: :58,412 km (includes urban roads); paved: :10,427 km (includes 115 km of expressways); unpaved: :47,985 km (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white; various interpretations are linked to the flag colors; blue represents faith, loyalty, and devotion, while also reminiscent of the sky, sea, and lakes of the country; black symbolizes the soil of the country and the dark past and suffering endured by the Estonian people; white refers to the striving towards enlightenment and virtue, and is the color of birch bark and snow, as well as summer nights illuminated by the midnight sun", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$22.79 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $21.33 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$15.82 billion (2014 est.); $15.22 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Toomas Hendrik ILVES (since 9 October 2006); head of government: :Taavi ROIVAS (since 26 March 2014); cabinet: :Ministers appointed by the prime minister, approved by Parliament; elections: :president elected by Parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); if a candidate does not secure two-thirds of the votes after three rounds of balloting in the Parliament, then an electoral assembly (made up of Parliament plus members of local councils) elects the president, choosing between the two candidates with the highest number of votes; election last held on 29 August 2011 (next to be held in the fall of 2016); prime minister nominated by the president and approved by Parliament; election results: :Toomas Hendrik ILVES reelected president; parliamentary vote - Toomas Hendrik ILVES 73, Indrek TARAND 25", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "kroon (EEK) per US dollar -; 0.7697 (2013 est.); 0.7778 (2012 est.); 0.72 (2011 est.); 11.81 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Estonian 68.7%, Russian 24.8%, Ukrainian 1.7%, Belarusian 1%, Finn 0.6%, other 1.6%, unspecified 1.6% (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "13.69 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted 28 June 1992; amended several times, last in 2012 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Finland 15.1%, Germany 10.8%, Sweden 10.4%, Latvia 9.5%, Lithuania 8.9%, Poland 8.2%, Russia 4.7%, China 4.3%, UK 4.3% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "3,794 km", "CLIMATE": "maritime; wet, moderate winters, cool summers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and electrical equipment, mineral fuels, chemical products, foodstuffs, plastics, textiles", "CAPITAL": "name: :Tallinn; geographic coordinates: :59 26 N, 24 43 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$9.811 billion; expenditures: :$9.877 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Estonian Defense Forces (Eesti Kaitsevagi): Land Force (Maavagi), Navy (Merevagi), Air Force (Ohuvagi), Defense League (Kaitseliit) (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "10.29 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "18 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "grain, potatoes, vegetables; livestock and dairy products; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "15 counties (maakonnad, singular - maakond); Harjumaa (Tallinn), Hiiumaa (Kardla), Ida-Virumaa (Johvi), Jarvamaa (Paide), Jogevamaa (Jogeva), Laanemaa (Haapsalu), Laane-Virumaa (Rakvere), Parnumaa (Parnu), Polvamaa (Polva), Raplamaa (Rapla), Saaremaa (Kuressaare), Tartumaa (Tartu), Valgamaa (Valga), Viljandimaa (Viljandi), Vorumaa (Voru); note: :counties have the administrative center name following in parentheses", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Sweden 17.4%, Finland 16.6%, Russia 11.7%, Latvia 10.7%, Lithuania 6%, Germany 4.7% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and electrical equipment 21%, wood and wood products 9%, metals 9%, furniture 7%, vehicles and parts 5%, food products and beverages 4%, textiles 4%, plastics 3% (2009 est.)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :4.2%; industry: :20.2%; services: :75.6% (2010)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.7%; highest 10%: :27.7% (2004)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "17.5% (2010)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "2% of GDP (2013); 1.92% of GDP (2012); 1.69% of GDP (2011); 1.92% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air polluted with sulfur dioxide from oil-shale burning power plants in northeast; however, the amount of pollutants emitted to the air have fallen steadily, the emissions of 2000 were 80% less than in 1980; the amount of unpurified wastewater discharged to water bodies in 2000 was 1/20 the level of 1980; in connection with the start-up of new water purification plants, the pollution load of wastewater decreased; Estonia has more than 1,400 natural and manmade lakes, the smaller of which in agricultural areas need to be monitored; coastal seawater is polluted in certain locations", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :5; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1; 3 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :13; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :8; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US - it regained its freedom in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since the last Russian troops left in 1994, Estonia has been free to promote economic and political ties with the West. It joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004, formally joined the OECD in late 2010, and adopted the euro as its official currency on 1 January 2011.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :6,668; female: :6,309 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :210,854; females age 16-49: :251,185 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-27 for compulsory military or governmental service, conscript service requirement 8-11 months depending on education; NCOs, reserve officers, and specialists serve 11 months (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "sometimes flooding occurs in the spring", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Baltic Sea 0 m; highest point: :Suur Munamagi 318 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2012)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.92 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.84 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.49 male(s)/female; total population: :0.84 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "15 (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 0, FM 34, shortwave 0 (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :3.6%; industry: :29.2%; services: :67.2% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "59 00 N, 26 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :15.6% (male 101,018/female 95,204); 15-24 years: :11.2% (male 72,318/female 68,373); 25-54 years: :41.5% (male 250,244/female 271,450); 55-64 years: :13.2% (male 71,518/female 94,029); 65 years and over: :18.6% (male 77,492/female 156,275) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Ethiopia", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Patricia Marie HASLACH (since 25 September 2013); embassy: :Entoto Street, Addis Ababa; mailing address: :P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa; telephone: :130-6000; FAX: :124-2401", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$1,500 (2014 est.); $1,500 (2013 est.); $1,400 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "8.2% (2014 est.); 9.7% (2013 est.); 8.8% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.89% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$139.4 billion (2014 est.); $128.9 billion (2013 est.); $117.5 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :83.5%; youth dependency ratio: :77.2%; elderly dependency ratio: :6.3%; potential support ratio: :15.8% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "23.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 27% of GDP (2013 est.); 26.6% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :83.7%; government consumption: :8%; investment in fixed capital: :36.8%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :12.8%; imports of goods and services: :-41.3%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "28.6% (2010/11)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "19.6; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2011 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :10,693,164; percentage: :53% (2005 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "8.213 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "24.92 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "42,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "56,940 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "430,000 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "100 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "1.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "88.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "9.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "2.127 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "4.591 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "5.107 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Abyssinian lion; national colors: green, yellow, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :24.9%; male: :19.5%; female: :29.4% (2006 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "1.1% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "6.3 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.03 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "3.8% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "29.2% (2011)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "350 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "15.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "ADDIS ABABA (capital) 3.168 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Whedefit Gesgeshi Woud Enat Ethiopia\" (March Forward, Dear Mother Ethiopia); lyrics/music: :DEREJE Melaku Mengesha/SOLOMON Lulu; note: :adopted 1992", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 27.4% of population; rural: 22.8% of population; total: 23.6% of population; urban: 72.6% of population; rural: 77.2% of population; total: 76.4% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 96.8% of population; rural: 42.1% of population; total: 51.5% of population; urban: 3.2% of population; rural: 57.9% of population; total: 48.5% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$19.23 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $17.43 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$11.31 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $10.24 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 public TV station broadcasting nationally and 1 public radio broadcaster with stations in each of the 13 administrative districts; a few commercial radio stations and roughly a dozen community radio stations (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :19% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :4.89% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$20.27 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $18.15 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$3.603 billion (31 December 2008); $3.258 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$4.93 billion (31 December 2008); $4.229 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "11% (31 December 2014 est.); 12% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "NA%", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.7% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :7 years; male: :8 years; female: :6 years (2005)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :5.56 cu km/yr (13%/1%/86%); per capita: :80.5 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "122 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$49.86 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :261,294 (South Sudan); 244,422 (Somalia); 129,816 (Eritrea); 36,102 (Sudan) (2015); IDPs: :426,736 (border war with Eritrea from 1998-2000; ethnic clashes; and ongoing fighting between the Ethiopian military and separatist rebel groups in the Sumale and Oromiya regions; natural disasters; most IDPs live in Sumale state) (2013)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria and dengue fever; respiratory disease: :meningococcal meningitis; animal contact disease: :rabies; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$3.785 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.556 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$3.534 billion (2014 est.); -$2.783 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "55.1% of GDP (2014 est.); 50.2% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :official data cover central government debt, including debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury and treasury debt owned by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "179 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :17.6 years; male: :17.4 years; female: :17.7 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "33 (2011); 30 (2000)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "45,200 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "793,700 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "1.2% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".et", "INTERNET_USERS": "447,300 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "20.524 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "797,500 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador GIRMA Birru (since 6 January 2011); chancery: :3506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Los Angeles, Seattle; consulate(s): :Houston, New York", "AREA": "total: :1,104,300 sq km; land: :1 million sq km; water: :104,300 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "2,896 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Eastern Africa, west of Somalia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia; conventional short form: :Ethiopia; local long form: :Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik; local short form: :Ityop'iya; former: :Abyssinia, Italian East Africa; abbreviation: :FDRE", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "17.5% (2012 est.); 18% (2011 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "federal republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "5.23 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :inadequate telephone system with the Ethio Telecom maintaining a monopoly over telecommunication services; open-wire, microwave radio relay; radio communication in the HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies; 2 domestic satellites provide the national trunk service; domestic: :the number of fixed lines and mobile telephones is increasing from a small base; combined fixed and mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 15 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 251; open-wire to Sudan and Djibouti; microwave radio relay to Kenya and Djibouti; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Pacific Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Ethiopian Orthodox 43.5%, Muslim 33.9%, Protestant 18.5%, traditional 2.7%, Catholic 0.7%, other 0.6% (2007 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :681 km (Ethiopian segment of the 781 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad); narrow gauge: :681 km 1.000-m gauge; note: :railway is under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia (2015)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "Ethiopia is landlocked and uses the ports of Djibouti in Djibouti and Berbera in Somalia", "POPULATION": "96,633,458; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Afar National Democratic Party or ANDP [Mohammed KEDIR; All Ethiopian Unity Organization or AEUO [Hailu SHAWEL; Arena Tigray [GEBRU Asrat; Argoba People's Democratic Organization or APDO [Abdulkader MOHAMMED; Benishangul Gumuz People's Democratic Party or BGPDP [Mulualem BESSE; Coalition for Unity and Democratic Party or CUDP [AYELE Chamiso; Ethiopian Democratic Party or EDP [MUSHE Semu; Ethiopian Federal Democratic Forum or FORUM [Dr. Moga FRISSA; Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF (including the following organizations: Amhara National Democratic Movement or ANDM; Oromo People's Democratic Organization or OPDO; Southern Ethiopian People's Democratic Movement or SEPDM; and Tigray People's Liberation Front or TPLF); Gambella Peoples Unity Democratic Movement or GPUDM; Gurage Peoples Democratic Front [GIRMA Bogale; Harari National League or HNL [YASIN Husein; Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement or OFDM; Oromo People's Congress or OPC [IMERERA Gudina; Somali Democratic Alliance Forces or SODAF [BUH Hussien; Somali People's Democratic Party or SPDP [Abdulfetah Sheck ABDULAHI; South Ethiopian People's Democratic Union or SEPDU [TILAHUN Endeshaw; United Ethiopian Democratic Forces or UEDF [BEYENE Petros; Unity for Democracy and Justice or UDJ [Dr. NEGASSO Gidada", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Ethiopia's economy is based on agriculture but the government is pushing to diversify into manufacturing, textiles, and energy generation. Coffee is a major export crop. The agricultural sector suffers from poor cultivation practices and frequent drought, but recent joint efforts by the Government of Ethiopia and donors have strengthened Ethiopia's agricultural resilience, contributing to a reduction in the number of Ethiopians threatened with starvation. The banking, insurance, telecommunications, and micro-credit industries are restricted to domestic investors, but Ethiopia has attracted significant foreign investment in textiles, leather, commercial agriculture and manufacturing. Under Ethiopia's constitution, the state owns all land and provides long-term leases to the tenants; land use certificates are now being issued in some areas so that tenants have more recognizable rights to continued occupancy and hence make more concerted efforts to improve their leaseholds. While GDP growth has remained high, per capita income is among the lowest in the world. Ethiopia's economy continues on its state-led Growth and Transformation Plan and is scheduled to issue another development plan in 2015. Ethiopia has achieved high single-digit growth rates through government-led infrastructure expansion and commercial agriculture development. Ethiopia in late 2014 issued its first sovereign bond, generating $1 billion in revenue for a 10 year note.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Ethiopian People's Patriotic Front or EPPF; Ogaden National Liberation Front or ONLF; Oromo Liberation Front or OLF [DAOUD Ibsa", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993; Ethiopia is, therefore, the most populous landlocked country in the world; the Blue Nile, the chief headstream of the Nile by water volume, rises in T'ana Hayk (Lake Tana) in northwest Ethiopia; three major crops are believed to have originated in Ethiopia: coffee, grain sorghum, and castor bean", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population; note: :repatriation of Ethiopian refugees residing in Sudan is expected to continue for several years; some Sudanese, Somali, and Eritrean refugees, who fled to Ethiopia from the fighting or famine in their own countries, continue to return to their homes (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Ethiopian(s); adjective: :Ethiopian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "National Day (defeat of MENGISTU regime), 28 May (1991)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :8; by type: :cargo 8 (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :19,067,499; females age 16-49: :19,726,816 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :39%; male: :49.1%; female: :28.9% (2007 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :60.75 years; male: :58.43 years; female: :63.15 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Federation or Yefedereshein Mikir Bete (108 seats; members indirectly elected by state assemblies to serve 5-year terms) and the House of People's Representatives or Yehizb Tewokayoch Mekir Bete (547 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms); note - the House of Federation is responsible for interpreting the constitution and federal-regional issues and the House of People's Representatives is responsible for passing legislation; elections: :last held on 23 May 2010 (next to be held in 2015); election results: :percent of vote - NA; seats by party - EPRDF 499, SPDP 24, BGPDP 9, ANDP 8, GPUDM 3, APDO 1, FORUM 1, HNL 1, independent 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system", "LANGUAGES": "Oromo (official working language in the State of Oromiya) 33.8%, Amharic (official national language) 29.3%, Somali (official working language of the State of Sumale) 6.2%, Tigrigna (Tigrinya) (official working language of the State of Tigray) 5.9%, Sidamo 4%, Wolaytta 2.2%, Gurage 2%, Afar (official working language of the State of Afar) 1.7%, Hadiyya 1.7%, Gamo 1.5%, Gedeo 1.3%, Opuuo 1.2%, Kafa 1.1%, other 8.1%, English (major foreign language taught in schools), Arabic (2007 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :15.35%; permanent crops: :1.14%; other: :83.51% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :5,925 km; border countries: :Djibouti 342 km, Eritrea 1,033 km, Kenya 867 km, Somalia 1,640 km, South Sudan 1,299 km, Sudan 744 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "47.32 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Federal Supreme Court or Supreme Imperial Court (consists of 11 judges); note - the Federal Supreme Court has jurisdiction for all constitutional issues; judge selection and term of office: :president and vice president of Federal Supreme Court nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the House of People's Representatives; other Supreme Court judges nominated by the Federal Judicial Administrative Council and appointed by the House of People's Representatives; judges serve until retirement at age 60; subordinate courts: :federal high courts and federal courts of first instance; state court systems (mirror structure of federal system); sharia courts and customary and traditional courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "7.8% (2014 est.); 8.1% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :55.77 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :63.77 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :47.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "food processing, beverages, textiles, leather, chemicals, metals processing, cement", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "7.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world - at least 2,000 years (may be traced to the Aksumite Kingdom, which coalesced in the first century B.C.)", "IMPORTS": "$12.08 billion (2014 est.); $11.19 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :44,359 km; paved: :6,064 km; unpaved: :38,295 km (2007)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and red, with a yellow pentagram and single yellow rays emanating from the angles between the points on a light blue disk centered on the three bands; green represents hope and the fertility of the land, yellow symbolizes justice and harmony, while red stands for sacrifice and heroism in the defense of the land; the blue of the disk symbolizes peace and the pentagram represents the unity and equality of the nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia; note: :Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa, and the three main colors of her flag (adopted ca. 1895) were so often adopted by other African countries upon independence that they became known as the Pan-African colors; the emblem in the center of the current flag was added in 1996", "FISCAL_YEAR": "8 July - 7 July", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$17.02 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $14.49 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$4.14 billion (2014 est.); $3.532 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President MULATU Teshome Wirtu (since 7 October 2013); head of government: :Prime Minister HAILEMARIAM Desalegn (since 21 September 2012); Deputy Prime Ministers ASTER Mamo, DEBRETSION Gebre-Michael, DEMEKE Mekonnen Hassen; note - prior to his approval as prime minister, HAILEMARIAM had been acting prime minister due to the death of former Prime Minister MELES; cabinet: :Council of Ministers - ministers selected by the prime minister and approved by the House of People's Representatives; elections: :president elected by both chambers of Parliament for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 7 October 2013 (next to be held in October 2019); prime minister designated by the party in power following legislative elections; election results: :MULATU Teshome Wirtu elected president by acclamation", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "birr (ETB) per US dollar -; 21.13 (2014 est.); 21.1 (2013 est.); 17.71 (2012 est.); 16.899 (2011 est.); 14.41 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Oromo 34.4%, Amhara (Amara) 27%, Somali (Somalie) 6.2%, Tigray (Tigrinya) 6.1%, Sidama 4%, Gurage 2.5%, Welaita 2.3%, Hadiya 1.7%, Afar (Affar) 1.7%, Gamo 1.5%, Gedeo 1.3%, Silte 1.3%, Kefficho 1.2%, other 10.5% (2007 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "8.52 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest drafted June 1994, adopted 8 December 1994, entered into force 21 August 1995 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 15.3%, Saudi Arabia 8.1%, India 7.2%, US 5.6% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery, motor vehicles, cereals, textiles", "CAPITAL": "name: :Addis Ababa; geographic coordinates: :9 02 N, 38 42 E; time difference: :UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$7.582 billion; expenditures: :$9.025 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF): Ground Forces, Ethiopian Air Force (Ye Ityopya Ayer Hayl, ETAF) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "37.66 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "57 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cereals, coffee, oilseed, cotton, sugarcane, vegetables, khat, cut flowers; hides, cattle, sheep, goats; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "9 ethnically based states (kililoch, singular - kilil) and 2 self-governing administrations* (astedaderoch, singular - astedader); Adis Abeba* (Addis Ababa), Afar, Amara (Amhara), Binshangul Gumuz, Dire Dawa*, Gambela Hizboch (Gambela Peoples), Hareri Hizb (Harari People), Oromiya (Oromia), Sumale (Somali), Tigray, Ye Debub Biheroch Bihereseboch na Hizboch (Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 13%, Saudi Arabia 8.3%, Germany 8.3%, US 8.1%, Belgium 7.1% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "coffee, khat, gold, leather products, live animals, oilseeds", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :85%; industry: :5%; services: :10% (2009 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :4.1%; highest 10%: :25.6% (2005)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "39% (2012 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.91% of GDP (2012); 1.1% of GDP (2011); 0.91% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified: :Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water shortages in some areas from water-intensive farming and poor management", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :40; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :3; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :9; 914 to 1,523 m: :20; 8 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :17; over 3,047 m: :3; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :8; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :4; under 914 m: :2 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule with the exception of a short-lived Italian occupation from 1936-41. In 1974, a military junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile SELASSIE (who had ruled since 1930) and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups, uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee problems, the regime was finally toppled in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front. A constitution was adopted in 1994, and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A border war with Eritrea late in the 1990s ended with a peace treaty in December 2000. In November 2007, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Border Commission (EEBC) issued specific coordinates as virtually demarcating the border and pronounced its work finished. Alleging that the EEBC acted beyond its mandate in issuing the coordinates, Ethiopia has not accepted them and has not withdrawn troops from previously contested areas pronounced by the EEBC as belonging to Eritrea. In August 2012, longtime leader Prime Minister MELES Zenawi died in office and was replaced by his Deputy Prime Minister HAILEMARIAM Desalegn, marking the first peaceful transition of power in decades.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :967,411; female: :981,714 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :11,868,084; females age 16-49: :12,889,260 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; no compulsory military service, but the military can conduct callups when necessary and compliance is compulsory (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than twice the size of Texas", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts; volcanism: :volcanic activity in the Great Rift Valley; Erta Ale (elev. 613 m), which has caused frequent lava flows in recent years, is the country's most active volcano; Dabbahu became active in 2005, forcing evacuations; other historically active volcanoes include Alayta, Dalaffilla, Dallol, Dama Ali, Fentale, Kone, Manda Hararo, and Manda-Inakir", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Danakil Depression -125 m; highest point: :Ras Dejen 4,533 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.83 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (plus 24 repeaters) (2001)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 8, FM 0, shortwave 1 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :47.7%; industry: :10.4%; services: :41.9% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "8 00 N, 38 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :44.2% (male 21,376,243/female 21,308,454); 15-24 years: :19.9% (male 9,557,462/female 9,692,275); 25-54 years: :29.2% (male 14,023,218/female 14,176,263); 55-64 years: :3.9% (male 1,826,602/female 1,919,212); 65 years and over: :2.8% (male 1,242,171/female 1,511,558) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "European Union", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Anthony Luzzatto GARDNER (since 18 March 2014); embassy: :13 Zinnerstraat/Rue Zinner, B-1000 Brussels; mailing address: :same as above; telephone: :[32; FAX: :[32", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$38,300 (2014 est.); $37,900 (2013 est.); $38,000 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.4% (2014 est.); 0.1% (2013 est.); -0.3% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": ".22% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$17.61 trillion (2014 est.); $17.37 trillion (2013 est.); $17.36 trillion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "19.2% of GDP (2013 est.); 19% of GDP (2012 est.); 19.5% of GDP (2011 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :56.9%; government consumption: :21.6%; investment in fixed capital: :17.9%; investment in inventories: :0.1%; exports of goods and services: :44.9%; imports of goods and services: :-42.9%; (2012 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "3.914 billion Mt (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "1.573 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "420.6 billion cu m (2010 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "93.75 billion cu m (2010 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "438.1 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "146.8 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "8.613 million bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "2.196 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "12.77 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "11.62 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "6.804 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "1.437 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "19.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "13.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "16.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "50.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "9.071 billion kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "363.1 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "343.9 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "2.798 trillion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "3.26 trillion kWh (2013 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "a circle of 12, five-pointed, golden yellow stars on a blue field; union colors: blue, yellow", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "5.4 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Ode to Joy\"\"; lyrics/music: :none/Ludwig VON BEETHOVEN, arranged by Herbert VON KARAJAN; note: :adopted 1972; not used until 1986; according to the European Union, the song is meant to represent all of Europe rather than just the organization; the song also serves as the anthem for the Council of Europe", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$12.9 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); $12.29 trillion (31 December 2011 est.); note: :this is the quantity of broad money for the euro area, converted into US dollars at the exchange rate for the date indicated; it excludes the stock of broad money carried by non-euro-area members of the European Union", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$6.736 trillion (31 December 2013); $6.219 trillion (31 December 2012); note: :this is the quantity of money, M1, for the euro area, converted into US dollars at the exchange rate for the date indicated; it excludes the stock of money carried by non-euro-area members of the European Union", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$21.71 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); $21.29 trillion (31 December 2011 est.); note: :this figure refers to the euro area only; it excludes credit data for non-euro-area members of the EU", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$5.631 trillion (31 December 2008); $5.18 trillion (31 December 2007); note: :this is the quantity of quasi money, M2-M1, for the euro area, converted into US dollars at the exchange rate for the date indicated; it excludes the stock of quasi money carried by non-euro-area members of the European Union", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$5.542 trillion (31 December 2008); $5.649 trillion (31 December 2007); note: :this is the quantity of money, M1, for the euro area, converted into US dollars at the exchange rate for the date indicated; it excludes the stock of money carried by non-euro-area members of the European Union", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "5.9% (31 December 2010 est.); 7.52% (31 December 2009 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.75% (31 December 2013); 1.5% (31 December 2012); note: :this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "2,057.76 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$10.4 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); $9.36 trillion (31 December 2011); $10.56 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$18.14 trillion (2014 est.)", "PRELIMINARY_STATEMENT": "Although the EU is not a federation in the strict sense, it is far more than a free-trade association such as ASEAN, NAFTA, or Mercosur, and it has certain attributes associated with independent nations: its own flag, currency (for some members), and law-making abilities, as well as diplomatic representation and a common foreign and security policy in its dealings with external partners.; Thus, inclusion of basic intelligence on the EU has been deemed appropriate as a new, separate entity in The World Factbook. However, because of the EU's special status, this description is placed after the regular country entries.", "MEMBER_STATES": "28 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK; note - candidate countries: Iceland, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey; note: :there are 9 Outermost Regions (OMR) that are considered part of the EU: Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands, French Guiana, Guadeloup, Martinique, Mayotte, Reunion, and Saint Martin; and 7 special cases that are considered part of the EU: Aland, Busingen and Hochrhein, Campione d'Italia and Livigno, Ceuta and Melilla, Gibraltar, Helgoland, and Mount Athos; most citizens of Outermost countries and territories have EU citizenship", "POLITICAL_STRUCTURE": "a hybrid and unique intergovernmental and supranational organization", "UNION_NAME": "conventional long form: :European Union; abbreviation: :EU", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$863.8 billion (31 December 2011 est.); note: :this includes reserves held by the European Central Bank and euro-zone national central banks; it excludes reserves for non-euro-area members of the EU", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$34.49 billion (2011 est.); -$5.73 billion (2010 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "201,116; note - this sum reflects the number of Internet hosts assigned the .eu Internet country code (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "note - see individual country entries of member states", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "30.6 (2012 est.); 30.8 (2011 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "note - see individual country entries of member states", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "note - see individual country entries of member states", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "note - see individual country entries of member states", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".eu; note - see country entries of member states for individual country codes", "INTERNET_USERS": "340 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "629 million (2011)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "226 million (2011)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador David O'SULLIVAN (since 18 November 2014); chancery: :2175 K Street, NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20037; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :4,324,782 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "154,539.82 sq km (2011 est.)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Europe between the North Atlantic Ocean in the west and Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine to the east", "MILITARY___NOTE": "the five-nation Eurocorps - created in 1992 by France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Luxembourg - has deployed troops and police on peacekeeping missions to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and assumed command of the ISAF in Afghanistan in August 2004; Eurocorps directly commands the 5,000-man Franco-German Brigade, the Multinational Command Support Brigade, and EUFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina; in November 2004, the EU Council of Ministers formally committed to creating 13 1,500-man battle groups by the end of 2007, to respond to international crises on a rotating basis; 22 of the EU's 28 nations have agreed to supply troops; France, Italy, and the UK formed the first of three battle groups in 2005; Norway, Sweden, Estonia, and Finland established the Nordic Battle Group effective 1 January 2008; nine other groups are to be formed; a rapid-reaction naval EU Maritime Task Group was stood up in March 2007 (2007)", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "10% (2014 est.); 10.6% (2013)", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.60 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "fairly flat along the Baltic and Atlantic coast; mountainous in the central and southern areas", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "note - see individual country entries of member states", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal; voting for the European Parliament is permitted in each member state", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 48%, Protestant 12%, Orthodox 8%, other Christian 4%, Muslim 2%, other 1% (includes Jewish, Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu), atheist 7%, non-believer/agnostic 16%, unspecified 2% (2012 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :461,096 km (2013)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major port(s): :Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Braila (Romania), Bremen (Germany), Burgas (Bulgaria), Constanta (Romania), Copenhagen (Denmark), Galati (Romania), Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain), Le Havre (France), Lisbon (Portugal), London (UK), Marseille (France), Naples (Italy), Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Riga (Latvia), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Split (Croatia), Stockholm (Sweden), Talinn (Estonia), Tulcea (Romania), Varna (Bulgaria)", "POPULATION": "511,434,812 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Confederal Group of the European United Left-Nordic Green Left or GUE/NGL [Gabriele ZIMMER; Europe of Freedom and Democracy Group or EFD [Nigel FARAGE and Francesco SPERONI; European Conservatives and Reformists Group or ECR [Martin CALLANAN; Group of Greens/European Free Alliance or Greens/EFA [Rebecca HARMS and Daniel COHN-BENDIT; Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe or ALDE [Guy VERHOFSTADT; Group of the European People's Party or EPP [Joseph DAUL; Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats or S&D [Hannes SWOBODA", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Internally, the 28 EU member states have adopted the framework of a single market with free movement of goods, services and capital. Internationally, the EU aims to bolster Europe's trade position and its political and economic weight. Despite great differences in per capita income among member states (from $13,000 to $82,000) and in national attitudes toward issues like inflation, debt, and foreign trade, the EU has achieved a high degree of coordination of monetary and fiscal policies. A common currency � the euro � circulates among 19 of the member states, under the auspices of the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). Eleven established EU states introduced the euro as their common currency on 1 January 1999 (Greece did so two years later). Since 2004, 13 states acceded to the EU that are, in general, less advanced economically than the other member states. Of the 13, Slovenia (2007), Cyprus and Malta (2008), Slovakia (2009), Estonia (2011), Latvia (2014), and Lithuania (2015) have adopted the euro; 7 other member states - not including the UK and Denmark, which have formal opt-outs - are required by EU treaties to adopt the common currency upon meeting fiscal and monetary convergence criteria. Following the 2008-09 global economic crisis, the EU economy saw moderate GDP growth in 2010 and 2011 but has struggled since the sovereign debt crisis in the eurozone intensified in 2011. Despite EU/IMF rescue programs in Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Cyprus, significant drags on growth remain, including high public and private debt loads, low domestic demand that discourages investment, aging populations, onerous regulations, and high unemployment. In response, EU leaders plan to use $28 (�21) billion in public money as seed capital to attract private investors to fund $421 [�315", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "2.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "iron ore, natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, lead, zinc, bauxite, uranium, potash, salt, hydropower, arable land, timber, fish", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Europe Day 9 May (1950); note - the day in 1950 that Robert SCHUMAN proposed the creation of what became the European Coal and Steel Community, the progenitor of today's European Union, with the aim of achieving a united Europe", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ARF (dialogue member), ASEAN (dialogue member), Australian Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CERN, EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-8, G-10, G-20, IDA, IEA, IGAD (partners), LAIA (observer), NSG (observer), OAS (observer), OECD, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), UN (observer), UNRWA (observer), WCO, WTO, ZC (observer)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "NA", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :80.02 years; male: :77.19 years; female: :83.01 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :two legislative bodies consisting of the Council of the European Union (28 seats; ministers elected by the 28 member states; ministers have a total of 352 votes roughly proportional to member states' populations, and 255 votes plus a majority of member states forms a \"qualified majority\" to pass measures) and the European Parliament (766 seats; seats allocated among member states in proportion to population; members elected by proportional representation to serve 5-year terms); note - the European Parliament President is elected by a majority of fellow members of the European Parliament (MEP) and represents the Parliament with the EU and internationally; the Council of the EU and the MEP share responsibilities for legislation; elections: :last held on 22-25 May 2014 (next to be held May 2019); election results: :percent of vote - EPP 28.5%, S&D 25.2%, ALDE 8.7%, Greens/EFA 6.9%, ECR 6.1%, GUE/NGL 6.0%, EFD 5.1%, independent 5.5%, new parties 8.1%; seats by party - EPP 214, S&D 189, ALDE 66, Greens/EFA 52, ECR 46, GUE/NGL 45, EFD 38, independent 41, new parties 61", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "unique supranational law system in which, according to an interpretive declaration of member-state governments appended to the Treaty of Lisbon, \"the Treaties and the law adopted by the Union on the basis of the Treaties have primacy over the law of Member States\" under conditions laid down in the case law of the Court of Justice; key principles of EU law include fundamental rights as guaranteed by the Charter of Fundamental Rights and as resulting from constitutional traditions common to the EU's states; EU law is divided into 'primary' and 'secondary' legislation; the treaties (primary legislation) are the basis for all EU action; secondary legislation - which includes regulations, directives and decisions - are derived from the principles and objectives set out in the treaties", "LANGUAGES": "Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, Gaelic, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish; note: :only the 24 official languages are listed; German, the major language of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, is the most widely spoken mother tongue - about 18% of the EU population; English is the most widely spoken foreign language - about 38% of the EU population is conversant with it (2013)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :25.58%; permanent crops: :2.77%; other: :71.65% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :13,271 km; border countries: :Albania 212 km, Andorra 118 km, Belarus 1,176 km, Bosnia and Herzegovina 956 km, Holy See 3 km, Liechtenstein 34 km, Macedonia 396 km, Moldova 683 km, Monaco 6 km, Montenegro 19 km, Norway 2,375 km, Russia 2,435 km, San Marino 37 km, Serbia 1,353 km, Switzerland 1,729 km, Turkey 415 km, Ukraine 1,324 km; note: :data for European Continent only", "LABOR_FORCE": "230.1 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :European Court of Justice (consists of 28 judges - 1 from each member state); the court may sit as a full court, in a \"Grand Chamber\" of 13 judges in special cases, but usually in chambers of 3 to 5 judges; note: :the European Court of Justice ensures that treaties are interpreted and applied uniformly throughout the EU, resolves disputed issues among the EU institutions, issues opinions on questions of EU law referred by member state courts; judge selection and term of office: :judges appointed by the common consent of the member states to serve 6-year renewable terms; subordinate courts: :General Court; Civil Service Tribunal", "WATERWAYS": "53,384 km (2013)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.5% (2013 est.); 2.6% (2012 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :4.33 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :4.77 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :3.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "among the world's largest and most technologically advanced regions, the EU industrial base includes: ferrous and non-ferrous metal production and processing, metal products, petroleum, coal, cement, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, rail transportation equipment, passenger and commercial vehicles, construction equipment, industrial equipment, shipbuilding, electrical power equipment, machine tools and automated manufacturing systems, electronics and telecommunications equipment, fishing, food and beverages, furniture, paper, textiles", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.9% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "7 February 1992 (Maastricht Treaty signed establishing the European Union); 1 November 1993 (Maastricht Treaty entered into force); note: :the Treaties of Rome, signed on 25 March 1957 and subsequently entered into force on 1 January 1958, created the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community; a series of subsequent treaties have been adopted to increase efficiency and transparency, to prepare for new member states, and to introduce new areas of cooperation - such as a single currency; the Treaty of Lisbon, signed on 13 December 2007 and entered into force on 1 December 2009 is the most recent of these treaties and is intended to make the EU more democratic, more efficient, and better able to address global problems with one voice", "IMPORTS": "$2.312 trillion (2012 est.); $2.404 trillion (2011 est.); note: :external imports, excluding intra-EU trade", "ROADWAYS": "total: :10,582,653 km (2013)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "a blue field with 12 five-pointed gold stars arranged in a circle in the center; blue represents the sky of the Western world, the stars are the peoples of Europe in a circle, a symbol of unity; the number of stars is fixed", "FISCAL_YEAR": "NA", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$15.95 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); $14.78 trillion (31 December 2011)", "EXPORTS": "$2.173 trillion (2012 est.); $2.174 trillion (2011 est.); note: :external exports, excluding intra-EU trade", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "under the EU treaties there are three distinct institutions, each of which conducts functions that may be regarded as executive in nature:; the European Council: :brings together heads of state and government, along with the president of the European Commission, and meets at least four times a year; its aim is to provide the impetus for the development of the Union and to issue general policy guidelines; leaders of the EU member states appointed former Belgian Prime Minister Herman VAN ROMPUY to be the first full-time president of the European Council in November 2009; he took office on 1 December 2009 for a two-and-one-half-year term, renewable once; EU member state leaders confirmed Herman VAN ROMPUY for a second term in March 2012; his core responsibilities include chairing the EU summits and providing policy and organizational continuity; the present president is Donald TUSK chosen on 30 August 2014; the Council of the European Union: :consists of ministers of each EU member state and meets regularly in different configurations depending on the subject matter; it conducts policy-making and coordinating functions (as well as legislative functions); ministers of EU member states chair meetings of the Council of the EU based on a six-month rotating presidency; the European Commission: :headed by a College of Commissioners composed of 28 members, one from each member country; each commissioner is responsible for one or more policy areas; the Commission's responsibilities include the sole right to initiate EU legislation (except for foreign and defense policy), promoting the general interest of the EU, acting as \"guardian of the Treaties,\" executing the budget and managing programs, ensuring the Union's external representation, and additional duties; its president is Jean-Claude JUNCKER elected on 15 July 2014 (took office on 1 November 2014); the president of the European Commission is nominated by member state governments taking into account the results of the European Parliament elections and elected by the European Parliament; working from member state recommendations, the Commission president then assembles the \"college\" of Commission members; the European Parliament confirms the entire Commission for a five-year term; the next confirmation process will likely be held in the fall of 2019; note: :for external representation and foreign policy making, leaders of the EU member states appointed Catherine ASHTON of the United Kingdom as the first High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy; ASHTON took office on 1 December 2009; her concurrent appointment as Vice President of the European Commission endows her position with the policymaking influence of the Council of the EU and the budgetary influence of the European Commission; the High Representative helps develop and implement the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP), chairs the Foreign Affairs Council, represents and acts for the Union in many international contexts, and oversees the European External Action Service (EEAS), the diplomatic corps of the EU, established on 1 December 2010", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.78 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "10.17 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "none; note: :the EU legal order, although based on a series of treaties, has often been described as \"constitutional\" in nature; the Treaty on European Union (TEU), as modified by the Lisbon Treaty, states in Article 1 that \"the HIGH CONTRACTING PARTIES establish among themselves a EUROPEAN UNION ... on which the Member States confer competences to attain objectives they have in common\"; Article 1 of the TEU states further that the EU is \"founded on the present Treaty and on the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (hereinafter referred to as 'the Treaties'),\" both possessing the same legal value; Article 6 of the TEU provides that a separately adopted Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union \"shall have the same legal value as the Treaties\" (2013)", "COASTLINE": "65,992.9 km", "CLIMATE": "cold temperate; potentially subarctic in the north to temperate; mild wet winters; hot dry summers in the south", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fuels and crude oil, machinery, vehicles, pharmaceuticals and other chemicals, precious gemstones, textiles, aircraft, plastics, metals, ships", "CAPITAL": "name: :Brussels (Belgium), Strasbourg (France), Luxembourg note - the European Council and the Council of the European Union meet in Brussels, Belgium; the European Parliament meets in Brussels and Strasbourg, France, and has administrative offices in Luxembourg; the Court of Justice of the European Union meets in Luxembourg; geographic coordinates: :(Brussels) 50 50 N, 4 20 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", "BIRTH_RATE": "10.17 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "3,102 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "wheat, barley, oilseeds, sugar beets, wine, grapes; dairy products, cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry; fish", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery, motor vehicles, pharmaceuticals and other chemicals, fuels, aircraft, plastics, iron and steel, wood pulp and paper products, alcoholic beverages, furniture", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :5.2%; industry: :22.7%; services: :72.2% (2012 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.9%; highest 10%: :23.9% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "note - see individual country entries of member states", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.65% of GDP (2012); 1.66% of GDP (2011); 1.65% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94; signed but not ratified: :Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "various forms of air, soil, and water pollution; see individual country entries", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1,244; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,437 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :15; 914 to 1,523 m: :245; under 914 m: :982 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1,858; over 3,047 m: :118; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :335; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :504; 914 to 1,523 m: :422; under 914 m: :479 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Following the two devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20th century, a number of European leaders in the late 1940s became convinced that the only way to establish a lasting peace was to reconcile the two chief belligerent nations - France and Germany - both economically and politically. In 1950, the French Foreign Minister Robert SCHUMAN proposed an eventual union of all Europe, the first step of which would be the integration of the coal and steel industries of Western Europe. The following year, the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was set up when six members, Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, signed the Treaty of Paris.; The ECSC was so successful that within a few years the decision was made to integrate other elements of the countries' economies. In 1957, envisioning an \"ever closer union,\" the Treaties of Rome created the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), and the six member states undertook to eliminate trade barriers among themselves by forming a common market. In 1967, the institutions of all three communities were formally merged into the European Community (EC), creating a single Commission, a single Council of Ministers, and the body known today as the European Parliament. Members of the European Parliament were initially selected by national parliaments, but in 1979 the first direct elections were undertaken and have been held every five years since.; In 1973, the first enlargement of the EC took place with the addition of Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The 1980s saw further membership expansion with Greece joining in 1981 and Spain and Portugal in 1986. The 1992 Treaty of Maastricht laid the basis for further forms of cooperation in foreign and defense policy, in judicial and internal affairs, and in the creation of an economic and monetary union - including a common currency. This further integration created the European Union (EU), at the time standing alongside the European Community. In 1995, Austria, Finland, and Sweden joined the EU/EC, raising the membership total to 15.; A new currency, the euro, was launched in world money markets on 1 January 1999; it became the unit of exchange for all EU member states except Denmark, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In 2002, citizens of those 12 countries began using euro banknotes and coins. Ten new countries joined the EU in 2004 - Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Bulgaria and Romania joined in 2007 and Croatia in 2013, bringing the current membership to 28. (Seven of these new countries - Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovakia, and Slovenia - have now adopted the euro bringing total Eurozone membership to 19.); In an effort to ensure that the EU could function efficiently with an expanded membership, the Treaty of Nice (signed in 2000) set forth rules aimed at streamlining the size and procedures of EU institutions. An effort to establish a \"Constitution for Europe,\" growing out of a Convention held in 2002-2003, foundered when it was rejected in referenda in France and the Netherlands in 2005. A subsequent effort in 2007 incorporated many of the features of the rejected Constitution while also making a number of substantive and symbolic changes. The new treaty, initially known as the Reform Treaty but subsequently referred to as the Treaty of Lisbon, sought to amend existing treaties rather than replace them. The treaty was approved at the EU intergovernmental conference of the 27 member states held in Lisbon in December 2007, after which the process of national ratifications began. In October 2009, an Irish referendum approved the Lisbon Treaty (overturning a previous rejection) and cleared the way for an ultimate unanimous endorsement. Poland and the Czech Republic signed on soon after. The Lisbon Treaty, again invoking the idea of an \"ever closer union,\" came into force on 1 December 2009 and the European Union officially replaced and succeeded the European Community.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "less than one-half the size of the US", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "flooding along coasts; avalanches in mountainous area; earthquakes in the south; volcanic eruptions in Italy; periodic droughts in Spain; ice floes in the Baltic", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Lammefjord, Denmark -7 m; Zuidplaspolder, Netherlands -7 m; highest point: :Mont Blanc 4,807 m; note - situated on the border between France and Italy", "HELIPORTS": "90 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.74 male(s)/female; total population: :0.96 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "2,700 (1995); note - sum of individual country television broadcast stations excluding repeaters; there is also a European-wide station (Eurovision)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 930, FM 13,655, shortwave 71 (1998); note - sum of individual country radio broadcast stations; there is also a European-wide station (Euroradio)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :1.8%; industry: :25.3%; services: :72.9% (2014 est.)", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :15.4% (male 40,489,605/female 38,450,957); 15-24 years: :11.2% (male 29,297,915/female 28,019,963); 25-54 years: :42.1% (male 108,580,059/female 106,875,351); 55-64 years: :12.7% (male 31,624,447/female 33,531,109); 65 years and over: :18.5% (male 40,278,139/female 54,287,267) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina", "AFFILIATION": "(overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$55,400 (2002 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.011% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$164.5 million (2007 est.); $105.1 million (2002 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "45,570 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "313 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "320 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "10% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "90% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "10,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "11.16 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "12 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "ram", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-5% of GDP (FY09/10)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "40.8% of GDP (FY09/10)", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "STANLEY (capital) 2,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Song of the Falklands\"\"; lyrics/music: :Christopher LANHAM; note: :adopted 1930s; the song is the local unofficial anthem; as a territory of the United Kingdom, \"God Save the Queen\" is official (see United Kingdom)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "TV service provided by a multi-channel service provider; radio services provided by the public broadcaster, Falkland Islands Radio Service, broadcasting on both AM and FM frequencies, and by the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :75.8% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.96% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$164.5 million (2007 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "110 (2012)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".fk", "INTERNET_USERS": "2,900 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "3,450 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "1,980 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "AREA": "total: :12,173 sq km; land: :12,173 sq km; water: :0 sq km; note: :includes the two main islands of East and West Falkland and about 200 small islands", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "South America", "LOCATION": "Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about 500 km east of southern Argentina", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the UK", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "4.1% (2010)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "NA", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "NA", "TERRAIN": "rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "domestic: :government-operated radiotelephone and private VHF/CB radiotelephone networks provide effective service to almost all points on both islands; international: :country code - 500; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) with links through London to other countries (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Christian 66%, none 32%, other 2% (2012 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Stanley", "POPULATION": "3,361 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "none; all independents", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The economy was formerly based on agriculture, mainly sheep farming but fishing and tourism currently comprise the bulk of economic activity. In 1987, the government began selling fishing licenses to foreign trawlers operating within the Falkland Islands' exclusive fishing zone. These license fees net more than $40 million per year, which help support the island's health, education, and welfare system. The waters around the Falkland Islands are known for their squid, which account for around 75% of the annual 200,000 ton fish catch. Dairy farming supports domestic consumption; crops furnish winter fodder. Foreign exchange earnings come from shipments of high-grade wool to the UK and from the sale of postage stamps and coins. In 2001, the government purchased 100 reindeer with the intent to increase the number to 10,000 over the following 20 years so that venison could be exported to Scandinavia and Chile. Tourism, especially eco-tourism, is increasing rapidly, with about 69,000 visitors in 2009. The British military presence also provides a sizable economic boost. The islands are now self-financing except for defense. In 1993 the British Geological Survey announced a 200-mile oil exploration zone around the islands, and early seismic surveys suggest substantial reserves capable of producing 500,000 barrels per day. Political tensions between the UK and Argentina remain high following the start of oil drilling activities in the waters. In September 2011, a British exploration firm announced that it plans to commence oil production in 2016.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Falkland Islands Association (supports freedom of the people from external causes)", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "NA", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Falkland Islander(s); adjective: :Falkland Island", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "UPU", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :NA; male: :NA; female: :NA", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Legislative Assembly, formerly the Legislative Council (10 seats; 8 members directly elected by majority vote and 2 appointed ex officio members - the chief executive, appointed by the governor, and the financial secretary; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 7 November 2013 (next to be held in November 2017); election results: :percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 8", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "English common law and local statutes", "LANGUAGES": "English 89%, Spanish 7.7%, other 3.3% (2006 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (99% permanent pastures, 1% other) (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "1,944 (2012 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest resident court(s): :Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, the chief justice as an ex officio, non-resident member, and 2 justices of appeal); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice); note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London); judge selection and term of office: :all justices appointed by the governor; tenure specified in each justice's instrument of appointment; subordinate courts: :Magistrate's Court (senior magistrate presides over civil and criminal divisions); Court of Summary Jurisdiction", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.2% (2003)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :NA; male: :NA; female: :NA", "INDUSTRIES": "fish and wool processing; tourism", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)", "IMPORTS": "$90 million (2004 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :440 km; paved: :50 km; unpaved: :390 km (2008)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Falkland Island coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms contains a white ram (sheep raising was once the major economic activity) above the sailing ship Desire (whose crew discovered the islands) with a scroll at the bottom bearing the motto DESIRE THE RIGHT", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$NA", "EXPORTS": "$125 million (2004 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); head of government: :Governor Nigel HAYWOOD (since 16 October 2010) is the Queen's representative; Chief Executive Keith PADGETT (since 1 February 2012); cabinet: :Executive Council; three members elected by the Legislative Council, two ex officio members (chief executive and the financial secretary), and the governor; the governor must obey the rulings of the Executive Council on domestic affairs; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; chief executive appointed by the governor", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Falkland pounds (FKP) per US dollar -; 0.6003 (2014); 0.6391 (2013); 0.624 (2011); 0.6472 (2010)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Falkland Islander 57%, British 24.6%, St. Helenian 9.8%, Chilean 5.3%, other 3.4% (2012 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1985; latest entered into force 1 January 2009 (2011)", "COASTLINE": "1,288 km", "CLIMATE": "cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on more than half of days in year; average annual rainfall is 24 inches in Stanley; occasional snow all year, except in January and February, but typically does not accumulate", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fuel, food and drink, building materials, clothing", "CAPITAL": "name: :Stanley; geographic coordinates: :51 42 S, 57 51 W; time difference: :UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :none scheduled for 2014", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$67.1 million; expenditures: :$75.3 million (FY09/10)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces", "BIRTH_RATE": "NA", "AIRPORTS": "7 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "fodder and vegetable crops; venison, sheep, dairy products; fish, squid", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "wool, hides, meat, venison, fish, squid", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :95% (mostly sheepherding and fishing); industry and services: :5% (1996)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "overfishing by unlicensed vessels is a problem; reindeer were introduced to the islands in 2001 for commercial reasons; this is the only commercial reindeer herd in the world unaffected by the 1986 Chornobyl disaster", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :5; 5 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Although first sighted by an English navigator in 1592, the first landing (English) did not occur until almost a century later in 1690, and the first settlement (French) was not established until 1764. The colony was turned over to Spain two years later and the islands have since been the subject of a territorial dispute, first between Britain and Spain, then between Britain and Argentina. The UK asserted its claim to the islands by establishing a naval garrison there in 1833. Argentina invaded the islands on 2 April 1982. The British responded with an expeditionary force that landed seven weeks later and after fierce fighting forced an Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982. With hostilities ended and Argentine forces withdrawn, UK administration resumed. In response to renewed calls from Argentina for Britain to relinquish control of the islands, a referendum was held in March 2013, which resulted in 99.8% of the population voting to remain a part of the UK.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Connecticut", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "strong winds persist throughout the year", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mount Usborne 705 m", "SEX_RATIO": "total population: :1.11 male(s)/female; note: :sex ratio is somewhat skewed by the high proportion of males at the Royal Air Force station, Mount Pleasant Airport (MPA); excluding MPA, the sex ratio of the total population would be 1.01 (2012 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "2 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to members of UK Forces as well as islanders); cable television is available in Stanley (2006)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 7, shortwave 0 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1 and Radio 2 service) (2006)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :95%; industry: :NA%; services: :NA% (1996)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "51 45 S, 59 00 W" }, { "country": "Faroe Islands", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1948", "AFFILIATION": "(part of the Kingdom of Denmark)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$30,500 (2008 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.9% (2010 est.); 0.5% (2008 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.49% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$1.471 billion (2010 est.); $1.389 billion (2008 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "753,400 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "4,661 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "4,900 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "4.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "31% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "64.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "100,100 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "242.7 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "261 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "ram; national colors: red, white, blue", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :9.4%; male: :6.9%; female: :12.5% (2005 est.)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "4.7 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-11.9% of GDP (2010 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "44.2% of GDP (2010 est.)", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "TORSHAVN (capital) 21,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Mitt alfagra land\" (My Fairest Land); lyrics/music: :Simun av SKAROI/Peter ALBERG; note: :adopted 1948; the anthem is also known as \"Tu alfagra land mitt\" (Thou Fairest Land of Mine); as an autonomous overseas division of Denmark, the Faroe Islands are permitted their own national anthem", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 publicly owned TV station; the Faroese telecommunications company distributes local and international channels through its digital terrestrial network; publicly owned radio station supplemented by 2 privately owned stations broadcasting over multiple frequencies (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :41.7% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.47% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$2.32 billion (2010 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "7,575 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :37.7 years; male: :37.1 years; female: :38.4 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".fo", "INTERNET_USERS": "37,500 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "61,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "24,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)", "AREA": "total: :1,393 sq km; land: :1,393 sq km; water: :0 sq km (some lakes and streams)", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "0 sq km (2011)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Northern Europe, island group between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about half way between Iceland and Norway", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Faroe Islands; local long form: :none; local short form: :Foroyar", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of Denmark", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "5.5% (2012); 6.8% (2011)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "NA", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.38 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :good international communications; good domestic facilities; domestic: :conversion to digital system completed in 1998; both NMT (analog) and GSM (digital) mobile telephone systems are installed; international: :country code - 298; satellite earth stations - 1 Orion; 1 fiber-optic submarine cable to the Shetland Islands, linking the Faroe Islands with Denmark and Iceland; fiber-optic submarine cable connection to Canada-Europe cable (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Evangelical Lutheran 83.8%, other and unspecified 16.2% (2006 census)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Fuglafjordur, Torshavn, Vagur", "POPULATION": "49,947 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Center Party (Midflokkurin) [Jenis av RANA; Independence Party (Sjalvstyrisflokkurin) [Kari P. HOJGAARD; People's Party (Folkaflokkurin) [Jorgen NICLASEN; Progressive Party (Framsokn) [Poul MICHELSEN; Republican Party (Tjodveldi) [Hogni HOYDAL; Social Democratic Party (Javnadarflokkurin) [Aksel JOHANNESEN; Union Party (Sambandsflokkurin) [Kaj Leo JOHANNESEN", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The Faroese economy is dependent on fishing, which makes the economy vulnerable to price fluctuations. The sector normally accounts for about 95% of exports and nearly half of GDP. In early 2008 the Faroese economy began to slow as a result of smaller catches and historically high oil prices. The slowdown in the Faroese economy followed a strong performance since the mid-1990s with annual growth rates averaging close to 6%, mostly a result of increased fish landings and salmon farming, and high export prices. Unemployment reached its lowest level in June 2008 at 1.1% but gradually increased to about 5.5% in 2012. Total dependence on fishing and salmon farming make the Faroese economy vulnerable to fluctuations in world demand. Initial discoveries of oil in the Faroese area give hope for eventual oil production, which may provide a foundation for a more diversified economy and less dependence on Danish economic assistance. Aided by an annual subsidy from Denmark amounting to about 3% of Faroese GDP, the Faroese have a standard of living almost equal to that of Denmark and Greenland. The Faroese Government ran relatively large deficits from 2008 to 2010 and budget deficits are forecast for several years ahead. At year-end 2010 gross external debt had reached approximately US$900 million.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :conservationists", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "archipelago of 17 inhabited islands and one uninhabited island, and a few uninhabited islets; strategically located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic; precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Faroese (singular and plural); adjective: :Faroese", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Olaifest (Olavsoka), 29 July", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :37; by type: :cargo 20, chemical tanker 7, container 2, passenger/cargo 3, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 2; foreign-owned: :28 (Iceland 4, Norway 13, Sweden 11) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Arctic Council, IMO (associate), NC, NIB, UNESCO (associate), UPU", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :3 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :11,831 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :80.11 years; male: :77.61 years; female: :82.79 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Faroese Parliament or Logting (33 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); note: :election of two seats to the Danish Parliament was last held on 15 September 2011 (next to be held no later than September 2015); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Social Democratic Party 1, Union Party 1; elections: :last held on 29 October 2011 (next to be held no later than October 2015); election results: :percent of vote by party - Union Party 24.7%, People's Party 22.5%, Republican Party 18.3%, Social Democratic Party 17.7%, Progressive Party 6.3%, Center Party 6.2%, Independence Party 4.2%, other 0.1%; seats by party - Union Party 8, People's Party 8, Republican Party 6, Social Democratic Party 6, Progressive Party 2, Center Party 2, Independence Party 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "the laws of Denmark, where applicable, apply", "LANGUAGES": "Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :2.15%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :97.85% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "34,710 (November 2010)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "the Faroese Court or Raett (Rett - Danish) decides both civil and criminal cases; the Court is part of the Danish legal system", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.3% (2011); 0.4% (2010)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :5.71 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :5.97 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :5.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "fishing, fish processing, small ship repair and refurbishment, handicrafts", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.4% (2009 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)", "IMPORTS": "$776 million (2010); $786 million (2009)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :463 km (2006)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "white with a red cross outlined in blue extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted toward the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag); referred to as Merkid, meaning \"the banner\" or \"the mark,\" the flag resembles those of neighboring Iceland and Norway, and uses the same three colors - but in a different sequence; white represents the clear Faroese sky as well as the foam of the waves; red and blue are traditional Faroese colors", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$888.8 million (2010); $68.1 million (2006)", "EXPORTS": "$824 million (2010); $767 million (2009)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Dan Michael KNUDSEN, chief administrative officer (since 2008); head of government: :Prime Minister Kaj Leo JOHANNESSEN (since 26 September 2008); cabinet: :Landsstyri appointed by the prime minister; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; high commissioner appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by the Faroese Parliament; election last held on 14 November 2011 (next to be held no later than November 2015); election results: :Kaj Leo JOHANNESSEN reelected prime minister in 2011", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar -; 5.587 (2011); 5.3687 (2011); 5.79 (2012 est.); 5.3687 (2011 est.); 5.6241 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Scandinavian", "DEATH_RATE": "8.71 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "5 June 1953 (Danish Constitution), 23 March 1948 (Home Rule Act), and 24 June 2005 (Takeover Act ) serve as the Faroe Islands� constitutional position in the Unity of the Realm (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Denmark 47.9%, Norway 28%, Iceland 5.2%, Germany 4.2% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "1,117 km", "CLIMATE": "mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "goods for household consumption, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, raw materials and semi-manufactures, salt", "CAPITAL": "name: :Torshavn; geographic coordinates: :62 00 N, 6 46 W; time difference: :UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.025 billion; expenditures: :$1.301 billion; note: :Denmark supplies the Faroe Islands with almost one-third of their public funds (2010)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "13.57 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "milk, potatoes, vegetables; sheep; salmon, other fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 34 municipalities", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "UK 25.2%, Denmark 20.2%, Nigeria 12.7%, US 11.1%, Netherlands 5.8%, Russia 5.7%, China 5.7% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fish and fish products 94%, stamps, ships (2009 est.)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :10.7%; industry: :18.9%; services: :70.3% (November 2010)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Marine Dumping - associate member to the London Convention and Ship Pollution", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The population of the Faroe Islands is largely descended from Viking settlers who arrived in the 9th century. The islands have been connected politically to Denmark since the 14th century. A high degree of self-government was granted the Faroese in 1948, who have autonomy over most internal affairs while Denmark is responsible for justice, defense, and foreign affairs. The Faroe Islands are not part of the European Union.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :372; female: :373 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :9,827; females age 16-49: :8,418 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "eight times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Slaettaratindur 882 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.07 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.08 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.18 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.09 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.93 male(s)/female; total population: :1.09 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "3 (plus 43 repeaters) (September 1995)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :16%; industry: :29%; services: :55% (2007 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "62 00 N, 7 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :20.3% (male 5,251/female 4,877); 15-24 years: :15.3% (male 3,942/female 3,701); 25-54 years: :36.8% (male 9,958/female 8,445); 55-64 years: :11.8% (male 3,035/female 2,859); 65 years and over: :15.8% (male 3,819/female 4,060) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Fiji", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Judith CEFKIN (since 3 February 2015); note - also accredited to Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu; embassy: :158 Princes Rd, Tamavua; mailing address: :P. O. Box 218, Suva; telephone: :[679; FAX: :[679", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$8,200 (2014 est.); $8,000 (2013 est.); $7,700 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.8% (2014 est.); 4.6% (2013 est.); 1.8% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.7% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$7.292 billion (2014 est.); $7.022 billion (2013 est.); $6.71 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :52.5%; youth dependency ratio: :43.9%; elderly dependency ratio: :8.6%; potential support ratio: :11.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "16.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 7.4% of GDP (2013 est.); 20.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :81.2%; government consumption: :14.9%; investment in fixed capital: :21.4%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :51.6%; imports of goods and services: :-69.1%; (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "1.543 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "10,050 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "692 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "11,380 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "30 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "5.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "45.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "49% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "245,100 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "777.6 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "836.1 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Fijian canoe; national color: light blue", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "30.6% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2 beds/1,000 population (2009)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.43 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "4% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "5.3% (2004)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "26 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "26.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "SUVA (capital) 176,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"God Bless Fiji\"; lyrics/music: :Michael Francis Alexander PRESCOTT/C. Austin MILES (adapted by Michael Francis Alexander PRESCOTT); note: :adopted 1970; known in Fijian as \"Meda Dau Doka\" (Let Us Show Pride); adapted from the hymn, \"Dwelling in Beulah Land,\" the anthem's English lyrics are generally sung, although they differ in meaning from the official Fijian lyrics", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 92.1% of population; rural: 81.7% of population; total: 87.2% of population; urban: 7.9% of population; rural: 18.3% of population; total: 12.8% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 92.2% of population; total: 96.3% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 7.8% of population; total: 3.7% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$3.078 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.953 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$1.931 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.816 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "Fiji TV, a publicly traded company, operates a free-to-air channel as well as Sky Fiji and Sky Pacific multi-channel pay-TV services; state-owned commercial company, Fiji Broadcasting Corporation, Ltd, operates 6 radio stations - 2 public broadcasters and 4 commercial broadcasters with multiple repeaters; 5 radio stations with repeaters operated by Communications Fiji, Ltd; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :53.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.45% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$2.773 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.585 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$1.012 billion (31 December 2008); $1.088 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$738.6 million (31 December 2008); $1.042 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "5.9% (31 December 2014 est.); 6.1% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "1.75% (31 December 2010); 3% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.2% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :14 years; male: :14 years; female: :14 years (2004)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.08 cu km/yr (30%/11%/59%); per capita: :100.1 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "28.55 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$452.5 million (31 December 2012 est.); $392.2 million (31 December 2011); $418.8 million (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$50.08 million (31 December 2014 est.); $49.65 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$3.889 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.581 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$4.173 billion (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$981.6 million (31 December 2014 est.); $941.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$214 million (2014 est.); -$583 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "52.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 52.8% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "21,739 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :27.9 years; male: :27.7 years; female: :28.1 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "fewer than 100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.1% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".fj", "INTERNET_USERS": "114,200 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "858,800 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "88,400 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Winston THOMPSON (since 20 April 2009); chancery: :2000 M Street, NW, Suite 710, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s): :Los Angeles, Portland, San Francisco", "AREA": "total: :18,274 sq km; land: :18,274 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "30 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Fiji; conventional short form: :Fiji; local long form: :Republic of Fiji/Matanitu ko Viti; local short form: :Fiji/Viti", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "7.6% (1999)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.51 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly mountains of volcanic origin", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modern local, interisland, and international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio communications center; domestic: :telephone or radio telephone links to almost all inhabited islands; most towns and large villages have automatic telephone exchanges and direct dialing; combined fixed and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 100 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 679; access to important cable links between US and Canada as well as between NZ and Australia; satellite earth stations - 2 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 45% (Methodist 34.6%, Assembly of God 5.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 3.9%, and Anglican 0.8%), Hindu 27.9%, other Christian 10.4%, Roman Catholic 9.1%, Muslim 6.3%, Sikh 0.3%, other 0.3%, none 0.8% (2007 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :597 km; narrow gauge: :597 km 0.600-m gauge; note: :belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation; used to haul sugarcane during the harvest season, which runs from May to December (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Lautoka, Levuka, Suva", "POPULATION": "903,207 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "FijiFirst [Aiyaz SAYED-KHAIYUM; Fiji Labor Party or FLP [Mahendra CHAUDHRY; Fiji United Freedon Party or FUFP [Jagath KARUNARATNE; National Federation Party or NFP [Dalip KUMAR; Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Adi Sivia QORO; Social Democratic Liberal Party or SODELPA [Pio TABAIWALU", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Fiji, endowed with forest, mineral, and fish resources, is one of the most developed of the Pacific island economies though still with a large subsistence sector. Sugar exports, remittances from Fijians working abroad, and a growing tourist industry - with 400,000 to 500,000 tourists annually - are the major sources of foreign exchange. Fiji's sugar has special access to European Union markets but will be harmed by the EU's decision to cut sugar subsidies. Sugar processing makes up one-third of industrial activity but is not efficient. Fiji's tourism industry was damaged by the December 2006 coup and is facing an uncertain recovery time. Long-term problems include low investment, uncertain land ownership rights, and the government's inability to manage its budget. Overseas remittances from Fijians working in Kuwait and Iraq have decreased significantly. Fiji's current account deficit peaked at 23% of GDP in 2006, and has declined to 19% of GDP in 2014.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Group Against Racial Discrimination or GARD [Dr. Anirudk SINGH; Viti Landowners Association", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "includes 332 islands; approximately 110 are inhabited", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-6.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Fijian(s); adjective: :Fijian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, second Monday of October (1970)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :11; by type: :passenger 4, passenger/cargo 4, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 2; foreign-owned: :2 (Australia 2) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OPCW, PCA, PIF, Sparteca (suspended), SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines; territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation; rectilinear shelf claim added", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :233,240; females age 16-49: :222,587 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :72.15 years; male: :69.53 years; female: :74.91 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (32 seats; 14 members appointed by the president on the advice of the Great Council of Chiefs, 9 appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister, 8 on the advice of the opposition leader, and 1 on the advice of the Council of Rotuma, a municipal body on the island of Rotuma) and the House of Representatives (71 seats to include 23 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 19 reserved for ethnic Indians, 3 reserved for other ethnic groups, 1 reserved for the Council of Rotuma constituency encompassing the whole of Fiji, and 25 open seats - irrespective of ethnicity; members directly elected by majority preferential vote to serve 5-year terms); elections: :House of Representatives - last held on 17 September 2014 (the next election will be held in 2019); election results: :House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - Fiji First 59.2%, SDL 28.2%, National Federation Party 5.5%; seats by party - Fiji First 32, SDL 15, National Federation Party 3", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "common law system based on the English model", "LANGUAGES": "English (official), Fijian (official), Hindustani", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :9.03%; permanent crops: :4.65%; other: :86.32% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "345,700 (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice, all justices of the Court of Appeal, and judges appointed specifically as Supreme Court judges); Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, all puisne judges of the High Court, and judges specifically appointed to the Court of Appeal); High Court (chaired by the chief justice and includes a minimum of 10 puisne judges; High Court organized into civil, criminal, family, employment, and tax divisions); note - in 1987, the Supreme Court assumed functions formerly performed by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London); judge selection and term of office: :chief justice appointed by the president of Fiji on the advice of the prime minister following consultation with the parliamentary leader of the opposition; judges of the Supreme Court, the president of the Court of Appeal, the justices of the Court of Appeal, and puisne judges of the High Court are appointed by the president of Fiji, upon the nomination of the Judicial Service Commission, after consulting with the cabinet minister and the committee of the House of Representatives responsible for the administration of justice; the chief justice, Supreme Court judges, and justices of Appeal generally required to retire at age 70, but may be waived for one or more sessions of the court; puisine judges appointed for not less than 4 years nor more than 7 years with mandatory retirement at age 65; subordinate courts: :Magistrates' Court (organized into civil, criminal, juvenile, and small claims divisions)", "WATERWAYS": "203 km (122 km are navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.2% (2014 est.); 2.9% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :10.2 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :11.24 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :9.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, sugar, clothing, copra, gold, silver, lumber, small cottage industries", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "10 October 1970 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$2.241 billion (2014 est.); $2.49 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :3,440 km; paved: :1,686 km; unpaved: :1,754 km (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Fijian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the blue symbolizes the Pacific ocean and the Union Jack reflects the links with Great Britain; the shield - taken from Fiji's coat of arms - depicts a yellow lion above a white field quartered by the cross of Saint George; the four quarters depict stalks of sugarcane, a palm tree, bananas, and a white dove", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$503.1 million (31 December 2014 est.); $533.4 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$1.188 billion (2014 est.); $1.08 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Ratu Epeli NAILATIKAU (since 30 July 2009); head of government: :Prime Minister Voreqe \"Frank\" BAINIMARAMA (since 22 September 2014); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of Parliament and responsible to Parliament; elections: :under the constitution, president elected by the Great Council of Chiefs for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); in 2007 the Great Council of Chiefs was suspended from its role in electing the president; prime minister appointed by the president; election results: :Ratu Epeli NAILATIKAU was appointed by Chief Justice Anthony GATES", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Fijian dollars (FJD) per US dollar -; 1.875 (2014 est.); 1.8414 (2013 est.); 1.79 (2012 est.); 1.7932 (2011 est.); 1.9183 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "iTaukei 56.8% (predominantly Melanesian with a Polynesian admixture), Indian 37.5%, Rotuman 1.2%, other 4.5% (European, part European, other Pacific Islanders, Chinese); note: :a 2010 law replaces 'Fijian' with 'iTuakei' when referring to the original and native settlers of Fiji (2007 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "6 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest signed into law September 2013 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Singapore 17.5%, France 16.1%, NZ 13.6%, Australia 12%, China 10.1%, Malaysia 9.8% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "1,129 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products, food, chemicals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Suva (on Viti Levu); geographic coordinates: :18 08 S, 178 25 E; time difference: :UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins fourth Sunday in October; ends third Sunday in January", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.12 billion; expenditures: :$1.227 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF): Land Forces, Naval Forces (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "19.86 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "28 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "sugarcane, coconuts, cassava (manioc, tapioca), rice, sweet potatoes, bananas; cattle, pigs, horses, goats; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "14 provinces and 1 dependency*; Ba, Bua, Cakaudrove, Kadavu, Lau, Lomaiviti, Macuata, Nadroga and Navosa, Naitasiri, Namosi, Ra, Rewa, Rotuma*, Serua, Tailevu", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 12.4%, Australia 11.3%, Samoa 6.1%, Tonga 5.4%, UK 5.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "sugar, garments, gold, timber, fish, molasses, coconut oil", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :70%; industry and services: :30% (2001 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.6%; highest 10%: :34.9% (2009 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "31% (2009 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.47% of GDP (2012); 1.44% of GDP (2011); 1.47% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; soil erosion", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :24; 914 to 1,523 m: :5; 19 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :4; over 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :2 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Fiji became independent in 1970 after nearly a century as a British colony. Democratic rule was interrupted by two military coups in 1987 caused by concern over a government perceived as dominated by the Indian community (descendants of contract laborers brought to the islands by the British in the 19th century). The coups and a 1990 constitution that cemented native Melanesian control of Fiji led to heavy Indian emigration; the population loss resulted in economic difficulties, but ensured that Melanesians became the majority. A new constitution enacted in 1997 was more equitable. Free and peaceful elections in 1999 resulted in a government led by an Indo-Fijian, but a civilian-led coup in May 2000 ushered in a prolonged period of political turmoil. Parliamentary elections held in August 2001 provided Fiji with a democratically elected government led by Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE. Re-elected in May 2006, QARASE was ousted in a December 2006 military coup led by Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA, who initially appointed himself acting president but in January 2007 became interim prime minister. Since taking power BAINIMARAMA has neutralized his opponents, crippled Fiji's democratic institutions, and initially refused to hold elections. In 2012, he promised to hold elections in 2014.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :8,403; female: :8,039 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :183,730; females age 16-49: :188,325 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; mandatory retirement at age 55 (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than New Jersey", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "cyclonic storms can occur from November to January", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Tomanivi 1,324 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.85 male(s)/female; total population: :1.03 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "NA", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 13, FM 40, shortwave 0 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :12.7%; industry: :18.2%; services: :69.1% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "18 00 S, 175 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :28.2% (male 130,013/female 124,423); 15-24 years: :17.1% (male 78,751/female 75,358); 25-54 years: :41.1% (male 190,035/female 181,268); 55-64 years: :7.8% (male 35,616/female 34,920); 65 years and over: :5.8% (male 24,282/female 28,541) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Finland", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Bruce J. ORECK (since 12 August 2009); embassy: :Itainen Puistotie 14B, 00140 Helsinki; mailing address: :APO AE 09723; telephone: :[358; FAX: :[358", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$40,500 (2014 est.); $40,700 (2013 est.); $41,400 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.2% (2014 est.); -1.2% (2013 est.); -1.5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.05% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$221.5 billion (2014 est.); $222 billion (2013 est.); $224.7 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :56.8%; youth dependency ratio: :25.8%; elderly dependency ratio: :31%; potential support ratio: :3.2% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "20.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 19.9% of GDP (2013 est.); 21% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :55.1%; government consumption: :24.9%; investment in fixed capital: :20.9%; investment in inventories: :0.6%; exports of goods and services: :36.9%; imports of goods and services: :-38.4%; (2014 est.)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "28.5 (2012 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "46.81 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "3.482 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "3.485 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "3 million cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "122,900 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "144,400 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "198,400 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "290,500 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "214,700 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "12.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "16.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "18.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "52.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "16.73 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "17.59 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "1.878 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "81.06 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "67.69 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "lion; national colors: blue, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :17.7%; male: :17.6%; female: :17.9% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "23% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "5.5 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.9 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "9.1% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "5 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-3.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "53% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "HELSINKI (capital) 1.17 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Maamme\" (Our Land); lyrics/music: :Johan Ludvig RUNEBERG/Fredrik PACIUS; note: :in use since 1848; although never officially adopted by law, the anthem has been popular since it was first sung by a student group in 1848; Estonia's anthem uses the same melody as that of Finland", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$179.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $195.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$136.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $144.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.); note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "a mix of publicly operated TV stations and privately owned TV stations; the 2 publicly owned TV stations recently expanded services and the largest private TV station has introduced several special-interest pay-TV channels; cable and satellite multi-channel subscription services are available; all TV signals have been broadcast digitally since September 2007; analog broadcasts via cable networks were terminated in February 2008; public broadcasting maintains a network of 13 national and 25 regional radio stations; a large number of private radio broadcasters (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :84.1% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.5% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$267.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $283.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$NA; note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi money circulating within their own borders", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "2% (31 December 2014 est.); 2.11% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.75% (31 December 2013); 1.5% (31 December 2010); note: :this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "6.8% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :17 years; male: :16 years; female: :18 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :1.63 cu km/yr (25%/72%/3%); per capita: :308.9 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "110 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$158.7 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $143.1 billion (31 December 2011); $118.2 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$202.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $197.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$138 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $136.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$276.3 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :2,122 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$11.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $11.27 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.4 billion (2014 est.); -$2.466 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "59.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 57% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "4.763 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :43.2 years; male: :41.2 years; female: :45 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "26.8 (2008); 25.6 (1991)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".fi; note - Aland Islands assigned .ax", "INTERNET_USERS": "4.393 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "9.32 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "890,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Ritva KOUKKU-RONDE (since 1 September 2011); chancery: :3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Los Angeles, New York", "AREA": "total: :338,145 sq km; land: :303,815 sq km; water: :34,330 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "685.8 sq km (2010)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Finland; conventional short form: :Finland; local long form: :Suomen tasavalta/Republiken Finland; local short form: :Suomi/Finland", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "8.6% (2014 est.); 8.1% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.73 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modern system with excellent service; domestic: :digital fiber-optic fixed-line network and an extensive mobile-cellular network provide domestic needs; international: :country code - 358; submarine cables provide links to Estonia and Sweden; satellite earth stations - access to Intelsat transmission service via a Swedish satellite earth station, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Finland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Lutheran 78.4%, Orthodox 1.1%, other Christian 1.1%, other 0.2%, none 19.2% (2010 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :5,944 km; broad gauge: :5,944 km 1.524-m gauge (3,067 km electrified) (2013)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Helsinki, Kotka, Naantali, Porvoo, Raahe, Rauma", "POPULATION": "5,268,799 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Center Party or Kesk [Juha SIPILA; Christian Democrats or KD [Paivi RASANEN; Green League or Vihr [Ville NIINISTO; Left Alliance or Vas [Paavo ARHINMAKI; National Coalition Party or Kok [Jyrki KATAINEN; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Jutta URPILAINEN; Swedish People's Party or SFP [Carl HAGLUND; The Finns Party or PS [Timo SOINI", "PIPELINES": "gas 1,689 km (2010)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free-market economy with per capita output almost as high as that of Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, or Sweden. Trade is important, with exports accounting for over one-third of GDP in recent years. Finland is historically competitive in manufacturing - principally the wood, metals, engineering, telecommunications, and electronics industries. Finland excels in export of technology for mobile phones as well as promotion of startups in the ICT, gaming, cleantech, and biotechnology sectors. Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imports of raw materials, energy, and some components for manufactured goods. Because of the climate, agricultural development is limited to maintaining self-sufficiency in basic products. Forestry, an important export earner, provides a secondary occupation for the rural population. Finland had been one of the best performing economies within the EU before 2009 and its banks and financial markets avoided the worst of global financial crisis. However, the world slowdown hit exports and domestic demand hard in that year, with Finland experiencing one of the deepest contractions in the euro zone. A recovery of exports, domestic trade, and household consumption stimulated economic growth in 2010-12, however, continued recession within the EU dampened the economy in 2012-14. The recession affected general government finances and the debt ratio, turning previously strong budget surpluses into deficits, losing its coveted triple-A credit rating, and on pace to breach EU debt limits in 2015. Finland's main challenge will be to stimulate growth while faced with weak export demand in the EU and its own government austerity measures. Longer-term, Finland must address a rapidly aging population and decreasing productivity in traditional industries that threaten competitiveness, fiscal sustainability, and economic growth.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Finn(s); adjective: :Finnish", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 6 December (1917)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :97; by type: :bulk carrier 2, cargo 25, carrier 1, chemical tanker 6, container 3, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 16, petroleum tanker 5, roll on/roll off 31, vehicle carrier 3; foreign-owned: :5 (Cyprus 1, Estonia 2, Iceland 1, Sweden 1); registered in other countries: :47 (Bahamas 8, Germany 3, Gibraltar 2, Malta 3, Netherlands 13, Panama 2, Sweden 16) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 nm); contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :12 nm; extends to continental shelf boundary with Sweden, Estonia, and Russia; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,155,368; females age 16-49: :1,106,193 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :79.69 years; male: :76.24 years; female: :83.29 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Parliament or Eduskunta (200 seats; 199 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 1 member in the province of Aland directly elected by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 17 April 2011 (next to be held in April 2015); election results: :percent of vote by party - Kok 20.4%, SDP 19.1%, PS 19.1%, Kesk 15.8%, Vas 8.1%, Vihr 7.3%, SFP 4.3%, KD 4%, other 1.9%; seats by party - Kok 44, SDP 42, PS 39, Kesk 35, Vas 14, Vihr 10, SFP 9, KD 6, other 1 (the constituency of Aland)", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system based on the Swedish model", "LANGUAGES": "Finnish (official) 89.3%, Swedish (official) 5.3%, other (includes small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities) 5.4% (2013 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :7.4%; permanent crops: :0.01%; other: :92.59% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,563 km; border countries: :Norway 709 km, Sweden 545 km, Russia 1,309 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "2.665 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (consists of the court president and 18 judges); Supreme Administrative Court (consists of 21 judges including the court president and organized into 3 chambers); note - Finland has a dual judicial system - courts with civil and criminal jurisdiction, and administrative courts with jurisdiction for litigation between individuals and administrative organs of the state and communities; judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court and Supreme Administrative Court judges appointed by the president of the republic; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65; subordinate courts: :6 Courts of Appeal; 8 regional administrative courts; 27 district courts; special courts for issues relating to markets, labor, insurance, impeachment, land, tenancy, and water rights", "WATERWAYS": "8,000 km (includes Saimaa Canal system of 3,577 km; southern part leased from Russia; water transport is used frequently in the summer and is widely replaced with sledges on the ice in winter; there are 187,888 lakes in Finland that cover 31,500 km); Finand also maintains 8,200 km of coastal fairways (2013)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.3% (2014 est.); 2.2% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :3.36 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :3.65 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :3.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "metals and metal products, electronics, machinery and scientific instruments, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.3% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "6 December 1917 (from Russia)", "IMPORTS": "$73.01 billion (2014 est.); $73.76 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :78,000 km; paved: :50,000 km (includes 700 km of expressways); unpaved: :28,000 km; note: :there 78,000 km of highways, 350,000 km of private and forest roads, and 26,000 km of urban roads giving Finland a total road network of 450,000 km (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "white with a blue cross extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag); the blue represents the thousands of lakes scattered across the country, while the white is for the snow that covers the land in winter", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$586.9 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $478.5 billion (31 December 2011)", "EXPORTS": "$78 billion (2014 est.); $78.56 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Sauli NIINISTO (since 1 March 2012); head of government: :Prime Minister Cai-Goran Alexander STUBB (since 24 June 2014); cabinet: :Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the president, responsible to parliament; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 5 February 2012 (next to be held in February 2018); the parliament elects a prime minister who is then appointed to office by the president; election results: :percent of vote - Sauli NIINISTO (Kok) 36.96%, Pekka HAAVISTO (Vihr) 18.76%, Paavo VAYRYNEN (Kesk) 17.53%, Timo SOINI (TF) 9.4%, Paavo LIPPONEN (SDP) 6.7%, Paavo ARHINM�KI (Vas) 5.48%, Eva BIAUDET (SFP) 2.7%, Sari ESSAYAH (KD) 2.47%; a runoff election between NIINISTO and HAAVISTO was held 5 February 2012 - NIINISTO 62.59%, HAAVISTO 37.41%; Jyrki KATAINEN elected prime minister; election results 118-72; note: :government coalition - Kok, SDP, Vihr, SFP, Vas, and KD (2014)", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.78 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Finn 93.4%, Swede 5.6%, Russian 0.5%, Estonian 0.3%, Roma (Gypsy) 0.1%, Sami 0.1% (2006)", "DEATH_RATE": "10.51 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1906, 1919; latest drafted 17 June 1997, approved by Parliament 11 June 1999, entered into force 1 March 2000; amended several times, last in 2011 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Russia 18%, Sweden 16.1%, Germany 14.1%, Netherlands 8.3% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "1,250 km", "CLIMATE": "cold temperate; potentially subarctic but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, computers, electronic industry products, textile yarn and fabrics, grains", "CAPITAL": "name: :Helsinki; geographic coordinates: :60 10 N, 24 56 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$146.3 billion; expenditures: :$156.1 billion; note: :Central Government Budget (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Finnish Defense Forces (FDF): Army (Puolustusvoimat), Navy (Merivoimat; includes Coastal Defense Forces), Air Force (Ilmavoimat) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "10.35 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "148 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "barley, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "19 regions (maakunnat, singular - maakunta (Finnish); landskapen, singular - landskapet (Swedish)); Aland (Swedish), Ahvenanmaa (Finnish); Etela-Karjala (Finnish), Sodra Karelen (Swedish) [South Karelia", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Sweden 11.6%, Germany 9.8%, Russia 9.5%, Netherlands 6.3%, US 6.2%, UK 5.3%, China 4.9% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "electrical and optical equipment, machinery, transport equipment, paper and pulp, chemicals, basic metals; timber", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture and forestry: :4.4%; industry: :15.5%; construction: :7.1%; commerce: :21.3%; finance, insurance, and business services: :13.3%; transport and communications: :9.9%; public services: :28.5% (2011)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.6%; highest 10%: :24.7% (2007)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.47% of GDP (2012); 1.42% of GDP (2011); 1.47% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air pollution from manufacturing and power plants contributing to acid rain; water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :74; 914 to 1,523 m: :3; 71 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :74; over 3,047 m: :3; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :26; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :10; 914 to 1,523 m: :21; under 914 m: :14 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Finland was a province and then a grand duchy under Sweden from the 12th to the 19th centuries, and an autonomous grand duchy of Russia after 1809. It gained complete independence in 1917. During World War II, it successfully defended its independence through cooperation with Germany and resisted subsequent invasions by the Soviet Union - albeit with some loss of territory. In the subsequent half century, Finland transformed from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is among the highest in Western Europe. A member of the European Union since 1995, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro single currency at its initiation in January 1999. In the 21st century, the key features of Finland's modern welfare state are high quality education, promotion of equality, and a national social welfare system - currently challenged by an aging population and the fluctuations of an export-driven economy.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :32,599; female: :31,416 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :955,151; females age 16-49: :912,983 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for male voluntary and compulsory - and female voluntary - national military and nonmilitary service; service obligation 6-12 months; military obligation to age 60 (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Montana", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Baltic Sea 0 m; highest point: :Halti (alternatively Haltia, Haltitunturi, Haltiatunturi) 1,328 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.04 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.96 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.71 male(s)/female; total population: :0.96 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "120 (plus 431 repeaters) (1999); note - on 1 September 2007, Finland began broadcasting all television signals digitally; analog broadcasts via cable networks were discontinued 29 February 2008", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 2, FM 59, shortwave 2 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :2.7%; industry: :27%; services: :70.3% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "64 00 N, 26 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :15.8% (male 423,011/female 408,664); 15-24 years: :12.1% (male 326,140/female 313,621); 25-54 years: :38.1% (male 1,021,798/female 983,423); 55-64 years: :14.2% (male 368,355/female 379,957); 65 years and over: :19.8% (male 439,014/female 604,816) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "France", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Jane D. HARTLEY (since 31 October 2014); note - also accredited to Monaco; embassy: :2 Avenue Gabriel, 75382 Paris Cedex 08; mailing address: :PSC 116, APO AE 09777; telephone: :[33; FAX: :[33; consulate(s) general: :Marseille, Strasbourg", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$40,400 (2014 est.); $40,500 (2013 est.); $40,500 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "0.4% (2014 est.); 0.3% (2013 est.); 0.3% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.45% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$2.587 trillion (2014 est.); $2.577 trillion (2013 est.); $2.57 trillion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :57.4%; youth dependency ratio: :28.6%; elderly dependency ratio: :28.8%; potential support ratio: :3.5% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "20.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 20.7% of GDP (2013 est.); 20.6% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :55.1%; government consumption: :24.3%; investment in fixed capital: :21.6%; investment in inventories: :0.1%; exports of goods and services: :28.3%; imports of goods and services: :-29.3%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "76.4%; note: :percent of women aged 20-49 (2008)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "28.1 (2010 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "364.5 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "9.656 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "47.87 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "5.026 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "43.77 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "339 million cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "915,400 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "464,300 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "1.767 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "1.321 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "89.57 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "1.298 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "25,260 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "9.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "51.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "14.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "24.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "130.4 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "11.95 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "59.95 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "462.9 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "532 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Gallic rooster, fleur-de-lis, Marianne; national colors: blue, white, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :23.8%; male: :23.9%; female: :23.7% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "18.2% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "6.4 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3.18 physicians/1,000 population (2012)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "11.7% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "8 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-4.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "51.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "PARIS (capital) 10.764 million; Lyon 1.597 million; Marseille-Aix-en-Provence 1.595 million; Lille 1.025 million; Nice-Cannes 961,000; Toulouse 926,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"La Marseillaise\" (The Song of Marseille); lyrics/music: :Claude-Joseph ROUGET de Lisle; note: :adopted 1795, restored 1870; originally known as \"Chant de Guerre pour l'Armee du Rhin\" (War Song for the Army of the Rhine), the National Guard of Marseille made the song famous by singing it while marching into Paris in 1792 during the French Revolutionary Wars", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$2.637 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.806 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$979.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.026 trillion (31 December 2013 est.); note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "a mix of both publicly operated and privately owned TV stations; state-owned France Televisions operates 4 networks, one of which is a network of regional stations, and has part-interest in several thematic cable/satellite channels and international channels; a large number of privately owned regional and local TV stations; multi-channel satellite and cable services provide a large number of channels; public broadcaster Radio France operates 7 national networks, a series of regional networks, and operates services for overseas territories and foreign audiences; Radio France Internationale (RFI), under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is a leading international broadcaster; a large number of commercial FM stations, with many of them consolidating into commercial networks (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :79.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.84% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$3.484 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.774 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$NA; note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi money circulating within their own borders", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "2.8% (31 December 2014 est.); 2.84% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.05% (10 September 2014); 0.25% (13 November 2013); note: :this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.9% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :16 years; male: :16 years; female: :16 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :31.62 cu km/yr (19%/71%/10%); per capita: :512.1 cu m/yr (2009)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "211 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$1.762 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); $1.538 trillion (31 December 2011); $1.983 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$1.51 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.496 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$1.108 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.102 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$2.902 trillion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :24,055 (Sri Lanka); 13,783 (Democratic Republic of the Congo); 13,374 (Russia); 12,482 (Cambodia); 12,061 (Serbia); 10,843 (Turkey); 8,483 (Vietnam); 7,227 (Laos); 5,166 (Mauritania) (2014); stateless persons: :1,247 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$144.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $198.7 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$33.9 billion (2014 est.); -$40.2 billion (2014 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "95.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 92.2% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "17.266 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :40.9 years; male: :39.3 years; female: :42.4 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "30.9 (2011); 27.9 (1996)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "1,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": "metropolitan France - .fr; French Guiana - .gf; Guadeloupe - .gp; Martinique - .mq; Mayotte - .yt; Reunion - .re", "INTERNET_USERS": "45.262 million; 44.625 million (metropolitan France) (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "62.28 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "39.29 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Gerard ARAUD (since 18 September 2014); chancery: :4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, Washington DC", "AREA": "total: :643,801 sq km; 551,500 sq km (metropolitan France); land: :640,427 sq km; 549,970 sq km (metropolitan France); water: :3,374 sq km; 1,530 sq km (metropolitan France); note: :the first numbers include the overseas regions of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "total: :26,420 sq km 26,950 sq km; metropolitan France: :27,230 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "metropolitan France: :Europe; French Guiana: :South America; Guadeloupe: :Central America and the Caribbean; Martinique: :Central America and the Caribbean; Mayotte: :Africa; Reunion: :World", "LOCATION": "metropolitan France: :Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain; French Guiana: :Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname; Guadeloupe: :Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico; Martinique: :Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago; Mayotte: :Southern Indian Ocean, island in the Mozambique Channel, about half way between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique; Reunion: :Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :French Republic; conventional short form: :France; local long form: :Republique francaise; local short form: :France", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "9.7% (2014 est.); 9.9% (2013 est.); note: :includes overseas territories", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.08 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "metropolitan France: :mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east; French Guiana: :low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains; Guadeloupe: :Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the seven other islands are volcanic in origin; Martinique: :mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano; Mayotte: :generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks; Reunion: :mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :highly developed; domestic: :extensive cable and microwave radio relay; extensive use of fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system; international: :country code - 33; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and US; satellite earth stations - more than 3 (2 Intelsat (with total of 5 antennas - 2 for Indian Ocean and 3 for Atlantic Ocean), NA Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat - Atlantic Ocean region); HF radiotelephone communications with more than 20 countries; overseas departments: :country codes: French Guiana - 594; Guadeloupe - 590; Martinique - 596; Mayotte - 262; Reunion - 262 (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Christian (overwhelmingly Roman Catholic) 63-66%, Muslim 7-9%, Jewish .5-.75%, Buddhist .5-.75%, other .5-1.0%, none 23-28%; note: :France maintains a tradition of secularism and has not officially collected data on religious affiliation since the 1872 national census, which complicates assessments of France's religious composition; an 1872 law prohibiting state authorities from collecting data on individuals' ethnicity or religious beliefs was reaffirmed by a 1978 law emphasizing the prohibition of the collection or rexploitation of personal data revealing an individual's race, ethnicity, or political, philosophical, or religious opinions; a 1905 law codified France's separation of Church and State (2015 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :29,640 km; standard gauge: :29,473 km 1.435-m gauge (15,361 km electrified); narrow gauge: :167 km 1.000-m gauge (63 km electrified) (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Brest, Calais, Dunkerque, Le Havre, Marseille, Nantes,; river port(s): :Paris, Rouen (Seine); Strasbourg (Rhine); Bordeaux (Garronne); container port(s): :Le Havre (2,215,262)(2011); cruise/ferry port(s): :Calais, Cherbourg, Le Havre; LNG terminal(s) (import): :Fos-sur-Mer, Pays de la Loire", "POPULATION": "66,259,012; note: :the above figure is for metropolitan France and five overseas regions; the metropolitan France population is 62,814,233 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Europe Ecology - The Greens or EELV [Emmanuelle COSSE; French Communist Party or PCF [Pierre LAURENT; Left Front Coalition or FDG [Jean-Luc MELENCHON; Left Party or PG [Jean-Luc MELENCHON and Martine BILLARD; Left Radical Party or PRG [Jean-Michel BAYLET; Movement for France or MPF [Philippe DE VILLIERS; National Front or FN [Marine LE PEN; New Anticapitalist Party or NPA [collective leadership; main spokesperson Christine POUPIN; New Center or NC [Herve MORIN; Radical Party [Jean-Louis BORLOO; Rally for France or RPF [Charles PASQUA; Republican and Citizen Movement or MRC [Jean-Luc LAURENT; Socialist Party or PS [Haerlem DESIR; Union des Democrates et Independants or UDI [Jean-Louis BORLOO; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP [Nicolas SARKOZY; United Republic or RS [Dominique DE VILLEPIN; Worker's Struggle (Lutte Ouvriere) or LO [collective leadership; spokespersons Nathalie ARTHAUD and Arlette LAQUILLER", "PIPELINES": "gas 15,322 km; oil 2,939 km; refined products 5,084 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The French economy is diversified across all sectors. The government has partially or fully privatized many large companies, including Air France, France Telecom, Renault, and Thales. However, the government maintains a strong presence in some sectors, particularly power, public transport, and defense industries. With more than 84 million foreign tourists per year, France is the most visited country in the world and maintains the third largest income in the world from tourism. France's leaders remain committed to a capitalism in which they maintain social equity by means of laws, tax policies, and social spending that mitigate economic inequality. France's real GDP increased by 0.4% in 2014. The unemployment rate (including overseas territories) increased from 7.8% in 2008 to 10.5% in 2014. Youth unemployment in metropolitan France decreased from a high of 25.4% in the fourth quarter of 2012 to 24.3% in the fourth quarter of 2014. Lower-than-expected growth and high spending have strained France's public finances. The budget deficit rose sharply from 3.3% of GDP in 2008 to 7.5% of GDP in 2009 before improving to 4.3% of GDP in 2014, while France's public debt rose from 68% of GDP to more than 92% over the same period. Elected on a conventionally leftist platform, President Francois HOLLANDE surprised and angered many supporters with a January 2014 speech announcing a sharp change in his economic policy, recasting himself as a liberalizing reformer. The government's budget for 2014 shifted the balance of fiscal consolidation from taxes to a total of $24 billion in spending cuts. In December 2014, HOLLANDE announced additional reforms, including a plan to extend commercial business hours, liberalize professional services and sell off $6.2-12.4 billion in state owned assets. France�s tax burden remains well above the EU average and income tax cuts over the past decade are being partly reversed, particularly for higher earners. The top rate of income tax is 41%. The government is allowing a 75% payroll tax on salaries over $1.24 million to lapse.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Confederation Francaise Democratique du Travail (French Democratic Confederation of Labor) or CFDT, left-leaning labor union with approximately 875,000 members [Laurent BERGER, Secretary General; Confederation francaise de l'encadrement - Confederation generale des cadres (French Confederation of Management - General Confederation of Executives) or CFE-CGC, independent white-collar union with 140,000 members [Carole COUVERT, president; Confederation francaise des travailleurs chretiens (French Confederation of Christian Workers) or CFTC, independent labor union founded by Catholic workers that claims 142,000 members [Philippe LOUIS, president; Confederation generale du travail (General Confederation of Labor) or CGT, historically communist labor union with approximately 710,000 members [Bernard THIBAULT, secretary general; Confederation generale du travail - Force ouvriere (General Confederation of Labor - Worker's Force) or FO, independent labor union with an estimated 300,000 members [Jean-Claude MAILLY, secretary general; Mouvement des entreprises de France or MEDEF, employers' union with 750,000 companies as members (claimed) [Pierre GATTAZ, president; conservationists; gold mining pressure groups; hunting pressure groups; Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe or KLPG; General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers or CGT-G; General Union of Guadeloupe Workers or UGTG; Movement for an Independent Guadeloupe or MPGI; The Socialist Renewal Movement; Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance or ARC; Central Union for Martinique Workers or CSTM; Frantz Fanon Circle; League of Workers and Peasants; Proletarian Action Group or GAP; NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "largest West European nation", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "1.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "metropolitan France: :coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar, fluorspar, gypsum, timber, arable land, fish; French Guiana: :gold deposits, petroleum, kaolin, niobium, tantalum, clay", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women); adjective: :French", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1790); note - although often incorrectly referred to as Bastille Day, the celebration actually commemorates the holiday held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille (on 14 July 1789) and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy; other names for the holiday are Fete Nationale (National Holiday) and quatorze juillet (14th of July)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :162; by type: :bulk carrier 3, cargo 7, chemical tanker 34, container 27, liquefied gas 12, passenger 10, passenger/cargo 41, petroleum tanker 16, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 11; foreign-owned: :50 (Belgium 7, Bermuda 5, Denmark 11, French Polynesia 11, Germany 1, New Caledonia 3, Singapore 3, Sweden 4, Switzerland 5); registered in other countries: :151 (Bahamas 15, Belgium 7, Bermuda 1, Canada 1, Cyprus 16, Egypt 1, Hong Kong 4, Indonesia 1, Ireland 2, Italy 2, Luxembourg 15, Malta 8, Marshall Islands 7, Mexico 1, Morocco 3, Netherlands 2, Norway 5, Panama 7, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2, Singapore 3, South Korea 2, Taiwan 2, UK 39, US 4, unknown 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, FZ, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNSC (permanent), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm (does not apply to the Mediterranean); continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :14,563,662; females age 16-49: :14,238,434 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :81.66 years; male: :78.55 years; female: :84.91 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (348 seats -328 for metropolitan France and overseas departments and regions of Guadeloupe, Martinque, French Guiana, Reunion, and Mayotte, 2 for New Caledonia, 2 for French Polynesia, 1 for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, 1 for Saint-Barthelemy, 1 for Saint-Martin, 1 for Wallis and Futuna, and 12 for French nationals abroad; members indirectly elected by departmental electoral colleges using absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed for departments with 1-3 members and proportional representation vote in departments with 4 or more members; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (577 seats - 556 for metropolitan France, 10 for overseas departments, and 11 for citizens abroad; members directly elected by absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed to serve 5-year terms); elections: :Senate - last held on 25 September 2011 (next to be held in September 2014); National Assembly - last held on 10 and 17 June 2012 (next to be held in June 2017); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PS/Greens 140, UMP 132, UDF 31, PCF/MRC 21, PRG 17, other 7; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - PS 48.5%, UMP 33.6%, miscellaneous left wing parties 3.8%, Greens 3.0%, miscellaneous right wing parties 2.6%, NC 2.1%, PRG 2.1%, FDG 1.7%, other 2.6%; seats by party - PS 280, UMP 194, miscellaneous left wing parties 22, Greens 17, miscellaneous right wing parties 15, NC 12, PRG 12, FDG 10, other 15", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law; review of administrative but not legislative acts", "LANGUAGES": "French (official) 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish); overseas departments: :French, Creole patois, Mahorian (a Swahili dialect)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :33.4%; permanent crops: :1.83%; other: :64.77%; note: :French Guiana - arable land 0.14%, permanent crops 0.05%, other 99.82% (90% forest, 10% other); Guadeloupe - arable land 12.31%, permanent crops 1.95%, other 85.74%; Martinique - arable land 9.48%, permanent crops 6.98%, other 83.54%; Mayotte - arable land 23.73%, permanent crops 8.80%, other 67.47%; Reunion - arable land 12.88%, permanent crops 1.12%, other 86.00% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "metropolitan France - total: :2,751 km; border countries: :Andorra 55 km, Belgium 556 km, Germany 418 km, Italy 476 km, Luxembourg 69 km, Monaco 6 km, Spain 646 km, Switzerland 525 km; French Guiana - total: :1,205 km; border countries: :Brazil 649 km, Suriname 556 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "29.87 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation (consists of the court president, 6 divisional presiding judges, 120 trial judges, and 70 deputy judges organized into 6 divisions - 3 civil, 1 commercial, 1 labor, and 1 criminal); Constitutional Council (consists of 9 members); judge selection and term of office: :Court of Cassation judges appointed by the president of the republic from nominations from the High Council of the Judiciary, presided by the Court of Cassation and 15 appointed members; judge term of appointment NA; Constitutional Council members appointed - 3 by the president of the republic and 3 each by the National Assembly and Senate presidents; members serve 9-year, non-renewable terms with one third of the membership renewed every 3 years; subordinate courts: :appellate courts or Cour d'Appel; regional courts or Tribunal de Grande Instance; first instance courts or Tribunal' d'instance", "WATERWAYS": "metropolitan France: :8,501 km (1,621 km accessible to craft of 3,000 metric tons) (2010)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.7% (2014 est.); 1% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :3.31 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :3.63 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :2.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics; textiles, food processing; tourism", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "no official date of independence: 486 (Frankish tribes unified under Merovingian kingship); 10 August 843 (Western Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire); 14 July 1789 (French monarchy overthrown); 22 September 1792 (First French Republic founded); 4 October 1958 (Fifth French Republic established)", "IMPORTS": "$634 billion (2014 est.); $637.3 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "metropolitan France: :transshipment point for South American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and European synthetics; French Guiana: :small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe; Martinique: :transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe", "ROADWAYS": "total: :1,028,446 km (metropolitan France; includes 11,416 km of expressways); note: :there are another 5,100 km of roadways in overseas departments (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), white, and red; known as the \"Le drapeau tricolore\" (French Tricolor), the origin of the flag dates to 1790 and the French Revolution when the \"ancient French color\" of white was combined with the blue and red colors of the Parisian militia; the official flag for all French dependent areas; note: :the design and/or colors are similar to a number of other flags, including those of Belgium, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, and Netherlands", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$5.371 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); $5.004 trillion (31 December 2011)", "EXPORTS": "$578.3 billion (2014 est.); $580.8 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012); head of government: :Prime Minister Manuel VALLS (since 1 April 2014); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president at the suggestion of the prime minister; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 22 April and 6 May 2012 (next to be held in the spring of 2017); prime minister appointed by the president; election results: :Francois HOLLANDE elected; first round: percent of vote - Francois HOLLANDE 28.6%, Nicolas SARKOZY 27.2%, Marine LE PEN 17.9%, Jean-Luc MELENCHON 11.1%, Francois BAYROU, 9.1%, others 6.1%; second round: HOLLANDE 51.6%, SARKOZY 48.4%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.7752 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities; overseas departments: :black, white, mulatto, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian", "DEPENDENT_AREAS": "Clipperton Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, New Caledonia, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna; note: :the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica; New Caledonia has been considered a \"sui generis\" collectivity of France since 1998, a unique status falling between that of an independent country and a French overseas department", "DEATH_RATE": "9.06 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "4 October 1958 (French Constitution) (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 19.6%, Belgium 11.4%, Italy 7.6%, Netherlands 7.5%, Spain 6.8%, UK 4.9%, China 4.8% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "total: :4,853 km; metropolitan France: :3,427 km", "CLIMATE": "metropolitan France: :generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral; French Guiana: :tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation; Guadeloupe and Martinique: :subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity; rainy season (June to October); vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average; Mayotte: :tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November); Reunion: :tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry (May to November), hot and rainy (November to April)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics, chemicals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Paris; geographic coordinates: :48 52 N, 2 20 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; note: :applies to metropolitan France only, not to its overseas departments, collectivities, or territories", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.507 trillion; expenditures: :$1.631 trillion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Army (Armee de Terre; includes Marines, Foreign Legion, Army Light Aviation), Navy (Marine Nationale), Air Force (Armee de l'Air (AdlA); includes Air Defense) (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "12.49 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "464 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy products; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "27 regions (regions, singular - region); Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne, Basse-Normandie (Lower Normandy), Bourgogne (Burgundy), Bretagne (Brittany), Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Corse (Corsica), Franche-Comte, Guadeloupe, Guyane (French Guiana), Haute-Normandie (Upper Normandy), Ile-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine, Martinique, Mayotte, Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie, Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Reunion, Rhone-Alpes; note: :France is divided into 22 metropolitan regions (including the \"territorial collectivity\" of Corse or Corsica) and 5 overseas regions (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion) and is subdivided into 96 metropolitan departments and 5 overseas departments (which are the same as the overseas regions)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 16.6%, Belgium 7.8%, Italy 7.2%, UK 7%, Spain 6.9%, US 5.8%, Netherlands 4.1% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :2.9%; industry: :20.6%; services: :76.4% (2012 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.5%; highest 10%: :25.4% (2011)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "7.9% (2011)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.8% of GDP (2014); 1.9% of GDP (2013); 1.9% of GDP (2012)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "some forest damage from acid rain; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from urban wastes, agricultural runoff", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :170; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :64; 105 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :294; over 3,047 m: :14; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :25; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :97; 914 to 1,523 m: :83; under 914 m: :75 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations. It plays an influential global role as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, NATO, the G-8, the G-20, the EU and other multilateral organizations. France rejoined NATO's integrated military command structure in 2009, reversing DE GAULLE's 1966 decision to take French forces out of NATO. Since 1958, it has constructed a hybrid presidential-parliamentary governing system resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier, more purely parliamentary administrations. In recent decades, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of a common currency, the euro, in January 1999. In the early 21st century, five French overseas entities - French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion - became French regions and were made part of France proper.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :396,050; female: :377,839 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :12,025,341; females age 16-49: :11,721,827 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-25 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; 1-year service obligation; women serve in noncombat posts (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly more than four times the size of Georgia; slightly less than the size of Texas", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "metropolitan France: :flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires in south near the Mediterranean; overseas departments: :hurricanes (cyclones); flooding; volcanic activity (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion)", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Rhone River delta -2 m; highest point: :Mont Blanc 4,807 m; note: :in order to assess the possible effects of climate change on the ice and snow cap of Mont Blanc, its surface and peak have been extensively measured in recent years; these new peak measurements have exceeded the traditional height of 4,807 m and have varied between 4,808 m and 4,811 m; the actual rock summit is 4,792 m and is 40 m away from the ice-covered summit", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.96 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.74 male(s)/female; total population: :0.96 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "584 (plus 9,676 repeaters) (1995)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 41, FM about 3,500 (this figure is an approximation and includes many repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :1.7%; industry: :19.4%; services: :78.9% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "metropolitan France: :46 00 N, 2 00 E; French Guiana: :4 00 N, 53 00 W; Guadeloupe: :16 15 N, 61 35 W; Martinique: :14 40 N, 61 00 W; Mayotte: :12 50 S, 45 10 E; Reunion: :21 06 S, 55 36 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :18.7% (male 6,337,877/female 6,053,185); 15-24 years: :11.9% (male 4,018,044/female 3,837,191); 25-54 years: :38.6% (male 12,851,278/female 12,719,073); 55-64 years: :12.5% (male 4,012,614/female 4,290,624); 65 years and over: :18.3% (male 5,197,519/female 6,941,607) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "French Polynesia", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (overseas lands of France)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "overseas lands of France; overseas territory of France from 1946-2003; overseas collectivity of France since 2003, though it is often referred to as an overseas country due to its degree of autonomy", "AFFILIATION": "(overseas lands of France)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$26,100 (2012 est.); $26,000 (2010 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "-4.2% (2009); 0% (2008); 4% (2007 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.97% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$7.15 billion (2012 est.); $6.963 billion (2010 est.); $6.854 billion (2007 est.)", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :42.5%; youth dependency ratio: :32%; elderly dependency ratio: :10.5%; potential support ratio: :9.6% (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "1.071 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "7,190 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "7,430 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "21% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "79% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "224,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "767.3 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "825 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "outrigger canoe; national colors: red, white", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "0.9% of GDP (2012)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "28.7% of GDP (2012)", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "PAPEETE (capital) 133,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui\" (Long Live Tahiti Nui); lyrics/music: :Maeva BOUGES, Irmine TEHEI, Angele TEROROTUA, Johanna NOUVEAU, Patrick AMARU, Louis MAMATUI and Jean-Pierre CELESTIN; note: :adopted 1993; serves as a local anthem; as a territory of France, \"La Marseillaise\" is official (see France)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 97.1% of population; rural: 97.1% of population; total: 97.1% of population; urban: 2.9% of population; rural: 2.9% of population; total: 2.9% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "the publicly owned French Overseas Network (RFO), which operates in France's overseas departments and territories, broadcasts on 2 TV channels and 1 radio station; 1 government-owned TV station; a small number of privately owned radio stations (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :56% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.85% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$6.578 billion (2006)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "37,949 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :30.6 years; male: :30.5 years; female: :30.7 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".pf", "INTERNET_USERS": "120,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "226,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "55,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (overseas lands of France)", "AREA": "total: :4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls); land: :3,827 sq km; water: :340 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "10 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, five archipelagoes (Archipel des Tuamotu, Iles Gambier, Iles Marquises, Iles Tubuai, Society Islands) in the South Pacific Ocean about half way between South America and Australia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Overseas Lands of French Polynesia; conventional short form: :French Polynesia; local long form: :Pays d'outre-mer de la Polynesie Francaise; local short form: :Polynesie Francaise; former: :French Colony of Oceania", "GOVERNMENT___NOTE": "under certain acts of France, French Polynesia has acquired autonomy in all areas except those relating to police and justice, monetary policy, tertiary education, immigration, and defense and foreign affairs; the duties of its president are fashioned after those of the French prime minister", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of France", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "21.8% (2012); 11.7% (2010)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary representative democratic French overseas collectivity", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.95 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "domestic: :combined fixed and mobile-cellular density is roughly 100 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 689; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 10%, no religion 6%", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Papeete", "POPULATION": "280,026 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "A Tia Porinetia [Teva ROHFRITSCH; Alliance for a New Democracy or ADN (includes the parties The New Star and This Country is Yours); New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api) [Emile VERNAUDON; Our Home alliance; People's Servant Party (Tavini Huiraatira) [Oscar TEMARU; Popular Rally (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE; Union for Democracy alliance or UPD [Oscar TEMARU", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Since 1962, when France stationed military personnel in the region, French Polynesia has changed from a subsistence agricultural economy to one in which a high proportion of the work force is either employed by the military or supports the tourist industry. With the halt of French nuclear testing in 1996, the military contribution to the economy fell sharply. After growing at an average yearly rate of 4.2% from 1997-2007, GDP stagnated in 2008 and fell by 4.2% in 2009, marking French Polynesia�s entry into recession. Following steady employment level increases between 2002 and 2007 that averaged 2.4% yearly, the number of workers fell by an annual average of 2.2% between 2008 and 2013, due in part to decreased tourism (down an average of 4% per year) in that time period. French Polynesia�s tourism-dominated service sector accounted for 85% of total value added for the economy in 2009, employing 80% of the workforce. A small manufacturing sector predominantly processes products from French Polynesia�s primary sector - 3% of total economy - including agriculture, pearl farming, and fishing.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "includes five archipelagoes: four volcanic (Iles Gambier, Iles Marquises, Iles Tubuai, Society Islands) and one coral (Archipel des Tuamotu); Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Nauru", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :French Polynesian(s); adjective: :French Polynesian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1789); note - the local holiday is Internal Autonomy Day, 29 June (1880)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "registered in other countries: :12 (Cambodia 1, France 11) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ITUC (NGOs), PIF (associate member), SPC, UPU, WMO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :82,722 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :76.79 years; male: :74.54 years; female: :79.15 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Assembly of French Polynesia or Assemblee de la Polynesia Francaise (57 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 21 April 2013 - first round and 5 May 2013 - second round (next to be held in 2018); election results: :percent of vote by party - Popular Rally 45.1%, Union for Democracy alliance 29.3%, A Tia Porinetia 25.6%; seats by party - Popular Rally 38, Union for Democracy alliance 11, A Tia Porinetia 8; note 1: :two seats were elected to the French Senate on 21 September 2008 (next to be held in September 2014); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 1, independent 1; three seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 17 June 2012 (next to be held by June 2017); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 3; note 2: :the UMP is France's ruling party, the Union for a Popular Movement", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "the laws of France, where applicable, apply", "LANGUAGES": "French (official) 61.1%, Polynesian (official) 31.4%, Asian languages 1.2%, other 0.3%, unspecified 6% (2002 census)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0.68%; permanent crops: :6.28%; other: :93.03% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "114,300 (2012 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel (composition NA); note - appeals beyond the French Polynesia Court of Appeal are heard by the Court of Cassation (in Paris); judge selection and term of office: :NA; subordinate courts: :Court of the First Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Administrative Law or Tribunal Administratif", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.1% (2013 est.); 1.5% (2011 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :4.78 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :5.31 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :4.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts, phosphates", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (overseas lands of France)", "IMPORTS": "$1.72 billion (2013 est.); $1.706 billion (2005 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :2,590 km; paved: :1,735 km; unpaved: :855 km (1999)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "two red horizontal bands encase a wide white band in a 1:2:1 ratio; centered on the white band is a disk with a blue and white wave pattern depicting the sea on the lower half and a gold and white ray pattern depicting the sun on the upper half; a Polynesian canoe rides on the wave pattern; the canoe has a crew of five represented by five stars that symbolize the five island groups; red and white are traditional Polynesian colors; note: :similar to the red-white-red flag of Tahiti, the largest of the islands in French Polynesia, which has no emblem in the white band; the flag of France is used for official occasions", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$NA", "EXPORTS": "$230 million (2013 est.); $211 million (2005 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012), represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Lionel BEFFRE (since 16 September 2013); head of government: :President of French Polynesia Edouard FRITCH (since 16 September 2014); President of the Assembly of French Polynesia Marcel TUIHANI (since 12 September 2014); cabinet: :Council of Ministers; president submits a list of members of the Assembly for approval by them to serve as ministers; elections: :French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the French Polynesia government and the president of the Assembly of French Polynesia elected by the members of the assembly for five-year terms (no term limits)", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar -; 89.85 (2013 est.); 92.5 2012 est.); 85.74 (2011 est.); 90.01 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4%", "DEATH_RATE": "4.93 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "4 October 1958 (French Constitution)", "COASTLINE": "2,525 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical, but moderate", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fuels, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment", "CAPITAL": "name: :Papeete (located on Tahiti); geographic coordinates: :17 32 S, 149 34 W; time difference: :UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.891 billion; expenditures: :$1.833 billion (1999)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "15.47 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "54 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits, coffee; poultry, beef, dairy products; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (overseas lands of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are five second order administrative units named Iles Australes, Iles du Vent, Iles Marquises, Iles Sous le Vent, Iles Tuamotu et Gambier", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "cultured pearls, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :13%; industry: :19%; services: :67.2% (2013 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "19.7% (2009)", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :9; 914 to 1,523 m: :4; 5 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :45; over 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :5; 914 to 1,523 m: :33; under 914 m: :5 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The French annexed various Polynesian island groups during the 19th century. In September 1995, France stirred up widespread protests by resuming nuclear testing on the Mururoa atoll after a three-year moratorium. The tests were halted in January 1996. In recent years, French Polynesia's autonomy has been considerably expanded.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :2,498; female: :2,390 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :67,363; females age 16-49: :66,053 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "occasional cyclonic storms in January", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mont Orohena 2,241 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.95 male(s)/female; total population: :1.05 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "7 (plus 17 repeaters) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 2, FM 14, shortwave 2 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :2.5%; industry: :13%; services: :84.5% (2006)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "15 00 S, 140 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :23.7% (male 34,182/female 32,276); 15-24 years: :16.7% (male 24,219/female 22,559); 25-54 years: :43.9% (male 63,034/female 59,859); 55-64 years: :8.5% (male 12,305/female 11,599); 65 years and over: :7.1% (male 9,713/female 10,280) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "French Southern and Antarctic Lands", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of France)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "overseas territory of France since 1955", "AFFILIATION": "(overseas territory of France)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "note: :as a territory of France, \"La Marseillaise\" is official (see France)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "53 (2012)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".tf", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of France)", "AREA": "Ile Amsterdam (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul): :total - 55 sq km; land - 55 sq km; water - 0 sq km; Ile Saint-Paul (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul): :total - 7 sq km; land - 7 sq km; water - 0 sq km; Iles Crozet: :total - 352 sq km; land - 352 sq km; water - 0 sq km; Iles Kerguelen: :total - 7,215 sq km; land - 7,215 sq km; water - 0 sq km; Bassas da India (Iles Eparses): :total - 80 sq km; land - 0.2 sq km; water - 79.8 sq km (lagoon); Europa Island (Iles Eparses): :total - 28 sq km; land - 28 sq km; water - 0 sq km; Glorioso Islands (Iles Eparses): :total - 5 sq km; land - 5 sq km; water - 0 sq km; Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses): :total - 4.4 sq km; land - 4.4 sq km; water - 0 sq km; Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses): :total - 1 sq km; land - 1 sq km; water - 0 sq km; note: :excludes \"Adelie Land\" claim of about 500,000 sq km in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "0 sq km (2011)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Antarctic Region, Africa", "LOCATION": "southeast and east of Africa, islands in the southern Indian Ocean, some near Madagascar and others about equidistant between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia; note - French Southern and Antarctic Lands include Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet, Iles Kerguelen, Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island in the southern Indian Ocean, along with the French-claimed sector of Antarctica, \"Adelie Land\"; the US does not recognize the French claim to \"Adelie Land\"", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands; conventional short form: :French Southern and Antarctic Lands; local long form: :Territoire des Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises; local short form: :Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises; abbreviation: :TAAF", "COMMUNICATIONS___NOTE": "has one or more meteorological stations on each possession", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of France", "TERRAIN": "Ile Amsterdam (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul): :a volcanic island with steep coastal cliffs; the center floor of the volcano is a large plateau; Ile Saint-Paul (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul): :triangular in shape, the island is the top of a volcano, rocky with steep cliffs on the eastern side; has active thermal springs; Iles Crozet: :a large archipelago formed from the Crozet Plateau is divided into two groups of islands; Iles Kerguelen: :the interior of the large island of Ile Kerguelen is composed of rugged terrain of high mountains, hills, valleys, and plains with a number of peninsulas stretching off its coasts; Bassas da India (Iles Eparses): :atoll, awash at high tide; shallow (15 m) lagoon; Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island: :low, flat, and sandy; Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses): :low, flat, sandy; likely volcanic seamount", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "none; offshore anchorage only", "POPULATION": "no indigenous inhabitants; Ile Amsterdam (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul): :has no permanent residents but has a meteorological station; Ile Saint-Paul (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul): :is uninhabited but is frequently visited by fishermen and has a scientific research cabin for short stays; Iles Crozet: :are uninhabited except for 18 to 30 people staffing the Alfred Faure research station on Ile del la Possession; Iles Kerguelen: :50 to 100 scientists are located at the main base at Port-aux-Francais on Ile Kerguelen; Bassas da India (Iles Eparses): :uninhabitable; Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses): :a small French military garrison and a few meteorologists on each possession; visited by scientists; Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses): :uninhabited, except for visits by scientists", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Economic activity is limited to servicing meteorological and geophysical research stations, military bases, and French and other fishing fleets. The fish catches landed on Iles Kerguelen by foreign ships are exported to France and Reunion.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "islands component is widely scattered across remote locations in the southern Indian Ocean; Bassas da India (Iles Eparses): :the atoll is a circular reef that sits atop a long-extinct, submerged volcano; Europa Island and Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses): :wildlife sanctuary for seabirds and sea turtles; Glorioso Island (Iles Eparses): :the islands and rocks are surrounded by an extensive reef system; Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses): :climatologically important location for forecasting cyclones in the western Indian Ocean; wildlife sanctuary (seabirds, tortoises)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish, crayfish; note: :Glorioso Islands and Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses) have guano, phosphates, and coconuts", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "UPU", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm from Iles Kerguelen and Iles Eparses (does not include the rest of French Southern and Antarctic Lands); Juan de Nova Island and Tromelin Island claim a continental shelf of 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "the laws of France, where applicable, apply", "LAND_USE": "Ile Amsterdam (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul) - 100% trees, grasses, ferns, and moss; Ile Saint-Paul (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul) - 100% grass, ferns, and moss; Iles Crozet - 100% tossock grass, heath, and fern; Iles Kerguelen - 100% tossock grass and Kerguelen cabbage; Bassas da India (Iles Eparses) - 100% rock, coral reef, and sand; Europa Island (Iles Eparses) - 100% mangrove swamp and dry woodlands; Glorioso Islands (Iles Eparses) - 100% lush vegetation and coconut palms; Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses) - 90% forest, 10% other; Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses) - 100% grasses and scattered brush (2014 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "the flag of France is used", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012), represented by Senior Administrator Cecile POGGO DI BORGO (since 13 October 2014)", "COASTLINE": "Ile Amsterdam (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul): :28 km; Iles Kerguelen: :2,800 km; Bassas da India (Iles Eparses): :35.2 km; Europa Island (Iles Eparses): :22.2 km; Glorioso Islands (Iles Eparses): :35.2 km; Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses): :24.1 km; Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses): :3.7 km", "CLIMATE": "Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul: :oceanic with persistent westerly winds and high humidity; Iles Crozet: :windy, cold, wet, and cloudy; Iles Kerguelen: :oceanic, cold, overcast, windy; Iles Eparses: :tropical", "AIRPORTS": "4; note - one each on Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island in the Iles Eparses district (2013)", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are five administrative districts named Iles Crozet, Iles Eparses, Iles Kerguelen, Ile Saint-Paul et Ile Amsterdam; the fifth district is the \"Adelie Land\" claim in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "introduction of foreign species on Iles Crozet has caused severe damage to the original ecosystem; overfishing of Patagonian toothfish around Iles Crozet and Iles Kerguelen", "BACKGROUND": "In February 2007, the Iles Eparses became an integral part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF). The Southern Lands are now divided into five administrative districts, two of which are archipelagos, Iles Crozet and Iles Kerguelen; the third is a district composed of two volcanic islands, Ile Saint-Paul and Ile Amsterdam; the fourth, Iles Eparses, consists of five scattered tropical islands around Madagascar. They contain no permanent inhabitants and are visited only by researchers studying the native fauna, scientists at the various scientific stations, fishermen, and military personnel. The fifth district is the Antarctic portion, which consists of \"Adelie Land,\" a thin slice of the Antarctic continent discovered and claimed by the French in 1840.; Ile Amsterdam: :Discovered but not named in 1522 by the Spanish, the island subsequently received the appellation of Nieuw Amsterdam from a Dutchman; it was claimed by France in 1843. A short-lived attempt at cattle farming began in 1871. A French meteorological station established on the island in 1949 is still in use.; Ile Saint Paul: :Claimed by France since 1893, the island was a fishing industry center from 1843 to 1914. In 1928, a spiny lobster cannery was established, but when the company went bankrupt in 1931, seven workers were abandoned. Only two survived until 1934 when rescue finally arrived.; Iles Crozet: :A large archipelago formed from the Crozet Plateau, Iles Crozet is divided into two main groups: L'Occidental (the West), which includes Ile aux Cochons, Ilots des Apotres, Ile des Pingouins, and the reefs Brisants de l'Heroine; and L'Oriental (the East), which includes Ile d'Est and Ile de la Possession (the largest island of the Crozets). Discovered and claimed by France in 1772, the islands were used for seal hunting and as a base for whaling. Originally administered as a dependency of Madagascar, they became part of the TAAF in 1955.; Iles Kerguelen: :This island group, discovered in 1772, is made up of one large island (Ile Kerguelen) and about 300 smaller islands. A permanent group of 50 to 100 scientists resides at the main base at Port-aux-Francais.; Adelie Land: :The only non-insular district of the TAAF is the Antarctic claim known as \"Adelie Land.\" The US Government does not recognize it as a French dependency.; Bassas da India: :A French possession since 1897, this atoll is a volcanic rock surrounded by reefs and is awash at high tide.; Europa Island: :This heavily wooded island has been a French possession since 1897; it is the site of a small military garrison that staffs a weather station.; Glorioso Islands: :A French possession since 1892, the Glorioso Islands are composed of two lushly vegetated coral islands (Ile Glorieuse and Ile du Lys) and three rock islets. A military garrison operates a weather and radio station on Ile Glorieuse.; Juan de Nova Island: :Named after a famous 15th century Spanish navigator and explorer, the island has been a French possession since 1897. It has been exploited for its guano and phosphate. Presently a small military garrison oversees a meteorological station.; Tromelin Island: :First explored by the French in 1776, the island came under the jurisdiction of Reunion in 1814. At present, it serves as a sea turtle sanctuary and is the site of an important meteorological station.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "Ile Amsterdam (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul): :less than one-half the size of Washington, DC; Ile Saint-Paul (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul): :more than 10 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC; Iles Crozet: :about twice the size of Washington, DC; Iles Kerguelen: :slightly larger than Delaware; Bassas da India (Iles Eparses): :land area about one-third the size of The Mall in Washington, DC; Europa Island (Iles Eparses): :about one-sixth the size of Washington, DC; Glorioso Islands (Iles Eparses): :about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC; Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses): :about seven times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC; Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses): :about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are inactive volcanoes; Iles Eparses subject to periodic cyclones; Bassas da India is a maritime hazard since it is under water for a period of three hours prior to and following the high tide and surrounded by reefs; volcanism: :Reunion Island - Piton de la Fournaise (elev. 2,632 m, ), which has erupted many times in recent years including 2010, is one of the world's most active volcanoes; although rare, eruptions outside the volcano's caldera could threaten nearby cities", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Indian Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mont de la Dives on Ile Amsterdam (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul) 867 m; unnamed location on Ile Saint-Paul (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul) 272 m; Pic Marion-Dufresne in Iles Crozet 1,090 m; Mont Ross in Iles Kerguelen 1,850 m; unnamed location on Bassas de India (Iles Eparses) 2.4 m; unnamed location on Europa Island (Iles Eparses) 24 m; unnamed location on Glorioso Islands (Iles Eparses) 12 m; unnamed location on Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses) 10 m; unnamed location on Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses) 7 m", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "Ile Amsterdam (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul): :37 50 S, 77 32 E; Ile Saint-Paul (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul): :38 72 S, 77 53 E; Iles Crozet: :46 25 S, 51 00 E; Iles Kerguelen: :49 15 S, 69 35 E; Bassas da India (Iles Eparses): :21 30 S, 39 50 E; Europa Island (Iles Eparses): :22 20 S, 40 22 E; Glorioso Islands (Iles Eparses): :11 30 S, 47 20 E; Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses): :17 03 S, 42 45 E; Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses): :15 52 S, 54 25 E" }, { "country": "Gabon", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Dante PARADISO; note - also accredited to Sao Tome and Principe; embassy: :Boulevard du Bord de Mer, Libreville; mailing address: :Centre Ville, B. P. 4000, Libreville; pouch: 2270 Libreville Place, Washington, DC 20521-2270; telephone: :[241; FAX: :[241", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$21,600 (2014 est.); $20,900 (2013 est.); $20,000 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "5.1% (2014 est.); 5.6% (2013 est.); 5.5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.94% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$34.28 billion (2014 est.); $32.61 billion (2013 est.); $30.89 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :77%; youth dependency ratio: :68%; elderly dependency ratio: :9%; potential support ratio: :11.1% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "37.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 41.3% of GDP (2013 est.); 44.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :30.3%; government consumption: :9.9%; investment in fixed capital: :35.1%; investment in inventories: :7.8%; exports of goods and services: :50.5%; imports of goods and services: :-33.6%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "31.1% (2012)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "20.3; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2012 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "5.437 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "28.32 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "90 million cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "90 million cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "4,594 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "7,670 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "20,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "19,280 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "2 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "225,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "239,300 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "41% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "59% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "415,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "1.378 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "1.702 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "black panther; national colors: green, yellow, blue", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "13.9% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "6.3 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.29 physicians/1,000 population (2004)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "3.5% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "6.5% (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "230 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "27.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "LIBREVILLE (capital) 695,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"La Concorde\" (The Concorde); lyrics/music: :Georges Aleka DAMAS; note: :adopted 1960", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 42.9% of population; rural: 32% of population; total: 41.4% of population; urban: 57.1% of population; rural: 68% of population; total: 58.6% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 96.8% of population; rural: 63% of population; total: 92.2% of population; urban: 3.2% of population; rural: 37% of population; total: 7.8% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$4.545 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.421 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$2.983 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.011 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state owns and operates 2 TV stations and 2 radio broadcast stations; a few private radio and TV stations; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are accessible; satellite service subscriptions are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :86.9% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.7% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$2.503 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.35 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$777.8 million (31 December 2008); $799.3 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$1.643 billion (31 December 2008); $1.547 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "15% (31 December 2014 est.); 15% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "3% (31 December 2010); 4.25% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.14 cu km/yr (61%/10%/29%); per capita: :97.68 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "164 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$20.68 billion (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne disease: :malaria and dengue fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$2.397 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.47 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$215.2 million (2014 est.); $330.4 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "17.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 18.7% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "127 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :18.6 years; male: :18.4 years; female: :18.8 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "2,100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "40,700 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "3.9% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ga", "INTERNET_USERS": "98,800 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "2.93 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "17,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Michael MOUSSA-ADAMO (since 2 September 2011); chancery: :Suite 200, 2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s): :New York", "AREA": "total: :267,667 sq km; land: :257,667 sq km; water: :10,000 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "44.5 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Central Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Gabonese Republic; conventional short form: :Gabon; local long form: :Republique Gabonaise; local short form: :Gabon", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "21% (2006 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic; multiparty presidential regime", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "4.49 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations; domestic: :a growing mobile cellular network with multiple providers is making telephone service more widely available with mobile cellular teledensity exceeding 100 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 241; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :649 km; standard gauge: :649 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Libreville, Owendo, Port-Gentil; oil/gas terminal(s): :Gamba, Lucina", "POPULATION": "1,672,597; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alliance for National Rebirth or ARENA [Richard MOULOMBA; Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [General Jean Boniface ASSELE; Congress for Democracy and Justice or CDJ [Jules Aristide Bourdes OGOULIGUENDE; Democratic and Republican Alliance or ADERE [Divungui-di-Ndinge DIDJOB; Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG [Ali BONGO Ondimba; Gabonese Party for Progress or PGP [Benoit Mouity NZAMBA; Gabonese Union for Democracy and Development or UGDD [Zacharie MYBOTO; Independent Center Party of Gabon or PGCI [Luccheri GAHILA; National Rally of Woodcutters-Democratic or RNB-D [Pierre Andre KOMBILA; National Rally of Woodcutters-Rally for Gabon or RNB-RPG (Bucherons) [Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE; Party of Development and Social Solidarity or PDS [Seraphin Ndoat REMBOGO; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Pierre Claver MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU; Union for Democracy and Social Integration or UDIS; Union for the New Republic or UPRN [Louis Gaston MAYILA; Union of Gabonese People or UPG [Mathieu Mboumba NZIENGUI - until the next Congress", "PIPELINES": "gas 807 km; oil 1,639 km; water 3 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most sub-Saharan African nations, but because of high income inequality, a large proportion of the population remains poor. Gabon depended on timber and manganese until oil was discovered offshore in the early 1970s. The economy was reliant on oil for about 50% of its GDP, about 70% of revenues, and 87% of goods exports for 2010, although some fields have passed their peak production. A rebound of oil prices from 1999 to 2013 helped growth, but declining production has hampered Gabon from fully realizing potential gains. Gabon signed a 14-month Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF in May 2007, and later that year issued a $1 billion sovereign bond to buy back a sizable portion of its Paris Club debt. Gabon continues to face fluctuating prices for its oil, timber, and manganese exports. Despite the abundance of natural wealth, poor fiscal management has stifled the economy. However, President BONGO has made efforts to increase transparency and is taking steps to make Gabon a more attractive investment destination to diversify the economy. BONGO has attempted to boost growth by increasing government investment in human resources and infrastructure. GDP grew nearly 6% per year over the 2010-14 period.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "a small population and oil and mineral reserves have helped Gabon become one of Africa's wealthier countries; in general, these circumstances have allowed the country to maintain and conserve its pristine rain forest and rich biodiversity", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-2.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Gabonese (singular and plural); adjective: :Gabonese", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 17 August (1960)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "registered in other countries: :2 (Cambodia 1, Panama 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :350,640; females age 16-49: :351,718 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :82.3%; male: :84.9%; female: :79.9% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :52.06 years; male: :51.54 years; female: :52.6 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (102 seats; members indirectly elected by municipal councils and departmental assemblies by absolute majority vote in two rounds; members serve 6-year terms) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats; members elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :Senate - last held on 18 January 2009 (next to be held in January 2015); National Assembly - last held on 17 December 2011 (next to be held in December 2016); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDG 75, RPG 6, UGDD 3, CLR 2, PGCI 2, PSD 2, UPG 2, ADERE 1, independent 9; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDG 114, RPG 3, other 3", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of French civil law and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :1.26%; permanent crops: :0.66%; other: :98.08% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :3,261 km; border countries: :Cameroon 349 km, Republic of the Congo 2,567 km, Equatorial Guinea 345 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "636,000 (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (organized into Judicial, Administrative, and Accounts chambers and consists of NA judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges appointment and tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed - 3 by the national president, 3 by the president of the Senate, and 3 by the president of the National Assembly; judges serve 7-year, single renewable terms; subordinate courts: :Courts of Appeal; Court of State Security; county courts; military courts", "WATERWAYS": "1,600 km (310 km on Ogooue River) (2010)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "7% (2014 est.); 0.5% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :47.03 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :54.27 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :39.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, gold; chemicals, ship repair, food and beverages, textiles, lumbering and plywood, cement", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "4.2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "17 August 1960 (from France)", "IMPORTS": "$4.76 billion (2014 est.); $4.459 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :9,170 km; paved: :1,097 km; unpaved: :8,073 km (2007)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue; green represents the country's forests and natural resources, gold represents the equator (which transects Gabon) as well as the sun, blue represents the sea", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$3.741 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.463 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$8.401 billion (2014 est.); $8.503 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Ali BONGO Ondimba(since 16 October 2009); head of government: :Prime Minister Daniel ONA ONDO (since 27 January 2014); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (no term limits); election last held on 30 August 2009 (next to be held in 2016); prime minister appointed by the president; election results: :President Ali BONGO Ondimba elected; percent of vote - Ali BONGO Ondimba 41.7%, Andre MBA OBAME 25.9%, Pierre MAMBOUNDOU 25.2%, Zacharie MYBOTO 3.9%, other 3.3%; note: :President Omar BONGO died on 8 June 2009 after serving as president for 42 years; in accordance with the constitution he was replaced on an interim basis by the president of the Senate, Rose Francine ROGOMBE on 10 June 2009; new elections were held on 30 August 2009 and the son of the former president, Ali BONGO Ondimba, was elected president", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar -; 485.8 (2014 est.); 494.04 (2013 est.); 510.53 (2012 est.); 471.87 (2011 est.); 495.28 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Bantu tribes, including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Bapounou, Nzebi, Obamba); other Africans and Europeans, 154,000, including 10,700 French and 11,000 persons of dual nationality", "DEATH_RATE": "13.13 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1961; latest drafted May 1990, adopted 15 March 1991, promulgated 26 March 1991; amended several times, last in 2011 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "France 21.8%, Cote dIvoire 16.6%, China 10%, Belgium 5.6%, US 5.5%, Netherlands 5.1% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "885 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; always hot, humid", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, construction materials", "CAPITAL": "name: :Libreville; geographic coordinates: :0 23 N, 9 27 E; time difference: :UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$5.695 billion; expenditures: :$5.908 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Gabonese Defense Forces (Forces de Defense Gabonaise): Land Force (Force Terrestre), Gabonese Navy (Marine Gabonaise), Gabonese Air Forces (Forces Aerienne Gabonaises, FAG) (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "34.64 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "44 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber; cattle; okoume (a tropical softwood); fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Japan 21.7%, US 10.7%, Australia 9.7%, India 8.8%, China 8.5%, Spain 6.3%, France 4.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "crude oil, timber, manganese, uranium", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :60%; industry: :15%; services: :25% (2000 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.5%; highest 10%: :32.7% (2005)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.34% of GDP (2012); NA% (2011); 1.34% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; poaching", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :30; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :7; 914 to 1,523 m: :9; 14 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :14; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :9; 914 to 1,523 m: :1; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba - one of the longest-serving heads of state in the world - dominated the country's political scene for four decades (1967-2009) following independence from France in 1960. President BONGO introduced a nominal multiparty system and a new constitution in the early 1990s. However, allegations of electoral fraud during local elections in December 2002 and the presidential elections in 2005 exposed the weaknesses of formal political structures in Gabon. Following President BONGO's death in 2009, new elections brought Ali BONGO Ondimba, son of the former president, to power. Despite constrained political conditions, Gabon's small population, abundant natural resources, and considerable foreign support have helped make it one of the more stable African countries.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :17,638; female: :17,614 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :202,404; females age 16-49: :195,389 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "20 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Colorado", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mont Iboundji 1,575 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.73 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "4 (plus 4 repeaters) (2001)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 6, FM 7 (plus 11 repeaters), shortwave 4 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :3.7%; industry: :61.7%; services: :34.6% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "1 00 S, 11 45 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :42.1% (male 353,863/female 350,456); 15-24 years: :20.3% (male 169,681/female 169,082); 25-54 years: :29.7% (male 248,328/female 248,063); 55-64 years: :4.2% (male 33,608/female 35,838); 65 years and over: :3.8% (male 27,117/female 36,561) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Gambia, The", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Richard T. YONEOKA (since August 2014); embassy: :Kairaba Avenue, Fajara, Banjul; mailing address: :P. M. B. No. 19, Banjul; telephone: :[220; FAX: :[220", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$1,700 (2014 est.); $1,700 (2013 est.); $1,600 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "7.4% (2014 est.); 6.3% (2013 est.); 5.3% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.23% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$3.362 billion (2014 est.); $3.131 billion (2013 est.); $2.944 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :93%; youth dependency ratio: :88.4%; elderly dependency ratio: :4.5%; potential support ratio: :22% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "7.1% of GDP (2014 est.); 1.7% of GDP (2013 est.); 6.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :92.4%; government consumption: :8.6%; investment in fixed capital: :23.8%; investment in inventories: :0.3%; exports of goods and services: :28%; imports of goods and services: :-53.1%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "9% (2013)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :103,389; percentage: :25% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "472,200 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "3,434 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "42 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "3,350 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "62,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "213.9 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "230 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "lion; national colors: red, blue, green, white", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "7.9% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.1 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.11 physicians/1,000 population (2008)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "17.4% (2010)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "360 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-7.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "19.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "BANJUL (capital) 489,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"For The Gambia, Our Homeland\"; lyrics/music: :Virginia Julie HOWE/adapted by Jeremy Frederick HOWE; note: :adopted 1965; the music is an adaptation of the traditional Mandinka song \"Foday Kaba Dumbuya\"", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 64% of population; rural: 55% of population; total: 60.2% of population; urban: 36% of population; rural: 45% of population; total: 39.8% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 94.2% of population; rural: 84.4% of population; total: 90.1% of population; urban: 5.8% of population; rural: 15.6% of population; total: 9.9% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$534.7 million (31 December 2014 est.); $511.5 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$217.5 million (31 December 2014 est.); $215.5 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-owned, single-channel TV service; state-owned radio station and 4 privately owned radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available, some via shortwave radio; cable and satellite TV subscription services are obtainable in some parts of the country (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :59% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :4.33% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$416.3 million (31 December 2014 est.); $398.3 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$176.2 million (31 December 2008); $180.4 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$192.9 million (31 December 2008); $186.7 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "33.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 28% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "9% (31 December 2009); 11% (31 December 2008)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.1% of GDP (2012)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :9 years; male: :9 years; female: :9 years (2010)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.09 cu km/yr (41%/21%/39%); per capita: :65.77 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "8 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :The Gambia is a source and destination country for women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Gambian women, girls, and, to a lesser extent, boys are exploited for prostitution and domestic servitude; boys in some Koranic schools are forced into street vending or begging; women, girls, and boys from West African countries are trafficked to The Gambia for sexual exploitation, particularly catering to European tourists seeking sex with children; some Gambian trafficking victims are identified in neighboring West African countries; tier rating: :Tier 3 � The Gambia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government did not report prosecuting or convicting any trafficking offenders in 2013, did not formally identify trafficking victims, and did not indicate whether victims received any government-supported services; a government program continued to provide resources and financial support to 12 Koranic schools on the condition that their students were not forced to beg (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$918 million (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :9,025 (Senegal) (2013)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria and dengue fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; respiratory disease: :meningococcal meningitis; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$227.9 million (31 December 2014 est.); $210.6 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$163.2 million (2014 est.); -$165.1 million (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "656 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :20.2 years; male: :19.9 years; female: :20.5 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "50.2 (1998)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "12,900 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "1.2% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".gm", "INTERNET_USERS": "130,100 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "1.526 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "64,200 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Sheikh Omar FAYE (since 1 April 2014); chancery: :Suite 240, Georgetown Plaza, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :11,295 sq km; land: :10,000 sq km; water: :1,295 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "50 sq km (2011)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of The Gambia; conventional short form: :The Gambia", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "3.85 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hills", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :adequate microwave radio relay and open-wire network; state-owned Gambia Telecommunications partially privatized in 2007; domestic: :combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity, aided by multiple mobile-cellular providers, is roughly 80 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 220; microwave radio relay links to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; a landing station for the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) undersea fiber-optic cable is scheduled for completion in 2011; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 90%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 2%", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Banjul", "POPULATION": "1,925,527 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction or APRC [Yahya JAMMEH; Gambia People's Democratic Party or GPDP [Henry GOMEZ; National Alliance for Democracy and Development or NADD [Halifa SALLAH; National Convention Party or NCP [Sheriff DIBBA; National Reconciliation Party or NRP [Hamat BAH; People's Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism or PDOIS [Halifa SALLAH; People's Progressive Party or PPP [Omar JALLOW; United Democratic Party or UDP [Ousainou DARBOE", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The Gambia has sparse natural resource deposits and a limited agricultural base. It relies heavily on remittances from workers overseas and tourist receipts. Remittance inflows to The Gambia amount to about 20% of the country�s GDP. The government has invested strongly in the agriculture sector because three-quarters of the population depends on the sector for its livelihood and agriculture provides for about one-fifth of GDP. The agricultural sector has untapped potential - less than half of arable land is cultivated. Small-scale manufacturing activity features the processing of peanuts, fish, and hides. The Gambia's natural beauty and proximity to Europe has made it one of the larger tourist destinations in West Africa, boosted by government and private sector investments in eco-tourism and upscale facilities. Tourism normally brings in about one-fifth of GDP, but suffered in 2014 from tourists� fears of Ebolavirus in neighboring West African countries. The Gambia's re-export trade accounts for almost 80% of goods exports and China was its largest trade partner for both exports and imports in 2013. In 2012 the IMF renewed an extended credit facility of $28.3 million for three years. Unemployment and underemployment remain high. Economic progress depends on sustained bilateral and multilateral aid, on responsible government economic management, and on continued technical assistance from multilateral and bilateral donors. International donors and lenders continue to be concerned about the quality of fiscal management. The Gambia's debt interest payments are projected to consume about 31% of government revenue in 2015. Relations with international donors have been tarnished by the country�s human rights record on homosexuality and human trafficking, perceptions of graft, and a declaration by the president in 2014 that the country would stop using English as the national language.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "National Environment Agency or NEA; West African Peace Building Network-Gambian Chapter or WANEB-GAMBIA; Youth Employment Network Gambia or YENGambia; other: :special needs group advocates; teachers and principals", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country in Africa", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-2.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish, clay, silica sand, titanium (rutile and ilmenite), tin, zircon", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Gambian(s); adjective: :Gambian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 18 February (1965)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :4; by type: :passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 1 (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :18 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :extent not specified", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :423,306; females age 16-49: :438,641 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :52%; male: :61.4%; female: :43.1% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :64.36 years; male: :62.04 years; female: :66.74 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly (53 seats; 48 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 5 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 29 March 2012 (next to be held in 2017); election results: :percent of vote by party - APRC 51.8%, independent 38.8%, NRP 9.4%; seats by party - APRC 43, independent 4, NRP 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law, and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :43.48%; permanent crops: :0.49%; other: :56.03% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :749 km; border countries: :Senegal 749 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "777,100 (2007 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of The Gambia (consists of the chief justice and 6 other justices; court sessions held with 5 justices); judge selection and term of office: :justices appointed by the president after consultation with the Judicial Service Commission, a 6-member independent body of high-level judicial officials, a presidential appointee, and a National Assembly appointee; justices appointed for life or until mandatory retirement age; subordinate courts: :Court of Appeal; High Court; Special Criminal Court; Khadis or Muslim courts; district tribunals; magistrates courts", "WATERWAYS": "390 km (on River Gambia; small ocean-going vessels can reach 190 km) (2010)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "5.6% (2014 est.); 5.7% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :65.74 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :71.21 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :60.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "peanuts, fish, hides, tourism, beverages, agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking, clothing", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.3% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "18 February 1965 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$353.1 million (2014 est.); $355.8 million (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :3,740 km; paved: :711 km; unpaved: :3,029 km (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with white edges, and green; red stands for the sun and the savannah, blue represents the Gambia River, and green symbolizes forests and agriculture; the white stripes denote unity and peace", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$583.9 million (31 December 2014 est.); $547.4 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$107.4 million (2014 est.); $104.6 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Yahya JAMMEH (since 18 October 1996); note - from 1994 to 1996 he was chairman of the junta; Vice President Isatou NJIE-SAIDY (since 20 March 1997); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Yahya JAMMEH (since 18 October 1996); Vice President Isatou NJIE-SAIDY (since 20 March 1997); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held on 24 November 2011 (next to be held in 2016); election results: :Yahya JAMMEH reelected president; percent of vote - Yahya JAMMEH 71.5%, Ousainou DARBOE 17.4%, Hamat BAH 11.1%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "dalasis (GMD) per US dollar -; 39.98 (2014 est.); 36.57 (2013 est.); 32.08 (2012 est.); 29.4615 (2011 est.); 28.012 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "African 99% (Mandinka 42%, Fula 18%, Wolof 16%, Jola 10%, Serahuli 9%, other 4%), non-African 1% (2003 census)", "DEATH_RATE": "7.26 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1970; latest adopted 8 April 1996, approved by referendum 8 August 1996, effective 16 January 1997; amended several times, last in 2009 (2009)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 30.3%, Senegal 9.1%, Brazil 8.2%, India 6.7% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "80 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November to May)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foodstuffs, manufactures, fuel, machinery and transport equipment", "CAPITAL": "name: :Banjul; geographic coordinates: :13 27 N, 16 34 W; time difference: :UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$177.6 million; expenditures: :$242.6 million (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Office of the Chief of Defense Staff: Gambian National Army (GNA), Gambian Navy (GN), Republican National Guard (RNG) (2010)", "BIRTH_RATE": "31.75 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "rice, millet, sorghum, peanuts, corn, sesame, cassava (manioc, tapioca), palm kernels; cattle, sheep, goats", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "5 divisions and 1 city*; Banjul*, Central River, Lower River, North Bank, Upper River, Western", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 57%, India 23.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "peanut products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :75%; industry: :19%; services: :6% (1996)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2%; highest 10%: :36.9% (2003)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "48.4% (2010 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; desertification; water-borne diseases prevalent", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; over 3,047 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965. Geographically surrounded by Senegal, it formed a short-lived federation of Senegambia between 1982 and 1989. In 1991 the two nations signed a friendship and cooperation treaty, but tensions have flared up intermittently since then. Yahya JAMMEH led a military coup in 1994 that overthrew the president and banned political activity. A new constitution and presidential elections in 1996, followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997, completed a nominal return to civilian rule. JAMMEH was elected president in all subsequent elections including most recently in late 2011.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :20,508; female: :20,853 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :315,176; females age 16-49: :347,017 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; service obligation 6 months (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than twice the size of Delaware", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "drought (rainfall has dropped by 30% in the last 30 years)", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :unnamed elevation 53 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.96 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.9 male(s)/female; total population: :0.98 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (government-owned) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :22.8%; industry: :11.8%; services: :65.5% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "13 28 N, 16 34 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :38.7% (male 374,353/female 371,488); 15-24 years: :21% (male 199,306/female 204,324); 25-54 years: :33% (male 310,901/female 324,227); 55-64 years: :4% (male 37,506/female 39,958); 65 years and over: :3.3% (male 29,793/female 33,671) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Georgia", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Richard NORLAND (since 25 July 2012); embassy: :11 George Balanchine Street, T'bilisi 0131; mailing address: :7060 T'bilisi Place, Washington, DC 20521-7060; telephone: :[995; FAX: :[995", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$7,700 (2014 est.); $7,300 (2013 est.); $7,000 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "5% (2014 est.); 3.2% (2013 est.); 6.2% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.11% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$34.27 billion (2014 est.); $32.62 billion (2013 est.); $31.62 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :48.6%; youth dependency ratio: :27%; elderly dependency ratio: :21.7%; potential support ratio: :4.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "17.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 19.4% of GDP (2013 est.); 18.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :72.3%; government consumption: :17.5%; investment in fixed capital: :22.4%; investment in inventories: :3.6%; exports of goods and services: :46.3%; imports of goods and services: :-62.1%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "53.4%; note: :percent of women aged 15-44 (2010)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "24; note: :data do not cover Abkhazia and South Ossetia (2011 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :121,659; percentage: :18% (2005 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "6.258 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "8.495 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "1.77 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "1.776 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "9.151 million cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "18,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "16,790 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "35 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "531 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "1,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "61.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "38.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "4.35 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "614 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "930 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "9.379 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "9.694 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Saint George, lion; national colors: red, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :33.3% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "22.1% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.6 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "4.24 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "9.2% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "1.1% (2009)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "67 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "28.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "TBILISI (capital) 1.15 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Tavisupleba\" (Liberty); lyrics/music: :Davit MAGRADSE/Zakaria PALIASHVILI (adapted by Joseb KETSCHAKMADSE); note: :adopted 2004; after the Rose Revolution, a new anthem with music based on the operas \"Abesalom da Eteri\" and \"Daisi\" was adopted", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 95.5% of population; rural: 90.7% of population; total: 93.3% of population; urban: 4.5% of population; rural: 9.3% of population; total: 6.7% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 97.3% of population; total: 98.7% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 2.7% of population; total: 1.3% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$4.72 billion (31 September 2012 est.); $4.249 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$2.632 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.297 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 public broadcaster in Tbilisi, 1 state-owned broadcaster in Ajaria Autonomous Republic; 8 privately owned TV stations; state run public broadcaster operates 2 TV stations; dozens of cable TV operators, several major commercial TV stations, and several dozen private radio stations; state run public broadcaster operates 2 radio stations (2012)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :53.5% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :-0.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$8.007 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $6.634 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$1.606 billion (31 December 2008); $1.379 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$1.077 billion (31 December 2009); $972.4 million (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "12.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 13.59% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "3.75% (15 January 2013); 5.25% (31 December 2012); note: :this is the Refinancing Rate, the key monetary policy rate of the National Bank of Georgia", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2% of GDP (2012)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :13 years; male: :13 years; female: :13 years (2008)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :1.81 cu km/yr (20%/22%/58%); per capita: :410.6 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "63.33 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$943.4 million (31 December 2012 est.); $795.7 million (31 December 2011); $1.06 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$1.642 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.482 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$12.91 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $11.61 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$16.13 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "IDPs: :231,500 (displaced in the 1990s as a result of armed conflict in the breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia; displaced in 2008 by fighting between Georgia and Russia over South Ossetia) (2013); stateless persons: :776 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$3.283 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.823 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.312 billion (2014 est.); -$1.028 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "36.3% of GDP (2012 est.); 36.5% of GDP (2011 est.); note: :data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities; Georgia does not maintain intra-governmental debt or social funds", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "357,864 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :37.7 years; male: :34.9 years; female: :40.4 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "46 (2011); 37.1 (1996)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "6,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.27% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ge", "INTERNET_USERS": "1.3 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "4.699 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "1.276 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Archil GEGESHIDZE (since 12 April 2013); chancery: :2209 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :New York", "AREA": "total: :69,700 sq km; land: :69,700 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "4,328 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Asia", "LOCATION": "Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia, with a sliver of land north of the Caucasus extending into Europe; note - Georgia views itself as part of Europe", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Georgia; local long form: :none; local short form: :Sak'art'velo; former: :Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "14.9% (2014 est.); 14.6% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.77 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "largely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in the north and Lesser Caucasus Mountains in the south; Kolkhet'is Dablobi (Kolkhida Lowland) opens to the Black Sea in the west; Mtkvari River Basin in the east; good soils in river valley flood plains, foothills of Kolkhida Lowland", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :fixed-line telecommunications network has limited coverage outside Tbilisi; multiple mobile-cellular providers provide services to an increasing subscribership throughout the country; domestic: :cellular telephone networks cover the entire country; mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 100 per 100 people; intercity facilities include a fiber-optic line between T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi; international: :country code - 995; the Georgia-Russia fiber-optic submarine cable provides connectivity to Russia; international service is available by microwave, landline, and satellite through the Moscow switch; international electronic mail and telex service are available (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Orthodox Christian (official) 83.9%, Muslim 9.9%, Armenian-Gregorian 3.9%, Catholic 0.8%, other 0.8%, none 0.7% (2002 census)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :1,612 km; broad gauge: :1,575 km 1.520-m gauge (1,575 km electrified); narrow gauge: :37 km 0.912-m gauge (37 km electrified) (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Black Sea - Bat'umi, P'ot'i", "POPULATION": "4,935,880 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Christian Democratic Movement [Giorgi AKHVELDIANI; Conservative Party [Zviad DZIDZIGURI; European Democrats [Paata DAVITAIA; For Fair Georgia [Zurab NOGAIDELI; Free Georgia [Kakha KUKAVA; Georgian Dream (a six-party coalition composed of Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia, Republican Party, Our Georgia-Free Democrats, National Forum, Conservative Party, and Industry Will Save Georgia); Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia [Irakli GARIBASHVILI; Georgian People's Front [Nodar NATADZE; Georgian Troupe [Jondi BAGHTURIA; Industry Will Save Georgia (Industrialists) or IWSG [Georgi TOPADZE; Labor Party [Shalva NATELASHVILI; National Democratic Party or NDP [Bachuki KARDAVA; National Forum [Kakhaber SHARTAVA; New Rights [Pikria CHIKHRADZE; Our Georgia-Free Democrats (OGFD) [Irakli KADAGIDZE; People's Party [Koba DAVITASHVILI; Republican Party [Khatuna SAMNIDZE; Traditionalists [Akaki ASATIANI; United National Movement or UNM [Vano MERABISHVILI", "PIPELINES": "gas 1,596 km; oil 1,175 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Georgia's main economic activities include cultivation of agricultural products such as grapes, citrus fruits, and hazelnuts; mining of manganese, copper, and gold; and producing alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, metals, machinery, and chemicals in small-scale industries. The country imports nearly all of its needed supplies of natural gas and oil products. It has sizeable hydropower capacity that now provides most of its energy needs. Georgia has overcome the chronic energy shortages and gas supply interruptions of the past by renovating hydropower plants and by increasingly relying on natural gas imports from Azerbaijan instead of from Russia. Construction of the Baku-T'bilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, the South Caucasus gas pipeline, and the Kars-Akhalkalaki Railroad are part of a strategy to capitalize on Georgia's strategic location between Europe and Asia and develop its role as a transit point for gas, oil, and other goods. The expansion of the South Caucasus pipeline, as part of the Shah Deniz II Southern Gas Corridor project, will result in a $2 billion foreign investment in Georgia, the largest ever in the country. Gas from Shah Deniz II is expected to begin flowing in 2019. Georgia's economy sustained GDP growth of more than 10% in 2006-07, based on strong inflows of foreign investment and robust government spending. However, GDP growth slowed following the August 2008 conflict with Russia, and sunk to negative 4% in 2009 as foreign direct investment and workers' remittances declined in the wake of the global financial crisis. The economy rebounded in 2010-13, but FDI inflows, the engine of Georgian economic growth prior to the 2008 conflict, have not recovered fully. Unemployment has also remained high. Georgia has historically suffered from a chronic failure to collect tax revenues; however, since 2004 the government has simplified the tax code, improved tax administration, increased tax enforcement, and cracked down on petty corruption, leading to higher revenues. The country is pinning its hopes for renewed growth on a determined effort to continue to liberalize the economy by reducing regulation, taxes, and corruption in order to attract foreign investment, with a focus on hydropower, agriculture, tourism, and textiles production. The government has received high marks from the World Bank for its anti-corruption efforts. Since 2012, the Georgian Dream-led government has continued the previous administration's low-regulation, low-tax, free market policies, while modestly increasing social spending, strengthening anti-trust policy, and amending the labor code to comply with International Labor Standards. The government published its 2020 Economic Development Strategy in early 2014 and former Prime Minister Bidzina IVANISHVILI launched the Georgian Co-Investment Fund, a $6 billion private equity fund that will invest in tourism, agriculture, logistics, energy, infrastructure, and manufacturing. In mid-2014, Georgia signed an association agreement with the European Union, paving the way to free trade and visa-free travel.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :separatists in the Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategically located east of the Black Sea; Georgia controls much of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-3.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "timber, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore, copper, minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and citrus growth", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Georgian(s); adjective: :Georgian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 26 May (1918); note - 26 May 1918 was the date of independence from Soviet Russia, 9 April 1991 was the date of independence from the Soviet Union", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :142; by type: :bulk carrier 13, cargo 114, chemical tanker 1, container 1, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 5, vehicle carrier 2; foreign-owned: :95 (Bulgaria 1, China 10, Egypt 7, Hong Kong 3, Israel 1, Italy 2, Latvia 1, Lebanon 1, Romania 7, Russia 6, Syria 24, Turkey 14, UAE 2, UK 5, Ukraine 10, US 1); registered in other countries: :1 (unknown 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, BSEC, CD, CE, CPLP (associate), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-11, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,080,840; females age 16-49: :1,122,031 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :99.7%; male: :99.8%; female: :99.7% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :75.72 years; male: :71.62 years; female: :80.17 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Parliament or Sakartvelos Parlamenti (150 seats; 77 members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote and 73 directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 1 October 2012 (next to be held in 2016); election results: :percent of vote by party - Georgian Dream 55%, United National Movement 40.3%, other 4.7%; seats by party - Georgian Dream 85, United National Movement 65", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system", "LANGUAGES": "Georgian (official) 71%, Russian 9%, Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, other 7%; note: :Abkhaz is the official language in Abkhazia", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :5.76%; permanent crops: :1.8%; other: :92.44% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,814 km; border countries: :Armenia 219 km, Azerbaijan 428 km, Russia 894 km, Turkey 273 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "1.959 million (2011 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (organized into several specialized judicial chambers; number of judges determined by the president of Georgia); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges); note - the Abkhazian and Ajarian Autonomous republics each have a supreme court and a hierarchy of lower courts; judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the Parliament; judges serve not less than 10-year terms; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president following candidate selection by the Justice Council of Georgia, a 12-member consultative body of high-level judges, and presidential and parliamentary appointees; judges appointed for 10-year terms; subordinate courts: :Courts of Appeal; regional (town) and district courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3.3% (2014 est.); -0.5% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :16.68 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :18.86 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :14.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "steel, machine tools, electrical appliances, mining (manganese, copper, gold), chemicals, wood products, wine", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "8.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "9 April 1991 (from the Soviet Union); notable earlier date: A.D. 1008 (Georgia unified under King BAGRAT III)", "IMPORTS": "$8.328 billion (2014 est.); $7.697 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for domestic consumption; used as transshipment point for opiates via Central Asia to Western Europe and Russia", "ROADWAYS": "total: :19,109 km; paved: :19,109 km (includes 69 km of expressways) (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "white rectangle with a central red cross extending to all four sides of the flag; each of the four quadrants displays a small red bolnur-katskhuri cross; sometimes referred to as the Five-Cross Flag; although adopted as the official Georgian flag in 2004, the five-cross design appears to date back to the 14th century", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$12.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $12.11 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$4.493 billion (2014 est.); $4.191 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Giorgi MARGVELASHVILI (since 17 November 2013); head of government: :Prime Minister Irakli GARIBASHVILI (since 20 November 2013); cabinet: :Cabinet of Ministers; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 27 October 2013 (next to be held in October 2018); election results: :Giorgi MARGVELASHVILI elected president; percent of vote - Giorgi MARGVELASHVILI 62.1%, Davit BAKRADZE 21.7%, Nino BURJANADZE 10.2%, other 6%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "laris (GEL) per US dollar -; 1.763 (2014 est.); 1.6634 (2013 est.); 1.65 (2012 est.); 1.6865 (2011 est.); 1.7823 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Georgian 83.8%, Azeri 6.5%, Armenian 5.7%, Russian 1.5%, other 2.5% (2002 census)", "DEATH_RATE": "10.77 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1921, 1978 (based on 1977 Soviet Union constitution); latest approved 24 August 1995, effective 17 October 1995; amended several times, last in 2013 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Turkey 16%, China 8.3%, Ukraine 7.7%, Azerbaijan 7.3%, Russia 6.7%, Germany 5.6%, Romania 4.5%, US 4.3%, Japan 4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "310 km", "CLIMATE": "warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fuels, vehicles, machinery and parts, grain and other foods, pharmaceuticals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Tbilisi; geographic coordinates: :41 41 N, 44 50 E; time difference: :UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$4.594 billion; expenditures: :$5.048 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Georgian Armed Forces: Land Forces (include Air and Air Defense Forces); separatist Abkhazia Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Air Forces; separatist South Ossetia Armed Forces; note: :Georgian naval forces have been incorporated into the coast guard, which is not part of the Defense Ministry (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "12.93 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "22 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "citrus, grapes, tea, hazelnuts, vegetables; livestock", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "9 regions (mkharebi, singular - mkhare), 1 city (kalaki), and 2 autonomous republics (avtomnoy respubliki, singular - avtom respublika); regions: :Guria, Imereti, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Shida Kartli; note - the breakaway region of South Ossetia consists of the northern part of Shida Kartli, eastern slivers of the Imereti region and Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, and part of western Mtskheta-Mtianeti; city: :Tbilisi; autonomous republics: :Abkhazia or Ap'khazet'is Avtonomiuri Respublika (Sokhumi), Ajaria or Acharis Avtonomiuri Respublika (Bat'umi); note 1: :the administrative centers of the two autonomous republics are shown in parentheses; note 2: :the United States recognizes the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia to be part of Georgia", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Azerbaijan 24.3%, Armenia 9%, Turkey 7%, Ukraine 6.3%, Bulgaria 5.6%, US 5.1%, Russia 4.4%, Germany 4.1% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "vehicles, ferro-alloys, fertilizers, nuts, scrap metal, gold, copper ores", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :55.6%; industry: :8.9%; services: :35.5% (2006 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2%; highest 10%: :31.3% (2008)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "9.2% (2010)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "2.7% of GDP (2013); 2.88% of GDP (2012); 3.25% of GDP (2011); 2.88% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air pollution, particularly in Rust'avi; heavy pollution of Mtkvari River and the Black Sea; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil pollution from toxic chemicals", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :4; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :2; 1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :18; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :7; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :5; under 914 m: :2 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The region of present day Georgia contained the ancient kingdoms of Colchis and Kartli-Iberia. The area came under Roman influence in the first centuries A.D., and Christianity became the state religion in the 330s. Domination by Persians, Arabs, and Turks was followed by a Georgian golden age (11th-13th centuries) that was cut short by the Mongol invasion of 1236. Subsequently, the Ottoman and Persian empires competed for influence in the region. Georgia was absorbed into the Russian Empire in the 19th century. Independent for three years (1918-1921) following the Russian revolution, it was forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1921 and regained its independence when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Mounting public discontent over rampant corruption and ineffective government services, followed by an attempt by the incumbent Georgian Government to manipulate national legislative elections in November 2003 touched off widespread protests that led to the resignation of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, president since 1995. In the aftermath of that popular movement, which became known as the \"Rose Revolution,\" new elections in early 2004 swept Mikheil SAAKASHVILI into power along with his United National Movement (UNM) party. Progress on market reforms and democratization has been made in the years since independence, but this progress has been complicated by Russian assistance and support to the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Periodic flare-ups in tension and violence culminated in a five-day conflict in August 2008 between Russia and Georgia, including the invasion of large portions of undisputed Georgian territory. Russian troops pledged to pull back from most occupied Georgian territory, but in late August 2008 Russia unilaterally recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and Russian military forces remain in those regions. Billionaire philanthropist Bidzina IVANISHVILI's unexpected entry into politics in October 2011 brought the divided opposition together under his Georgian Dream coalition, which won a majority of seats in the October 2012 parliamentary election and removed UNM from power. Conceding defeat, SAAKASHVILI named IVANISHVILI as prime minister and allowed Georgian Dream to create a new government. Georgian Dream's Giorgi MARGVELASHVILI was inaugurated as president on 17 November 2013, ending a tense year of power-sharing between SAAKASHVILI and IVANISHVILI. IVANISHVILI voluntarily resigned from office after the presidential succession, and Georgia's legislature on 20 November 2013 confirmed Irakli GARIBASHVILI as his replacement. Georgia's recent elections represent unique examples of a former Soviet state that emerged to conduct democratic and peaceful government transitions of power. Popular and government support for integration with the West is high in Georgia. Joining the EU and NATO are among the country's top foreign policy goals.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :29,723; female: :27,242 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :893,003; females age 16-49: :931,683 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 to 34 years of age for compulsory and voluntary active duty military service; conscript service obligation is 18 months (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than South Carolina", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "earthquakes", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Black Sea 0 m; highest point: :Mt'a Shkhara 5,201 m", "HELIPORTS": "2 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.08 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.12 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.08 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.92 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.66 male(s)/female; total population: :0.91 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "12 (plus repeaters) (1998)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 7, FM 12, shortwave 4 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :9.1%; industry: :21.8%; services: :69.1% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "42 00 N, 43 30 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :17.6% (male 459,334/female 410,494); 15-24 years: :14% (male 359,559/female 332,182); 25-54 years: :40.9% (male 976,129/female 1,042,898); 55-64 years: :12.2% (male 269,367/female 330,386); 65 years and over: :15.3% (male 295,673/female 459,858) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Germany", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador John B. EMERSON (since 26 August 2013); embassy: :Pariser Platz 2, 10117 Berlin; mailing address: :Unit 5090, Box 1000, DPO AE09265; telephone: :[49; FAX: :[49; consulate(s) general: :Duesseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$44,700 (2014 est.); $44,200 (2013 est.); $44,100 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.4% (2014 est.); 0.5% (2013 est.); 0.9% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.18% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$3.621 trillion (2014 est.); $3.572 trillion (2013 est.); $3.553 trillion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :52.1%; youth dependency ratio: :19.8%; elderly dependency ratio: :32.3%; potential support ratio: :3.1% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "23.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 24% of GDP (2013 est.); 24.6% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :56.1%; government consumption: :19.2%; investment in fixed capital: :20.2%; investment in inventories: :0.1%; exports of goods and services: :45.7%; imports of goods and services: :-41.3%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "66.2%; note: :percent of women aged 18-49 (2005)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "29.2 (2012 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "788.3 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "116 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "94.91 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "18.82 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "88.44 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "11.78 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "666,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "376,600 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "2.403 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "2.206 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "232.6 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "1.876 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "14,260 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "97,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "36% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "6% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "51% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "178.4 million kW (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "39.16 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "71.43 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "582.5 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "575.9 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "golden eagle; national colors: black, red, yellow", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :8.1%; male: :8.8%; female: :7.4% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "25.1% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "8.2 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3.69 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "11.3% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "1.1% (2006)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "7 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "0.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "44% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "BERLIN (capital) 3.547 million; Hamburg 1.822 million; Munich 1.421 million; Cologne 1.032 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Das Lied der Deutschen\" (Song of the Germans); lyrics/music: :August Heinrich HOFFMANN VON FALLERSLEBEN/Franz Joseph HAYDN; note: :adopted 1922; the anthem, also known as \"Deutschlandlied\" (Song of Germany), was originally adopted for its connection to the March 1848 liberal revolution; following appropriation by the Nazis of the first verse, specifically the phrase, \"Deutschland, Deutschland ueber alles\" (Germany, Germany above all) to promote nationalism, it was banned after 1945; in 1952, its third verse was adopted by West Germany as its national anthem; in 1990, it became the national anthem for the reunited Germany", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$4.347 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.451 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$2.236 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.244 trillion (31 December 2013 est.); note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "a mixture of publicly operated and privately owned TV and radio stations; national and regional public broadcasters compete with nearly 400 privately owned national and regional TV stations; more than 90% of households have cable or satellite TV; hundreds of radio stations including multiple national radio networks, regional radio networks, and a large number of local radio stations (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :75.1% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.16% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$4.209 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.323 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$NA; note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi money circulating within their own borders", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "2.6% (31 December 2014 est.); 2.76% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.75% (31 December 2013); 1.5% (31 December 2010); note: :this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.1% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :16 years; male: :17 years; female: :16 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :32.3 cu km/yr (16%/84%/0%); per capita: :391.4 cu m/yr (2007)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "154 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$1.486 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); $1.184 trillion (31 December 2011); $1.43 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$2.048 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.971 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$1.424 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.384 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$3.82 trillion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :40,402 (Iraq); 28,823 (Syria); 25,963 (Afghanistan); 23,478 (Turkey); 18,146 (Iran); 9,526 (Serbia) (2014); stateless persons: :11,709 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$198.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $198.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$257.7 billion (2014 est.); $274 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "74.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 76.3% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :general government gross debt is defined in the Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value, outstanding at the end of the year in the following categories of government liabilities (as defined in ESA95): currency and deposits (AF.2), securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives (AF.3, excluding AF.34), and loans (AF.4); the general government sector comprises the sub-sectors of central government, state government, local government and social security funds; the series are presented as a percentage of GDP and in millions of euro; GDP used as a denominator is the gross domestic product at current market prices; data expressed in national currency are converted into euro using end-of-year exchange rates provided by the European Central Bank", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "20.043 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :46.1 years; male: :45.1 years; female: :47.2 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "27 (2006); 30 (1994)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "77,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.15% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".de", "INTERNET_USERS": "65.125 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "107.7 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "50.7 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Hans Peter WITTIG (since 21 May 2014); chancery: :2300 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco", "AREA": "total: :357,022 sq km; land: :348,672 sq km; water: :8,350 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "5,157 sq km (2006)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Federal Republic of Germany; conventional short form: :Germany; local long form: :Bundesrepublik Deutschland; local short form: :Deutschland; former: :German Empire, German Republic, German Reich", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "5% (2014 est.); 5.3% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "federal republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.43 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :Germany has one of the world's most technologically advanced telecommunications systems; as a result of intensive capital expenditures since reunification, the formerly backward system of the eastern part of the country, dating back to World War II, has been modernized and integrated with that of the western part; domestic: :Germany is served by an extensive system of automatic telephone exchanges connected by modern networks of fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, and a domestic satellite system; cellular telephone service is widely available, expanding rapidly, and includes roaming service to many foreign countries; international: :country code - 49; Germany's international service is excellent worldwide, consisting of extensive land and undersea cable facilities as well as earth stations in the Inmarsat, Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik satellite systems (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :41,981 km; standard gauge: :41,722 km 1.435-m gauge (20,053 km electrified); narrow gauge: :220 km 1.000-m gauge (75 km electrified); 39 km 0.750-m gauge (24 km electrified) (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Baltic Sea - Rostock; North Sea - Wilhelmshaven; river port(s): :Bremen (Weser); Bremerhaven (Geeste); Duisburg, Karlsruhe, Neuss-Dusseldorf (Rhine); Brunsbuttel, Hamburg (Elbe); Lubeck (Wakenitz); oil/gas terminal(s): :Brunsbuttel Canal terminals; container port(s): :Bremen/Bremerhaven (5,915,487), Hamburg (9,014,165) (2011)", "POPULATION": "80,996,685 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alliance '90/Greens [Cem OEZDEMIR and Simone PETER; Alternative for Germany or AfD [Bernd LUCKE; Christian Social Union or CSU [Horst SEEHOFER; Free Democratic Party or FDP [Christian LINDNER; Left Party or Die Linke [Katia KIPPING and Bernd RIEXINGER; Social Democratic Party or SPD [Sigmar GABRIEL", "PIPELINES": "condensate 37 km; gas 26,985 km; oil 2,826 km; refined products 4,479 km; water 8 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The German economy - the fifth largest economy in the world in PPP terms and Europe's largest - is a leading exporter of machinery, vehicles, chemicals, and household equipment and benefits from a highly skilled labor force. Like its Western European neighbors, Germany faces significant demographic challenges to sustained long-term growth. Low fertility rates and declining net immigration are increasing pressure on the country's social welfare system and necessitate structural reforms. Reforms launched by the government of Chancellor Gerhard SCHROEDER (1998-2005), deemed necessary to address chronically high unemployment and low average growth, contributed to strong growth and falling unemployment. These advances, as well as a government subsidized, reduced working hour scheme, help explain the relatively modest increase in unemployment during the 2008-09 recession - the deepest since World War II - and its decrease to 5.3% in 2014. The new German government introduced a minimum wage of about $11.60 (8.50 euros) per hour to take effect in 2015. Stimulus and stabilization efforts initiated in 2008 and 2009 and tax cuts introduced in Chancellor Angela MERKEL's second term increased Germany's total budget deficit - including federal, state, and municipal - to 4.1% in 2010, but slower spending and higher tax revenues reduced the deficit to 0.8% in 2011 and in 2012 Germany reached a budget surplus of 0.1%. The budget was essentially in balance in 2014. A constitutional amendment approved in 2009 limits the federal government to structural deficits of no more than 0.35% of GDP per annum as of 2016 though the target was already reached in 2012. Following the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Chancellor Angela MERKEL announced in May 2011 that eight of the country's 17 nuclear reactors would be shut down immediately and the remaining plants would close by 2022. Germany plans to replace nuclear power with renewable energy, which accounts for 34% of total energy consumption, up from 9% in 2000. Before the shutdown of the eight reactors, Germany relied on nuclear power for 23% of its electricity generating capacity and 46% of its base-load electricity production.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :business associations and employers' organizations; trade unions; religious, immigrant, expellee, and veterans groups", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "1.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium, potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :German(s); adjective: :German", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Unity Day, 3 October (1990)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :427; by type: :barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 6, cargo 51, carrier 1, chemical tanker 15, container 298, liquefied gas 6, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 24, petroleum tanker 10, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 6, vehicle carrier 1; foreign-owned: :6 (Finland 3, Netherlands 1, Switzerland 2); registered in other countries: :3,420 (Antigua and Barbuda 1094, Australia 2, Bahamas 30, Bermuda 14, Brazil 6, Bulgaria 12, Burma 1, Cayman Islands 3, Cook Islands 1, Curacao 25, Cyprus 192, Denmark 9, Dominica 5, Estonia 1, France 1, Gibraltar 123, Hong Kong 10, Isle of Man 56, Jamaica 10, Liberia 1185, Luxembourg 9, Malta 135, Marshall Islands 248, Morocco 1, Netherlands 86, NZ 2, Panama 24, Papua New Guinea 1, Philippines 2, Portugal 14, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, Singapore 32, Slovakia 3, Spain 4, Sri Lanka 8, Sweden 3, UK 59, US 5, Venezuela 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CD, CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :18,529,299; females age 16-49: :17,888,543 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :80.44 years; male: :78.15 years; female: :82.86 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Federal Council or Bundesrat (69 seats; members appointed by each of the 16 state governments or landtags) and the Federal Diet or Bundestag (631 seats - total seats can vary each electoral term; approximately one-half of members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and approximately one-half directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :Bundestag - last held on 22 September 2013 (next to be held no later than autumn 2017); most all postwar German governments have been coalitions; note - there are no elections for the Bundesrat; composition is determined by the composition of the state-level governments; the composition of the Bundesrat has the potential to change any time one of the 16 states holds an election; election results: :Bundestag - percent of vote by party - CDU/CSU 41.5%, SPD 25.7%, Left 8.6%, Greens 8.4%, FDP 4.8%, other 10.9%; seats by party - CDU/CSU 311, SPD 193, Left 64, Greens 63", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system", "LANGUAGES": "German (official); note: :Lower Sorbian, North Frisian, Sater Frisian, and Upper Sorbian are recognized as regional languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :33.95%; permanent crops: :0.57%; other: :65.47% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :3,714 km; border countries: :Austria 801 km, Belgium 133 km, Czech Republic 704 km, Denmark 140 km, France 418 km, Luxembourg 128 km, Netherlands 575 km, Poland 467 km, Switzerland 348 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "44.76 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Federal Court of Justice (court consists of 127 judges including the court president, vice-presidents, presiding judges, and other judges, and organized into 25 Senates subdivided into 12 civil panels, 5 criminal panels, and 8 special panels; Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (consists of 2 Senates each subdivided into 3 chambers, each with a chairman and 8 members); judge selection and term of office: :Federal Court of Justice judges selected by the Judges Election Committee, which consists of the Secretaries of Justice from each of the 16 federated States and 16 members appointed by the Federal Parliament; judges appointed by the president of Germany; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65; Federal Constitutional Court judges - one-half elected by the House of Representatives and one-half by the Senate; judges appointed for 12-year terms with mandatory retirement at age 68; subordinate courts: :Federal Administrative Court; Federal Finance Court; Federal Labor Court; Federal Social Court; each of the 16 German states or Land has its own constitutional court and a hierarchy of ordinary (civil, criminal, family) and specialized (administrative, finance, labor, social) courts", "WATERWAYS": "7,467 km (Rhine River carries most goods; Main-Danube Canal links North Sea and Black Sea) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.9% (2014 est.); 1.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :3.46 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :3.75 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :3.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "among the world's largest and most technologically advanced producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, automobiles, food and beverages, shipbuilding, textiles", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.3% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "18 January 1871 (establishment of the German Empire); divided into four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and France) in 1945 following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West Germany) proclaimed on 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, and French zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) proclaimed on 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone; West Germany and East Germany unified on 3 October 1990; all four powers formally relinquished rights on 15 March 1991; notable earlier dates: 10 August 843 (Eastern Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire); 2 February 962 (crowning of OTTO I, recognized as the first Holy Roman Emperor)", "IMPORTS": "$1.319 trillion (2014 est.); $1.249 trillion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for and consumer of Southwest Asian heroin, Latin American cocaine, and European-produced synthetic drugs; major financial center", "ROADWAYS": "total: :645,000 km; paved: :645,000 km (includes 12,800 km of expressways); note: :includes local roads (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and gold; these colors have played an important role in German history and can be traced back to the medieval banner of the Holy Roman Emperor - a black eagle with red claws and beak on a gold field", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$5.717 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); $5.338 trillion (31 December 2011)", "EXPORTS": "$1.547 trillion (2014 est.); $1.506 trillion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Joachim GAUCK (since 23 March 2012); head of government: :Chancellor Angela MERKEL (since 22 November 2005); cabinet: :Cabinet or Bundesminister (Federal Ministers) appointed by the president on the recommendation of the chancellor; elections: :president elected for a five-year term (eligible for a second term) by a Federal Convention, including all members of the Federal Parliament (Bundestag) and an equal number of delegates elected by the state parliaments; election last held on 19 February 2012 (next to be held by June 2017); chancellor elected by an absolute majority of the Federal Parliament for a four-year term; Federal Parliament vote for Chancellor last held on 17 December 2013 (next to be held after the September 2017 elections); election results: :Joachim GAUCK elected president; received 991 votes of the Federal Convention against 126 for Beate KLARSFELD and 3 for Olaf ROSE; Angela MERKEL reelected chancellor; vote by Federal Parliament 462 to 150 with four abstentions", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.78 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, other 6.1% (made up largely of Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish)", "DEATH_RATE": "11.29 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1919 (Weimar Constitution); latest drafted 10 to 23 August 1948, approved 12 May 1949, promulgated 23 May 1949, entered into force 24 May 1949; amended many times, last in 2012 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Netherlands 14.2%, France 7.7%, Belgium 6.4%, China 6.4%, Italy 5.4%, UK 4.9%, Austria 4.4%, Russia 4.3%, Poland 4.3%, Switzerland 4.1%, Czech Republic 4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "2,389 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery, data processing equipment, vehicles, chemicals, oil and gas, metals, electric equipment, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, agricultural products", "CAPITAL": "name: :Berlin; geographic coordinates: :52 31 N, 13 24 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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.68 trillion; expenditures: :$1.664 trillion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr): Army (Heer); Navy (Deutsche Marine, includes naval air arm); Air Force (Luftwaffe); Joint Support Services (Streitkraeftebasis, SKB); Central Medical Service (Zentraler Sanitaetsdienst, ZSanDstBw) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "8.42 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "539 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbages; milk products; cattle, pigs, poultry", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "16 states (Laender, singular - Land); Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bayern (Bavaria), Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen (Hesse), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine-Westphalia), Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate), Saarland, Sachsen (Saxony), Sachsen-Anhalt (Saxony-Anhalt), Schleswig-Holstein, Thueringen (Thuringia); note - Bayern, Sachsen, and Thueringen refer to themselves as free states (Freistaaten, singular - Freistaat), while Hamburg prides itself on being a Free and Hanseatic City (Freie und Hansestadt)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "France 9.8%, UK 7.4%, Netherlands 6.9%, US 6.4%, Austria 5.5%, China 5.4%, Italy 5.2%, Switzerland 4.6%, Poland 4.1%, Belgium 4.1% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "motor vehicles, machinery, chemicals, computer and electronic products, electrical equipment, pharmaceuticals, metals, transport equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, rubber and plastic products", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :1.6%; industry: :24.6%; services: :73.8%; (2011)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.6%; highest 10%: :24% (2000)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "15.5% (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.35% of GDP (2012); 1.34% of GDP (2011); 1.35% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "emissions from coal-burning utilities and industries contribute to air pollution; acid rain, resulting from sulfur dioxide emissions, is damaging forests; pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage and industrial effluents from rivers in eastern Germany; hazardous waste disposal; government established a mechanism for ending the use of nuclear power over the next 15 years; government working to meet EU commitment to identify nature preservation areas in line with the EU's Flora, Fauna, and Habitat directive", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :221; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :35; 185 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :318; over 3,047 m: :14; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :49; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :60; 914 to 1,523 m: :70; under 914 m: :125 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "As Europe's largest economy and second most populous nation (after Russia), Germany is a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed Germany in two devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20th century and left the country occupied by the victorious Allied powers of the US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945. With the advent of the Cold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key Western economic and security organizations, the EC, which became the EU, and NATO, while the communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold War allowed for German unification in 1990. Since then, Germany has expended considerable funds to bring Eastern productivity and wages up to Western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU countries introduced a common European exchange currency, the euro.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :405,438; female: :384,930 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :15,027,886; females age 16-49: :14,510,527 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "17-23 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription ended 1 July 2011; service obligation 8-23 months or 12 years; women have been eligible for voluntary service in all military branches and positions since 2001 (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "three times the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Montana", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "flooding", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Neuendorf bei Wilster -3.54 m; highest point: :Zugspitze 2,963 m", "HELIPORTS": "23 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.76 male(s)/female; total population: :0.97 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "373 (plus 8,042 repeaters) (1995)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 51, FM 787, shortwave 4 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :0.9%; industry: :30.8%; services: :68.4%; (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "51 00 N, 9 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :13% (male 5,386,525/female 5,107,336); 15-24 years: :10.6% (male 4,367,713/female 4,188,566); 25-54 years: :41.7% (male 17,116,346/female 16,664,995); 55-64 years: :13.6% (male 5,463,221/female 5,574,166); 65 years and over: :21.1% (male 7,468,552/female 9,659,265) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Ghana", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Gene A. CRETZ (since 11 September 2012); embassy: :24 Fourth Circular Rd., Cantonments, Accra; mailing address: :P. O. Box 194, Accra; telephone: :[233; FAX: :[233", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$4,200 (2014 est.); $4,100 (2013 est.); $3,900 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "4.5% (2014 est.); 7.1% (2013 est.); 8.8% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.19% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$109.4 billion (2014 est.); $104.7 billion (2013 est.); $97.73 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :71.6%; youth dependency ratio: :65.6%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.9%; potential support ratio: :16.8% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "14.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 25.3% of GDP (2013 est.); 33.5% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :61.3%; government consumption: :17.7%; investment in fixed capital: :23.6%; investment in inventories: :1.4%; exports of goods and services: :42.1%; imports of goods and services: :-46.2%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "19.5% (2013)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "21.8; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2008 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :1,806,750; percentage: :34% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "9.098 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "22.65 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "615 million cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "615 million cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "37,240 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "9,977 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "66,570 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "22,130 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "660 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "32,060 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "97,910 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "54.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "45.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "2.18 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "81 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "691 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "8.238 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "10.91 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "black star, golden eagle: national colors: red, yellow, green, black", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "7.5% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.9 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.1 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.2% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "13.4% (2011)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "350 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-9.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "23.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "Kumasi 2.482 million; ACCRA (capital) 2.242 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"God Bless Our Homeland Ghana\"; lyrics/music: :unknown/Philip GBEHO; note: :music adopted 1957, lyrics adopted 1966; the lyrics were changed twice, in 1960 when a republic was declared and after a 1966 coup", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 19.9% of population; rural: 8.4% of population; total: 14.4% of population; urban: 80.1% of population; rural: 91.6% of population; total: 85.6% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 92.5% of population; rural: 81.3% of population; total: 87.2% of population; urban: 7.5% of population; rural: 18.7% of population; total: 12.8% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$10.82 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $12.65 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$5.119 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $6.232 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-owned TV station, 2 state-owned radio networks; several privately owned TV stations and a large number of privately owned radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are accessible; several cable and satellite TV subscription services are obtainable (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :53.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$13.32 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $15.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$NA (31 December 2008); $2.174 billion (31 December 2006)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$NA (31 December 2008); $2.179 billion (31 December 2006)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "30% (31 December 2014 est.); 25.6% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "18% (31 December 2009); 17% (31 December 2008)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "8.1% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :12 years; male: :12 years; female: :11 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.98 cu km/yr (24%/10%/66%); per capita: :48.82 cu m/yr (2000)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "53.2 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$3.465 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $3.097 billion (31 December 2011); $3.531 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$35.48 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :5,248 (Liberia) (2014); 9,631 (Cote d'Ivoire; flight from 2010 post-election fighting) (2014)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; respiratory disease: :meningococcal meningitis; animal contact disease: :rabies; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$5.482 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.449 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$4.009 billion (2014 est.); -$5.671 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "72.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 55.8% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "59,086 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :20.8 years; male: :20.4 years; female: :21.3 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "39.4 (2005-06); 40.7 (1999)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "10,100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "224,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "1.3% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".gh", "INTERNET_USERS": "1.297 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "25.618 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "285,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Joseph Henry SMITH (since 18 November 2014); chancery: :3512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :New York", "AREA": "total: :238,533 sq km; land: :227,533 sq km; water: :11,000 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "309 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Ghana; conventional short form: :Ghana; former: :Gold Coast", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "11% (2000 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "4.09 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :primarily microwave radio relay; wireless local loop has been installed; outdated and unreliable fixed-line infrastructure heavily concentrated in Accra; domestic: :competition among multiple mobile-cellular providers has spurred growth with a subscribership of more than 80 per 100 persons and rising; international: :country code - 233; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC, Main One, and GLO-1 fiber-optic submarine cables that provide connectivity to South Africa, Europe, and Asia; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay link to Panaftel system connects Ghana to its neighbors (2009)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Christian 71.2% (Pentecostal/Charismatic 28.3%, Protestant 18.4%, Catholic 13.1%, other 11.4%), Muslim 17.6%, traditional 5.2%, other 0.8%, none 5.2% (2010 census)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :947 km; narrow gauge: :947 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Takoradi, Tema", "POPULATION": "25,758,108; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Convention People's Party or CPP [Samia NKRUMAH; National Democratic Congress or NDC [John Dramani MAHAMA; New Patriotic Party or NPP [Paul AFOKO; People's National Convention or PNC [Alhaji Amed RAMADAN; note: :listed are four of the more popular political parties as of December 2012; there are more than 20 registered parties", "PIPELINES": "gas 394 km; oil 20 km; refined products 361 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Ghana's economy was strengthened by a quarter century of relatively sound management, a competitive business environment, and sustained reductions in poverty levels, but in recent years has suffered the consequences of loose fiscal policy, high budget and current account deficits, and a depreciating currency. Ghana has a market-based economy with relatively few policy barriers to trade and investment in comparison with other countries in the region. Ghana is well-endowed with natural resources. Agriculture accounts for nearly one-quarter of GDP and employs more than half of the workforce, mainly small landholders. The services sector accounts for about half of GDP. Gold and cocoa exports, and individual remittances, are major sources of foreign exchange. Expansion of Ghana�s oil industry is expected to boost economic growth. Production at Jubilee, Ghana's offshore oil field, began in mid-December 2010 and is expected to double Ghana�s oil output between 2014 and 2017. The administration faces dissent from a population that is unhappy with the high cost of living and perceives that the gains from oil are going to the politically corrupt. A new IMF assistance program, expected to start in 2015, will guide the government�s economic policies and help reduce the fiscal deficit by cutting subsidies, reducing the bloated public sector wage bill, and strengthening revenue administration, but related austerity measures will be unwelcomed by the public.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Christian Aid (water rights); Committee for Joint Action or CJA (education reform); National Coalition Against the Privatization of Water or CAP (water rights); Oxfam (water rights); Public Citizen (water rights); Students Coalition Against EPA [Kwabena Ososukene OKAI; Third World Network (education reform)", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake (manmade reservoir) by surface area (8,482 sq km; 3,275 sq mi)", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-2.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Ghanaian(s); adjective: :Ghanaian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 6 March (1957)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :4; by type: :petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 3; foreign-owned: :2 (Brazil 1, South Korea 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :6,268,191; females age 16-49: :6,194,339 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :71.5%; male: :78.3%; female: :65.3% (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :65.75 years; male: :63.38 years; female: :68.19 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Parliament (275 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 7 - 8 December 2012 (next to be held in December 2016); election results: :percent of vote by party - NPP 47.5%, NDC 46.4%, PNC 0.6%, independent 2.5%, other 3.0%; seats by party - NDC 151, NPP 120, PNC 1, independent 3", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed system of English common law and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "Asante 14.8%, Ewe 12.7%, Fante 9.9%, Boron (Brong) 4.6%, Dagomba 4.3%, Dangme 4.3%, Dagarte (Dagaba) 3.7%, Akyem 3.4%, Ga 3.4%, Akuapem 2.9%, other (includes English (official)) 36.1% (2000 census)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :20.66%; permanent crops: :11.87%; other: :67.48% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,420 km; border countries: :Burkina Faso 602 km, Cote d'Ivoire 720 km, Togo 1,098 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "11.25 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of a chief justice and 12 justices); judge selection and term of office: :chief justice appointed by the president in consultation with the Council of State (a small advisory body of prominent citizens) and with the approval of Parliament; other justices appointed by the president upon the advice of the Judicial Council (an 18-member independent body of judicial, military and police officials, and presidential nominees) and on the advice of the Council of State; justices can retire at age 60, with compulsory retirement at age 70; subordinate courts: :Court of Appeal; High Court; Circuit Court; District Court; regional tribunals", "WATERWAYS": "1,293 km (168 km for launches and lighters on Volta, Ankobra, and Tano Rivers; 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways on Lake Volta) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "15% (2014 est.); 11.7% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :38.52 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :42.58 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :34.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food processing, cement, small commercial ship building, petroleum", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "1% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "6 March 1957 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$16 billion (2014 est.); $17.57 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :109,515 km; paved: :13,787 km; unpaved: :95,728 km (2009)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green, with a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; red symbolizes the blood shed for independence, yellow represents the country's mineral wealth, while green stands for its forests and natural wealth; the black star is said to be the lodestar of African freedom; note: :uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Bolivia, which has a coat of arms centered in the yellow band", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$16.02 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $14.49 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$13.53 billion (2014 est.); $13.76 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President John Dramani MAHAMA (since 24 July 2012); Vice President Kwesi Bekoe AMISSAH-ARTHUR (since 6 August 2012); note - President MAHAMA assumed office due to the death of former president John Atta MILLS and subsequently won the December 2012 presidential election; the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President John Dramani MAHAMA (since 24 July 2012); Vice President Kwesi Bekoe AMISSAH-ARTHUR (since 6 August 2012); cabinet: :Council of Ministers; president nominates members subject to approval by Parliament; elections: :president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held on 7 December 2012, extended to 8 December because of technical difficulties (next to be held in December 2016); election results: :John Dramani MAHAMA elected president; percent of vote - John Dramani MAHAMA 50.7%, Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO 47.7%, other 1.6%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "cedis (GHC) per US dollar -; 2.881 (2014 est.); 1.98 (2013 est.); 1.8 (2012 est.); 1.512 (2011 est.); 1.431 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Akan 47.5%, Mole-Dagbon 16.6%, Ewe 13.9%, Ga-Dangme 7.4%, Gurma 5.7%, Guan 3.7%, Grusi 2.5%, Mande-Busanga 1.1%, other 1.6% (2010 census)", "DEATH_RATE": "7.37 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest drafted 31 March 1992, approved and promulgated 28 April 1992, entered into force 7 January 1993; amended 1996 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 22.3%, Nigeria 11.7%, Netherlands 6.4%, Cote dIvoire 6.3%, US 6%, India 4.8% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "539 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "capital equipment, refined petroleum, foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Accra; geographic coordinates: :5 33 N, 0 13 W; time difference: :UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$8.226 billion; expenditures: :$11.63 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Ghana Army, Ghana Navy, Ghana Air Force (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "31.4 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "10 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cocoa, rice, cassava (manioc, tapioca), peanuts, corn, shea nuts, bananas; timber", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "10 regions; Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "France 12%, Italy 9.3%, China 8.2%, Netherlands 7.6%, Germany 4.4%, UK 4.3%, South Africa 4.2%, US 4% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "oil, gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, diamonds, horticultural products", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :56%; industry: :15%; services: :29% (2005 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2%; highest 10%: :32.8% (2006)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "28.5% (2007 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.56% of GDP (2014); 0.61% of GDP (2013); 0.27% of GDP (2012)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Marine Life Conservation", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "recurrent drought in north severely affects agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :3 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :7; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :2 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. Ghana endured a long series of coups before Lt. Jerry RAWLINGS took power in 1981 and banned political parties. After approving a new constitution and restoring multiparty politics in 1992, RAWLINGS won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996 but was constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in 2000. John KUFUOR succeeded him and was reelected in 2004. John Atta MILLS won the 2008 presidential election and took over as head of state, but he died in July 2012 and was constitutionally succeeded by his vice president John Dramani MAHAMA, who subsequently won the December 2012 presidential election.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :267,896; female: :260,992 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :4,136,406; females age 16-49: :4,220,761 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-26 years of age for voluntary military service, with basic education certificate; no conscription; must be HIV/AIDS negative (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Oregon", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds from January to March; droughts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mount Afadjato 885 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.88 male(s)/female; total population: :0.98 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "7 (2007)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 0, FM 86, shortwave 3 (2007)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :21.4%; industry: :29.2%; services: :49.4% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "8 00 N, 2 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :38.6% (male 4,988,823/female 4,943,451); 15-24 years: :18.7% (male 2,403,526/female 2,426,076); 25-54 years: :33.8% (male 4,228,326/female 4,480,090); 55-64 years: :4.8% (male 599,510/female 633,688); 65 years and over: :4.1% (male 489,566/female 565,052) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Gibraltar", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "overseas territory of the UK", "AFFILIATION": "(overseas territory of the UK)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$43,000 (2008 est.); $41,200 (2007 est.); $38,400 (2006 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "6% (2008 est.); 8.8% (2007 est.); 0% (2006 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.25% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$1.85 billion (2013 est.); $2 billion (2012 est.); $1.106 billion (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "3.946 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "28,380 bbl/day (2008 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "20,220 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "43,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "156 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "161 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Barbary macaque; national colors: red, white, yellow", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "1.3% of GDP (2008 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "25.7% of GDP (2008 est.)", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "GIBRALTAR (capital) 29,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Gibraltar Anthem\"; lyrics/music: :Peter EMBERLEY; note: :adopted 1994; serves as a local anthem; as a territory of the United Kingdom, \"God Save the Queen\" remains official (see United Kingdom)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) provides TV and radio broadcasting services via 1 TV station and 4 radio stations; British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) operates 1 radio station; broadcasts from Spanish radio and TV stations are accessible (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :100% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.07% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$1.85 billion (2006 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "7.5% of GDP (2008 est.); 9.3% of GDP (2006 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "3,509 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :34 years; male: :33.1 years; female: :35 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".gi", "INTERNET_USERS": "20,200 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "34,750 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "23,100 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "AREA": "total: :6.5 sq km; land: :6.5 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Gibraltar", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the UK; the Royal Gibraltar Regiment replaced the last British regular infantry forces in 1992", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "3% (2005 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "NA", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.92 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :adequate, automatic domestic system and adequate international facilities; domestic: :automatic exchange facilities; international: :country code - 350; radiotelephone; microwave radio relay; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal; and British citizens with six months residence or more", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 78.1%, Church of England 7%, other Christian 3.2%, Muslim 4%, Jewish 2.1%, Hindu 1.8%, other or unspecified 0.9%, none 2.9% (2001 census)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Gibraltar", "POPULATION": "29,185 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Gibraltar Liberal Party [Joseph GARCIA; Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD [Daniel FEETHAM; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP [Fabian PICARDO; Progressive Democratic Party [Nick CRUZ", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Self-sufficient Gibraltar benefits from an extensive shipping trade, offshore banking, and its position as an international conference center. Tax rates are low to attract foreign investment. The British military presence has been sharply reduced and now contributes about 7% to the local economy, compared with 60% in 1984. The financial sector, tourism (over 11 million visitors in 2012), gaming revenues, shipping services fees, and duties on consumer goods also generate revenue. The financial sector, tourism, and the shipping sector contribute 30%, 30%, and 25%, respectively, of GDP. Telecommunications, e-commerce, and e-gaming account for the remaining 15%. In recent years, Gibraltar has seen major structural change from a public to a private sector economy, but changes in government spending still have a major impact on the level of employment.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization; Women's Association", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-3.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "none", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Gibraltarian(s); adjective: :Gibraltar", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "National Day, 10 September (1967); note - day of the national referendum to decide whether to remain with the UK or join Spain", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :267; by type: :bulk carrier 3, cargo 146, chemical tanker 64, container 28, liquefied gas 2, petroleum tanker 14, roll on/roll off 2, vehicle carrier 8; foreign-owned: :254 (Belgium 1, Cyprus 1, Denmark 7, Finland 2, Germany 123, Greece 8, Iceland 1, Italy 4, Jersey 1, Morocco 4, Netherlands 34, Norway 46, Sweden 11, UAE 5, UK 6); registered in other countries: :6 (Liberia 5, Panama 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ICC (NGOs), Interpol (subbureau), UPU", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :3 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :7,037 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :79.13 years; male: :76.28 years; female: :82.18 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Parliament (18 seats; 17 members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by majority vote and 1 appointed by Parliament as speaker; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 8 December 2011 (next to be held not later than 8 December 2015); election results: :percent of vote by party - GSD 48%, GSLP 46.8%, Progressive Democratic Party 4.4%, other 0.8%; seats by party - GSD 10, GSLP 7", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply", "LANGUAGES": "English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1.2 km; border countries: :Spain 1.2 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "22,910 (2001) (2013 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest resident court(s): :Court of Appeal (consists of at least three judges, including the court president); Supreme Court of Gibraltar (consists of the chief justice and 3 judges); note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London); judge selection and term of office: :Court of Appeal and Supreme Court judges appointed by the governor upon the advice of the Judicial Service Commission, a 7-member body of judges and appointees of the governor; tenure of the Court of Appeal president based on terms of appointment; Supreme Court chief justice and judge normally appointed until retirement at age 67, but can be extended 3 years; subordinate courts: :Court of First Instance; Magistrates' Court; specialized tribunals for issues relating to social security, taxes, and employment", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.5% (2013 est.); 2.2% (2012 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :6.29 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :6.99 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :5.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, banking and finance, ship repairing, tobacco", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$2.967 billion (2004 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :29 km; paved: :29 km (2007)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "two horizontal bands of white (top, double width) and red with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white band; hanging from the castle gate is a gold key centered in the red band; the design is that of Gibraltar's coat of arms granted on 10 July 1502 by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain; the castle symbolizes Gibraltar as a fortress, while the key represents Gibraltar's strategic importance - the key to the Mediterranean", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 July - 30 June", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$NA", "EXPORTS": "$271 million (2004 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Sir James DUTTON (since 6 December 2013); head of government: :Chief Minister Fabian PICARDO (since 9 December 2011); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed from among the 17 elected members of the Parliament by the governor in consultation with the chief minister; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Gibraltar pounds (GIP) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.64 (2012); 0.624 (2011); 0.6472 (2010)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, German, North Africans", "DEATH_RATE": "8.33 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1969; latest passed by referendum 30 November 2006, entered into effect 14 December 2006, entered into force 2 January 2007; amended 2009 (2009)", "COASTLINE": "12 km", "CLIMATE": "Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fuels, manufactured goods, foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Gibraltar; geographic coordinates: :36 08 N, 5 21 W; 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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$475.8 million; expenditures: :$452.3 million (2008 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Royal Gibraltar Regiment (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "14.15 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "none", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "(principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods (2010 est.)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :negligible; industry: :40%; services: :60% (2001)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "limited natural freshwater resources: large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rainwater (no longer used for drinking water) and adequate desalination plant", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Strategically important, Gibraltar was reluctantly ceded to Great Britain by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the British garrison was formally declared a colony in 1830. In a referendum held in 1967, Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency. The subsequent granting of autonomy in 1969 by the UK led to Spain closing the border and severing all communication links. Between 1997 and 2002, the UK and Spain held a series of talks on establishing temporary joint sovereignty over Gibraltar. In response to these talks, the Gibraltar Government called a referendum in late 2002 in which the majority of citizens voted overwhelmingly against any sharing of sovereignty with Spain. Since late 2004, Spain, the UK, and Gibraltar have held tripartite talks with the aim of cooperatively resolving problems that affect the local population, and work continues on cooperation agreements in areas such as taxation and financial services; communications and maritime security; policy, legal and customs services; environmental protection; and education and visa services. Throughout 2009, a dispute over Gibraltar's claim to territorial waters extending out three miles gave rise to periodic non-violent maritime confrontations between Spanish and UK naval patrols and in 2013, the British reported a record number of entries by Spanish vessels into waters claimed by Gibraltar following a dispute over Gibraltar's creation of an artificial reef in those waters. A new noncolonial constitution came into effect in 2007, and the European Court of First Instance recognized Gibraltar's right to regulate its own tax regime in December 2008. The UK retains responsibility for defense, foreign relations, internal security, and financial stability.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :228; female: :220 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :6,017; females age 16-49: :5,706 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "more than 10 times the size of The National Mall in Washington, D.C.", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Mediterranean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Rock of Gibraltar 426 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.07 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.09 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.95 male(s)/female; total population: :1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (plus 3 repeaters) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :0%; industry: :0%; services: :100% (2008 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "36 08 N, 5 21 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :20.1% (male 3,009/female 2,862); 15-24 years: :16% (male 2,433/female 2,225); 25-54 years: :38.1% (male 5,593/female 5,524); 55-64 years: :10.8% (male 1,488/female 1,664); 65 years and over: :15% (male 2,156/female 2,231) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Greece", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador David D. PEARCE (since 18 October 2013); embassy: :91 Vasillisis Sophias Avenue, 10160 Athens; mailing address: :PSC 108, APO AE 09842-0108; telephone: :[30; FAX: :[30; consulate(s) general: :Thessaloniki (2012)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$25,800 (2014 est.); $25,500 (2013 est.); $26,400 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "0.6% (2014 est.); -3.9% (2013 est.); -7% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.01% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$284.3 billion (2014 est.); $282.6 billion (2013 est.); $294 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :52.9%; youth dependency ratio: :22.4%; elderly dependency ratio: :30.5%; potential support ratio: :3.3% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "14.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 13.7% of GDP (2013 est.); 11.2% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :72%; government consumption: :16.8%; investment in fixed capital: :12.9%; investment in inventories: :2.2%; exports of goods and services: :30.6%; imports of goods and services: :-34.4%; (2014 est.)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "31.2 (2010 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "78.8 million Mt (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "991.1 million cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "3.866 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "3.6 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "5 million cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "124,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "183,100 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "284,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "498,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "10 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "405,500 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "17,020 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "1,247 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "14.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "15.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "66.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "16.53 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "4.705 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "2.602 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "52.02 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "54.98 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Greek cross (white cross on blue field, arms equal length); national colors: blue, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :55.3%; male: :48.4%; female: :63.2% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "20.1% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "4.8 beds/1,000 population (2009)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "4.38 physicians/1,000 population (2001)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "9.3% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "3 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-3.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "48.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "ATHENS (capital) 3.06 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Ymnos eis tin Eleftherian\" (Hymn to Liberty); lyrics/music: :Dionysios SOLOMOS/Nikolaos MANTZAROS; note: :adopted 1864; the anthem is based on a 158 verse poem by the same name, which was inspired by the Greek Revolution of 1821 against the Ottomans; Cyprus also uses \"Hymn to Liberty\" as its anthem", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 99.4% of population; rural: 97.5% of population; total: 98.6% of population; urban: 0.6% of population; rural: 2.5% of population; total: 1.4% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 99.4% of population; total: 99.8% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0.6% of population; total: 0.2% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$260.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $264.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$124.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $126.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.); note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "Broadcast media dominated by the private sector; roughly 150 private TV channels, about ten of which broadcast nation-wide; 1 government owned terrestrial TV channel with national coverage; 3 privately owned satellite channels; multi-channel satellite and cable TV services available; upwards of 1,500 radio stations, all of them privately owned; government owned broadcaster has 2 national radio stations (2014)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :77.7% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.47% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$302 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $332.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$NA; note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi money circulating within their own borders", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "6.6% (31 December 2014 est.); 7% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.75% (31 December 2013); 1.5% (31 December 2010); note: :this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.1% of GDP (2005)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :17 years; male: :17 years; female: :18 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :9.47 cu km/yr (9%/2%/89%); per capita: :841.4 cu m/yr (2007)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "74.25 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$44.58 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $33.65 billion (31 December 2011); $72.64 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$46.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $46.35 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$30.71 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $27.74 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$246.4 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :178 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$5.752 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $5.752 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$1.717 billion (2014 est.); $1.768 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "174.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 175.1% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "3.201 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :43.5 years; male: :42.4 years; female: :44.6 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "34.4 (2013 est.); 33 (2005)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".gr", "INTERNET_USERS": "4.971 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "13.354 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "5.461 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Christos P. PANAGOPOULOUS (since 17 September 2012); chancery: :2217 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Tampa (FL), San Francisco; consulate(s): :Atlanta, Houston, New Orleans", "AREA": "total: :131,957 sq km; land: :130,647 sq km; water: :1,310 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "15,550 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Hellenic Republic; conventional short form: :Greece; local long form: :Elliniki Dimokratia; local short form: :Ellas or Ellada; former: :Kingdom of Greece", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "26.8% (2014 est.); 27.5% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.41 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :adequate, modern networks reach all areas; good mobile telephone and international service; domestic: :microwave radio relay trunk system; extensive open-wire connections; submarine cable to offshore islands; international: :country code - 30; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Europe, Middle East, and Asia; a number of smaller submarine cables provide connectivity to various parts of Europe, the Middle East, and Cyprus; tropospheric scatter; satellite earth stations - 4 (2 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean, 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat - Indian Ocean region)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal and compulsory", "RELIGIONS": "Greek Orthodox (official) 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :2,548 km; standard gauge: :1,565 km 1.435-m gauge (764 km electrified); narrow gauge: :961 km 1.000-m gauge; 22 km 0.750-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Aspropyrgos, Pachi, Piraeus, Thessaloniki; oil/gas terminal(s): :Agioi Theodoroi; LNG terminal(s) (import): :Revithoussa", "POPULATION": "10,775,557 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Coalition of the Radical Left or SYRIZA [Alexis TSIPRAS; Communist Party of Greece or KKE [Dimitris KOUTSOUMBAS; Golden Dawn [Nikolaos MICHALOLIAKOS; Independent Greeks or ANEL [Panagiotis (Panos) KAMMENOS; Movement of Democratic Socialists or KIDISO [George PAPANDREOU; New Democracy or ND [Antonis SAMARAS; Panhellenic Socialist Movement-Democratic Alignment or PASOK-DP [Evangelos VENIZELOS; Popular Orthodox Rally or LAOS [Georgios KARATZAFERIS; Teleia (Full Stop) [Apostolos GKLETSOS; To Potami (The River) [Stavros THEODORAKIS; Union of Centrists or EK [Vassilis LEVENTIS", "PIPELINES": "gas 1,329 km; oil 94 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Greece has a capitalist economy with a public sector accounting for about 40% of GDP and with per capita GDP about two-thirds that of the leading euro-zone economies. Tourism provides 18% of GDP. Immigrants make up nearly one-fifth of the work force, mainly in agricultural and unskilled jobs. Greece is a major beneficiary of EU aid, equal to about 3.3% of annual GDP. The Greek economy averaged growth of about 4% per year between 2003 and 2007, but the economy went into recession in 2009 as a result of the world financial crisis, tightening credit conditions, and Athens' failure to address a growing budget deficit. By 2013 the economy had contracted 26%, compared with the pre-crisis level of 2007. Greece met the EU's Growth and Stability Pact budget deficit criterion of no more than 3% of GDP in 2007-08, but violated it in 2009, with the deficit reaching 15% of GDP. Austerity measures reduced the deficit to about 4% in 2013, including government debt payments, but the deficit spiked to 12.7% of GDP in 2014. Deteriorating public finances, inaccurate and misreported statistics, and consistent underperformance on reforms prompted major credit rating agencies to downgrade Greece's international debt rating in late 2009, and led the country into a financial crisis. Under intense pressure from the EU and international market participants, the government adopted a medium-term austerity program that includes cutting government spending, decreasing tax evasion, overhauling the health-care and pension systems, and reforming the labor and product markets. Athens, however, faced long-term challenges to continue pushing through unpopular reforms in the face of widespread unrest from the country's powerful labor unions and the general public. In April 2010, a leading credit agency assigned Greek debt its lowest possible credit rating, and in May 2010, the International Monetary Fund and Euro-Zone governments provided Greece emergency short- and medium-term loans worth $147 billion so that the country could make debt repayments to creditors. In exchange for the largest bailout ever assembled, the government announced combined spending cuts and tax increases totaling $40 billion over three years, on top of the tough austerity measures already taken. Greece, however, struggled to meet 2010 targets set by the EU and the IMF, especially after Eurostat - the EU's statistical office - revised upward Greece's deficit and debt numbers for 2009 and 2010. European leaders and the IMF agreed in October 2011 to provide Athens a second bailout package of $169 billion. The second deal however, called for holders of Greek government bonds to write down a significant portion of their holdings. As Greek banks held a significant portion of sovereign debt, the banking system was adversely affected by the write down and $60 billion of the second bailout package was set aside to ensure the banking system was adequately capitalized. In exchange for the second loan, Greece promised to introduce an additional $7.8 billion in austerity measures during 2013-15. However, the massive austerity cuts have prolonged Greece's economic recession and depressed tax revenues. Greece's lenders have continually called on Athens to step up efforts to increase tax collection, dismiss public servants, privatize public enterprises, and rein in health spending. Investor confidence, however, began to show signs of strengthening by the end of 2013, and the decline in GDP slowed to 3.9% that year, Greece�s best performance since 2009. Greece subsequently marked three significant milestones in 2014: balancing its 2013 budget�not including debt repayments; re-entering financial markets in April with the first issue of government debt since 2010; and posting its first quarter of positive growth since 2008. Buoyed by Greece�s success, Prime Minister Antonios SAMARAS in October announced plans to exit its bailout program early, provoking a plunge in the Greek stock and debt markets that pushed Greece back to the negotiating table with its creditors and ultimately resulted in an agreement to extend the EU portion of Greece�s bailout through February 2015.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Supreme Administration of Civil Servants Unions or ADEDY [Spyros PAPASPYROS; Federation of Greek Industries or SEV [Dimitris DASKALOPOULOS; General Confederation of Greek Workers or GSEE [Ioannis PANAGOPOULOS", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islands", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "2.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Greek(s); adjective: :Greek", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 25 March (1821)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :860; by type: :bulk carrier 262, cargo 49, carrier 1, chemical tanker 68, container 35, liquefied gas 13, passenger 7, passenger/cargo 109, petroleum tanker 302, roll on/roll off 14; foreign-owned: :42 (Belgium 17, Bermuda 3, Cyprus 3, Italy 5, UK 6, US 8); registered in other countries: :2,459 (Antigua and Barbuda 4, Bahamas 225, Barbados 14, Belize 2, Bermuda 8, Brazil 1, Cabo Verde 1, Cambodia 2, Cayman Islands 9, Comoros 4, Curacao 1, Cyprus 201, Dominica 4, Egypt 8, Gibraltar 8, Honduras 4, Hong Kong 27, Indonesia 1, Isle of Man 62, Italy 7, Jamaica 3, Liberia 505, Malta 469, Marshall Islands 408, Mexico 2, Moldova 1, Panama 379, Philippines 5, Portugal 2, Saint Kitts and Nevis 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 42, Sao Tome and Principe 1, Saudi Arabia 4, Singapore 22, UAE 3, Uruguay 1, Vanuatu 3, Venezuela 4, unknown 10) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,485,389; females age 16-49: :2,469,854 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :97.4%; male: :98.4%; female: :96.4% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :80.3 years; male: :77.71 years; female: :83.06 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Hellenic Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon (300 seats; 288 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 12 seats are filled from nationwide party lists; 50 seats allocated to the party with the highest total valid vote count and remaining seats are apportioned according to each party's or coalition's vote pecentage; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 25 January 2015 (next to be held by 2019); election results: :percent of vote by party - SYRIZA 36.3%, ND 27.8%, Golden Dawn 6.3%, To Potami 6.1%, KKE 5.5%, ANEL 4.8%, PASOK-DP 4.7%, other 8.5%; seats by party - SYRIZA 149, ND 76, Golden Dawn 17, To Potami 17, KKE 15, ANEL 13, PASOK-DP 13; note - only parties surpassing a 3% threshold are entitled to parliamentary seats; parties need 10 seats to become formal parliamentary groups, but can retain that status if the party participated in the last election and received the minimum 3% threshold", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil legal system based on Roman law", "LANGUAGES": "Greek (official) 99%, other (includes English and French) 1%", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :19.71%; permanent crops: :8.92%; other: :71.37% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,110 km; border countries: :Albania 212 km, Bulgaria 472 km, Macedonia 234 km, Turkey 192 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "3.91 million (2013 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Hellenic Supreme Court of Civil and Penal Law (consists of 56 judges); judge selection and term of office: :judges selected by the Supreme Judicial Council which includes the president of the Supreme Court, other judges, and the prosecutor of the Supreme Court; judges appointed for life following a 2-year probationary period; subordinate courts: :Supreme Administrative Court; Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; Court of Auditors", "WATERWAYS": "6 km (the 6 km long Corinth Canal crosses the Isthmus of Corinth; it shortens a sea voyage by 325 km) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "-0.9% (2013 est.); 1% (2012 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :4.78 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :5.24 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :4.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products; mining, petroleum", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "0% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1830 (from the Ottoman Empire)", "IMPORTS": "$62.19 billion (2013 est.); $63.43 billion (2012 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "a gateway to Europe for traffickers smuggling cannabis and heroin from the Middle East and Southwest Asia to the West and precursor chemicals to the East; some South American cocaine transits or is consumed in Greece; money laundering related to drug trafficking and organized crime", "ROADWAYS": "total: :116,960 km; paved: :41,357 km (includes 1,091 km of expressways); unpaved: :75,603 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white; a blue square bearing a white cross appears in the upper hoist-side corner; the cross symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy, the established religion of the country; there is no agreed upon meaning for the nine stripes or for the colors; the exact shade of blue has never been set by law and has varied from a light to a dark blue over time", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$568.7 billion (30 September 2013 est.); $577.2 billion (2012)", "EXPORTS": "$36.6 billion (2013 est.); $35.48 billion (2012 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Prokopis PAVLOPOULOS (since 13 March 2015); head of government: :Prime Minister Alexis TSIPRAS (since 26 January 2015); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister; elections: :president elected by parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 18 February 2015 (next to be held February 2020); president appoints leader of the party securing plurality of vote in the parliamentary election to become prime minister and form a government; election results: :Prokopis PAVLOPOULOS elected president; number of parliamentary votes - 233 out of 300", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.78 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "population: Greek 93%, other (foreign citizens) 7% (2001 census); note: :percents represent citizenship, since Greece does not collect data on ethnicity", "DEATH_RATE": "11 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "many previous; latest entered into force 11 June 1975; amended 1986, 2001, 2008 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Russia 14.1%, Germany 9.7%, Italy 8%, Iraq 7.7%, China 4.7%, France 4.7%, Netherlands 4.7% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "13,676 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery, transport equipment, fuels, chemicals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Athens; geographic coordinates: :37 59 N, 23 44 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$119.5 billion; expenditures: :$127.9 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Hellenic Army (Ellinikos Stratos, ES), Hellenic Navy (Elliniko Polemiko Navtiko, EPN), Hellenic Air Force (Elliniki Polemiki Aeroporia, EPA) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "8.8 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "77 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes; beef, dairy products", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "13 regions (perifereies, singular - perifereia) and 1 autonomous monastic state* (aftonomi monastiki politeia); Agion Oros* (Mount Athos), Anatoliki Makedonia kai Thraki (East Macedonia and Thrace), Attiki (Attica), Dytiki Ellada (West Greece), Dytiki Makedonia (West Macedonia), Ionia Nisia (Ionian Islands), Ipeiros (Epirus), Kentriki Makedonia (Central Macedonia), Kriti (Crete), Notio Aigaio (South Aegean), Peloponnisos (Peloponnese), Sterea Ellada (Central Greece), Thessalia (Thessaly), Voreio Aigaio (North Aegean)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Turkey 11.6%, Italy 8.9%, Germany 6.5%, Bulgaria 5.3%, Cyprus 4.5% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "food and beverages, manufactured goods, petroleum products, chemicals, textiles", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :12.9%; industry: :14.7%; services: :72.4% (2013 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2%; highest 10%: :25.4% (2000 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "20% (2009 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.72% of GDP (2012); 2.31% of GDP (2011); 2.63% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air pollution; water pollution", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :9; 914 to 1,523 m: :2; 7 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :68; over 3,047 m: :6; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :15; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :19; 914 to 1,523 m: :18; under 914 m: :10 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Greece achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830. During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, it gradually added neighboring islands and territories, most with Greek-speaking populations. In World War II, Greece was first invaded by Italy (1940) and subsequently occupied by Germany (1941-44); fighting endured in a protracted civil war between supporters of the king and other anti-communist and communist rebels. Following the latter's defeat in 1949, Greece joined NATO in 1952. In 1967, a group of military officers seized power, establishing a military dictatorship that suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee the country. In 1974, democratic elections and a referendum created a parliamentary republic and abolished the monarchy. In 1981, Greece joined the EC (now the EU); it became the 12th member of the European Economic and Monetary Union in 2001. Since 2010, the prospect of a Greek default on its euro-denominated debt has created severe strains within the EMU and raised the question of whether a member country might voluntarily leave the common currency or be removed.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :52,754; female: :49,485 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,032,378; females age 16-49: :2,016,552 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "19-45 years of age for compulsory military service; during wartime the law allows for recruitment beginning January of the year of inductee's 18th birthday, thus including 17 year olds; 18 years of age for volunteers; conscript service obligation is 1 year for the Army and 9 months for the Air Force and Navy; women are eligible for voluntary military service (2014)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Alabama", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "severe earthquakes; volcanism: :Santorini (elev. 367 m) has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; although there have been very few eruptions in recent centuries, Methana and Nisyros in the Aegean are classified as historically active", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Mediterranean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Mount Olympus 2,917 m", "HELIPORTS": "9 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.96 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.78 male(s)/female; total population: :0.96 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "36 (plus 1,341 repeaters); also 2 stations in the American Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (1995)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 26, FM 88, shortwave 4 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :3.5%; industry: :15.9%; services: :80.6% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "39 00 N, 22 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :14.1% (male 781,151/female 735,444); 15-24 years: :9.8% (male 537,849/female 515,359); 25-54 years: :43.2% (male 2,321,709/female 2,337,502); 55-64 years: :12.7% (male 670,270/female 694,399); 65 years and over: :20.2% (male 954,605/female 1,227,269) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Greenland", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1979", "AFFILIATION": "(part of the Kingdom of Denmark)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$38,400 (2008 est.); $36,600 (2007 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3% (2011 est.); 4.9% (2010 est.); -2.7% (2009 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.02% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$2.133 billion (2011 est.); $2.071 billion (2010 est.); $1.974 billion (2009 est.); note: :data are in 2011 US dollars", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "604,900 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "5,164 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "920 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "3,980 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "106,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "314 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "320 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "polar bear; national colors: red, white", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "5.8 beds/1,000 population (2009)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.67 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "1.9% of GDP (2010)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "79.6% of GDP (2010)", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "NUUK (capital) 17,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Nunarput utoqqarsuanngoravit\" (\"Our Country, Who's Become So Old\" also translated as \"You Our Ancient Land\"); lyrics/music: :Henrik LUND/Jonathan PETERSEN; note: :adopted 1916; the government also recognizes \"Nuna asiilasooq\" as a secondary anthem", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "the Greenland Broadcasting Company provides public radio and TV services throughout the island with a broadcast station and a series of repeaters; a few private local TV and radio stations; Danish public radio rebroadcasts are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :86% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.74% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$2.16 billion (2011 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "15,645 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :33.6 years; male: :34.9 years; female: :32.3 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".gl", "INTERNET_USERS": "36,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "59,455 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "18,900 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)", "AREA": "total: :2,166,086 sq km; land: :2,166,086 sq km (410,449 sq km ice-free, 1,755,637 sq km ice-covered)", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Arctic Region", "LOCATION": "Northern North America, island between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Greenland; local long form: :none; local short form: :Kalaallit Nunaat", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of Denmark", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "9.4% (2013 est.); 4.2% (2010 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.06 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow, mountainous, barren, rocky coast", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :adequate domestic and international service provided by satellite, cables, and microwave radio relay; totally digital since 1995; domestic: :microwave radio relay and satellite; international: :country code - 299; satellite earth stations - 15 (12 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 2 Americom GE-2 (all Atlantic Ocean)) (2000)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Evangelical Lutheran, traditional Inuit spiritual beliefs", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Sisimiut", "POPULATION": "57,728 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Democrats Party (Demokraatit) or D [Jens B. FREDERIKSEN; Forward Party (Siumut) or S [Aleqa HAMMOND; Inuit Community (Inuit Ataqatigiit) or IA [Kuupik KLEIST; Inuit Party (Partii Inuit) or PI [Nikku OLSEN; Solidarity Party (Atassut) or A [Gerhardt PETERSEN", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The economy remains critically dependent on exports of shrimp and fish, income from resource exploration and extraction, and on a substantial subsidy from the Danish Government. The subsidy was budgeted to be about $651 million in 2012, approximately 56% of government revenues that year. The public sector, including publicly owned enterprises and the municipalities, plays the dominant role in Greenland's economy. Greenland's real GDP contracted about 1% in 2009 as a result of the global economic slowdown, but is estimated to have grown marginally in 2010-14. The relative ease with which Greenland has weathered the economic crisis is due to increased hydrocarbon and mineral exploration and extraction activities, a high level of construction activity in the Nuuk area and the increasing price of fish and shrimp. During the last decade the Greenland Home Rule Government (GHRG) pursued conservative fiscal and monetary policies, but public pressure has increased for better schools, health care and retirement systems. The Greenlandic economy has benefited from increasing catches and exports of shrimp, Greenland halibut and, more recently, crabs. Due to Greenland's continued dependence on exports of fish - which accounted for 89% of exports in 2010 - the economy remains very sensitive to external demand. International consortia are increasingly active in exploring for hydrocarbon resources off Greenland's western coast, and international studies indicate the potential for oil and gas fields in northern and northeastern Greenland. In May 2007 a US aluminum producer concluded a memorandum of understanding with the Greenland Home Rule Government to build an aluminum smelter and a power generation facility, which takes advantage of Greenland's abundant hydropower potential. Within the area of mining, olivine sand continues to be produced and gold production has resumed in south Greenland, while rare-earth and iron ore mineral projects have been proposed or planned elsewhere on the island. Tourism also offers another avenue of economic growth for Greenland, with increasing numbers of cruise lines now operating in Greenland's western and southern waters during the peak summer tourism season.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :conservationists; environmentalists", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "dominates North Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe; sparse population confined to small settlements along coast; close to one-quarter of the population lives in the capital, Nuuk; world's second largest ice cap", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-5.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, molybdenum, diamonds, gold, platinum, niobium, tantalite, uranium, fish, seals, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Greenlander(s); adjective: :Greenlandic", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "June 21 (longest day)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "registered in other countries: :1 (Denmark 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Arctic Council, ICC, NC, NIB, UPU", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :3 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line; continental shelf: :200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :15,280 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :71.82 years; male: :69.15 years; female: :74.63 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Parliament or Inatsisartut (Landsting) (31 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms); note: :two representatives were elected to the Danish Parliament or Folketing on 15 September 2011 (next to be held by September 2015); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Siumut 1, Inuit Ataqatigiit 1; elections: :last held on 28 November 2014 (next to be held by 2018); election results: :percent of vote by party - S 34.3%, IA 33.2%, A 6.5%, PI 11.6%; D 11.8%; other 2.1%; seats by party - S 11, IA 11, A 2, PI 3, D 4 (2013)", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "the laws of Denmark apply", "LANGUAGES": "Greenlandic (East Inuit) (official), Danish (official), English", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "26,990 (2012 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :High Court of Greenland (consists of the presiding professional judge and 2 lay assessors); note - appeals beyond the High Court of Greenland can be heard by the Supreme Court (in Copenhagen); judge selection and term of office: :judges appointed by the monarch upon the recommendation of the Judicial Appointments Council, a 6-member independent body of judges and lawyers; judges appointed for life with retirement at age 70; subordinate courts: :Court of Greenland; 18 district or magistrates' courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.8% (2012 est.); 2.8% (2011 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :9.42 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :10.76 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :8.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "fish processing (mainly shrimp and Greenland halibut); gold, niobium, tantalite, uranium, iron and diamond mining; handicrafts, hides and skins, small shipyards", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (extensive self-rule as part of the Kingdom of Denmark; foreign affairs is the responsibility of Denmark, but Greenland actively participates in international agreements relating to Greenland)", "IMPORTS": "$814.2 million (2010); $726 million (2009)", "ROADWAYS": "note: :although there are short roads in towns, there are no roads between towns; inter-urban transport takes place either by sea or air (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a large disk slightly to the hoist side of center - the top half of the disk is red, the bottom half is white; the design represents the sun reflecting off a field of ice; the colors are the same as those of the Danish flag and symbolize Greenland's links to the Kingdom of Denmark", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$36.4 million (2010); $58 million (2009)", "EXPORTS": "$384.3 million (2010); $358 million (2009)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Mikaela ENGELL (since April 2011); head of government: :Prime Minister Kim KIELSEN (since 12 December 2014); cabinet: :Home Rule Government elected by the Parliament (Landsting) on the basis of the strength of parties; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; high commissioner appointed by the monarch; prime minister elected by parliament (usually the leader of the majority party); election results: :Kim KIELSEN elected prime minister", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar -; 5.587 (2011); 5.3687 (2011); 5.79 (2012 est.); 5.3687 (2011 est.); 5.6241 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Inuit 89%, Danish and other 11% (2009)", "DEATH_RATE": "8.38 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1953 (Greenland established as a constituency in the Danish constitution), 1979 (Greenland Home Rule Act); latest 21 June 2009 (Greenland Self-Government Act) (2009)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Denmark 65.8%, Sweden 19.5% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "44,087 km", "CLIMATE": "arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, petroleum products", "CAPITAL": "name: :Nuuk (Godthab); geographic coordinates: :64 11 N, 51 45 W; time difference: :UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October; note: :Greenland has four time zones", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.72 billion; expenditures: :$1.68 billion (2010)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces", "BIRTH_RATE": "14.53 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "15 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "sheep, cow, reindeer, fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "4 municipalities (kommuner, singular kommune); Kujalleq, Qaasuitsup, Qeqqata, Sermersooq; note: :the North and East Greenland National Park (Avannaarsuani Tunumilu Nuna Allanngutsaaliugaq) and the Thule Air Base in Pituffik (in northwest Greenland) are two unincorporated areas; the national park's 972,000 sq km - about 46% of the island - make it the largest national park in the world and also the most northerly", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Denmark 61.3%, Japan 11.6%, China 9.3% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fish and fish products 89%, metals 10% (2008 est.)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :13.9%; industry: :19.2%; services: :67% (2012 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "9.2% (2007 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "protection of the arctic environment; preservation of the Inuit traditional way of life, including whaling and seal hunting", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :5; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :2; 2 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :10; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1; under 914 m: :6 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Greenland, the world's largest island, is about 81% ice-capped. Vikings reached the island in the 10th century from Iceland; Danish colonization began in the 18th century, and Greenland was made an integral part of Denmark in 1953. It joined the European Community (now the EU) with Denmark in 1973 but withdrew in 1985 over a dispute centered on stringent fishing quotas. Greenland was granted self-government in 1979 by the Danish parliament; the law went into effect the following year. Greenland voted in favor of increased self-rule in November 2008 and acquired greater responsibility for internal affairs when the Act on Greenland Self-Government was signed into law in June 2009. Denmark, however, continues to exercise control over several policy areas on behalf of Greenland, including foreign affairs, security, and financial policy in consultation with Greenland's Self-Rule Government.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :488; female: :478 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :10,765; females age 16-49: :11,399 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly more than three times the size of Texas", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Gunnbjorn Fjeld 3,700 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.12 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.1 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :1.1 male(s)/female; total population: :1.11 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (plus some local low-power stations, and 3 American Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) stations (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 5, FM 14, shortwave 0 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :13.9%; industry: :19.2%; services: :67% (2009 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "72 00 N, 40 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :21.5% (male 6,287/female 6,099); 15-24 years: :16.5% (male 4,843/female 4,702); 25-54 years: :42.5% (male 12,928/female 11,590); 55-64 years: :11.3% (male 3,681/female 2,818); 65 years and over: :8.3% (male 2,550/female 2,230) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Grenada", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :the US does not have an embassy in Grenada; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Grenada; embassy: :Lance-aux-Epines Stretch, Saint George's; mailing address: :P. O. Box 54, Saint George's; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$11,800 (2014 est.); $11,600 (2013 est.); $11,600 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.1% (2014 est.); 1.5% (2013 est.); -1.8% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.5% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$1.248 billion (2014 est.); $1.234 billion (2013 est.); $1.216 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :50.9%; youth dependency ratio: :40.2%; elderly dependency ratio: :10.7%; potential support ratio: :9.3% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "2% of GDP (2014 est.); 2.5% of GDP (2013 est.); -1.9% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :91.8%; government consumption: :15.9%; investment in fixed capital: :16.8%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :22%; imports of goods and services: :-46.5%; (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "431,300 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "2,004 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "2,590 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "1.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "98.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "50,700 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "180 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "196 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Grenada dove, Bougainvillea flower; national colors: red, yellow, green", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "22.5% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "3.5 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.66 physicians/1,000 population (2006)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.4% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "24 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-4.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "20.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "SAINT GEORGE'S (capital) 38,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Hail Grenada\"; lyrics/music: :Irva Merle BAPTISTE/Louis Arnold MASANTO; note: :adopted 1974", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 97.5% of population; rural: 98.3% of population; total: 98% of population; urban: 2.5% of population; rural: 1.7% of population; total: 2% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99% of population; rural: 95.3% of population; total: 96.8% of population; urban: 1% of population; rural: 4.7% of population; total: 3.2% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$728.9 million (31 December 2014 est.); $718 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$148.9 million (31 December 2014 est.); $141.1 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "the Grenada Broadcasting Network, jointly owned by the government and the Caribbean Communications Network of Trinidad and Tobago, operates a TV station and 2 radio stations; multi-channel cable TV subscription service is available; a dozen private radio stations also broadcast (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :35.6% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.33% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$686.1 million (31 December 2014 est.); $668.7 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$578.1 million (31 December 2008); $533.4 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$141.4 million (31 December 2008); $151.2 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "9.6% (31 December 2014 est.); 9.28% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "6.5% (31 December 2009); 6.5% (31 December 2008)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.9% of GDP (2003)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :16 years; male: :15 years; female: :16 years (2009)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "NA", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$839 million (2014 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$214.4 million (2013 est.); -$214.4 million (2012 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "110% of GDP (2012 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "80 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :29.9 years; male: :29.8 years; female: :29.9 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".gd", "INTERNET_USERS": "25,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "128,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "28,500 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Ethelstan A. FRIDAY (since 3 September 2013); chancery: :1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :New York", "AREA": "total: :344 sq km; land: :344 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "2.19 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Grenada", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "33.5% (2013); 25% (2008)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.09 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "volcanic in origin with central mountains", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :automatic, island-wide telephone system; domestic: :interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links; international: :country code - 1-473; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; SHF radiotelephone links to Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to Trinidad (2009)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 53%, Anglican 13.8%, other Protestant 33.2%", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Saint George's", "POPULATION": "110,152 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Grenada United Labor Party or GULP [Wilfred HAYES; National Democratic Congress or NDC [Tillman THOMAS; New National Party or NNP [Keith MITCHELL", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Grenada relies on tourism as its main source of foreign exchange especially since the construction of an international airport in 1985. Hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Emily (2005) severely damaged the agricultural sector - particularly nutmeg and cocoa cultivation - which had been a key driver of economic growth. Grenada has rebounded from the devastating effects of the hurricanes but is now saddled with the debt burden from the rebuilding process. Public debt-to-GDP is about 110%, leaving the MITCHELL administration limited room to engage in public investments and social spending. MITCHELL in 2013 announced a structural adjustment program that includes a plan to increase tax revenue. Strong performances in construction and manufacturing, together with the development of tourism and higher education - especially in medicine - have contributed to growth in national output; however, economic growth remained stagnant in 2010-14 after a sizable contraction in 2009, because of the global economic slowdown's effects on tourism and remittances. Gross national saving � and wealth � has been declining since 2010.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Committee for Human Rights in Grenada or CHRG; New Jewel Movement Support Group; The British Grenada Friendship Society; The New Jewel 19 Committee", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-3.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Grenadian(s); adjective: :Grenadian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 7 February (1974)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :27,468 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :73.8 years; male: :71.24 years; female: :76.62 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (13 seats; members appointed by the governor general - 10 on the advice of the prime minister and 3 on the advice of the opposition party leader; members serve 5-year terms) and the House of Representatives (15 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 19 February 2013 (next to be held in 2018); election results: :House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NNP 59%, NDC 41%; seats by party - NNP 15", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "common law based on English model", "LANGUAGES": "English (official), French patois", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :8.82%; permanent crops: :20.59%; other: :70.59% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "59,900 (2013 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Grenada (consists of the High Court with 3 justices and a 2-tier Court of Appeal with NA justices); note - the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to include Grenada; the ECSC - with its headquarters on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the member states; judge selection and term of office: :justice selection and tenure NA; subordinate courts: :magistrates' courts; Court of Magisterial Appeals", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.2% (2014 est.); 0% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :10.5 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :9.82 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :11.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism, construction", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "7 February 1974 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$297 million (2012 est.); $297 million (2012 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "small-scale cannabis cultivation; lesser transshipment point for marijuana and cocaine to US", "ROADWAYS": "total: :1,127 km; paved: :687 km; unpaved: :440 km (2001)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "a rectangle divided diagonally into yellow triangles (top and bottom) and green triangles (hoist side and outer side), with a red border around the flag; there are seven yellow, five-pointed stars with three centered in the top red border, three centered in the bottom red border, and one on a red disk superimposed at the center of the flag; there is also a symbolic nutmeg pod on the hoist-side triangle (Grenada is the world's second-largest producer of nutmeg, after Indonesia); the seven stars stand for the seven administrative divisions, with the central star denoting the capital, St. George; yellow represents the sun and the warmth of the people, green stands for vegetation and agriculture, and red symbolizes harmony, unity, and courage", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$679 million (2013 est.); $538 million (2010 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$40.5 million (2012 est.); $40.5 million (2012 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Cecile LA GRENADE (since 7 May 2013); head of government: :Prime Minister Keith MITCHELL (since 20 February 2013); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -; 2.7 (2014 est.); 2.7 (2013 est.); 2.7 (2012 est.); 2.7 (2011 est.); 2.7 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "black 82%, mixed black and European 13%, European and East Indian 5%, and trace of Arawak/Carib Amerindian", "DEATH_RATE": "8.04 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1967; latest presented 19 December 1973, came into operation 7 February 1974, some provisions suspended 1979; amended 1991 (Constitutional Judicature Act, 1991 - restored provisions suspended in 1979), 1992 (2008)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Trinidad and Tobago 43.5%, US 20.4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "121 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "food, manufactured goods, machinery, chemicals, fuel", "CAPITAL": "name: :Saint George's; geographic coordinates: :12 03 N, 61 45 W; time difference: :UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$168.6 million; expenditures: :$203 million (2012 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces; Royal Grenada Police Force (includes Coast Guard) (2010)", "BIRTH_RATE": "16.3 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "3 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, citrus, avocados, root crops, sugarcane, corn, vegetables", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Petite Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Nigeria 40%, St. Lucia 10.3%, Antigua and Barbuda 7%, US 6.4%, St. Kitts and Nevis 6.3%, Dominica 6.2%, Malaysia 5.9% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "nutmeg, bananas, cocoa, fruit and vegetables, clothing, mace", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :11%; industry: :20%; services: :69% (2008 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "38% (2008)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :3; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Carib Indians inhabited Grenada when Christopher COLUMBUS discovered the island in 1498, but it remained uncolonized for more than a century. The French settled Grenada in the 17th century, established sugar estates, and imported large numbers of African slaves. Britain took the island in 1762 and vigorously expanded sugar production. In the 19th century, cacao eventually surpassed sugar as the main export crop; in the 20th century, nutmeg became the leading export. In 1967, Britain gave Grenada autonomy over its internal affairs. Full independence was attained in 1974 making Grenada one of the smallest independent countries in the Western Hemisphere. Grenada was seized by a Marxist military council on 19 October 1983. Six days later the island was invaded by US forces and those of six other Caribbean nations, which quickly captured the ringleaders and their hundreds of Cuban advisers. Free elections were reinstituted the following year and have continued since that time.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :995; female: :1,002 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :22,596; females age 16-49: :22,588 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "twice the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to November", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Mount Saint Catherine 840 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.1 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.83 male(s)/female; total population: :1.02 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "2 (2009)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 2, FM 12, shortwave 0 (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :5.9%; industry: :11%; services: :83.2% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "12 07 N, 61 40 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :24.5% (male 13,954/female 13,057); 15-24 years: :16.5% (male 9,075/female 9,155); 25-54 years: :40.3% (male 22,765/female 21,628); 55-64 years: :9.2% (male 5,214/female 4,927); 65 years and over: :9.4% (male 4,739/female 5,638) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Guam", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (territory of the US)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between Guam and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior", "AFFILIATION": "(territory of the US)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$28,700 (2010 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.3% (2002-10 average est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.44% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$4.6 billion (2010 est.)", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :52.1%; youth dependency ratio: :39.3%; elderly dependency ratio: :12.8%; potential support ratio: :7.8% (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "1.775 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "6,579 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "12,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "552,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "1.613 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "1.734 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "coconut tree; national colors: deep blue, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :29.4%; male: :29.7%; female: :28.9% (2011 est.)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-3% of GDP (FY10/11 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "20.5% of GDP (FY10/11 est.)", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "HAGATNA (capital) 143,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Fanohge Chamoru\" (Stand Ye Guamanians); lyrics/music: :Ramon Manalisay SABLAN [English; note: :adopted 1919; the local anthem is also known as \"Guam Hymn\"; as a territory of the United States, \"The Star-Spangled Banner,\" which generally follows the playing of \"Stand Ye Guamanians,\" is official (see United States)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 89.8% of population; rural: 89.8% of population; total: 89.8% of population; urban: 10.2% of population; rural: 10.2% of population; total: 10.2% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.5% of population; rural: 99.5% of population; total: 99.5% of population; urban: 0.5% of population; rural: 0.5% of population; total: 0.5% of population (2012 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "about a dozen TV channels, including digital channels; multi-channel cable TV services are available; roughly 20 radio stations (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :94.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.36% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$4.6 billion (2010 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "23 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :29.9 years; male: :29.4 years; female: :30.4 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".gu", "INTERNET_USERS": "90,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "98,000 (2004)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "67,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (territory of the US)", "AREA": "total: :544 sq km; land: :544 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "2 sq km (2011)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Territory of Guam; conventional short form: :Guam; local long form: :Guahan; local short form: :Guahan", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the US", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "8.2% (2010 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "NA", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.38 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "volcanic origin, surrounded by coral reefs; relatively flat coralline limestone plateau (source of most fresh water), with steep coastal cliffs and narrow coastal plains in north, low hills in center, mountains in south", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modern system, integrated with US facilities for direct dialing, including free use of 800 numbers; domestic: :digital system, including mobile-cellular service and local access to the Internet; international: :country code - 1-671; major landing point for submarine cables between Asia and the US (Guam is a transpacific communications hub for major carriers linking the US and Asia); satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal; note - Guamanians are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 85%, other 15% (1999 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Apra Harbor", "POPULATION": "161,001 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Democratic Party [Carlo BRANCH; Republican Party [Mike BENITO", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The economy depends largely on US national defense spending, tourism, other services. Total US grants, wages and salaries, and procurement outlays amounted to approximately $1.6 billion in 2010. Over the past 30 years, tourism has grown to become the largest income source following national defense.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Guam Commission on Decolonization; Guam Federation of Teachers' Union; Guam Waterworks Authority Workers; We Are Guahan", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-7.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "aquatic wildlife (supporting tourism), fishing (largely undeveloped)", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Guamanian(s) (US citizens); adjective: :Guamanian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Discovery Day, first Monday in March (1521)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "AOSIS (observer), IOC, PIF (observer), SPC, UPU", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :78.82 years; male: :75.78 years; female: :82.05 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Legislature of Guam or Liheslaturan Guahan (15 seats; members elected in a single countrywide constituency by simple majority vote to serve 2-year terms); elections: :last held on 4 November 2014 (next to be held in November 2016); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 9, Republican Party 6; note: :Guam directly elects 1 member by simple majority vote to serve a 2-year term as a delegate to the US House of Representatives; the delegate can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House, but not when legislation is submitted for a �full floor� House vote; election of delegate last held on 6 November 2012 (next to be held in November 2014)", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "common law modeled on US system; US federal laws apply", "LANGUAGES": "English 43.6%, Filipino 21.2%, Chamorro 17.8%, other Pacific island languages 10%, Asian languages 6.3%, other 1.1% (2010 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :1.85%; permanent crops: :16.67%; other: :81.48% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "69,390; note: :this number is for the civilian labor force only (2010 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Guam (consists of 3 justices); note - appeals beyond the Supreme Court of Guam are heard by the US Supreme Court; judge selection and term of office: :justices appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Guam legislature; justices appointed for life subject to retention election every 10 years; subordinate courts: :Superior Court of Guam - includes several divisions; US Federal District Court for the District of Guam (a US territorial court; appeals beyond this court are heard before the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "4% (2011 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :5.51 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :5.91 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :5.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "national defense, tourism, construction, transshipment services, concrete products, printing and publishing, food processing, textiles", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (territory of the US)", "IMPORTS": "$901 million (2011 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :1,045 km (2008)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "territorial flag is dark blue with a narrow red border on all four sides; centered is a red-bordered, pointed, vertical ellipse containing a beach scene, a proa or outrigger canoe with sail, and a palm tree with the word GUAM superimposed in bold red letters; the proa is sailing in Agana Bay with the promontory of Punta Dos Amantes, near the capital, in the background; blue represents the sea and red the blood shed in the struggle against oppression; note: :the US flag is the national flag", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 October - 30 September", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$NA", "EXPORTS": "$44 million (2011 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Barack H. OBAMA (since 20 January 2009); Vice President Joseph R. BIDEN (since 20 January 2009); head of government: :Governor Eddie CALVO (since 3 January 2011); Lieutenant Governor Ray TENORIO (since 3 January 2011); cabinet: :heads of executive departments; appointed by the governor with the consent of the Guam legislature; elections: :under the US Constitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such as Guam, do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; however, they may vote in Democratic and Republican presidential primary elections; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a four-year term (can serve two consecutive terms, then must wait a full term before running again); election last held on 4 November 2014 (next to be held in November 2018); election results: :Eddie CALVO reelected governor with 63.9% percent of vote against 36.1% for Carl GUTIERREZ; Ray TENORIO reelected lieutenant governor", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "the US dollar is used", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Chamorro 37.3%, Filipino 26.3%, white 7.1%, Chuukese 7%, Korean 2.2%, other Pacific Islander 2%, other Asian 2%, Chinese 1.6%, Palauan 1.6%, Japanese 1.5%, Pohnpeian 1.4%, mixed 9.4%, other 0.6% (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "5.04 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "effective 1 July 1950; amended many times, last in 2012 (2013)", "COASTLINE": "125.5 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical marine; generally warm and humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season (January to June), rainy season (July to December); little seasonal temperature variation", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum and petroleum products, food, manufactured goods", "CAPITAL": "name: :Hagatna (Agana); geographic coordinates: :13 28 N, 144 44 E; time difference: :UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$942.6 million; expenditures: :$1.082 billion (FY10/11 est.)", "BIRTH_RATE": "17.01 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "5 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "fruits, copra, vegetables; eggs, pork, poultry, beef", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (territory of the US)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "transshipments of refined petroleum products, construction materials, fish, foodstuffs and beverages", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :0.3%; industry: :(2004 est.); services: :NA% (2004 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "23% (2001 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "extirpation of native bird population by the rapid proliferation of the brown tree snake, an exotic, invasive species", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :4; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Spain ceded Guam to the US in 1898. Captured by the Japanese in 1941, it was retaken by the US three years later. The military installations on the island are some of the most strategically important US bases in the Pacific.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :1,701; female: :1,608 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :38,358; females age 16-49: :36,869 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "three times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "frequent squalls during rainy season; relatively rare but potentially destructive typhoons (June to December)", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mount Lamlam 406 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.84 male(s)/female; total population: :1.03 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "3 (2006)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 3, FM 11, shortwave 2 (2005)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :NA%; industry: :NA%; services: :NA%", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "13 28 N, 144 47 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :26% (male 21,520/female 20,279); 15-24 years: :16.9% (male 14,109/female 13,164); 25-54 years: :39.3% (male 32,285/female 31,058); 55-64 years: :9.3% (male 7,483/female 7,411); 65 years and over: :8.5% (male 6,228/female 7,464) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Guatemala", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Todd D. ROBINSON (since 10 October 2014); embassy: :7-01 Avenida Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City; mailing address: :DPO AA 34024; telephone: :[502; FAX: :[502", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$7,500 (2014 est.); $7,400 (2013 est.); $7,300 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.4% (2014 est.); 3.7% (2013 est.); 3% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.86% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$118.7 billion (2014 est.); $114.8 billion (2013 est.); $110.7 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :80.7%; youth dependency ratio: :72.4%; elderly dependency ratio: :8.3%; potential support ratio: :12% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "12.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 11.5% of GDP (2013 est.); 12.4% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :85.8%; government consumption: :10.6%; investment in fixed capital: :14.3%; investment in inventories: :0.6%; exports of goods and services: :23.6%; imports of goods and services: :-34.9%; (2014 est.)", "DEMOGRAPHIC_PROFILE": "Guatemala is a predominantly poor country that struggles in several areas of health and development, including infant, child, and maternal mortality, malnutrition, literacy, and contraceptive awareness and use. The country's large indigenous population is disproportionately affected. Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America and has the highest fertility rate in Latin America. It also has the highest population growth rate in Latin America, which is likely to continue because of its large reproductive-age population and high birth rate. Almost half of Guatemala's population is under age 19, making it the youngest population in Latin America. Guatemala's total fertility rate has slowly declined during the last few decades due in part to limited government-funded health programs. However, the birth rate is still more than three children per woman and is markedly higher among its rural and indigenous populations.; Guatemalans have a history of emigrating legally and illegally to Mexico, the United States, and Canada because of a lack of economic opportunity, political instability, and natural disasters. Emigration, primarily to the United States, escalated during the 1960 to 1996 civil war and accelerated after a peace agreement was signed. Thousands of Guatemalans who fled to Mexico returned after the war, but labor migration to southern Mexico continues.", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "20.3; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2008/09 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :929,852; percentage: :21%; note: :data represents children ages 5-17 (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "13.07 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "2.96 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "71,390 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "4,911 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "80,330 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "1,253 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "83.07 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "10,960 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "13,990 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "12.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "31.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "55.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "2.813 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "372 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "346 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "8.143 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "8.361 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "quetzal (bird); national colors: blue, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :7.5%; male: :4.5%; female: :13.6% (2011 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "19.2% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.6 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.93 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.7% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "13% (2009)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "120 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "11.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "GUATEMALA CITY (capital) 2.847 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Himno Nacional de Guatemala\" (National Anthem of Guatemala); lyrics/music: :Jose Joaquin PALMA/Rafael Alvarez OVALLE; note: :adopted 1897, modified lyrics adopted 1934; Cuban poet Jose Joaquin PALMA anonymously submitted lyrics to a public contest calling for a national anthem; his authorship was not discovered until 1911", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 88.4% of population; rural: 72.1% of population; total: 80.3% of population; urban: 11.6% of population; rural: 27.9% of population; total: 19.7% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.1% of population; rural: 88.6% of population; total: 93.8% of population; urban: 0.9% of population; rural: 11.4% of population; total: 6.2% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$23.83 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $22.3 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$8.905 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $8.311 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "4 privately owned national terrestrial TV channels dominate TV broadcasting; multi-channel satellite and cable services are available; 1 government-owned radio station and hundreds of privately owned radio stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :51.1% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$25.68 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $23.02 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$9.7 billion (31 December 2008); $8.903 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$6.106 billion (31 December 2008); $5.876 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "13.6% (31 December 2014 est.); 13.6% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "6.5% (31 December 2010)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3% of GDP (2012)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :11 years; male: :11 years; female: :10 years (2007)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :3.46 cu km/yr (15%/31%/54%); per capita: :259.1 cu m/yr (2006)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "111.3 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$58.3 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "IDPs: :undetermined (more than three decades of internal conflict that ended in 1996 displaced mainly the indigenous Maya population and rural peasants; ongoing drug cartel and gang violence) (2011)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne disease: :dengue fever and malaria (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$7.546 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $7.269 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.527 billion (2014 est.); -$1.515 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "29.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 30.3% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "357,552 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :21 years; male: :20.4 years; female: :21.7 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "55.1 (2007); 55.8 (1998)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "2,600 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "52,800 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.59% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".gt", "INTERNET_USERS": "2.279 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "20.787 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "1.744 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Jose Julio Alejandro LIGORRIA Carballido (since 5 September 2013); chancery: :2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, McAllen (TX), Miami, New York, Phoenix, Providence (RI), San Francisco, Silver Spring (MD)", "AREA": "total: :108,889 sq km; land: :107,159 sq km; water: :1,730 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "3,121 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Guatemala; conventional short form: :Guatemala; local long form: :Republica de Guatemala; local short form: :Guatemala", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "4.1% (2011 est.); 3.5% (2010 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional democratic republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.99 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :fairly modern network centered in the city of Guatemala; domestic: :state-owned telecommunications company privatized in the late 1990s opening the way for competition; fixed-line teledensity roughly 10 per 100 persons; fixed-line investments are being concentrated on improving rural connectivity; mobile-cellular teledensity approaching 140 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 502; landing point for both the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the SAM-1 fiber optic submarine cable system that, together, provide connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2013)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal; note - active duty members of the armed forces and police by law cannot vote and are restricted to their barracks on election day", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs", "RAILWAYS": "total: :332 km; narrow gauge: :332 km 0.914-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla", "POPULATION": "14,647,083 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Commitment, Renewal, and Order or CREO [Roberto GONZALEZ Diaz-Duran; Democratic Union or UD [Edwin Armando MARTINEZ Herrera; Encounter for Guatemala or EG [Nineth MONTENEGRO Cottom; Everyone Together for Guatemala or TODOS [Felipe ALEJOS; Grand National Alliance or GANA [Jaime Antonio MARTINEZ Lohayza; Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity or URNG [Angel SANCHEZ Viesca; Institutional Republican Party (formerly the Guatemalan Republican Front) or PRI [Luis Fernando PEREZ; National Advancement Party or PAN [Juan GUTIERREZ Strauss; National Unity for Hope or UNE [Sandra TORRES; Nationalist Change Union or UCN [Mario ESTRADA; New National Alternative or ANN [Pablo MONSANTO; Patriot Party or PP [Ingrid Roxana BALDETTI Elias; Renewed Democratic Liberty or LIDER [Manuel BALDIZON; Unionista Party or PU [Alvaro ARZU Irigoyen; Victoria (Victory) [Amilcar RIVERA; Vision with Values or VIVA [Harold CABALLEROS; Winaq [Rigoberta MENCHU", "PIPELINES": "oil 480 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America with a GDP per capita roughly one-half that of the average for Latin America and the Caribbean. The agricultural sector accounts for 13.5% of GDP and 30% of the labor force; key agricultural exports include coffee, sugar, bananas, and vegetables. The 1996 peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war, removed a major obstacle to foreign investment, and since then Guatemala has pursued important reforms and macroeconomic stabilization. The Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) entered into force in July 2006, spurring increased investment and diversification of exports, with the largest increases in ethanol and non-traditional agricultural exports. While CAFTA-DR has helped improve the investment climate, concerns over security, the lack of skilled workers, and poor infrastructure continue to hamper foreign direct investment. The distribution of income remains highly unequal with the richest 20% of the population accounting for more than 51% of Guatemala's overall consumption. More than half of the population is below the national poverty line, and 13% of the population lives in extreme poverty. Poverty among indigenous groups, which make up more than 40% of the population, averages 73%, with 22% of the indigenous population living in extreme poverty. Nearly one-half of Guatemala's children under age five are chronically malnourished, one of the highest malnutrition rates in the world. Guatemala is the top remittance recipient in Central America as a result of Guatemala's large expatriate community in the United States. These inflows are a primary source of foreign income, equivalent to one-half of the country's exports or one-tenth of its GDP.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Alliance Against Impunity or AI (which includes among others Center for Legal Action on Human Rights (CALDH), and Family and Friends of the Disappeared of Guatemala (FAMDEGUA)); Civic and Political Convergence of Women; Committee for Campesino Unity or CUC; Coordinating Committee of Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial, and Financial Associations or CACIF; Foundation for the Development of Guatemala or FUNDESA; Guatemala Visible; Mutual Support Group or GAM; Movimiento PRO-Justicia; National Union of Agriculture Workers or UNAGRO", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "no natural harbors on west coast", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Guatemalan(s); adjective: :Guatemalan", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 15 September (1821)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :3,165,870; females age 16-49: :3,371,217 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :78.3%; male: :84.8%; female: :72.4% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :71.74 years; male: :69.82 years; female: :73.76 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica (158 seats; 127 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies within each of the country's 22 departments by simple majority vote and 31 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 11 September 2011 (next to be held in September 2015); election results: :percent of vote by party - PP 26.62%, UNE-GANA 22.67%, UNC 9.50%, LIDER 8.87%, CREO 8.67%, VIVA-EG 7.87%, Winaq-URNG-ANN 3.23%, PAN 3.12%, FRG 2.74%, PU 2.70%, other 3.59%; seats by party - PP 57, UNE-GANA 48, LIDER 14, UCN 14, CREO 12, VIVA-EG 6, PAN 2, Winaq-URNG-ANN 2, FRG 1, PU 1, Victoria 1; note - changes in party affiliation now reflect the following seat distribution: as of 15 January 2014 - PP 55, LIDER 39, TODOS 18, CREO 8, UNE 8, GANA 6, EG 3, PU 2, PRI (formerly FRG) 2, PAN 1, UCN 1, URNG 2, Victoria 1, VIVA 1, Winaq 1, independents 10", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts", "LANGUAGES": "Spanish (official) 60%, Amerindian languages 40%; note: :there are 23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :14.32%; permanent crops: :8.82%; other: :76.87% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,667 km; border countries: :Belize 266 km, El Salvador 199 km, Honduras 244 km, Mexico 958 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "4.576 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 13 magistrates including the court president and organized into 3 chambers); note - the court president also supervises trial judges countrywide; Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitcionalidad (consists of 5 judges and 5 alternates); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court magistrates elected by the Congress of the Republic from candidates proposed by the Postulation Committee, an independent body of deans of the country's university law schools, representatives of the country's law associations, and representatives of the Court of Appeal and other tribunals; magistrates elected for renewable 5-year terms; Constitutional Court judges - 1 elected by the Congress of the Republic, 1 by the Supreme Court, 1 by the president of the republic, 1 by the University of San Carlos, and 1 by a lawyers bar association; judges elected for concurrent 5-year terms; the presidency of the court rotates among the magistrates for a single 1-year term; subordinate courts: :numerous first instance and appellate courts", "WATERWAYS": "990 km (260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during high-water season) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3.5% (2014 est.); 4.3% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :23.51 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :25.57 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :21.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "15 September 1821 (from Spain)", "IMPORTS": "$17.15 billion (2014 est.); $16.36 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :11,501 km; paved: :6,797 km (includes 127 km of expressways); unpaved: :4,704 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal vertical bands of light blue (hoist side), white, and light blue, with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms includes a green and red quetzal (the national bird) representing liberty and a scroll bearing the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the original date of independence from Spain) all superimposed on a pair of crossed rifles signifying Guatemala's willingness to defend itself and a pair of crossed swords representing honor and framed by a laurel wreath symbolizing victory; the blue bands represent the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea; the white band denotes peace and purity", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$15.94 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $15.58 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$10.6 billion (2014 est.); $10.19 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Otto Fernando PEREZ MOLINA (since 14 January 2012); Vice President Ingrid Roxana BALDETTI Elias (since 14 January 2012); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Otto Fernando PEREZ MOLINA (since 14 January 2012); Vice President Ingrid Roxana BALDETTI Elias (since 14 January 2012); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president; elections: :president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a four-year term (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held on 11 September 2011; runoff held on 6 November 2011 (next to be held in September 2015); election results: :Otto Fernando PEREZ MOLINA elected president in a runoff election; percent of vote - Otto Fernando PEREZ MOLINA 53.7%, Manuel BALDIZON 46.3%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "quetzales (GTQ) per US dollar -; 7.833 (2014 est.); 7.8568 (2013 est.); 7.83 (2012 est.); 7.7854 (2011 est.); 8.0578 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish - in local Spanish called Ladino) and European 59.4%, K'iche 9.1%, Kaqchikel 8.4%, Mam 7.9%, Q'eqchi 6.3%, other Mayan 8.6%, indigenous non-Mayan 0.2%, other 0.1% (2001 census)", "DEATH_RATE": "4.82 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; suspended, reinstated, and amended in 1993 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 36.4%, Mexico 11.4%, China 9.7%, El Salvador 4.7%, Colombia 4.4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "400 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, grain, fertilizers, electricity, mineral products, chemical products, plastic materials and products", "CAPITAL": "name: :Guatemala City; geographic coordinates: :14 37 N, 90 31 W; time difference: :UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$6.785 billion; expenditures: :$8.137 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "National Army of Guatemala (Ejercito Nacional de Guatemala, ENG; includes Guatemalan Navy (Fuerza de Mar, including Marines) and Guatemalan Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Guatemalteca, FAG)) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "25.46 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "291 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "22 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten, Quetzaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepequez, San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Solola, Suchitepequez, Totonicapan, Zacapa", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 37.2%, El Salvador 8.7%, Honduras 7.8%, Mexico 5%, Nicaragua 4.8%, Costa Rica 4.3% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "coffee, sugar, petroleum, apparel, bananas, fruits and vegetables, cardamom", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :38%; industry: :14%; services: :48% (2011 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.3%; highest 10%: :42.4% (2006)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "54% (2011 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.42% of GDP (2012); 0.41% of GDP (2011); 0.42% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :275; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :77; 195 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :16; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :4; 914 to 1,523 m: :6; under 914 m: :4 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Maya civilization flourished in Guatemala and surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D. After almost three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence in 1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a variety of military and civilian governments, as well as a 36-year guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement formally ending the internal conflict, which had left more than 200,000 people dead and had created, by some estimates, about 1 million refugees.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :171,092; female: :168,151 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,590,843; females age 16-49: :2,926,544 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "all male citizens between the ages of 18 and 50 are eligible for military service; in practice, most of the force is volunteer, however, a selective draft system is employed, resulting in a small portion of 17-21 year-olds conscripted; conscript service obligation varies from 1 to 2 years; women can serve as officers (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Pennsylvania", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms; volcanism: :significant volcanic activity in the Sierra Madre range; Santa Maria (elev. 3,772 m) has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Pacaya (elev. 2,552 m), which erupted in May 2010 causing an ashfall on Guatemala City and prompting evacuations, is one of the country's most active volcanoes with frequent eruptions since 1965; other historically active volcanoes include Acatenango, Almolonga, Atitlan, Fuego, and Tacana", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m; note: :highest point in Central America", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.91 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.87 male(s)/female; total population: :0.97 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "26 (plus 27 repeaters) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 130, FM 487, shortwave 15 (2000)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :13.3%; industry: :23.5%; services: :63.2% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "15 30 N, 90 15 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :36.2% (male 2,698,238/female 2,597,026); 15-24 years: :22.1% (male 1,625,139/female 1,615,543); 25-54 years: :32.4% (male 2,251,665/female 2,487,332); 55-64 years: :5.2% (male 362,686/female 393,273); 65 years and over: :4.2% (male 286,041/female 330,140) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Guernsey", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (British crown dependency)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "British crown dependency", "AFFILIATION": "(British crown dependency)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$44,600 (2005 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.8% (2013 est.); 3.1% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.36% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$3.42 billion (2013 est.); $3.36 billion (2012 est.); $3.258 billion (2011 est.)", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :46.4%; youth dependency ratio: :21.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :24.7%; potential support ratio: :4%; note: :data represents the Channel Islands (2014 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Guernsey cow, donkey; national colors: red, white, yellow", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "1.2% of GDP (2005)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "20.6% of GDP (2005)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Sarnia Cherie\" (Guernsey Dear); lyrics/music: :George DEIGHTON/Domencio SANTANGELO; note: :adopted 1911; serves as a local anthem; as a British crown dependency, \"God Save the Queen\" remains official (see United Kingdom)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "multiple UK terrestrial TV broadcasts are received via a transmitter in Jersey with relays in Jersey, Guernsey, and Alderney; satellite packages are available; BBC Radio Guernsey and 1 other radio station operating (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :31.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.76% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.); note: :data is for the Channel Islands", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$2.742 billion (2005 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "239 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :43.1 years; male: :41.9 years; female: :44.2 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".gg", "INTERNET_USERS": "48,300 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "43,800 (2004)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "45,100 (2010)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (British crown dependency)", "AREA": "total: :78 sq km; land: :78 sq km; water: :0 sq km; note: :includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Bailiwick of Guernsey; conventional short form: :Guernsey", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the UK", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "0.9% (March 2006 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.55 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly level with low hills in southwest", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "domestic: :fixed-line and mobile-cellular services widely available; combined fixed and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 100 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 44; 1 submarine cable (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "16 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant (Anglican, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist), Roman Catholic", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Braye Bay, Saint Peter Port", "POPULATION": "65,849 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "none; all independents", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Financial services account for about 40% of employment and about 55% of total income in this tiny, prosperous Channel Island economy. Tourism, manufacturing, and horticulture, mainly tomatoes and cut flowers, have been declining. Financial services, construction, retail, and the public sector have been growing. Light tax and death duties make Guernsey a popular tax haven. In October 2014, Guernsey signed an OECD agreement to automatically exchange some financial account information to limit tax avoidance and evasion.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Stop Traffic Endangering Pedestrian Safety or STEPS; No More Masts [Colin FALLAIZE", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "2.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "cropland", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Channel Islander(s); adjective: :Channel Islander", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "UPU", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :3 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :12 nm", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :82.39 years; male: :79.72 years; female: :85.2 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral States of Deliberation (47 seats - 45 People's Deputies and 2 representatives of the States of Alderney; members directly elected by majority vote to serve 4-year terms); note - non-voting members include the bailiff (presiding officer), attorney-general, and solicitor-general; elections: :last held on 18 April 2012 (next to be held in 2016); election results: :percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "customary legal system based on Norman customary law, and includes elements of the French Civil Code and English common law", "LANGUAGES": "English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :NA; permanent crops: :NA; other: :NA", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "31,470 (March 2006)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest resident court(s): :Guernsey Court of Appeal (consists of the Bailiff of Guernsey, who is the ex-officio president of the Guernsey Court of Appeal, and at least 12 judges); Royal Court (organized into 3 divisions - Full Court sits with 1 judge and 7 to 12 jurats acting as judges of fact, Ordinary Court sits with 1 judge and normally 3 jurats, and Matrimonial Causes Division sits with a 1 judge and 4 jurats); note - appeals beyond Guernsey courts are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London); judge selection and term of office: :Royal Court Balliff, Deputy Balliff and Court of Appeal justices appointed by the British Crown and hold office at Her Majesty's pleasure; jurats elected by the States of Election, a body chaired by the Balliff and a number of jurats; subordinate courts: :Court of Alderney; Court of the Seneschal of Sark; Magistrate's Court (includes Juvenile Court); Contracts Court; Ecclesiastical Court; Court of Chief Pleas", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3.4% (June 2006 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :3.47 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :3.77 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :3.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, banking", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (British crown dependency)", "IMPORTS": "$NA", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "white with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) extending to the edges of the flag and a yellow equal-armed cross of William the Conqueror superimposed on the Saint George cross; the red cross represents the old ties with England and the fact that Guernsey is a British Crown dependency; the gold cross is a replica of the one used by Duke William of Normandy at the Battle of Hastings", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$NA", "EXPORTS": "$NA", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Air Marshall Peter WALKER (since 15 April 2011); head of government: :Chief Minister Jonathan LE TOCQ (since 12 March 2014); Bailiff Richard COLLAS (since 23 March 2012); note - Chief Minister Peter HARWOOD resigned 25 February 2014; cabinet: :Policy Council elected by the States of Deliberation; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; lieutenant governor and bailiff appointed by the monarch; chief minister elected by States of Deliberation; election results: :Jonathan LE TOCQ elected chief minister, percent of vote NA", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Guernsey pound per US dollar; 0.6003 (2014); 0.6391 (2013); 0.63 (2012); 0.624 (2011); 0.6472 (2010)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "British and Norman-French descent with small percentages from other European countries", "DEATH_RATE": "8.69 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "unwritten; includes royal charters, statutes, and common law and practice", "COASTLINE": "50 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment", "CAPITAL": "name: :Saint Peter Port; geographic coordinates: :49 27 N, 2 32 W; time difference: :UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$563.6 million; expenditures: :$530.9 million (2005 est.)", "BIRTH_RATE": "9.89 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "2 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 10 parishes: Castel, Forest, Saint Andrew, Saint Martin, Saint Peter Port, Saint Pierre du Bois, Saint Sampson, Saint Saviour, Torteval, Vale", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Guernsey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy, which held sway in both France and England. The islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II. Guernsey is a British crown dependency but is not part of the UK or of the European Union. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :354; female: :342 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :12,493; females age 16-49: :12,272 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about one-half the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :unnamed elevation on Sark 114 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.81 male(s)/female; total population: :0.98 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :3%; industry: :10%; services: :87% (2000)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "49 28 N, 2 35 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :14.6% (male 4,967/female 4,629); 15-24 years: :11.9% (male 3,993/female 3,854); 25-54 years: :42.2% (male 13,991/female 13,800); 55-64 years: :12.9% (male 4,229/female 4,249); 65 years and over: :18.4% (male 5,469/female 6,668) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Guinea-Bissau", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "the US Embassy suspended operations on 14 June 1998 in the midst of violent conflict between forces loyal to then President VIEIRA and military-led junta; the US Ambassador to Senegal, currently Ambassador James P. Zumwalt, is accredited to Guinea-Bissau", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$1,400 (2014 est.); $1,400 (2013 est.); $1,500 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.6% (2014 est.); 0.3% (2013 est.); -2.2% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.93% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$2.502 billion (2014 est.); $2.438 billion (2013 est.); $2.43 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :79.1%; youth dependency ratio: :73.9%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.2%; potential support ratio: :19.3% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "6.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 1.4% of GDP (2013 est.); 2.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :87.4%; government consumption: :11.3%; investment in fixed capital: :12.3%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :20.8%; imports of goods and services: :-31.9%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "14.2% (2010)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :226,316; percentage: :57% (2010 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "460,100 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "2,661 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "3,020 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "26,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "51.15 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "55 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "black star; national colors: red, yellow, green, black", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "4.9% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1 beds/1,000 population (2009)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.07 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.9% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "18.1% (2010)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "790 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-3.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "13.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "BISSAU (capital) 473,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Esta e a Nossa Patria Bem Amada\" (This Is Our Beloved Country); lyrics/music: :Amilcar Lopes CABRAL/XIAO He; note: :adopted 1974; a delegation from Portuguese Guinea visited China in 1963 and heard music by XIAO He; Amilcar Lopes CABRA, the leader of Guinea-Bissau's independence movement, asked the composer to create a piece that would inspire his people to struggle for independence", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 33.5% of population; rural: 8.5% of population; total: 19.7% of population; urban: 66.5% of population; rural: 91.5% of population; total: 80.3% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 96.1% of population; rural: 55.5% of population; total: 73.6% of population; urban: 3.9% of population; rural: 44.5% of population; total: 26.4% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$480.9 million (31 December 2014 est.); $393 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$384.8 million (31 December 2014 est.); $330 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 state-owned TV station and a second station, Radio e Televisao de Portugal (RTP) Africa, is operated by Portuguese public broadcaster (RTP); 1 state-owned radio station, several private radio stations, and some community radio stations; multiple international broadcasters are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :48.5% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :4.13% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$215.2 million (31 December 2014 est.); $185.6 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$17.99 million (31 December 2008); $12.04 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$171.2 million (31 December 2008); $142.5 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "15% (31 December 2014 est.); 15% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "4.25% (31 December 2009); 4.75% (31 December 2008)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :9 years (2006)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.18 cu km/yr (18%/6%/76%); per capita: :135.7 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "31 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Guinea-Bissau is a source country for children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; the scope of the problem of trafficking women or men for forced labor or forced prostitution is unknown; boys are forced into street vending in Guinea-Bissau and manual labor, agriculture, and mining in Senegal, while girls may be forced into street vending, domestic service, and, to a lesser extent, prostitution in Senegal and Guinea; tier rating: :Tier 3 - Guinea-Bissau does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; anti-trafficking efforts have stalled under the transitional government; despite enacting an anti-trafficking law and adopting a national action plan in 2011, authorities still have not taken action against trafficking offenders, provided protection to identified victims, or conducted any prevention activities; no progress has been made in implementing the national action plan (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$1.04 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :8,484 (Senegal) (2014)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$39.4 million (2014 est.); -$44.9 million (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "90 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :19.8 years; male: :19.3 years; female: :20.3 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "2,300 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "41,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "3.74% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".gw", "INTERNET_USERS": "37,100 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "1.1 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "5,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :none; note - Guinea-Bissau does not have official representation in Washington, DC", "AREA": "total: :36,125 sq km; land: :28,120 sq km; water: :8,005 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "225.6 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Guinea-Bissau; conventional short form: :Guinea-Bissau; local long form: :Republica da Guine-Bissau; local short form: :Guine-Bissau; former: :Portuguese Guinea", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "4.3 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly low-lying coastal plain with a deeply indented estuarine coastline rising to savanna in east; numerous off-shore islands including the Arquipelago Dos Bijagos consisting of 18 main islands and many small islets", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :small system including a combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines, radiotelephone, and mobile cellular communications; domestic: :fixed-line teledensity less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile cellular teledensity is roughly 50 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 245 (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 10%", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Bissau, Buba, Cacheu, Farim", "POPULATION": "1,693,398 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde or PAIGC [Domingos Simoes PEREIRA; Democratic Convergence Party or PCD [Victor MANDINGA; New Democracy Party or PND [Iaia DJALO; Party for Social Renewal or PRS; Republican Party for Independence and Development or PRID [Aristides GOMES; Union for Change or UM [Agnelo REGALA", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Guinea-Bissau is highly dependent on subsistence agriculture, cashew nut exports, and foreign assistance. The legal economy is based on farming and fishing, but trafficking in narcotics is probably the most lucrative economic activity. The combination of limited economic prospects, weak institutions, and favorable geography have made this West African country a way station for drugs bound for Europe while trade in smuggled diamonds, food, and fishing is also significant. Two out of three Guineans remain below the absolute poverty line. Guinea-Bissau has substantial potential for development of mineral resources including phosphates, bauxite, and mineral sands. The country�s climate and soil make it feasible to grow a wide range of cash crops, fruit, vegetables, and tubers; however, cashews generate more than 80% export receipts and are the main source of income for many rural communities. With renewed donor support following elections in April-May 2014 and a successful regional bond issuance, the new government of Guinea-Bissau has made progress paying salaries, settling domestic arrears, and gaining more control over revenues and expenditures. The IMF noted that the new government has taken the positive step of developing a long-term economic plan, while implementing sensitive economic reforms in the wake of the 2012 coup.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "this small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying inland", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, clay, granite, limestone, unexploited deposits of petroleum", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Bissau-Guinean(s); adjective: :Bissau-Guinean", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 24 September (1973)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU (suspended), CPLP, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :370,790; females age 16-49: :372,171 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :56.7%; male: :69.8%; female: :43.9% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :49.87 years; male: :47.87 years; female: :51.93 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (102 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 13 April 2014 (next to be held in 2018); election results: :percent of vote by party - PAIGC 47.3%, PRS 31.1%, other 21.6%; seats by party - PAIGC 57, PRS 41, other 4", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of civil law (influenced by the early French Civil Code) and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :10.67%; permanent crops: :8.89%; other: :80.44% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :762 km; border countries: :Guinea 421 km, Senegal 341 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "632,700 (2007 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Justice (consists of 9 judges and organized into Civil, Criminal, and Social and Administrative Disputes Chambers); note - the Supreme Court has both appellate and constitutional jurisdiction; judge selection and term of office: :judges nominated by the Higher Council of the Magistrate, a major government organ responsible for judge appointments, dismissals, and discipline of the judiciary; judges appointed by the president with life tenure; subordinate courts: :Appeal Court; regional (first instance) courts; military court", "WATERWAYS": "(rivers are partially navigable; many inlets and creeks provide shallow-water access to much of interior) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "-0.5% (2014 est.); 0.7% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :90.92 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :100.59 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :80.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "24 September 1973 (declared); 10 September 1974 (from Portugal)", "IMPORTS": "$236.2 million (2014 est.); $184 million (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "increasingly important transit country for South American cocaine en route to Europe; enabling environment for trafficker operations due to pervasive corruption; archipelago-like geography near the capital facilitates drug smuggling", "ROADWAYS": "total: :3,455 km; paved: :965 km; unpaved: :2,490 km (2002)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; there is a black five-pointed star centered in the red band; yellow symbolizes the sun; green denotes hope; red represents blood shed during the struggle for independence; the black star stands for African unity; note: :uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; the flag design was heavily influenced by the Ghanaian flag", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$1.095 billion (31 December 2010 est.); $941.5 million (31 December 2000 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$179.9 million (2014 est.); $143.7 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Josse Mario VAZ (since 23 June 2014); head of government: :Prime Minister Domingos Simoes PEREIRA (since 25 June 2014); cabinet: :Cabinet; appointed by the president; elections: :president directly elected by absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 13 April 2014 and 18 May 2014 (next to be held in 2019); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the National People's Assembly; election results: :first round results - Jose Mario VAZ 41%, Nuno Gomez NABIAM 25.1%, other 33.9%; Jose Mario elected president in second round - Jose Mario VAZ 61.9%, Nuno Gomez NABIAM 38.1%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -; 491.2 (2014 est.); 494.04 (2013 est.); 510.53 (2012 est.); 471.87 (2011 est.); 495.28 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "African 99% (includes Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1%", "DEATH_RATE": "14.54 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "promulgated 16 May 1984; amended several times, last in 1996; note - constitution suspended following military coup in April 2012 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Portugal 27.4%, Senegal 24.1%, India 4.4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "350 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products", "CAPITAL": "name: :Bissau; geographic coordinates: :11 51 N, 15 35 W; time difference: :UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$142.5 million; expenditures: :$177.6 million (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP): Army, Navy, National Air Force (Forca Aerea Nacional); Presidential Guard (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "33.83 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "8 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "rice, corn, beans, cassava (manioc, tapioca), cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, cotton; timber; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "9 regions (regioes, singular - regiao); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama/Bijagos, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "India 55.6%, Nigeria 28.1%, China 7.1%, Togo 5.8% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fish, shrimp; cashews, peanuts, palm kernels, sawn lumber", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :82%; industry and services: :18% (2000 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.9%; highest 10%: :28% (2002)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.85% of GDP (2012); 1.81% of GDP (2011); 1.85% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :6; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :2; 3 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; over 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Since independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced considerable political and military upheaval. In 1980, a military coup established authoritarian dictator Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA as president. Despite setting a path to a market economy and multiparty system, VIEIRA's regime was characterized by the suppression of political opposition and the purging of political rivals. Several coup attempts through the 1980s and early 1990s failed to unseat him. In 1994 VIEIRA was elected president in the country's first free elections. A military mutiny and resulting civil war in 1998 eventually led to VIEIRA's ouster in May 1999. In February 2000, a transitional government turned over power to opposition leader Kumba YALA after he was elected president in transparent polling. In September 2003, after only three years in office, YALA was overthrown in a bloodless military coup, and businessman Henrique ROSA was sworn in as interim president. In 2005, former President VIEIRA was re-elected president pledging to pursue economic development and national reconciliation; he was assassinated in March 2009. Malam Bacai SANHA was elected in an emergency election held in June 2009, but he passed away in January 2012 from an existing illness. A military coup in April 2012 prevented Guinea-Bissau's second-round presidential election - to determine SANHA's successor - from taking place.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :17,639; female: :17,865 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :205,460; females age 16-49: :212,277 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-25 years of age for selective compulsory military service (Air Force service is voluntary); 16 years of age or younger, with parental consent, for voluntary service (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :unnamed elevation in the eastern part of the country 300 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.64 male(s)/female; total population: :0.95 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (2007)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1 (transmitter out of service), FM 4, shortwave 0 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :45%; industry: :7.5%; services: :47.5% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "12 00 N, 15 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :39.8% (male 336,053/female 337,270); 15-24 years: :20.2% (male 169,574/female 172,221); 25-54 years: :32.1% (male 270,432/female 273,053); 55-64 years: :4.7% (male 29,112/female 50,083); 65 years and over: :3.3% (male 21,236/female 34,364) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Guinea", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Alexander Mark LASKARIS (since 28 September 2012); embassy: :Koloma, Conakry, east of Hamdallaye Circle; mailing address: :B. P. 603, Transversale No. 2, Centre Administratif de Koloma, Commune de Ratoma, Conakry; telephone: :[224; FAX: :[224", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$1,300 (2014 est.); $1,300 (2013 est.); $1,300 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.5% (2014 est.); 2.3% (2013 est.); 3.8% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.63% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$15.31 billion (2014 est.); $14.95 billion (2013 est.); $14.61 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :82.4%; youth dependency ratio: :76.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.6%; potential support ratio: :17.7% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "-2.2% of GDP (2014 est.); -0.1% of GDP (2013 est.); -1.2% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :101.3%; government consumption: :12.4%; investment in fixed capital: :14.5%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :26%; imports of goods and services: :-54.1%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "5.6% (2012)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "19; note: :median age at first birth among women 20-24 (2012 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :571,774; percentage: :25% (2003 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "1.388 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "9,089 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "8,810 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "32.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "67.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "398,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "883.5 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "950 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "national colors: red, yellow, green", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "4.4% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.3 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.1 physicians/1,000 population (2005)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.3% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "18.7% (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "610 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-4.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "22.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "CONAKRY (capital) 1.886 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Liberte\" (Liberty); lyrics/music: :unknown/Fodeba KEITA; note: :adopted 1958", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 32.7% of population; rural: 11.2% of population; total: 18.9% of population; urban: 67.3% of population; rural: 88.8% of population; total: 81.1% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 92.2% of population; rural: 65% of population; total: 74.8% of population; urban: 7.8% of population; rural: 35% of population; total: 25.2% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$2.199 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.02 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$1.916 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.856 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "government maintains marginal control over broadcast media; single state-run TV station; state-run radio broadcast station also operates several stations in rural areas; a steadily increasing number of privately owned radio stations, nearly all in Conakry, and about a dozen community radio stations; foreign TV programming available via satellite and cable subscription services (2011)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :36.7% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.82% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$2.251 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.022 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$NA (31 December 2008); $309.8 million (31 December 2005)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "23% (31 December 2014 est.); 26% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "NA% (31 December 2010); 22.25% (31 December 2005)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.5% of GDP (2012)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :9 years; male: :10 years; female: :7 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.55 cu km/yr (39%/10%/51%); per capita: :64.3 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "226 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$148 million (31 December 2014 est.); $148 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Guinea is a source, transit, and, to a lesser extent a destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; the majority of trafficking victims are Guinean children; Guinean girls are subjected to domestic servitude and commercial sexual exploitation, while boys are forced to beg or to work as street vendors, shoe shiners, or miners; some Guinean children are forced to mine in Senegal, Mali, and possibly other West African countries; Guinean women and girls are subjected to domestic servitude and sex trafficking in Nigeria, Cote d�Ivoire, Benin, Senegal, Western Europe, the US, and the Middle East, while Thai, Chinese, and Vietnamese women are forced into prostitution in Guinea; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Guinea does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government conducted six trafficking investigations in 2013 and prosecuted and convicted only one trafficking offender, which was an increase over the previous year; the government failed to provide victims with protective services and did not support NGOs that assisted victims but continued to refer child victims to NGOs on an ad hoc basis; Guinean law does not prohibit all forms of trafficking, excluding, for example, debt bondage (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$6.77 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :6,494 (Cote d'Ivoire) (2014)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: :Lassa fever; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$185.3 million (31 December 2014 est.); $165.7 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.05 billion (2014 est.); -$974.7 million (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "15 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :18.7 years; male: :18.4 years; female: :18.9 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "39.4 (2007); 40.3 (1994)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "5,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "125,800 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "1.74% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".gn", "INTERNET_USERS": "95,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "4.781 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "18,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Mamady CONDE (since 14 July 2014); chancery: :2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :245,857 sq km; land: :245,717 sq km; water: :140 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "949.2 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Guinea; conventional short form: :Guinea; local long form: :Republique de Guinee; local short form: :Guinee; former: :French Guinea", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "4.93 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :inadequate system of open-wire lines, small radiotelephone communication stations, and new microwave radio relay system; domestic: :Conakry reasonably well-served; coverage elsewhere remains inadequate and large companies tend to rely on their own systems for nationwide links; fixed-line teledensity less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership is expanding and exceeds 40 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 224; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :1,185 km; standard gauge: :238 km 1.435-m gauge; narrow gauge: :947 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Conakry, Kamsar", "POPULATION": "11,474,383 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "National Party for Hope and Development or PEDN [Lansana KOUYATE; Rally for the Guinean People or RPG [Alpha CONDE; Union for the Progress of Guinea or UPG [Jean Marie DORE; Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea or UFDG [Cellou Dalein DIALLO; Union of Republican Forces or UFR [Sidya TOURE; note: :listed are the five most popular parties as of January 2014; overall, there are more than 140 registered parties", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Guinea is a poor country that possesses major mineral, hydropower, solar power, and agricultural resources. Historically Guinea was an exporter of agricultural commodities, but it has shifted to importing many food crops. Gold, bauxite, alumina, and diamonds are Guinea�s main mineral exports. Guinea has the largest reserves of bauxite in the world. Following the death of long-term President Lansana CONTE in a 2008 coup, international donors, including the G-8, the IMF, and the World Bank, significantly curtailed their development programs in Guinea, but the IMF approved a new 3-year Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement in 2012, following the December 2010 presidential elections. In September 2012, Guinea achieved Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) completion point status. Future access to international assistance and investment will depend on the government�s ability to be transparent, combat corruption, reform its banking system, improve its business environment, and build infrastructure. In April 2013 the government amended its mining code to reduce taxes and royalties. In 2014 Guinea complied with requirements of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative by publishing its mining contracts. International investors have shown interest in Guinea's unexplored mineral reserves, which have the potential to propel Guinea's future growth. The biggest threats to Guinea�s economy are political instability, the continuation of the Ebola epidemic, and low international commodity prices. Rising international donor support and reduced government investment spending will lessen fiscal strains created by the Ebola epidemic, but economic recovery will be a long process while the government continues to fight the disease.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "National Confederation of Guinean Workers-Labor Union of Guinean Workers or CNTG-USTG Alliance (includes National Confederation of Guinean Workers or CNTG and Labor Union of Guinean Workers or USTG); Syndicate of Guinean Teachers and Researchers or SLECG", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the Niger and its important tributary the Milo River have their sources in the Guinean highlands", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish, salt", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Guinean(s); adjective: :Guinean", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 2 October (1958)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,359,203; females age 16-49: :2,329,784 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :25.3%; male: :36.8%; female: :12.2% (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :59.6 years; male: :58.08 years; female: :61.17 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral People's National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale Populaire (114 seats; 76 members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote and 38 directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 28 September 2013 (next scheduled for 2018); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPG 53, UFDG 37, UFR 10, other 14", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system based on the French model", "LANGUAGES": "French (official); note: :each ethnic group has its own language", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :12.21%; permanent crops: :2.85%; other: :84.94% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :4,046 km; border countries: :Cote d'Ivoire 816 km, Guinea-Bissau 421 km, Liberia 590 km, Mali 1,062 km, Senegal 363 km, Sierra Leone 794 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "5.045 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (organized into Constitutional, Civil, Penal, Commercial, and Administrative Chambers, and Chamber of Accounts; court consists of the first president, chamber presidents, and NA members); note - the court is due to be reorganized by the New National Assembly in accordance with the 2010 constitution and democratic transition; judge selection and term of office: :court first president appointed by the national president after consultation with the National Assembly; other members appointed by presidential decree; member tenure NA; subordinate courts: :Courts of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; courts of first instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; High Court of Justice or Cour d'Assises; labor court; military tribunal; justices of the peace", "WATERWAYS": "1,300 km (navigable by shallow-draft native craft in the northern part of the Niger system) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "12.5% (2014 est.); 11.9% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :55.24 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :58.17 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :52.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "bauxite, gold, diamonds, iron ore; alumina refining; light manufacturing, agricultural processing", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "4.4% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "2 October 1958 (from France)", "IMPORTS": "$2.155 billion (2014 est.); $2.128 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :44,348 km; paved: :4,342 km; unpaved: :40,006 km (2003)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green; red represents the people's sacrifice for liberation and work; yellow stands for the sun, for the riches of the earth, and for justice; green symbolizes the country's vegetation and unity; note: :uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; the colors from left to right are the reverse of those on the flags of neighboring Mali and Senegal", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$843.5 million (31 December 2014 est.); $724.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$1.754 billion (2014 est.); $1.784 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Alpha CONDE (since 21 December 2010); head of government: :Prime Minister Mohamed Said FOFANA (since 24 December 2010); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast to be elected president; election last held on 27 June 2010 with a runoff held on 7 November 2010; election results: :Alpha CONDE elected president in runoff; percent of vote - Alpha CONDE 52.5%, Cellou Dalein DIALLO 47.5%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Guinean francs (GNF) per US dollar -; 7,025 (2014 est.); 7,003.5 (2013 est.); 6,986 (2012 est.); 6,658 (2011 est.); 5,726.1 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Peuhl 40%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, smaller ethnic groups 10%", "DEATH_RATE": "9.69 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1958, 1990; latest promulgated 19 April 2010, approved 7 May 2010 (2010)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 15.3%, Netherlands 9.8%, UK 4.2% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "320 km", "CLIMATE": "generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, textiles, grain and other foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Conakry; geographic coordinates: :9 30 N, 13 42 W; time difference: :UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.52 billion; expenditures: :$1.812 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "National Armed Forces: Army, Guinean Navy (Armee de Mer or Marine Guineenne, includes Marines), Guinean Air Force (Force Aerienne de Guinee) (2009)", "BIRTH_RATE": "36.02 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "16 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "rice, coffee, pineapples, palm kernels, cassava (manioc, tapioca), bananas, sweet potatoes; cattle, sheep, goats; timber", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "7 regions administrative and 1 gouvenorat*; Boke, Conakry*, Faranah, Kankan, Kindia, Labe, Mamou, N'Zerekore", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "India 26.6%, South Korea 7.7%, Spain 7.4%, Ireland 5.5%, Ukraine 5.2%, US 4.8%, Germany 4.7% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "bauxite, alumina, gold, diamonds, coffee, fish, agricultural products", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :76%; industry and services: :24% (2006 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.7%; highest 10%: :30.3% (2007)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "47% (2006 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; inadequate potable water; desertification; soil contamination and erosion; overfishing, overpopulation in forest region; poor mining practices have led to environmental damage", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :12; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :7; 914 to 1,523 m: :3; 2 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :4; over 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Guinea is at a turning point after decades of authoritarian rule since gaining its independence from France in 1958. Guinea held its first free and competitive democratic presidential and legislative elections in 2010 and 2013 respectively. Alpha CONDE was elected to a five-year term as president in 2010, and the National Assembly was seated in January 2014. CONDE's cabinet is the first all-civilian government in Guinea. Previously, Sekou TOURE ruled the country as president from independence to his death in 1984. Lansana CONTE came to power in 1984 when the military seized the government after TOURE's death. Gen. CONTE organized and won presidential elections in 1993, 1998, and 2003, though all the polls were rigged. Upon CONTE's death in December 2008, Capt. Moussa Dadis CAMARA led a military coup, seizing power and suspending the constitution. His unwillingness to yield to domestic and international pressure to step down led to heightened political tensions that culminated in September 2009 when presidential guards opened fire on an opposition rally killing more than 150 people, and in early December 2009 when CAMARA was wounded in an assassination attempt and exiled to Burkina Faso. A transitional government led by Gen. Sekouba KONATE paved the way for Guinea's transition to a fledgling democracy.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :118,443; female: :115,901 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,493,991; females age 16-49: :1,535,418 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; 18-month conscript service obligation (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Oregon", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mont Nimba 1,752 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.79 male(s)/female; total population: :1 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "6 (2001)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 0, FM 5, shortwave 3 (2006)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :20.2%; industry: :44.5%; services: :35.3% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "11 00 N, 10 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :42% (male 2,437,142/female 2,387,105); 15-24 years: :19.5% (male 1,130,432/female 1,108,834); 25-54 years: :30.4% (male 1,748,867/female 1,739,881); 55-64 years: :4.4% (male 243,032/female 266,578); 65 years and over: :3.6% (male 182,084/female 230,428) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Guyana", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador D. Brent HARDT (since 19 August 2011); embassy: :US Embassy, 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown; mailing address: :P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown; US Embassy, 3170 Georgetown Place, Washington DC 20521-3170; telephone: :[592; FAX: :[592", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$6,900 (2014 est.); $6,700 (2013 est.); $6,400 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.3% (2014 est.); 5.2% (2013 est.); 4.8% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.11% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$5.498 billion (2014 est.); $5.321 billion (2013 est.); $5.057 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :63.5%; youth dependency ratio: :57.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.7%; potential support ratio: :17.5% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "5.1% of GDP (2014 est.); 5.4% of GDP (2013 est.); 7.5% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :89.2%; government consumption: :11.3%; investment in fixed capital: :24.6%; investment in inventories: :-12.3%; exports of goods and services: :52%; imports of goods and services: :-64.8%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "42.5% (2009)", "DEMOGRAPHIC_PROFILE": "Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America and shares cultural and historical bonds with the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana's two largest ethnic groups are the Afro-Guyanese (descendants of African slaves) and the Indo-Guyanese (descendants of Indian indentured laborers), which together comprise about three quarters of Guyana's population. Tensions periodically have boiled over between the two groups, which back ethnically based political parties and vote along ethnic lines. Poverty reduction has stagnated since the late 1990s. About one-third of the Guyanese population lives below the poverty line; indigenous people are disproportionately affected. Although Guyana's literacy rate is reported to be among the highest in the Western Hemisphere, the level of functional literacy is considerably lower, which has been attributed to poor education quality, teacher training, and infrastructure.; Guyana's emigration rate is among the highest in the world - more than 55% of its citizens reside abroad - and it is one of the largest recipients of remittances relative to GDP among Latin American and Caribbean counties. Although remittances are a vital source of income for most citizens, the pervasive emigration of skilled workers deprives Guyana of professionals in healthcare and other key sectors. More than 80% of Guyanese nationals with tertiary level educations have emigrated. Brain drain and the concentration of limited medical resources in Georgetown hamper Guyana's ability to meet the health needs of its predominantly rural population. Guyana has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the region and continues to rely on international support for its HIV treatment and prevention programs.", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "20.8; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2009 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :30,255; percentage: :16% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "1.661 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "10,780 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "10,880 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "3.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "96% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "363,500 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "523 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "725 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Canje pheasant (hoatzin), jaguar, Victoria Regia water lily: national colors: red, yellow, green, black, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :46.05%; male: :43.59%; female: :50% (2011 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "17.2% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2 beds/1,000 population (2009)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.21 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.6% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "11.1% (2009)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "280 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-4.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "23.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "GEORGETOWN (capital) 124,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Dear Land of Guyana, of Rivers and Plains\"; lyrics/music: :Archibald Leonard LUKERL/Robert Cyril Gladstone POTTER; note: :adopted 1966", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 87.9% of population; rural: 82% of population; total: 83.6% of population; urban: 12.1% of population; rural: 18% of population; total: 16.4% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 96.6% of population; rural: 97.9% of population; total: 97.6% of population; urban: 3.4% of population; rural: 2.1% of population; total: 2.4% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$1.59 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.52 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$603.4 million (31 December 2014 est.); $558.5 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "government-dominated broadcast media; the National Communications Network (NCN) TV is state-owned; a few private TV stations relay satellite services; the state owns and operates 2 radio stations broadcasting on multiple frequencies capable of reaching the entire country; government limits on licensing of new private radio stations continue to constrain competition in broadcast media (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :28.5% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.76% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$1.495 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.406 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$817.6 million (31 December 2008); $728.8 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$344.2 million (31 December 2008); $315.2 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "13.2% (31 December 2014 est.); 13.5% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "5.5% (31 December 2011); 4.25% (31 December 2010)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.2% of GDP (2012)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :10 years; male: :9 years; female: :11 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :1.64 cu km/yr (4%/1%/94%); per capita: :2,222 cu m/yr (2010)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "241 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$610.9 million (31 December 2012 est.); $440.4 million (31 December 2011); $339.8 million (31 December 2010 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Guyana is a source and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; Guyanese and foreign women and girls are forced into prostitution in Guyana; forced labor, especially of children, is reported in mining, agriculture, forestry, domestic service, and shops; Indonesian workers are victims of forced labor on Guyanese-flagged fishing boats; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Guyana does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however,it is making significant efforts to do so; limited efforts were made to protect and provide assistance to victims in 2013, and authorities operated a hotline for trafficking victims; the government failed to increase its efforts to hold trafficking offenders accountable with jail time, creating an enabling environment for human trafficking and further endangering victims (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$3.142 billion (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever and malaria (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$779.2 million (31 December 2014 est.); $783.6 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$586 million (2014 est.); -$405.4 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "58% of GDP (2014 est.); 56.6% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "24,936 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :25 years; male: :24.6 years; female: :25.4 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "44.6 (2007); 43.2 (1999)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "200 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "7,700 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "1.38% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".gy", "INTERNET_USERS": "189,600 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "547,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "154,200 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Bayney KARRAN (since 4 December 2003); chancery: :2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :New York; consulate(s): :Houston, Miami", "AREA": "total: :214,969 sq km; land: :196,849 sq km; water: :18,120 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1,501 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "South America", "LOCATION": "Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Cooperative Republic of Guyana; conventional short form: :Guyana; former: :British Guiana", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "11% (2007)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.14 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :fair system for long-distance service; microwave radio relay network for trunk lines; many areas still lack fixed-line telephone services; domestic: :fixed-line teledensity is about 20 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity about 70 per 100 persons in 2011; international: :country code - 592; tropospheric scatter to Trinidad; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 30.5% (Pentecostal 16.9%, Anglican 6.9%, Seventh Day Adventist 5%, Methodist 1.7%), Hindu 28.4%, Roman Catholic 8.1%, Muslim 7.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.1%, other Christian 17.7%, other 1.9%, none 4.3%, unspecified 0.9% (2002 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Georgetown", "POPULATION": "735,554; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "A Partnership for National Unity or APNU [David GRANGER; Alliance for Change or AFC [Khemraj RAMJATTAN; Justice for All Party [C.N. SHARMA; People's Progressive Party/Civic or PPP/C [Donald RAMOTAR; Rise, Organize, and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV; The United Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR; The Unity Party [Joey JAGAN; Vision Guyana [Peter RAMSAROOP", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The Guyanese economy exhibited moderate economic growth in recent years and is based largely on agriculture and extractive industries. The economy is heavily dependent upon the export of six commodities - sugar, gold, bauxite, shrimp, timber, and rice - which represent nearly 60% of the country's GDP and are highly susceptible to adverse weather conditions and fluctuations in commodity prices. Guyana's entrance into the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) in January 2006 has broadened the country's export market, primarily in the raw materials sector. Guyana has experienced positive growth almost every year over the past decade. Inflation has been kept under control. Recent years have seen the government's stock of debt reduced significantly - with external debt now less than half of what it was in the early 1990s. Chronic problems include a shortage of skilled labor and a deficient infrastructure. Despite recent improvements, the government is still juggling a sizable external debt against the urgent need for expanded public investment. In March 2007, the Inter-American Development Bank, Guyana's principal donor, canceled Guyana's nearly $470 million debt, equivalent to 21% of GDP, which along with other Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) debt forgiveness brought the debt-to-GDP ratio down from 183% in 2006 to 58% in 2014. Guyana had become heavily indebted as a result of the inward-looking, state-led development model pursued in the 1970s and 1980s. Much of Guyana's growth in recent years has come from a surge in gold production in response to global prices, although downward trends in gold prices may threaten future growth. In 2014, production of sugar dropped to a 24-year low.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Amerindian People's Association; Guyana Bar Association; Guyana Citizens Initiative; Guyana Human Rights Association; Guyana Public Service Union or GPSU; Private Sector Commission; Trades Union Congress", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay; substantial portions of its western and eastern territories are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-9.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Guyanese (singular and plural); adjective: :Guyanese", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Republic Day, 23 February (1970)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :10; by type: :cargo 7, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1; registered in other countries: :3 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2, unknown 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :189,840 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over has ever attended school; total population: :85%; male: :82.4%; female: :87.3% (2009 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :67.81 years; male: :64.82 years; female: :70.96 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly (65 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies and a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 28 November 2011 (next to be held by November 2016); election results: :percent of vote by party - PPP/C 48.6%, APNU 40%, AFC 10.3%, other 1.1%; seats by party - PPP/C 32, APNU 26, AFC 7", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "common law system, based on the English model, with some Roman-Dutch civil law influence", "LANGUAGES": "English (official), Guyanese Creole, Amerindian languages (including Caribbean and Arawak languages), Indian languages (including Caribbean Hindustani, a dialect of Hindi), Chinese (2014 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :2.13%; permanent crops: :0.14%; other: :97.72% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,933 km; border countries: :Brazil 1,308 km, Suriname 836 km, Venezuela 789 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "313,100 (2009 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Judicature (consists of the Court of Appeal with a chief justice and 3 justices, and the High Court with a chief justice and 10 justices organized into 3- or 5-judge panels); note - in 2009, Guyana ceased final appeals in civil and criminal cases to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London), replacing it with the Caribbean Court of Justice, the judicial organ of the Caribbean Community; judge selection and term of office: :Court of Appeal and High Court chief justices appointed by the president; other judges of both courts appointed by the Judicial Service Commission, a body appointed by the president; judges appointed for life with retirement at age 65; subordinate courts: :Land Court; magistrates' courts", "WATERWAYS": "330 km (the Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km respectively) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.5% (2014 est.); 1.9% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :33.56 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :37.57 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :29.36 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "12% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "26 May 1966 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$1.981 billion (2014 est.); $1.859 billion (2013 est.)", "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", "ROADWAYS": "total: :7,970 km; paved: :590 km; unpaved: :7,380 km (2000)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "green with a red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) superimposed on a long, yellow arrowhead; there is a narrow, black border between the red and yellow, and a narrow, white border between the yellow and the green; green represents forest and foliage; yellow stands for mineral resources and a bright future; white symbolizes Guyana's rivers; red signifies zeal and the sacrifice of the people; black indicates perseverance", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$1.846 billion (31 December 2011 est.); $1.846 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$1.308 billion (2014 est.); $1.343 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Donald RAMOTAR (since 03 December 2011); head of government: :Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since October 1992, except for a period as chief of state after the death of President Cheddi JAGAN on 6 March 1997); cabinet: :Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, responsible to the legislature; elections: :president elected by popular vote as leader of a party list in parliamentary election, which must be held at least every five years (no term limits); elections last held on 28 November 2011 (next to be held by December 2016); prime minister appointed by the president; election results: :Donald RAMOTAR elected president; percent of vote 48.6%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Guyanese dollars (GYD) per US dollar -; 206.9 (2014 est.); 205.39 (2013 est.); 204.36 (2012 est.); 204.02 (2011 est.); 203.64 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "East Indian 43.5%, black (African) 30.2%, mixed 16.7%, Amerindian 9.1%, other 0.5% (includes Portuguese, Chinese, white) (2002 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "7.3 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest promulgated 6 October 1980; amended many times, last in 2007 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Trinidad and Tobago 23.9%, US 20.2%, China 10.2%, Cuba 6.6%, Suriname 4.4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "459 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to August, November to January)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food", "CAPITAL": "name: :Georgetown; geographic coordinates: :6 48 N, 58 09 W; time difference: :UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$732.2 million; expenditures: :$874.3 million (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Guyana Defense Force: Army (includes Air Corps, Coast Guard) (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "15.9 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "117 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "sugarcane, rice, edible oils; beef, pork, poultry; shrimp, fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "10 regions; Barima-Waini, Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Demerara-Mahaica, East Berbice-Corentyne, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Mahaica-Berbice, Pomeroon-Supenaam, Potaro-Siparuni, Upper Demerara-Berbice, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Canada 30.4%, US 27.6%, UK 6.4%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "sugar, gold, bauxite, alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :NA%; industry: :NA%; services: :NA%", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.3%; highest 10%: :33.8% (1999)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "35% (2006)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.09% of GDP (2012); 1.17% of GDP (2011); 1.09% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :106; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :16; 89 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :11; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :1; under 914 m: :8 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had become a British possession. The abolition of slavery led to settlement of urban areas by former slaves and the importation of indentured servants from India to work the sugar plantations. The resulting ethnocultural divide has persisted and has led to turbulent politics. Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966, and since then it has been ruled mostly by socialist-oriented governments. In 1992, Cheddi JAGAN was elected president in what is considered the country's first free and fair election since independence. After his death five years later, his wife, Janet JAGAN, became president but resigned in 1999 due to poor health. Her successor, Bharrat JAGDEO, was reelected in 2001 and again in 2006. Donald RAMOTAR was elected president in 2011.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :8,849; female: :8,460 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :133,239; females age 16-49: :147,719 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age or older for voluntary military service; no conscription (2014)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Idaho", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "flash flood threat during rainy seasons", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mount Roraima 2,835 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.09 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.69 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "3 (1 public station; 2 private stations which relay US satellite services) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 1 (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :20.3%; industry: :39.2%; services: :40.5% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "5 00 N, 59 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :29% (male 108,703/female 104,793); 15-24 years: :21% (male 79,354/female 74,921); 25-54 years: :37.2% (male 142,348/female 131,108); 55-64 years: :7.5% (male 24,677/female 30,562); 65 years and over: :5.3% (male 16,318/female 22,770) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Haiti", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Pamela A. WHITE (since 18 July 2012); embassy: :Tabarre 41, Route de Tabarre, Port-au-Prince; mailing address: :(in Haiti) P.O. Box 1634, Port-au-Prince, Haiti; (from abroad) 3400 Port-au-Prince, State Department, Washington, DC 20521-3400; telephone: :[509; FAX: :[509", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$1,800 (2014 est.); $1,700 (2013 est.); $1,700 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.8% (2014 est.); 4.3% (2013 est.); 2.9% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.08%; 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 (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$18.54 billion (2014 est.); $17.87 billion (2013 est.); $17.13 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :64.2%; youth dependency ratio: :56.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :7.5%; potential support ratio: :13.4% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "20.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 23.3% of GDP (2013 est.); 23.9% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :104.3%; government consumption: :0%; investment in fixed capital: :30.9%; investment in inventories: :-0.9%; exports of goods and services: :18.4%; imports of goods and services: :-52.7%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "34.5% (2012)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "22.7; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2012)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :2,587,205; percentage: :21% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "2.094 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "15,130 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "13,990 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "22.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "77.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "130,000 kW (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "208.5 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "726 million kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Hispaniolan trogon (bird), hibiscus flower; national colors: blue, red", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "7.9% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.3 beds/1,000 population (2007)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.4% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "11.6% (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "350 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-6.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "20% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "PORT-AU-PRINCE (capital) 2.376 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"La Dessalinienne\" (The Dessalines Song); lyrics/music: :Justin LHERISSON/Nicolas GEFFRARD; note: :adopted 1904; named for Jean-Jacques DESSALINES, a leader in the Haitian Revolution and first ruler of an independent Haiti", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 31% of population; rural: 16.3% of population; total: 24.4% of population; urban: 69% of population; rural: 83.7% of population; total: 75.6% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 74.6% of population; rural: 47.5% of population; total: 62.4% of population; urban: 25.4% of population; rural: 52.5% of population; total: 37.6% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$3.509 billion (31 October 2012 est.); $3.43 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$1.125 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.132 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "several TV stations, including 1 government-owned; cable TV subscription service available; government-owned radio network; more than 250 private and community radio stations with about 50 FM stations in Port-au-Prince alone (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :57.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.78% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$2.239 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.699 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$NA (31 December 2008); $1.561 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$NA (31 December 2008); $704.7 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "8.6% (31 December 2014 est.); 8.72% (31 December 2013 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :1.2 cu km/yr (17%/3%/80%); per capita: :134.3 cu m/yr (2009)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "14.03 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$1.286 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.086 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Haiti is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; many of Haiti�s trafficking cases involve children recruited to live with families in other towns in the hope of going to school but who instead become forced domestic servants known as restaveks; restaveks are vulnerable to abuse and make up a large proportion of Haiti�s population of street children, who are forced into prostitution, begging, and street crime by violent gangs; Haitians are exploited in forced labor in the Dominican Republic, elsewhere in the Caribbean, South America, and the US, and some Dominican women are forced into prostitution in Haiti; women and children living in camps for internally displaced people since the 2010 earthquake are at increased risk of sex trafficking and forced labor; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Haiti does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government passed a law in 2014 criminalizing human trafficking but did not prosecute or convict any trafficking offenders, despite large numbers of identified victims; a national plan to combat human trafficking was also passed in 2014; authorities did not provide direct or specialized services for trafficking victims and referred suspected victims to donor-funded NGOs; the government managed a hotline for trafficking victims and conducted a campaign to raise awareness about child labor and child trafficking (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$8.919 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "IDPs: :79,397 (includes only IDPs from the 2010 earthquake living in camps or camp-like situations; information is lacking about IDPs living outside camps or who have left camps) (2014)", "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 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$1.355 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.818 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.282 billion (2014 est.); -$1.293 billion (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "555 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :22.2 years; male: :22 years; female: :22.4 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "59.2 (2001)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "6,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "138,900 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "1.97% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ht", "INTERNET_USERS": "1 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "6.095 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "50,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Paul Getty ALTIDOR (since 17 April 2012); chancery: :2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico); consulate(s): :Orlando (FL)", "AREA": "total: :27,750 sq km; land: :27,560 sq km; water: :190 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "970 sq km (2009)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic", "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", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "40.6% (2010 est.); note: :widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.79 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly rough and mountainous", "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 exceeds 40 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 509; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "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", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Cap-Haitien, Gonaives, Jacmel, Port-au-Prince", "POPULATION": "9,996,731; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Assembly of Progressive National Democrats or RDNP [Mirlande MANIGAT; Christian and Citizen For Haiti's Reconstruction or ACCRHA [Chavannes JEUNE; Convention for Democratic Unity or KID [Evans PAUL; Cooperative Action to Rebuild Haiti or KONBA [Jean William JEANTY; December 16 Platform or Platfom 16 Desanm [Dr. Gerard BLOT; Democratic Alliance or ALYANS [Evans PAUL; Democratic Centers's National Council or CONACED [Osner FEVRY; Democratic Movement for the Liberation of Haiti-Revolutionary Party of Haiti or MODELH-PRDH; Effort and Solidarity to Create an Alternative for the People or ESKAMP [Joseph JASME; Fanmi Lavalas or FL [Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE; For Us All or PONT [Jean-Marie CHERESTAL; Grouping of Citizens for Hope or RESPE [Charles-Henri BAKER; Haiti in Action or AAA [Youri LATORTUE; Haitians for Haiti [Yvon NEPTUNE; Independent Movement for National Reconstruction or MIRN [Luc FLEURINORD; Konbit Pou refe Ayiti or KONBIT; Lavni Organization or LAVNI [Yves CRISTALIN; Liberal Party of Haiti or PLH [Jean Andre VICTOR; Liberation Platform or PLATFORME LIBERATION; Love Haiti or Renmen Ayiti [Jean-Henry CEANT and Camille LEBLANC; Merging of Haitian Social Democratics or FUSION [Edmonde Supplice BEAUZILE; Mobilization for National Development or MDN [Hubert de RONCERAY; National Front for the Reconstruction of Haiti or FRN [Guy PHILIPPE; New Christian Movement for a New Haiti or MOCHRENA [Luc MESADIEU; Peasant's Response or Repons Peyizan [Michel MARTELLY; Platform Alternative for Progress and Democracy or ALTENATIV [Victor BENOIT and Evans PAUL; Platform of Haitian Patriots or PLAPH [Dejean BELISAIRE and Himmler REBU; Popular Party for the Renewal of Haiti or PPRH [Claude ROMAIN; Rally or RASAMBLE; Respect or RESPE; Socialist Action Movement or MAS; Strength in Unity or Ansanm Nou Fo [Leslie VOLTAIRE; Struggling People's Organization or OPL [Sauveur PIERRE-ETIENNE; Union [Chavannes JEUNE; Union of Haitian Citizens for Democracy, Development, and Education or UCADDE [Jeantel JOSEPH; Union of Nationalist and Progressive Haitians or UNPH [Edouard FRANCISQUE; Unity or Inite [Levaillant LOUIS-JEUNE; Vigilance or Veye Yo [Lavarice GAUDIN; Youth for People's Power or JPP [Rene CIVIL", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Haiti is a free market economy that enjoys the advantages of low labor costs and tariff-free access to the US for many of its exports. Poverty, corruption, vulnerability to natural disasters, and low levels of education for much of the population are among Haiti's most serious impediments to economic growth. Haiti's economy suffered a severe setback in January 2010 when a 7.0 magnitude earthquake destroyed much of its capital city, Port-au-Prince, and neighboring areas. Currently the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with 80% of the population living under the poverty line and 54% in abject poverty, the earthquake further inflicted $7.8 billion in damage and caused the country's GDP to contract. In 2011, the Haitian economy began recovering from the earthquake. However, two hurricanes adversely affected agricultural output and the low public capital spending slowed the recovery in 2012. Two-fifths 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 Caribbean Basin Trade Preference Agreement (CBTPA) and the 2008 Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE II) Act helped increase apparel exports and investment by providing duty-free access to the US. Congress voted in 2010 to extend the CBTPA and HOPE II until 2020 under the Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) Act; the apparel sector accounts for about 90% of Haitian exports and nearly one-twentieth of GDP. Remittances are the primary source of foreign exchange, equaling one-fifth of GDP and representing more than five times the earnings from exports in 2012. Haiti suffers from a lack of investment, partly because of weak infrastructure such as access to electricity. Haiti's outstanding external debt was cancelled by donor countries following the 2010 earthquake, but has since risen to $1.43 billion as of December 2014. The government relies on formal international economic assistance for fiscal sustainability, with over half of its annual budget coming from outside sources.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Autonomous Organizations of Haitian Workers or CATH [Fignole ST-CYR; Confederation of Haitian Workers or CTH; Economic Forum of the Private Sector or EF [Reginald BOULOS; Federation of Workers Trade Unions or FOS; General Organization of Independent Haitian Workers [Patrick NUMAS; Grand-Anse Resistance Committee, or KOREGA; The Haitian Association of Industries or ADIH [Georges SASSINE; National Popular Assembly or APN; Papaye Peasants Movement or MPP [Chavannes JEAN-BAPTISTE; Popular Organizations Gathering Power or PROP; Protestant Federation of Haiti; Roman Catholic Church", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-4.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Haitian(s); adjective: :Haitian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 1 January (1804)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AOSIS, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :to depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,398,804; females age 16-49: :2,415,039 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :48.7%; male: :53.4%; female: :44.6% (2006 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :63.18 years; male: :61.77 years; female: :64.6 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral legislature or \"le Corps Legislatif ou parlement\" consists of le Senat or Senate (30 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed; members serve 6-year terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 2 years) and la Chambre de deputes or Chamber of Deputies (99 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed; members serve 4-year terms); note - when the two chambers meet collectively it is known as L'Assemblee Nationale or the National Assembly that is convened for specific purposes spelled out in the constitution; elections: :Senate - last held on 28 November 2010 with run-off election on 20 March 2011 (next possible election on 26 October 2014); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 28 November 2010 with run-off election on 20 March 2011 (next regular election may be held on 26 October 2014); election results: :2010 Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Inite 6, ALTENATIV 4, LAVNI 1; 2010 Chamber of Deputies- percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Inite 32, Altenativ 11, Ansanm Nou Fo 10, AAA 8, LAVNI 7, RASANBLE 4, KONBIT 3, MOCHRENA 3, Platforme Liberation 3, PONT 3, Repons Peyizan 3, MAS 2, MODELH-PRDH 1, PLAPH 1, RESPE 1, Veye Yo 1, independent 2, vacant 4", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system strongly influenced by Napoleonic Code", "LANGUAGES": "French (official), Creole (official)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :36.28%; permanent crops: :10.16%; other: :53.56% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :376 km; border countries: :Dominican Republic 376 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "4.81 million; note: :shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (2010 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation (consists of a chief judge and other judges); note - Haiti is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice; judge selection and term of office: :judges appointed by the president from candidate lists submitted by the Senate of the National Assembly; note - Article 174 of the Haiti Constitution states \"Judges of the Supreme Court.... are appointed for 10 years.\" whereas Article 177 states \"Judges of the Supreme Court..... are appointed for life.\"; subordinate courts: :Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; magistrates' courts; special courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "4.3% (2014 est.); 5.9% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :49.43 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :53.26 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :45.56 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 (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "textiles, sugar refining, flour milling, cement, light assembly using imported parts", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "6% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1 January 1804 (from France)", "IMPORTS": "$3.458 billion (2014 est.); $3.329 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :4,266 km; paved: :768 km; unpaved: :3,498 km (2009)", "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", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 October - 30 September", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$1.687 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.431 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$903.1 million (2014 est.); $883.7 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Michel MARTELLY (since 14 May 2011); head of government: :Prime Minister Evans PAUL (since 16 January 2015); cabinet: :Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held on 28 November 2010; runoff on 20 March 2011 (next to be held in 2015); prime minister appointed by the president, ratified by the National Assembly; election results: :Michel MARTELLY elected president in runoff with 67.6% of the vote against Mirlande MANIGAT with 31.7%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "gourdes (HTG) per US dollar -; 45.25 (2014 est.); 43.46 (2013 est.); 41.95 (2012 est.); 40.52 (2011 est.); 39.8 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "black 95%, mulatto and white 5%", "DEATH_RATE": "7.91 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "many previous (23 total); latest adopted 10 March 1987; amended 2012 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Dominican Republic 35%, US 26.8%, Netherlands Antilles 8.7%, China 7% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "1,771 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "food, manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, raw materials", "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 second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.786 billion; expenditures: :$2.373 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces - small Coast Guard; a Ministry of National Defense established May 2012; 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 (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "22.83 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "14 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coffee, mangoes, cocoa, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum; wood, vetiver", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "10 departments (departements, singular - departement); Artibonite, Centre, Grand'Anse, Nippes, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 83.5% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "apparel, manufactures, oils, cocoa, mangoes, coffee", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :38.1%; industry: :11.5%; services: :50.4% (2010)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :0.7%; highest 10%: :47.7% (2001)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "58.5% (2003 est.)", "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", "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", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :10; 914 to 1,523 m: :2; 8 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :4; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :2 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The native Taino - who inhabited the island of Hispaniola when it was discovered by Christopher 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 post-colonial black-led nation in the world, declaring its independence in 1804. Currently the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti has experienced political instability 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. Continued instability and technical delays prompted repeated postponements, but Haiti inaugurated a democratically elected president and parliament in May of 2006. This was followed by contested elections in 2010 that resulted in the election of Haiti's current President, Michel MARTELLY. A massive magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti in January 2010 with an epicenter about 25 km (15 mi) west of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Estimates are that over 300,000 people were killed and some 1.5 million left homeless. The earthquake was assessed as the worst in this region over the last 200 years.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :115,246; female: :115,282 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,666,324; females age 16-49: :1,704,364 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Maryland", "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", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.01 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.8 male(s)/female; total population: :0.98 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "2 (plus a cable TV service) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 41, FM 53, shortwave 0 (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :24.7%; industry: :20%; services: :55.3% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "19 00 N, 72 25 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :34% (male 1,701,559/female 1,693,236); 15-24 years: :21.6% (male 1,078,994/female 1,081,005); 25-54 years: :35.3% (male 1,755,722/female 1,770,386); 55-64 years: :5% (male 241,174/female 263,369); 65 years and over: :4.1% (male 183,627/female 227,659) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Heard Island and McDonald Islands", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (territory of Australia)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (Australian Antarctic Division)", "AFFILIATION": "(territory of Australia)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "102 (2012)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".hm", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (territory of Australia)", "AREA": "total: :412 sq km; land: :412 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "0 sq km (2011)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Antarctic Region", "LOCATION": "islands in the Indian Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands; conventional short form: :Heard Island and McDonald Islands; abbreviation: :HIMI", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of Australia; Australia conducts fisheries patrols", "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", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "none; offshore anchorage only", "POPULATION": "uninhabited", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The islands have no indigenous economic activity, but the Australian Government allows limited fishing in the surrounding waters. Visits to Heard Island typically focus on terrestrial and marine research and infrequent private expeditions.", "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, most recently in 2005", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "the laws of Australia, where applicable, apply", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (2014 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "the flag of Australia is used", "COASTLINE": "101.9 km", "CLIMATE": "antarctic", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "BACKGROUND": "The United Kingdom transferred these uninhabited, barren, sub-Antarctic islands to Australia in 1947. Populated by large numbers of seal and bird species, the islands have been designated a nature preserve.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly more than two times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "Mawson Peak, an active volcano, is on Heard Island", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Indian Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mawson Peak on Big Ben volcano 2,745 m", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "53 06 S, 72 31 E" }, { "country": "Holy See (Vatican City)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Kenneth Francis HACKETT (since 21 October 2013); embassy: :Villa Domiziana, Via delle Terme Deciane 26, 00153 Rome; mailing address: :Unit 5660, Box 66, DPO AE 09624-0066; telephone: :[39; FAX: :[39", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$NA", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "crossed keys beneath a papal tiara; national colors: yellow, white", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "NA%", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "NA%", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "VATICAN CITY (capital) 1,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Inno e Marcia Pontificale\" (Hymn and Pontifical March); often called The Pontifical Hymn; lyrics/music: :Raffaello LAVAGNA/Charles-Francois GOUNOD; note: :adopted 1950", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "the Vatican Television Center (CTV) transmits live broadcasts of the Pope's Sunday and Wednesday audiences, as well as the Pope's public celebrations; CTV also produces documentaries; Vatican Radio is the Holy See's official broadcasting service broadcasting via shortwave, AM and FM frequencies, and via satellite and Internet connections (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :100% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.03% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "107 (2012)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".va", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Apostolic Nuncio Carlo Maria VIGANO (since 16 November 2011); chancery: :3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :0.44 sq km; land: :0.44 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "0 sq km (2011)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Southern Europe, an enclave of Rome (Italy)", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :The Holy See (Vatican City State); conventional short form: :Holy See (Vatican City); local long form: :La Santa Sede (Stato della Citta del Vaticano); local short form: :Santa Sede (Citta del Vaticano)", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of Italy; ceremonial and limited security duties performed by Pontifical Swiss Guard", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "ecclesiastical", "TERRAIN": "urban; low hill", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :automatic digital exchange; domestic: :connected via fiber optic cable to Telecom Italia network; international: :country code - 39; uses Italian system (2012)", "SUFFRAGE": "election of the pope is limited to cardinals less than 80 years old", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic", "POPULATION": "842 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "none", "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. Moreover, an annual collection taken up in dioceses and from 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. Donations increased between 2010 and 2011. 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 publication sales. Its revenues increased between 2010 and 2011 because of expanded opening hours and a growing number of visitors. However, the Holy See has not escaped the financial difficulties engulfing other European countries; in 2012 it started a spending review to determine where to cut costs to reverse its 2011 budget deficit of $20 million. The Holy See generated a modest surplus in 2012 before recording a $32 million deficit in 2013, driven primarily by the decreasing value of gold. Most public expenditures go to wages and other personnel costs; the incomes and living standards of lay workers are comparable to those of counterparts who work in the city of Rome. In February 2014, Pope FRANCIS created the Secretariat of the Economy to oversee financial and administrative operations of the Holy See, part of a broader campaign to reform the Holy See�s finances.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "none (exclusive of influence exercised by church officers)", "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)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "none", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :none; adjective: :none", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Election Day of Pope FRANCIS, 13 March (2013)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "CE (observer), IAEA, Interpol, IOM, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, Schengen Convention (de facto member), SICA (observer), UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNHCR, Union Latina (observer), UNWTO (observer), UPU, WIPO, WTO (observer)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State or Pontificia Commissione per lo Stato della Citta del Vaticano (7 seats; members appointed by the pope to serve 5-year terms)", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "religious legal system based on canon (religious) law", "LANGUAGES": "Italian, Latin, French, various other languages", "LAND_USE": "permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (urban area) (2011)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :3.4 km; border countries: :Italy 3.4 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "2,885 (December 2011)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura (consists of the cardinal prefect, who serves as ex-officio president of the court, and 2 other cardinals of the Prefect Signatura); note - judicial duties were established by the Motu Proprio, papal directive, of Pope PIUS XII on 1 May 1946; note 2: most Vatican City criminal matters are handled by the Republic of Italy courts; judge selection and term of office: :cardinal prefect appointed by the Pope; the other 2 cardinals of the court appointed by the cardinal prefect on a yearly basis; subordinate courts: :Appellate Court of Vatican City; Tribunal of Vatican City", "INDUSTRIES": "printing; production of coins, medals, postage stamps; mosaics, staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities", "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 Holy See and established its territorial extent; however, the origin of the Papal States, which over centuries varied considerably in extent, may be traced back to 754", "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", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Pope FRANCIS (since 13 March 2013); head of government: :Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro PAROLIN (since 15 October 2013); cabinet: :Pontifical Commission for the State of Vatican City appointed by the pope; elections: :pope elected for life, or until voluntary resignation, by the College of Cardinals; election last held on 13 March 2013 (next to be held after the death or resignation of the current pope); Secretary of State appointed by the pope; election results: :Jorge Mario BERGOGLIO elected Pope FRANCIS", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.78 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Italians, Swiss, other", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1929, 1963; latest adopted 26 November 2000, effective 22 February 2001 (Fundamental Law by Pope JOHN PAUL II); note - Pope Francis in October 2013 appointed a group of cardinals to revise the constitution (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "temperate; mild, rainy winters (September to May) with hot, dry summers (May to September)", "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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$308 million; expenditures: :$326.4 million (2011)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Pontifical Swiss Guard Corps (Corpo della Guardia Svizzera Pontificia) (2013)", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "note: :essentially services with a small amount of industry; nearly all dignitaries, priests, nuns, guards, and the approximately 3,000 lay workers live outside the Vatican", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified: :Air Pollution, Environmental Modification", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "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, threats against minority Christian communities in Africa and the Middle East, sexual misconduct by clergy, international development, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation, and the application of church doctrine in an era of rapid change and globalization. About 1.2 billion people worldwide profess Catholicism - the world's largest Christian faith.", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "Pontifical Swiss Guard Corps (Corpo della Guardia Svizzera Pontificia): 19-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; must be Roman Catholic, a Swiss citizen, with a secondary education (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about 0.7 times the size of The National Mall in Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :unnamed location 19 m; highest point: :unnamed elevation 75 m", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 5 (2008)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "41 54 N, 12 27 E" }, { "country": "Honduras", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador James D. NEALON (since 21 August 2014); embassy: :Avenida La Paz, Apartado Postal No. 3453, Tegucigalpa; mailing address: :American Embassy, APO AA 34022, Tegucigalpa; telephone: :[504; FAX: :[504", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$4,700 (2014 est.); $4,700 (2013 est.); $4,600 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3% (2014 est.); 2.6% (2013 est.); 3.9% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.74% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$38.95 billion (2014 est.); $37.81 billion (2013 est.); $36.87 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :64.7%; youth dependency ratio: :57.2%; elderly dependency ratio: :7.4%; potential support ratio: :13.5% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "16.8% of GDP (2014 est.); 15.1% of GDP (2013 est.); 17.3% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :80.8%; government consumption: :16.1%; investment in fixed capital: :25.2%; investment in inventories: :0.7%; exports of goods and services: :48.2%; imports of goods and services: :-71.1%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "73.2% (2011/12)", "DEMOGRAPHIC_PROFILE": "Honduras is one of the poorest countries in Latin America and has the world's highest murder rate. More than half of the population lives in poverty and per capita income is one of the lowest in the region. Poverty rates are higher among rural and indigenous people and in the south, west, and along the eastern border than in the north and central areas where most of Honduras' industries and infrastructure are concentrated. The increased productivity needed to break Honduras' persistent high poverty rate depends, in part, on further improvements in educational attainment. Although primary-school enrollment is near 100%, educational quality is poor, the drop-out rate and grade repetition remain high, and teacher and school accountability is low.; Honduras' population growth rate has slowed since the 1990s, but it remains high at nearly 2% annually because the birth rate averages approximately three children per woman and more among rural, indigenous, and poor women. Consequently, Honduras' young adult population - ages 15 to 29 - is projected to continue growing rapidly for the next three decades and then stabilize or slowly shrink. Population growth and limited job prospects outside of agriculture will continue to drive emigration. Remittances represent about a fifth of GDP.", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "20.4; note: :median age a first birth among women 25-29 (2011-12 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :280,809; percentage: :16% (2002 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "10.33 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "46,370 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "58,220 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "20 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "10.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "29.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "60% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "1.815 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "76 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "237 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "5.091 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "6.713 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "scarlet macaw, white-tailed deer; national colors: blue, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :8%; male: :5.5%; female: :13.8% (2011 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "18.4% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.7 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.37 physicians/1,000 population (2005)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "8.6% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "7.1% (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "100 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-5.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "17.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "TEGUCIGALPA (capital) 1.101 million; San Pedro Sula 823,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Himno Nacional de Honduras\" (National Anthem of Honduras); lyrics/music: :Augusto Constancio COELLO/Carlos HARTLING; note: :adopted 1915; the anthem's seven verses chronicle Honduran history; on official occasions, only the chorus and last verse are sung", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 85.3% of population; rural: 74% of population; total: 80% of population; urban: 14.7% of population; rural: 26% of population; total: 20% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 96.8% of population; rural: 81.5% of population; total: 89.6% of population; urban: 3.2% of population; rural: 18.5% of population; total: 10.4% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$7.623 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $7.11 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$2.006 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.934 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "multiple privately owned terrestrial TV networks, supplemented by multiple cable TV networks; Radio Honduras is the lone government-owned radio network; roughly 300 privately owned radio stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :54.1% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.14% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$11.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $10.81 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$5.574 billion (31 December 2008); $5.239 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$1.633 billion (31 December 2008); $1.6 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "17.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 20.08% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "6.25% (31 December 2010)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :11 years; male: :11 years; female: :12 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :2.12 cu km/yr (16%/23%/61%); per capita: :295.6 cu m/yr (2006)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "95.93 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$19.37 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "IDPs: :17,000 (violence, extortion, threats, forced recruitment by urban gangs) (2013)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever and malaria (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$2.934 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.009 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.703 billion (2014 est.); -$1.655 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "44.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 43.6% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "30,955 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :21.9 years; male: :21.6 years; female: :22.3 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "57.7 (2007); 53.8 (2003)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "1,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "24,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.47% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".hn", "INTERNET_USERS": "731,700 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "7.37 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "610,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Jorge Alberto MILLA Reyes (since 21 May 2014); chancery: :Suite 4-M, 3007 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, McAllen (TX), Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco", "AREA": "total: :112,090 sq km; land: :111,890 sq km; water: :200 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "878.5 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Nicaragua and bordering the Gulf of Fonseca (North Pacific Ocean), between El Salvador and Nicaragua", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Honduras; conventional short form: :Honduras; local long form: :Republica de Honduras; local short form: :Honduras", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "4.3% (2014 est.); 4.5% (2013 est.); note: :about one-third of the people are underemployed", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "democratic constitutional republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.86 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :fixed-line connections are increasing but still limited; competition among multiple providers of mobile-cellular services is contributing to a sharp increase in subscribership; domestic: :beginning in 2003, private sub-operators allowed to provide fixed-lines in order to expand telephone coverage contributing to a small increase in fixed-line teledensity; mobile-cellular subscribership is roughly 100 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 504; landing point for both the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the MAYA-1 fiber-optic submarine cable system that together provide connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal and compulsory", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant 3%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :44 km; narrow gauge: :44 km 1.067-m gauge; note: :(4 km are in use) (2012)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :La Ceiba, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo, Tela", "POPULATION": "8,598,561; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Anti-Corruption Party or PAC [Salvador NASRALLA; Christian Democratic Party or DC [Felicito AVILA Ordonez; Democratic Unification Party or UD [Cesar HAM; Freedom and Refounding Party or LIBRE [Jose Manuel ZELAYA Rosales; Liberal Party or PL [Mauricio VILLEDA Bermudez; National Party of Honduras or PNH [Gladys Aurora LOPEZ; Social Democratic Innovation and Unity Party or PINU [Jorge Rafael AGUILAR Paredes", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Honduras, the second poorest country in Central America, suffers from extraordinarily unequal distribution of income, as well as high underemployment. While historically dependent on the export of bananas and coffee, Honduras has diversified its export base to include apparel and automobile wire harnessing. Honduras�s economy depends heavily on US trade and remittances. The US-Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) came into force in 2006 and has helped foster foreign direct investment, but physical and political insecurity, as well as crime and perceptions of corruption, may deter potential investors; about 70% of FDI is from US firms. The economy registered modest economic growth of 2.6%-4.0% from 2010 to 2014, insufficient to improve living standards for the nearly 65% of the population in poverty. Honduras signed an three-year IMF stand-by arrangement in December 2014 that will help ease its poor fiscal position.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Beverage and Related Industries Syndicate or STIBYS; Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras or CODEH; Commiittee of the Relatives of the Disappeared in Honduras or COFADEH; Confederation of Honduran Workers or CTH; Coordinating Committee of Popular Organizations or CCOP; General Workers Confederation or CGT; Honduran Council of Private Enterprise or COHEP; National Association of Honduran Campesinos or ANACH; National Union of Campesinos or UNC; Popular Bloc or BP; United Confederation of Honduran Workers or CUTH; United Farm Workers' Movement of the Aguan OR MUCA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "has only a short Pacific coast but a long Caribbean shoreline, including the virtually uninhabited eastern Mosquito Coast", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-1.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Honduran(s); adjective: :Honduran", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 15 September (1821)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :88; by type: :bulk carrier 5, cargo 39, carrier 2, chemical tanker 5, container 1, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 21, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 3; foreign-owned: :47 (Bahrain 5, Canada 1, Chile 1, China 2, Egypt 2, Greece 4, Israel 1, Japan 4, Lebanon 2, Montenegro 1, Panama 1, Singapore 11, South Korea 6, Taiwan 1, Thailand 2, UAE 1, UK 1, US 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC (suspended), IOM, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO (suspended), WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :natural extension of territory or to 200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,045,914; females age 16-49: :1,991,418 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :85.4%; male: :85.7%; female: :85.1% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :70.91 years; male: :69.24 years; female: :72.65 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (128 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 24 November 2013 (next to be held in November 2017); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PNH 48, LIBRE 37, PL 27, PAC 13, DC 1, UD 1, PINU 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system", "LANGUAGES": "Spanish (official), Amerindian dialects", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :9.12%; permanent crops: :4.07%; other: :86.82% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,575 km; border countries: :Guatemala 244 km, El Salvador 391 km, Nicaragua 940 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "3.579 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (15 principal judges - including the court president - and 7 alternates; court organized into civil, criminal, and labor chambers); note - the court has both judicial and constitutional jurisdiction; judge selection and term of office: :court president elected by his peers; judges elected by the National Congress from candidates proposed by the Nominating Board, a diverse 7-member group of judicial officials, other government and non-government officials selected by each of their organizations; judges elected by Congress for renewable, 7-year terms; subordinate courts: :courts of appeal; courts of first instance; peace courts", "WATERWAYS": "465 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "6.2% (2014 est.); 5.2% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :18.72 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :21.2 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :16.13 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "sugar, coffee, woven and knit apparel, wood products, cigars", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.8% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "15 September 1821 (from Spain)", "IMPORTS": "$11.79 billion (2014 est.); $11.03 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transshipment point for drugs and narcotics; illicit producer of cannabis, cultivated on small plots and used principally for local consumption; corruption is a major problem; some money-laundering activity", "ROADWAYS": "total: :14,742 km; paved: :3,367 km; unpaved: :11,375 km (1,543 km summer only); note: :there are another 8,951 km of non-offical roads used by the coffee industry (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue, with five blue, five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band; the stars represent the members of the former Federal Republic of Central America - Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua; the blue bands symbolize the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea; the white band represents the land between the two bodies of water and the peace and prosperity of its people; note: :similar to the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom, centered in the white band", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$7.111 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $6.636 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$8.52 billion (2014 est.); $7.833 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Juan Orlando HERNANDEZ Alvarado (since 27 January 2014); Vice Presidents Ricardo ALVAREZ, Rossana GUEVARA, and Lorena HERRERA (since 27 January 2014); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Juan Orlando HERNANDEZ Alvarado (since 27 January 2014); Vice Presidents Ricardo ALVAREZ, Rossana GUEVARA, and Lorena HERRERA (since 27 January 2014); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by president; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held on 24 November 2013 (next to be held in November 2017); election results: :Juan Orlando HERNANDEZ Alvarado elected president; percent of vote - Juan Orlando HERNANDEZ Alvarado 36.9%, Xiomara CASTRO 28.8%, Mauricio VILLEDA 20.3%, Salvador NASRALLA 13.4%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "lempiras (HNL) per US dollar -; 21.1 (2014 est.); 20.494 (2013 est.); 19.64 (2012 est.); 18.895 (2011 est.); 18.9 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "mestizo (mixed Amerindian and European) 90%, Amerindian 7%, black 2%, white 1%", "DEATH_RATE": "5.13 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest approved 11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982; amended many times, last in 2012 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 49.8%, Guatemala 7.4%, El Salvador 6.1%, China 5.8%, Mexico 5.2% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "Caribbean Sea 669 km; Gulf of Fonseca 163 km", "CLIMATE": "subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and transport equipment, industrial raw materials, chemical products, fuels, foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Tegucigalpa; geographic coordinates: :14 06 N, 87 13 W; time difference: :UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :none scheduled for 2013", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$3.354 billion; expenditures: :$4.335 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Honduran Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas de Honduras, FFAA): Army, Navy (includes Naval Infantry), Honduran Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Hondurena, FAH) (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "23.66 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "103 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "bananas, coffee, citrus, corn, African palm; beef; timber; shrimp, tilapia, lobster", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "18 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Atlantida, Choluteca, Colon, Comayagua, Copan, Cortes, El Paraiso, Francisco Morazan, Gracias a Dios, Intibuca, Islas de la Bahia, La Paz, Lempira, Ocotepeque, Olancho, Santa Barbara, Valle, Yoro", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 54.1%, El Salvador 5.8%, Mexico 5.4%, Germany 4.3% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "apparel, coffee, shrimp, automobile wire harnesses, cigars, bananas, gold, palm oil, fruit, lobster, lumber", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :39.2%; industry: :20.9%; services: :39.8% (2005 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :0.4%; highest 10%: :42.4% (2009 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "60% (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.05% of GDP (2012); 1.13% of GDP (2011); 1.05% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "urban population expanding; deforestation results from logging and the clearing of land for agricultural purposes; further land degradation and soil erosion hastened by uncontrolled development and improper land use practices such as farming of marginal lands; mining activities polluting Lago de Yojoa (the country's largest source of fresh water), as well as several rivers and streams, with heavy metals", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :90; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :16; 73 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :13; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :3; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :4; under 914 m: :3 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Once part of Spain's vast empire in the New World, Honduras became an independent nation in 1821. After two and a half decades of mostly military rule, a freely elected civilian government came to power in 1982. During the 1980s, Honduras proved a haven for anti-Sandinista contras fighting the Marxist Nicaraguan Government and an ally to Salvadoran Government forces fighting leftist guerrillas. The country was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998, which killed about 5,600 people and caused approximately $2 billion in damage. Since then, the economy has slowly rebounded.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :95,895; female: :92,087 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,525,578; females age 16-49: :1,539,688 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary 2- to 3-year military service; no conscription (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than Tennessee", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; extremely susceptible to damaging hurricanes and floods along the Caribbean coast", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Cerro Las Minas 2,870 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.79 male(s)/female; total population: :1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "11 (plus 17 repeaters) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 241, FM 53, shortwave 12 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :14%; industry: :27.4%; services: :58.7% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "15 00 N, 86 30 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :34.8% (male 1,529,578/female 1,465,188); 15-24 years: :21.2% (male 928,756/female 892,629); 25-54 years: :35.3% (male 1,530,429/female 1,502,916); 55-64 years: :4.7% (male 187,771/female 217,093); 65 years and over: :4% (male 150,681/female 193,520) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Hong Kong", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Consul General Clifford A. HART Jr. (since 30 July 2013); note - also accredited to Macau; consulate(s) general: :26 Garden Road, Hong Kong; mailing address: :Unit 8000, Box 1, DPO AP 96521-0006; telephone: :[852; FAX: :[852", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "special administrative region of China", "AFFILIATION": "(special administrative region of China)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$55,200 (2014 est.); $53,900 (2013 est.); $52,600 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3% (2014 est.); 2.9% (2013 est.); 1.6% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.41% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$400.6 billion (2014 est.); $388.9 billion (2013 est.); $377.8 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :35.5%; youth dependency ratio: :15.9%; elderly dependency ratio: :19.6%; potential support ratio: :5.1% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "25.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 26.4% of GDP (2013 est.); 27.5% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :66.1%; government consumption: :9.5%; investment in fixed capital: :22.2%; investment in inventories: :0.4%; exports of goods and services: :226.1%; imports of goods and services: :-224.4%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "79.5% (2007)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "29.8 (2008 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "88.63 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "2.8 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "2.6 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "345,900 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "12,010 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "354,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "100 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "10.67 million kW (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "10.71 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "1.65 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "44.21 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "39.97 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "orchid tree flower; national colors: red, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :9.3%; male: :10.9%; female: :7.8% (2012 est.)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "0.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "19.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "Hong Kong 7.26 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "note: :as a Special Administrative Region of China, \"Yiyongjun Jinxingqu\" is the official anthem (see China)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$1.414 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.297 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$204.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $194.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "2 commercial terrestrial TV networks each with multiple stations; multi-channel satellite and cable TV systems available; 3 radio networks, one of which is government-funded, operate about 15 radio stations (2012)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :100% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.74% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$827.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $714 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$757.6 billion (31 December 2009); $721 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$127.3 billion (31 December 2009); $63.03 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "5% (31 December 2014 est.); 5% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.5% (31 December 2013); 0.5% (31 December 2012)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.5% of GDP (2012)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :16 years; male: :15 years; female: :15 years (2012)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$3.082 trillion (31 December 2013 est.); $2.814 trillion (31 December 2012); $2.248 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$1.439 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.352 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$1.523 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.444 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$292.7 billion (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$324 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $311.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$205.4 million (2014 est.); $5.095 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "37% of GDP (2014 est.); 37.2% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "870,041 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :43.2 years; male: :42.8 years; female: :43.4 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "53.7 (2011); 53.3 (2007)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".hk", "INTERNET_USERS": "4.873 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "16.403 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "4.362 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (Special Administrative Region of China); Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) carries out normal liaison and communication with the US Government and other US entities; commissioner: :Clement C.M. LEUNG; office: :1520 18th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; HKETO offices: :New York, San Francisco", "AREA": "total: :1,108 sq km; land: :1,073 sq km; water: :35 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA; note - included in the total for China", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Southeast Asia", "LOCATION": "Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; conventional short form: :Hong Kong; local long form: :Heung Kong Takpit Hangching Ku (Eitel/Dyer-Ball); Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu (Hanyu Pinyin); local short form: :Heung Kong (Eitel/Dyer-Ball); Xianggang (Hanyu Pinyin); abbreviation: :HK", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of China", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "3.1% (2014 est.); 3.1% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "limited democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.17 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services; domestic: :microwave radio relay links and extensive fiber-optic network; international: :country code - 852; multiple international submarine cables provide connections to Asia, US, Australia, the Middle East, and Western Europe; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China (2012)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age in direct elections for half the legislature and a majority of seats in 18 district councils; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years; note - in indirect elections, suffrage is limited to about 220,000 members of functional constituencies for the other half of the legislature and a 1,200-member election committee for the chief executive drawn from broad sectoral groupings, central government bodies, municipal organizations, and elected Hong Kong officials", "RELIGIONS": "eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Hong Kong", "POPULATION": "7,112,688 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood or ADPL [Bruce LIU Sing-lee; Business and Professional Alliance or BPA [Andrew LEUNG; Civic Party [EU Audrey; Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong or DAB [TAM Yiu-chung; Democratic Party [Emily LAU; Labor Party [LEE Cheuk-yan; League of Social Democrats or LSD [LEUNG Kwok-hung; Liberal Party [James TIEN; Neo Democrats [joint leaders; New People's Party [Regina IP Lau Su-yee; People Power [Erica YUEN Mi-ming; Confederation of Trade Unions or CTU; Federation of Trade Unions or FTU; Neighborhood and Workers Service Center or NWSC; Professional Commons (think tank) [Charles Peter MOK; Professional Teachers Union or PTU; note: :political blocs include: pro-democracy - ADPL, Civic Party, Democratic Party, Labor Party, LSD, People Power, Professional Commons; pro-Beijing - DAB, FTU, Liberal Party, New People's Party, BPA; there is no political party ordinance, so there are no registered political parties; politically active groups register as societies or companies", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Hong Kong has a free market economy, highly dependent on international trade and finance - the value of goods and services trade, including the sizable share of re-exports, is about four times GDP. Hong Kong has no tariffs on imported goods, and it levies excise duties on only four commodities, whether imported or produced locally: hard alcohol, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil, and methyl alcohol. There are no quotas or dumping laws. Hong Kong's open economy left it exposed to the global economic slowdown that began in 2008. Although increasing integration with China, through trade, tourism, and financial links, helped it to make an initial recovery more quickly than many observers anticipated, its continued reliance on foreign trade and investment leaves it vulnerable to renewed global financial market volatility or a slowdown in the global economy. The Hong Kong government is promoting the Special Administrative Region (SAR) as the site for Chinese renminbi (RMB) internationalization. Hong Kong residents are allowed to establish RMB-denominated savings accounts; RMB-denominated corporate and Chinese government bonds have been issued in Hong Kong; and RMB trade settlement is allowed. The territory far exceeded the RMB conversion quota set by Beijing for trade settlements in 2010 due to the growth of earnings from exports to the mainland. RMB deposits grew to roughly 12% of total system deposits in Hong Kong by the end of 2013. The government is pursuing efforts to introduce additional use of RMB in Hong Kong financial markets and is seeking to expand the RMB quota. The mainland has long been Hong Kong's largest trading partner, accounting for about half of Hong Kong's total trade by value. Hong Kong's natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. As a result of China's easing of travel restrictions, the number of mainland tourists to the territory has surged from 4.5 million in 2001 to 40.7 million in 2013, outnumbering visitors from all other countries combined. Hong Kong has also established itself as the premier stock market for Chinese firms seeking to list abroad. In 2012 mainland Chinese companies constituted about 48.5% of the firms listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and accounted for about 56.9% of the Exchange's market capitalization. During the past decade, as Hong Kong's manufacturing industry moved to the mainland, its service industry has grown rapidly. Credit expansion and tight housing supply conditions have caused Hong Kong property prices to rise rapidly; consumer prices increased by more than 4% in 2013. Lower and middle income segments of the population are increasingly unable to afford adequate housing. Hong Kong continues to link its currency closely to the US dollar, maintaining an arrangement established in 1983. In 2013, Hong Kong and China signed new agreements under the Closer Economic Partnership Agreement, adopted in 2003 to forge closer ties between Hong Kong and the mainland. The new measures, effective from January 2014, cover services and trade facilitation, and will improve access to the mainland's service sector for Hong Kong-based companies. As of year-end 2014, the Democracy protests that began in late September probably will have some adverse effects on economic growth, particularly retail sales.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Confederation of Trade Unions or CTU (pro-democracy) [LEE Cheuk-yan, general secretary", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "composed of more than 200 islands", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "1.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Chinese/Hong Konger; adjective: :Chinese/Hong Kong", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949); note - 1 July 1997 is celebrated as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :1,644; by type: :barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 785, cargo 198, carrier 10, chemical tanker 149, container 288, liquefied gas 31, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 9, petroleum tanker 156, roll on/roll off 5, vehicle carrier 7; foreign-owned: :976 (Bangladesh 1, Belgium 26, Bermuda 20, Canada 77, China 500, Cyprus 3, Denmark 42, France 4, Germany 10, Greece 27, Indonesia 10, Iran 3, Japan 79, Libya 1, Norway 48, Russia 1, Singapore 13, South Korea 3, Switzerland 5, Taiwan 25, UAE 1, UK 33, US 44); registered in other countries: :341 (Bahamas 3, Bermuda 4, Cambodia 10, China 18, Curacao 1, Cyprus 2, Georgia 3, India 2, Kiribati 2, Liberia 48, Malaysia 8, Malta 4, Marshall Islands 3, NZ 1, Panama 144, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5, Seychelles 1, Sierra Leone 7, Singapore 46, Thailand 1, UK 12, unknown 16) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, APEC, BIS, FATF, ICC (national committees), IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITUC (NGOs), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :3 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,704,090; females age 16-49: :1,873,175 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :82.78 years; male: :80.18 years; female: :85.71 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Legislative Council or LegCo (70 seats; members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by several majority vote methods based on the rules of the individual constituencies; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 9 September 2012 (next to be held in September 2016); election results: :percent of vote by block - pro-democracy 56%; pro-Beijing 41%, independent 3%; seats by parties - pro-Beijing 43 (DAB 13, BPA 7, FTU 6, Liberal Party 5, NPP 2, other 10); pro-democracy 27 (Democratic Party 6, Civic Party 6, Labor Party 4, People Power 3, Professional Commons 2, League of Social Democrats 1, ADPL 1, PTU 1, Neo Democrats 1, NWSC 1); independent 2", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of common law based on the English model and Chinese customary law (in matters of family and land tenure)", "LANGUAGES": "Cantonese (official) 89.5%, English (official) 3.5%, Putonghua (Mandarin) 1.4%, other Chinese dialects 4%, other 1.6% (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :2.95%; permanent crops: :0.95%; other: :96.1% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :33 km; regional border: :China 33 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "3.871 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Court of Final Appeal (consists of the chief justice, 3 permanent judges and 20 non-permanent judges); note - a sitting bench consists of the chief justice and 3 permanent and 1 non-permanent judges; judge selection and term of office: :all judges appointed by the Hong Kong Chief Executive upon the recommendation of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission, an independent body consisting of the Secretary for Justice and other judges, judicial and legal professionals; permanent judges appointed until normal retirement at age 65, but can be extended; non-permanent judges appointed for renewable 3-year terms without age limit; subordinate courts: :High Court (consists of the Court of Appeal and Court of First Instance); District Courts (includes Family and Land Courts); magistrates' courts; specialized tribunals", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3.7% (2014 est.); 4.3% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :2.73 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :2.97 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :2.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (special administrative region of China)", "IMPORTS": "$560.2 billion (2014 est.); $622 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :2,090 km; paved: :2,090 km (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "red with a stylized, white, five-petal Bauhinia flower in the center; each petal contains a small, red, five-pointed star in its middle; the red color is the same as that on the Chinese flag and represents the motherland; the fragrant Bauhinia - developed in Hong Kong the late 19th century - has come to symbolize the region; the five stars echo those on the flag of China", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$171.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $165.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$528.2 billion (2014 est.); $535 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President of China XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013); head of government: :Chief Executive LEUNG Chun-ying [C.Y. LEUNG; cabinet: :Executive Council or ExCo consists of 15 official members and 14 non-official members; elections: :chief executive elected for five-year term by a 1,200-member election committee; LEUNG Chun-ying [C.Y. LEUNG; note: :the Legislative Council voted in June 2010 to expand the electoral committee to 1,200 seats for the 2012 selection; election results: :LEUNG Chun-ying was elected with 689 votes; Henry TANG with 285 votes, and Albert HO with 76 of the 1,132 votes cast; 82 ballots were deemed invalid; most were blank", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Hong Kong dollars (HKD) per US dollar -; 7.753 (2014 est.); 7.756 (2013 est.); 7.756 (2012 est.); 7.784 (2011 est.); 7.77 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Chinese 93.1%, Indonesian 1.9%, Filipino 1.9%, other 3% (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "6.93 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous (governance documents while under British authority); latest drafted April 1988 to February 1989, approved March 1990, promulgated 4 April 1990 (Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China serves as the constitution); note - since 1990, China's National People's Congress has interpreted specific articles of the Basic Law (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 47.8%, Japan 7.1%, Singapore 6.1%, US 5.4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "733 km", "CLIMATE": "subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "raw materials and semi-manufactures, consumer goods, capital goods, foodstuffs, fuel (most is reexported)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$57.78 billion; expenditures: :$55.84 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular indigenous military forces; Hong Kong garrison of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) includes elements of the PLA Ground Forces, PLA Navy, and PLA Air Force; these forces are under the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission in Beijing and under administrative control of the adjacent Guangzhou Military Region (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "9.38 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "2 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "fresh vegetables and fruit; poultry, pork; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (special administrative region of China)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 54.8%, US 9.3% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel, footwear, watches and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones, printed material", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "manufacturing: :3.8%; construction: :2.8%; wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels: :53.3%; financing, insurance, and real estate: :12.5%; transport and communications: :10.1%; community and social services: :17.1%; note: :above data exclude public sector (2013 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "19.6% (2012)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member)", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air and water pollution from rapid urbanization", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; over 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded by China the following year; various adjacent lands were added later in the 19th century. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China on 1 July 1997. In this agreement, China promised that, under its \"one country, two systems\" formula, China's socialist economic system would not be imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong would enjoy a \"high degree of autonomy\" in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the subsequent 50 years.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :39,579; female: :36,554 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,387,213; females age 16-49: :1,505,875 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "six times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "occasional typhoons", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :South China Sea 0 m; highest point: :Tai Mo Shan 958 m", "HELIPORTS": "9 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.13 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.14 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.75 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.87 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.88 male(s)/female; total population: :0.94 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "2 (2 TV networks, each broadcasting on 2 channels) (2009)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 6, FM 10, shortwave 0 (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :0.1%; industry: :6.6%; services: :93.3% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "22 15 N, 114 10 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :12.1% (male 456,638/female 402,462); 15-24 years: :11.5% (male 417,300/female 398,270); 25-54 years: :46.9% (male 1,430,036/female 1,905,585); 55-64 years: :14.8% (male 517,045/female 537,290); 65 years and over: :14.7% (male 493,399/female 554,663) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Hungary", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Colleen Bradley BELL (since 21 January 2015); embassy: :Szabadsag ter 12, H-1054 Budapest; mailing address: :pouch: American Embassy Budapest, 5270 Budapest Place, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5270; telephone: :[36; FAX: :[36", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$24,300 (2014 est.); $23,600 (2013 est.); $23,200 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.8% (2014 est.); 1.1% (2013 est.); -1.7% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.21% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$239.9 billion (2014 est.); $233.4 billion (2013 est.); $230.9 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :47.4%; youth dependency ratio: :21.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :25.6%; potential support ratio: :3.9% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "21.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 20.5% of GDP (2013 est.); 18.3% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :54.5%; government consumption: :19.5%; investment in fixed capital: :22%; investment in inventories: :0.6%; exports of goods and services: :90.1%; imports of goods and services: :-86.8%; (2014 est.)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "28.3 (2011 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "47.9 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "7.843 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "8.176 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "1.443 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "9.603 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "1.949 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "46,850 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "59,110 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "134,800 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "166,900 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "27.32 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "114,800 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "23,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "8.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "19.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "70.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "9.531 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "16.64 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "4.76 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "36.13 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "34.28 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Holy Crown of Hungary (Crown of Saint Stephen), turul (falcon); national colors: red, white, green", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :28.1%; male: :28.8%; female: :27.3% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "27.6% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "7.2 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.96 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "7.8% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "21 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-3% of GDP; note: :Hungary has been under the EU Excessive Deficit Procedure since it joined the EU in 2004; in March 2012 the EU elevated its Excessive Deficit Procedure against Hungary and proposed freezing 30% of the country's Cohesion Funds because 2011 deficit reductions were not achieved in a sustainable manner; in June 2012, the EU lifted the freeze, recognizing that steps had been taken to reduce the deficit; the latest EC forecasts project the Hungarian deficit to increase above 3% both in 2013 and in 2014 due to sluggish growth and the government's fiscal tightening (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "51.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "BUDAPEST (capital) 1.717 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Himnusz\" (Hymn); lyrics/music: :Ferenc KOLCSEY/Ferenc ERKEL; note: :adopted 1844", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$69.77 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $73.47 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$41.16 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $41.25 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "mixed system of state-supported public service broadcast media and private broadcasters; the 3 publicly owned TV channels and the 2 main privately owned TV stations are the major national broadcasters; a large number of special interest channels; highly developed market for satellite and cable TV services with about two-thirds of viewers utilizing their services; 3 state-supported public-service radio networks and 2 major national commercial stations; a large number of local stations including commercial, public service, nonprofit, and community radio stations; digital transition postponed to the end of 2014 (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :70.8% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.47% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$78.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $89.53 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$40.7 billion (31 December 2009); $47.49 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$30.27 billion (31 December 2009); $32.78 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "4.8% (31 December 2014 est.); 6.33% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "5.75% (19 December 2012); 7% (31 December 2011)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.9% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :15 years; male: :15 years; female: :16 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :5.58 cu km/yr (12%/83%/5%); per capita: :555.9 cu m/yr (2007)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "104 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$22.9 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $22.8 billion (31 December 2011); $27.71 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$46.91 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $44.34 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$115.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $110.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$129.7 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (countries of origin): :5,935 applicants for forms of legal stay other than asylum (Ukraine) (2015); stateless persons: :113 (2013)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :intermediate; vectorborne diseases: :tickborne encephalitis (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$44.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $46.51 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$2.225 billion (2014 est.); $3.903 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "78.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 77.3% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :general government gross debt is defined in the Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value, outstanding at the end of the year in the following categories of government liabilities: currency and deposits, securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives, and government, state government, local government, and social security funds.", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "3.145 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :41.1 years; male: :39.1 years; female: :43.5 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "24.7 (2009); 24.4 (1998)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".hu", "INTERNET_USERS": "6.176 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "11.58 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "2.96 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Reka SZEMERKENYI (since 23 February 2015); chancery: :3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Los Angeles, New York; consulate(s): :Chicago", "AREA": "total: :93,028 sq km; land: :89,608 sq km; water: :3,420 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1,409 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Central Europe, northwest of Romania", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Hungary; local long form: :none; local short form: :Magyarorszag", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "7.1% (2014 est.); 9.1% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.42 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly flat to rolling plains; hills and low mountains on the Slovakian border", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :the telephone system has been modernized; the system is digital and highly automated; trunk services are carried by fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay; a program for fiber-optic subscriber connections was initiated in 1996; domestic: :competition among mobile-cellular service providers has led to a sharp increase in the use of mobile-cellular phones since 2000 and a decrease in the number of fixed-line connections; international: :country code - 36; Hungary has fiber-optic cable connections with all neighboring countries; the international switch is in Budapest; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Inmarsat, 1 very small aperture terminal (VSAT) system of ground terminals (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age, 16 if married; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 37.2%, Calvinist 11.6%, Lutheran 2.2%, Greek Catholic 1.8%, other 1.9%, none 18.2%, unspecified 27.2% (2011 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :8,057 km; broad gauge: :36 km 1.524-m gauge; standard gauge: :7,802 km 1.435-m gauge (2,911 km electrified); narrow gauge: :219 km 0.760-m gauge (2009)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "Budapest, Dunaujvaros, Gyor-Gonyu, Csepel, Baja, Mohacs", "POPULATION": "9,919,128 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Christian Democratic People's Party or KDNP [Zsolt SEMJEN; Democratic Coalition or DK [Ferenc GYURCSANY; Dialogue for Hungary or PM [Benedek JAVOR, Timea SZABO, co-chairs; Fidesz-Hungarian Civic Alliance or Fidesz [Viktor ORBAN, chairman; Hungarian Liberal Party or MLP [Gabor FODOR; Hungarian Socialist Party or MSZP [Jozsef TOBIAS; Movement for a Better Hungary or Jobbik [Gabor VONA; Politics Can Be Different or LMP [Andras SCHIFFER, Bernadett SZEL; Together or Egyutt [Peter JUHASZ, Peter KONYA, Viktor SZIGETVARI; Unity [a coalition of MSZP, Egyutt, DK, PM, and MLP for the 2014 legislative elections", "PIPELINES": "gas 19,028 km; oil 1,007 km; refined products 842 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Poland has pursued a policy of economic liberalization since 1990 and Poland's economy was the only one in the EU to avoid a recession through the 2008-09 economic downturn. Although EU membership and access to EU structural funds have provided a major boost to the economy since 2004, GDP per capita remains significantly below the EU average. The government steered the Polish economy through the economic downturn by skillfully managing public finances and adopting controversial pension and tax reforms to further shore up public finances. While the Polish economy has performed well over the past five years, growth slowed in 2013 and 2014, in part due to the ongoing economic difficulties in the euro zone. Short-term, the key policy challenge will be to consolidate debt and spending without stifling economic growth. Over the longer term, Poland's economic performance could improve if the country addresses some of the remaining deficiencies in its road and rail infrastructure, business environment, rigid labor code, commercial court system, government red tape, and burdensome tax system.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Civil Osszefogas Forum (\"Civil Unity Forum,\" nominally independent organization that serves as the steering committee for the pro-government mass organization Bekemenet (Peace March), supporting ORBAN government's policies); Danube Circle (protests the building of the Gabchikovo-Nagymaros dam); Fourth Republic (Negyedik Koztarsasag) or 4K! (anti-Orban, pro-democracy Facebook movement emerged from a Facebook group, One Million for Freedom of the Press or \"Milla\"); Green Future (protests the impact of lead contamination of local factory on health of the people); Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (Tarsasag a Szabadsagjogokert) or TASZ (freedom of expression, information privacy); Hungarian Helsinki Committee (asylum seekers' rights, human rights in law enforcement and the judicial system); MostMi (\"Now Us,\" Facebook group led by Bori TAKACS and Zsolt VARADY, that was a major participant at anti-government demonstrations in late 2014-early 2015; pro-Europe, anti-establishment movement that blames Fidesz for the state of the country, but also blames all established political parties for perceived political and economic failures since the fall of communism); Szolidaritas (\"Solidarity,\" formed in October 2011 by three trade unions and an NGO - anti-Orban government); Green Alternative (Zold Alternativa); Hungarian Ornithological and Nature Conservation Society (Magyar Madartani Egyesulet) or MME", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between Ukraine and Mediterranean basin; the north-south flowing Duna (Danube) and Tisza Rivers divide the country into three large regions", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "1.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Hungarian(s); adjective: :Hungarian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Saint Stephen's Day, 20 August; note - commemorates the date when his remains were transferred to Buda (now Budapest)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Australia Group, BIS, CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, ESA (cooperating state), EU, FAO, G-9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,349,948; females age 16-49: :2,290,568 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :99.4%; male: :99.4%; female: :99.4% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :75.46 years; male: :71.73 years; female: :79.41 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Orszaggyules (199 seats; 106 members directly elected in single-member constituencies by absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed and 93 members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 6 April 2014 (next to be held in April 2018); election results: :percent of vote by party - Fidesz-KNDP 66.8%, Unity 19.1%, Jobbik 11.6%, LMP 2.5%; seats by party - Fidesz-KNDP 133, Unity 38, Jobbik 23, LMP 5", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil legal system influenced by the German model", "LANGUAGES": "Hungarian (official) 99.6%, English 16%, German 11.2%, Russian 1.6%, Romanian 1.3%, French 1.2%, other 4.2%; note: :shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census; Hungarian is the mother tongue of 98.9% of Hungarian speakers (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :48.57%; permanent crops: :2.01%; other: :49.42% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,106 km; border countries: :Austria 321 km, Croatia 348 km, Romania 424 km, Serbia 164 km, Slovakia 627 km, Slovenia 94 km, Ukraine 128 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "4.388 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Curia or Supreme Judicial Court (consists of Curia president and 8 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 15 members); judge selection and term of office: :Curia president elected from among its members for 9 years by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president of the republic; other Curia judges appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the National Council of Justice, a separate 15-member administrative body; all judges serve until the normal retirement age; Constitutional Court members elected by two-thirds vote of the National Assembly; members serve 12-year terms; subordinate courts: :regional courts of appeal; county courts, including the Municipal Court of Budapest; local courts", "WATERWAYS": "1,622 km (most on Danube River) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0% (2014 est.); 1.7% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :5.09 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :5.36 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :4.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "mining, metallurgy, construction materials, processed foods, textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals), motor vehicles", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.1% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "16 November 1918 (republic proclaimed); notable earlier dates: 25 December 1000 (crowning of King STEPHEN I, traditional founding date); 30 March 1867 (Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy established)", "IMPORTS": "$96.83 billion (2014 est.); $91.39 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :199,567 km; paved: :76,075 km (includes 1,477 km of expressways); unpaved: :123,492 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green; the flag dates to the national movement of the 18th and 19th centuries, and fuses the medieval colors of the Hungarian coat of arms with the revolutionary tricolor form of the French flag; folklore attributes virtues to the colors: red for strength, white for faithfulness, and green for hope; alternatively, the red is seen as being for the blood spilled in defense of the land, white for freedom, and green for the pasturelands that make up so much of the country", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$164.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $167.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$99.54 billion (2014 est.); $95.19 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Janos ADER (since 10 May 2012); head of government: :Prime Minister Viktor ORBAN (since 29 May 2010); cabinet: :Cabinet of Ministers prime minister elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president; other ministers proposed by the prime minister and appointed and relieved of their duties by the president; elections: :president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 2 May 2012 (next to be held by May 2017); prime minister elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president; election following the formation of a new government held on 10 May 2014; election results: :Janos ADER elected president, National Assembly vote - 262 to 40; Viktor ORBAN elected prime minister, National Assembly vote - 130 to 57; note: :to be elected, the president must win two-thirds of legislative vote in the first round or a simple majority in the second round", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "forints (HUF) per US dollar -; 231.7 (2014 est.); 223.7 (2013 est.); 225.1 (2012 est.); 201.05 (2011 est.); 207.94 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Hungarian 92.3%, Roma 1.9%, other or unknown 5.8% (2001 census)", "DEATH_RATE": "12.72 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1949 (heavily amended in 1989 following collapse of communism); latest approved 18 April 2011, signed 25 April 2011, effective 1 January 2012; amended several times, last in 2013 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 25.5%, Russia 8.6%, Austria 6.8%, China 6.7%, Slovakia 5.8%, Poland 4.9%, Italy 4.4%, Czech Republic 4.2% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment 45.4%, other manufactures 34.3%, fuels and electricity 12.6%, food products 5.3%, raw materials 2.5% (2012)", "CAPITAL": "name: :Budapest; geographic coordinates: :47 30 N, 19 05 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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$66.28 billion; expenditures: :$70.15 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Hungarian Defense Forces: Land Forces, Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Legiero, ML) (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "9.26 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "41 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "wheat, corn, sunflower seed, potatoes, sugar beets; pigs, cattle, poultry, dairy products", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "19 counties (megyek, singular - megye), 23 urban counties (singular - megyei varos), and 1 capital city (fovaros); counties: :Bacs-Kiskun, Baranya, Bekes, Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen, Csongrad, Fejer, Gyor-Moson-Sopron, Hajdu-Bihar, Heves, Jasz-Nagykun-Szolnok, Komarom-Esztergom, Nograd, Pest, Somogy, Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg, Tolna, Vas, Veszprem, Zala; urban counties: :Bekescsaba, Debrecen, Dunaujvaros, Eger, Erd, Gyor, Hodmezovasarhely, Kaposvar, Kecskemet, Miskolc, Nagykanizsa, Nyiregyhaza, Pecs, Salgotarjan, Sopron, Szeged, Szekesfehervar, Szekszard, Szolnok, Szombathely, Tatabanya, Veszprem, Zalaegerszeg; capital city: :Budapest", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 26.7%, Romania 5.8%, Austria 5.7%, Slovakia 5.4%, Italy 4.9%, France 4.6%, UK 4.1%, Poland 4% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment 53.5%, other manufactures 31.2%, food products 8.7%, raw materials 3.4%, fuels and electricity 3.9% (2012 est.)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :7.1%; industry: :29.7%; services: :63.2% (2011)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.1%; highest 10%: :22.6% (2009)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "14% (2012)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.83% of GDP (2012); 0.99% of GDP (2011); 0.83% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "the upgrading of Hungary's standards in waste management, energy efficiency, and air, soil, and water pollution to meet EU requirements will require large investments", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :21; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :8; 11 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :20; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :6; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :6; 914 to 1,523 m: :5; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Hungary became a Christian kingdom in A.D. 1000 and for many centuries served as a bulwark against Ottoman Turkish expansion in Europe. The kingdom eventually became part of the polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed during World War I. The country fell under communist rule following World War II. In 1956, a revolt and an announced withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact were met with a massive military intervention by Moscow. Under the leadership of Janos KADAR in 1968, Hungary began liberalizing its economy, introducing so-called \"Goulash Communism.\" Hungary held its first multiparty elections in 1990 and initiated a free market economy. It joined NATO in 1999 and the EU five years later.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :59,237; female: :55,533 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,902,639; females age 16-49: :1,897,378 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; 6-month service obligation (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Indiana", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Tisza River 78 m; highest point: :Kekes 1,014 m", "HELIPORTS": "3 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.91 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.59 male(s)/female; total population: :0.91 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "95 (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 5, FM 90, shortwave 1 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :3.4%; industry: :31.1%; services: :65.5% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "47 00 N, 20 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :14.8% (male 757,868/female 712,908); 15-24 years: :11.7% (male 596,005/female 561,606); 25-54 years: :41.6% (male 2,071,845/female 2,056,611); 55-64 years: :14% (male 639,298/female 754,129); 65 years and over: :17.8% (male 661,256/female 1,107,602) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Iceland", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Paul O'Friel (since 24 November 2013); embassy: :Laufasvegur 21, 101 Reykjavik; mailing address: :US Department of State, 5640 Reykjavik Place, Washington, D.C. 20521-5640; telephone: :[354; FAX: :[354", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$42,600 (2014 est.); $41,700 (2013 est.); $40,600 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.9% (2014 est.); 3.3% (2013 est.); 1.5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.65% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$13.81 billion (2014 est.); $13.42 billion (2013 est.); $12.99 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :50.9%; youth dependency ratio: :31.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :19.7%; potential support ratio: :5.1% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "16.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 17.5% of GDP (2013 est.); 9.5% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :52.6%; government consumption: :24.6%; investment in fixed capital: :13.9%; investment in inventories: :1%; exports of goods and services: :54.9%; imports of goods and services: :-47%; (2014 est.)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "27 (2011 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "3.505 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "14,520 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "1,420 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "17,160 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "24.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "70.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "4.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "2.669 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "16.58 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "17.19 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "gyrfalcon; national colors: blue, white, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :13.6%; male: :14.7%; female: :12.4% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "23.2% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "3.2 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3.48 physicians/1,000 population (2012)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "9.1% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "5 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "0.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "45.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "REYKJAVIK (capital) 184,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Lofsongur\" (Song of Praise); lyrics/music: :Matthias JOCHUMSSON/Sveinbjorn SVEINBJORNSSON; note: :adopted 1944; also known as \"O, Gud vors lands\" (O, God of Our Land), the anthem was originally written and performed in 1874", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$8.368 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $8.12 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$4.31 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.215 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-owned public TV broadcaster operates 1 TV channel nationally; several privately owned TV stations broadcast nationally and roughly another half-dozen operate locally; about one-half the households utilize multi-channel cable or satellite TV services; state-owned public radio broadcaster operates 2 national networks and 4 regional stations; 2 privately owned radio stations operate nationally and another 15 provide more limited coverage (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :94% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.25% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$21.86 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $21.22 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$3.44 billion (31 December 2008); $3.55 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$4.83 billion (30 September 2009); $4.71 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "8.2% (31 December 2014 est.); 8.17% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "5.4% (31 January 2012); 5.75% (31 December 2010)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "7.6% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :19 years; male: :18 years; female: :20 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.17 cu km/yr (49%/8%/42%); per capita: :539.2 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "170 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$2.825 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $2.021 billion (31 December 2011); $1.996 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$NA (31 December 2011); $8.8 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$NA; $9.2 billion (31 December 2008 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$16.2 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :119 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$5.692 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.237 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$200 million (2014 est.); $574 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "94% of GDP (2014 est.); 97.9% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "369,969 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :36.4 years; male: :35.9 years; female: :36.9 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "28 (2006); 25 (2005)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA UNAIDS, AIDSinfo Online Database, Spectrum Estimates, 2013, accessed 10/7/14", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".is", "INTERNET_USERS": "301,600 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "346,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "189,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Geir Hilmar HAARDE (since 23 February 2015); telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Chicago, New York; consulate(s): :Anchorage AK, Atlanta; chancery: :House of Sweden, 2900 K Street NW ", "AREA": "total: :103,000 sq km; land: :100,250 sq km; water: :2,750 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Arctic Region", "LOCATION": "Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the United Kingdom", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Iceland; conventional short form: :Iceland; local long form: :Lydveldid Island; local short form: :Island", "MILITARY___NOTE": "Iceland has no standing military force; all US military forces in Iceland were withdrawn as of October 2006; defense of Iceland remains a NATO commitment and NATO maintains an air policing presence in Icelandic airspace; Iceland participates in international peacekeeping missions with the civilian-manned Icelandic Crisis Response Unit (ICRU) (2011)", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "4.5% (2014 est.); 5.4% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.88 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :telecommunications infrastructure is modern and fully digitized, with satellite-earth stations, fiber-optic cables, and an extensive broadband network; domestic: :liberalization of the telecommunications sector beginning in the late 1990s has led to increased competition especially in the mobile services segment of the market; international: :country code - 354; the CANTAT-3 and FARICE-1 submarine cable systems provide connectivity to Canada, the Faroe Islands, UK, Denmark, and Germany; a planned new section of the Hibernia-Atlantic submarine cable will provide additional connectivity to Canada, US, and Ireland; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Iceland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland (official) 75.1%, Roman Catholic 3.5%, Reykjavik Free Church 2.9%, Hafnarfjorour Free Church 1.9%, The Independent Congregation 1%, other religions 3.9% (includes Pentecostal and Asatru Association), none 5.3%, other or unspecified 6.4% (2014 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Grundartangi, Hafnarfjordur, Reykjavik", "POPULATION": "317,351 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Bright Future (Bjort Framtid) or BF [Gudmundur STEINGRIMSSON; Dawn (Dogun) [Benedikt SIGURDARSON; Independence Party (Sjalfstaedisflokkurinn) or IP [Bjarni BENEDIKTSSON; Left-Green Movement (Vinstrihreyfingin) or LGM [Katrin JAKOBSDOTTIR; Pirate Party [Birgitta JONSDOTTIR; Progressive Party (Framsoknarflokkurinn) or PP [Sigmundur David GUNNLAUGSSON; Rainbow [Bjarni HAROARSON; Social Democratic Alliance (Samfylkingin) or SDA [Arni Pall ARNASON; Solidarity (Samstada) [Lilja MOSESDOTTIR", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Iceland's Scandinavian-type social-market economy combines a capitalist structure and free-market principles with an extensive welfare system. Prior to the 2008 crisis, Iceland had achieved high growth, low unemployment, and a remarkably even distribution of income. The economy depends heavily on the fishing industry, which provides 40% of export earnings, more than 12% of GDP, and employs nearly 5% of the work force. It remains sensitive to declining fish stocks as well as to fluctuations in world prices for its main exports: fish and fish products, aluminum, and ferrosilicon. Iceland's economy has been diversifying into manufacturing and service industries in the last decade, particularly within the fields of software production, biotechnology, and tourism. In fall 2013, the Icelandic government approved a joint application by Icelandic, Chinese and Norwegian energy firms to conduct oil exploration off Iceland�s northeast coast. Abundant geothermal and hydropower sources have attracted substantial foreign investment in the aluminum sector, boosted economic growth, and sparked some interest from high-tech firms looking to establish data centers using cheap green energy, although the financial crisis has put several investment projects on hold. Much of Iceland's economic growth in recent years came as the result of a boom in domestic demand following the rapid expansion of the country's financial sector. Domestic banks expanded aggressively in foreign markets, and consumers and businesses borrowed heavily in foreign currencies, following the privatization of the banking sector in the early 2000s. Worsening global financial conditions throughout 2008 resulted in a sharp depreciation of the krona vis-a-vis other major currencies. The foreign exposure of Icelandic banks, whose loans and other assets totaled more than 10 times the country's GDP, became unsustainable. Iceland's three largest banks collapsed in late 2008. The country secured over $10 billion in loans from the IMF and other countries to stabilize its currency and financial sector, and to back government guarantees for foreign deposits in Icelandic banks. GDP fell 6.8% in 2009, and unemployment peaked at 9.4% in February 2009. Since the collapse of Iceland's financial sector, government economic priorities have included: stabilizing the krona, implementing capital controls, reducing Iceland's high budget deficit, containing inflation, addressing high household debt, restructuring the financial sector, and diversifying the economy. Three new banks were established to take over the domestic assets of the collapsed banks. Two of them have foreign majority ownership, while the State holds a majority of the shares of the third. Iceland began making payments to the UK, the Netherlands, and other claimants in late 2011 following Iceland's Supreme Court ruling that upheld 2008 emergency legislation that gives priority to depositors for compensation from failed Icelandic banks. British and Dutch authorities claim Iceland owes approximately $6.5 billion for compensating British and Dutch citizens who lost deposits in Icesave savings accounts when parent bank Landsbanki failed in 2008. Iceland�s financial woes prompted an initial increase in public support to join the EU and the Eurozone, with accession negotiations beginning in July 2010. However, the election of a new center-right government and declining public support amidst the ongoing Eurozone crisis led to the suspension of negotiations in mid-2013.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost European country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital in the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental Europe", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Icelander(s); adjective: :Icelandic", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 17 June (1944)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :2; by type: :passenger/cargo 2; registered in other countries: :19 (Antigua and Barbuda 10, Belize 1, Faroe Islands 4, Finland 1, Gibraltar 1, Norway 2) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, EU (candidate country), FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :75,337 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :81.22 years; male: :78.98 years; female: :83.54 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Althingi (parliament) (63 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 27 April 2013 (next to be held in 2017); election results: :percent of vote by party - SDA 30.16%, IP 25.4%, LGM 17.46%, PP 14.29%, BF 3.18%, Dawn 3.18%, Rainbow 3.18%, Pirate Party 1.59%, Solidarity 1.59%; seats by party - SDA 19, IP 16, LGM 11, PP 9, BF 2, Dawn 2, Rainbow 2, Pirate Party 1, Solidarity 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system influenced by the Danish model", "LANGUAGES": "Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :1.21%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :98.79% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "185,900 (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Haestirettur (consists of 9 judges); judge selection and term of office: :judges proposed by Ministry of Interior selection committee and appointed by the president; judges appointed for an indefinite period; subordinate courts: :8 district courts; Labor Court", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.4% (2014 est.); 3.9% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :3.15 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :3.3 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :3 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "fish processing; aluminum smelting, ferrosilicon production; geothermal power, hydropower, tourism", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "1% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown); 17 June 1944 (from Denmark; birthday of Jon SIGURDSSON leader of Iceland's 19th Century independence movement)", "IMPORTS": "$4.675 billion (2014 est.); $4.433 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :12,890 km; paved/oiled gravel: :4,782 km (does not include urban roads); unpaved: :8,108 km (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "blue with a red cross outlined in white extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag); the colors represent three of the elements that make up the island: red is for the island's volcanic fires, white recalls the snow and ice fields of the island, and blue is for the surrounding ocean", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$102 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $110.8 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$5 billion (2014 est.); $4.996 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON (since 1 August 1996); head of government: :Prime Minister Sigmundur David GUNNLAUGSSON (since 23 May 2013); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the prime minister; elections: :president is elected by popular vote for a four-year term (no term limits); election last held on 30 June 2012 (next to be held in June 2016); note - following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually the prime minister; election results: :Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON elected president; percent of vote - Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON 52.8%, Thora ARNORSDOTTIR 33.2%, Ari Trausti GUDMUNDSSON 8.6%, other 5.4%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Icelandic kronur (ISK) per US dollar -; 116.1 (2014 est.); 122.18 (2013 est.); 125.08 (2012 est.); 115.95 (2011 est.); 122.24 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%, population of foreign origin 6%", "DEATH_RATE": "7.13 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest ratified 16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944 (at independence); amended many times, last in 2013; note - a new constitution drafted in 2012 in the aftermath of the country's banking collapse was voted down in April 2013 by the recently elected parliament, though several amendments were passed (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Norway 15.6%, US 10%, Germany 8.4%, China 8.2%, Brazil 7.7%, Denmark 6.3%, Netherlands 5.2%, UK 4.7%, Sweden 4.2% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "4,970 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, petroleum products, foodstuffs, textiles", "CAPITAL": "name: :Reykjavik; geographic coordinates: :64 09 N, 21 57 W; time difference: :UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$7.332 billion; expenditures: :$7.315 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces; Icelandic National Police; Icelandic Coast Guard (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "13.09 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "96 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "potatoes, green vegetables; mutton, chicken, pork, beef, dairy products; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "8 regions; Austurland, Hofudhborgarsvaedhi, Nordhurland Eystra, Nordhurland Vestra, Sudhurland, Sudhurnes, Vestfirdhir, Vesturland", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Netherlands 30%, Germany 12.1%, UK 9.5%, Norway 4.7%, US 4.7%, France 4.7% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fish and fish products 40%, aluminum, animal products, ferrosilicon, diatomite (2010 est.)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :4.8%; industry: :22.2%; services: :73% (2008)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%; note: :332,100 families (2011 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.13% of GDP (2012); 0.14% of GDP (2011); 0.13% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Transboundary Air Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "water pollution from fertilizer runoff; inadequate wastewater treatment", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :89; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :26; 60 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :7; over 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :3 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Settled by Norwegian and Celtic (Scottish and Irish) immigrants during the late 9th and 10th centuries A.D., Iceland boasts the world's oldest functioning legislative assembly, the Althing, established in 930. Independent for over 300 years, Iceland was subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark. Fallout from the Askja volcano of 1875 devastated the Icelandic economy and caused widespread famine. Over the next quarter century, 20% of the island's population emigrated, mostly to Canada and the US. Denmark granted limited home rule in 1874 and complete independence in 1944. The second half of the 20th century saw substantial economic growth driven primarily by the fishing industry. The economy diversified greatly after the country joined the European Economic Area in 1994, but Iceland was especially hard hit by the global financial crisis in the years following 2008. Literacy, longevity, and social cohesion are first rate by world standards.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :2,277; female: :2,200 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :62,781; females age 16-49: :61,511 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Kentucky", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "earthquakes and volcanic activity; volcanism: :Iceland, situated on top of a hotspot, experiences severe volcanic activity; Eyjafjallajokull (elev. 1,666 m) erupted in 2010, sending ash high into the atmosphere and seriously disrupting European air traffic; scientists continue to monitor nearby Katla (elev. 1,512 m), which has a high probability of eruption in the very near future, potentially disrupting air traffic; Grimsvoetn and Hekla are Iceland's most active volcanoes; other historically active volcanoes include Askja, Bardarbunga, Brennisteinsfjoll, Esjufjoll, Hengill, Krafla, Krisuvik, Kverkfjoll, Oraefajokull, Reykjanes, Torfajokull, and Vestmannaeyjar", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Hvannadalshnukur 2,110 m (at Vatnajokull glacier)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.04 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.85 male(s)/female; total population: :1 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "14 (plus 156 repeaters) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 3, FM about 70, shortwave 1 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :6%; industry: :22.4%; services: :71.7% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "65 00 N, 18 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :19.7% (male 31,660/female 30,720); 15-24 years: :14.5% (male 23,116/female 22,742); 25-54 years: :40.7% (male 65,218/female 64,102); 55-64 years: :11.6% (male 18,644/female 18,225); 65 years and over: :13.5% (male 19,754/female 23,170) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "India", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Richard Rahul VERMA (since 16 January 2015); embassy: :Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021; mailing address: :use embassy street address; telephone: :[91; FAX: :[91; consulate(s) general: :Chennai (Madras), Hyderabad, Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$5,800 (2014 est.); $5,500 (2013 est.); $5,300 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "5.6% (2014 est.); 5% (2013 est.); 4.7% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.25% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$7.277 trillion (2014 est.); $6.889 trillion (2013 est.); $6.56 trillion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :51.8%; youth dependency ratio: :43.6%; elderly dependency ratio: :8.1%; potential support ratio: :12.3% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "30.1% of GDP (2014 est.); 29.7% of GDP (2013 est.); 30% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :57%; government consumption: :12%; investment in fixed capital: :27.4%; investment in inventories: :6.6%; exports of goods and services: :26.1%; imports of goods and services: :-29.1%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "54.8% (2007/08)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "19.9 (2005/06 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :26,965,074; percentage: :12% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "1.831 billion Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "1.427 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "17.98 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "53.98 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "36 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "312,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "1.38 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "3.158 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "4.433 million bbl/day (2013)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "5.591 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "3.272 million bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "759,300 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "12.3% of total installed capacity (31 March 2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "2.1% of total installed capacity (31 March 2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "17.7% of total installed capacity (31 March 2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "67.9% of total installed capacity (31 March 2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "223.3 million kW (31 March 2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "5.61 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "128 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "757.9 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "974.9 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "the Lion Capital of Ashoka, which depicts four Asiatic lions standing back to back mounted on a circular abacus, is the official emblem; Bengal tiger; lotus flower; national colors: saffron, white, green", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :10.7%; male: :10.4%; female: :11.6% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "1.9% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.7 physicians/1,000 population (2012)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "4% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "43.5% (2006)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "200 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "9.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "NEW DELHI (capital) 24.953 million; Mumbai 20.741 million; Kolkata 11.766 million; Bangalore 9.718 million; Chennai 9.62 million; Hyderabad 8.67 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Jana-Gana-Mana\" (Thou Art the Ruler of the Minds of All People); lyrics/music: :Rabindranath TAGORE; note: :adopted 1950; Rabindranath TAGORE, a Nobel laureate, also wrote Bangladesh's national anthem", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 60.2% of population; rural: 24.7% of population; total: 36% of population; urban: 39.8% of population; rural: 75.3% of population; total: 64% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 96.7% of population; rural: 90.7% of population; total: 92.6% of population; urban: 3.3% of population; rural: 9.3% of population; total: 7.4% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$1.664 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.419 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$364 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $308.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "Doordarshan, India's public TV network, operates about 20 national, regional, and local services; a large and increasing number of privately owned TV stations are distributed by cable and satellite service providers; by 2011, more than 100 million homes had access to cable and satellite TV offering more than 700 TV channels; government controls AM radio with All India Radio operating domestic and external networks; news broadcasts via radio are limited to the All India Radio Network; since 2000, privately-owned FM stations have been permitted and their numbers have increased rapidly (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :32.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.38% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$1.654 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.414 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$853.4 billion (31 December 2009); $687.7 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$278.8 billion (31 December 2009); $239.8 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "10.3% (31 December 2014 est.); 10.33% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "7.75% (31 December 2013); 8% (31 December 2010); note: :this is the Indian central bank's policy rate - the repurchase rate", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.2% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :12 years; male: :12 years; female: :11 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :761 cu km/yr (7%/2%/90%); per capita: :613 cu m/yr (2010)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "1,911 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$1.263 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); $1.015 trillion (31 December 2011); $1.616 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$129.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $119.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$261.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $226.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$2.048 trillion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :109,015 (Tibet/China); 65,373 (Sri Lanka); 12,625 (Burma); 10,438 (Afghanistan) (2014); IDPs: :at least 531,000 (about 250,000 are Kashmiri Pandits from Jammu and Kashmir) (2014)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria; water contact disease: :leptospirosis; animal contact disease: :rabies; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$309.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $296.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$42.99 billion (2014 est.); -$49.23 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "51.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 51.4% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover central government debt, and exclude debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "6.746 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :27 years; male: :26.4 years; female: :27.7 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "36.8 (2004); 37.8 (1997)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "127,200 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "20.797 million (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.26% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".in", "INTERNET_USERS": "61.338 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "893.862 million (2013)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "31.08 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Taranjit Singh SANDHU (since 9 February 2015); chancery: :2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note - Consular Wing located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco", "AREA": "total: :3,287,263 sq km; land: :2,973,193 sq km; water: :314,070 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "663,340 sq km (2008)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Asia", "LOCATION": "Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of India; conventional short form: :India; local long form: :Republic of India/Bharatiya Ganarajya; local short form: :India/Bharat", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "8.6% (2014 est.); 9.1% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "federal republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.51 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :supported by recent deregulation and liberalization of telecommunications laws and policies, India has emerged as one of the fastest growing telecom markets in the world; total telephone subscribership base exceeded 900 million in 2011, an overall teledensity of roughly 75%, and subscribership is currently growing more than 20 million per month; urban teledensity now exceeds 100% and rural teledensity is steadily growing; domestic: :mobile cellular service introduced in 1994 and organized nationwide into four metropolitan areas and 19 telecom circles each with multiple private service providers and one or more state-owned service providers; in recent years significant trunk capacity added in the form of fiber-optic cable and one of the world's largest domestic satellite systems, the Indian National Satellite system (INSAT), with 6 satellites supporting 33,000 very small aperture terminals (VSAT); international: :country code - 91; a number of major international submarine cable systems, including Sea-Me-We-3 with landing sites at Cochin and Mumbai (Bombay), Sea-Me-We-4 with a landing site at Chennai, Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) with a landing site at Mumbai (Bombay), South Africa - Far East (SAFE) with a landing site at Cochin, the i2i cable network linking to Singapore with landing sites at Mumbai (Bombay) and Chennai (Madras), and Tata Indicom linking Singapore and Chennai (Madras), provide a significant increase in the bandwidth available for both voice and data traffic; satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region); 9 gateway exchanges operating from Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta), Chennai (Madras), Jalandhar, Kanpur, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, and Ernakulam (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :64,600 km; broad gauge: :55,956 km 1.676-m gauge; narrow gauge: :6,347 km 1.000-m gauge; 2,297 km 0.762-m gauge and 0.610-m gauge (2012)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Chennai, Jawaharal Nehru Port, Kandla, Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay), Sikka, Vishakhapatnam; container port(s) (TEUs): :Chennai (1,558,343), Jawaharal Nehru Port (4,307,622); LNG terminal(s) (import): :Dahej, Hazira", "POPULATION": "1,236,344,631 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Aam Aadmi Party or AAP [Arvind KEJRIWAL; All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or AIADMK [J. JAYALALITHAA; All India Trinamool Congress or AITC [Mamata BANERJEE; Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP [MAYAWATI; Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP [Amit SHAH; Biju Janata Dal or BJD [Naveen PATNAIK; Communist Party of India or CPI [Suravaram Sudhakar REDDY, Secretary-General; Communist Party of India-Marxist or CPI(M) [Prakash KARAT; Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or DMK [M.KARUNANIDHI; Indian National Congress or INC [Sonia GANDHI; Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) [Sharad YADAV; Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) [Ram Vilas PASWAN; Nationalist Congress Party or NCP [Sharad PAWAR; Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD [Lalu Prasad YADAV; Rashtriya Lok Dal or RLD [Ajit SINGH; Samajwadi Party or SP [Mulayam Singh YADAV; Shiromani Akali Dal or SAD [Parkash Singh BADAL; Shiv Sena or SS [Uddhav THACKERAY; Telegana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) [K. Chandrashekar RAO; Telugu Desam Party or TDP [Chandrababu NAIDU; YSR Congress(YSRC) [Jaganmohan REDDY; note: :India has dozens of national and regional political parties", "PIPELINES": "condensate/gas 9 km; gas 13,581 km; liquid petroleum gas 2,054 km; oil 8,943 km; oil/gas/water 20 km; refined products 11,069 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "India is developing into an open-market economy, yet traces of its past autarkic policies remain. Economic liberalization measures, including industrial deregulation, privatization of state-owned enterprises, and reduced controls on foreign trade and investment, began in the early 1990s and served to accelerate the country's growth, which averaged under 7% per year from 1997 to 2011. India's diverse economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of services. Slightly less than half of the work force is in agriculture, but, services are the major source of economic growth, accounting for nearly two-thirds of India's output with less than one-third of its labor force. India has capitalized on its large educated English-speaking population to become a major exporter of information technology services, business outsourcing services, and software workers. India's economic growth began slowing in 2011 because of a decline in investment, caused by high interest rates, rising inflation, and investor pessimism about the government's commitment to further economic reforms and about the global situation. The outlook for India's long-term growth is moderately positive due to a young population and corresponding low dependency ratio, healthy savings and investment rates, and increasing integration into the global economy. However, India has many challenges that it has yet to fully address, including poverty, corruption, violence and discrimination against women and girls, an inefficient power generation and distribution system, ineffective enforcement of intellectual property rights, decades-long civil litigation dockets, inadequate transport and agricultural infrastructure, limited non-agricultural employment opportunities, high spending and poorly-targeted subsidies, inadequate availability of quality basic and higher education, and accommodating rural-to-urban migration. Growth in 2014 fell to a decade low, as India's economic leaders struggled to improve the country's wide fiscal and current account deficits. Rising macroeconomic imbalances in India and improving economic conditions in Western countries, led investors to shift capital away from India, prompting a sharp depreciation of the rupee. However, investors' perceptions of India improved in early 2014, due to a reduction of the current account deficit and expectations of post-election economic reform, resulting in a surge of inbound capital flows and stabilization of the rupee.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "All Parties Hurriyat Conference in the Kashmir Valley (separatist group); Bajrang Dal (religious organization); India Against Corruption [Anna HAZARE; Jamiat Ulema-e Hind [Mahmood MADANI; Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh [Mohan BHAGWAT; Vishwa Hindu Parishad [Ashok SINGHAL; other: :hundreds of social reform, anti-corruption, and environmental groups at state and local level; numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations; various separatist groups seeking greater communal and/or regional autonomy", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes; Kanchenjunga, third tallest mountain in the world, lies on the border with Nepal", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, rare earth elements, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Indian(s); adjective: :Indian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Republic Day, 26 January (1950)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :340; by type: :bulk carrier 104, cargo 78, chemical tanker 22, container 14, liquefied gas 11, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 15, petroleum tanker 92; foreign-owned: :10 (China 1, Hong Kong 2, Jersey 2, Malaysia 1, UAE 4); registered in other countries: :76 (Cyprus 4, Dominica 2, Liberia 8, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 10, Nigeria 1, Panama 24, Saint Kitts and Nevis 2, Singapore 21, unknown 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIMSTEC, BIS, BRICS, C, CD, CERN (observer), CICA, CP, EAS, FAO, FATF, G-15, G-20, G-24, G-5, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :319,129,420; females age 16-49: :296,071,637 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :74%; male: :82.1%; female: :65.5% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :67.8 years; male: :66.68 years; female: :69.06 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of the Council of States or Rajya Sabha (245 seats; 233 members indirectly elected by state and territorial assemblies by proportional representation vote, and 12 members appointed by the president; members serve 6-year terms) and the People's Assembly or Lok Sabha (545 seats; 543 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 2 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :People's Assembly - last held April-May 2014 in 10 phases; (next must be held by May 2019); election results: :People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA, ; seats by party - BJP 282, INC 44, AIADMK 37, AITC 34, BJD 20, SS 18, TDP 16, TRS 11, CPI(M) 9, YSRC 9, LJP 6, NCP 6, SP 5, AAP 4, RJD 4, SAD 4, independents 3, other 31", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "common law system based on the English model; separate personal law codes apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus; judicial review of legislative acts", "LANGUAGES": "Hindi 41%, Bengali 8.1%, Telugu 7.2%, Marathi 7%, Tamil 5.9%, Urdu 5%, Gujarati 4.5%, Kannada 3.7%, Malayalam 3.2%, Oriya 3.2%, Punjabi 2.8%, Assamese 1.3%, Maithili 1.2%, other 5.9%; note: :English enjoys the status of subsidiary official language but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindi is the most widely spoken language and primary tongue of 41% of the people; there are 14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language (2001 census)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :52.54%; permanent crops: :4.31%; other: :43.16% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :13,888 km; border countries: :Bangladesh 4,142 km, Bhutan 659 km, Burma 1,468 km, China 2,659 km, Nepal 1,770 km, Pakistan 3,190 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "502.2 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (the chief justice and 25 associate justices); note - parliament approved an additional 5 judges in 2008; judge selection and term of office: :justices appointed by the president to serve until age 65; subordinate courts: :High Courts; District Courts; Labour Court; note: :in mid-2011, India�s Cabinet approved the \"National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reform\" to eliminate judicial corruption and reduce the backlog of cases", "WATERWAYS": "14,500 km (5,200 km on major rivers and 485 km on canals suitable for mechanized vessels) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "8% (2014 est.); 10% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :43.19 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :41.9 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :44.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software, pharmaceuticals", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.8% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "15 August 1947 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$508.1 billion (2014 est.); $482.3 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "world's largest producer of licit opium for the pharmaceutical trade, but an undetermined quantity of opium is diverted to illicit international drug markets; transit point for illicit narcotics produced in neighboring countries and throughout Southwest Asia; illicit producer of methaqualone; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through the hawala system; licit ketamine and precursor production", "ROADWAYS": "total: :4,689,842 km; note: :includes 79,116 km of national highways and expressways, 155,716 km of state highways, and 4,455,010 km of other roads (2013)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of saffron (subdued orange) (top), white, and green, with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band; saffron represents courage, sacrifice, and the spirit of renunciation; white signifies purity and truth; green stands for faith and fertility; the blue chakra symbolizes the wheel of life in movement and death in stagnation; note: :similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small orange disk centered in the white band", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$425.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $386.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$342.5 billion (2014 est.); $319.7 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Pranab MUKHERJEE (since 22 July 2012); Vice President Mohammad Hamid ANSARI (since 11 August 2007); head of government: :Prime Minister Narendra MODI (since 26 May 2014); cabinet: :Union Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister; elections: :president elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament and the legislatures of the states for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held in July 2012 (next to be held in July 2017); vice president elected by both houses of Parliament for a five-year term; election last held in August 2012 (next to be held in August 2017); prime minister chosen by parliamentary members of the majority party following legislative elections; election results: :Pranab MUKHERJEE elected president; percent of vote - Pranab MUKHERJEE 69.31%, Purno SANGMA - 30.69%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Indian rupees (INR) per US dollar -; 60.3 (2014 est.); 58.598 (2013 est.); 53.44 (2012 est.); 46.671 (2011 est.); 45.726 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% (2000)", "DEATH_RATE": "7.35 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1935 (preindependence); latest draft completed 4 November 1949, adopted 26 November 1949, effective 26 January 1950; amended many times, last in 2013 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 11%, Saudi Arabia 7.8%, UAE 7.1%, Switzerland 5.5%, US 4.8%, Iraq 4.3% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "7,000 km", "CLIMATE": "varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "crude oil, precious stones, machinery, fertilizer, iron and steel, chemicals", "CAPITAL": "name: :New Delhi; geographic coordinates: :28 36 N, 77 12 E; time difference: :UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$185.7 billion; expenditures: :$288.8 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Army; Navy (includes naval air arm); Air Force; Coast Guard (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "19.89 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "346 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, lentils, onions, potatoes; dairy products, sheep, goats, poultry; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "29 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*, Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Puducherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal; note: :although its status is that of a union territory, the official name of Delhi is National Capital Territory of Delhi", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 12.4%, UAE 10.2%, China 4.7%, Singapore 4.3%, Hong Kong 4.1% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum products, precious stones, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, vehicles, apparel", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :49%; industry: :20%; services: :31% (2012 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.6%; highest 10%: :31.1% (2005)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "29.8% (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "2.4% of GDP (2013); 2.5% of GDP (2012); 2.6% of GDP (2011); 2.7% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap water is not potable throughout the country; huge and growing population is overstraining natural resources", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :93; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :3; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :6; 914 to 1,523 m: :38; 45 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :253; over 3,047 m: :22; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :59; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :76; 914 to 1,523 m: :82; under 914 m: :14 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Indus Valley civilization, one of the world's oldest, flourished during the 3rd and 2nd millennia B.C. and extended into northwestern India. Aryan tribes from the northwest infiltrated the Indian subcontinent about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. The Maurya Empire of the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. - which reached its zenith under ASHOKA - united much of South Asia. The Golden Age ushered in by the Gupta dynasty (4th to 6th centuries A.D.) saw a flowering of Indian science, art, and culture. Islam spread across the subcontinent over a period of 700 years. In the 10th and 11th centuries, Turks and Afghans invaded India and established the Delhi Sultanate. In the early 16th century, the Emperor BABUR established the Mughal Dynasty which ruled India for more than three centuries. European explorers began establishing footholds in India during the 16th century. By the 19th century, Great Britain had become the dominant political power on the subcontinent. The British Indian Army played a vital role in both World Wars. Years of nonviolent resistance to British rule, led by Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU, eventually resulted in Indian independence, which was granted in 1947. Large-scale communal violence took place before and after the subcontinent partition into two separate states - India and Pakistan. The neighboring nations have fought three wars since independence, the last of which was in 1971 and resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. India's nuclear weapons tests in 1998 emboldened Pakistan to conduct its own tests that same year. In November 2008, terrorists originating from Pakistan conducted a series of coordinated attacks in Mumbai, India's financial capital. Despite pressing problems such as significant overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and widespread corruption, economic growth following the launch of economic reforms in 1991 and a massive youthful population are driving India's emergence as a regional and global power.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :12,151,065; female: :10,745,891 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :249,531,562; females age 16-49: :240,039,958 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "16-18 years of age for voluntary military service (Army 17 1/2, Air Force 17, Navy 16 1/2); no conscription; women may join as officers, but for noncombat roles only (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly more than one-third the size of the US", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "droughts; flash floods, as well as widespread and destructive flooding from monsoonal rains; severe thunderstorms; earthquakes; volcanism: :Barren Island (elev. 354 m) in the Andaman Sea has been active in recent years", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Indian Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Kanchenjunga 8,598 m", "HELIPORTS": "45 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.12 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.13 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.13 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.08 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.91 male(s)/female; total population: :1.08 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1,400 (2009)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 149, FM 171, shortwave 54 (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :17.9%; industry: :24.2%; services: :57.9% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "20 00 N, 77 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :28.5% (male 187,016,401/female 165,048,695); 15-24 years: :18.1% (male 118,696,540/female 105,342,764); 25-54 years: :40.6% (male 258,202,535/female 243,293,143); 55-64 years: :7% (male 43,625,668/female 43,175,111); 65 years and over: :5.8% (male 34,133,175/female 37,810,599) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Iran", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none; note - the US Interests Section is located in the Embassy of Switzerland No. 39 Shahid Mousavi (Golestan 5th), Pasdaran Ave., Tehran, Iran; telephone [98", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$16,500 (2014 est.); $16,400 (2013 est.); $17,000 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.5% (2014 est.); -1.9% (2013 est.); -6.6% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.22% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$1.284 trillion (2014 est.); $1.265 trillion (2013 est.); $1.29 trillion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :41.5%; youth dependency ratio: :33.9%; elderly dependency ratio: :7.6%; potential support ratio: :13.1% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "47.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 52.2% of GDP (2013 est.); 48.5% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :52.9%; government consumption: :11.2%; investment in fixed capital: :28.1%; investment in inventories: :1.1%; exports of goods and services: :23.8%; imports of goods and services: :-17.1%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "77.4% (2010/11)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "603.6 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "33.8 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "5 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "9.4 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "162.2 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "166.6 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "180,400 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "330,800 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "1.87 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "1.718 million bbl/day (2011 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "157.3 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "15,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "2.445 million bbl/day (2011 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "3.113 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "13.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "86.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "65.31 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "3.656 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "8.668 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "185.8 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "225.8 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "lion; national colors: green, white, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :23%; male: :20.2%; female: :33.9% (2008 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "19.4% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.1 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.89 physicians/1,000 population (2005)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.7% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "4.6% (2004)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "21 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-0.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "15% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "TEHRAN (capital) 8.353 million; Mashhad 2.94 million; Esfahan 1.845 million; Karaj 1.753 million; Shiraz 1.604 million; Tabriz 1.55 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Soroud-e Melli-ye Jomhouri-ye Eslami-ye Iran\" (National Anthem of the Islamic Republic of Iran); lyrics/music: :multiple authors/Hassan RIAHI; note: :adopted 1990", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 92.8% of population; rural: 81.6% of population; total: 89.4% of population; urban: 7.2% of population; rural: 18.4% of population; total: 10.6% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 97.7% of population; rural: 91.7% of population; total: 95.9% of population; urban: 2.3% of population; rural: 8.3% of population; total: 4.1% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$67.42 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $62.19 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$26.39 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $26.54 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-run broadcast media with no private, independent broadcasters; Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the state-run TV broadcaster, operates 5 nationwide channels, a news channel, about 30 provincial channels, and several international channels; about 20 foreign Persian-language TV stations broadcasting on satellite TV are capable of being seen in Iran; satellite dishes are illegal and, while their use had been tolerated, authorities began confiscating satellite dishes following the unrest stemming from the 2009 presidential election; IRIB operates 8 nationwide radio networks, a number of provincial stations, and an external service; most major international broadcasters transmit to Iran (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :72.9% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.07% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$45.21 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $42.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$72.33 billion (31 December 2008); $68.71 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$44.79 billion (31 December 2008); $46.13 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "11.3% (31 December 2014 est.); 11% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "NA%", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.7% of GDP (2012)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :15 years; male: :15 years; female: :15 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :93.3 cu km/yr (7%/1%/92%); per capita: :1,306 cu m/yr (2004)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "137 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$172 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $140.8 billion (31 December 2012); $107.2 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$4.045 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.725 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$43.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $40.36 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Iran is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; Iranian women and children are subjected to sex trafficking in Iran, Pakistan, the Persian Gulf, and Europe; Iranian children are forced, sometimes by their parents or crime networks, to beg, to work in sweatshops, or to be prostitutes in Iran and abroad; Azerbaijani and, reportedly, Uzbek women and children are also sexually exploited in Iran; Pakistani migrant workers are sometimes subjected to forced labor, including debt bondage; criminal organizations play a large role in human trafficking in Iran; tier rating: :Tier 3 � Iran does not comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government does not share information on its anti-trafficking efforts making it difficult to assess the country�s human trafficking problem or the government�s attempts to curb it; Iranian law does not prohibit all forms of human trafficking; existing laws against human trafficking, forced labor, and debt bondage reportedly remain unenforced because of a lack of political will and widespread political corruption; Iran has no apparent protection services or rehabilitation programs for victims and has reportedly punished sex trafficking victims for crimes committed as a direct result of being trafficked (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$402.7 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :32,000 (Iraq) (2014); 2.4 million (1 million registered, 1.4 million undocumented) (Afghanistan) (2014)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :intermediate; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea; vectorborne diseases: :Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$110 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $108 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$28.88 billion (2014 est.); $27.97 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "11.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 11% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :includes publicly guaranteed debt", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "197,804 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :28.3 years; male: :28 years; female: :28.6 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "44.5 (2006)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "4,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "70,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.14% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ir", "INTERNET_USERS": "8.214 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "58.16 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "28.76 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none; note - Iran has an Interests Section in the Pakistani Embassy; address: Iranian Interests Section, Pakistani Embassy, 2209 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: [1", "AREA": "total: :1,648,195 sq km; land: :1,531,595 sq km; water: :116,600 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "87,000 sq km (2009)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Middle East", "LOCATION": "Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Islamic Republic of Iran; conventional short form: :Iran; local long form: :Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran; local short form: :Iran; former: :Persia", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "10.3% (2014 est.); 10.4% (2013 est.); note: :data are according to the Iranian Government", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "theocratic republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.85 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :currently being modernized and expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing telephone service to several thousand villages, not presently connected; domestic: :the addition of new fiber cables and modern switching and exchange systems installed by Iran's state-owned telecom company have improved and expanded the fixed-line network greatly; fixed-line availability has more than doubled to more than 27 million lines since 2000; additionally, mobile-cellular service has increased dramatically serving roughly 56 million subscribers in 2011; combined fixed and mobile-cellular subscribership now exceeds 100 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 98; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; satellite earth stations - 13 (9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim (official) 99.4% (Shia 90-95%, Sunni 5-10%), other (includes Zoroastrian, Jewish, and Christian) 0.3%, unspecified 0.4% (2011 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :8,442 km; broad gauge: :94 km 1.676-m gauge; standard gauge: :8,348 km 1.435-m gauge (148 km electrified) (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Bandar-e Asaluyeh, Bandar Abbas; river port(s): :Bandar Emam Khomeyni (Shatt al-Arab); container port(s) (TEUs): :Bandar Abbas (2,752,460)", "POPULATION": "80,840,713 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "note: :formal political parties are a relatively new phenomenon in Iran and most conservatives still prefer to work through political pressure groups rather than parties; often political parties or coalitions are formed prior to elections and disbanded soon thereafter; a loose pro-reform coalition called the 2nd Khordad Front, which includes political parties as well as less formal groups and organizations, achieved considerable success in elections for the sixth Majles in early 2000; groups in the coalition included the Islamic Iran Participation Front (IIPF), Executives of Construction Party (Kargozaran), Solidarity Party, Islamic Labor Party, Mardom Salari, Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization (MIRO), and Militant Clerics Society (MCS; Ruhaniyun); the coalition participated in the seventh Majles elections in early 2004 but boycotted them after 80 incumbent reformists were disqualified; following his defeat in the 2005 presidential elections, former MCS Secretary General and sixth Majles Speaker Mehdi KARUBI formed the National Trust Party; a new conservative group, Islamic Iran Developers Coalition (Abadgaran), took a leading position in the new Majles after winning a majority of the seats in February 2004; ahead of the 2008 Majles elections, traditional and hardline conservatives attempted to close ranks under the United Front of Principlists and the Broad Popular Coalition of Principlists; several reformist groups, such as the MIRO and the IIPF, also came together as a reformist coalition in advance of the 2008 Majles elections; the IIPF has repeatedly complained that the overwhelming majority of its candidates were unfairly disqualified from the 2008 elections", "PIPELINES": "condensate 7 km; condensate/gas 973 km; gas 20,794 km; liquid petroleum gas 570 km; oil 8,625 km; refined products 7,937 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Iran's economy is marked by statist policies, an inefficient state sector, and reliance on oil, a major source of government revenues. Price controls, subsidies, and other distortions weigh down the economy, undermining the potential for private-sector-led growth. Private sector activity is typically limited to small-scale workshops, farming, some manufacturing, and services. Significant informal market activity flourishes and corruption is widespread. New fiscal and monetary constraints on Tehran, following the expansion of international sanctions in 2012 against Iran's Central Bank and oil exports, significantly reduced Iran's oil revenue, forced government spending cuts, and fueled a sharp currency depreciation. Iran�s economy contracted in both 2012 and 2013, for the first time in two decades, and grew only slightly 2014. Iran continues to suffer from high unemployment and underemployment. Lack of job opportunities has convinced many educated Iranian youth to seek jobs overseas, resulting in a significant \"brain drain.\" However, the election of President Hasan RUHANI in June 2013 brought about widespread expectations of economic improvements and greater international engagement among the Iranian public, and ongoing international negotiations over Iran�s nuclear program have resulted in limited sanctions relief for Iran, helping to arrest the decline in the economy in 2014.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Ansar-e Hizballah; Followers of the Line of the Imam and the Leader; Islamic Coalition Party (Motalefeh); Islamic Engineers Society; Tehran Militant Clergy Association (MCA; Ruhaniyat); Office of Strengthening Unity (OSU); Freedom Movement of Iran; Green Path movement [Mehdi KARUBI, Mir-Hosein MUSAVI; Marz-e Por Gohar; National Front; various ethnic and monarchist organizations; Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI); Harekat-e Ansar-e Iran (splinter faction of Jundallah); Jaysh l-Adl (formerly known as Jundallah); Komala; Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK or MKO); People's Fedayeen; People's Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK)", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Iranian(s); adjective: :Iranian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Republic Day, 1 April (1979)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :76; by type: :bulk carrier 8, cargo 51, chemical tanker 3, container 4, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 2; foreign-owned: :2 (UAE 2); registered in other countries: :71 (Barbados 5, Cyprus 10, Hong Kong 3, Malta 48, Panama 5) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "CICA, CP, D-8, ECO, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, SAARC (observer), SCO (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :bilateral agreements or median lines in the Persian Gulf; continental shelf: :natural prolongation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :23,619,215; females age 16-49: :22,628,341 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :84.3%; male: :89.4%; female: :79.2% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :70.89 years; male: :69.32 years; female: :72.53 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or Majles-e Shura-ye Eslami or Majles (290 seats; members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by two-round vote; members serve 4-year terms); note - all candidates to the Majles must be approved by the Guardian Council, a 12-member group of which 6 are appointed by the supreme leader and 6 are jurists nominated by the judiciary and elected by the Majles; elections: :last held on 2 March 2012 (first round); second round held on 4 May 2012; (next to be held on 26 February 2016); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "religious legal system based on secular and Islamic law", "LANGUAGES": "Persian (official) 53%, Azeri Turkic and Turkic dialects 18%, Kurdish 10%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 7%, Luri 6%, Balochi 2%, Arabic 2%, other 2%", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :10.87%; permanent crops: :1.19%; other: :87.93% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :5,894 km; border countries: :Afghanistan 921 km, Armenia 44 km, Azerbaijan 689 km, Iraq 1,599 km, Pakistan 959 km, Turkey 534 km, Turkmenistan 1,148 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "28.4 million; note: :shortage of skilled labor (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of a president and NA judges); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court president appointed by the head of the Supreme Judicial Council in consultation with judges of the Supreme Court; president appointed for a 5-year term; other judge appointments and tenure NA; subordinate courts: :Penal Courts I and II; Islamic Revolutionary Courts; Courts of Peace; Special Clerical Court (functions outside the judicial system and handles cases involving clerics); military courts", "WATERWAYS": "850 km (on Karun River; some navigation on Lake Urmia) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "17.8% (2014 est.); 39.3% (2013 est.); note: :official Iranian estimate", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :39 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :39.53 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :38.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "petroleum, petrochemicals, fertilizers, caustic soda, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), ferrous and non-ferrous metal fabrication, armaments", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.4% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed); notable earlier dates: 16 January 1979 (Shah Reza PAHLAVI flees Iran to escape popular political revolt against his rule); 12 December 1925 (modern Iran established under the PAHLAVI Dynasty); 1905-1907 (constitutional revolution resulting in establishment of a parliament); A.D. 1501 (Iran reunified under the Safavid Dynasty)", "IMPORTS": "$61.25 billion (2014 est.); $60.05 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "despite substantial interdiction efforts and considerable control measures along the border with Afghanistan, Iran remains one of the primary transshipment routes for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe; suffers one of the highest opiate addiction rates in the world, and has an increasing problem with synthetic drugs; lacks anti-money laundering laws; has reached out to neighboring countries to share counter-drug intelligence", "ROADWAYS": "total: :198,866 km; paved: :160,366 km (includes 1,948 km of expressways); unpaved: :38,500 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah in the shape of a tulip, a symbol of martyrdom) in red is centered in the white band; ALLAH AKBAR (God is Great) in white Arabic script is repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11 times along the top edge of the red band; green is the color of Islam and also represents growth, white symbolizes honesty and peace, red stands for bravery and martyrdom", "FISCAL_YEAR": "21 March - 20 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$10.17 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $10.63 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$95.71 billion (2014 est.); $93.02 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June 1989); head of government: :President Hasan Fereidun RUHANI (since 3 August 2013); First Vice President Eshaq JAHANGIRI (since 5 August 2013); cabinet: :Council of Ministers selected by the president with legislative approval; the Supreme Leader has some control over appointments to the more sensitive ministries; note: :also considered part of the Executive branch of government are three oversight bodies: 1) Council of Guardians of the Constitution or Council of Guardians or Guardians Council (Shora-ye Negban-e Qanon-e Asasi) determines whether proposed legislation is both constitutional and faithful to Islamic law, vets candidates in popular elections for suitability, and supervises national elections; 2) Assembly of Experts (Majles-e Khoebregan), an elected consultative body of senior clerics constitutionally mandated to select, appoint, supervise, and dismiss the Supreme Leader; 3) Expediency Council or the Council for the Discernment of Expediency (Majma-ye- Tashkhis-e -Maslahat-e- Nezam) resolves legislative issues when the Majles and the Council of Guardians disagree and since 1989 has been used to advise national religious leaders on matters of national policy; in 2005 the Council's powers were expanded to act as a supervisory body for the government; elections: :supreme leader appointed for life by the Assembly of Experts; president elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term and additional nonconsecutive term); election last held on 14 June 2013 (next presidential election to be held in June 2017); election results: :Hasan Fereidun RUHANI elected president; percent of vote - Hasan Fereidun RUHANI 50.7%, Mohammad Baqer QALIBAF 16.5%, Saeed JALILI 11.4%, Mohsen REZAI 10.6%, Ali Akber VELAYATI 6.2%, other 4.6%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Iranian rials (IRR) per US dollar -; 25,780.2 (2014 est.); 18,414.4 (2013 est.); 12,175.5 (2012 est.); 10,616.3 (2011 est.); 10,254.18 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Persian 61%, Azeri 16%, Kurd 10%, Lur 6%, Baloch 2%, Arab 2%, Turkmen and Turkic tribes 2%, other 1%", "DEATH_RATE": "5.94 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1906; latest adopted 24 October 1979, effective 3 December 1979; amended 1989 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "UAE 35.8%, China 18.6%, India 6.4%, South Korea 5.8%, Turkey 5.4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)", "CLIMATE": "mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "industrial supplies, capital goods, foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services", "CAPITAL": "name: :Tehran; geographic coordinates: :35 42 N, 51 25 E; time difference: :UTC+3.5 (8.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins fourth Tuesday in March; ends fourth Thursday in September", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$60.46 billion; expenditures: :$63.25 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh): Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force (IRIAF), Khatemolanbia Air Defense Headquarters; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Sepah-e Pasdaran-e Enqelab-e Eslami, IRGC): Ground Resistance Forces, Navy, Aerospace Force, Quds Force (special operations); Law Enforcement Forces (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "18.23 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "319 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, sugarcane, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "31 provinces (ostanha, singular - ostan); Alborz, Ardabil, Azarbayjan-e Gharbi (West Azerbaijan), Azarbayjan-e Sharqi (East Azerbaijan), Bushehr, Chahar Mahal va Bakhtiari, Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Golestan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman, Kermanshah, Khorasan-e Jonubi (South Khorasan), Khorasan-e Razavi (Razavi Khorasan), Khorasan-e Shomali (North Khorasan), Khuzestan, Kohgiluyeh va Bowyer Ahmad, Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran, Qazvin, Qom, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 26.8%, Turkey 11%, India 10.6%, Japan 7.3%, South Korea 5.9% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and nuts, carpets", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :16.3%; industry: :35.1%; services: :48.6% (2013 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.6%; highest 10%: :29.6% (2005)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "18.7% (2007 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air pollution, especially in urban areas, from vehicle emissions, refinery operations, and industrial effluents; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; oil pollution in the Persian Gulf; wetland losses from drought; soil degradation (salination); inadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution from raw sewage and industrial waste; urbanization", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :179; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :9; 914 to 1,523 m: :135; 32 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :140; over 3,047 m: :42; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :29; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :26; 914 to 1,523 m: :36; under 914 m: :7 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and Shah Mohammad Reza PAHLAVI was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces led by Ayatollah Ruhollah KHOMEINI established a theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority vested in a learned religious scholar referred to commonly as the Supreme Leader who, according to the constitution, is accountable only to the Assembly of Experts - a popularly elected 86-member body of clerics. US-Iranian relations became strained when a group of Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran in November 1979 and held embassy personnel hostages until mid-January 1981. The US cut off diplomatic relations with Iran in April 1980. During the period 1980-88, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf and led to clashes between US Navy and Iranian military forces. Iran has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism for its activities in Lebanon and elsewhere in the world and remains subject to US, UN, and EU economic sanctions and export controls because of its continued involvement in terrorism and concerns over possible military dimensions of its nuclear program. Following the election of reformer Hojjat ol-Eslam Mohammad KHATAMI as president in 1997 and a reformist Majles (legislature) in 2000, a campaign to foster political reform in response to popular dissatisfaction was initiated. The movement floundered as conservative politicians, supported by the Supreme Leader, unelected institutions of authority like the Council of Guardians, and the security services reversed and blocked reform measures while increasing security repression. Starting with nationwide municipal elections in 2003 and continuing through Majles elections in 2004, conservatives reestablished control over Iran's elected government institutions, which culminated with the August 2005 inauguration of hardliner Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD as president. His controversial reelection in June 2009 sparked nationwide protests over allegations of electoral fraud. These protests were quickly suppressed, and the political opposition that arose as a consequence of AHMADI-NEJAD's election was repressed. Deteriorating economic conditions due primarily to government mismanagement and international sanctions prompted at least two major economically based protests in July and October 2012, but Iran's internal security situation remained stable. President AHMADI-NEJAD's independent streak angered regime establishment figures, including the Supreme Leader, leading to conservative opposition to his agenda for the last year of his presidency, and an alienation of his political supporters. In June 2013 Iranians elected a moderate conservative cleric, Dr. Hasan Fereidun RUHANI to the presidency. He is a long-time senior member in the regime, but has made promises of reforming society and Iran's foreign policy. The UN Security Council has passed a number of resolutions calling for Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities and comply with its IAEA obligations and responsibilities, but in November 2013 the five permanent members, plus Germany, (P5+1) signed a joint plan with Iran to provide the country with incremental relief from international pressure for positive steps toward transparency of their nuclear program.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :715,111; female: :677,372 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :20,149,222; females age 16-49: :19,417,275 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age for volunteers; 17 years of age for Law Enforcement Forces; 15 years of age for Basij Forces (Popular Mobilization Army); conscript military service obligation is 18 months; women exempt from military service (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "almost two and a half times the size of Teas; slightly smaller than Alaska", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caspian Sea -28 m; highest point: :Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m", "HELIPORTS": "26 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.89 male(s)/female; total population: :1.03 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "29 (plus 450 repeaters) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 72, FM 10, shortwave 21 (2010)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :9.1%; industry: :40.7%; services: :50.3% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "32 00 N, 53 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :23.7% (male 9,834,866/female 9,350,017); 15-24 years: :18.7% (male 7,757,256/female 7,341,309); 25-54 years: :46.1% (male 18,955,874/female 18,289,849); 55-64 years: :6.3% (male 2,519,630/female 2,603,458); 65 years and over: :5.2% (male 1,941,692/female 2,246,762) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Iraq", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Stuart E. JONES (since 2 October 2014); embassy: :Al-Kindi Street, International Zone, Baghdad; mailing address: :APO AE 09316; telephone: :0760-030-3000; FAX: :NA", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$14,100 (2014 est.); $14,600 (2013 est.); $14,500 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.5% (2014 est.); 4.2% (2013 est.); 10.3% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.23% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$505.4 billion (2014 est.); $508 billion (2013 est.); $487.5 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :74.9%; youth dependency ratio: :69.3%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.5%; potential support ratio: :18.1% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "18% of GDP (2014 est.); 15.3% of GDP (2013 est.); 28.8% of GDP (2012 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "52.5% (2011)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :715,737; percentage: :11% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "130.7 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "3.158 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "646 million cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "646 million cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "172,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "3,832 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "769,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "492,800 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "140.3 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "2.39 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "3.066 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "7.6% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "92% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "11.2 million kW (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "8.201 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "53.41 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "62.3 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "golden eagle; national colors: red, white, black", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "27% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.3 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.61 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "3.6% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "8.5% (2011)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "63 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "2.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "43.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "BAGHDAD (capital) 6.483 million; Mosul 1.642 million; Erbil 1.132 million; Basra 999,000; As Sulaymaniyah 968,000; Najaf 860,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Mawtini\" (My Homeland); lyrics/music: :Ibrahim TOUQAN/Mohammad FLAYFEL; note: :adopted 2004; following the ouster of SADDAM Husayn, Iraq adopted \"Mawtini,\" a popular folk song throughout the Arab world; also serves as an unofficial anthem of the Palestinian people", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 86.2% of population; rural: 81.8% of population; total: 84.7% of population; urban: 13.8% of population; rural: 18.2% of population; total: 15.3% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 93.9% of population; rural: 68.5% of population; total: 85.4% of population; urban: 6.1% of population; rural: 31.5% of population; total: 14.6% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$78.52 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $75.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$66.17 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $63.32 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "the number of private radio and TV stations has increased rapidly since 2003; government-owned TV and radio stations are operated by the publicly funded Iraqi Media Network; private broadcast media are mostly linked to political, ethnic, or religious groups; satellite TV is available to an estimated 70% of viewers and many of the broadcasters are based abroad; transmissions of multiple international radio broadcasters are accessible (2015)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :69.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.01% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$-1.666 million (31 December 2014 est.); $-2.776 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$5.415 billion (31 December 2008); $3.67 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$26.1 billion (31 December 2008); $18.81 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "6% (31 December 2014 est.); 6% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "6% (December 2012); 6% (December 2011)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :10 years; male: :11 years; female: :9 years (2004)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :66 cu km/yr (7%/15%/79%); per capita: :2,616 cu m/yr (2000)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "89.86 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$4 billion (9 December 2011); $2.6 billion (31 July 2010); $2 billion (31 July 2009 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$232.2 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :15,786 (Turkey); 9,992 (West Bank and Gaza Strip); 8,068 (Iran) (2014); 244,731 (Syria) (2015); IDPs: :3,636,734 (since 2006 from ethno-sectarian violence; includes 2,536,734 displaced in central and northern Iraq since January 2014) (2015); stateless persons: :120,000 (2013); note - in the 1970s and 1980s under SADDAM Husayn's administration, thousands of Iraq's Faili Kurds, followers of Shia Islam, were stripped of their Iraqi citizenship, had their property seized by the government, and many were deported; some Faili Kurds had their citizenship reinstated under the 2006 Iraqi Nationality Law, but others lack the documentation to prove their Iraqi origins; some Palestinian refugees, who were also persecuted under the SADDAM Husayn regime, still remain stateless in Iraq", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :intermediate; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$74 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $77.74 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$21.12 billion (2014 est.); $20.42 billion (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "26 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :21.5 years; male: :21.4 years; female: :21.6 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".iq", "INTERNET_USERS": "325,900 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "26.76 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "1.87 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Luqman Abd al-Rahim FAYLI (since 31 May 2013); chancery: :3421 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Detroit, Los Angeles", "AREA": "total: :438,317 sq km; land: :437,367 sq km; water: :950 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "35,250 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Middle East", "LOCATION": "Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Iraq; conventional short form: :Iraq; local long form: :Jumhuriyat al-Iraq/Komar-i Eraq; local short form: :Al Iraq/Eraq", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "16% (2012 est.); 15% (2010 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "3.41 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :the 2003 liberation of Iraq severely disrupted telecommunications throughout Iraq including international connections; widespread government efforts to rebuild domestic and international communications through fiber optic links are in progress; the mobile cellular market has expanded rapidly to some 27 million subscribers by the end of 2012; domestic: :repairs to switches and lines destroyed during 2003 continue; additional switching capacity is improving access; 3 GSM operators since 2007 have expanded beyond their regional roots and offer near country-wide access to second-generation services; third-generation mobile services are not available nationwide; wireless local loop is available in some metropolitan areas and additional licenses have been issued with the hope of overcoming the lack of fixed-line infrastructure; international: :country code - 964; satellite earth stations - 4 (2 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean, 1 Intersputnik - Atlantic Ocean region, and 1 Arabsat (inoperative)); local microwave radio relay connects border regions to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey; international terrestrial fiber-optic connections have been established with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Kuwait, Jordan, and Iran; links to the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) and the Gulf Bridge International (GBI) submarine fiber-optic cables have been established (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": ".1; note: :while there has been voluntary relocation of many Christian families to northern Iraq, recent reporting indicates that the overall Christian population may have dropped by as much as 50 percent since the fall of the Saddam HUSSEIN regime in 2003, with many fleeing to Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon (2010 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :2,370 km; standard gauge: :2,370 km 1.435-m gauge (2012)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "river port(s): :Al Basrah (Shatt al-'Arab); Khawr az Zubayr, Umm Qasr (Khawr az Zubayr waterway)", "POPULATION": "32,585,692 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Anbar Loyalty Party [Qasim al-AHADAWI; Awakening Conference [Ahmad al-RISHAWI; Badr Organization [Hadi al-AMIRI; Civil Democratic Alliance; Da'wa Party (Islamic) [Vice President Nuri al-MALIKI; Da'wa Tanzim [Hashim al-MUSAWI branch; Fadilah Party [Ammar TUAMA; Goran (Change) List (also known as the Movement for Change) [Nushirwan MUSTAFA; Iraq Coalition [Abd al-Salam al-HAMMUDI; Iraqi Front for National Dialogue [Deputy Prime Minister Salih al-MUTLAQ; Iraqi Islamic Party or IIP [Ayad al-SAMARRA�I; Iraqi Justice and Reform Movement [Shaykh Abdallah al-YAWR; Iraqi National Congress or INC [Ahmad CHALABI; Iraqi Turkoman Front [Arshad al-SALIHI; Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq or ISCI [Ammar al-HAKIM; Kurdistan Democratic Party or KDP [Kurdistan Regional Government President Masud BARZANI; Kurdistan Islamic Group (also called Islamic Group of Kurdistan) [Ali BAPIR; Kurdish Islamic Union [ Mohammed FARAI; Nationalism Coalition/ Al Wataniyah [Vice President Ayad ALLAWI; National Future Gathering [Dhafir al-ANI; National Movement for Reform and Development [Muhammad al-KARBULI; National Reform Trend [Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-JAFARI; Patriotic Union of Kurdistan or PUK [former President Jalal TALABANI; Sadrist Trend [Muqtada al-SADR; Shia Independents [Higher Education Minister Husayn al-SHAHRISTANI; United for Iraq/Muttahidun Party [Vice President Usama al-NUJAYFI; Coalitions and Leaders: :Al Ahrar Coalition/Sadrist Trend [Muqtada al-SADR; Al-Arabiyah Coalition [Deputy Prime Minister Salih al-MUTLAQ; Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) Coalition/Muwatin [Ammar al-HAKIM; Kurdistan Alliance [Muhsin al-SADUN; Nationalism Coalition/Al Wataniyah [Vice President Ayad ALLAWI; State of Law Coalition [Vice President Nuri al-Maliki; United for Reform Coalition/Muttahidun Party [Vice President Usama al-NUJAYFI; note: :numerous smaller local, tribal, and minority parties", "PIPELINES": "gas 2,455 km; liquid petroleum gas 913 km; oil 5,432 km; refined products 1,637 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "During 2014, worsening security and financial stability throughout Iraq�driven by an ongoing insurgency, decreasing oil prices, and political upheaval�decreased the prospects for improving the country's economic environment and securing much-needed foreign investment. Long-term fiscal health, a strengthened investment climate, and sustained improvements in the overall standard of living still depend on the central government passing major policy reforms. Iraq's largely state-run economy is dominated by the oil sector, which provides more than 90% of government revenue and 80% of foreign exchange earnings. Oil exports in 2014 remained relatively flat at 2.4 million barrels per day on average, despite new production coming online at the West Qurna 2 and Badrah oilfields, because repeated attacks on the Iraq-Turkey pipeline reduced export capacity. During the second half of 2014, government revenues decreased as global oil prices fell by more than 30%. Iraq's contracts with major oil companies have the potential to further expand oil exports and revenues, but Iraq will need to make significant upgrades to its oil processing, pipeline, and export infrastructure to enable these deals to reach their economic potential. The Iraqi Kurdistan Region's (IKR) autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) passed its own oil law in 2007, and has directly signed about 50 contracts to develop IKR energy reserves. The federal government has disputed the legal authority of the KRG to conclude most of these contracts, some of which are also in areas with unresolved administrative boundaries in dispute between the federal and regional government. In December, the federal government and the KRG agreed to sell oil exports from Kurdish-controlled oil fields under the federal oil ministry, in exchange for the central government paying $1 billion to the Kurdish Peshmerga forces and resuming budget transfers to the KRG that amount to 17% of the national budget. Iraq is making slow progress enacting laws and developing the institutions needed to implement economic policy, and political reforms are still needed to assuage investors' concerns regarding the uncertain business climate.. The government of Iraq is eager to attract additional foreign direct investment, but it faces a number of obstacles, including a tenuous political system and concerns about security and societal stability. Rampant corruption, outdated infrastructure, insufficient essential services, skilled labor shortages, and antiquated commercial laws stifle investment and continue to constrain growth of private, nonoil sectors. Under the Iraqi Constitution, some competencies relevant to the overall investment climate are either shared by the federal government and the regions or are devolved entirely to local governments. Investment in the IKR operates within the framework of the Kurdistan Region Investment Law (Law 4 of 2006) and the Kurdistan Board of Investment, which is designed to provide incentives to help economic development in areas under the authority of the KRG. Inflation has remained under control since 2006. However, Iraqi leaders remain hard pressed to translate macroeconomic gains into an improved standard of living for the Iraqi populace. Unemployment remains a problem throughout the country despite a bloated public sector. Encouraging private enterprise through deregulation would make it easier for Iraqi citizens and foreign investors to start new businesses. Rooting out corruption and implementing reforms - such as restructuring banks and developing the private sector - would be important steps in this direction.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Sunni militias", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Iraqi(s); adjective: :Iraqi", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Republic Day, July 14 (1958); note - the Government of Iraq has yet to declare an official national holiday but still observes Republic Day", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :2; by type: :petroleum tanker 2; registered in other countries: :2 (Marshall Islands 2) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CICA, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; continental shelf: :not specified", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :7,767,329; females age 16-49: :7,461,766 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :79%; male: :85.8%; female: :72.2% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :71.42 years; male: :69.93 years; female: :72.99 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Council of Representatives or Majlis an-Nuwwab al-Iraqiyy (328 seats; 320 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 8 seats reserved for minorities; members serve 4-year terms); note - Iraq's constitution calls for the establishment of an upper house, the Federation Council, but it has not been instituted; elections: :last held on 30 April 2014 (next to be held in 2018)", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of civil and Islamic law", "LANGUAGES": "Arabic (official), Kurdish (official), Turkmen (a Turkish dialect) and Assyrian (Neo-Aramaic) are official in areas where they constitute a majority of the population), Armenian", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :7.89%; permanent crops: :0.53%; other: :91.58% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :3,809 km; border countries: :Iran 1,599 km, Jordan 179 km, Kuwait 254 km, Saudi Arabia 811 km, Syria 599 km, Turkey 367 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "8.9 million (2010 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Federal Supreme Court or FSC (consists of 9 judges); note - court jurisdiction limited to constitutional issues); Court of Cassation (consists of a court president, 5 vice-presidents, and at least 24 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Federal Supreme Court and Court of Cassation judges appointed by the Higher Juridical Council, a 26-member independent committee of judicial officials; FSC members appointed for life; Court of Cassation judges appointed for 1-year probationary period and upon satisfactory performance may be confirmed for permanent tenure until retirement at age 63; subordinate courts: :Courts of Appeal (governorate level); courts of first instance; personal status, labor, criminal, juvenile, and religious courts", "WATERWAYS": "5,279 km (the Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,899 km), and Third River (565 km) are the principal waterways) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3.3% (2014 est.); 1.9% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :37.53 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :41.57 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :33.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "petroleum, chemicals, textiles, leather, construction materials, food processing, fertilizer, metal fabrication/processing", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "6.4% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration); note - on 28 June 2004 the Coalition Provisional Authority transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim Government", "IMPORTS": "$62.34 billion (2014 est.); $56.68 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :59,623 km; paved: :59,623 km (includes Kurdistan Region) (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the Takbir (Arabic expression meaning \"God is great\") in green Arabic script is centered in the white band; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black), overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white); the Council of Representatives approved this flag in 2008 as a compromise temporary replacement for the Ba'athist Saddam-era flag; note: :similar to the flag of Syria, which has two stars but no script; Yemen, which has a plain white band; and that of Egypt, which has a gold Eagle of Saladin centered in the white band", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$58.19 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $59.49 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$94.43 billion (2014 est.); $89.76 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Fuad MASUM (since 24 July 2014); Vice Presidents Ayad ALLAWI (since 8 September 2014), Nuri al-MALIKI (since 8 September 2014), Usama al-NUJAYFI (since 8 September 2014); head of government: :Prime Minister Haydar al-ABADI (since 8 September 2014); Deputy Prime Ministers Baha al-ARAJI (since 8 September 2014), Salih al-MUTLAQ (since 8 September 2014), Rowsch SHAWAYS (since 18 October 2014); cabinet: :Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, approved by the Council of Representatives; elections: :president elected by Council of Representatives (COR) to serve a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 24 July 2014 (next to be held in 2018); prime minister nominated by the president, approved by COR; election results: :Fuad MASUM elected president; Council of Representatives vote - Fuad MASUM 211, Barham SALIH 17", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Iraqi dinars (IQD) per US dollar -; 1,166 (2014 est.); 1,166 (2013 est.); 1,166.17 (2012 est.); 1,170 (2011 est.); 1,170 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian, or other 5%", "DEATH_RATE": "4.57 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted by referendum 15 October 2005 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Turkey 25.4%, China 15.5%, Syria 14.3%, US 4.6%, South Korea 4.4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "58 km", "CLIMATE": "mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in central and southern Iraq", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "food, medicine, manufactures", "CAPITAL": "name: :Baghdad; geographic coordinates: :33 20 N, 44 24 E; time difference: :UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$101.4 billion; expenditures: :$94.58 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Ministry of Defense: Iraqi Army (includes Army Aviation Directorate), Iraqi Air Force, and Iraqi Navy; and Counterterrorism Service (2015)", "BIRTH_RATE": "26.85 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "102 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, cotton; cattle, sheep, poultry", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "18 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah (Arabic); parezgakan, singular - parezga (Kurdish)) and 1 region*; Al Anbar; Al Basrah; Al Muthanna; Al Qadisiyah (Ad Diwaniyah); An Najaf; Arbil (Erbil) (Arabic), Hewler (Kurdish); As Sulaymaniyah (Arabic), Slemani (Kurdish); Babil; Baghdad; Dahuk (Arabic), Dihok (Kurdish); Dhi Qar; Diyala; Karbala'; Kirkuk; Kurdistan Regional Government*; Maysan; Ninawa; Salah ad Din; Wasit", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "India 22.2%, China 19.6%, US 14.6%, South Korea 10.1%, Greece 5.2%, Italy 4.3% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "crude oil 84%, crude materials excluding fuels, food and live animals", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :21.6%; industry: :18.7%; services: :59.8% (2008 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.6%; highest 10%: :25.7% (2007 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "25% (2008 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "8.7% of GDP (2014); 3.4% of GDP (2013); 2.88% of GDP (2012); 3.27% of GDP (2011); 2.88% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified: :Environmental Modification", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "government water control projects drained most of the inhabited marsh areas east of An Nasiriyah by drying up or diverting the feeder streams and rivers; a once sizable population of Marsh Arabs, who inhabited these areas for thousands of years, has been displaced; furthermore, the destruction of the natural habitat poses serious threats to the area's wildlife populations; inadequate supplies of potable water; development of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers system contingent upon agreements with upstream riparian Turkey; air and water pollution; soil degradation (salination) and erosion; desertification", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :30; over 3,047 m: :3; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :5; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :13; 6 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :72; over 3,047 m: :20; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :34; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :4; 914 to 1,523 m: :7; under 914 m: :7 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by Britain during the course of World War I; in 1920, it was declared a League of Nations mandate under UK administration. In stages over the next dozen years, Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. A \"republic\" was proclaimed in 1958, but in actuality a series of strongmen ruled the country until 2003. The last was SADDAM Husayn. Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and costly eight-year war (1980-88). In August 1990, Iraq seized Kuwait but was expelled by US-led, UN coalition forces during the Gulf War of January-February 1991. Following Kuwait's liberation, the UN Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles and to allow UN verification inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions over a period of 12 years led to the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime. US forces remained in Iraq under a UNSC mandate through 2009 and under a bilateral security agreement thereafter, helping to provide security and to train and mentor Iraqi security forces. In October 2005, Iraqis approved a constitution in a national referendum and, pursuant to this document, elected a 275-member Council of Representatives (COR) in December 2005. The COR approved most cabinet ministers in May 2006, marking the transition to Iraq's first constitutional government in nearly a half century. Nearly nine years after the start of the Second Gulf War in Iraq, US military operations there ended in mid-December 2011. In January 2009 and April 2013, Iraq held elections for provincial councils in all governorates except for the three governorates comprising the Kurdistan Regional Government and Kirkuk Governorate. Iraq held a national legislative election in March 2010 - choosing 325 legislators in an expanded COR - and, after nine months of deadlock the COR approved the new government in December 2010. In April 2014, Iraq held a national legislative election and expanded the COR to 328 legislators. Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI dropped his bid for a third term in office, enabling new Prime Minister Haydar al-ABADI, a Shia from Baghdad, to win parliamentary approval of his new cabinet in September 2014.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :332,194; female: :322,010 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :6,591,185; females age 16-49: :6,421,717 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-40 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly more than three times the size of New York state", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "dust storms; sandstorms; floods", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Persian Gulf 0 m; highest point: :Cheekha Dar (Kurdish for \"Black Tent\"); 3,611 m", "HELIPORTS": "16 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.87 male(s)/female; total population: :1.03 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "28 (2009)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "55 (station frequency types NA) (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :3.3%; industry: :64.5%; services: :32.2% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "33 00 N, 44 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :36.7% (male 6,093,069/female 5,878,590); 15-24 years: :19.6% (male 3,237,212/female 3,142,202); 25-54 years: :36.3% (male 6,032,379/female 5,785,967); 55-64 years: :4.2% (male 652,973/female 713,662); 65 years and over: :3.2% (male 487,841/female 561,797) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Ireland", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Kevin F. O'MALLEY (since 8 October 2014); embassy: :42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4; mailing address: :use embassy street address; telephone: :[353; FAX: :[353", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$46,800 (2014 est.); $45,400 (2013 est.); $47,200 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.6% (2014 est.); 0.2% (2013 est.); -0.3% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.2% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$224.7 billion (2014 est.); $216.9 billion (2013 est.); $216.5 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :51.4%; youth dependency ratio: :32.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :18.7%; potential support ratio: :5.4% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "19.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 20% of GDP (2013 est.); 17.3% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :46.5%; government consumption: :14.4%; investment in fixed capital: :15.3%; investment in inventories: :0.3%; exports of goods and services: :106.6%; imports of goods and services: :-83.1%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "64.8%; note: :percent of women aged 18-49 (2004/05)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "29.9; note: :data are based on events and not on fertility rates (2012 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "35.49 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "9.911 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "4.401 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "4.77 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "345 million cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "110,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "26,120 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "141,600 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "61,650 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "62,070 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "1,858 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "1,100 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "19.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "2.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "77.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "8.572 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "2.716 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "389 million kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "24.68 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "26.09 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "harp, shamrock (trefoil): national color: green", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :24%; male: :36.4%; female: :24% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "25.2% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.9 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.72 physicians/1,000 population (2012)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "8.1% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "6 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-4.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "32.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "DUBLIN (capital) 1.155 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Amhran na bhFiann\" (The Soldier's Song); lyrics/music: :Peadar KEARNEY [English; note: :adopted 1926; instead of \"Amhran na bhFiann,\" the song \"Ireland's Call\" is often used at athletic events where citizens of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland compete as a unified team", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 99.6% of population; rural: 97.9% of population; total: 99% of population; urban: 0.4% of population; rural: 2.1% of population; total: 1% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 99.7% of population; total: 99.9% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0.3% of population; total: 0.1% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$255.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $267.4 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$146.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $156.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.); note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "publicly owned broadcaster Radio Telefis Eireann (RTE) operates 2 TV stations; commercial TV stations are available; about 75% of households utilize multi-channel satellite and TV services that provide access to a wide range of stations; RTE operates 4 national radio stations and has launched digital audio broadcasts on several stations; a number of commercial broadcast stations operate at the national, regional, and local levels (2014)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :63% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.58% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$411.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $440.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$NA; note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi money circulating within their own borders", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "3.3% (31 December 2014 est.); 3.28% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.75% (31 December 2013); 1.5% (31 December 2010); note: :this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "6.4% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :19 years; male: :19 years; female: :18 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.79 cu km/yr (94%/6%/0%); per capita: :226.9 cu m/yr (2007)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "52 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$109 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $108.1 billion (31 December 2011); $60.45 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$943.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $913.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$831.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $788.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$245.8 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :73 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$1.635 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $1.635 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$16.9 billion (2014 est.); $14.44 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "118.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 119.9% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "1.387 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :35.7 years; male: :35.4 years; female: :36.1 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "33.9 (2010); 35.9 (1987)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ie", "INTERNET_USERS": "3.042 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "4.906 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "2.007 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Anne Colette ANDERSON (since 28 August 2013); chancery: :2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco", "AREA": "total: :70,273 sq km; land: :68,883 sq km; water: :1,390 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "11 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Ireland; local long form: :none; local short form: :Eire", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "11.3% (2014 est.); 13.1% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic, parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modern digital system using cable and microwave radio relay; domestic: :system privatized but dominated by former state monopoly operator; increasing levels of broadband access particularly in urban areas; international: :country code - 353; landing point for the Hibernia-Atlantic submarine cable with links to the US, Canada, and UK; satellite earth stations - 81 (2014)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 84.7%, Church of Ireland 2.7%, other Christian 2.7%, Muslim 1.1%, other 1.7%, unspecified 1.5%, none 5.7% (2011 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :3,237 km; broad gauge: :1,872 km 1.600-m gauge (37 km electrified); narrow gauge: :1,365 km 0.914-m gauge (operated by the Irish Peat Board to transport peat to power stations and briquetting plants) (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Dublin, Shannon Foynes,; river port(s): :Cork (Lee), Waterford (Suir); container port(s) (TEUs): :Dublin (1,931,001)", "POPULATION": "4,832,765 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Fianna Fail [Micheal MARTIN; Fine Gael [Enda KENNY; Green Party [Eamon RYAN; Labor (Labour) Party [Joan BURTON; Renua Ireland [Lucinda CREIGHTON; Sinn Fein [Gerry ADAMS; Socialist Party [Collective Leadership; The Workers' Party [Michael DONNELLY", "PIPELINES": "gas 2,147 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Ireland is a small, modern, trade-dependent economy. Ireland was among the initial group of 12 EU nations that began circulating the euro on 1 January 2002. GDP growth averaged 6% in 1995-2007, but economic activity dropped sharply during the world financial crisis and the subsequent collapse of its domestic property market and construction industry. Faced with sharply reduced revenues and a burgeoning budget deficit from efforts to stabilize its fragile banking sector, the Irish Government introduced the first in a series of draconian budgets in 2009. These measures were not sufficient to stabilize Ireland�s public finances. In 2010, the budget deficit reached 32.4% of GDP - the world's largest deficit, as a percentage of GDP. In late 2010, the former COWEN government agreed to a $92 billion loan package from the EU and IMF to help Dublin recapitalize Ireland�s banking sector and avoid defaulting on its sovereign debt. In March 2011, the KENNY government intensified austerity measures to meet the deficit targets under Ireland's EU-IMF bailout program. In late 2013, Ireland formally exited its EU-IMF bailout program, benefiting from its strict adherence to deficit-reduction targets and success in refinancing a large amount of banking-related debt. In 2014, the economy rapidly picked up and GDP grew by 3.6%. The recovering economy assisted lowering the deficit to 4.2% of GDP. In late 2014, the government introduced a fiscally neutral budget, marking the end of the austerity program. In the wake of the collapse of the construction sector and the downturn in consumer spending and business investment, the export sector, dominated by foreign multinationals, has become an even more important component of Ireland's economy. Ireland�s low corporation tax of 12.5% has been central to encouraging business investment. Loose tax residency requirements made Ireland a common destination for international firms seeking to avoid taxation. Amid growing international pressure the government announced it would phase in more stringent tax laws, effectively closing a loophole.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Continuity IRA (terrorist group); Families Acting for Innocent Relatives or FAIR [Brian MCCONNELL; Iona Institute [David QUINN; Irish Anti-War Movement [Richard BOYD BARRETT; Keep Ireland Open (environmental group); Oglaigh na hEireann (terrorist group); Midland Railway Action Group or MRAG [Willie ALLEN; New Irish Republican Army (terrorist group combining elements of the former Real IRA and Republican Action Against Drugs); Peace and Neutrality Alliance [Roger COLE; Rail Users Ireland (formerly the Platform 11 - transportation promoters); 32 Country Sovereignty Movement or 32CSM (supports unifying Northern Ireland with the rest of the island under Irish government sovereignty)", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location on major air and sea routes between North America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides within 100 km of Dublin", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "3.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum, limestone, dolomite", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural); adjective: :Irish", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :31; by type: :cargo 28, chemical tanker 2, container 1; foreign-owned: :5 (France 2, Spain 1, US 2); registered in other countries: :33 (Bahamas 3, Bermuda 1, Cambodia 1, Cyprus 3, Isle of Man 1, Kazakhstan 1, Malta 4, Marshall Islands 6, Netherlands 8, Panama 1, Russia 1, Slovakia 1, Sweden 1, UK 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,179,125; females age 16-49: :1,163,728 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :80.56 years; male: :78.28 years; female: :82.97 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament or Oireachtas consists of the Senate or Seanad Eireann (60 seats; 43 members indirectly elected by panels of various vocational interests, 11 appointed by the prime minister, and 6 elected by graduates of the University of Dublin and the National University of Ireland; members serve 5-year terms) and the Parliament or Dail Eireann (166 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :Senate - last held in 27 April 2011 (next to be held in 2016); House of Representatives - last held on 25 February 2011 (next to be held probably in 2016); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Fine Gael 19, Fianna Fail 14, Labor Party 12, Sinn Fein 3, independent 12; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - Fine Gael 36.1%, Labor Party 19.5%, Fianna Fail 17.5%, Sinn Fein 9.9%, United Left Alliance 2.6%, independent and other 14.4%; seats by party - Fine Gael 76, Labor Party 37, Fianna Fail 20, Sinn Fein 14, United Left Alliance 5, independent 14", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "common law system based on the English model but substantially modified by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court", "LANGUAGES": "English (official, the language generally used), Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official, spoken by approximately 38.7% of the population as a first or second language in 2011; mainly spoken in areas along the western coast)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :16.98%; permanent crops: :0.01%; other: :83% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :443 km; border countries: :UK 443 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "2.174 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Court of Final Appeal (consists of the chief justice and 7 judges); judge selection and term of office: :judges nominated by the prime minister and Cabinet and appointed by the president; judges serve till age 70; subordinate courts: :High Court, Court of Appeal; circuit and district courts", "WATERWAYS": "956 km (pleasure craft only) (2010)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.3% (2014 est.); 0.5% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :3.74 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :4.11 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :3.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "pharmaceuticals, chemicals, computer hardware and software, food products, beverages and brewing; medical devices", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "4% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "6 December 1921 (from the UK by treaty)", "IMPORTS": "$66.94 billion (2014 est.); $66.1 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :96,036 km; paved: :96,036 km (includes 1,224 km of expressways) (2014)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange; officially the flag colors have no meaning, but a common interpretation is that the green represents the Irish nationalist (Gaelic) tradition of Ireland; orange represents the Orange tradition (minority supporters of William of Orange); white symbolizes peace (or a lasting truce) between the green and the orange; note: :similar to the flag of Cote d'Ivoire, which is shorter and has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green; also similar to the flag of Italy, which is shorter and has colors of green (hoist side), white, and red", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$2.164 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); $2.213 trillion (31 December 2011)", "EXPORTS": "$121.3 billion (2014 est.); $116.1 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Michael D. HIGGINS (since 29 October 2011); head of government: :Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda KENNY (since 9 March 2011); cabinet: :Cabinet nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the president with approval of Dail Eireann; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 29 October 2011 (next to be held in October 2018); taoiseach (prime minister) nominated by the House of Representatives (Dail Eireann) and appointed by the president; election results: :Michael D. HIGGINS elected president; percent of vote - Michael D. HIGGINS 39.6%, Sean GALLAGHER 28.5%, Martin MCGUINNESS 13.7%, Gay MITCHELL 6.4%, David NORRIS 6.2%, other 5.6%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.78 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Irish 84.5%, other white 9.8%, Asian 1.9%, black 1.4%, mixed and other 0.9%, unspecified 1.6% (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "6.45 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1922; latest drafted 14 June 1937, adopted by plebiscite 1 July 1937, effective 29 December 1937; amended many times, last in 2013 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "UK 39.8%, US 9.9%, Germany 8.6%, Netherlands 6.3%, China 4.1% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "1,448 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing", "CAPITAL": "name: :Dublin; geographic coordinates: :53 19 N, 6 14 W; time difference: :UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$80.65 billion; expenditures: :$91.87 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Irish Defence Forces (Oglaigh na h-Eireannn), Permanent Defence Forces (PDF): Army, Naval Service, Air Corps; Reserve Defence Forces (RDF): Army, Naval Service Reserves (2014)", "BIRTH_RATE": "15.18 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "40 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "barley, potatoes, wheat; beef, dairy products", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "28 counties and 3 cities*; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Cork*, Donegal, Dublin*, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, Galway, Galway*, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, South Dublin, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 19.6%, UK 16.9%, Belgium 13.7%, Germany 7.7%, Switzerland 6.3%, France 4.9%, Netherlands 4.5% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, medical devices, pharmaceuticals; foodstuffs, animal products", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :5%; industry: :19%; services: :76% (2011 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.9%; highest 10%: :27.2% (2000)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "5.5% (2009)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.55% of GDP (2012); 0.59% of GDP (2011); 0.55% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Marine Life Conservation", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :24; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :2; 21 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :16; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :4; 914 to 1,523 m: :5; under 914 m: :5 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Celtic tribes arrived on the island between 600 and 150 B.C. Invasions by Norsemen that began in the late 8th century were finally ended when King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014. Norman invasions began in the 12th century and set off more than seven centuries of Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions and harsh repressions. The Irish famine of the mid-19th century saw the population of the island drop by one third through starvation and emigration. For more than a century after that the population of the island continued to fall only to begin growing again in the 1960s. Over the last 50 years, Ireland's high birthrate has made it demographically one of the youngest populations in the EU. The modern Irish state traces its origins to the failed 1916 Easter Monday Uprising which touched off several years of guerrilla warfare resulting in independence from the UK in 1921 for 26 southern counties; six northern counties remained part of the UK. Unresolved issues in Northern Ireland erupted into years of violence known as the \"Troubles\" that began in the 1960s. The Government of Ireland was part of a process along with the UK and US Governments that helped broker what is known as The Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland in 1998. This initiated a new phase of cooperation between Irish and British governments. Ireland was neutral in World War II and continues its policy of military neutrality. Ireland joined the European Community in 1973 and the Eurozone currency union in 1999. The economic boom years of the Celtic Tiger (1995-2007) saw rapid economic growth, which came to an abrupt end in 2008 with the meltdown of the Irish banking system. Today the economy is recovering, fueled by large and growing foreign direct investment, especially from US multi-nationals.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :28,564; female: :27,197 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :977,631; females age 16-49: :965,900 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-25 years of age for male and female voluntary military service recruits to the Permanent Defence Forces (PDF; 18-27 years of age for the Naval Service); 18-28 for cadetship (officer) applicants; 18-35 years of age for the Reserve Defence Forces (RDF); maximum obligation 12 years (PDF officers), 5 years (PDF enlisted), 3 years RDF (4 years for Naval Service Reserves); EU citizenship, refugee status, or 5-year residence in Ireland required (2014)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than West Virginia", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Carrauntoohil 1,041 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.84 male(s)/female; total population: :1 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "4 (many repeaters) (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 9, FM 106, shortwave 0 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :1.6%; industry: :27%; services: :71.4% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "53 00 N, 8 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :21.4% (male 529,140/female 506,857); 15-24 years: :11.9% (male 292,962/female 283,127); 25-54 years: :44.1% (male 1,070,875/female 1,061,396); 55-64 years: :10.1% (male 245,913/female 244,345); 65 years and over: :12.4% (male 275,114/female 323,036) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Isle of Man", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (British crown dependency)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "British crown dependency", "AFFILIATION": "(British crown dependency)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$83,100 (2007 est.); $35,000 (2005 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.2% (2012); 3.4% (2011); 2.1% (2010)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.8% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$6.298 billion (FY 2012/13 est.); $5.85 billion (FY 2011/12 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "triskelion (a motif of three legs); national colors: red, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :7.2%; male: :9.5%; female: :5.1% (2006 est.)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "0.5% of GDP (FY05/06 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "23.7% of GDP (FY05/06 est.)", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "DOUGLAS (capital) 29,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Arrane Ashoonagh dy Vannin\" (O Land of Our Birth); lyrics/music: :William Henry GILL [English; note: :adopted 2003, in use since 1907; serves as a local anthem; as a British crown dependency, \"God Save the Queen\" is official (see United Kingdom) and is played when the sovereign, members of the royal family, or the lieutenant governor are present", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "national public radio broadcasts over 3 FM stations and 1 AM station; 2 commercial broadcasters operating with 1 having multiple FM stations; receives radio and TV services via relays from British TV and radio broadcasters (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :52.1% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.8% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$4.076 billion (2007 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "895 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :43.4 years; male: :42.7 years; female: :44.1 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".im", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (British crown dependency)", "AREA": "total: :572 sq km; land: :572 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "0 sq km (2011)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Isle of Man; abbreviation: :I.O.M.", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the UK", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "2% (April 2011 est.); 1.8% (October 2010 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.94 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "hills in north and south bisected by central valley", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "domestic: :landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system; international: :country code - 44; fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite earth station, submarine cable", "SUFFRAGE": "16 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant (Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends), Roman Catholic", "RAILWAYS": "total: :63 km; narrow gauge: :6 km 1.076-m gauge (6 km electrified); 57 km 0.914-m gauge (29 km electrified); note: :primarily summer tourist attractions (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Douglas, Ramsey", "POPULATION": "86,866 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alliance for Progressive Government; Liberal Vannin Party [Peter KARRAN; Manx Labor Party; Mec Vannin [Bernard MOFFATT; most members sit as independents", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Financial services, manufacturing, and tourism are key sectors of the economy. The government offers low taxes and other incentives to high-technology companies and financial institutions to locate on the island; this has paid off in expanding employment opportunities in high-income industries. As a result, agriculture and fishing, once the mainstays of the economy, have declined in their contributions to GDP. The Isle of Man also attracts online gambling sites and the film industry. The Isle of Man enjoys free access to EU markets and trade is mostly with the UK. In October 2014, the Isle of Man signed an OECD agreement to automatically exchange some financial account information to limit tax avoidance and evasion.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Alliance for Progressive Government or APG (a government watchdog); Mec Vannin (political party advocating a sovereign state and environment policies); note - has only had one member elected to the Tynwald", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest and is a bird sanctuary", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "6.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "none", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Manxman(men), Manxwoman(women); adjective: :Manx", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Tynwald Day, 5 July", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :321; by type: :bulk carrier 59, cargo 55, chemical tanker 52, container 7, liquefied gas 43, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 93, roll on/roll off 5, vehicle carrier 5; foreign-owned: :223 (Bermuda 7, Chile 9, Denmark 30, Germany 56, Greece 62, Ireland 1, Japan 19, Malaysia 6, Norway 30, South Africa 2, US 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "UPU", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :12 nm", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :80.98 years; male: :79.33 years; female: :82.75 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Tynwald or the High Court of Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council (11 seats; includes the President of Tynwald, 2 ex-officio members - the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man and the attorney general- and 8 members indirectly elected by the House of Keys with renewal of 4 members every 2 years; elected members serve 4-year terms) and the House of Keys (24 seats; members directly elected by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms); elections: :House of Keys - last held on 29 September 2011 (next to be held in September 2016); election results: :House of Keys - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Liberal Vannin Party 3, independents 21", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "the laws of the UK where applicable apply and include Manx statutes", "LANGUAGES": "English, Manx Gaelic (about 2% of the population has some knowledge)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :37.72%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :62.28% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland) (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "41,790 (2006)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest resident court(s): :Isle of Man High Courts of Justice (consists of 3 permanent judges called \"deemsters\" and 1 judge of appeal; organized into the Staff of Government Division or Court of Appeal and the Civil Division); note - appeals beyond the High Court of Justice are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London); judge selection and term of office: :judges appointed by the Lord Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor; judge tenure NA; subordinate courts: :High Court; Court of Summary Gaol Delivery; Summary Courts; magistrate's Court; specialized courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "5% (2010 est.); 3.1% (2006)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :4.17 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :4.12 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :4.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "financial services, light manufacturing, tourism", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (British crown dependency)", "IMPORTS": "$NA", "ROADWAYS": "total: :500 km (2008)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (triskelion), in the center; the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the knee; in order to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of the flag, a two-sided emblem is used; the flag is based on the coat-of-arms of the last recognized Norse King of Mann, Magnus III (r. 1252-65); the triskelion has its roots in an early Celtic sun symbol", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$NA", "EXPORTS": "$NA", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Lieutenant Governor Adam WOOD (since 7 April 2011); head of government: :Chief Minister Allan BELL (since 11 October 2011); cabinet: :Council of Ministers; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch; the chief minister elected by the Tynwald for a five-year term; election last held on 11 October 2011 (next to be held in December 2016); election results: :House of Keys speaker Allan BELL elected chief minister by the Tynwald with 27 votes out of 30", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Manx pounds (IMP) per US dollar -; 0.6003 (2011); 0.6472 (2013); 0.6241 (2011); 0.6472 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "white 96.5%, Asian/Asian British 1.9%, other 1.5% (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "10.03 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest announced 16 October 2006 (Isle of Man Constitution Act 2006) (2006)", "COASTLINE": "160 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about a third of the time", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "timber, fertilizers, fish", "CAPITAL": "name: :Douglas; geographic coordinates: :54 09 N, 4 29 W; time difference: :UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$965 million; expenditures: :$943 million (FY05/06 est.)", "BIRTH_RATE": "11.17 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none; there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 24 local authorities each with its own elections", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture, forestry, and fishing: :2%; manufacturing: :5%; construction: :8%; gas, electricity, and water: :1%; transport and communication: :9%; wholesale and retail distribution: :11%; professional and scientific services: :20%; public administration: :7%; banking and finance: :23%; tourism: :1%; entertainment and catering: :5%; miscellaneous services: :8% (2006)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "waste disposal (both household and industrial); transboundary air pollution", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Part of the Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides until the 13th century when it was ceded to Scotland, the isle came under the British crown in 1765. Current concerns include reviving the almost extinct Manx Gaelic language. Isle of Man is a British crown dependency but is not part of the UK or of the European Union. However, the UK Government remains constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :507; female: :494 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :15,206; females age 16-49: :15,127 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Irish Sea 0 m; highest point: :Snaefell 621 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.08 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.11 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.08 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.85 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "0 (receives broadcasts from the UK and satellite) (1999)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :1%; industry: :13%; services: :86% (FY08/09 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "54 15 N, 4 30 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :16.3% (male 7,457/female 6,721); 15-24 years: :11.9% (male 5,371/female 4,990); 25-54 years: :39.5% (male 17,110/female 17,209); 55-64 years: :12.8% (male 5,605/female 5,519); 65 years and over: :19.4% (male 7,839/female 9,045) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Israel", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Daniel B. SHAPIRO (since 8 July 2011); embassy: :71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv 63903; telephone: :[972; FAX: :[972; consulate(s) general: :Jerusalem; note - an independent US mission, established in 1928, whose members are not accredited to a foreign government", "AFFILIATION": "(also see separate Gaza Strip and West Bank entries)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$33,400 (2014 est.); $33,300 (2013 est.); $32,900 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.5% (2014 est.); 3.2% (2013 est.); 3% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.46% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$268.3 billion (2014 est.); $261.8 billion (2013 est.); $253.6 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :63.1%; youth dependency ratio: :45.5%; elderly dependency ratio: :17.6%; potential support ratio: :5.7% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "21.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 21.6% of GDP (2013 est.); 21.6% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :57%; government consumption: :22.6%; investment in fixed capital: :18.9%; investment in inventories: :0.5%; exports of goods and services: :31.8%; imports of goods and services: :-30.7%; (2014 est.)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "27.3 (2011 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "62.5 million Mt (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "285 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "510 million cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "7.538 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "6.35 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "143,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "83,700 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "238,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "275,600 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "11.5 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "260,600 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "490 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "5.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "97.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "16.25 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "4.2 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "59.83 billion kWh (2014 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "64.44 billion kWh (2014 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Star of David (Magen David), menorah (seven-branched lampstand); national colors: blue, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :12.1%; male: :11.6%; female: :12.7% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "26.2% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "3.3 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3.35 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "7.5% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "7 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "24.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; withdrew acceptance of ICCt jurisdiction in 2002", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "Tel Aviv-Yafo 3.559 million; Haifa 1.09 million; JERUSALEM (capital) 829,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Hatikvah\" (The Hope); lyrics/music: :Naftali Herz IMBER/traditional, arranged by Samuel COHEN; note: :adopted 2004, unofficial since 1948; used as the anthem of the Zionist movement since 1897; the 1888 arrangement by Samuel COHEN is thought to be based on the Romanian folk song \"Carul cu boi\" (The Ox Driven Cart)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$153.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $155.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$45.46 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $35.05 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state broadcasting network, operated by the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA), broadcasts on 2 channels, one in Hebrew and the other in Arabic; 5 commercial channels including a channel broadcasting in Russian, a channel broadcasting Knesset proceedings, and a music channel supervised by a public body; multi-channel satellite and cable TV packages provide access to foreign channels; IBA broadcasts on 8 radio networks with multiple repeaters and Israel Defense Forces Radio broadcasts over multiple stations; about 15 privately owned radio stations; overall more than 100 stations and repeater stations (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :92.1% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.37% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$204 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $193.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$170.6 billion (31 December 2008); $154.3 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$18.9 billion (31 December 2008); $19.99 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "3.3% (31 December 2014 est.); 4.54% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.25% (31 December 2014); 1% (31 December 2013)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.6% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :16 years; male: :15 years; female: :16 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :1.95 cu km/yr (39%/6%/55%); per capita: :282.4 cu m/yr (2009)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "1.78 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$148.4 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $145 billion (31 December 2011); $218.1 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$83.62 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $78.92 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$97.05 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $86.95 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$305 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :35,214 (Eritrea); 12,542 (Sudan) (2013); stateless persons: :14 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$88.01 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $81.79 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$11.49 billion (2014 est.); $6.893 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "67.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 66.5% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "2.483 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :29.9 years; male: :29.2 years; female: :30.6 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "37.6 (2012); 39.2 (2008)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".il", "INTERNET_USERS": "4.525 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "9.225 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "3.594 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Ron DERMER (since 3 December 2013); chancery: :3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco", "AREA": "total: :20,770 sq km; land: :20,330 sq km; water: :440 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "2,250 sq km (2004)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Middle East", "LOCATION": "Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :State of Israel; conventional short form: :Israel; local long form: :Medinat Yisra'el; local short form: :Yisra'el", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "6.6% (2014 est.); 6.2% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.62 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :most highly developed system in the Middle East; domestic: :good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay; all systems are digital; four privately owned mobile-cellular service providers with countrywide coverage; international: :country code - 972; submarine cables provide links to Europe, Cyprus, and parts of the Middle East; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Jewish 75.1%, Muslim 17.4%, Christian 2%, Druze 1.6%, other 3.9% (2012 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :975 km; standard gauge: :975 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Ashdod, Elat (Eilat), Hadera, Haifa; container port(s) TEUs): :Ashdod (1,176,000), Haifa (1,238,000)", "POPULATION": "7,821,850 (includes populations of the Golan Heights of Golan Sub-District and East Jerusalem, which was annexed by Israel after 1967) (July 2014 est.); note: :approximately 19,400 Israeli settlers live in the Golan Heights; approximately 200,000 Israeli settlers live in East Jerusalem (2013)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Balad [Jamal ZAHALKA; Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (HADASH) [Muhammad BARAKEH; Kadima [Shaul MOFAZ; Kulanu [Moshe KAHLON; Labor Party [Isaac HERZOG; Likud [Binyamin NETANYAHU; National Union [Uri ARIEL; SHAS [Eliyahu YISHAI; The Jewish Home (Bayit Yehudi) [Naftali BENNETT; The Movement (Hatnuah) [Tzipora \"Tzipi\" LIVNI; The New Movement-Meretz [Haim ORON; The Zionist Camp (established for March 2015 election purposes); United Arab List-Ta'al [Ibrahim SARSUR; United Torah Judaism or UTJ [Yaakov LITZMAN; Yesh Atid [Yair LAPID; Yisrael Beiteinu or YB [Avigdor LIEBERMAN", "PIPELINES": "gas 763 km; oil 442 km; refined products 261 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Israel has a technologically advanced market economy. Cut diamonds, high-technology equipment, and pharmaceuticals are among the leading exports. Its major imports include crude oil, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. Israel usually posts sizable trade deficits, which are covered by tourism and other service exports, as well as significant foreign investment inflows. Between 2004 and 2013, growth averaged nearly 5% per year, led by exports. The global financial crisis of 2008-09 spurred a brief recession in Israel, but the country entered the crisis with solid fundamentals, following years of prudent fiscal policy and a resilient banking sector. Israel's economy also has weathered the Arab Spring because strong trade ties outside the Middle East have insulated the economy from spillover effects. Slowing demand domestically and internationally and reduced investment due to uncertainties caused by the Gaza conflict in summer 2014 have reduced GDP growth to about 2% during 2014. Natural gas fields discovered off Israel's coast since 2009 have brightened Israel's energy security outlook. The Tamar and Leviathan fields were some of the world's largest offshore natural gas finds this past decade. The massive Leviathan field is expected to come online no sooner than 2017, but production from Tamar provided a one percentage point boost to Israel's GDP in 2013 and a 0.5% boost in 2014. In mid-2011, public protests arose around income inequality and rising housing and commodity prices. Israel's income inequality and poverty rates are among the highest of OECD countries and there is a broad perception among the public that a small number of \"tycoons\" have a cartel-like grip over the major parts of the economy. The government formed committees and has started splitting up the oligopolies to address some of the grievances but has maintained that it will not engage in deficit spending to satisfy populist demands. Over the long term, Israel faces structural issues, including low labor participation rates for its fastest growing social segments - the ultra-orthodox and Arab-Israeli communities. Also, Israel's progressive, globally competitive, knowledge-based technology sector employs only 9% of the workforce, with the rest employed in manufacturing and services - sectors which face downward wage pressures from global competition.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Breaking the Silence [Yehuda SHAUL, Executive Director; B'Tselem [Jessica MONTELL, Executive Director; Peace Now [Yariv OPPENHEIMER, Secretary General; YESHA Council [Danny DAYAN, Chairman", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) is an important freshwater source; the Dead Sea is the second saltiest body of water in the world (after Lake Assal in Djibouti); there are about 355 Israeli civilian sites including about 145 small outpost communities in the West Bank, 41 sites in the Golan Heights, and 32 in East Jerusalem (2010 est.)", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "1.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Israeli(s); adjective: :Israeli", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 14 May (1948); note - Israel declared independence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the holiday may occur in April or May", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :8; by type: :cargo 1, container 7; registered in other countries: :48 (Bermuda 3, Georgia 1, Honduras 1, Liberia 34, Malta 3, Moldova 2, Panama 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "BIS, BSEC (observer), CE (observer), CERN, CICA, EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW (signatory), OSCE (partner), Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; continental shelf: :to depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,797,960; females age 16-49: :1,713,230 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :97.8%; male: :98.7%; female: :96.8% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :81.28 years; male: :79.05 years; female: :83.61 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Knesset (120 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 17 March 2015 (next to be held in 2019); election results: :percent of vote by party - Likud 23.4%, Zionist Camp 18.7%, Joint List 10.5%, Yesh Atid 8.8%, Kukanu 7.5%, Bayit Yehudi 6.7%, Shas, 5.7%, Israel Beitenu 5.1%, United Torah Judaism 5%, Meretz 3.9%, Yachad 3%, other 1.7%; seats by party - Likud 30, Zionist Camp 24, Joint List 13, Yesh Atid 11, Kulanu 10, Bayit Yehudi 8, Shas 7, Yisrael Beitenu 6, , United Torah Judaism 6, Meretz 5", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religious laws", "LANGUAGES": "Hebrew (official), Arabic (used officially for Arab minority), English (most commonly used foreign language)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :13.62%; permanent crops: :4.22%; other: :82.15% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,068 km; border countries: :Egypt 208 km, Gaza Strip 59 km, Jordan 307 km, Lebanon 81 km, Syria 83 km, West Bank 330 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "3.784 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court ( consists of the chief justice and 14 judges); judge selection and term of office: :judges selected by the Judicial Selection Committee, made up of all three branches of the government and chaired by the Minister of Justice; judges can serve up to mandatory retirement age of 70; subordinate courts: :district and magistrate courts; national and regional labor courts; special and religious courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.5% (2014 est.); 1.5% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :3.98 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :4.16 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :3.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "high-technology products (including aviation, communications, computer-aided design and manufactures, medical electronics, fiber optics), wood and paper products, potash and phosphates, food, beverages, and tobacco, caustic soda, cement, construction, metal products, chemical products, plastics, cut diamonds, textiles, footwear", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-4.6% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)", "IMPORTS": "$69.73 billion (2014 est.); $71.29 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "increasingly concerned about ecstasy, cocaine, and heroin abuse; drugs arrive in country from Lebanon and, increasingly, from Jordan; money-laundering center", "ROADWAYS": "total: :18,566 km; paved: :18,566 km (includes 449 km of expressways) (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the Magen David (Star of David or Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag; the basic design resembles a traditional Jewish prayer shawl (tallit), which is white with blue stripes; the hexagram as a Jewish symbol dates back to medieval times", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$99.75 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $95.53 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$63.21 billion (2014 est.); $61.96 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "hief of state: :President Reuben RIVLIN (since 24 July 2014); head of government: :Prime Minister Binyamin NETANYAHU (since 31 March 2009); cabinet: :Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the Knesset; elections: :president largely a ceremonial role and is elected by the Knesset for a seven-year term (one-term limit); election last held 10 June 2014 (next to be held in 2021 but can be called earlier); following legislative elections, the president, in consultation with party leaders, assigns the task of forming a governing coalition to a Knesset member whom he or she determines is most likely to accomplish that task; election results: :Reuven RIVLIN elected president in second round; number of votes in first round - Reuven RIVLIN 44, Meir SHEETRIT 31, Dalia ITZIK 28, Dalia DORNER 13, other/invalid 3; number of votes in second round - Reuven RIVLIN 63, Meir SHEETRIT 53, other/invalid 3;", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar -; 3.908 (2014 est.); 3.6108 (2013 est.); 3.86 (2012 est.); 3.5781 (2011 est.); 3.739 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Jewish 75.1% (of which Israel-born 73.6%, Europe/America/Oceania-born 17.9%, Africa-born 5.2%, Asia-born 3.2%), non-Jewish 24.9% (mostly Arab) (2012 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "5.54 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "no formal constitution; some functions of a constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the Basic Laws of the Parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli citizenship law (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 11.3%, China 7.8%, Germany 6.5%, Switzerland 6.1%, Belgium 5.3% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "273 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, fuels, grain, consumer goods", "CAPITAL": "name: :Jerusalem: note - Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital in 1950, but the US, like all other countries, maintains its embassy in Tel Aviv; geographic coordinates: :31 46 N, 35 14 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins Friday before the last Sunday in March; ends the last Sunday in October", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$73.44 billion; expenditures: :$81.82 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Israel Naval Force (IN), Israel Air Force (IAF) (2010)", "BIRTH_RATE": "18.44 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "47 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 26.5%, Hong Kong 8.1%, UK 5.9%, Belgium 4.7%, China 4.3% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :1.6%; industry: :18.1%; services: :80.3% (2012 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.5%; highest 10%: :24.3% (2008)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "21%; note: :Israel's poverty line is $7.30 per person per day (2012)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "5.69% of GDP (2012); 5.87% of GDP (2011); 5.69% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :Marine Life Conservation", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "limited arable land and natural freshwater resources pose serious constraints; desertification; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; groundwater pollution from industrial and domestic waste, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :18; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :3; 14 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :29; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :5; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :6; 914 to 1,523 m: :11; under 914 m: :5 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of Palestine, and the UN proposed partitioning the area into Arab and Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Nonetheless, an Israeli state was declared in 1948 and the Israelis subsequently defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending the deep tensions between the two sides. (The territories Israel occupied since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel country profile, unless otherwise noted.) On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrew from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations were conducted between Israel and Palestinian representatives and Syria to achieve a permanent settlement. Israel and Palestinian officials signed on 13 September 1993 a Declaration of Principles (also known as the \"Oslo Accords\"), enshrining the idea of a two-state solution to their conflict and guiding an interim period of Palestinian self-rule. Outstanding territorial and other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 26 October 1994 Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. Progress toward a permanent status agreement with the Palestinians was undermined by Israeli-Palestinian violence between 2001 and February 2005. Israel in 2005 unilaterally disengaged from the Gaza Strip, evacuating settlers and its military while retaining control over most points of entry into the Gaza Strip. The election of HAMAS to head the Palestinian Legislative Council in 2006 froze relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA). In 2006 Israel engaged in a 34-day conflict with Hizballah in Lebanon in June-August 2006 and a 23-day conflict with HAMAS in the Gaza Strip during December 2008 and January 2009. Direct talks with the Palestinians launched in September 2010 collapsed following the expiration of Israel's 10-month partial settlement construction moratorium in the West Bank. In November 2012, Israel engaged in a seven-day conflict with HAMAS in the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Binyamin NETANYAHU formed a coalition government in March 2013 following general elections in January 2013. Direct talks with the Palestinians resumed in July 2013 and but were suspended in late April 2014.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :62,304; female: :59,418 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,517,510; females age 16-49: :1,446,132 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "___no_MILITARY SERVICE AGE AND OBLIGATION__provided__", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than New Jersey", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Dead Sea -408 m; highest point: :Har Meron 1,208 m", "HELIPORTS": "3 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.78 male(s)/female; total population: :1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "7 (2009)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 23, FM 15, shortwave 0 (2010)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :2.4%; industry: :25.7%; services: :71.9% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "31 30 N, 34 45 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :27.1% (male 1,084,748/female 1,035,525); 15-24 years: :15.7% (male 628,205/female 599,871); 25-54 years: :37.8% (male 1,508,860/female 1,443,898); 55-64 years: :8.8% (male 333,453/female 352,302); 65 years and over: :10.7% (male 368,318/female 466,670) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Italy", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador John R. PHILLIPS (since 3 October 2013); note - also accredited to San Marino; embassy: :Via Vittorio Veneto 121, 00187-Rome; mailing address: :PSC 59, Box 100, APO AE 09624; telephone: :[39; FAX: :[39; consulate(s) general: :Florence, Milan, Naples", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$34,500 (2014 est.); $34,700 (2013 est.); $35,500 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.2% (2014 est.); -1.9% (2013 est.); -2.4% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.3% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$2.066 trillion (2014 est.); $2.07 trillion (2013 est.); $2.109 trillion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :55%; youth dependency ratio: :21.8%; elderly dependency ratio: :33.3%; potential support ratio: :3% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "18.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 18.2% of GDP (2013 est.); 17.7% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :60.2%; government consumption: :20%; investment in fixed capital: :16.9%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :30.1%; imports of goods and services: :-27.2%; (2014 est.)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "30.3 (2011 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "385.8 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "59.43 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "61.96 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "228 million cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "70.07 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "7.735 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "347,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "628,000 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "1.315 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "1.692 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "560.5 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "1.591 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "6,300 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "112,800 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "20.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "12.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "66.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "124.2 million kW (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "44.34 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "2.181 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "307.2 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "286.2 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "white, five-pointed star (Stella d'Italia); national colors: red, white, green", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :35.3%; male: :33.7%; female: :37.5% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "19.8% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "3.4 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "4.09 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "9.2% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "4 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "46.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "ROME (capital) 3.697 million; Milan 3.094 million; Naples 2.207 million; Turin 1.761 million; Palermo 855,000; Bergamo 830,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Il Canto degli Italiani\" (The Song of the Italians); lyrics/music: :Goffredo MAMELI/Michele NOVARO; note: :adopted 1946; the anthem, originally written in 1847, is also known as \"L'Inno di Mameli\" (Mameli's Hymn), and \"Fratelli D'Italia\" (Brothers of Italy)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$2.134 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.284 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$1.185 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.264 trillion (31 December 2013 est.); note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "two Italian media giants dominate - the publicly owned Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI) with 3 national terrestrial stations and privately owned Mediaset with 3 national terrestrial stations; a large number of private stations and Sky Italia - a satellite TV network; RAI operates 3 AM/FM nationwide radio stations; some 1,300 commercial radio stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :68.8% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.39% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$3.319 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.613 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "5.1% (31 December 2014 est.); 5.14% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.25% (31 December 2013); 0.75% (31 December 2012); note: :this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.5% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :16 years; male: :16 years; female: :17 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :45.41 cu km/yr (24%/43%/34%); per capita: :789.8 cu m/yr (2008)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "191.3 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$480.5 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $431.5 billion (31 December 2011); $318.1 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$763.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $733.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$552.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $538.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$2.129 trillion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :12,666 (Eritrea); 10,846 (Somalia); 6,657 (Afghanistan) (2014); stateless persons: :350 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$145.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $145.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$27.7 billion (2014 est.); $20.88 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "134.1% of GDP (2014 est.); 132.6% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :Italy reports its data on public debt according to guidelines set out in the Maastricht Treaty; general government gross debt is defined in the Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value, outstanding at the end of the year, in the following categories of government liabilities (as defined in ESA95): currency and deposits (AF.2), securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives (AF.3, excluding AF.34), and loans (AF.4); the general government sector comprises the central government, state government, local government and social security funds", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "25.662 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :44.5 years; male: :43.3 years; female: :45.6 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "31.9 (2012 est.); 27.3 (1995)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "122,000 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.28% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".it", "INTERNET_USERS": "29.235 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "97.225 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "21.656 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Claudio BISOGNIERO (since 13 January 2012); chancery: :3000 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco", "AREA": "total: :301,340 sq km; land: :294,140 sq km; water: :7,200 sq km; note: :includes Sardinia and Sicily", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "39,510 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Italian Republic; conventional short form: :Italy; local long form: :Repubblica Italiana; local short form: :Italia; former: :Kingdom of Italy", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "12.5% (2014 est.); 12.2% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.42 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modern, well-developed, fast; fully automated telephone, telex, and data services; domestic: :high-capacity cable and microwave radio relay trunks; international: :country code - 39; a series of submarine cables provide links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, North Africa, and US; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (with a total of 5 antennas - 3 for Atlantic Ocean and 2 for Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and NA Eutelsat (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal except in senatorial elections, where minimum age is 25", "RELIGIONS": "Christian 80% (overwhelmingly Roman Catholic with very small groups of Jehovah's Witnesses and Protestants), Muslim (about 800,000 to 1 million), Atheist and Agnostic 20%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :20,255 km; standard gauge: :18,611 km 1.435-m gauge (12,662 km electrified); narrow gauge: :123 km 1.000-m gauge (123 km electrified); 1,290 km 0.950-m gauge (151 km electrified); 231 km 0.850-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Augusta, Cagliari, Genoa, Livorno, Taranto, Trieste, Venice; oil terminals: :Melilli (Santa Panagia) oil terminal, Sarroch oil terminal; container port(s) (TEUs): :Genoa (1,847,648), Gioia Tauro (2,264,798), La Spezia (1,307,274); LNG terminal(s) (import): :Adriatic (Rovigo), La Spezia", "POPULATION": "61,680,122 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Brothers of Italy or FdI [Giorgia MELONI, Ignazio LA RUSSA, and Guido CROSETTO; Forza Italia [Silvio BERLUSCONI; The New Center-Right or NCD [Angelino ALFANO; Northern League or LN [Roberto MARONI; The Right or LD [Francesco STORACE; other minor parties; Democratic Centre or CD [Bruno TABACCI and Massimo DONADI; Democratic Party or PD [Matteo RENZI; Italian Socialist Party or PSI [Riccardo NENCINI; Left Ecology Freedom or SEL [Nichi VENDOLA; South Tyrolean People's Party or SVP [Arno KOMPATSCHER; Civic Choice or SC [Alberto BOMBASSEI; Future and Freedom for Italy or FLI [vacant; Union of the Center or UdC [Pier Ferdinando CASINI; Act to Stop the Decline or FiD [Michele BOLDRIN; Civil Revolution or RC [Antonio INGROIA; Five Star Movment or M5S [Beppe GRILLO", "PIPELINES": "gas 20,223 km; oil 1,393 km; refined products 1,574 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Italy has a diversified economy, which is divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less-developed, highly subsidized, agricultural south, where unemployment is higher. The Italian economy is driven in large part by the manufacture of high-quality consumer goods produced by small and medium-sized enterprises, many of them family-owned. Italy also has a sizable underground economy, which by some estimates accounts for as much as 17% of GDP. These activities are most common within the agriculture, construction, and service sectors. Italy is the third-largest economy in the euro-zone, but its exceptionally high public debt and structural impediments to growth have rendered it vulnerable to scrutiny by financial markets. Public debt has increased steadily since 2007, topping 132% of GDP in 2014, but investor concerns about Italy and the broader euro-zone crisis eased in 2013, bringing down Italy's borrowing costs on sovereign government debt from euro-era records. The government still faces pressure from investors and European partners to sustain its efforts to address Italy's long-standing structural impediments to growth, such as labor market inefficiencies and tax evasion. In 2014 economic growth and labor market conditions continued to deteriorate, with overall unemployment rising to 12.2% and youth unemployment around 40%. Italy's GDP is now nearly 10% below its 2007 pre-crisis level.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Confcommercio; Confindustria; Confcoltivatori; Confagricoltura; Roman Catholic Church; Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro or CGIL [Susanna CAMUSSO; Confederazione Italiana dei Sindacati Lavoratori or CISL [Raffaele BONANNI; Unione Italiana del Lavoro or UIL [Luigi ANGELETTI", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "4.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorspar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Italian(s); adjective: :Italian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Republic Day, 2 June (1946)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :681; by type: :bulk carrier 105, cargo 42, carrier 1, chemical tanker 164, container 21, liquefied gas 28, passenger 25, passenger/cargo 154, petroleum tanker 59, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 39, specialized tanker 9, vehicle carrier 30; foreign-owned: :90 (Denmark 4, France 2, Greece 7, Luxembourg 14, Netherlands 2, Nigeria 1, Norway 6, Singapore 1, Sweden 1, Switzerland 13, Taiwan 10, Turkey 4, UK 2, US 23); registered in other countries: :201 (Bahamas 1, Belize 3, Cayman Islands 7, Cyprus 6, Georgia 2, Gibraltar 4, Greece 5, Liberia 47, Malta 45, Marshall Islands 1, Morocco 1, Netherlands 6, Panama 25, Portugal 12, Russia 14, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4, Singapore 5, Slovakia 2, Spain 1, Sweden 5, Turkey 1, UK 3, unknown 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CD, CDB, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :13,865,688; females age 16-49: :14,003,755 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :99%; male: :99.3%; female: :98.8% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :82.03 years; male: :79.4 years; female: :84.82 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of the Senate or Senato della Repubblica (322 seats; 315 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms and 7 ex-officio members appointed by the president of the Republic to serve for life) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camera dei Deputati (630 seats; 629 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 1 member from Valle d'Aosta elected by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :Senate - last held on 24-25 February 2013 (next to be held in 2018); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 24-25 February 2013 (next to be held in 2018); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - center-left coalition [Pier Luigi BERSANI", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system; judicial review of legislation under certain conditions in Constitutional Court", "LANGUAGES": "Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German-speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :24.2%; permanent crops: :8.3%; other: :67.5% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,836.4 km; border countries: :Austria 404 km, France 476 km, Holy See (Vatican City) 3.4 km, San Marino 37 km, Slovenia 218 km, Switzerland 698 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "25.51 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges appointed by the Superior Council of the Judiciary, headed by the president of the republic, to serve NA terms; Constitutional Court judges - 5 appointed by the president, 5 elected by parliament, 5 elected by select higher courts; judges serve up to 9 years); subordinate courts: :various lower civil and criminal courts (primary and secondary tribunals, courts, and courts of appeal)", "WATERWAYS": "2,400 km (used for commercial traffic; of limited overall value compared to road and rail) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.1% (2014 est.); 1.3% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :3.31 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :3.51 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :3.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870)", "IMPORTS": "$448.3 billion (2014 est.); $453.6 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :487,700 km; paved: :487,700 km (includes 6,700 km of expressways) (2007)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; design inspired by the French flag brought to Italy by Napoleon in 1797; colors are those of Milan (red and white) combined with the green uniform color of the Milanese civic guard; note: :similar to the flag of Mexico, which is longer, uses darker shades of red and green, and has its coat of arms centered on the white band; Ireland, which is longer and is green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of the Cote d'Ivoire, which has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$2.604 trillion (31 December 2013 est.); $2.516 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$500.3 billion (2014 est.); $501.7 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Sergio MATTARELLA (3 February 2015); Giorgio NAPOLITANO resigned 14 January 2015; head of government: :Prime Minister Matteo RENZI (since 22 February 2014); note - the prime minister is referred to as the President of the Council of Ministers; cabinet: :Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister and nominated by the President of the Republic; elections: :president elected by an electoral college consisting of both houses of parliament and 58 regional representatives for a seven-year term (no term limits); election last held on 18-20 April 2013 (next scheduled for 2020); prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by parliament; national parliamentary elections were last held on 24-25 February 2013; election results: :Giorgio NAPOLITANO resigned on 14 January 2015, and Senate president Pietro GRASSO became acting president. After 4 rounds of voting the members of parliament and regional delegates elected Sergio MATTARELLA with 665 votes on 31 January 2015", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.78 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and Greek-Italians in the south)", "DEATH_RATE": "10.1 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1848 (originally for Kingdom of Sardinia and adopted by Kingdom of Italy in 1861); latest enacted 22 December 1947, adopted 27 December 1947, entered into force 1 January 1948; amended many times, last in 2012 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 15.5%, France 8.9%, China 6.7%, Netherlands 6.1%, Spain 4.7%, Belgium 4.4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "7,600 km", "CLIMATE": "predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "engineering products, chemicals, transport equipment, energy products, minerals and nonferrous metals, textiles and clothing; food, beverages, tobacco", "CAPITAL": "name: :Rome; geographic coordinates: :41 54 N, 12 29 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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$990.7 billion; expenditures: :$1.055 trillion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Italian Armed Forces: Army (Esercito Italiano, EI), Navy (Marina Militare Italiana, MMI), Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana, AMI), Carabinieri Corps (Arma dei Carabinieri, CC) (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "8.84 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "129 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain, olives; beef, dairy products; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "15 regions (regioni, singular - regione) and 5 autonomous regions (regioni autonome, singular - regione autonoma); regions: :Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio (Latium), Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte (Piedmont), Puglia (Apulia), Toscana (Tuscany), Umbria, Veneto (Venetia); autonomous regions: :Friuli-Venezia Giulia; Sardegna (Sardinia); Sicilia (Sicily); Trentino-Alto Adige (Trentino-South Tyrol) or Trentino-Suedtirol (German); Valle d'Aosta (Aosta Valley) or Vallee d'Aoste (French)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 12.6%, France 11%, US 6.7%, Switzerland 5.1%, UK 5.1%, Spain 4.5% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; foodstuffs, beverages, and tobacco; minerals, nonferrous metals", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :3.9%; industry: :28.3%; services: :67.8% (2011)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.3%; highest 10%: :26.8% (2000)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "29.9% (2012)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.69% of GDP (2012); 1.72% of GDP (2011); 1.69% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air pollution from industrial emissions such as sulfur dioxide; coastal and inland rivers polluted from industrial and agricultural effluents; acid rain damaging lakes; inadequate industrial waste treatment and disposal facilities", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :31; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :10; 20 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :98; over 3,047 m: :9; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :31; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :18; 914 to 1,523 m: :29; under 914 m: :11 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the regional states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist dictatorship. His alliance with Nazi Germany led to Italy's defeat in World War II. A democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946 and economic revival followed. Italy is a charter member of NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC). It has been at the forefront of European economic and political unification, joining the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999. Persistent problems include sluggish economic growth, high youth and female unemployment, organized crime, corruption, and economic disparities between southern Italy and the more prosperous north.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :288,188; female: :281,671 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :11,247,446; females age 16-49: :11,348,695 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; women may serve in any military branch; Italian citizenship required; 12-month service obligation (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "almost twice the size of Georgia; slightly larger than Arizona", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice; volcanism: :significant volcanic activity; Etna (elev. 3,330 m), which is in eruption as of 2010, is Europe's most active volcano; flank eruptions pose a threat to nearby Sicilian villages; Etna, along with the famous Vesuvius, which remains a threat to the millions of nearby residents in the Bay of Naples area, have both been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Stromboli, on its namesake island, has also been continuously active with moderate volcanic activity; other historically active volcanoes include Campi Flegrei, Ischia, Larderello, Pantelleria, Vulcano, and Vulsini", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Mediterranean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) de Courmayeur 4,748 m (a secondary peak of Mont Blanc)", "HELIPORTS": "5 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.93 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.74 male(s)/female; total population: :0.93 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "358 (plus 4,728 repeaters) (1995)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM about 100, FM about 4,600, shortwave 9 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :2.2%; industry: :23.9%; services: :73.9% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "42 50 N, 12 50 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :13.8% (male 4,340,943/female 4,154,547); 15-24 years: :9.8% (male 3,046,202/female 3,028,190); 25-54 years: :43% (male 13,107,098/female 13,405,812); 55-64 years: :12.4% (male 3,703,329/female 3,942,261); 65 years and over: :21% (male 5,548,047/female 7,403,693) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Jamaica", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Luis G. MORENO (since 13 January 2015); embassy: :142 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6; mailing address: :P.O. Box 541, Kingston 5; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$8,700 (2014 est.); $8,600 (2013 est.); $8,700 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.1% (2014 est.); 0.2% (2013 est.); -0.5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.69% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$24.28 billion (2014 est.); $24.02 billion (2013 est.); $23.98 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :52.6%; youth dependency ratio: :40.5%; elderly dependency ratio: :12.2%; potential support ratio: :8.2% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "11% of GDP (2014 est.); 9.8% of GDP (2013 est.); 8.5% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :85.6%; government consumption: :15.3%; investment in fixed capital: :20.9%; investment in inventories: :0.3%; exports of goods and services: :29.2%; imports of goods and services: :-51.4%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "72.5% (2008/09)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "21.2; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2008 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :38,516; percentage: :6% (2005 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "12.75 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "32,920 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "69,310 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "23,120 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "22,940 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "3,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "5.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "2.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "91.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "922,700 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "3.797 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "4.745 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "green-and-black streamertail (bird), Guaiacum officinale (Guaiacwood); green, yellow, black", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :34%; male: :27.1%; female: :42.6% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "24.1% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.7 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.41 physicians/1,000 population (2008)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.9% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "3.2% (2010)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "110 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-0.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "27.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "KINGSTON (capital) 587,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Jamaica, Land We Love\"; lyrics/music: :Hugh Braham SHERLOCK/Robert Charles LIGHTBOURNE; note: :adopted 1962", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 78.4% of population; rural: 82.2% of population; total: 80.2% of population; urban: 21.6% of population; rural: 17.8% of population; total: 19.8% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 97.1% of population; rural: 88.8% of population; total: 93.1% of population; urban: 2.9% of population; rural: 11.2% of population; total: 6.9% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$6.646 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $6.432 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$1.994 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.905 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "3 free-to-air TV stations, subscription cable services, and roughly 30 radio stations (2013)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :54.6% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.9% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$7.113 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $6.984 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$4.244 billion (31 December 2008); $4.554 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$1.253 billion (31 December 2008); $1.373 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "17.3% (31 December 2014 est.); 17.72% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "2% (31 December 2010)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "6.1% of GDP (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.93 cu km/yr (32%/16%/52%); per capita: :369.9 cu m/yr (2009)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "9.4 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$6.39 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $7.223 billion (31 December 2011); $6.626 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Jamaica is a source, transit, and destination country for children and adults subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; the exploitation of local children in the sex trade is a serious problem; sex trafficking of children and adults occurs on the street, in night clubs, bars, and private homes; Jamaicans have been subjected to sexual exploitation or forced labor in the Caribbean, Canada, the US, and the UK, while foreigners have endured conditions of forced labor in Jamaica or aboard foreign-flagged fishing vessels operating in Jamaican waters; an alarmingly high number of Jamaican children are reported missing; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Jamaica does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; in 2013, the government implemented amendments to strengthen the anti-trafficking law; for the fifth consecutive year, no trafficking offenders or officials complicit in human trafficking were convicted; the lack of victims identified raised concerns that the government did not employ standard operating procedures to guide front-line responders; a government-operated hotline continued to provide specialized assistance to human trafficking victims (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$13.92 billion (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$2.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.818 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$953.1 million (2014 est.); -$1.551 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "132% of GDP (2014 est.); 132.2% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "3,906 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :24.9 years; male: :24.4 years; female: :25.4 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "45.5 (2004); 37.9 (2000)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "1,300 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "30,300 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "1.75% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".jm", "INTERNET_USERS": "1.581 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "2.665 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "265,000 (2011)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Stephen C. VASCIANNIE (since 20 July 2012); chancery: :1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Miami, New York", "AREA": "total: :10,991 sq km; land: :10,831 sq km; water: :160 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "252.2 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Jamaica", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "13.6% (2014 est.); 15.2% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.05 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :fully automatic domestic telephone network; domestic: :the 1999 agreement to open the market for telecommunications services resulted in rapid growth in mobile-cellular telephone usage while the number of fixed-lines in use has declined; combined mobile-cellular teledensity exceeded 110 per 100 persons in 2011; international: :country code - 1-876; the Fibralink submarine cable network provides enhanced delivery of business and broadband traffic and is linked to the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) submarine cable in the Dominican Republic; the link to ARCOS-1 provides seamless connectivity to US, parts of the Caribbean, Central America, and South America; the ALBA-1 fiber-optic submarine cable links Jamaica, Cuba, and Venezuela; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 64.8% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 12.0%, Pentecostal 11.0%, Other Church of God 9.2%, New Testament Church of God 7.2%, Baptist 6.7%, Church of God in Jamaica 4.8%, Church of God of Prophecy 4.5%, Anglican 2.8%, United Church 2.1%, Methodist 1.6%, Revived 1.4%, Brethren .9%, and Moravian .7%), Roman Catholic 2.2%, Jehovah's Witness 1.9%, Rastafarian 1.1%, other 6.5%, none 21.3%, unspecified 2.3% (2011 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Discovery Bay (Port Rhoades), Kingston, Montego Bay, Port Antonio, Port Esquivel, Port Kaiser, Rocky Point; container port(s) (TEUs): :Kingston (1,724,928)", "POPULATION": "2,930,050 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Andrew HOLNESS; People's National Party or PNP [Portia SIMPSON-MILLER; National Democratic Movement or NDM [Michael WILLIAMS", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services, which accounts for more than 70% of GDP. The country continues to derive most of its foreign exchange from tourism, remittances, and bauxite/alumina. Remittances and tourism each account for 30% of GDP, while bauxite/alumina exports make up roughly 5% of GDP. The bauxite/alumina sector was most affected by the global downturn while the tourism industry and remittance flow remained resilient. Jamaica's economy faces many challenges to growth: high crime and corruption, large-scale unemployment and underemployment, and a debt-to-GDP ratio of about 130%. The attendant debt servicing cost consumes a large portion of the government's budget, limiting its ability to fund the critical infrastructure and social programs required to drive growth. Jamaica's economic growth rate in the recent past has been stagnant, averaging less than 1% per year for over 20 years. Jamaica's onerous public debt burden is largely the result of government bailouts to ailing sectors of the economy, most notably to the financial sector. In early 2010, the Jamaican Government initiated the Jamaica Debt Exchange to retire high-priced domestic bonds and reduce annual debt servicing. Despite these efforts, debt continued to be a serious concern, forcing the government to negotiate and sign a new IMF agreement in May 2013 to gain access to approximately $1 billion additional funds. As a precursor, the government instigated a second National Debt Exchange in 2012. The IMF deal requires the government to reform its tax system, eliminate discretionary tax exemptions and waivers, and achieve an annual surplus of 7.5%, excluding debt payments, to reduce its debt below 100% of GDP by 2020. The SIMPSON-MILLER administration now faces the difficult prospect of having to achieve fiscal discipline to maintain debt payments while simultaneously attacking a serious crime problem that is hampering economic growth. High unemployment exacerbates the crime problem, including gang violence that is fueled by the drug trade.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "New Beginnings Movement or NBM; Rastafarians", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-4.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "bauxite, gypsum, limestone", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Jamaican(s); adjective: :Jamaican", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 6 August (1962)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :14; by type: :bulk carrier 4, cargo 5, container 4, roll on/roll off 1; foreign-owned: :14 (Denmark 1, Germany 10, Greece 3) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines; territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :726,263; females age 16-49: :742,958 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over has ever attended school; total population: :87.5%; male: :82.6%; female: :92.1% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :73.48 years; male: :71.87 years; female: :75.17 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21 seats; members appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister and the minority party leader, 13 seats allocated to the ruling party, and 8 seats allocated to the minority party; members serve 5-year terms) and the House of Representatives (63 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 29 December 2011 (next to be held no later than December 2016); election results: :percent of vote by party - PNP 53.3%, JLP 46.6%; seats by party - PNP 41, JLP 22", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "common law system based on the English model", "LANGUAGES": "English, English patois", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :11.08%; permanent crops: :9.23%; other: :79.69% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "1.311 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest resident court(s): :Court of Appeal (consists of president of the court and a minimum of 4 judges; Supreme Court (40 judges organized in specialized divisions); note - appeals beyond Jamaica's highest courts are submitted to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) rather than to the Caribbean Court of Justice (the appellate court implemented for member states of the Caribbean Community); judge selection and term of office: :chief justice of the Supreme Court and president of the Court of Appeal appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the prime minister; other judges of both courts appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission; judges of both courts serve till age 70; subordinate courts: :resident magistrate courts, district courts, and petty sessions courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "8.8% (2014 est.); 9.3% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :13.69 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :14.27 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :13.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, bauxite/alumina, agricultural-processing, light manufactures, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products, telecommunications", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "6 August 1962 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$5.153 billion (2014 est.); $5.573 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :22,121 km (includes 44 km of expressways); paved: :16,148 km; unpaved: :5,973 km (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side); green represents hope, vegetation, and agriculture, black reflects hardships overcome and to be faced, and yellow recalls golden sunshine and the island's natural resources", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$15.99 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $15.24 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$1.497 billion (2014 est.); $1.597 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Dr. Patrick L. ALLEN (since 26 February 2009); head of government: :Prime Minister Portia SIMPSON MILLER (since 5 January 2012); cabinet: :Cabinet is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition in the House of Representatives is appointed prime minister by the governor general", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Jamaican dollars (JMD) per US dollar -; 111 (2014 est.); 100.241 (2013 est.); 88.75 (2012 est.); 85.893 (2011 est.); 87.196 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "black 92.1%, mixed 6.1%, East Indian 0.8%, other 0.4%, unspecified 0.7% (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "6.67 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous (preindependence); latest drafted 1961-62, submitted to British Parliament 24 July 1962, entered into force 6 August 1962 (at independence); amended many times, last in 2011 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 33.7%, Venezuela 15.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 11.4%, China 10.6% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "1,022 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "food and other consumer goods, industrial supplies, fuel, parts and accessories of capital goods, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials", "CAPITAL": "name: :Kingston; geographic coordinates: :18 00 N, 76 48 W; time difference: :UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$3.834 billion; expenditures: :$3.956 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Jamaica Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Wing (2010)", "BIRTH_RATE": "18.41 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "28 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, yams, ackees, vegetables; poultry, goats, milk; shellfish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "14 parishes; Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston, Manchester, Portland, Saint Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint Elizabeth, Saint James, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny, Westmoreland; note: :for local government purposes, Kingston and Saint Andrew were amalgamated in 1923 into the present single corporate body known as the Kingston and Saint Andrew Corporation", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 29.4%, Canada 14.8%, Netherlands 7.7%, UK 6%, UAE 5.8%, Slovenia 4.9%, Russia 4.3% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "alumina, bauxite, sugar, rum, coffee, yams, beverages, chemicals, apparel, mineral fuels", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :17%; industry: :19%; services: :64% (2006)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.1%; highest 10%: :35.8% (2004)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "16.5% (2009 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.86% of GDP (2012); 0.92% of GDP (2011); 0.86% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "heavy rates of deforestation; coastal waters polluted by industrial waste, sewage, and oil spills; damage to coral reefs; air pollution in Kingston from vehicle emissions", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :17; 914 to 1,523 m: :1; 16 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :11; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :4; under 914 m: :5 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The island - discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1494 - was settled by the Spanish early in the 16th century. The native Taino, who had inhabited Jamaica for centuries, were gradually exterminated and replaced by African slaves. England seized the island in 1655 and established a plantation economy based on sugar, cocoa, and coffee. The abolition of slavery in 1834 freed a quarter million slaves, many of whom became small farmers. Jamaica gradually increased its independence from Britain. In 1958 it joined other British Caribbean colonies in forming the Federation of the West Indies. Jamaica gained full independence when it withdrew from the Federation in 1962. Deteriorating economic conditions during the 1970s led to recurrent violence as rival gangs affiliated with the major political parties evolved into powerful organized crime networks involved in international drug smuggling and money laundering. Violent crime, drug trafficking, and poverty pose significant challenges to the government today. Nonetheless, many rural and resort areas remain relatively safe and contribute substantially to the economy.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :33,369; female: :32,702 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :590,673; females age 16-49: :596,414 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "17 1/2 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Connecticut", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "hurricanes (especially July to November)", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.81 male(s)/female; total population: :0.98 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "7 (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 4, FM 24, shortwave 0 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :6.9%; industry: :21.1%; services: :72% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "18 15 N, 77 30 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :28.4% (male 423,855/female 409,651); 15-24 years: :21.7% (male 319,291/female 316,773); 25-54 years: :36.4% (male 525,288/female 542,015); 55-64 years: :5.6% (male 79,875/female 84,562); 65 years and over: :7.8% (male 102,377/female 126,363) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Japan", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Caroline Bouvier KENNEDY (since 19 November 2013); embassy: :1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420; mailing address: :Unit 9800, Box 300, APO AP 96303-0300; telephone: :[81; FAX: :[81; consulate(s) general: :Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo; consulate(s): :Fukuoka, Nagoya", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$37,800 (2014 est.); $37,300 (2013 est.); $36,600 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.3% (2014 est.); 1.5% (2013 est.); 1.5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.13% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$4.807 trillion (2014 est.); $4.746 trillion (2013 est.); $4.675 trillion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :63.3%; youth dependency ratio: :21.2%; elderly dependency ratio: :42.1%; potential support ratio: :2.4% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "23.1% of GDP (2014 est.); 21.7% of GDP (2013 est.); 21.8% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :60.8%; government consumption: :20.6%; investment in fixed capital: :22.2%; investment in inventories: :-0.5%; exports of goods and services: :17.3%; imports of goods and services: :-20.4%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "54.3%; note: :percent of women aged 20-49 (2005)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "30.3 (2012 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "1.276 billion Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "20.9 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "116.9 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "127.2 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "3.177 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "951,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "309,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "4.531 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "3.645 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "44.12 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "3.472 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "17,970 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "3.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "16.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "8.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "71% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "287.3 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "859.7 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "963 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "red sun disc, chrysanthemum; national colors: red, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :7.9%; male: :8.7%; female: :7.1% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "5% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "13.7 beds/1,000 population (2009)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.3 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "10.1% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "5 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-7.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "34.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "TOKYO (capital) 37.833 million; Osaka-Kobe 20.123 million; Nagoya 9.373 million; Kitakyushu-Fukuoka 5.528 million; Shizuoka-Hamamatsu 3.239 million; Sapporo 2.579 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Kimigayo\" (The Emperor\"s Reign); lyrics/music: :unknown/Hiromori HAYASHI; note: :adopted 1999; unofficial national anthem since 1883; oldest anthem lyrics in the world, dating to the 10th century or earlier; there is some opposition to the anthem because of its association with militarism and worship of the emperor", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$8.073 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $8.035 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$5.403 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.817 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "a mixture of public and commercial broadcast TV and radio stations; 6 national terrestrial TV networks including 1 public broadcaster; the large number of radio and TV stations available provide a wide range of choices; satellite and cable services provide access to international channels (2012)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :93% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.56% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$11.88 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $11.92 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$6.16 trillion (31 December 2008); $4.779 trillion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$5.417 trillion (31 December 2008); $4.367 trillion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "1.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 1.48% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.3% (31 December 2013); 0.3% (31 December 2012)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.8% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :15 years; male: :15 years; female: :15 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :90.04 cu km/yr (20%/18%/62%); per capita: :714.3 cu m/yr (2007)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "430 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$4.964 trillion (31 December 2013 est.); $3.714 trillion (31 December 2012); $3.154 trillion (2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$1.284 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.117 trillion (2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$205.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $185.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$4.77 trillion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :852 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$1.267 trillion (2013 est.); $1.268 trillion (2012 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$31.1 billion (2014 est.); $34.1 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "227.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 227.2% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "64.453 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :46.1 years; male: :44.8 years; female: :47.5 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "37.6 (2008); 24.9 (1993)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".jp", "INTERNET_USERS": "99.182 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "138.363 million (2011)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "64.273 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Kenichiro SASAE (since 19 November 2012); chancery: :2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Agana (Guam), Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville (TN), New York, Portland (OR), San Francisco, Seattle; consulate(s): :Anchorage (AK), Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)", "AREA": "total: :377,915 sq km; land: :364,485 sq km; water: :13,430 sq km; note: :includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okino-tori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "25,000 sq km (2010)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Asia", "LOCATION": "Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Japan; local long form: :Nihon-koku/Nippon-koku; local short form: :Nihon/Nippon", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "3.6% (2014 est.); 4% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "a parliamentary government with a constitutional monarchy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.4 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly rugged and mountainous", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :excellent domestic and international service; domestic: :high level of modern technology and excellent service of every kind; international: :country code - 81; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US; satellite earth stations - 7 Intelsat (Pacific and Indian Oceans), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region), 2 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions), and 8 SkyPerfect JSAT (2012)", "SUFFRAGE": "20 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Shintoism 83.9%, Buddhism 71.4%, Christianity 2%, other 7.8%; note: :total adherents exceeds 100% because many people belong to both Shintoism and Buddhism (2005)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :27,182 km; standard gauge: :4,251 km 1.435-m gauge (4,251 km electrified); dual gauge: :486 km 1.435-1.067-m gauge (486 km electrified); narrow gauge: :96 km 1.372-m gauge (96 km electrified); 22,301 km 1.067-m gauge (15,222 km electrified); 48 km 0.762-m gauge (48 km electrified) (2009)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Chiba, Kawasaki, Kobe, Mizushima, Moji, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo, Tomakomai, Yokohama; container port(s) (TEUs): :Kobe (2,725,304), Nagoya (2,471,821), Osaka (2,172,797), Tokyo (4,416,119), Yokohama (2,992,517); LNG terminal(s) (import): :Chita, Fukwoke, Futtsu, Hachinone, Hatsukaichi, Higashi Ohgishima, Himeiji, Kagoshima, Kawagoe, Kita Kyushu, Mizushima, Nagasaki, Negishi, Nihonku, Sakai, Senboku, Shimizu, Shinminato, Sodegaura, Yanai, Yokkaichi", "POPULATION": "127,103,388 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Democratic Party of Japan or DPJ [Banri KAIEDA; Japan Communist Party or JCP [Kazuo SHII; Japan Innovation Party or JIP [Kenji EDA; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Shinzo ABE; New Komeito or NK [Natsuo YAMAGUCHI; Party for Future Generations or PFG [Shintaro ISHIHARA; People's Life Party or PLP [Ichiro OZAWA; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Tadatomo YOSHIDA", "PIPELINES": "gas 4,456 km; oil 174 km; oil/gas/water 104 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "In the years following World War II, government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery of high technology, and a comparatively small defense allocation (1% of GDP) helped Japan develop a technologically advanced economy. Two notable characteristics of the post-war economy were the close interlocking structures of manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors, known as keiretsu, and the guarantee of lifetime employment for a substantial portion of the urban labor force. Both features are now eroding under the dual pressures of global competition and domestic demographic change. Since the complete shutdown of Japan�s nuclear reactors after the earthquake and tsunami disaster in 2011, Japan's industrial sector has become heavily dependent on imported raw materials and fuels. A small agricultural sector is highly subsidized and protected, with crop yields among the highest in the world. While self-sufficient in rice production, Japan imports about 60% of its food on a caloric basis. For three decades, overall real economic growth had been spectacular - a 10% average in the 1960s, a 5% average in the 1970s, and a 4% average in the 1980s. Growth slowed markedly in the 1990s, averaging just 1.7%, largely because of the after effects of inefficient investment and an asset price bubble in the late 1980s that required a protracted period of time for firms to reduce excess debt, capital, and labor. Modest economic growth continued after 2000, but the economy has fallen into recession four times since 2008. A sharp downturn in business investment and global demand for Japan's exports in late 2008 pushed Japan into recession. Government stimulus spending helped the economy recover in late 2009 and 2010, but the economy contracted again in 2011 as the massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake and the ensuing tsunami in March disrupted manufacturing. A sales tax increase caused the economy to contract during the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2014. The economy has largely recovered in the three years since the disaster, but reconstruction in the Tohoku region has been uneven due to labor shortages. Prime Minister Shinzo ABE has declared the economy his government's top priority; he has overturned his predecessor's plan to permanently close nuclear power plants and is pursuing an economic revitalization agenda of fiscal stimulus, monetary easing, and structural reform. Japan joined the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations in 2013, a pact that would open Japan's economy to increased foreign competition and create new export opportunities for Japanese businesses. Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis that adjusts for price differences, Japan in 2014 stood as the fourth-largest economy in the world after second-place China, which surpassed Japan in 2001, and third-place India, which edged out Japan in 2012. The government will continue a longstanding debate on restructuring the economy and reining in Japan's huge government debt, which amounts to more than 240% of GDP. To help raise government revenue and reduce public debt, Japan decided in 2013 to gradually increase the consumption tax to a total of 10% by 2015, although the government in 2014 decided to postpone the final phase of the increase until 2017 to give the economy time to recover from the 2014 increase. Japan is making progress on ending deflation due to a weaker yen and higher energy costs, but reliance on exports to drive growth and an aging, shrinking population pose other major long-term challenges for the economy.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :business groups; trade unions", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location in northeast Asia", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "negligible mineral resources, fish; note: :with virtually no energy natural resources, Japan is the world's largest importer of coal and liquefied natural gas, as well as the second largest importer of oil", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Japanese (singular and plural); adjective: :Japanese", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Birthday of Emperor AKIHITO, 23 December (1933)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :684; by type: :bulk carrier 168, cargo 34, carrier 3, chemical tanker 29, container 2, liquefied gas 58, passenger 11, passenger/cargo 117, petroleum tanker 152, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 52, vehicle carrier 54; registered in other countries: :3,122 (Bahamas 88, Bermuda 2, Burma 1, Cambodia 1, Cayman Islands 23, China 2, Cyprus 16, Honduras 4, Hong Kong 79, Indonesia 8, Isle of Man 19, Liberia 110, Luxembourg 3, Malaysia 2, Malta 5, Marshall Islands 59, Mongolia 2, Netherlands 1, Panama 2372, Philippines 77, Portugal 9, Saint Kitts and Nevis 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, Sierra Leone 4, Singapore 164, South Korea 14, Tanzania 1, UK 5, Vanuatu 39, unknown 7) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, Arctic Council (observer), ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CICA (observer), CP, CPLP (associate), EAS, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the international straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and Western Channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :27,301,443; females age 16-49: :26,307,003 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :84.46 years; male: :81.13 years; female: :87.99 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "elections: :House of Councillors - last held on 21 July 2013 (next to be held in July 2016); House of Representatives - last held on 14 December 2014 (next to be held by 15 December 2016); election results: :House of Councillors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LPD 115, DPJ 59, New Komeito 20, Your Party 18, JCP 11, JRP 9, SDP 3, others 4, independents 3; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - LDP 61.26%, DPJ 15.37%, JIP 8.63%, New Komeito 7.37%, JCP 4.42%, PFG .42%, SDP .42%, PLP .42%, independents 1.68%; seats by party - LDP 291, DPJ 73, JIP 41, New Komeito 35, JCP 21, PFG 2, SDP 2, PLP 2, independents 8; note: :the 2013 amended electoral law - effective for the December 2016 election - reduced to 475 the number of seats in the House of Representatives", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system based on German model; system also reflects Anglo-American influence and Japanese traditions; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court", "LANGUAGES": "Japanese", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :11.65%; permanent crops: :0.83%; other: :87.52% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "65.93 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Saiko saibansho (consists of the chief justice and 14 associate justices); note - the Supreme Court has jurisdiction in constitutional issues; judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court chief justice designated by the Cabinet and appointed by the monarch; associate justices appointed by the Cabinet and confirmed by the monarch; all justices are reviewed in a popular referendum at the first general election of the House of Representatives following each judge's appointment and every 10 years afterward; subordinate courts: :8 High Courts (Koto-saiban-sho), each with a Family Court (Katei-saiban-sho); 50 District Courts (Chiho saibansho), with 203 additional branches; 438 Summary Courts (Kani saibansho)", "WATERWAYS": "1,770 km (seagoing vessels use inland seas) (2010)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.8% (2014 est.); 0.4% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :2.13 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :2.35 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :1.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "among world's largest and most technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles, processed foods", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "3 May 1947 (current constitution adopted as amendment to Meiji Constitution); notable earlier dates: 660 B.C. (traditional date of the founding of the nation by Emperor JIMMU); 29 November 1890 (Meiji Constitution provides for constitutional monarchy)", "IMPORTS": "$811.9 billion (2014 est.); $832.6 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :1,210,251 km; paved: :973,234 km (includes 7,803 km of expressways); unpaved: :237,017 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the center", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$3.017 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); $3.115 trillion (31 December 2011)", "EXPORTS": "$710.5 billion (2014 est.); $714.9 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989); head of government: :Prime Minister Shinzo ABE (since 26 December 2012); Deputy Prime Minister Taro ASO (since 26 December 2012); cabinet: :Cabinet is appointed by the prime minister; elections: :Diet, the bicameral legislature, designates the prime minister; constitution requires that the prime minister commands parliamentary majority; following legislative elections, the leader of majority party or leader of majority coalition in House of Representatives usually becomes prime minister; the monarchy is hereditary; note - ABE dissolved parliament on 21 November 2014, snap elections will be held 14 December 2014", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "yen (JPY) per US dollar -; 104.5 (2014 est.); 97.6 (2013 est.); 79.79 (2012 est.); 79.81 (2011 est.); 87.78 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Japanese 98.5%, Koreans 0.5%, Chinese 0.4%, other 0.6%; note: :up to 230,000 Brazilians of Japanese origin migrated to Japan in the 1990s to work in industries; some have returned to Brazil (2004)", "DEATH_RATE": "9.38 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1890; latest approved 6 October 1946, adopted 3 November 1946, effective 3 May 1947 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 21.7%, US 8.6%, Australia 6.1%, Saudi Arabia 6%, UAE 5.1%, Qatar 4.4%, South Korea 4.3% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "29,751 km", "CLIMATE": "varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum 15.5%; liquid natural gas 5.7%; clothing 3.9%; semiconductors 3.5%; coal 3.5%; audio and visual apparatus 2.7% (2011 est.)", "CAPITAL": "name: :Tokyo; geographic coordinates: :35 41 N, 139 45 E; time difference: :UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.654 trillion; expenditures: :$2.031 trillion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Japanese Ministry of Defense (MOD): Ground Self-Defense Force (Rikujou Jieitai, GSDF); Maritime Self-Defense Force (Kaijou Jieitai, MSDF); Air Self-Defense Force (Koukuu Jieitai, ASDF) (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "8.07 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "175 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; pork, poultry, dairy products, eggs; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka, Fukushima, Gifu, Gunma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata, Yamaguchi, Yamanashi", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 18.8%, China 18.1%, South Korea 7.9%, Hong Kong 5.2%, Thailand 5% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "motor vehicles 13.6%; semiconductors 6.2%; iron and steel products 5.5%; auto parts 4.6%; plastic materials 3.5%; power generating machinery 3.5% (2012 est.)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :3.9%; industry: :26.2%; services: :69.8% (2010 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.7%; highest 10%: :24.8% (2008)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "16% (2010)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.97% of GDP (2012); 1.01% of GDP (2011); 0.99% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain; acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and threatening aquatic life; Japan is one of the largest consumers of fish and tropical timber, contributing to the depletion of these resources in Asia and elsewhere", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :33; 914 to 1,523 m: :5; 28 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :142; over 3,047 m: :6; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :45; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :38; 914 to 1,523 m: :28; under 914 m: :25 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "In 1603, after decades of civil warfare, the Tokugawa shogunate (a military-led, dynastic government) ushered in a long period of relative political stability and isolation from foreign influence. For more than two centuries this policy enabled Japan to enjoy a flowering of its indigenous culture. Japan opened its ports after signing the Treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854 and began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power that was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia. It occupied Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin Island. In 1931-32 Japan occupied Manchuria, and in 1937 it launched a full-scale invasion of China. Japan attacked US forces in 1941 - triggering America's entry into World War II - and soon occupied much of East and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II, Japan recovered to become an economic power and an ally of the US. While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, elected politicians hold actual decision-making power. Following three decades of unprecedented growth, Japan's economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s, but the country remains an economic power. In March 2011, Japan's strongest-ever earthquake, and an accompanying tsunami, devastated the northeast part of Honshu island, killed thousands, and damaged several nuclear power plants. The catastrophe hobbled the country's economy and its energy infrastructure, and tested its ability to deal with humanitarian disasters. Prime Minister Shinzo ABE was reelected to office in December 2012, and has since embarked on ambitious economic and security reforms to improve Japan�s economy and increase the country�s international standing.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :623,365; female: :591,253 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :22,390,431; females age 16-49: :21,540,322 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; mandatory retirement at age 53 for senior enlisted personnel and at 62 years for senior service officers (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than California", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors but occasional severe earthquakes) every year; tsunamis; typhoons; volcanism: :both Unzen (elev. 1,500 m) and Sakura-jima (elev. 1,117 m), which lies near the densely populated city of Kagoshima, have been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; other notable historically active volcanoes include Asama, Honshu Island's most active volcano, Aso, Bandai, Fuji, Iwo-Jima, Kikai, Kirishima, Komaga-take, Oshima, Suwanosejima, Tokachi, Yake-dake, and Usu", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Hachiro-gata -4 m; highest point: :Mount Fuji 3,776 m", "HELIPORTS": "16 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.09 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.76 male(s)/female; total population: :0.95 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "211; note - in addition, US Forces are served by 3 TV stations and 2 TV cable services (1999)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 215 (plus 370 repeaters), FM 89 (plus 485 repeaters), shortwave 21 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :1.2%; industry: :25.7%; services: :73.1% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "36 00 N, 138 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :13.2% (male 8,681,728/female 8,132,809); 15-24 years: :9.7% (male 6,429,429/female 5,890,991); 25-54 years: :38.1% (male 23,953,643/female 24,449,655); 55-64 years: :13.2% (male 8,413,872/female 8,400,953); 65 years and over: :25.8% (male 14,218,655/female 18,531,653) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Jersey", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (British crown dependency)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "British crown dependency", "AFFILIATION": "(British crown dependency)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$57,000 (2005 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.3%", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.81% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$5.771 billion (FY 2012/13 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :46.4%; youth dependency ratio: :21.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :24.7%; potential support ratio: :4%; note: :data represents the Channel Islands (2014 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "630.1 million kWh (2004 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Jersey cow; national colors: red, white", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-0.4% of GDP (2005)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "14.4% of GDP (2005)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Isle de Siez Nous\" (Island Home); lyrics/music: :Gerard LE FEUVRE; note: :adopted 2008; serves as a local anthem; as a British crown dependency, \"God Save the Queen\" is official (see United Kingdom)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "multiple UK terrestrial television broadcasts are received via a transmitter in Jersey; satellite packages available; BBC Radio Jersey and 1 other radio station operating (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :31.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.76% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.); data is for the Channel Islands", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$5.771 billion (2005 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "264 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :39.5 years; male: :37.1 years; female: :41.6 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".je", "INTERNET_USERS": "29,500 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "108,000 (2010)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "73,800 (2010)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (British crown dependency)", "AREA": "total: :116 sq km; land: :116 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Western Europe, island in the English Channel, northwest of France", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Bailiwick of Jersey; conventional short form: :Jersey", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the UK", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "1.7% (2012 est.); 2.2% (2006 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.66 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :increasingly modern system, with broadband access; domestic: :digital telephone system launch announced in 2006 now implemented; fixed-line and mobile-cellular services widely available; combined fixed and mobile-cellular density exceeds 100 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 44; submarine cable connectivity to Guernsey, the UK, and France (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "16 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant (Anglican, Baptist, Congregational New Church, Methodist, Presbyterian), Roman Catholic", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Gorey, Saint Aubin, Saint Helier", "POPULATION": "96,513 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Jersey Democratic Alliance; note: :all senators and deputies elected in 2008 were independents", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Jersey's economy is based on international financial services, agriculture, and tourism. In 2010 the financial services sector accounted for about 50% of the island's output. Potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes, and especially flowers are important export crops, shipped mostly to the UK. The Jersey breed of dairy cattle is known worldwide and represents an important export income earner. Tourism accounts for one-quarter of GDP. Living standards come close to those of the UK. In recent years, the government has encouraged light industry to locate in Jersey with the result that an electronics industry has developed, displacing more traditional industries. All raw material and energy requirements are imported as well as a large share of Jersey's food needs. Light taxes and death duties make the island a popular tax haven. In October 2014, Jersey signed an OECD agreement to automatically exchange some financial account information to limit tax avoidance and evasion.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Institute of Directors, Jersey branch (provides business support); Jersey Hospitality Association [Robert JONES; Jersey Rights Association [David ROTHERHAM; La Societe Jersiaise (education and conservation group); Progress Jersey [Daren O'TOOLE, Gino RISOLI; Royal Jersey Agriculture and Horticultural Society or RJA&HS (development and management of the Jersey breed of cattle); Save Jersey's Heritage (protects heritage through building preservation)", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of population concentrated in Saint Helier", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "4.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Channel Islander(s); adjective: :Channel Islander", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "registered in other countries: :14 (Gibraltar 1, India 2, Marshall Islands 11) (2010)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :3 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :12 nm", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :81.66 years; male: :79.22 years; female: :84.26 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Assembly of the States of Jersey (58 seats; 53 voting members directly elected by simple majority vote include 12 senators to serve 6-year terms, and 29 deputies and 12 constables or heads of parishes to serve 3-year terms; 5 non-voting members appointed by the monarch include the bailiff, lieutenant governor, dean of Jersey, attorney general, and the solicitor general); note - the senator seats will be reduced to 8 in the October 2014 election; elections: :last held on 27 April 2011 (next to be held in 2014); election results: :percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 53; note - starting with the 2014 elections, the number of Senators will be reduced to 8", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply; local statutes", "LANGUAGES": "English 94.5% (official), Portuguese 4.6%, other 0.9% (2001 census)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :66%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :34% (2011 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "53,380 (June 2012)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Jersey Court of Appeal (consists of the bailiff, deputy bailiff, and 12 judges and organized into Heritage, Family, Probate, and Civil and Criminal Divisions); Royal Court (consists of the bailiff, deputy bailiff, 6 commissioners - part-time judges, and NA lay people referred to as jurats); judge selection and term of office: :Jersey Court of Appeal bailiffs and judges appointed by the Crown upon the advice of the Secretary of State for Justice; bailiffs and judges appointed for extent of good behavior; Royal Court bailiffs appointed by the Crown upon the advice of the Secretary of State for Justice; commissioners appointed by the bailiff; jurats appointed by the Electoral College; bailiffs and commissioners appointed for extent of good behavior; jurats appointed until retirement at age 72; subordinate courts: :Magistrate's Court; Youth Court; Petty Debts Court; Parish Hall Enquires (a process of preliminary investigation into youth and minor adult offenses to determine need for presentation before a court)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3.7% (2006)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :3.86 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :4.08 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :3.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, banking and finance, dairy, electronics", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (British crown dependency)", "IMPORTS": "$NA", "ROADWAYS": "total: :576 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "white with a diagonal red cross extending to the corners of the flag; in the upper quadrant, surmounted by a yellow crown, a red shield with three lions in yellow; according to tradition, the ships of Jersey - in an attempt to differentiate themselves from English ships flying the horizontal cross of St. George - rotated the cross to the \"X\" (saltire) configuration; because this arrangement still resembled the Irish cross of St. Patrick, the yellow Plantagenet crown and Jersey coat of arms were added", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$NA", "EXPORTS": "$NA", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir John MCCOLL (since 26 September 2011); head of government: :Chief Minister Ian GORST (18 December 2011); Bailiff Michael BIRT (since 9 July 2009); cabinet: :Cabinet (since December 2005); elections: :ministers of the Cabinet including the chief minister are elected by the Assembly of States; the monarchy is hereditary; lieutenant governor and bailiff appointed by the monarch", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Jersey pounds (JEP) per US dollar; 0.6003 (2012); 0.6391 (2013); 0.6391 (2011 est.); 0.6472 (2010 est)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Jersey 46.4%, British 32.7%, Portuguese/Madeiran 8.2%, Polish 3.3%, Irish, French, and other white 7.1%, other 2.4% (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "7.63 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice (2013)", "COASTLINE": "70 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate; mild winters and cool summers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, foodstuffs, mineral fuels, chemicals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Saint Helier; geographic coordinates: :49 11 N, 2 06 W; time difference: :UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$829 million; expenditures: :$851 million (2005)", "BIRTH_RATE": "11.65 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes; beef, dairy products", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 12 parishes; Grouville, Saint Brelade, Saint Clement, Saint Helier, Saint John, Saint Lawrence, Saint Martin, Saint Mary, Saint Ouen, Saint Peter, Saint Saviour, and Trinity", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "light industrial and electrical goods, dairy cattle, foodstuffs, textiles, flowers", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Jersey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy that held sway in both France and England. These islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II. Jersey is a British crown dependency but is not part of the UK or of the European Union. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :664; female: :590 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :18,688; females age 16-49: :18,615 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about two-thirds the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :unnamed elevation 143 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.74 male(s)/female; total population: :0.96 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "2 (UK television carried by local relays with a switch to digital broadcasts scheduled for 2010) (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM NA, FM 1, shortwave 0 (UK radio broadcasts carried via local relays) (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :2%; industry: :2%; services: :96% (2010)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "49 15 N, 2 10 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :16% (male 8,001/female 7,456); 15-24 years: :14.8% (male 7,271/female 6,972); 25-54 years: :41.4% (male 20,000/female 19,927); 55-64 years: :12.2% (male 5,690/female 6,055); 65 years and over: :15.7% (male 6,464/female 8,677) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Jordan", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Alice G. WELLS (since 17 August 2014); embassy: :Abdoun, Al-Umawyeen St., Amman; mailing address: :P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; Unit 70200, Box 5, DPO AE 09892-0200; telephone: :[962; FAX: :[962", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$11,900 (2014 est.); $11,800 (2013 est.); $11,800 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3% (2014 est.); 2.9% (2013 est.); 2.7% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.86% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$79.77 billion (2014 est.); $77.44 billion (2013 est.); $75.26 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :59.4%; youth dependency ratio: :53.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.7%; potential support ratio: :17.4% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "11.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 10.9% of GDP (2013 est.); 6.5% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :81.5%; government consumption: :23.6%; investment in fixed capital: :28.5%; investment in inventories: :1.8%; exports of goods and services: :41.6%; imports of goods and services: :-77%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "61.2% (2012)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "24.7; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2012 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "16.86 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "6.031 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "484 million cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "709 million cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "225 million cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "68,040 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "122,700 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "57,790 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "1 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "68,320 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "19 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "99.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "3.193 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "381 million kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "59 million kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "14.56 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "17.26 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "eagle; national colors: black, white, green, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :29.3%; male: :25.2%; female: :48.8% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "30% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.8 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.56 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "9.8% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "3% (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "63 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-4.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "26.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "AMMAN (capital) 1.148 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"As-salam al-malaki al-urdoni\" (Long Live the King of Jordan); lyrics/music: :Abdul-Mone'm al-RIFAI'/Abdul-Qader al-TANEER; note: :adopted 1946; the shortened version of the anthem is used most commonly, while the full version is reserved for special occasions", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 98.1% of population; rural: 98% of population; total: 98.1% of population; urban: 1.9% of population; rural: 2% of population; total: 1.9% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 97.3% of population; rural: 90.5% of population; total: 96.1% of population; urban: 2.7% of population; rural: 9.5% of population; total: 3.9% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$42.26 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $38.58 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$13.52 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $11.86 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "radio and TV dominated by the government-owned Jordan Radio and Television Corporation (JRTV) that operates a main network, a sports network, a film network, and a satellite channel; first independent TV broadcaster aired in 2007; international satellite TV and Israeli and Syrian TV broadcasts are available; roughly 30 radio stations with JRTV operating the main government-owned station; transmissions of multiple international radio broadcasters are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :83.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.79% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$40.72 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $38.08 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$19.04 billion (31 December 2008); $15.38 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$7.781 billion (31 December 2008); $6.765 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "8.74% (31 December 2014 est.); 8.85% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.3% (31 December 2010); 4.75% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :14 years; male: :13 years; female: :14 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.94 cu km/yr (31%/4%/65%); per capita: :166 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "0.94 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$27 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $27.18 billion (31 December 2011); $30.86 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$532.9 million (31 December 2014 est.); $524.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$28.65 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $26.67 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$36.55 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :2,097,338 (Palestinian refugees (UNRWA)); 89,741 (Iraq) (2014); 627,295 (Syria) (2015)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$16.51 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $13.82 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$3.192 billion (2014 est.); -$3.452 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "90% of GDP (2014 est.); 86.8% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover central government debt, and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "69,473 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :21.8 years; male: :21.5 years; female: :22.1 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "39.7 (2007); 36.4 (1997)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".jo", "INTERNET_USERS": "1.642 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "8.984 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "435,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Alia Hatough BOURAN (since 14 September 2010); chancery: :3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :89,342 sq km; land: :88,802 sq km; water: :540 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "788.6 sq km (2004)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Middle East", "LOCATION": "Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia, between Israel (to the west) and Iraq", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; conventional short form: :Jordan; local long form: :Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah; local short form: :Al Urdun; former: :Transjordan", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "12.3% (2014 est.); 12.6% (2013 est.); note: :official rate; unofficial rate is approximately 30%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional monarchy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "3.16 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :service has improved recently with increased use of digital switching equipment; microwave radio relay transmission and coaxial and fiber-optic cable are employed on trunk lines; growing mobile-cellular usage in both urban and rural areas is reducing use of fixed-line services; domestic: :1995 telecommunications law opened all non-fixed-line services to private competition; in 2005, monopoly over fixed-line services terminated and the entire telecommunications sector was opened to competition; currently multiple mobile-cellular providers with subscribership reaching 115 per 100 persons in 2011; international: :country code - 962; landing point for the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) FEA and FLAG Falcon submarine cable networks; satellite earth stations - 33 (3 Intelsat, 1 Arabsat, and 29 land and maritime Inmarsat terminals); fiber-optic cable to Saudi Arabia and microwave radio relay link with Egypt and Syria; participant in Medarabtel (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": ".1 (2010 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :507 km; narrow gauge: :507 km 1.050-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Al 'Aqabah", "POPULATION": "7,930,491; note: :increased estimate reflects revised assumptions about the net migration rate due to the increased flow of Syrian refugees (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Ahl al-Himma; Al-Bayyan; Al-Hayah Jordanian Party [Zahier AMR; Arab Ba'ath Socialist Party [Akram al-HIMSI; Ba'ath Arab Progressive Party [Fuad DABBOUR; Citizenship; Construction; Cooperation; Dawn; Democratic People's Party [Ablah ABU ULBAH; Democratic Popular Unity Party [Sa'id DIAB; Dignity; Du'a Party [Muhammed ABU BAKR; Free Voice; Islamic Action Front or IAF [Hamzah MANSOUR; Islamic Centrist Party [Muhammad al-HAJ; Jordanian Communist Party [Munir HAMARNAH; Jordanian National Party [Muna ABU BAKR; Jordanian United Front [Amjad al-MAJALI; Labor and Trade; Nation; National Accord Youth Block; National Action; National Constitution Party [Ahmad al-SHUNAQ; National Current Party [Abd al-Hadi al-MAJALI; National Movement for Direct Democracy [Muhammad al-QAQ; National Union; National Unity; Nobel Jerusalem; Risalah Party [Hazem QASHOU; Salvation; Stronger Jordan; The Direct Democratic Nationalists Movement Party [Nash'at KHALIFAH; The People; Unified Front; United Front; Voice of the Nation", "PIPELINES": "gas 473 km; oil 49 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Jordan's economy is among the smallest in the Middle East, with insufficient supplies of water, oil, and other natural resources underlying the government's heavy reliance on foreign assistance. Other economic challenges for the government include chronic high rates of poverty, unemployment, inflation, and a large budget deficit and resulting government debt. King ABDALLAH during the 2000s implemented significant economic reforms, such as opening the trade regime and privatizing state-owned companies, that attracted foreign investment and contributed to average annual economic growth of 8% for 2004 through 2008. The global economic slowdown and regional turmoil in the past few years, however, have reduced the average annual growth rate to 2.6% for the 2010-2013 period and hurt export-oriented sectors, construction, and tourism. Jordan's finances have been strained by a series of natural gas pipeline attacks in Egypt, causing Jordan to substitute more expensive diesel imports, primarily from Saudi Arabia, to generate electricity. Jordan is currently exploring nuclear power generation in addition to the exploitation of abundant oil shale reserves and renewable technologies to forestall energy shortfalls. In August 2012, to correct budgetary and balance of payments imbalances, Jordan entered into a $2.1 billion, three year International Monetary Fund Stand-By Arrangement. In 2014, fiscal reform measures enacted in the previous few years continued to boost government revenues and reduced the budget deficit as an influx of Syrian refugees put additional pressure on expenditures.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "15 April Movement [Mohammad SUNEID, chairman; 24 March Movement [Mu'az al-KHAWALIDAH, Abdel Rahman HASANEIN, spokespersons; 1952 Constitution Movement; Anti-Normalization Committee [Hamzah MANSOUR, chairman; Economic and Social Association of Retired Servicemen and Veterans or ESARSV [Abdulsalam al-HASSANAT, chairman; Group of 36; Higher Coordination Committee of Opposition Parties [Said DIAB; Higher National Committee for Military Retirees or HNCMR [Ali al-HABASHNEH, chairman; Hirak; Jordan Bar Association [Saleh al-ARMUTI, chairman; Jordanian Campaign for Change or Jayin; Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood [Dr. Hamam SAID, controller general; Jordanian Press Association [Sayf al-SHARIF, president; National Front for Reform or NFR [Ahmad OBEIDAT, chairman; Popular Gathering for Reform; Professional Associations Council [Abd al-Hadi al-FALAHAT, chairman; Sons of Jordan", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as the Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and the occupied West Bank", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "17.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "phosphates, potash, shale oil", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Jordanian(s); adjective: :Jordanian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 25 May (1946)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :12; by type: :cargo 4, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1; foreign-owned: :2 (UAE 2); registered in other countries: :16 (Bahamas 2, Egypt 2, Indonesia 1, Panama 11) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CD, CICA, EBRD, FAO, G-11, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :3 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,674,260; females age 16-49: :1,611,315 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :97.9%; male: :98.4%; female: :97.4% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :74.1 years; male: :72.79 years; female: :75.5 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of the Senate, or the House of Notables or Majlis al-Ayan (60 seats; members appointed by the monarch to serve 4-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or House of Representatives or Majlis al-Nuwaab (150 seats; 108 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 27 directly elected in a single national constituency by proportional representation vote, and 15 seats reserved for women; members serve 4-year terms); note - the electoral law enacted in July 2012 allocated an additional 10 seats - 6 for women, 2 for Amman, and 1 seat each for the cities of Zarqa and Irbid; unchanged are 9 seats reserved for Christian candidates, 9 for Bedouin candidates, and 3 for Jordanians of Chechen or Circassian descent; elections: :Chamber of Deputies - last held on 23 January 2013 (next election 2017); note - the King dissolved the previous Chamber of Deputies in November 2012, midway through the parliamentary term; election results: :Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - 27 elected on closed national list to include: Islamic Centrist Party 3, Nation 2, National Union 2, Stronger Jordan 2, Ahl al-Himma 1, Al-Bayyan 1, Citizenship 1, Construction 1, Cooperation 1, Dawn 1, Dignity 1, Free Voice 1, Labor and Trade 1, National Accord Youth Block 1, National Action 1, National Current 1 (member resigned in February 2013), National Unity 1, Nobel Jerusalem 1, Salvation 1, The People 1, Unified Front 1, Voice of Nation 1; other 123; note - the IAF boycotted the election", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of civil law and Islamic religious law; judicial review of legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal", "LANGUAGES": "Arabic (official), English (widely understood among upper and middle classes)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :2.41%; permanent crops: :0.97%; other: :96.62% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,744 km; border countries: :Iraq 179 km, Israel 307 km, Saudi Arabia 731 km, Syria 379 km, West Bank 148 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "1.959 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Court of Cassation or Supreme Court (consists of 7 judges including the chief justice; 7-judge panels for important cases and 5 judge panels for most appeals cases); judge selection and term of office: :chief justice appointed by the king; other judges nominated by the Higher Judicial Council and approved by the king; judge tenure NA; subordinate courts: :courts of appeal; magistrate courts; courts of first instance; religious courts; State Security Court", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3% (2014 est.); 5.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :15.73 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :16.63 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :14.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, information technology, clothing, fertilizers, potash, phosphate mining, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement, inorganic chemicals, light manufacturing", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.4% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)", "IMPORTS": "$22.8 billion (2014 est.); $22.1 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :7,203 km; paved: :7,203 km (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of black (top), representing the Abbassid Caliphate, white, representing the Ummayyad Caliphate, and green, representing the Fatimid Caliphate; a red isosceles triangle on the hoist side, representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, and bearing a small white seven-pointed star symbolizing the seven verses of the opening Sura (Al-Fatiha) of the Holy Koran; the seven points on the star represent faith in One God, humanity, national spirit, humility, social justice, virtue, and aspirations; design is based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$26.06 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $22.61 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$8.556 billion (2014 est.); $7.921 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Crown Prince HUSSEIN (born 28 June 1994), eldest son of King ABDALLAH II; head of government: :Prime Minister Abdullah NSOUR (since 11 October 2012); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the monarch; note - a new cabinet was sworn in 21 August 2013 and includes 13 new ministers, enlarging the government as part of promised reforms; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Jordanian dinars (JOD) per US dollar -; 0.709 (2014 est.); 0.709 (2013 est.); 0.709 (2012 est.); 0.709 (2011 est.); 0.71 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%", "DEATH_RATE": "3.8 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1928 (preindependence); latest initially adopted 28 November 1947, revised and ratified 1 January 1952; amended several times, last in 2014 (2014)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Saudi Arabia 18.5%, China 10.3%, US 6.3%, India 5.1%, Italy 4.8% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "26 km", "CLIMATE": "mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "crude oil, refined petroleum products, machinery, transport equipment, iron, cereals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Amman; geographic coordinates: :31 57 N, 35 56 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Friday in March; ends last Friday in October", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$9.845 billion; expenditures: :$11.42 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF): Royal Jordanian Land Force (RJLF), Royal Jordanian Navy, Royal Jordanian Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Malakiya al-Urduniya, RJAF), Special Operations Command (Socom); Public Security Directorate (normally falls under Ministry of Interior, but comes under JAF in wartime or crisis) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "25.23 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "18 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "citrus, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, strawberries, stone fruits; sheep, poultry, dairy", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "12 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); 'Ajlun, Al 'Aqabah, Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, Al'Asimah, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an, Madaba", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Iraq 18.4%, US 17.6%, Saudi Arabia 13.6%, India 7.3%, UAE 4% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "clothing, fertilizers, potash, phosphates, vegetables, pharmaceuticals", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :2%; industry: :20%; services: :78% (2013 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.4%; highest 10%: :28.7% (2010 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "14.2% (2002)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "4.65% of GDP (2012); 4.64% of GDP (2011); 4.65% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "limited natural freshwater resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 2 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :16; over 3,047 m: :8; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :5; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the League of Nations awarded Britain the mandate to govern much of the Middle East. Britain demarcated a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from Palestine in the early 1920s. The area gained its independence in 1946 and thereafter became The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The country's long-time ruler, King HUSSEIN (1953-99), successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states, Israel, and a large internal Palestinian population. Jordan lost the West Bank to Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. King HUSSEIN in 1988 permanently relinquished Jordanian claims to the West Bank; in 1994 he signed a peace treaty with Israel. King ABDALLAH II, King HUSSEIN's eldest son, assumed the throne following his father's death in 1999. He implemented modest political and economic reforms, but in the wake of the \"Arab Revolution\" across the Middle East, Jordanians continue to press for further political liberalization, government reforms, and economic improvements. In January 2014, Jordan assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2014-15 term.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :73,574; female: :69,420 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,439,192; females age 16-49: :1,384,500 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "17 years of age for voluntary male military service; initial service term 2 years, with option to reenlist for 18 years; conscription at age 18 suspended in 1999; women not subject to conscription, but can volunteer to serve in noncombat military positions in the Royal Jordanian Arab Army Women's Corps and RJAF (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Indiana", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "droughts; periodic earthquakes", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Dead Sea -408 m; highest point: :Jabal Umm ad Dami 1,854 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2012)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.95 male(s)/female; total population: :1.03 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "4 (2009)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 28 (2010)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :3.2%; industry: :29.3%; services: :67.4% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "31 00 N, 36 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :35.8% (male 1,457,174/female 1,385,604); 15-24 years: :20.4% (male 826,482/female 788,950); 25-54 years: :35.7% (male 1,421,634/female 1,412,888); 55-64 years: :4.2% (male 160,224/female 169,965); 65 years and over: :3.9% (male 145,515/female 162,055) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Kazakhstan", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador George KROL (since 18 March 2015); embassy: :Rakhymzhan Koshkarbayev Ave. No 3, Astana 010010; mailing address: :use embassy street address; telephone: :[7; FAX: :[7", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$24,100 (2014 est.); $23,400 (2013 est.); $22,400 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "4.6% (2014 est.); 6% (2013 est.); 5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.17% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$420.6 billion (2014 est.); $402.1 billion (2013 est.); $379.3 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :48.7%; youth dependency ratio: :38.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :10%; potential support ratio: :10% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "28.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 27% of GDP (2013 est.); 26.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :47.7%; government consumption: :10.5%; investment in fixed capital: :24.3%; investment in inventories: :3.7%; exports of goods and services: :40.8%; imports of goods and services: :-27%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "51% (2010/11)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "25 (2011 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :59,254; percentage: :2% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "224.2 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "2.407 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "10.53 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "11.37 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "10.95 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "11.79 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "94,430 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "149,800 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "258,200 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "288,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "30 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "119,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "1.406 million bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "1.655 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "11.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "88.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "18.75 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "2.6 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "1.809 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "76.21 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "90.53 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "golden eagle; national colors: blue, yellow", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :3.9%; male: :2.9%; female: :5.1% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "23.7% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "7.2 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3.58 physicians/1,000 population (2012)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "4.2% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "3.7% (2011)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "51 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-1.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "18.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "Almaty 1.51 million; ASTANA (capital) 741,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Menin Qazaqstanim\" (My Kazakhstan); lyrics/music: :Zhumeken NAZHIMEDENOV and Nursultan NAZARBAYEV/Shamshi KALDAYAKOV; note: :adopted 2006; President Nursultan NAZARBAYEV played a role in revising the lyrics", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 97% of population; rural: 98% of population; total: 97.5% of population; urban: 3% of population; rural: 2% of population; total: 2.5% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.2% of population; rural: 86% of population; total: 93.1% of population; urban: 0.8% of population; rural: 14% of population; total: 6.9% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$52.89 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $56.49 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$20.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $22.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state owns nearly all radio and TV transmission facilities and operates national TV and radio networks; nearly all nationwide TV networks are wholly or partly owned by the government; some former state-owned media outlets have been privatized; households with satellite dishes have access to foreign media; a small number of commercial radio stations operate along with state-run radio stations; recent legislation requires all media outlets to register with the government and all TV providers to broadcast in digital format by 2018 (2015)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :53.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.86% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$88.98 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $89.74 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$35.76 billion (31 December 2008); $25.75 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$16.12 billion (31 December 2008); $12.74 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "6.9% (31 December 2014 est.); 6.3% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "5.5% (31 December 2012); 7.5% (31 December 2011)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.1% of GDP (2009)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :15 years; male: :15 years; female: :15 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :21.14 cu km/yr (4%/30%/66%); per capita: :1,304 cu m/yr (2010)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "107.5 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$23.5 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $43.3 billion (31 December 2011); $60.74 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$32.12 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $29.12 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$141.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $129.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$225.6 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :6,942 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$27.55 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $24.68 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$7.12 billion (2014 est.); $1.122 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "12.1% of GDP (2014 est.); 13.8% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "67,464 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :29.7 years; male: :28.4 years; female: :31.1 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "28.9 (2011); 31.5 (2003)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".kz", "INTERNET_USERS": "5.299 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "28.731 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "4.34 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Kayrat UMAROV (since 14 January 2013); chancery: :1401 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :New York", "AREA": "total: :2,724,900 sq km; land: :2,699,700 sq km; water: :25,200 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "20,660 sq km (2010)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Asia", "LOCATION": "Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural (Zhayyq) River in eastern-most Europe", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Kazakhstan; conventional short form: :Kazakhstan; local long form: :Qazaqstan Respublikasy; local short form: :Qazaqstan; former: :Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "5.1% (2014 est.); 5.2% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.34 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "vast flat steppe extending from the Volga in the west to the Altai Mountains in the east and from the plains of western Siberia in the north to oases and deserts of Central Asia in the south", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :inherited an outdated telecommunications network from the Soviet era requiring modernization; domestic: :intercity by landline and microwave radio relay; number of fixed-line connections is gradually increasing and fixed-line teledensity now roughly 25 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage has increased rapidly and the subscriber base now exceeds 140 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 7; international traffic with other former Soviet republics and China carried by landline and microwave radio relay and with other countries by satellite and by the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (2008)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 70.2%, Christian 26.2% (mainly Russian Orthodox), other 0.2%, atheist 2.8%, unspecified 0.5% (2009 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :15,333 km; broad gauge: :15,333 km 1.520-m gauge (4,000 km electrified) (2012)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Aqtau (Shevchenko), Atyrau (Gur'yev); river port(s): :Oskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk), Pavlodar, Semey (Semipalatinsk) (Irtysh River)", "POPULATION": "17,948,816 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Ak Zhol Party (Bright Path) [Azat PERUASHEV; Alga [Vladimir KOZLOV; Auyl (Village) [Gani KALIYEV; Azat (Freedom) Party [Bolat ABILOV; Birlik (Unity) [Seril SULTANGALI; NSDP [Zharmakhan TUYAKBAY; Communist Party of Kazakhstan or KPK [Serikbolsyn ABDILDIN; Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan [Vladislav KOSAREV; National Social Democratic Party or NSDP [Zharmakhan TUYAKBAY; Nur Otan (Fatherland's Ray of Light) [Nursultan NAZARBAYEV, Nurlan NIGMATULIN; Patriots' Party [Gani KASYMOV", "PIPELINES": "condensate 658 km; gas 12,432 km; oil 11,313 km; refined products 1,095 km; water 1,465 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Kazakhstan, geographically the largest of the former Soviet republics, excluding Russia, possesses substantial fossil fuel reserves and other minerals and metals, such as uranium, copper, and zinc. It also has a large agricultural sector featuring livestock and grain. In 2002 Kazakhstan became the first country in the former Soviet Union to receive an investment-grade credit rating. Extractive industries have been and will continue to be the engine of Kazakhstan's growth, although the country is seriouslypursuing diversification strategies. Landlocked, with restricted access to the high seas, Kazakhstan relies on its neighbors, especially on Russia, to export its products, including oil and grain. Although its Caspian Sea ports, pipelines, and rail lines carrying oil have been upgraded, civil aviation and roadways continue to need attention. Supply and distribution of electricity can be erratic because of regional dependencies, but the country is moving forward with plans to improve reliability of electricity and gas supply to its population. At the end of 2007, global financial markets froze up and the loss of capital inflows to Kazakhstani banks caused a credit crunch. The subsequent and sharp fall of oil and commodity prices in 2008 aggravated the economic situation, and Kazakhstan plunged into recession. While the global financial crisis took a significant toll on Kazakhstan's economy, it has rebounded well, helped by prudent government measures. Rising commodity prices have helped the recovery. Despite solid macroeconomic indicators, the government realizes that its economy suffers from an overreliance on oil and extractive industries, the so-called \"Dutch disease.\" In response, Kazakhstan has embarked on an ambitious diversification program, aimed at developing targeted sectors like transport, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, petrochemicals and food processing. In 2010 Kazakhstan joined the Belarus-Kazakhstan-Russia Customs Union in an effort to boost foreign investment and improve trade relationships. The Customs Union evolved into the Eurasian Economic Union in January 2015. During 2014, Kazakhstan�s economy was hampered by Russia�s slowing economy, the weakening ruble, falling oil prices, and problems at its Kashagan oil field. Kazakhstan devalued its currency, the tenge, by 19% in February and in November the government announced a stimulus package to cope with the economic challenges.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Adil-Soz [Tamara KALEYEVA; Almaty Helsinki Committee [Ninel FOKINA; Confederation of Free Trade Unions [Sergei BELKIN; For Fair Elections [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, Sabit ZHUSUPOV, Sergey DUVANOV, Ibrash NUSUPBAYEV; Kazakhstan International Bureau on Human Rights [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, Chairman of Bureau's Council, Roza AKYLBEKOVA, director; Khalyk Maidany (Peoples' Front) - an informal union between the unregistered Alga Party, the unregistered Communist Party of Kazakhstan, and several opposition-oriented civil society groups, banned in November 2012 [no formal leader; Pan-National Social Democratic Party of Kazakhstan [Zharmakhan TUYAKBAY; Pensioners Movement or Pokoleniye [Irina SAVOSTINA, chairwoman; Republican Network of International Monitors [Daniyar LIVAZOV; Transparency International [Sergey ZLOTNIKOV", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "world's largest landlocked country; Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km of territory enclosing the Baykonur Cosmodrome; in January 2004, Kazakhstan and Russia extended the lease to 2050", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Kazakhstani(s); adjective: :Kazakhstani", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 16 December (1991)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :11; by type: :cargo 1, petroleum tanker 8, refrigerated cargo 1, specialized tanker 1; foreign-owned: :3 (Austria 1, Ireland 1, Turkey 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, CICA, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, EITI (compliant country), FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer), ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :4,163,629; females age 16-49: :4,179,051 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :99.7%; male: :99.8%; female: :99.7% (2009 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :70.24 years; male: :64.98 years; female: :75.17 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (47 seats; 32 members indirectly elected by majority two-round vote by the oblast-level assemblies and 15 members appointed by the president; members serve 6-year terms, with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years) and the Mazhilis (107 seats; 98 members directly elected in a single national constituency by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms and 9 indirectly elected by the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan, a 350-member, presidentially appointed advisory body designed to represent the country's ethnic minorities); elections: :Senate - (indirect) last held in 2014 (next to be held in 2017); Mazhilis - last held on 15 January 2012 (next to be held by November 2016); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Nur Otan 16; Mazhilis - percent of vote by party - Nur-Otan 81%, Ak Zhol 7.5%, Communist People's Party 7.2%, other 4.3%; seats by party - Nur-Otan 83, Ak Zhol 8, Communist People's Party 7", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system influenced by Roman-Germanic law and by the theory and practice of the Russian Federation", "LANGUAGES": "Kazakh (official, Qazaq) 64.4%, Russian (official, used in everyday business, designated the \"language of interethnic communication\") 95% (2001 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :8.48%; permanent crops: :0.03%; other: :91.49% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :13,364 km; border countries: :China 1,765 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,212 km, Russia 7,644 km, Turkmenistan 413 km, Uzbekistan 2,330 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "9.103 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of the Republic (consists of 44 members); Constitutional Council (consists of 7 members); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges proposed by the president of the republic on recommendation of the Supreme Judicial Council, and confirmed by the Senate; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Council - the president of the republic, the Senate chairperson, the Majilis chairperson each appoints one member for a 3-year term and each appoints one member for a 6-year term; chairperson of the Constitutional Council appointed by the president of the republic for a 6-year term; subordinate courts: :regional and local courts", "WATERWAYS": "4,000 km (on the Ertis (Irtysh) River (80%) and Syr Darya (Syrdariya) River) (2010)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "6.7% (2014 est.); 5.8% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :21.61 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :24.34 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :19.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "oil, coal, iron ore, manganese, chromite, lead, zinc, copper, titanium, bauxite, gold, silver, phosphates, sulfur, uranium, iron and steel; tractors and other agricultural machinery, electric motors, construction materials", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.3% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union)", "IMPORTS": "$47.56 billion (2014 est.); $50.8 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :97,418 km; paved: :87,140 km; unpaved: :10,278 km (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "a gold sun with 32 rays above a soaring golden steppe eagle, both centered on a sky blue background; the hoist side displays a national ornamental pattern \"koshkar-muiz\" (the horns of the ram) in gold; the blue color is of religious significance to the Turkic peoples of the country, and so symbolizes cultural and ethnic unity; it also represents the endless sky as well as water; the sun, a source of life and energy, exemplifies wealth and plenitude; the sun's rays are shaped like grain, which is the basis of abundance and prosperity; the eagle has appeared on the flags of Kazakh tribes for centuries and represents freedom, power, and the flight to the future; blue and yellow are the national colors", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$163.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $150.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$87.25 billion (2014 est.); $85.6 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Nursultan Abishuly NAZARBAYEV (chairman of the Supreme Soviet from 22 February 1990, elected president 1 December 1991); head of government: :Prime Minister Karim MASIMOV (since 2 April 2014); First Deputy Prime Minister Bakytzhan SAGINTAYEV (since 16 January 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Berdibek SAPARBAYEV (since November 2014); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held on 3 April 2011 (next to be held in 2016); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president, with Mazhilis approval; note - constitutional amendments of May 2007 shortened the presidential term from seven years to five years and established a two-consecutive-term limit; NAZARBAYEV has official status as the \"First President of Kazakhstan\" and is allowed unlimited terms; note: :constitutional amendments of February 2011 moved election date from 2012 to April 2011 but kept five-year term; subsequent election to take place in 2016; election results: :Nursultan Abishuly NAZARBAYEV reelected president; percent of vote - Nursultan Abishuly NAZARBAYEV 95.5%, other 4.5%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "tenge (KZT) per US dollar -; 179.3 (2014 est.); 152.13 (2013 est.); 149.11 (2012 est.); 146.62 (2011 est.); 147.36 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Kazakh (Qazaq) 63.1%, Russian 23.7%, Uzbek 2.9%, Ukrainian 2.1%, Uighur 1.4%, Tatar 1.3%, German 1.1%, other 4.4% (2009 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "8.31 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1937, 1978 (preindependence); latest adopted 28 January 1993, approved by referendum 30 August 1995, effective 5 September 1995; amended 1998, 2007, 2011 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 30.6%, Russia 20.5%, Ukraine 6.8%, Germany 6.2% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked); note - Kazakhstan borders the Aral Sea, now split into two bodies of water (1,070 km), and the Caspian Sea (1,894 km)", "CLIMATE": "continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, metal products, foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Astana; geographic coordinates: :51 10 N, 71 25 E; time difference: :UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); note: :Kazakhstan has two time zones", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$42.02 billion; expenditures: :$45.7 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Kazakhstan Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Mobile Forces, Air Defense Forces (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "19.61 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "96 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "grain (mostly spring wheat and barley), potatoes, vegetables, melons; livestock", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "14 provinces (oblystar, singular - oblys) and 3 cities* (qalalar, singular - qala); Almaty, Almaty*, Aqmola (Astana), Aqtobe, Astana*, Atyrau, Batys Qazaqstan [West Kazakhstan; note: :administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses); in 1995, the Governments of Kazakhstan and Russia entered into an agreement whereby Russia would lease for a period of 20 years an area of 6,000 sq km enclosing the Baykonur space launch facilities and the city of Bayqongyr (Baykonur, formerly Leninsk); in 2004, a new agreement extended the lease to 2050", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 22.7%, France 9.7%, Russia 8%, Germany 7.9%, Italy 6.9%, Ukraine 4.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "oil and oil products, natural gas, ferrous metals, chemicals, machinery, grain, wool, meat, coal", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :25.8%; industry: :11.9%; services: :62.3% (2012)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.9%; highest 10%: :23.7% (2011 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "5.3% (2011 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.21% of GDP (2012); 0.97% of GDP (2011); 1.21% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "radioactive or toxic chemical sites associated with former defense industries and test ranges scattered throughout the country pose health risks for humans and animals; industrial pollution is severe in some cities; because the two main rivers that flowed into the Aral Sea have been diverted for irrigation, it is drying up and leaving behind a harmful layer of chemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then picked up by the wind and blown into noxious dust storms; pollution in the Caspian Sea; soil pollution from overuse of agricultural chemicals and salination from poor infrastructure and wasteful irrigation practices", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :33; over 3,047 m: :5; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :7; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :5; 13 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :63; over 3,047 m: :10; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :25; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :15; 914 to 1,523 m: :5; under 914 m: :8 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Ethnic Kazakhs, a mix of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes who migrated to the region by the 13th century, were rarely united as a single nation. The area was conquered by Russia in the 18th century, and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1936. During the 1950s and 1960s agricultural \"Virgin Lands\" program, Soviet citizens were encouraged to help cultivate Kazakhstan's northern pastures. This influx of immigrants (mostly Russians, but also some other deported nationalities) skewed the ethnic mixture and enabled non-ethnic Kazakhs to outnumber natives. Non-Muslim ethnic minorities departed Kazakhstan in large numbers from the mid-1990s through the mid-2000s and a national program has repatriated about a million ethnic Kazakhs back to Kazakhstan. These trends have allowed Kazakhs to become the titular majority again. This dramatic demographic shift has also undermined the previous religious diversity and made the country more than 70 percent Muslim. Kazakhstan's economy is larger than those of all the other Central Asian states largely due to the country's vast natural resources. Current issues include: developing a cohesive national identity; managing Islamic revivalism; expanding the development of the country's vast energy resources and exporting them to world markets; diversifying the economy outside the oil, gas, and mining sectors; enhancing Kazakhstan's economic competitiveness; developing a multiparty parliament and advancing political and social reform; and strengthening relations with neighboring states and other foreign powers.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :125,322; female: :119,541 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,909,999; females age 16-49: :3,528,169 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation is 2 years, but Kazakhstan may be transitioning to a contract force; 19 is the legal minimum age for voluntary service; military cadets in intermediate (ages 15-17) and higher (ages 17-21) education institutes are classified as military service personnel (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than four times the size of Texas", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "earthquakes in the south; mudslides around Almaty", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Vpadina Kaundy -132 m; highest point: :Khan Tangiri Shyngy (Pik Khan-Tengri) 6,995 m", "HELIPORTS": "3 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :0.94 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.92 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.52 male(s)/female; total population: :0.92 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "12 (plus 9 repeaters) (1998)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 60, FM 18, shortwave 9 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :4.9%; industry: :29.5%; services: :65.6% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "48 00 N, 68 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :25.1% (male 2,247,628/female 2,254,744); 15-24 years: :16.1% (male 1,469,275/female 1,418,175); 25-54 years: :42.6% (male 3,720,498/female 3,927,626); 55-64 years: :9.2% (male 724,683/female 935,416); 65 years and over: :7% (male 429,565/female 821,206) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Kenya", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Robert F. GODEC (since 16 January 2013); embassy: :US Embassy, United Nations Avenue, Nairobi; P. O. Box 606 Village Market, Nairobi 00621; mailing address: :American Embassy Nairobi, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-8900; telephone: :[254; FAX: :[254", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$3,100 (2014 est.); $3,100 (2013 est.); $3,000 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "5.3% (2014 est.); 4.6% (2013 est.); 4.6% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.11% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$134.7 billion (2014 est.); $127.9 billion (2013 est.); $122.3 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :81%; youth dependency ratio: :76.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :4.9%; potential support ratio: :20.4% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "11.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 9.6% of GDP (2013 est.); 10.7% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :81.1%; government consumption: :14%; investment in fixed capital: :20.5%; investment in inventories: :-0.5%; exports of goods and services: :16.9%; imports of goods and services: :-32.1%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "45.5% (2008/09)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "19.8; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2008/09 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :2,146,058; percentage: :26% (2000 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "13.45 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "52,160 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "1,266 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "83,600 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "32,240 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "31,040 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "12.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "44.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "43.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "1.816 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "37 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "42 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "6.284 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "7.618 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "lion; national colors: black, red, green, white", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "4.2% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.4 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.18 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "4.7% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "16.4% (2009)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "360 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-5.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "18.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "NAIROBI (capital) 3.768 million; Mombassa 1.068 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu\" (Oh God of All Creation); lyrics/music: :Graham HYSLOP, Thomas KALUME, Peter KIBUKOSYA, Washington OMONDI, and George W. SENOGA-ZAKE/traditional, adapted by Graham HYSLOP, Thomas KALUME, Peter KIBUKOSYA, Washington OMONDI, and George W. SENOGA-ZAKE; note: :adopted 1963; based on a traditional Kenyan folk song", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 31.3% of population; rural: 29.1% of population; total: 29.6% of population; urban: 68.7% of population; rural: 70.9% of population; total: 70.4% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 82.3% of population; rural: 55.1% of population; total: 61.7% of population; urban: 17.7% of population; rural: 44.9% of population; total: 38.3% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$24.02 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $18.92 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$11.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $9.134 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "about a half-dozen large-scale privately owned media companies with TV and radio stations as well as a state-owned TV broadcaster provide service nationwide; satellite and cable TV subscription services available; state-owned radio broadcaster operates 2 national radio channels and provides regional and local radio services in multiple languages; many private radio stations broadcast on a national level along with over 100 private and non-profit provincial stations broadcasting in local languages; transmissions of several international broadcasters available (2014)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :25.2% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :4.34% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$34 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $23.61 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$5.468 billion (31 December 2008); $6.464 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$6.068 billion (31 December 2008); $5.912 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "16.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 17.31% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "7% (31 December 2010)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "6.7% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :11 years; male: :11 years; female: :11 years (2009)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :2.74 cu km/yr (17%/4%/79%); per capita: :72.96 cu m/yr (2003)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "30.7 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$14.79 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $10.2 billion (31 December 2011); $14.46 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$350.5 million (31 December 2014 est.); $335.5 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$4.171 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.39 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Kenya is a source, transit, and destination country for adults and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Kenyan children are forced to work in domestic service, agriculture, fishing, cattle herding, street vending, begging, and prostitution; Kenyan economic migrants to other East African countries, South Sudan, Europe, the US, and the Middle East are at times exploited in domestic servitude, massage parlors or brothels, or forced manual labor; children from Burundi, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda are subjected to forced labor and prostitution in Kenya; children, often Somalis, living in the Dadaab refugee camp complex may be forced into prostitution or forced to work on tobacco farms; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Kenya does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government has written but not implemented a plan to bring itself into compliance with the minimum standards for eliminating trafficking; corruption among officials and inadequate police training and resources continued to hamper efforts to bring traffickers to justice in 2013; efforts to assist and care for child trafficking victims remained strong, but relatively few services were provided to adults trafficked domestically or identified in situations of forced labor or prostitution abroad; the Department of Children�s Services and an NGO continued to operate a hotline for reporting child trafficking, labor, and abuse; almost 400 recruitment agencies were inspected in conjunction with the lifting of the ban on sending domestic workers to the Middle East in 2013 (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$62.72 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :427,311 (Somalia - includes registered asylum seekers); 90,670 (South Sudan); 30,478 (Ethiopia - includes registered asylum seekers); 17,303 (Democratic Republic of Congo - includes registered asylum seekers); 9,631 (Sudan - includes registered asylum seekers); 6,568 (Burundi - includes registered asylum seekers) (2015); IDPs: :552,500 (represents people displaced since the 1990s by ethnic and political violence and land disputes and who sought refuge mostly in camps; persons who took refuge in host communities or were evicted in urban areas are not included in the data; data is not available on pastoralists displaced by cattle rustling, violence, natural disasters, and development projects; the largest displacement resulted from 2007-08 post-election violence (2014); stateless persons: :20,000 (2013); note - the stateless population is composed of Nubians, Kenyan Somalis, and coastal Arabs; the Nubians are descendants of Sudanese soldiers recruited by the British to fight for them in East Africa more than a century ago; they did not receive Kenyan citizenship when the country became independent in 1963; only recently have Nubians become a formally recognized tribe and had less trouble obtaining national IDs; Galjeel and other Somalis who have lived in Kenya for decades are lumped in with more recent Somali refugees and denied ID cards", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne disease: :malaria, dengue fever, and Rift Valley fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$9.259 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $6.599 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$5.01 billion (2014 est.); -$4.788 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "58.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 55.6% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "71,018 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :19.1 years; male: :18.9 years; female: :19.2 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "42.5 (2008 est.); 44.9 (1997)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "58,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "1,594,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "6.04% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ke", "INTERNET_USERS": "3.996 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "30.732 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "251,600 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Robinson GITHAE (since 18 November 2014); chancery: :2249 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Los Angeles; consulate(s): :New York", "AREA": "total: :580,367 sq km; land: :569,140 sq km; water: :11,227 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1,032 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Kenya; conventional short form: :Kenya; local long form: :Republic of Kenya/Jamhuri ya Kenya; local short form: :Kenya; former: :British East Africa", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "40% (2013 est.); 40% (2001 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "3.54 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley; fertile plateau in west", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :inadequate; fixed-line telephone system is small and inefficient; trunks are primarily microwave radio relay; business data commonly transferred by a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) system; domestic: :sole fixed-line provider, Telkom Kenya, is slated for privatization; multiple providers in the mobile-cellular segment of the market fostering a boom in mobile-cellular telephone usage with teledensity reaching 65 per 100 persons in 2011; international: :country code - 254; landing point for the EASSy, TEAMS and SEACOM fiber-optic submarine cable systems; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Christian 82.5% (Protestant 47.4%, Catholic 23.3%, other 11.8%), Muslim 11.1%, Traditionalists 1.6%, other 1.7%, none 2.4%, unspecified 0.7% (2009 census)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :2,066 km; narrow gauge: :2,066 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Kisumu, Mombasa", "POPULATION": "45,010,056; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alliance Party of Kenya or AKP [Kiraitu MURUNGI; Amani Coalition (includes UDF, KANU, NFK) [Musalia MUDAVADI; Coalition for Reforms and Democracy or CORD (includes ODM, WDM-K, FORD-K) [Raila ODINGA; Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-Kenya or FORD-K [Moses WETANGULA; Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-People or FORD-P [Henry OBWOCHA; Jubilee Alliance (includes TNA, URP, NARC) [Uhuru KENYATTA; Kenya African National Union or KANU [Gideon MOI; National Rainbow Coalition or NARC [Charity NGILU; New Ford Kenya or NFK [Eugene WAMALWA; Orange Democratic Movement Party of Kenya or ODM [Raila ODINGA; The National Alliance or TNA [Uhuru KENYATTA; United Democratic Forum Party or UDF [Musalia MUDAVADI; United Republican Party or URP [William RUTO; Wiper Democratic Movement-K or WDM-K (formerly Orange Democratic Movement-Kenya or ODM-K) [Kalonzo MUSYOKA", "PIPELINES": "oil 4 km; refined products 928 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Kenya has been hampered by corruption and by reliance upon several primary goods whose prices have remained low. Low infrastructure investment threatens Kenya's long-term position as the largest East African economy, although the Kenyatta administration has prioritized infrastructure development. International financial lenders and donors remain important to Kenya's economic growth and development. Unemployment is high at around 40%. The country has chronic budget deficits and is in the process of devolving state revenues and responsibilities to the counties. Inflationary pressures and sharp currency depreciation peaked in early 2012 but have since abated following low global food and fuel prices and monetary interventions by the Central Bank. Recent terrorism in Kenya and the surrounding region threatens Kenya's important tourism industry. Kenya issued its first sovereign bond offering in mid-2014, generating $2 billion at 6% interest; the funds are slated to be used for infrastructure projects. Nairobi has contracted with a Chinese company to begin construction of a new standard gauge railway, but the project allegedly has been beset by corruption and fraud.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Council of Islamic Preachers of Kenya or CIPK [Sheikh Idris MOHAMMED; Kenya Human Rights Commission [L. Muthoni WANYEKI; Muslim Human Rights Forum [Ali-Amin KIMATHI; National Muslim Leaders Forum or NAMLEF [Abdullahi ABDI; Protestant National Council of Churches of Kenya or NCCK [Canon Peter Karanja MWANGI; Roman Catholic and other Christian churches; Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims or SUPKEM [Shaykh Abdul Gafur al-BUSAIDY; other: :labor unions, Kenya Association of Manufacturers, Kenya Private Sector Alliance", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa; glaciers are found on Mount Kenya, Africa's second highest peak; unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "limestone, soda ash, salt, gemstones, fluorspar, zinc, diatomite, gypsum, wildlife, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Kenyan(s); adjective: :Kenyan", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 12 December (1963); Madaraka Day, 1 June (1963); Mashujaa Day, 20 October (2010)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "registered in other countries: :5 (Comoros 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2, unknown 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, COMESA, EAC, EADB, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :9,768,140; females age 16-49: :9,466,257 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :72.2%; male: :78.1%; female: :66.9% (2007 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :63.52 years; male: :62.06 years; female: :65.01 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral parliament consists of the Senate (67 seats; 47 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 20 directly elected by proportional representation vote - 16 women, 2 representing youth, and 2 representing the disabled; members serve 5-year terms) and the National Assembly (349 seats; 290 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 47 women in single-seat constituencies elected by simple majority vote, and 12 members nominated by the National Assembly - 6 representing youth and 6 representing the disabled; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 4 March 2013 (next to be held in 2017 or 2018); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - Jubilee Alliance (TNA 17, URP 12, NARC 1); CORD Coalition (ODM 17, FORD-K 5, WDM-K 5, other 1); Amani Coalition (KANU 3, UDF 3); APK 3; National Assembly - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - Jubilee ALliance (TNA 89, URP 75, NARC 3), CORD Coalition (ODM 96, WDM-K 26, FORD-K 10, other 9), Amani Coalition (UDF 12, KANU 6, NFK 6), APK 5, FORD-P 4, independent 4, other 4", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law, and customary law; judicial review in a new Supreme Court established pursuant to the new constitution", "LANGUAGES": "English (official), Kiswahili (official), numerous indigenous languages", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :9.84%; permanent crops: :0.93%; other: :89.23% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :3,457 km; border countries: :Ethiopia 867 km, Somalia 684 km, South Sudan 317 km, Tanzania 775 km, Uganda 814 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "17.7 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of chief and deputy chief justices and five judges); judge selection and term of office: :chief and deputy chief justices nominated by Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and appointed by president with approval of the National Assembly; other judges nominated by the JSC and appointed by president; chief justice serves nonrenewable 10-year terms or till age 70 whichever comes first; other judges serve till age 70; subordinate courts: :High Court; Court of Appeal; courts martial; magistrates' courts; religious courts", "WATERWAYS": "none specifically; the only significant inland waterway in the country is the part of Lake Victoria within the boundaries of Kenya; Kisumu is the main port and has ferry connections to Uganda and Tanzania (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "7.2% (2014 est.); 5.7% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :40.71 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :45.33 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :35.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, clothing, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural products, horticulture, oil refining; aluminum, steel, lead; cement, commercial ship repair, tourism", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "4.7% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "12 December 1963 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$16.47 billion (2014 est.); $15.53 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "widespread harvesting of small plots of marijuana; transit country for South Asian heroin destined for Europe and North America; Indian methaqualone also transits on way to South Africa; significant potential for money-laundering activity given the country's status as a regional financial center; massive corruption, and relatively high levels of narcotics-associated activities", "ROADWAYS": "total: :160,878 km; paved: :11,189 km; unpaved: :149,689 km; note: :includes 98.941 km of urban and other roads (2013)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green; the red band is edged in white; a large Maasai warrior's shield covering crossed spears is superimposed at the center; black symbolizes the majority population, red the blood shed in the struggle for freedom, green stands for natural wealth, and white for peace; the shield and crossed spears symbolize the defense of freedom", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 July - 30 June", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$16.77 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $13.18 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$6.271 billion (2014 est.); $5.796 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Uhuru KENYATTA (since 9 April 2013); Deputy President William RUTO (since 9 April 2013); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Uhuru KENYATTA (since 9 April 2013); Deputy President William RUTO (since 9 April 2013); note - according to the 2008 power sharing agreement the position of prime minister was created though not well defined; consistent with the new constitution, the position was abolished after the March 2013 elections; cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president; elections: :president and deputy president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); in addition to receiving a simple majority of votes, the presidential candidate must also win 25% or more of the votes cast in each of more than half of the 47 counties to avoid a runoff; election last held on 4 March 2013 (next to be held in 2017 or 2018); election results: :President Uhuru KENYATTA elected in first round; percent of vote - Uhuru KENYATTA 50.1%, Raila ODINGA 43.7%, Musalia MUDAVADI 4.0%, other 2.2%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Kenyan shillings (KES) per US dollar -; 87.63 (2014 est.); 86.123 (2013 est.); 84.53 (2012 est.); 88.811 (2011 est.); 79.233 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, other African 15%, non-African (Asian, European, and Arab) 1%", "DEATH_RATE": "7 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1963, 1969; latest drafted 6 May 2010, passed by referendum 4 August 2010, promulgated 27 August 2010 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "India 19.9%, China 17.8%, UAE 8.8%, Japan 5% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "536 km", "CLIMATE": "varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products, motor vehicles, iron and steel, resins and plastics", "CAPITAL": "name: :Nairobi; geographic coordinates: :1 17 S, 36 49 E; time difference: :UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$11.78 billion; expenditures: :$15.05 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Kenya Defence Forces: Kenya Army, Kenya Air Force, Kenya Navy (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "28.27 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "197 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "tea, coffee, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables; dairy products, beef, fish, pork, poultry, eggs", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "47 counties; Baringo, Bomet, Bungoma, Busia, Elgeyo/Marakwet, Embu, Garissa, Homa Bay, Isiolo, Kajiado, Kakamega, Kericho, Kiambu, Kilifi, Kirinyaga, Kisii, Kisumu, Kitui, Kwale, Laikipia, Lamu, Machakos, Makueni, Mandera, Marsabit, Meru, Migori, Mombasa, Murang'a, Nairobi City, Nakuru, Nandi, Narok, Nyamira, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Samburu, Siaya, Taita/Taveta, Tana River, Tharaka-Nithi, Trans Nzoia, Turkana, Uasin Gishu, Vihiga, Wajir, West Pokot", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Uganda 13%, Tanzania 8.9%, Netherlands 7.1%, US 6.6%, UK 6.3%, UAE 5.9%, Pakistan 4.6%, Egypt 4.1% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "tea, horticultural products, coffee, petroleum products, fish, cement", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :75%; industry and services: :25% (2007 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.8%; highest 10%: :37.8% (2005)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "43.4% (2012 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.96% of GDP (2012); 1.88% of GDP (2011); 1.96% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "water pollution from urban and industrial wastes; degradation of water quality from increased use of pesticides and fertilizers; water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; poaching", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :181; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :14; 914 to 1,523 m: :107; 60 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :16; over 3,047 m: :5; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :6; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Founding president and liberation struggle icon Jomo KENYATTA led Kenya from independence in 1963 until his death in 1978, when President Daniel MOI took power in a constitutional succession. The country was a de facto one-party state from 1969 until 1982 when the ruling Kenya African National Union (KANU) made itself the sole legal party in Kenya. MOI acceded to internal and external pressure for political liberalization in late 1991. The ethnically fractured opposition failed to dislodge KANU from power in elections in 1992 and 1997, which were marred by violence and fraud, but were viewed as having generally reflected the will of the Kenyan people. President MOI stepped down in December 2002 following fair and peaceful elections. Mwai KIBAKI, running as the candidate of the multiethnic, united opposition group, the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC), defeated KANU candidate Uhuru KENYATTA and assumed the presidency following a campaign centered on an anticorruption platform. KIBAKI's NARC coalition splintered in 2005 over a constitutional review process. Government defectors joined with KANU to form a new opposition coalition, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), which defeated the government's draft constitution in a popular referendum in November 2005. KIBAKI's reelection in December 2007 brought charges of vote rigging from ODM candidate Raila ODINGA and unleashed two months of violence in which as many as 1,500 people died. African Union-sponsored mediation led by former UN Secretary General Kofi ANNAN in late February 2008 resulted in a power-sharing accord bringing ODINGA into the government in the restored position of prime minister. The power sharing accord included a broad reform agenda, the centerpiece of which was constitutional reform. In August 2010, Kenyans overwhelmingly adopted a new constitution in a national referendum. The new constitution introduced additional checks and balances to executive power and significant devolution of power and resources to 47 newly created counties. It also eliminated the position of prime minister following the first presidential election under the new constitution, which occurred on 4 March 2013. Uhuru KENYATTA, the son of founding president Jomo KENYATTA, won the March elections in the first round by a close margin and was sworn into office on 9 April 2013.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :422,104; female: :416,927 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :6,361,268; females age 16-49: :6,106,870 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-26 years of age for male and female voluntary service (under 18 with parental consent), with a 9-year obligation (7 years for Kenyan Navy); applicants must be Kenyan citizens and provide a national identity card (obtained at age 18) and a school-leaving certificate; women serve under the same terms and conditions as men; mandatory retirement at age 55 (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "five times the size of Ohio; slightly more than twice the size of Nevada", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "recurring drought; flooding during rainy seasons; volcanism: :limited volcanic activity; the Barrier (elev. 1,032 m) last erupted in 1921; South Island is the only other historically active volcano", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Indian Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mount Kenya 5,199 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.02 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.79 male(s)/female; total population: :1 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "8 (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 24, FM 82, shortwave 6 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :29.3%; industry: :17.7%; services: :53% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "1 00 N, 38 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :42.1% (male 9,494,983/female 9,435,795); 15-24 years: :18.7% (male 4,197,382/female 4,202,399); 25-54 years: :32.8% (male 7,458,665/female 7,302,534); 55-64 years: :3.7% (male 751,296/female 910,523); 65 years and over: :2.8% (male 548,431/female 708,048) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Kiribati", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "the US does not have an embassy in Kiribati; the US ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Kiribati", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$1,600 (2014 est.); $1,600 (2013 est.); $1,600 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3% (2014 est.); 2.9% (2013 est.); 2.8% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.18% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$180 million (2014 est.); $174.8 million (2013 est.); $169.9 million (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :55.3%; youth dependency ratio: :48.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :6.6%; potential support ratio: :15.2% (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "22.3% (2009)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "23.1; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2009 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "58,450 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "420 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "440 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "5,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "23.25 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "25 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "frigatebird; national colors: red, white, blue, yellow", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "46% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.3 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.38 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "10.7% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "14.9% (2009)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "9 deaths/100,000 live births (2008)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-31.4% of GDP (2010 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "33.9% of GDP (2010 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "TARAWA (capital) 46,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Teirake kaini Kiribati\" (Stand Up, Kiribati); lyrics/music: :Urium Tamuera IOTEBA; note: :adopted 1979", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 51.2% of population; rural: 30.6% of population; total: 39.7% of population; urban: 48.8% of population; rural: 69.4% of population; total: 60.3% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 87.4% of population; rural: 50.6% of population; total: 66.8% of population; urban: 12.6% of population; rural: 49.4% of population; total: 33.2% of population (2012 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 TV broadcast station that provides about 1 hour of local programming Monday-Friday; multi-channel TV packages provide access to Australian and US stations; 1 government-operated radio station broadcasts on AM, FM, and shortwave (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :44.2% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.78% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "12% of GDP (2001)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :12 years; male: :12 years; female: :13 years (2008)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$164 million (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$8.37 million (31 December 2010 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$35.01 million (2010 est.); -$21 million (2007 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "327 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :23.6 years; male: :22.7 years; female: :24.4 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ki", "INTERNET_USERS": "7,800 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "16,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "9,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Makurita BAARO (since 21 May 2014); note - also serves as Permanent Representative to the UN; chancery: :800 Second Avenue, Suite 400A, New York, New York 10017; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s): :there is an honorary consulate in Honolulu", "AREA": "total: :811 sq km; land: :811 sq km; water: :0 sq km; note: :includes three island groups - Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, and Phoenix Islands - dispersed over about 3.5 million sq km (1.35 million sq mi)", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, group of 33 coral atolls in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the Equator; the capital Tarawa is about half way between Hawaii and Australia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Kiribati; conventional short form: :Kiribati; local long form: :Republic of Kiribati; local short form: :Kiribati; note: :pronounced keer-ree-bahss; former: :Gilbert Islands", "MILITARY___NOTE": "Kiribati does not have military forces; defense assistance is provided by Australia and NZ", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "2% (1992 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.56 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :generally good quality national and international service; domestic: :wire line service available on Tarawa and Kiritimati (Christmas Island); connections to outer islands by HF/VHF radiotelephone; wireless service available in Tarawa since 1999; international: :country code - 686; Kiribati is being linked to the Pacific Ocean Cooperative Telecommunications Network, which should improve telephone service; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 55.8%, Kempsville Presbyterian Church 33.5%, Mormon 4.7%, Baha'i 2.3%, Seventh Day Adventist 2%, other 1.5%, none 0.2%, unspecified 0.05% (2010 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Betio (Tarawa Atoll), Canton Island, English Harbor", "POPULATION": "104,488 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Boutokaan Te Koaua Party or BTK [Anote TONG; Kamaeuraoan Te I-Kiribati Party or KTK [Tetaua TAITAI; Maurin Kiribati Pati or MKP [Rimeta BENIAMINA; note: :there is no tradition of formally organized political parties in Kiribati; they more closely resemble factions or interest groups because they have no party headquarters, formal platforms, or party structures", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "A remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls, Kiribati has few natural resources and is one of the least developed Pacific Islands. Commercially viable phosphate deposits were exhausted at the time of independence from the UK in 1979. Copra and fish now represent the bulk of production and exports. The economy has fluctuated widely in recent years. Economic development is constrained by a shortage of skilled workers, weak infrastructure, and remoteness from international markets. Tourism provides more than one-fifth of GDP. Private sector initiatives and a financial sector are in the early stages of development. Foreign financial aid from the EU, UK, US, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, UN agencies, and Taiwan accounts for 20-25% of GDP. Remittances from seamen on merchant ships abroad account for more than $5 million each year. Kiribati receives around $15 million annually for the government budget from an Australian trust fund.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "21 of the 33 islands are inhabited; Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Makatea in French Polynesia, and Nauru; Kiribati is the only country in the world to fall into all four hemispheres (northern, southern, eastern, and western)", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-2.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "phosphate (production discontinued in 1979), coconuts (copra), fish", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :I-Kiribati (singular and plural); adjective: :I-Kiribati", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 12 July (1979)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :77; by type: :bulk carrier 7, cargo 35, chemical tanker 6, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 12, refrigerated cargo 15; foreign-owned: :43 (China 26, Hong Kong 2, Russia 1, Singapore 9, South Korea 1, Taiwan 2, Vietnam 2) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ABEDA, ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :25,190 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :65.47 years; male: :63.03 years; female: :68.02 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral House of Assembly or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu (46 seats; 44 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in two-rounds, 1 member appointed by the Rabi Council of Leaders - representing Banaba Island, and 1 ex officio member - the attorney general; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :legislative elections were held in two rounds - the first on 21 October 2011 and the second on 28 October 2011 (next to be held in 2015); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA, other 2 (includes attorney general)", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "English common law supplemented by customary law", "LANGUAGES": "I-Kiribati, English (official)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :2.47%; permanent crops: :39.51%; other: :58.02% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "7,870; note: :economically active, not including subsistence farmers (2001)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :High Court (consists of a chief justice and other judges as prescribed by the president); note - the High Court has jurisdiction on constitutional issues; judge selection and term of office: :chief justice appointed by the president on the advice of the cabinet in consultation with the Public Service Commission (PSC); other judges appointed by the president on the advice of the chief justice along with the PSC; subordinate courts: :Court of Appeal; magistrates' courts", "WATERWAYS": "5 km (small network of canals in Line Islands) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.2% (2007 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :35.37 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :36.59 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :34.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "fishing, handicrafts", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "INDEPENDENCE": "12 July 1979 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$80.09 million (2010 est.); $62 million (2004 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :670 km (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "the upper half is red with a yellow frigatebird flying over a yellow rising sun, and the lower half is blue with three horizontal wavy white stripes to represent the Pacific ocean; the white stripes represent the three island groups - the Gilbert, Line, and Phoenix Islands; the 17 rays of the sun represent the 16 Gilbert Islands and Banaba (formerly Ocean Island); the frigatebird symbolizes authority and freedom", "FISCAL_YEAR": "NA", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$10 million (1999 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$7.066 million (2010 est.); $17 million (2004 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003); Vice President Teima ONORIO; note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003); Vice President Teima ONORIO; cabinet: :12-member cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the House of Parliament; elections: :the House of Parliament nominates the presidential candidates from among its members following parliamentary elections and then those candidates compete in a general election; president elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for two more terms); election last held on 13 January 2012 (next to be held in 2015); vice president appointed by the president; election results: :Anote TONG 42.2%, Tetaua TAITAI 35%, Rimeta BENIAMINA 22.8%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar -; 1.098 (2013); 0.9695 (2013 est.); 0.97 (2012 est.); 0.9695 (2011 est.); 1.0902 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "I-Kiribati 89.5%, I-Kiribati/mixed 9.7%, Tuvaluan 0.1%, other 0.8% (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "7.18 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "preindependence - The Gilbert and Ellice Islands Order in Council 1915, The Gilbert Islands Order in Council 1975; latest promulgated 12 July 1979 (at independence); amended 1995 (2013)", "COASTLINE": "1,143 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufactured goods, fuel", "CAPITAL": "name: :Tarawa; geographic coordinates: :1 21 N, 173 02 E; time difference: :UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); note: :on 1 January 1995, Kiribati proclaimed that all of its territory was in the same time zone as its Gilbert Islands group (UTC +12) even though the Phoenix Islands and the Line Islands under its jurisdiction were on the other side of the International Date Line", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$55.52 million; expenditures: :$107.1 million (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces (establishment prevented by the constitution); Police Force (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "21.85 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "19 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "copra, taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "3 geographical units: Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands; note - there are no first-order administrative divisions but there are 6 districts (Banaba, Central Gilberts, Line Islands, Northern Gilberts, Southern Gilberts, Tarawa) and 21 island councils - one for each of the inhabited islands (Abaiang, Abemama, Aranuka, Arorae, Banaba, Beru, Butaritari, Kanton, Kiritimati, Kuria, Maiana, Makin, Marakei, Nikunau, Nonouti, Onotoa, Tabiteuea, Tabuaeran, Tamana, Tarawa, Teraina)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "copra 62%, coconuts, seaweed, fish (2008 est.)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :2.7%; industry: :32%; services: :65.3% (2000)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "heavy pollution in lagoon of south Tarawa atoll due to heavy migration mixed with traditional practices such as lagoon latrines and open-pit dumping; ground water at risk", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :15; 914 to 1,523 m: :10; 5 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :4; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :4 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Gilbert Islands became a British protectorate in 1892 and a colony in 1915; they were captured by the Japanese in the Pacific War in 1941. The islands of Makin and Tarawa were the sites of major US amphibious victories over entrenched Japanese garrisons in 1943. The Gilbert Islands were granted self-rule by the UK in 1971 and complete independence in 1979 under the new name of Kiribati. The US relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line Island groups in a 1979 treaty of friendship with Kiribati.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :1,132; female: :1,120 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :18,364; females age 16-49: :20,302 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "four times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March; occasional tornadoes; low level of some of the islands make them sensitive to changes in sea level", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :unnamed elevation on Banaba 81 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.93 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.96 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.64 male(s)/female; total population: :0.96 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (possibly inactive) (2002)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (may be inactive) (2002)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :24.3%; industry: :7.9%; services: :67.8% (2010 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "1 25 N, 173 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :31.5% (male 16,779/female 16,151); 15-24 years: :21.3% (male 11,099/female 11,122); 25-54 years: :37.8% (male 18,978/female 20,477); 55-64 years: :5.5% (male 2,605/female 3,137); 65 years and over: :4% (male 1,630/female 2,510) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Korea, North", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none; note - Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang represents the US as consular protecting power", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$1,800 (2013 est.); $1,800 (2012 est.); $1,900 (2009 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1% (2013 est.); 1% (2012 est.); 1% (2011 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.53% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$40 billion (2013 est.); $40 billion (2012 est.); $40 billion (2011 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars;; North Korea does not publish reliable National Income Accounts data; the data shown here are derived from purchasing power parity (PPP) GDP estimates for North Korea that were made by Angus MADDISON in a study conducted for the OECD; his figure for 1999 was extrapolated to 2011 using estimated real growth rates for North Korea's GDP and an inflation factor based on the US GDP deflator; the results were rounded to the nearest $10 billion.", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :44.9%; youth dependency ratio: :31.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :13.8%; potential support ratio: :7.2% (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "70.6%; note: :percent of women aged 20-49 (2010)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "67 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "4,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "14,920 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "6,965 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "10,500 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "52.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "47.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "9.5 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "17.57 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "20.99 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "red star, chollima (winged horse); national colors: red, white, blue", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "3.9% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "13.2 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3.29 physicians/1,000 population (2003)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "15.2% (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "81 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-0.4% of GDP (2007 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "11.4% of GDP; note: :excludes earnings from state-operated enterprises (2007 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "PYONGYANG (capital) 2.856 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Aegukka\" (Patriotic Song); lyrics/music: :PAK Se Yong/KIM Won Gyun; note: :adopted 1947; both North Korea's and South Korea's anthems share the same name and have a vaguely similar melody but have different lyrics; the North Korean anthem is also known as \"Ach'imun pinnara\" (Let Morning Shine)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 87.9% of population; rural: 72.5% of population; total: 81.8% of population; urban: 12.1% of population; rural: 27.5% of population; total: 18.2% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 98.9% of population; rural: 96.9% of population; total: 98.1% of population; urban: 1.1% of population; rural: 3.1% of population; total: 1.9% of population (2012 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "no independent media; radios and TVs are pre-tuned to government stations; 4 government-owned TV stations; the Korean Workers' Party owns and operates the Korean Central Broadcasting Station, and the state-run Voice of Korea operates an external broadcast service; the government prohibits listening to and jams foreign broadcasts (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :60.7% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.75% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :8.66 cu km/yr (10%/13%/76%); per capita: :360.6 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "77.15 cu km (2011)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :North Korea is a source country for men, women, and children who are subjected to forced labor, forced marriage, and sex trafficking; many North Korean workers recruited to work abroad under bilateral contracts with foreign governments are subjected to forced labor and do not have a choice in the work the government assigns them, are not free to change jobs at will, and face government reprisals if they try to escape or complain to outsiders; thousands of North Koreans, including children, in prison camps are subjected to forced labor, including logging, mining, and farming; many North Korean women and girls, lured by promises of food, jobs, and freedom, have migrated to China illegally to escape poor social and economic conditions only to be forced into prostitution, marriage, or exploitative labor arrangements; tier rating: :Tier 3 - North Korea does not fully comply with minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government continued to participate in human trafficking through its use of domestic forced labor camps and the provision of forced labor to foreign governments through bilateral contracts; no known investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of trafficking offenders or officials complicit in trafficking-related offenses were conducted; the government also made no efforts to identify or protect trafficking victims and did not permit NGOs to assist victims (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$28 billion (2009 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "IDPs: :undetermined (periodic flooding and famine during mid-1990s) (2007)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "8 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :33.4 years; male: :31.8 years; female: :35 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".kp", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "1.7 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "1.18 million (2011)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none; North Korea has a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York", "AREA": "total: :120,538 sq km; land: :120,408 sq km; water: :130 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "14,600 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Asia", "LOCATION": "Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Democratic People's Republic of Korea; conventional short form: :North Korea; local long form: :Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk; local short form: :Choson; abbreviation: :DPRK", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "Communist state one-man dictatorship", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.98 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys; coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :adequate system; nationwide fiber-optic network; mobile-cellular service expanding beyond Pyongyang; domestic: :fiber-optic links installed down to the county level; telephone directories unavailable; GSM mobile-cellular service initiated in 2002 but suspended in 2004; Orascom Telecom Holding, an Egyptian company, launched W-CDMA mobile service on 15 December 2008 for the Pyongyang area, has expanded service to several large cities and now has a 1-million-person subscriber base; international: :country code - 850; satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat - Indian Ocean, 1 Russian - Indian Ocean region); other international connections through Moscow and Beijing (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "17 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way); note: :autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent; government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom", "RAILWAYS": "total: :5,242 km; standard gauge: :5,242 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified) (2009)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam (Hamhung), Namp'o, Senbong, Songnim, Sonbong (formerly Unggi), Wonsan", "POPULATION": "24,851,627 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Korean Workers' Party or KWP [KIM Jong Un; Chondoist Chongu Party [RYU Mi Yong; Social Democratic Party [KIM Yong Dae", "PIPELINES": "oil 6 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "North Korea, one of the world's most centrally directed and least open economies, faces chronic economic problems. Industrial capital stock is nearly beyond repair as a result of years of underinvestment, shortages of spare parts, and poor maintenance. Large-scale military spending draws off resources needed for investment and civilian consumption. Industrial and power output have stagnated for years at a fraction of pre-1990 levels. Frequent weather-related crop failures aggravated chronic food shortages caused by on-going systemic problems, including a lack of arable land, collective farming practices, poor soil quality, insufficient fertilization, and persistent shortages of tractors and fuel. Large-scale international food aid deliveries have allowed the people of North Korea to escape widespread starvation since famine threatened in 1995, but the population continues to suffer from prolonged malnutrition and poor living conditions. Since 2002, the government has allowed private \"farmers' markets\" to begin selling a wider range of goods. It also permitted some private farming - on an experimental basis - in an effort to boost agricultural output. In December 2009, North Korea carried out a redenomination of its currency, capping the amount of North Korean won that could be exchanged for the new notes, and limiting the exchange to a one-week window. A concurrent crackdown on markets and foreign currency use yielded severe shortages and inflation, forcing Pyongyang to ease the restrictions by February 2010. In response to the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, South Korea's government cut off most aid, trade, and bilateral cooperation activities, with the exception of operations at the Kaesong Industrial Complex. In preparation for the 100th anniversary of KIM Il-sung's birthday in 2012, North Korea continued efforts to develop special economic zones with China and expressed willingness to permit construction of a trilateral gas pipeline that would carry Russian natural gas to South Korea. The North Korean government often highlights its goal of becoming a \"strong and prosperous\" nation and attracting foreign investment, a key factor for improving the overall standard of living. In this regard, in 2013 the regime rolled out 14 new Special Economic Zones set up for foreign investors, though the initiative remains in its infancy. Nevertheless, firm political control remains the government's overriding concern, which likely will inhibit changes to North Korea's current economic system.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "none", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia; mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron ore, copper, gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Korean(s); adjective: :Korean", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), 9 September (1948)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :158; by type: :bulk carrier 6, cargo 131, carrier 1, chemical tanker 1, container 4, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 12, refrigerated cargo 2; foreign-owned: :13 (Belgium 1, China 3, Nigeria 1, Singapore 1, South Korea 1, Syria 4, UAE 2); registered in other countries: :6 (Mongolia 1, Sierra Leone 2, unknown 3) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ARF, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, IMSO, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; note: :military boundary line 50 nm in the Sea of Japan and the exclusive economic zone limit in the Yellow Sea where all foreign vessels and aircraft without permission are banned", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :6,515,279; females age 16-49: :6,418,693 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :100%; male: :100%; female: :100% (2008 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :69.81 years; male: :65.96 years; female: :73.86 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Supreme People's Assembly or Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui (687 seats; members directly elected by absolute majority vote to serve 5-year terms); note - the Korean Workers' Party selects all candidates; elections: :last held on 9 March 2014 (next to be held in March 2019); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; ruling party approves a list of candidates who are elected without opposition; a token number of seats are reserved for minor parties", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system based on the Prussian model; system influenced by Japanese traditions and Communist legal theory", "LANGUAGES": "Korean", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :19.52%; permanent crops: :1.91%; other: :78.57% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,607 km; border countries: :China 1,352 km, South Korea 237 km, Russia 18 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "12.6 million; note: :estimates vary widely (2012 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Central Court (consists of the chief justice and two \"People's Assessors\" and for some cases, 3 judges); judge selection and term of office: :judges elected by the Supreme People's Assembly for 5-year terms; subordinate courts: :provincial, municipal, military, special courts; people' courts (lowest level)", "WATERWAYS": "2,250 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "NA%", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :24.5 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :27.18 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :21.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "military products; machine building, electric power, chemicals; mining (coal, iron ore, limestone, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals), metallurgy; textiles, food processing; tourism", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "15 August 1945 (from Japan)", "IMPORTS": "$4.651 billion (2013 est.); $4.651 billion (2012 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "for years, from the 1970s into the 2000s, citizens of the Democratic People's Republic of (North) Korea (DPRK), many of them diplomatic employees of the government, were apprehended abroad while trafficking in narcotics, including two in Turkey in December 2004; police investigations in Taiwan and Japan in recent years have linked North Korea to large illicit shipments of heroin and methamphetamine, including an attempt by the North Korean merchant ship Pong Su to deliver 150 kg of heroin to Australia in April 2003", "ROADWAYS": "total: :25,554 km; paved: :724 km; unpaved: :24,830 km (2006)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the red band is edged in white; on the hoist side of the red band is a white disk with a red five-pointed star; the broad red band symbolizes revolutionary traditions; the narrow white bands stands for purity, strength, and dignity; the blue bands signify sovereignty, peace, and friendship; the red star represents socialism", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$5 billion (2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$3.8 billion (2013 est.); $4 billion (2012 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :KIM Jong Un (since 17 December 2011); note - in 2014, the rubberstamp Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) re-elected KIM Yong Nam president of its Presidium with responsibility of representing the state and receiving diplomatic credentials; head of government: :Premier PAK Pong Ju (since 2 April 2013); Vice Premiers: CHOE Yong Gon (since 19 June 2014), IM Chol Ung (since 22 May 2014), KIM Tok Hun (since 30 April 2014), KIM Yong Jin (since 6 January 2012), RI Chol Man (since 13 April 2012), RI Mu Yong (since 31 May 2011), RO Tu Chol (since 3 September 2003); cabinet: :Naegak (cabinet) members, except for the Minister of People's Armed Forces, are appointed by the SPA; elections: :last election on 9 March 2014; date of next election NA; election results: :KIM Jong Un elected unopposed; note: :the Korean Workers' Party continues to list deceased leaders KIM Il Sung and KIM Jong Il as Eternal President and Eternal General Secretary respectively", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "North Korean won (KPW) per US dollar (average market rate); 7,900 (2014 est.); 8,400 (2013 est.); 155.5 (2012 est.); 140 (2011 est.); 145 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "racially homogeneous; there is a small Chinese community and a few ethnic Japanese", "DEATH_RATE": "9.18 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1948, 1972 (revised several times); latest adopted 1998 (during KIM Jong Il era); revised 2009, 2012 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 78%, South Korea 11% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "2,495 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate, with rainfall concentrated in summer; long, bitter winters", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum, coking coal, machinery and equipment, textiles, grain", "CAPITAL": "name: :Pyongyang; geographic coordinates: :39 01 N, 125 45 E; time difference: :UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$3.2 billion; expenditures: :$3.3 billion (2007 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "North Korean People's Army: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force; civil security forces (2005)", "BIRTH_RATE": "14.51 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "82 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; cattle, pigs, pork, eggs", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 2 municipalities (si, singular and plural); provinces: :Chagang-do (Chagang), Hamgyong-bukto (North Hamgyong), Hamgyong-namdo (South Hamgyong), Hwanghae-bukto (North Hwanghae), Hwanghae-namdo (South Hwanghae), Kangwon-do (Kangwon), P'yongan-bukto (North Pyongan), P'yongan-namdo (South Pyongan), Yanggang-do (Yanggang); municipalities: :Nason-si, P'yongyang-si (Pyongyang)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 76%, South Korea 16% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "minerals, metallurgical products, manufactures (including armaments), textiles, agricultural and fishery products", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :37%; industry and services: :63% (2008 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified: :Law of the Sea", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; waterborne disease; deforestation; soil erosion and degradation", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :43; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :3; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :17; 914 to 1,523 m: :15; 8 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :39; over 3,047 m: :3; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :22; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :8; 914 to 1,523 m: :2; under 914 m: :4 (2013)", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :207,737; female: :204,553 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :4,836,567; females age 16-49: :5,230,137 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 is presumed to be the legal minimum age for compulsory military service; 16-17 is the presumed legal minimum age for voluntary service (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than Virginia; slightly smaller than Mississippi", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding; occasional typhoons during the early fall; volcanism: :Changbaishan (elev. 2,744 m) (also known as Baitoushan, Baegdu or P'aektu-san), on the Chinese border, is considered historically active", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Sea of Japan 0 m; highest point: :Paektu-san 2,744 m", "HELIPORTS": "23 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.51 male(s)/female; total population: :0.94 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "4 (includes Korean Central Television, Mansudae Television, Korean Educational and Cultural Network, and Kaesong Television targeting South Korea) (2003)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 17 (including 11 stations of Korean Central Broadcasting Station; North Korea has a \"national intercom\" cable radio station wired throughout the country that is a significant source of information for the average North Korean citizen; it is wired into most residences and workplaces and carries news and commentary), FM 14, shortwave 14 (2006)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :24.6%; industry: :42.8%; services: :32.6% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "40 00 N, 127 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :21.5% (male 2,709,580/female 2,628,456); 15-24 years: :16.3% (male 2,041,861/female 1,997,413); 25-54 years: :44% (male 5,465,889/female 5,456,850); 55-64 years: :8.6% (male 1,007,667/female 1,127,455); 65 years and over: :9.7% (male 826,175/female 1,590,281) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Korea, South", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Mark William LIPPERT (since 21 November 2014); embassy: :188 Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-710; mailing address: :US Embassy Seoul, Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-5550; telephone: :[82; FAX: :[82", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$35,400 (2014 est.); $34,400 (2013 est.); $33,500 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.5% (2014 est.); 3% (2013 est.); 2.3% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.16% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$1.786 trillion (2014 est.); $1.725 trillion (2013 est.); $1.676 trillion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :37.1%; youth dependency ratio: :19.9%; elderly dependency ratio: :17.2%; potential support ratio: :5.8% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "34.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 35.1% of GDP (2013 est.); 35.2% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :50.6%; government consumption: :14.9%; investment in fixed capital: :29.9%; investment in inventories: :0.3%; exports of goods and services: :50.8%; imports of goods and services: :-46.5%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "80%; note: :percent of women aged 15-44 (2009)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "30.3 (2011 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "657.1 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "5.748 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "53.15 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "515 million cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "880,100 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "1.212 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "2.324 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "2.79 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "2.59 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "2.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "23.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "2.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "72.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "84.87 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "472.2 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "494.7 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "taegeuk (yin yang symbol), Hibiscus syriacus (Rose of Sharon); national colors: red, white, blue, black", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :9%; male: :9.7%; female: :8.5% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "7.7% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "10.3 beds/1,000 population (2009)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.14 physicians/1,000 population (2012)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "7.5% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "0.6% (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "16 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "0.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "21.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "SEOUL (capital) 9.775 million; Busan (Pusan) 3.237 million; Incheon (Inch'on) 2.659 million; Daegu (Taegu) 2.25 million; Daejon (Taejon) 1.55 million; Gwangju (Kwangju) 1.523 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Aegukga\" (Patriotic Song); lyrics/music: :YUN Ch'i-Ho or AN Ch'ang-Ho/AHN Eaktay; note: :adopted 1948, well-known by 1910; both North Korea's and South Korea's anthems share the same name and have a vaguely similar melody but have different lyrics", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; 0% of population; 0% of population; 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.7% of population; rural: 87.9% of population; total: 97.8% of population; urban: 0.3% of population; rural: 12.1% of population; total: 2.2% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$1.955 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.844 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$539.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $495.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "multiple national TV networks with 2 of the 3 largest networks publicly operated; the largest privately owned network, Seoul Broadcasting Service (SBS), has ties with other commercial TV networks; cable and satellite TV subscription services available; publicly operated radio broadcast networks and many privately owned radio broadcasting networks, each with multiple affiliates, and independent local stations (2010)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :82.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.66% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$1.436 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.341 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$473.4 billion (31 December 2008); $541.7 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$73.16 billion (31 December 2008); $92.59 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "4.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 4.64% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "2% (31 December 2014); 2.5% (31 December 2013)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5% of GDP (2009)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :17 years; male: :18 years; female: :16 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :25.47 cu km/yr (26%/12%/62%); per capita: :548.7 cu m/yr (2003)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "69.7 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$1.264 trillion (31 October 2014 est.); $1.238 trillion (31 December 2013); $1.18 trillion (28 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$262.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $232 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$186.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $174.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$1.449 trillion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :194 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$364.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $346.4 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$79 billion (2014 est.); $79.88 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "37.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 36.5% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "315,697 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :40.2 years; male: :38.7 years; female: :41.6 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "31.1 (2011 est.); 35.8 (2000)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".kr", "INTERNET_USERS": "39.4 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "53.625 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "30.1 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador AHN Ho-young (since 7 June 2013); chancery: :2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Agana (Guam), Anchorage (AK) Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle", "AREA": "total: :99,720 sq km; land: :96,920 sq km; water: :2,800 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "8,804 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Asia", "LOCATION": "Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Korea; conventional short form: :South Korea; local long form: :Taehan-min'guk; local short form: :Han'guk; abbreviation: :ROK", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "3.3% (2014 est.); 3.1% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.25 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :excellent domestic and international services featuring rapid incorporation of new technologies; domestic: :fixed-line and mobile-cellular services widely available with a combined telephone subscribership of roughly 170 per 100 persons; rapid assimilation of a full range of telecommunications technologies leading to a boom in e-commerce; international: :country code - 82; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US; satellite earth stations - 66 (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "19 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Christian 31.6% (Protestant 24%, Roman Catholic 7.6%), Buddhist 24.2%, other or unknown 0.9%, none 43.3% (2010 survey)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :3,381 km; standard gauge: :3,381 km 1.435-m gauge (1,843 km electrified) (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "container port(s) (TEUs): :Busan (16,163,842), Kwangyang (2,061,958), Incheon (1,924,644); LNG terminal(s) (import): :Incheon, Kwangyang, Pyeongtaek, Tongyeong, Yeosu", "POPULATION": "49,039,986 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Justice Party [CHEON Ho-sun; Liberty Forward Party or LFP (merged with NFP in October 2012); New Frontier Party (NFP) or Saenuri (formerly Grand National Party) [KIM Moo-sung; New Politics Alliance for Democracy or NPAD [MOON Jae-in; Unified Progressive Party or UPP (disbanded in December 2014)", "PIPELINES": "gas 2,216 km; oil 16 km; refined products 889 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "South Korea over the past four decades has demonstrated incredible economic growth and global integration to become a high-tech industrialized economy. In the 1960s, GDP per capita was comparable with levels in the poorer countries of Africa and Asia. In 2004, South Korea joined the trillion-dollar club of world economies, and is currently the world's 12th largest economy. A system of close government and business ties, including directed credit and import restrictions, initially made this success possible. The government promoted the import of raw materials and technology at the expense of consumer goods, and encouraged savings and investment over consumption. The Asian financial crisis of 1997-98 exposed longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development model, including high debt/equity ratios and massive short-term foreign borrowing. GDP plunged by 7% in 1998, and then recovered by 9% in 1999-2000. South Korea adopted numerous economic reforms following the crisis, including greater openness to foreign investment and imports. Growth moderated to about 4% annually between 2003 and 2007. South Korea's export focused economy was hit hard by the 2008 global economic downturn, but quickly rebounded in subsequent years, reaching over 6% growth in 2010. The US-Korea Free Trade Agreement was ratified by both governments in 2011 and went into effect in March 2012. Between 2012 and 2014, the economy experienced sluggish growth because of external market slowdowns. The administration in 2015 is likely to face the challenge of balancing heavy reliance on exports with developing domestic-oriented sectors, such as services. The South Korean economy's long-term challenges include a rapidly aging population, inflexible labor market, dominance of large conglomerates (chaebols), and the heavy reliance on exports, which comprise about half of GDP.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Catholic Priests' Association for Justice; Citizen's Coalition for Economic Justice; Federation of Korean Industries; Federation of Korean Trade Unions; Korean Confederation of Trade Unions; Korean Veterans' Association; Lawyers for a Democratic Society; National Council of Churches; People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location on Korea Strait", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Korean(s); adjective: :Korean", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :786; by type: :bulk carrier 191, cargo 235, carrier 8, chemical tanker 130, container 72, liquefied gas 44, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 15, petroleum tanker 55, refrigerated cargo 15, roll on/roll off 10, vehicle carrier 6; foreign-owned: :31 (China 6, France 2, Japan 14, Taiwan 1, US 8); registered in other countries: :457 (Bahamas 1, Cambodia 10, Ghana 1, Honduras 6, Hong Kong 3, Indonesia 2, Kiribati 1, Liberia 2, Malta 2, Marshall Islands 41, North Korea 1, Panama 373, Philippines 1, Russia 1, Singapore 3, Tuvalu 1, unknown 8) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, Arctic Council (observer), ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CICA, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the Korea Strait; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :not specified", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :13,185,794; females age 16-49: :12,423,496 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :79.8 years; male: :76.67 years; female: :83.13 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Kuk Koe (300 seats; 246 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 54 directly elected in a single national constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 11 April 2012 (next to be held in April 2016); election results: :percent of vote by party - NFP 42.8%, DUP 36.5%, UPP 10.3%, LFP 3.2%, others 7.2%; seats by party - NFP 152, DUP 127, UPP 13, LFP 5, independents 3; note: :seats by negotiation group as of January 2015 - NFP 158, NPAD 130, Justice Party 5, Independents 2; note - 5 seats are vacant", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system combining European civil law, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought", "LANGUAGES": "Korean, English (widely taught in junior high and high school)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :15.64%; permanent crops: :2.13%; other: :82.23% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :237 km; border countries: :North Korea 237 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "26.43 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of South Korea (consists of a chief justice and 13 justices); Constitutional Court (consists of a court head and 8 justices); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president with the consent of the National Assembly; other justices appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the chief justice and consent of the National Assembly; position of the chief justice is a 6-year non-renewable term; other justices serve 6-year renewable terms; Constitutional Court justices appointed - 3 by the president, 3 by the National Assembly, and 3 by the Supreme Court chief justice; court head serves until retirement at age 70, while other justices serve 6-year renewable terms with mandatory retirement at age 65; subordinate courts: :High Courts; District Courts; Branch Courts (organized under the District Courts); specialized courts for family and administrative issues", "WATERWAYS": "1,600 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.5% (2014 est.); 1.3% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :3.93 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :4.13 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :3.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "electronics, telecommunications, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "15 August 1945 (from Japan)", "IMPORTS": "$542.9 billion (2014 est.); $536.6 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :104,983 km; paved: :83,199 km (includes 3,779 km of expressways); unpaved: :21,784 km (2009)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "white with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the center; there is a different black trigram from the ancient I Ching (Book of Changes) in each corner of the white field; the South Korean national flag is called Taegukki; white is a traditional Korean color and represents peace and purity; the blue section represents the negative cosmic forces of the yin, while the red symbolizes the opposite positive forces of the yang; each trigram (kwae) denotes one of the four universal elements, which together express the principle of movement and harmony", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$424.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $422.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$628 billion (2014 est.); $617.1 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President PARK Geun-hye (since 25 February 2013); head of government: :Prime Minister LEE Wan-koo (since 17 February 2015); Deputy Prime Ministers HWANG Woo-yea (since 7 November 2014) and CHOI Kyung-hwan (since 13 June 2014); cabinet: :State Council appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held on 19 December 2012 (next to be held in December 2017); prime minister appointed by president with consent of National Assembly; election results: :PARK Geun-hye elected president; percent of vote - PARK Geun-hye (NFP) 51.6%, MOON Jae-in (DUP) 48%, others 0.4%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "South Korean won (KRW) per US dollar -; 1,041.5 (2014 est.); 1,094.85 (2013 est.); 1,126.47 (2012 est.); 1,108.29 (2011 est.); 1,156.1 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)", "DEATH_RATE": "6.63 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "effective 17 July 1948; amended several times, last in 1987 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 16.1%, Japan 11.6%, US 8.1%, Saudi Arabia 7.3%, Qatar 5%, Australia 4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "2,413 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter; cold winters", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, optical instruments, transport equipment, organic chemicals, plastics", "CAPITAL": "name: :Seoul; geographic coordinates: :37 33 N, 126 59 E; time difference: :UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$316.6 billion; expenditures: :$309.3 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Republic of Korea Army; Navy (includes Marine Corps); Air Force (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "8.26 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "111 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "9 provinces (do, singular and plural), 6 metropolitan cities (gwangyoksi, singular and plural), 1 special city, and 1 special self-governing city; provinces: :Chungbuk (North Chungcheong), Chungnam (South Chungcheong), Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongbuk (North Gyeongsang), Gyeongnam (South Gyeongsang), Jeju, Jeonbuk (North Jeolla), Jeonnam (South Jeolla); metropolitan cities: :Busan (Pusan), Daegu (Taegu), Daejeon (Taejon), Gwangju (Kwangju), Incheon (Inch'on), Ulsan; special city: :Seoul; special self-governing city: :Sejong", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 26.1%, US 11.1%, Japan 6.2%, Hong Kong 5% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "semiconductors, wireless telecommunications equipment, motor vehicles and parts, computers, home appliances, wire telecommunication equipment, steel, ships, petrochemicals", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :6.9%; industry: :23.6%; services: :69.4% (October 2013 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :6.4%; highest 10%: :37.7% (2011)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "16% (2009 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "2.8% of GDP (2012); 2.77% of GDP (2011); 2.8% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :40; 914 to 1,523 m: :2; 38 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :71; over 3,047 m: :4; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :19; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :12; 914 to 1,523 m: :13; under 914 m: :23 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "An independent kingdom for much of its long history, Korea was occupied by Japan beginning in 1905 following the Russo-Japanese War. In 1910, Tokyo formally annexed the entire Peninsula. Korea regained its independence following Japan's surrender to the United States in 1945. After World War II, a democratic-based government (Republic of Korea, ROK) was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a communist-style government was installed in the north (Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK). During the Korean War (1950-53), US troops and UN forces fought alongside ROK soldiers to defend South Korea from a DPRK invasion supported by China and the Soviet Union. A 1953 armistice split the peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel. PARK Chung-hee took over leadership of the country in a 1961 coup. During his regime, from 1961 to 1979, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth, with per capita income rising to roughly 17 times the level of North Korea. South Korea held its first free presidential election under a revised democratic constitution in 1987, with former ROK Army general ROH Tae-woo winning a close race. In 1993, KIM Young-sam (1993-98) became the first civilian president of South Korea's new democratic era. President KIM Dae-jung (1998-2003) won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his contributions to South Korean democracy and his \"Sunshine\" policy of engagement with North Korea. President PARK Geun-hye, daughter of former ROK President PARK Chung-hee, took office in February 2013 and is South Korea's first female leader. South Korea held a non-permanent seat (2013-14) on the UN Security Council and will host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Discord with North Korea has permeated inter-Korean relations for much of the past decade, highlighted by the North's attacks on a South Korean ship and island in 2010, multiple nuclear and missile tests, and a five-month closure of the inter-Korean Kaesong Industrial Complex in 2013.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :365,760; female: :321,225 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :10,864,566; females age 16-49: :10,168,709 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "20-30 years of age for compulsory military service, with middle school education required; conscript service obligation - 21 months (Army, Marines), 23 months (Navy), 24 months (Air Force); 18-26 years of age for voluntary military service; women, in service since 1950, admitted to 7 service branches, including infantry, but excluded from artillery, armor, anti-air, and chaplaincy corps; HIV-positive individuals are exempt from military service (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Pennsylvania; slightly larger than Indiana", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest; volcanism: :Halla (elev. 1,950 m) is considered historically active although it has not erupted in many centuries", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Sea of Japan 0 m; highest point: :Halla-san 1,950 m", "HELIPORTS": "466 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.07 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.08 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.13 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.69 male(s)/female; total population: :1 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "57 (plus 103 cable operators and 119 relay cable operators) (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 96, FM 322, shortwave 1 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :2.4%; industry: :38.7%; services: :58.9% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "37 00 N, 127 30 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :14.1% (male 3,603,943/female 3,328,634); 15-24 years: :13.5% (male 3,515,271/female 3,113,257); 25-54 years: :47.3% (male 11,814,872/female 11,360,962); 55-64 years: :12.4% (male 3,012,051/female 3,081,480); 65 years and over: :12.7% (male 2,570,433/female 3,639,083) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Kosovo", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Tracey Ann JACOBSON (since 26 July 2012); embassy: :Arberia/Dragodan, Nazim Hikmet 30, Pristina, Kosovo; mailing address: :use embassy street address; telephone: :[381; FAX: :[381", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$8,000 (2014 est.); $7,700 (2013 est.); $7,600 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.7% (2014 est.); 3.4% (2013 est.); 2.8% (2012 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$16.89 billion (2014 est.); $16.44 billion (2013 est.); $15.9 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "12.7% of GDP (2013 est.); 12.5% of GDP (2012 est.); 12.4% of GDP (2011)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :90.5%; government consumption: :16%; investment in fixed capital: :28.2%; investment in inventories: :3%; exports of goods and services: :18.8%; imports of goods and services: :-53.9%; (2012 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "7.576 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "NA cu m", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2007)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2007)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "NA bbl/day (2011 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2007)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "NA bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "1.526 million kW (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "625.1 million kWh (2012)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "371.3 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "5.467 billion kWh (2012)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "5.847 billion kWh (2012)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "six, five-pointed, white stars; national colors: blue, gold, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :55.3%; male: :52%; female: :63.8% (2012 est.)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-1.8% of GDP (2013 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "25.6% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "PRISTINA (capital) 205,133 (2012)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Europe\"; lyrics/music: :none/Mendi MENGJIQI; note: :adopted 2008; Kosovo chose to exclude lyrics in its anthem so as not to offend the country's minority ethnic groups", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$2.773 billion (2012 est.); $2.637 billion (2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$2.505 billion (2013); $2.445 billion (2012)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "12.8% (30 June 2013 est.); 13.7% (31 December 2012 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.3% of GDP (2008)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$21.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $25.69 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$7.485 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "IDPs: :17,300 (primarily ethnic Serbs displaced during the 1998-1999 war fearing reprisals from the majority ethnic-Albanian population; a smaller number of ethnic Serbs, Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptians fled their homes in 2004 as a result of violence) (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$NA", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$919.7 million (2014 est.); -$1.083 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "9.1% of GDP (2013); 8.4% of GDP (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :27.8 years; male: :27.4 years; female: :28.2 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "30 (FY05/06)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "562,000 (2007)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "106,300 (2006)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Akan ISMAILI (since 23 April 2012); chancery: :1101 30th Street NW, Suites 330/340, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: :202-380-3581; FAX: :202-380-3628; consulate(s) general: :New York", "AREA": "total: :10,887 sq km; land: :10,887 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Southeast Europe, between Serbia and Macedonia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Kosovo; conventional short form: :Kosovo; local long form: :Republika e Kosoves (Republika Kosovo); local short form: :Kosova (Kosovo)", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "30.9% (2013 est.); 45% (2012 est.); note: :Kosovo has a large informal sector that may not be reflected in these data", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TERRAIN": "flat fluvial basin with an elevation of 400-700 m above sea level surrounded by several high mountain ranges with elevations of 2,000 to 2,500 m", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 95.6%, Orthodox 1.5%, Roman Catholic 2.2%, other 0.07%, none 0.07%, unspecified 0.6% (2011 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :430 km; standard gauge: :430 km 1.435-m gauge (2007)", "POPULATION": "1,859,203 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Albanian Christian Democratic Party of Kosovo or PSHDK [Uke BERISHA; Alliance for the Future of Kosovo or AAK [Ramush HARADINAJ; Civic Initiative for Kosovo or NISMA [Fatmir LIMAJ; Conservative Party of Kosovo or PK [Munir BASHA; Democratic League of Kosovo or LDK [Isa MUSTAFA; Democratic Party of Kosovo or PDK [Hashim THACI; Justice Party of Kosovo or PD [Ferid AGANI; Kosovo Democratic Turkish Party or KDTP [Mahir YAGCILAR; Movement for Self-Determination (Vetevendosje) or VV [Albin KURTI; Movement for Unification or LB [Avni KLINAKU; Serbian List [Aleksandar JABLANOVIC; Turkish Democratic Party of Kosovo or KDTP [Mahir YAGCILAR; Vakat Coalition or VAKAT [Rasim DEMIRI; note: :a coalition formed for the 2014 parliamentary elections included the PDK, PD, LB, PSHDK, and PK", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Kosovo's economy has shown significant progress in transitioning to a market-based system and maintaining macroeconomic stability, but it is still highly dependent on the international community and the diaspora for financial and technical assistance. Kosovo's citizens are the poorest in Europe with a per capita GDP (PPP) of $8,000 in 2014. An unemployment rate of 31% encourages emigration and fuels a significant informal, unreported economy. Remittances from the diaspora - located mainly in Germany, Switzerland, and the Nordic countries - are estimated to account for about 15% of GDP, and donor-financed activities and aid for approximately 10%. Most of Kosovo's population lives in rural towns outside of the capital, Pristina. Inefficient, near-subsistence farming is common - the result of small plots, limited mechanization, and lack of technical expertise. With international assistance, Kosovo has been able to privatize a majority of its state-owned-enterprises. Minerals and metals - including lignite, lead, zinc, nickel, chrome, aluminum, magnesium, and a wide variety of construction materials - once formed the backbone of industry, but output has declined because of ageing equipment and insufficient investment. A limited and unreliable electricity supply due to technical and financial problems is a major impediment to economic development, but Kosovo has received technical assistance to help improve accounting and controls and, in 2012, privatized its distribution network. The US Government is cooperating with the Ministry for Energy and Mines and the World Bank to prepare commercial tenders for the construction of a new power plant, rehabilitation of an old plant, and the development of a coal mine that could supply both. In July 2008, Kosovo received pledges of $1.9 billion from 37 countries in support of its reform priorities, but the global financial crisis has limited this assistance and also negatively affected remittance inflows. In June 2009, Kosovo joined the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, and Kosovo began servicing its share of the former Yugoslavia's debt. In order to help integrate Kosovo into regional economic structures, UNMIK signed (on behalf of Kosovo) its accession to the Central Europe Free Trade Area (CEFTA) in 2006. Serbia and Bosnia previously had refused to recognize Kosovo's customs stamp or extend reduced tariff privileges for Kosovo products under CEFTA, but both countries resumed trade with Kosovo in 2011. The official currency of Kosovo is the euro, but the Serbian dinar is also used illegally in Serb enclaves. Kosovo's tie to the euro has helped keep core inflation low. Kosovo maintained a budget surplus until 2011, when government expenditures climbed sharply. Kosovo is negotiating liberalization of trade with EU as part of a Stabilization and Association Agreement.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedom (human rights); Organization for Democracy, Anti-Corruption and Dignity Rise! [Avni ZOGIANI; Serb National Council (SNV); The Speak Up Movement [Ramadan ILAZI", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "nickel, lead, zinc, magnesium, lignite, kaolin, chrome, bauxite", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Kosovar (Albanian), Kosovac (Serbian); adjective: :Kosovar (Albanian), Kosovski (Serbian); note: :Kosovan, a neutral term, is sometimes also used as a noun or adjective", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 17 February (2008)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "IBRD, IDA, IFC, IMF, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OIF (observer)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :91.9%; male: :96.6%; female: :87.5% (2007 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi i Kosoves/Skupstina Kosova (120 seats; 100 members directly elected by proportional representation vote with 20 seats reserved for ethnic minorities - 10 for Serbs and 10 for other ethnic minorities; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 8 June 2014 (next expected to be held in June 2018); election results: :percent of vote by party/coalition - PDK/PD/LB/PSHDK/PK 30.4%, LDK 25.2%, VV 13.6%, AAK 9.5%, SLKM 5.2%, NISMA 5.2%, AKR 4.7%, KDTP 1.0%, other 5.2%; seats by party/coalition - PDK/PD/LB/PSHDK/PK 37, LDK 30, VV 16, AAK 11, SLKM 9, NISMA 6, KDTP 2, VAKAT 2, other 7", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system; note- the European Union Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) retains limited executive powers related to the investigation of such issues as war crimes", "LANGUAGES": "Albanian (official) 94.5%, Bosnian 1.7%, Serbian (official) 1.6%, Turkish 1.1%, other 0.9% (includes Romani), unspecified 0.1%; note: :in municipalities where a community's mother tongue is not one of Kosovo's offical languages, the language of that community may be given official status according to the 2006 Law on the Use of Languages (2011 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :714 km; border countries: :Albania 112 km, Macedonia 160 km, Montenegro 76 km, Serbia 366 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "800,000; note: :includes those estimated to be employed in the grey economy (2011 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the court president and at least 15 percent of judges to reflect Kosovo's territorial ethnic composition); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and 7 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges nominated by the Kosovo Judicial Council, an independent body staffed by judges and lay members, and also responsible for overall administration of Kosovo's judicial system; judges appointed by the president of the Republic of Kosovo; judges appointed until mandatory retirement age; Constitutional Court judges nominated by the Kosovo Assembly and appointed by the president of the republic to serve single, 9-year terms; subordinate courts: :Court of Appeals (organized into 4 departments: General, Serious Crime, Commercial Matters), and Administrative Matters; Basic Court (located in 9 municipalities, each with several branches); note: :Kosovo initiated a new judicial system in January 2013", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.8% (2013 est.); 2.5% (2012 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "mineral mining, construction materials, base metals, leather, machinery, appliances, foodstuffs and beverages, textiles", "INDEPENDENCE": "17 February 2008 (from Serbia)", "IMPORTS": "$3.398 billion (2013 est.); $3.477 billion (2012 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :6,955 km; paved: :1,843 km (includes 38 km of expessways); unpaved: :5,112 km (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "centered on a dark blue field is the geographical shape of Kosovo in a gold color surmounted by six white, five-pointed stars arrayed in a slight arc; each star represents one of the major ethnic groups of Kosovo: Albanians, Serbs, Turks, Gorani, Roma, and Bosniaks", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$448.2 million (2013 est.); $466 million (2012 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$408 million (2013 est.); $382.8 million (2012 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Atifete JAHJAGA (since 7 April 2011);; head of government: :Prime Minister Isa MUSTAFA (since 9 December 2014); cabinet: :ministers; elected by the Kosovo Assembly; elections: :the president is elected for a five-year term by the Kosovo Assembly; election last held on 7 April 2011; note - the prime minister elected by the Kosovo Assembly; election results: :Atifete JAHJAGA elected president in one round; Atifete JAHJAGA 80 votes, Suzana NOVOBERDALIU 10 votes; Isa MUSTAFA appointed Prime Minister on 9 December 2014", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.78 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Albanians 92.9%, Bosniaks 1.6%, Serbs 1.5%, Turk 1.1%, Ashkali 0.9%, Egyptian 0.7%, Gorani 0.6%, Roma 0.5%, other/unspecified 0.2%; note: :these estimates may under-represent Serb, Roma, and some other ethnic minorities because they are based on the 2011 Kosovo national census, which excluded northern Kosovo (a largely Serb-inhabited region) and was partially boycotted by Serb and Roma communities in southern Kosovo (2011 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1974, 1990; latest (postindependence) draft finalized 2 April 2008, signed 7 April 2008, ratified 8 April 2008, entered into force 15 June 2008; amended 2013 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 11.9%, Macedonia 11.5%, Serbia 11.1%, Italy 8.5%, Turkey 9%, China 6.4%, Albania 4.4% (2012 est.)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "influenced by continental air masses resulting in relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall and hot, dry summers and autumns; Mediterranean and alpine influences create regional variation; maximum rainfall between October and December", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foodstuffs, livestock, wood, petroleum, chemicals, machinery, minerals, textiles, stone, ceramic and glass products, electrical equipment", "CAPITAL": "name: :Pristina (Prishtine, Prishtina); geographic coordinates: :42 40 N, 21 10 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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.916 billion; expenditures: :$2.048 billion (2013 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Kosovo Security Force (FSK) (2010)", "AIRPORTS": "6 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "wheat, corn, berries, potatoes, peppers, fruit; dairy, livestock; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "37 municipalities (komunat, singular - komuna (Albanian); opstine, singular - opstina (Serbian)); Decan (Decani), Dragash (Dragas), Ferizaj (Urosevac), Fushe Kosove (Kosovo Polje), Gjakove (Dakovica), Gjilan (Gnjilane), Gllogovc (Glogovac), Gracanice (Gracanica), Hani i Elezit (Deneral Jankovic), Istog (Istok), Junik, Kacanik, Kamenice/Dardana (Kamenica), Kline (Klina), Kllokot (Klokot), Leposaviq (Leposavic), Lipjan (Lipljan), Malisheve (Malisevo), Mamushe (Mamusa), Mitrovice e Jug (Juzna Mitrovica) [Mitrovica South", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Italy 25.8%, Albania 14.6%, Macedonia 9.6%, China 5.5%, Gernamy 5.4%, Switzerland 5.4%, Turkey 4.1% (2012 est.)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "mining and processed metal products, scrap metals, leather products, machinery, appliances, prepared foodstuffs, beverages and tobacco, vegetable products, textiles and apparel", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :23.6%; industry: :NA%; services: :NA% (2010 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "30% (2013 est.)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :3; 3 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :3; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :430,926; females age 16-49: :389,614 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than Delaware", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Drini i Bardhe/Beli Drim 297 m (located on the border with Albania); highest point: :Gjeravica/Deravica 2,656 m", "HELIPORTS": "2 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.08 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.08 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.11 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.12 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.73 male(s)/female; total population: :1.06 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :12.9%; industry: :22.6%; services: :64.5% (2009 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "42 35 N, 21 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :26.3% (male 253,876/female 234,810); 15-24 years: :18.1% (male 176,738/female 159,455); 25-54 years: :41.5% (male 407,347/female 365,029); 55-64 years: :7.2% (male 65,762/female 67,243); 65 years and over: :6.9% (male 54,059/female 74,884) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Kuwait", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Douglas Alan SILLIMAN (since 31 August 2014); embassy: :Bayan 36302, Block 13, Al-Masjed Al-Aqsa Street (near the Bayan palace), Kuwait City; mailing address: :P. O. Box 77 Safat 13001 Kuwait; or PSC 1280 APO AE 09880-9000; telephone: :[965; FAX: :[965", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$71,000 (2014 est.); $72,000 (2013 est.); $74,300 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.4% (2014 est.); -0.4% (2013 est.); 8.3% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.7%; note: :this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$283.9 billion (2014 est.); $280 billion (2013 est.); $281.2 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :37.1%; youth dependency ratio: :33.8%; elderly dependency ratio: :3.3%; potential support ratio: :30.4% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "54.8% of GDP (2014 est.); 53.8% of GDP (2013 est.); 56.6% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :26.1%; government consumption: :18%; investment in fixed capital: :14.3%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :69.2%; imports of goods and services: :-27.7%; (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "105.7 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "1.798 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "2.664 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "18.18 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "15.51 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "656,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "467,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "915,900 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "104 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "1.395 million bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "2.802 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "13.5 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "46.93 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "54.01 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "golden falcon; national colors: green, white, red, black", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :11.3%; male: :11.8%; female: :10% (2005 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "42% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.2 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.79 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "2.5% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "2.2% (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "14 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "25.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "69.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "KUWAIT (capital) 2.68 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Al-Nasheed Al-Watani\" (National Anthem); lyrics/music: :Ahmad MUSHARI al-Adwani/Ibrahim Nasir al-SOULA; note: :adopted 1978; the anthem is only used on formal occasions", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; 0% of population; 0% of population; 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99% of population; rural: 99% of population; total: 99% of population; urban: 1% of population; rural: 1% of population; total: 1% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$116.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $111.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$32.42 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $30.77 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-owned TV broadcaster operates 4 networks and a satellite channel; several private TV broadcasters have emerged since 2003; satellite TV available with pan-Arab TV stations especially popular; state-owned Radio Kuwait broadcasts on a number of channels in Arabic and English; first private radio station emerged in 2005; transmissions of at least 2 international radio broadcasters are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :98.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.63% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$97.53 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $94.17 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$71.79 billion (31 December 2009); $63.08 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$16.05 billion (31 December 2009); $15.31 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "5% (31 December 2014 est.); 4.9% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "1.25% (31 December 2010); 3% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.8% of GDP (2006)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :15 years; male: :14 years; female: :15 years (2004)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.91 cu km/yr (47%/2%/51%); per capita: :441.2 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "0.02 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$99.77 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $100.9 billion (31 December 2011); $119.6 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$95.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $85.45 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$12.68 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $11.33 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Kuwait is a destination country for men and women subjected to forced labor and, to a lesser degree, forced prostitution; men and women migrate from India, Egypt, Bangladesh, Syria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Nepal, Iran, Jordan, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iraq, Lebanon, and Kenya to work in Kuwait, most of them in the domestic service, construction, and sanitation sectors; although most of these migrants enter Kuwait voluntarily, upon arrival some are subjected to conditions of forced labor by their sponsors and labor agents, including nonpayment of wages, long working hours without rest, deprivation of food, threats, physical or sexual abuse, and restrictions on movement, such as the withholding of passports or confinement to the workplace; tier rating: :Tier 3 - Kuwait does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making sufficient efforts to do so; no efforts were made to prosecute or convict trafficking offenders using the 2013 anti-trafficking law or other laws addressing trafficking crimes; victim protection measures remained weak particularly due to a lack of proactive victim identification procedures and non-enforcement of the law prohibiting sponsors from withholding workers� passports; no system was developed to refer victims to protective services; the government initiated investigations of companies that brought in large numbers of unskilled foreign workers under false promises of work and that illegally sold visas (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$179.3 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :93,000 (2013); note - Kuwait's 1959 Nationality Law defined citizens as persons who settled in the country before 1920 and who had maintained normal residence since then; one-third of the population, descendants of Bedouin tribes, missed the window of opportunity to register for nationality rights after Kuwait became independent in 1961 and were classified as bidun (meaning without); since the 1980s Kuwait's bidun have progressively lost their rights, including opportunities for employment and education, amid official claims that they are nationals of other countries who have destroyed their identification documents in hopes of gaining Kuwaiti citizenship; Kuwaiti authorities have delayed processing citizenship applications and labeled biduns as \"illegal residents,\" denying them access to civil documentation, such as birth and marriage certificates; 2011 bidun demonstrations for the recognition of their Kuwaiti nationality led to several arrests", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$38.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $32.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$66.05 billion (2014 est.); $70.81 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "6.8% of GDP (2014 est.); 6.1% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "2,771 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :28.9 years; male: :30.1 years; female: :26.8 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".kw", "INTERNET_USERS": "1.1 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "5.526 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "510,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador SALIM al-Abdallah al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 10 October 2001); chancery: :2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Los Angeles", "AREA": "total: :17,818 sq km; land: :17,818 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "86 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Middle East", "LOCATION": "Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :State of Kuwait; conventional short form: :Kuwait; local long form: :Dawlat al Kuwayt; local short form: :Al Kuwayt", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "3% (2014 est.); 3% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional emirate", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.53 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "flat to slightly undulating desert plain", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :the quality of service is excellent; domestic: :new telephone exchanges provide a large capacity for new subscribers; trunk traffic is carried by microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and open-wire and fiber-optic cable; a mobile-cellular telephone system operates throughout Kuwait, and the country is well supplied with pay telephones; international: :country code - 965; linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); linked to Bahrain, Qatar, UAE via the Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG) cable; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 6 (3 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, 1 Inmarsat - Atlantic Ocean, and 2 Arabsat) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "21 years of age; universal; note - members of the military or police by law cannot vote; all voters must have been citizens for 20 years", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim (official) 76.7%, Christian 17.3%, other and unspecified 5.9%; note: :represents the total population; about 69% of the population consists of immigrants (2013 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Az Zawr (Mina' Sa'ud), Mina' 'Abd Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi", "POPULATION": "2,742,711; note: :Kuwait's Public Authority for Civil Information estimates the country's total population to be 3,996,899 for 2014, with immigrants accounting for almost 69% (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "none; while the formation of political parties is not permitted, they are not forbidden by law", "PIPELINES": "gas 261 km; oil 540 km; refined products 57 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Kuwait has a geographically small, but wealthy, relatively open economy with crude oil reserves of about 102 billion barrels - more than 6% of world reserves. Kuwaiti officials plan to increase oil production to 4 million barrels per day by 2020. Petroleum accounts for over half of GDP, 94% of export revenues, and 89% of government income. For the last decade, high oil prices have generated budget surpluses despite increasing budget expenditures, particularly on wage hikes for public sector employees. Despite Kuwait�s dependence on oil, the government has cushioned itself against the impact of lower oil prices by continuous saving of at least 10% of government revenue in the Fund for Future Generations. Kuwait has done little to diversify its economy, in part, due to a poor business climate and an acrimonious relationship between the National Assembly and the executive branch that has stymied most economic reforms. In 2010, Kuwait passed its first long-term economic development plan in almost twenty-five years. While the government planned to spend up $104 billion over four years to diversify the economy away from oil, attract more investment, and boost private sector participation in the economy, many of the projects did not materialize because of the tenuous political situation.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :Islamists; merchants; political groups; secular liberals and pro-governmental deputies; Shia activists; tribal groups", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location at head of Persian Gulf", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-1.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Kuwaiti(s); adjective: :Kuwaiti", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "National Day, 25 February (1950)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :34; by type: :bulk carrier 2, carrier 3, container 6, liquefied gas 4, petroleum tanker 19; registered in other countries: :45 (Bahamas 1, Bahrain 5, Comoros 1, Libya 1, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 2, Panama 12, Qatar 6, Saudi Arabia 4, UAE 10) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ABEDA, AfDB (nonregional member), AFESD, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, CD, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, Paris Club (associate), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,002,480; females age 16-49: :616,958 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :95.5%; male: :95.8%; female: :95% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :77.64 years; male: :76.37 years; female: :78.96 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (65 seats; 50 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 15 ex-officio members - cabinet ministers - appointed by the prime minister; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held 27 July 2013 (next to be held in July 2017); election results: :voter turnout 52%; seats won - pro-government 30, liberals 9, Shiites 8, Sunni 3", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system consisting of English common law, French civil law, and Islamic religious law", "LANGUAGES": "Arabic (official), English widely spoken", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0.56%; permanent crops: :0.34%; other: :99.1% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :475 km; border countries: :Iraq 254 km, Saudi Arabia 221 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "2.397 million; note: :non-Kuwaitis represent about 60% of the labor force (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Constitutional Court (five judges); Supreme Court or Court of Cassation (organized into several circuits, each with five judges); judge selection and term of office: :all Kuwaiti judges appointed by the Amir upon recommendation of the Supreme Judicial Council, a consultative body comprised of Kuwaiti judges and Ministry of Justice officials; subordinate courts: :High Court of Appeal; Court of First Instance; Summary Court", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3% (2014 est.); 2.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :7.51 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :7.26 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :7.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, shipbuilding and repair, water desalination, food processing, construction materials", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "19 June 1961 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$26.06 billion (2014 est.); $24.42 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :6,608 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side; colors and design are based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I; green represents fertile fields, white stands for purity, red denotes blood on Kuwaiti swords, black signifies the defeat of the enemy", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$33.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $33.96 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$109.9 billion (2014 est.); $112.7 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Amir SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 29 January 2006); Crown Prince NAWAF al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (born 25 June 1937); head of government: :Prime Minister JABIR AL-MUBARAK al-Hamad al-Sabah (since 30 November 2011); First Deputy Prime Minister SABAH Khaled al-Hamad al-Sabah; Deputy Prime Ministers KHALD al-Jarrah al-Sabah, MUHAMMAD AL-KHALID al-Hamad al-Sabah, Abdulmohsen MUDEJ; cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and approved by the amir; new cabinet formed in January 2014; elections: :none; the amir is chosen from within the ruling family and confirmed by parliamentary vote; the amir appoints the prime minister and deputy prime ministers", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US dollar -; 0.2918 (2014 est.); 0.2824 (2013 est.); 0.28 (2012 est.); 0.276 (2011 est.); 0.2866 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Kuwaiti 31.3%, other Arab 27.9%, Asian 37.8%, African 1.9%, other 1.1% (includes European, North American, South American, and Australian) (2013 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "2.16 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "approved and promulgated 11 November 1962 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 10.9%, US 10.6%, Saudi Arabia 7.9%, Japan 7.6%, Germany 5.3%, South Korea 4.6%, France 4.6%, India 4.3%, Italy 4.2%, UAE 4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "499 km", "CLIMATE": "dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing", "CAPITAL": "name: :Kuwait City; geographic coordinates: :29 22 N, 47 58 E; time difference: :UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC,during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$125 billion; expenditures: :$79.45 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Kuwaiti Land Forces (KLF), Kuwaiti Navy, Kuwaiti Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Kuwaitiya; includes Kuwaiti Air Defense Force, KADF), Kuwaiti National Guard (KNG) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "20.26 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "7 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "6 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al 'Asimah, Al Farwaniyah, Al Jahra', Hawalli, Mubarak al Kabir", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "South Korea 17.1%, India 16%, Japan 12.3%, US 11.7%, China 8.8% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "oil and refined products, fertilizers", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :NA%; industry: :NA%; services: :NA%", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0% of GDP (2012); 3.35% of GDP (2011); 0% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified: :Marine Dumping", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "limited natural freshwater resources; some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide much of the water; air and water pollution; desertification", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :3; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 2 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :4; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Britain oversaw foreign relations and defense for the ruling Kuwaiti AL-SABAH dynasty from 1899 until independence in 1961. Kuwait was attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Following several weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led, UN coalition began a ground assault on 23 February 1991 that liberated Kuwait in four days. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure damaged during 1990-91. The AL-SABAH family has ruled since returning to power in 1991 and reestablished an elected legislature that in recent years has become increasingly assertive. The country witnessed the historic election in 2009 of four women to its National Assembly. Amid the 2010-11 uprisings and protests across the Arab world, stateless Arabs, known as bidun, staged small protests in February and March 2011 demanding citizenship, jobs, and other benefits available to Kuwaiti nationals. Youth activist groups - supported by opposition legislators - rallied repeatedly in 2011 for the prime minister's dismissal amid allegations of widespread government corruption. Demonstrators forced the prime minister to resign in late 2011. In late 2012, Kuwait witnessed unprecedented protests in response to the Amir's changes to the electoral law by decree reducing the number of votes per person from four to one. The opposition, led by a coalition of Sunni Islamists, tribalists, some liberals, and myriad youth groups, largely boycotted legislative elections in 2012 and 2013 ushering in legislatures more amenable to the government's agenda. Since 2006, the Amir has dissolved the National Assembly on five occasions (the Constitutional Court annulled the Assembly in June 2012 and again in June 2013) and shuffled the cabinet over a dozen times, usually citing political stagnation and gridlock between the legislature and the government.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :17,653; female: :16,232 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :840,912; females age 16-49: :523,206 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "17-21 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription suspended (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than New Jersey", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April and bring heavy rain, which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust storms occur throughout the year but are most common between March and August", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Persian Gulf 0 m; highest point: :unnamed elevation 306 m", "HELIPORTS": "4 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.08 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.22 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.74 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.42 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.96 male(s)/female; total population: :1.43 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "13 (plus several satellite channels) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 6, FM 11, shortwave 1 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :0.3%; industry: :49.4%; services: :50.2% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "29 30 N, 45 45 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :25.4% (male 363,001/female 334,851); 15-24 years: :15.3% (male 230,628/female 188,892); 25-54 years: :52.3% (male 910,832/female 524,690); 55-64 years: :4.7% (male 73,816/female 54,678); 65 years and over: :2.2% (male 29,312/female 32,011) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Kyrgyzstan", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Richard MILES; embassy: :171 Prospect Mira, Bishkek 720016; mailing address: :use embassy street address; telephone: :[996; FAX: :[996", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$3,400 (2014 est.); $3,300 (2013 est.); $3,000 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "4.1% (2014 est.); 10.5% (2013 est.); -0.9% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.04% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$19.29 billion (2014 est.); $18.53 billion (2013 est.); $16.77 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :53.2%; youth dependency ratio: :46.9%; elderly dependency ratio: :6.3%; potential support ratio: :15.8% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "13% of GDP (2014 est.); 11.6% of GDP (2013 est.); 10.2% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :103.2%; government consumption: :16.6%; investment in fixed capital: :29.1%; investment in inventories: :1.8%; exports of goods and services: :48.1%; imports of goods and services: :-98.8%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "36.3% (2012)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "22.6; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2012 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :563,920; percentage: :40.3%; note: :data represents children ages 5-17 (2007 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "9.278 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "420 million cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "428.7 million cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "8.666 million cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "35,040 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "2,433 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "35,090 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "40 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "1,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "78.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "21.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "3.766 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "2.795 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "8.851 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "14.96 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "gyrfalcon; national colors: red, yellow", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :14.6%; male: :13.6%; female: :16.2% (2006 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "15.5% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "4.8 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.96 physicians/1,000 population (2012)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "7.1% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "3.7% (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "71 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "26.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "BISHKEK (capital) 858,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Kyrgyz Respublikasynyn Mamlekettik Gimni\" (National Anthem of the Kyrgyz Republic); lyrics/music: :Djamil SADYKOV and Eshmambet KULUEV/Nasyr DAVLESOV and Kalyi MOLDOBASANOV; note: :adopted 1992", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 91.9% of population; rural: 91.7% of population; total: 91.8% of population; urban: 8.1% of population; rural: 8.3% of population; total: 8.2% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 97.1% of population; rural: 82.3% of population; total: 87.6% of population; urban: 2.9% of population; rural: 17.7% of population; total: 12.4% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$2.02 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.847 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$1.563 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.474 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-run TV broadcaster operates 2 nationwide networks and 6 regional stations; roughly 20 private TV stations operating with most rebroadcasting other channels; state-run radio broadcaster operates 2 networks; about 20 private radio stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :35.6% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.58% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$1.152 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.052 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$NA (31 December 2008); $303.7 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$NA (31 December 2008); $911.1 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "24% (31 December 2014 est.); 20.93% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "13.73% (22 December 2011); 2.5% (31 December 2010)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "6.8% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :13 years; male: :12 years; female: :13 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :8.01 cu km/yr (3%/4%/93%); per capita: :1,558 cu m/yr (2006)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "23.62 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$165 million (31 December 2012 est.); $165 million (31 December 2011); $79 million (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$748.4 million (31 December 2014 est.); $748.4 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$3.337 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.017 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$7.647 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "IDPs: :172,000 (June 2010 violence in southern Kyrgyzstan between the Kyrgyz majority and the Uzbek minority) (2012); stateless persons: :11,425 (2013); note - most stateless people were born in Kyrgystan, have lived there many years, or are married to a Kyrgyz citizen; in 2009, Kyrgyzstan adopted a national action plan to speed up the exchange of old Soviet passports for Kyrgyz ones; stateless people are unable to register marriages and births, to travel within the country or abroad, to own property, or to receive social benefits", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$2.184 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.238 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.728 billion (2014 est.); -$1.771 billion (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "115,573 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :25.7 years; male: :24.7 years; female: :26.7 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "33.4 (2007); 29 (2001)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "300 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "8,000 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.24% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".kg", "INTERNET_USERS": "2.195 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "6.8 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "489,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Kadyr TOKTOGULOV (since 23 February 2015); chancery: :2360 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s): :New York", "AREA": "total: :199,951 sq km; land: :191,801 sq km; water: :8,150 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "10,210 sq km (2005)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Asia", "LOCATION": "Central Asia, west of China, south of Kazakhstan", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Kyrgyz Republic; conventional short form: :Kyrgyzstan; local long form: :Kyrgyz Respublikasy; local short form: :Kyrgyzstan; former: :Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "8.6% (2011 est.); 18% (2004 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.68 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "peaks of Tien Shan and associated valleys and basins encompass entire nation", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :telecommunications infrastructure is being upgraded; loans from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) are being used to install a digital network, digital radio-relay stations, and fiber-optic links; domestic: :fixed-line penetration remains low and concentrated in urban areas; multiple mobile-cellular service providers with growing coverage; mobile-cellular subscribership was about 115 per 100 persons in 2011; international: :country code - 996; connections with other CIS countries by landline or microwave radio relay and with other countries by leased connections with Moscow international gateway switch and by satellite; satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intersputnik, 1 Intelsat); connected internationally by the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%, other 5%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :470 km; broad gauge: :470 km 1.520-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "lake port(s): :Balykchy (Ysyk-Kol or Rybach'ye)(Lake Ysyk-Kol)", "POPULATION": "5,604,212 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Ar-Namys (Dignity) Party [Feliks KULOV; Ata-Jurt (Homeland) [Kamchybek TASHIEV, Akhmat KELDIBEKOV, Sadyr JAPAROV; Ata-Meken (Fatherland) [Omurbek TEKEBAEV; Butun Kyrgyzstan (All Kyrgyzstan) [Adakhan MADUMAROV; Respublika [Omurbek BABANOV; Social-Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan (SDPK) [Almazbek ATAMBAEV", "PIPELINES": "gas 480 km; oil 16 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Kyrgyzstan is a poor, mountainous country with an economy dominated by agriculture and minerals extraction. Cotton, tobacco, wool, and meat are the main agricultural products, although only tobacco and cotton are exported in any quantity. Other exports include gold, mercury, uranium, natural gas, and�in some years�electricity. Bishkek remains embroiled in a legal battle with Canadian investors in the Kumtor gold mine, the nation�s largest. Kyrgyzstan has sought foreign investment to develop hydroelectric potential as a source of export revenue. The economy also depends heavily on remittances from Kyrgyzstani migrant workers, primarily in Russia. Following independence, Kyrgyzstan rapidly carried out market reforms, such as improving the regulatory system and instituting land reform. Kyrgyzstan was the first Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) country to be accepted into the World Trade Organization. The government has sold much of its ownership shares in enterprises. Drops in production had been severe after the breakup of the Soviet Union in December 1991, but by mid-1995, production began to recover and exports began to increase. The overthrow of President BAKIEV in April 2010 and subsequent ethnic clashes left hundreds dead and damaged infrastructure. Under President ATAMBAEV, Kyrgyzstan has developed a plan for economic development in coordination with international donors. In December 2014 Kyrgyzstan agreed to join the Eurasian Economic Union in early 2015. The keys to future growth include progress in fighting corruption, improving administrative transparency, restructuring domestic industry, and attracting foreign aid and investment.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Adilet (Justice) Legal Clinic [Cholpon JAKUPOVA; Citizens Against Corruption [Tolekan ISMAILOVA; Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society [Dinara OSHURAKHUNOVA; Kylym Shamy (Torch of the Century) [Aziza ABDIRASULOVA; Precedent Partnership Group [Nurbek TOKTAKUNOV; Societal Analysis Public Association [Rita KARASARTOVA; Union of True Muslims [Nurlan MOTUEV", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; entirely mountainous, dominated by the Tien Shan range; 94% of the country is 1,000 m above sea level with an average elevation of 2,750 m; many tall peaks, glaciers, and high-altitude lakes", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-6.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "abundant hydropower; gold, rare earth metals; locally exploitable coal, oil, and natural gas; other deposits of nepheline, mercury, bismuth, lead, and zinc", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Kyrgyzstani(s); adjective: :Kyrgyzstani", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 31 August (1991)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, CICA, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, EITI (compliant country), FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SCO, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,456,881; females age 16-49: :1,470,317 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :99.2%; male: :99.5%; female: :99% (2009 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :70.06 years; male: :65.89 years; female: :74.51 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Supreme Council or Jogorku Kengesh (120 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 10 October 2010 (next to be held in 2015); election results: :Supreme Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Ata-Jurt 28, SDPK 26, Ar-Namys 25, Respublika 23, Ata-Meken 18", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system which includes features of French civil law and Russian Federation laws", "LANGUAGES": "Kyrgyz (official) 64.7%, Uzbek 13.6%, Russian (official) 12.5%, Dungun 1%, other 8.2% (1999 census)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :6.66%; permanent crops: :0.39%; other: :92.95%; note: :Kyrgyzstan has the world's largest natural-growth walnut forest (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :4,573 km; border countries: :China 1,063 km, Kazakhstan 1,212 km, Tajikistan 984 km, Uzbekistan 1,314 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "2.615 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of 25 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges appointed by the Supreme Council on the recommendation of the president; Supreme Court judges serve for 10 years, Constitutional Court judges serve for 15 years; mandatory retirement at age 70 for judges of both courts; subordinate courts: :Higher Court of Arbitration; oblast (provincial) and city courts", "WATERWAYS": "600 km (2010)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "7.2% (2014 est.); 6.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :28.71 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :32.98 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :24.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "small machinery, textiles, food processing, cement, shoes, sawn logs, refrigerators, furniture, electric motors, gold, rare earth metals", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "6.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "31 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)", "IMPORTS": "$5.537 billion (2014 est.); $5.614 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :34,000 km (2007)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "red field with a yellow sun in the center having 40 rays representing the 40 Kyrgyz tribes; on the obverse side the rays run counterclockwise, on the reverse, clockwise; in the center of the sun is a red ring crossed by two sets of three lines, a stylized representation of a \"tunduk\" - the crown of a traditional Kyrgyz yurt; red symbolizes bravery and valor, the sun evinces peace and wealth", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$6.819 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $6.376 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$2.009 billion (2014 est.); $2.048 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Almazbek ATAMBAEV (since 1 December 2011); head of government: :Prime Minister Joomart OTORBAEV (since 2 April 2014, acting since 26 March 2014); First Deputy Prime Minister Tayyrbek SARPASHEV (since 2 April 2014); Deputy Prime Ministers Valeriy DIL, Abdyrakhman MAMATALIEV, Elvira SARIEVA (all since 2 April 2014); cabinet: :Cabinet of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president; ministers in charge of defense and security are appointed solely by the president; elections: :president elected by popular vote for one six-year term; election last held on 30 October 2011 (next to be held in 2017); prime minister nominated by the parliamentary party holding more than 50% of the seats; if no such party exists, the president selects the party that will form a coalition majority and government; election results: :Almazbek ATAMBAEV elected president; percent of vote - Almazbek ATAMBAEV 63.2%, Adakhan MADUMAROV 14.7%, Kamchybek TASHIEV 14.3%, other 7.8%; Jantoro SATYBALDIEV elected prime minister; parliamentary vote - 111-2", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "soms (KGS) per US dollar -; 52.66 (2014 est.); 48.438 (2013 est.); 47.01 (2012 est.); 46.144 (2011 est.); 45.964 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Kyrgyz 70.9%, Uzbek 14.3%, Russian 7.7%, Dungan 1.1%, other 5.9% (includes Uyghur, Tajik, Turk, Kazakh, Tatar, Ukrainian, Korean, German) (2009 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "6.74 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1993; latest adopted 27 June 2010, effective 2 July 2010 (2010)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 51.9%, Russia 21.2%, Kazakhstan 7.8% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "dry continental to polar in high Tien Shan Mountains; subtropical in southwest (Fergana Valley); temperate in northern foothill zone", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "oil and gas, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Bishkek; geographic coordinates: :42 52 N, 74 36 E; time difference: :UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$2.036 billion; expenditures: :$2.214 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Ground Forces, Air Force (includes Air Defense Forces) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "23.33 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "28 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "tobacco, cotton, potatoes, vegetables, grapes, fruits and berries; sheep, goats, cattle, wool", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "7 provinces (oblustar, singular - oblus) and 2 cities* (shaarlar, singular - shaar); Batken Oblusu, Bishkek Shaary*, Chuy Oblusu (Bishkek), Jalal-Abad Oblusu, Naryn Oblusu, Osh Oblusu, Osh Shaary*, Talas Oblusu, Ysyk-Kol Oblusu (Karakol); note: :administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Kazakhstan 28.2%, Uzbekistan 28%, Russia 11.1%, UAE 6.9%, Afghanistan 5.5%, China 5% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "gold, cotton, wool, garments, meat, tobacco; mercury, uranium, electricity; machinery; shoes", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :48%; industry: :12.5%; services: :39.5% (2005 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.8%; highest 10%: :27.8% (2009 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "33.7% (2011 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "NA% (2012); 3.74% of GDP (2011); NA% (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "water pollution; many people get their water directly from contaminated streams and wells; as a result, water-borne diseases are prevalent; increasing soil salinity from faulty irrigation practices", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :10; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1; 8 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :18; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :3; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :11; under 914 m: :3 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "A Central Asian country of incredible natural beauty and proud nomadic traditions, most of Kyrgyzstan was formally annexed to Russia in 1876. The Kyrgyz staged a major revolt against the Tsarist Empire in 1916 in which almost one-sixth of the Kyrgyz population was killed. Kyrgyzstan became a Soviet republic in 1936 and achieved independence in 1991 when the USSR dissolved. Nationwide demonstrations in the spring of 2005 resulted in the ouster of President Askar AKAEV, who had run the country since 1990. Former prime minister Kurmanbek BAKIEV overwhelmingly won the presidential election in the summer of 2005. Over the next few years, he manipulated the parliament to accrue new powers for the presidency. In July 2009, after months of harassment against his opponents and media critics, BAKIEV won re-election in a presidential campaign that the international community deemed flawed. In April 2010, violent protests in Bishkek led to the collapse of the BAKIEV regime and his eventual fleeing to Minsk, Belarus. His successor, Roza OTUNBAEVA, served as transitional president until Almazbek ATAMBAEV was inaugurated in December 2011, marking the first peaceful transfer of presidential power in independent Kyrgyzstan's history. Continuing concerns include: the trajectory of democratization, endemic corruption, poor interethnic relations, and terrorism.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :56,606; female: :54,056 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,119,224; females age 16-49: :1,257,263 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary male military service in the Armed Forces or Interior Ministry; service obligation - 1 year, with optional fee-based 3-year service in the callup mobilization reserve; women may volunteer at age 19; 16-17 years of age for military cadets, who cannot take part in military operations (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than South Dakota", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Kara-Daryya (Karadar'ya) 132 m; highest point: :Jengish Chokusu (Pik Pobedy) 7,439 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.07 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.96 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.96 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.63 male(s)/female; total population: :0.96 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "8 (2 countrywide and 6 regional stations; state-owned); note - there are about 20 private TV stations, most of which rebroadcast other channels (2007)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 3 (plus 10 repeater stations), FM 23, shortwave 2 (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :19.3%; industry: :31.1%; services: :49.6% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "41 00 N, 75 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :29.8% (male 854,029/female 815,300); 15-24 years: :18.8% (male 536,355/female 519,440); 25-54 years: :39.4% (male 1,079,691/female 1,127,520); 55-64 years: :7.1% (male 171,960/female 224,450); 65 years and over: :4.9% (male 105,651/female 169,816) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Laos", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador David A. CLUNE (since 16 September 2013); embassy: :19 Rue Bartholonie, That Dam, Vientiane; mailing address: :American Embassy Vientiane, APO AP 96546; telephone: :[856; FAX: :[856", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$5,000 (2014 est.); $4,700 (2013 est.); $4,500 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "7.4% (2014 est.); 8% (2013 est.); 7.9% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.59% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$34.48 billion (2014 est.); $32.12 billion (2013 est.); $29.73 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :62.6%; youth dependency ratio: :56.4%; elderly dependency ratio: :6.2%; potential support ratio: :16.1% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "32.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 29.5% of GDP (2013 est.); 27.4% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :69.6%; government consumption: :13.9%; investment in fixed capital: :39.1%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :37.3%; imports of goods and services: :-59.9%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "49.8% (2011/12)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :175,138; percentage: :11% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "1.623 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "3,160 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "3,520 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "98.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "1.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "3.217 million kW (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "1 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "2.537 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "2.4 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "12.24 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "elephant; national colors: red, white, blue", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "2.6% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.5 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.18 physicians/1,000 population (2012)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "2.9% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "26.5% (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "470 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-4.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "23.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "VIENTIANE (capital) 946,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Pheng Xat Lao\" (Hymn of the Lao People); lyrics/music: :SISANA Sisane/THONGDY Sounthonevichit; note: :music adopted 1945, lyrics adopted 1975; the anthem's lyrics were changed following the 1975 Communist revolution that overthrew the monarchy", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 90.4% of population; rural: 50.5% of population; total: 64.6% of population; urban: 9.6% of population; rural: 49.5% of population; total: 35.4% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 83.7% of population; rural: 64.9% of population; total: 71.5% of population; urban: 16.3% of population; rural: 35.1% of population; total: 28.5% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$5.411 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.141 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$1.629 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.414 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "6 TV stations operating out of Vientiane - 3 government-operated and the others commercial; 17 provincial stations operating with nearly all programming relayed via satellite from the government-operated stations in Vientiane; Chinese and Vietnamese programming relayed via satellite from Lao National TV; broadcasts available from stations in Thailand and Vietnam in border areas; multi-channel satellite and cable TV systems provide access to a wide range of foreign stations; state-controlled radio with state-operated Lao National Radio (LNR) broadcasting on 5 frequencies - 1 AM, 1 SW, and 3 FM; LNR's AM and FM programs are relayed via satellite constituting a large part of the programming schedules of the provincial radio stations; Thai radio broadcasts available in border areas and transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are also accessible (2012)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :37.6% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :4.93% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$5.157 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.665 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$1.08 billion (31 December 2009); $717.9 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$691.1 million (31 December 2009); $438.2 million (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "24.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 23.2% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "4.3% (31 December 2010); 4% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.8% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :10 years; male: :11 years; female: :10 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :3.49 cu km/yr (4%/5%/91%); per capita: :588.9 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "333.5 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$1.012 billion (2012 est.); $576.8 million (2011)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$15.14 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $12.44 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Laos is a source and, to a lesser extent, transit and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Lao economic migrants may encounter conditions of forced labor or sexual exploitation in destination countries, most often Thailand; Lao women and girls are exploited in Thailand�s commercial sex trade, domestic service, factories, and agriculture; Lao men and boys are victims of forced labor in the Thai fishing, construction, and agriculture industries; some Vietnamese and Chinese women and girls are subjected to sex trafficking in Laos while others are trafficked through Laos to neighboring countries, particularly Thailand; some Lao adults and children are subject to sex and labor exploitation domestically; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Laos does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; authorities sustained moderate efforts to prosecute and convict trafficking offenders; the government failed to identify victims exploited within the country or among those deported from abroad; the government relies almost entirely on local and international organizations to implement its anti-trafficking programs, including providing assistance to trafficking victims (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$11.71 billion (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever and malaria; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$845.8 million (31 December 2014 est.); $664 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$811.8 million (2014 est.); -$593 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "46.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 46.2% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "1,532 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :22 years; male: :21.7 years; female: :22.3 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "36.7 (2008); 34.6 (2002)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "5,800 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.15% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".la", "INTERNET_USERS": "300,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "6.492 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "112,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador SENG Soukhathivong (since 4 June 2010); chancery: :2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s): :New York", "AREA": "total: :236,800 sq km; land: :230,800 sq km; water: :6,000 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "3,100 sq km (2005)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Southeast Asia", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Lao People's Democratic Republic; conventional short form: :Laos; local long form: :Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao; local short form: :Pathet Lao (unofficial)", "MILITARY___NOTE": "serving one of the world's least developed countries, the Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF) is small, poorly funded, and ineffectively resourced; its mission focus is border and internal security, primarily in countering ethnic Hmong insurgent groups; together with the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the government, the Lao People's Army (LPA) is the third pillar of state machinery, and as such is expected to suppress political and civil unrest and similar national emergencies; there is no perceived external threat to the state and the LPA maintains strong ties with the neighboring Vietnamese military (2012)", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "1.3% (2012 est.); 1.9% (2010 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "Communist state", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.9 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :service to general public is improving; the government relies on a radiotelephone network to communicate with remote areas; domestic: :4 service providers with mobile cellular usage growing very rapidly; international: :country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) and a second to be developed by China (2012)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Buddhist 67%, Christian 1.5%, other and unspecified 31.5% (2005 census)", "POPULATION": "6,803,699 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [CHOUMMALI Saignason", "PIPELINES": "refined products 540 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The government of Laos, one of the few remaining one-party communist states, began decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise in 1986. The results, starting from an extremely low base, were striking - growth averaged 6% per year from 1988-2008 except during the short-lived drop caused by the Asian financial crisis that began in 1997. Laos' growth exceeded 7% per year during 2008-13. Despite this high growth rate, Laos remains a country with an underdeveloped infrastructure, particularly in rural areas. It has a basic, but improving, road system, and limited external and internal land-line telecommunications. Electricity is available in 83 % of the country. Laos' economy is heavily dependent on capital-intensive natural resource exports. The labor force, however, still relies on agriculture, dominated by rice cultivation in lowland areas, which accounts for about 25% of GDP and 73% of total employment. Economic growth has reduced official poverty rates from 46% in 1992 to 26% in 2010. The economy also has benefited from high-profile foreign direct investment in hydropower dams along the Mekong river, copper and gold mining, logging, and construction though some projects in these industries have drawn criticism for their environmental impacts. Laos gained Normal Trade Relations status with the US in 2004 and applied for Generalized System of Preferences trade benefits in 2013 after being admitted to the World Trade Organization earlier in the year. Laos is in the process of implementing a value-added tax system. Simplified investment procedures and expanded bank credits for small farmers and small entrepreneurs will improve Laos' economic prospects. The government appears committed to raising the country's profile among investors, but suffered through a fiscal crisis in 2013 brought about by public sector wage increases, fiscal mismanagement, and revenue shortfalls. The World Bank has declared that Laos' goal of graduating from the UN Development Program's list of least-developed countries by 2020 is achievable, and the country is preparing to enter the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-1.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Lao(s) or Laotian(s); adjective: :Lao or Laotian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Republic Day, 2 December (1975)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, ARF, ASEAN, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,574,362; females age 16-49: :1,607,856 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :72.7%; male: :82.5%; female: :63.2% (2005 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :63.51 years; male: :61.54 years; female: :65.56 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "edescription: :unicameral National Assembly or Sapha Heng Xat (132 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote from candidate lists provided by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 30 April 2011 (next to be held in 2016); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LPRP 128, independents 4", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system similar in form to the French system", "LANGUAGES": "Lao (official), French, English, various ethnic languages", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :6.28%; permanent crops: :0.73%; other: :92.99% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :5,274 km; border countries: :Burma 238 km, Cambodia 555 km, China 475 km, Thailand 1,845 km, Vietnam 2,161 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "3.445 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :People's Supreme Court (consists of NA judges); judge selection and term of office: :president of People's Supreme Court elected by National Assembly on recommendation of National Assembly Standing Committee; vice president of People's Supreme Court and judges appointed by National Assembly Standing Committee; judge tenure NA; subordinate courts: :provincial, municipal, district, and military courts", "WATERWAYS": "4,600 km (primarily on the Mekong River and its tributaries; 2,900 additional km are intermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "4.7% (2014 est.); 6.4% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :54.53 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :60.19 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :48.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "mining (copper, tin, gold, gypsum); timber, electric power, agricultural processing, rubber, construction, garments, cement, tourism", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "9% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "19 July 1949 (from France)", "IMPORTS": "$4.074 billion (2014 est.); $3.452 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "estimated opium poppy cultivation in 2008 was 1,900 hectares, about a 73% increase from 2007; estimated potential opium production in 2008 more than tripled to 17 metric tons; unsubstantiated reports of domestic methamphetamine production; growing domestic methamphetamine problem (2009)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :39,568 km; paved: :530 km; unpaved: :39,038 km (2007)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band; the red bands recall the blood shed for liberation; the blue band represents the Mekong River and prosperity; the white disk symbolizes the full moon against the Mekong River, but also signifies the unity of the people under the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, as well as the country's bright future", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 October - 30 September", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$7.52 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $6.861 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$2.791 billion (2014 est.); $2.448 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Lt. Gen. CHOUMMALI Saignason (since 8 June 2006); Vice President BOUN-GNANG Volachit (since 8 June 2006); head of government: :Prime Minister THONGSING Thammavong (since 24 December 2010); First Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. ASANG Laoli (since May 2002), Deputy Prime Ministers SOMSAVAT Lengsavat (since 26 February 1998), THONGLOUN Sisoulit (since 27 March 2001), and [vacant; cabinet: :ministers appointed by president, approved by National Assembly; elections: :president and vice president elected by National Assembly for five-year terms; election last held on 30 April 2011 (next to be held in 2016); prime minister nominated by the president and elected by the National Assembly for five-year term; election results: :CHOUMMALI Saignason elected president; BOUN-GNANG Volachit elected vice president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA; THONGSING Thammavong elected prime minister; percent of National Assembly vote - NA", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "kips (LAK) per US dollar -; 8,052 (2014 est.); 7,852.7 (2013 est.); 8,007.3 (2012 est.); 8,035.1 (2011 est.); 8,258.8 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Lao 55%, Khmou 11%, Hmong 8%, other (over 100 minor ethnic groups) 26% (2005 census)", "DEATH_RATE": "7.74 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1947 (preindependence); latest promulgated 13-15 August 1991; amended 2003 (2003)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Thailand 56%, China 26.1%, Vietnam 6.7% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods", "CAPITAL": "name: :Vientiane (Viangchan); geographic coordinates: :17 58 N, 102 36 E; time difference: :UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$2.742 billion; expenditures: :$3.297 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF): Lao People's Army (LPA; includes Riverine Force), Air Force (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "24.76 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "41 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice; cassava (manioc, tapioca), water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "17 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural) and 1 capital city* (nakhon luang, singular and plural); Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamxai, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louangnamtha, Louangphabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan (Vientiane)*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xekong, Xiangkhouang, Xiasomboun", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Thailand 33.3%, China 25.1%, Vietnam 11.5% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "wood products, coffee, electricity, tin, copper, gold, cassava", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :73.1%; industry: :6.1%; services: :20.6% (2012 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.3%; highest 10%: :30.3% (2008)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "22% (2013 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "NA% (2012); 0.23% of GDP (2011); NA% (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; most of the population does not have access to potable water", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :33; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :9; 22 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :8; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :3; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :4; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th century under King FA NGUM. For 300 years Lan Xang had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the communist Pathet Lao took control of the government ending a six-century-old monarchy and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to Vietnam. A gradual, limited return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1988. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997 and the WTO in 2013.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :71,400; female: :73,038 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,111,629; females age 16-49: :1,190,035 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - minimum 18-months (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than Utah", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "floods, droughts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Mekong River 70 m; highest point: :Phu Bia 2,817 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.04 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.82 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "28 (2010)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 3, FM 34, shortwave 3 (2010)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :23.7%; industry: :32.2%; services: :44.1% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "18 00 N, 105 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :34.8% (male 1,195,364/female 1,173,520); 15-24 years: :21.3% (male 719,205/female 728,729); 25-54 years: :35% (male 1,176,018/female 1,208,452); 55-64 years: :5.1% (male 169,291/female 175,815); 65 years and over: :3.8% (male 116,299/female 141,006) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Latvia", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador George KROL (since 8 January 2015); embassy: :1 Samnera Velsa St, Riga LV-1510; mailing address: :Embassy of the United States of America, 1 Samnera Velsa St, Riga, LV-1510, Latvia; telephone: :[371; FAX: :[371", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$23,900 (2014 est.); $23,200 (2013 est.); $22,200 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.7% (2014 est.); 4.1% (2013 est.); 5.2% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.62% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$48.59 billion (2014 est.); $47.33 billion (2013 est.); $45.46 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :51%; youth dependency ratio: :22.9%; elderly dependency ratio: :28.1%; potential support ratio: :3.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "22.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 22% of GDP (2013 est.); 22.5% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :61.1%; government consumption: :16.2%; investment in fixed capital: :20.9%; investment in inventories: :1.6%; exports of goods and services: :58.9%; imports of goods and services: :-58.7%; (2014 est.)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "26.4 (2011 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "7.897 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "1.48 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "1.48 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "35,930 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "6,146 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "33,670 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "1,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "2.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "70.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "26.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "2.226 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "5.005 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "3.65 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "6.52 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "5.891 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "white wagtail (bird); national colors: maroon, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :28.4%; male: :27.6%; female: :29.3% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "24.9% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "5.9 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.9 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "34 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "0% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "36.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "RIGA (capital) 629,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Dievs, sveti Latviju!\" (God Bless Latvia); lyrics/music: :Karlis BAUMANIS; note: :adopted 1920, restored 1990; first performed in 1873 while Latvia was a part of Russia; banned during the Soviet occupation from 1940 to 1990", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 82.1% of population; rural: 71.1% of population; total: 78.6% of population; urban: 17.9% of population; rural: 28.9% of population; total: 21.4% of population (2009 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.6% of population; rural: 95.8% of population; total: 98.4% of population; urban: 0.4% of population; rural: 4.2% of population; total: 1.6% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$12.88 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $13.41 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$10.15 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $10.24 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "several national and regional commercial TV stations are foreign-owned, 2 national TV stations are publicly owned; system supplemented by privately owned regional and local TV stations; cable and satellite multi-channel TV services with domestic and foreign broadcasts available; publicly owned broadcaster operates 4 radio networks with dozens of stations throughout the country; dozens of private broadcasters also operate radio stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :67.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :-0.67% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$15.98 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $18 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$5.572 billion (31 December 2008); $5.113 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$6.688 billion (31 December 2008); $8.196 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "6% (31 December 2014 est.); 5.92% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "3.5% (31 December 2011); 3.5% (31 December 2010)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :15 years; male: :15 years; female: :16 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.42 cu km/yr (42%/45%/13%); per capita: :177.9 cu m/yr (2007)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "35.45 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$1.115 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $1.076 billion (31 December 2011); $1.252 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$2.731 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.431 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$17.92 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $16.62 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$32.82 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :267,789 (2013); note - individuals who were Latvian citizens prior to the 1940 Soviet occupation and their descendants were recognized as Latvian citizens when the country's independence was restored in 1991; citizens of the former Soviet Union residing in Latvia who have neither Latvian nor other citizenship are considered non-citizens (officially there is no statelessness in Latvia) and are entitled to non-citizen passports; children born after Latvian independence to stateless parents are entitled to Latvian citizenship upon their parents' request; non-citizens cannot vote or hold certain government jobs and are exempt from military service but can travel visa-free in the EU under the Schengen accord like Latvian citizens; non-citizens can obtain naturalization if they have been permanent residents of Latvia for at least five years, pass tests in Latvian language and history, and know the words of the Latvian national anthem", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :intermediate; vectorborne diseases: :tickborne encephalitis (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$7.507 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $7.893 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$286.4 million (2014 est.); -$249.6 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "36.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 38.1% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities, including sub-sectors of central government, state government, local government, and social security funds", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "359,604 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :41.4 years; male: :38.4 years; female: :44.3 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "35.2 (2010); 32 (1999)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".lv", "INTERNET_USERS": "1.504 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "2.31 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "501,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Andris RAZANS (since 27 July 2012); chancery: :2306 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :64,589 sq km; land: :62,249 sq km; water: :2,340 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "8.3 sq km; note: :land in Latvia is often too wet and in need of drainage not irrigation; approximately 16,000 sq km or 85% of agricultural land has been improved by drainage (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Latvia; conventional short form: :Latvia; local long form: :Latvijas Republika; local short form: :Latvija; former: :Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "9.5% (2014 est.); 9.9% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.35 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "low plain", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :recent efforts focused on bringing competition to the telecommunications sector; the number of fixed lines is decreasing as mobile-cellular telephone service expands; domestic: :number of telecommunications operators has grown rapidly since the fixed-line market opened to competition in 2003; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership roughly 150 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 371; the Latvian network is now connected via fiber optic cable to Estonia, Finland, and Sweden (2008)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Lutheran 19.6%, Orthodox 15.3%, other Christian 1%, other 0.4%, unspecified 63.7% (2006)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :2,239 km; broad gauge: :2,206 km 1.520-m gauge; narrow gauge: :33 km 0.750-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Riga, Ventspils", "POPULATION": "2,165,165 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alliance of Regions or LRA [Martins BONDARS; For Latvia from the Heart or NSL [Inguna SUDRABA; Social Democratic Party \"Harmony\" or SC [Janis URBANOVICS; National Alliance \"All For Latvia!\"-\"For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK\" or NA [Gaidis BERZINS, Raivis DZINTARS; Union of Greens and Farmers or ZZS [Raimonds VEJONIS; Unity [Solvita ABOLTINA", "PIPELINES": "gas 928 km; refined products 415 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Latvia is a small, open economy with exports contributing nearly a third of GDP. Due to its geographical location, transit services are highly-developed, along with timber and wood-processing, agriculture and food products, and manufacturing of machinery and electronics industries. Corruption continues to be an impediment to attracting foreign direct investment and Latvia's low birth rate and decreasing population are major challenges to its long-term economic vitality. Latvia's economy experienced GDP growth of more than 10% per year during 2006-07, but entered a severe recession in 2008 as a result of an unsustainable current account deficit and large debt exposure amid the softening world economy. Triggered by the collapse of the second largest bank, GDP plunged 18% in 2009. The economy has not returned to pre-crisis levels despite strong growth, especially in the export sector in 2011-14. The IMF, EU, and other international donors provided substantial financial assistance to Latvia as part of an agreement to defend the currency's peg to the euro in exchange for the government's commitment to stringent austerity measures. The IMF/EU program successfully concluded in December 2011. The majority of companies, banks, and real estate have been privatized, although the state still holds sizable stakes in a few large enterprises, including 99.8% ownership of the Latvian national airline. Latvia officially joined the World Trade Organization in February 1999 and the EU in May 2004. Latvia joined the euro zone in 2014.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Employers' Confederation of Latvia [Vitalijs GAVRILOVS; Farmers' Parliament [Juris LAZDINS; Free Trade Union Confederation of Latvia [Peteris KRIGERS", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "most of the country is composed of fertile low-lying plains with some hills in the east", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-2.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, timber, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Latvian(s); adjective: :Latvian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 18 November (1918); note - 18 November 1918 was the date Latvia declared independence from Soviet Russia and established its statehood; 4 May 1990 was the date it declared its independence from the Soviet Union", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :11; by type: :cargo 3, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1; foreign-owned: :3 (Estonia 3); registered in other countries: :79 (Antigua and Barbuda 16, Belize 9, Comoros 2, Dominica 2, Georgia 1, Liberia 5, Malta 8, Marshall Islands 19, Russia 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 15) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA (cooperating state), EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :limits as agreed to by Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Sweden, and Russia; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :546,090; females age 16-49: :540,810 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :99.9%; male: :99.9%; female: :99.9% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :73.44 years; male: :68.41 years; female: :78.75 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Parliament or Saeima (100 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 4 October 2014 (next to be held in October 2018); election results: :percent of vote by party - SC 23%, Unity 21.9%, ZZS 19.5%, National Alliance 16.6%, NSL 6.8%, LRA 6.7%, other 5.5%; seats by party - SC 24, Unity 23, ZZS 21, National Alliance 17, LRA 8, NSL 7", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system with traces of socialist legal traditions and practices", "LANGUAGES": "Latvian (official) 56.3%, Russian 33.8%, other 0.6% (includes Polish, Ukrainian, and Belarusian), unspecified 9.4% (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :18.94%; permanent crops: :0.1%; other: :80.96% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,370 km; border countries: :Belarus 161 km, Estonia 333 km, Lithuania 544 km, Russia 332 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "1.014 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the Senate with 27 judges and Supreme Court of Chambers with 22 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 7 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges nominated by chief justice and confirmed by the Saeima; judges serve until age 70, but term can be extended 2 years; Constitutional Court judges - 3 nominated by Saeima members, 2 by Cabinet ministers, and 2 by plenum of Supreme Court; all judges confirmed by Saeima majority vote; Constitutional Court president and vice president serve in their positions for 3 years; all judges serve 10-year terms; mandatory retirement at age 70; subordinate courts: :district (city) and regional courts", "WATERWAYS": "300 km (navigable year round) (2010)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.7% (2014 est.); 0% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :7.91 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :9.6 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :6.13 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "processed foods, processed wood products, textiles, processed metals, pharmaceuticals, railroad cars, synthetic fibers, electronics", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "4 May 1990 (declared); 6 September 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union)", "IMPORTS": "$16.56 billion (2014 est.); $15.98 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transshipment and destination point for cocaine, synthetic drugs, opiates, and cannabis from Southwest Asia, Western Europe, Latin America, and neighboring Balkan countries; despite improved legislation, vulnerable to money laundering due to nascent enforcement capabilities and comparatively weak regulation of offshore companies and the gaming industry; CIS organized crime (including counterfeiting, corruption, extortion, stolen cars, and prostitution) accounts for most laundered proceeds", "ROADWAYS": "total: :72,440 km; paved: :14,707 km; unpaved: :57,733 km (2013)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon; the flag is one of the older banners in the world; a medieval chronicle mentions a red standard with a white stripe being used by Latvian tribes in about 1280", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$38.54 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $38.28 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$13.38 billion (2014 est.); $13.06 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Andris BERZINS (since 8 July 2011); head of government: :Prime Minister Laimdota STRAUJUMA (since 22 January 2014); cabinet: :Cabinet of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and appointed by Parliament; elections: :president elected by Parliament for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 2 June 2011 (next to be held in 2015); prime minister appointed by the president, confirmed by Parliament; election results: :Andris BERZINS elected president; parliamentary vote - Andris BERZINS 53, Valdis ZATLERS 41", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "lati (LVL) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.55 (2012 est.); 0.5012 (2011 est.); 0.5305 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Latvian 61.1%, Russian 26.2%, Belarusian 3.5%, Ukrainian 2.3%, Polish 2.2%, Lithuanian 1.3%, other 3.4% (2013 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "13.6 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous (preindependence); note - at independence, parts of the 1922 constitution were reinforced and fully reinforced 6 July 1993; amended several times, last in 2009 (2009)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Lithuania 19.3%, Germany 11.3%, Poland 9.4%, Estonia 8.3%, Russia 8%, Finland 4.5%, Italy 4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "498 km", "CLIMATE": "maritime; wet, moderate winters", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, fuels, vehicles", "CAPITAL": "name: :Riga; geographic coordinates: :56 57 N, 24 06 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$11.96 billion; expenditures: :$11.97 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "National Armed Forces (Nacionalo Brunoto Speku): Land Forces (Latvijas Sauszemes Speki), Navy (Latvijas Juras Speki; includes Coast Guard (Latvijas Kara Flotes)), Latvian Air Force (Latvijas Gaisa Speki), Latvian Home Guard (Latvijas Zemessardze) (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "9.79 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "42 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "grain, rapeseed, potatoes, vegetables; pork, poultry, milk, eggs; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "110 municipalities (novadi, singular - novads) and 9 cities; municipalities: :Adazu Novads, Aglonas Novads, Aizkraukles Novads, Aizputes Novads, Aknistes Novads, Alojas Novads, Alsungas Novads, Aluksnes Novads, Amatas Novads, Apes Novads, Auces Novads, Babites Novads, Baldones Novads, Baltinavas Novads, Balvu Novads, Bauskas Novads, Beverinas Novads, Brocenu Novads, Burtnieku Novads, Carnikavas Novads, Cesu Novads, Cesvaines Novads, Ciblas Novads, Dagdas Novads, Daugavpils Novads, Dobeles Novads, Dundagas Novads, Durbes Novads, Engures Novads, Erglu Novads, Garkalnes Novads, Grobinas Novads, Gulbenes Novads, Iecavas Novads, Ikskiles Novads, Ilukstes Novads, Incukalna Novads, Jaunjelgavas Novads, Jaunpiebalgas Novads, Jaunpils Novads, Jekabpils Novads, Jelgavas Novads, Kandavas Novads, Karsavas Novads, Keguma Novads, Kekavas Novads, Kocenu Novads, Kokneses Novads, Kraslavas Novads, Krimuldas Novads, Krustpils Novads, Kuldigas Novads, Lielvardes Novads, Ligatnes Novads, Limbazu Novads, Livanu Novads, Lubanas Novads, Ludzas Novads, Madonas Novads, Malpils Novads, Marupes Novads, Mazsalacas Novads, Mersraga Novads, Nauksenu Novads, Neretas Novads, Nicas Novads, Ogres Novads, Olaines Novads, Ozolnieku Novads, Pargaujas Novads, Pavilostas Novads, Plavinu Novads, Preilu Novads, Priekules Novads, Priekulu Novads, Raunas Novads, Rezeknes Novads, Riebinu Novads, Rojas Novads, Ropazu Novads, Rucavas Novads, Rugaju Novads, Rujienas Novads, Rundales Novads, Salacgrivas Novads, Salas Novads, Salaspils Novads, Saldus Novads, Saulkrastu Novads, Sejas Novads, Siguldas Novads, Skriveru Novads, Skrundas Novads, Smiltenes Novads, Stopinu Novads, Strencu Novads, Talsu Novads, Tervetes Novads, Tukuma Novads, Vainodes Novads, Valkas Novads, Varaklanu Novads, Varkavas Novads, Vecpiebalgas Novads, Vecumnieku Novads, Ventspils Novads, Viesites Novads, Vilakas Novads, Vilanu Novads, Zilupes Novads; cities: :Daugavpils, Jekabpils, Jelgava, Jurmala, Liepaja, Rezekne, Riga, Valmiera, Ventspils", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Lithuania 16.1%, Russia 16.1%, Estonia 12%, Germany 7%, Poland 6.7%, Sweden 4.8% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foodstuffs, wood and wood products, metals, machinery and equipment, textiles", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :8.8%; industry: :24%; services: :67.2% (2010 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.7%; highest 10%: :27.6% (2008)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.92% of GDP (2012); 1.05% of GDP (2011); 0.92% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "Latvia's environment has benefited from a shift to service industries after the country regained independence; the main environmental priorities are improvement of drinking water quality and sewage system, household, and hazardous waste management, as well as reduction of air pollution; in 2001, Latvia closed the EU accession negotiation chapter on environment committing to full enforcement of EU environmental directives by 2010", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :24; 24 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :18; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :3; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :4; 914 to 1,523 m: :3; under 914 m: :7 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The name \"Latvia\" originates from the ancient Latgalians, one of four eastern Baltic tribes that formed the ethnic core of the Latvian people (ca. 8th-12th centuries A.D.). The region subsequently came under the control of Germans, Poles, Swedes, and finally, Russians. A Latvian republic emerged following World War I, but it was annexed by the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US and many other countries. Latvia reestablished its independence in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Although the last Russian troops left in 1994, the status of the Russian minority (some 28% of the population) remains of concern to Moscow. Latvia acceded to both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004; it joined the euro zone in 2014.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :10,482; female: :9,858 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :401,691; females age 16-49: :447,638 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary male and female military service; no conscription; under current law, every citizen is entitled to serve in the armed forces for life (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than West Virginia", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Baltic Sea 0 m; highest point: :Gaizina Kalns 312 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.86 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.48 male(s)/female; total population: :0.86 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "37 (plus 31 repeaters) (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 8, FM 62, shortwave 1 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :4.8%; industry: :24.8%; services: :70.4% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "57 00 N, 25 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :14.2% (male 156,851/female 150,074); 15-24 years: :11% (male 121,435/female 116,602); 25-54 years: :44.8% (male 481,336/female 487,991); 55-64 years: :12.8% (male 122,544/female 155,114); 65 years and over: :17.2% (male 121,668/female 251,550) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Lebanon", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador David HALE (since 6 September 2013); embassy: :Awkar, Lebanon (Awkar facing the Municipality); mailing address: :P. O. Box 70-840, Antelias, Lebanon; from US: US Embassy Beirut, 6070 Beirut Place, Washington, DC 20521-6070; telephone: :[961; FAX: :[961", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$17,900 (2014 est.); $17,600 (2013 est.); $17,500 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.3% (2014 est.); 1.5% (2013 est.); 2.5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "9.37% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$80.51 billion (2014 est.); $78.7 billion (2013 est.); $77.54 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :40.6%; youth dependency ratio: :28.3%; elderly dependency ratio: :12.3%; potential support ratio: :8.1% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "11.8% of GDP (2014 est.); 11.7% of GDP (2013 est.); 12.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :82.2%; government consumption: :14.8%; investment in fixed capital: :30.4%; investment in inventories: :1%; exports of goods and services: :15.5%; imports of goods and services: :-43.9%; (2014 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :54,387; percentage: :7% (2000 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "16.44 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "120,400 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "104,400 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "11.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "88.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "2.313 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "840 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "14.4 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "15.42 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "cedar tree; national colors: red, white, green", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :16.8%; male: :14.6%; female: :22.3% (2009 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "27.4% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "3.5 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3.2 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "7.3% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "4.2% (2004)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "25 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-9.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "21.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "BEIRUT (capital) 2.179 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Kulluna lil-watan\" (All Of Us, For Our Country!); lyrics/music: :Rachid NAKHLE/Wadih SABRA; note: :adopted 1927; chosen following a nationwide competition", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 87% of population; total: 98.3% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 13% of population; total: 1.7% of population (2005 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$48.04 billion (11 December 2014 est.); $45.25 billion (11 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$5.12 billion (11 December 2014 est.); $5.007 billion (11 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "7 TV stations, 1 of which is state-owned; more than 30 radio stations, 1 of which is state-owned; satellite and cable TV services available; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are accessible through partner stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :87.7% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.18% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$87.04 billion (30 December 2014 est.); $83.21 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$77.8 billion (30 November 2009); $65.8 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$3.212 billion (30 November 2009); $2.832 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "7.2% (31 December 2014 est.); 7.35% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "3.5% (31 December 2010); 10% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.2% of GDP (2012)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :13 years; male: :13 years; female: :13 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :1.31 cu km/yr (29%/11%/60%); per capita: :316.8 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "4.5 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$11.22 billion (30 December 2014 est.); $10.55 billion (30 December 2013); $10.42 billion (28 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$NA", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Lebanon is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Eastern European women and children are transported through Lebanon for sexual exploitation in other Middle Eastern countries; women from Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Ethiopia, Kenya, Bangladesh, Nepal, Madagascar, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Togo, Cameroon, and Nigeria are recruited by agencies to work in domestic service but are often subject to conditions indicative of forced labor, including the withholding of passports, nonpayment of wages, restricted movement, threats, and abuse; Lebanon�s artiste visa program enabling women to work as dancers for three months in the adult entertainment industry sustains a significant sex trade; anecdotal information indicates some Lebanese children are victims of forced labor, such as street begging and commercial sexual exploitation; Syrian refugee women and children in Lebanon are at increased risked of sex trafficking; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Lebanon does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute a significant effort toward meeting the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking; in 2013, authorities conducted an increased number of investigations of human trafficking and prosecuted and convicted some trafficking offenders; the government identified and referred some trafficking victims to NGO-run safe houses but did not directly fund protective services; Lebanon�s sponsorship system and the withholding of passports continued to put domestic workers at risk of exploitation (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$47.5 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :449,957 (Palestinian refugees (UNRWA)) (2014); 1,191,451 (Syria) (2015); IDPs: :at least 20,000 (2007 Lebanese security forces' destruction of Palestinian refugee camp) (2014); stateless persons: :undetermined (2014); note - tens of thousands of persons are stateless in Lebanon, including many Palestinian refugees and their descendants, Syrian Kurds denaturilzed in Syria in 1962, children born to Lebanese women maried to foreign or stateless men; most babies born to Syrian refugees, and Lebanese children whose births are unregistered", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$49.43 billion (30 December 2014 est.); $47.85 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$4.204 billion (2014 est.); -$5.05 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "142.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 139.9% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover central government debt, and exclude debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "64,926 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :29.3 years; male: :28.7 years; female: :29.8 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".lb", "INTERNET_USERS": "1 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "4 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "878,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Antoine CHEDID (since 4 June 2008); chancery: :2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Detroit, New York, Los Angeles", "AREA": "total: :10,400 sq km; land: :10,230 sq km; water: :170 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1,040 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Middle East", "LOCATION": "Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Lebanese Republic; conventional short form: :Lebanon; local long form: :Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah; local short form: :Lubnan; former: :Greater Lebanon", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.74 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "narrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :repair of the telecommunications system, severely damaged during the civil war, now complete; domestic: :two mobile-cellular networks provide good service; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership roughly 100 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 961; submarine cable links to Cyprus, Egypt, and Syria; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean); coaxial cable to Syria (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education; excludes military personnel", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 54% (27% Sunni, 27% Shia), Christian 40.5% (includes 21% Maronite Catholic, 8% Greek Orthodox, 5% Greek Catholic, 6.5% other Christian), Druze 5.6%, very small numbers of Jews, Baha'is, Buddhists, Hindus, and Mormons; note: :18 religious sects recognized (2012 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :401 km; standard gauge: :319 km 1.435-m gauge; narrow gauge: :82 km 1.050-m gauge; note: :rail system unusable because of the damage done during fighting in the 1980s and in 2006 (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Beirut, Tripoli; container port(s) (TEUs): :Beirut (1,034,249)", "POPULATION": "5,882,562 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Democratic Left [Ilyas ATALLAH; Democratic Renewal Movement [Nassib LAHUD; Future Movement Bloc [Sa'ad al-HARIRI; Kataeb Party [Amine GEMAYEL; Lebanese Forces [Samir JA'JA; Tripoli Independent Bloc; Development and Resistance Bloc [Nabih BERRI, leader of Amal Movement; Free Patriotic Movement [Michel AWN; Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc [Mohammad RA'AD; Nasserite Popular Movement [Usama SAAD; Popular Bloc [Elias SKAFF; Syrian Ba'th Party [Sayez SHUKR; Syrian Social Nationalist Party [Ali QANSO; Tashnaq [Hovig MEKHITIRIAN; Democratic Gathering Bloc [Walid JUNBLATT, leader of Progressive Socialist Party; Metn Bloc [Michel MURR", "PIPELINES": "gas 88 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Lebanon has a free-market economy and a strong laissez-faire commercial tradition. The government does not restrict foreign investment; however, the investment climate suffers from red tape, corruption, arbitrary licensing decisions, complex customs procedures, high taxes, tariffs, and fees, archaic legislation, and weak intellectual property rights. The Lebanese economy is service-oriented; main growth sectors include banking and tourism. The 1975-90 civil war seriously damaged Lebanon's economic infrastructure, cut national output by half, and derailed Lebanon's position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub. Following the civil war, Lebanon rebuilt much of its war-torn physical and financial infrastructure by borrowing heavily, mostly from domestic banks, which saddled the government with a huge debt burden. Pledges of economic and financial reforms made at separate international donor conferences during the 2000s have mostly gone unfulfilled, including those made during the Paris III Donor Conference in 2007, following the July 2006 war. Spillover from the Syrian conflict, including the influx of more than 1 million Syrian refugees, has increased internal tension and slowed economic growth to the 1-2% range in 2011-13, after four years of averaging 8% growth. Syrian refugees have increased the labor supply, but pushed more Lebanese into unemployment. Chronic fiscal deficits have made Lebanon�s debt-to-GDP ratio the third highest in the world; most of the debt is held internally by Lebanese banks. Weak economic growth limits tax revenues, while the largest government expenditures remain debt servicing and transfers to the electricity sector. These limitations constrain other government spending and limit the government�s ability to invest in necessary infrastructure improvements, such as water, electricity, and transportation.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Maronite Church [Patriarch Bishara al-Ra'i; note: :most sects retain militias and a number of militant groups operate in Palestinian refugee camps", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "smallest country in continental Asia; Nahr el Litani is the only major river in Near East not crossing an international boundary; rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, and ethnicity", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "83.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Lebanese (singular and plural); adjective: :Lebanese", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 22 November (1943)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :29; by type: :bulk carrier 4, cargo 7, carrier 17, vehicle carrier 1; foreign-owned: :2 (Syria 2); registered in other countries: :34 (Barbados 2, Cambodia 5, Comoros 2, Egypt 1, Georgia 1, Honduras 2, Liberia 1, Malta 6, Moldova 1, Panama 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2, Sierra Leone 2, Togo 6, unknown 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,081,016; females age 16-49: :1,115,349 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :89.6%; male: :93.4%; female: :86% (2007 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :77.22 years; male: :76.03 years; female: :78.46 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Nuwab in Arabic or Assemblee Nationale in French (128 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by majority vote; members serve 4-year terms); note - seats are apportioned among the Christian and Muslim denominations; elections: :last held on 7 June 2009 (next delayed until 16 November 2014); election results: :percent of vote by group - March 8 Coalition 54.7%, March 14 Coalition 45.3%; seats by group - March 14 Coalition 71; March 8 Coalition 57; seats by party following 16 July 2012 byelection held to fill one seat - March 14 Coalition 72, March 8 Coalition 56", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of civil law based on the French civil code, Ottoman legal tradition, and religious laws covering personal status, marriage, divorce, and other family relations of the Jewish, Islamic, and Christian communities", "LANGUAGES": "Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :20.23%; permanent crops: :12.32%; other: :67.45% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :484 km; border countries: :Israel 81 km, Syria 403 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "1.481 million; note: :does not include as many as 1 million foreign workers (2007 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Court of Cassation or Supreme Court (organized into 4 divisions, each with a presiding judge and 2 associate judges); Constitutional Council (consists of 10 members); judge selection and term of office: :Court of Cassation judges appointed by Supreme Judicial Council, headed by the chief justice, and includes other judicial officials; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Council members appointed - 5 by the Council of Ministers and 5 by parliament; members serve 5-year terms; subordinate courts: :Courts of Appeal (6); Courts of First Instance; specialized tribunals, religious courts; military courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.5% (2014 est.); 5.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :7.98 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :8.4 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :7.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "banking, tourism, food processing, wine, jewelry, cement, textiles, mineral and chemical products, wood and furniture products, oil refining, metal fabricating", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "4% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)", "IMPORTS": "$20.08 billion (2014 est.); $20.28 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :6,970 km (includes 170 km of expressways) (2005)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three horizontal bands consisting of red (top), white (middle, double width), and red (bottom) with a green cedar tree centered in the white band; the red bands symbolize blood shed for liberation, the white band denotes peace, the snow of the mountains, and purity; the green cedar tree is the symbol of Lebanon and represents eternity, steadiness, happiness, and prosperity", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$31.61 billion (30 December 2014 est.); $31.56 billion (30 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$4.092 billion (2014 est.); $4.93 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President (vacant); note - President Michel SULAYMAN's term expired on 25 May 2014; the prime minister and his cabinet are temporarily assuming the duties of the president; the National Assembly on 11 March 2015 failed - due to a non quorum - to elect a president; next vote scheduled for 2 April; head of government: :Prime Minister Tamam SALAM (since 6 April 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Samir MOQBIL (since 7 July 2011); cabinet: :Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president and members of the National Assembly; elections: :president elected by the National Assembly for a six-year term (may not serve consecutive terms); first round of election held on 23 April 2014 (next to be held NA); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with the National Assembly; election results: :23 April 2014 first round parliamentary vote - Samir GEAGEA 48, Henri HELOU 16, Amine GEMAYEL 1; note - 86 out of a possible 128 votes (absolute majority) required to win election; subsequent rounds have failed because there was no quorum; latest round scheduled for 2 April 2015", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Lebanese pounds (LBP) per US dollar -; 1,507.5 (2014 est.); 1,507.5 (2013 est.); 1,507.5 (2012 est.); 1,507.5 (2011 est.); 1,507.5 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%; note: :many Christian Lebanese do not identify themselves as Arab but rather as descendents of the ancient Canaanites and prefer to be called Phoenicians", "DEATH_RATE": "4.95 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "drafted 15 May 1926, adopted 23 May 1926; amended several times, last in 2004 (2015)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 11.9%, Italy 8.1%, France 6.7%, United States 6.2%, Germany 5.7% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "225 km", "CLIMATE": "Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum products, cars, medicinal products, clothing, meat and live animals, consumer goods, paper, textile fabrics, tobacco, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Beirut; geographic coordinates: :33 52 N, 35 30 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$10.24 billion; expenditures: :$14.89 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF): Lebanese Army ((Al Jaysh al Lubnani) includes Lebanese Navy (Al Quwwat al Bahiriyya al Lubnaniya), Lebanese Air Force (Al Quwwat al Jawwiya al Lubnaniya)) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "14.8 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "8 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "citrus, grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco; sheep, goats", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "6 governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah); Beqaa, Beyrouth (Beirut), Liban-Nord, Liban-Sud, Mont-Liban, Nabatiye; note: :two new governorates - Aakkar and Baalbek-Hermel - have been legislated but not yet implemented", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "United Arab Emerates 10.8%, Saudi Arabia 9.6%, Iraq 9.3%, South Africa 7.4%, Syria 5.8% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "jewelry, base metals, chemicals, consumer goods, fruit and vegetables, tobacco, construction minerals, electric power machinery and switchgear, textile fibers, paper", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :NA%; industry: :NA%; services: :NA%", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "28.6% (1999 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "4.04% of GDP (2012); 4.06% of GDP (2011); 4.04% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Beirut from vehicular traffic and the burning of industrial wastes; pollution of coastal waters from raw sewage and oil spills", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :2; 1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :5; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French demarcated the region of Lebanon in 1920 and granted this area independence in 1943. Since independence the country has been marked by periods of political turmoil interspersed with prosperity built on its position as a regional center for finance and trade. The country's 1975-90 civil war that resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities, was followed by years of social and political instability. Sectarianism is a key element of Lebanese political life. Neighboring Syria has historically influenced Lebanon's foreign policy and internal policies, and its military occupied Lebanon from 1976 until 2005. The Lebanon-based Hizballah militia and Israel continued attacks and counterattacks against each other after Syria's withdrawal, and fought a brief war in 2006. Lebanon's borders with Syria and Israel remain unresolved.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :36,856; female: :35,121 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :920,825; females age 16-49: :941,806 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "17-30 years of age for voluntary military service; 18-24 years of age for officer candidates; no conscription (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about one-third the size of Maryland", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "dust storms, sandstorms", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Mediterranean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Qornet es Saouda 3,088 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.86 male(s)/female; total population: :0.96 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "12 (2009)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 20, FM 30 (plus about a dozen unlicensed stations operating), shortwave 4 (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :6.3%; industry: :21.1%; services: :72.6% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "33 50 N, 35 50 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :25.2% (male 758,153/female 723,619); 15-24 years: :17.2% (male 515,591/female 493,879); 25-54 years: :44.1% (male 1,309,544/female 1,283,074); 55-64 years: :6.9% (male 185,503/female 219,242); 65 years and over: :6.7% (male 175,911/female 218,046) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Lesotho", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Matthew T. HARRINGTON (since October 2014); embassy: :254 Kingsway Road, Maseru West (Consular Section); mailing address: :P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho; telephone: :[266; FAX: :[266", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$2,900 (2014 est.); $2,800 (2013 est.); $2,700 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "4.3% (2014 est.); 5.7% (2013 est.); 6% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.34% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$5.589 billion (2014 est.); $5.359 billion (2013 est.); $5.07 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :67.1%; youth dependency ratio: :60.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :7%; potential support ratio: :14.3% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "34.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 32.6% of GDP (2013 est.); 31.2% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :84.4%; government consumption: :38.7%; investment in fixed capital: :38%; investment in inventories: :-0.7%; exports of goods and services: :49.9%; imports of goods and services: :-110.3%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "47% (2009/10)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "21.2; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2009 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :103,020; percentage: :23% (2000 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "270,100 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "3,711 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "1,830 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "80,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "247 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "898 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "700 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "mokorotio (Basotho hat); national colors: blue, white, green, black", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :34.4%; male: :29%; female: :41.9% (2008 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "14.6% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.3 beds/1,000 population (2006)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.05 physicians/1,000 population (2003)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "11.6% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "13.5% (2010)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "620 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-1.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "55.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "MASERU (capital) 267,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Lesotho fatse la bo ntat'a rona\" (Lesotho, Land of Our Fathers); lyrics/music: :Francois COILLARD/Ferdinand-Samuel LAUR; note: :adopted 1967; music derives from an 1823 Swiss songbook", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 37% of population; rural: 26.7% of population; total: 29.6% of population; urban: 63% of population; rural: 73.3% of population; total: 70.4% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 93.2% of population; rural: 76.7% of population; total: 81.3% of population; urban: 6.8% of population; rural: 23.3% of population; total: 18.7% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$942.6 million (31 December 2014 est.); $825.7 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$425.9 million (31 December 2014 est.); $380.2 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 state-owned TV station and 2 state-owned radio stations; government controls most private broadcast media; satellite TV subscription service available; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters obtainable (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :26.8% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.05% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$38.65 million (31 December 2014 est.); $37.18 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$108.1 million (31 December 2008); $160.2 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$416.5 million (31 December 2008); $439.2 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "10.2% (31 December 2014 est.); 9.92% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "9.36% (31 December 2012); 10% (31 December 2010)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "13% of GDP (2008)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :11 years; male: :11 years; female: :12 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.04 cu km/yr (46%/46%/9%); per capita: :21.79 cu m/yr (2000)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "3.02 cu km (2011)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$909.1 million (31 December 2014 est.); $635.7 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Lesotho is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking and for men subjected to forced labor; Basotho women and children are subjected to domestic servitude and commercial sexual exploitation within Lesotho and South Africa; some Basotho men who voluntarily migrate to South Africa for work become victims of forced labor in agriculture and mining or are coerced into committing crimes; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Lesotho does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; in 2013, the government initiated several prosecutions for trafficking offenses but did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to address human trafficking; key portions of the 2011 anti-trafficking act remain unimplemented, including the development of formal referral procedures and the establishment of victim care centers; the government continued to rely on NGOs to identify and assist victims, without providing any funding or support for these services (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$2.458 billion (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$1.101 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.055 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$449.1 million (2014 est.); -$228.3 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "NA", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "11,030 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :23.6 years; male: :23.6 years; female: :23.6 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "63.2 (1995); 56 (1986-87)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "16,100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "364,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "22.85% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ls", "INTERNET_USERS": "76,800 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "1.312 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "43,100 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Eliachim Molapi SEBATANE (since 2 November 2011); chancery: :2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :30,355 sq km; land: :30,355 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "26.37 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Kingdom of Lesotho; conventional short form: :Lesotho; local long form: :Kingdom of Lesotho; local short form: :Lesotho; former: :Basutoland", "MILITARY___NOTE": "Lesotho's declared policy is maintenance of its independent sovereignty and preservation of internal security; in practice, external security is guaranteed by South Africa; restructuring of the Lesotho Defense Force (LDF) and Ministry of Defense and Public Service over the past five years has focused on subordinating the defense apparatus to civilian control and restoring the LDF's cohesion; the restructuring has considerably improved capabilities and professionalism, but the LDF is disproportionately large for a small, poor country; the government has outlined a reduction to a planned 1,500-man strength, but these plans have met with vociferous resistance from the political opposition and from inside the LDF (2008)", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "28.1% (2014 est.); 25% (2008 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary constitutional monarchy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.78 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :rudimentary system consisting of a modest number of landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a small radiotelephone communication system; mobile-cellular telephone system is expanding; domestic: :privatized in 2001, Telecom Lesotho was tasked with providing an additional 50,000 fixed-line connections within five years, a target not met; mobile-cellular service dominates the market and is expanding with a subscribership roughly 65 per 100 persons in 2011; rural services are scant; international: :country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%", "POPULATION": "1,942,008; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "All Basotho Convention or ABC [Motsoahae Thomas THABANE; Basotho Congress Party or BCP [Thulo MAHLAKENG; Basotho National Party or BNP [Thesele MASERIBANE; Democratic Congress or DC [Pakalitha MOSISILI; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Mothetjoa METSING; Lesotho Peoples Congress or LPC [Molahlehi LETLOTLO; Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP [Vincent MALEBO; National Independent Party or NIP [Kimetso MATHABA; Popular Front for Democracy of PFD [Lekhetho RAKUOANE; Reformed Congress of Lesotho or RCL [Keketso RANTSO", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Small, mountainous, and completely landlocked by South Africa, Lesotho depends on a narrow economic base of textile manufacturing, agriculture, remittances, and regional customs revenue. About three-fourths of the people live in rural areas and engage in animal herding and subsistence agriculture, although Lesotho produces less than 20% of the nation's demand for food. Rain-fed agriculture is vulnerable to weather and climate variability. Lesotho relies on South Africa for much of its economic activity; Lesotho imports 90% of the goods it consumes from South Africa, including most agricultural inputs. Households depend heavily on remittances from family members working in South Africa, in mines, on farms and as domestic workers, though mining employment has declined substantially since the 1990s. Lesotho is a member of the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU), and revenues from SACU accounted for roughly 44% of total government revenue in 2014. The South African Government also pays royalties for water transferred to South Africa from a dam and reservoir system in Lesotho. However, the government continues to strengthen its tax system to reduce dependency on customs duties and other transfers. Access to credit remains a problem for the private sector. The government maintains a large presence in the economy - government consumption accounted for 37% of GDP in 2014 and the government remains Lesotho's largest employer. Lesotho's largest private employer is the textile and garment industry - approximately 36,000 Basotho, mainly women, work in factories producing garments for export to South Africa and the US. Diamond mining in Lesotho has grown in recent years and may contribute 8.5% to GDP by 2015, according to current forecasts.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Media Institute of Southern Africa, Lesotho chapter [Tsebo MAT�ASA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 m above sea level", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-7.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural); adjective: :Basotho", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 4 October (1966)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :472,456; females age 16-49: :508,953 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :75.8%; male: :65.5%; female: :85% (2009 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :52.65 years; male: :52.55 years; female: :52.75 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (33 seats; 22 principal chiefs and 11 other senators nominated by the king with the advice of the Council of State, a 13-member body of key government and non-government officials; members serve 5-year terms) and the National Assembly (120 seats; 80 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 40 directly elected in single-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 28 February 2015 (next to be held in 2020); election results: :percent of vote by party - DC 38.8%, ABC 38.1%, LCD, 10.0%, BNP 5.6%, PFD 1.7%, RCL 1.2%, NIP 1.0%, other 3.6%; seats by party - DC 47, ABC 46, LCD 12, BNP 7, PFD 2, RCL 2, NIP 1, MFP 1, BCP 1, LPC 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal", "LANGUAGES": "Sesotho (official) (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :9.27%; permanent crops: :0.13%; other: :90.6% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,106 km; border countries: :South Africa 1,106 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "894,400 (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, such number of justices of appeal as set by Parliament, and the Chief Justice and the puisne judges of the High Court ex officio); High Court (consists of the chief justice and such number of puisne judges as set by Parliament); note - both the Court of Appeal and the High Court have jurisdiction in constitutional issues; judge selection and term of office: :Court of Appeal president and High Court chief justice appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; puisne judges appointed by the monarch on advice of the Judicial Service Commission, an independent body of judicial officers and officials designated by the monarch; judges of both courts can serve until age 75; subordinate courts: :Magistrate Courts; customary or traditional courts; Courts Martial", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "6% (2014 est.); 4.9% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :50.48 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :54.38 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :46.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts, construction, tourism", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.3% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "4 October 1966 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$1.931 billion (2014 est.); $1.78 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :5,940 km; paved: :1,069 km; unpaved: :4,871 km (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, and green in the proportions of 3:4:3; the colors represent rain, peace, and prosperity respectively; centered in the white stripe is a black Basotho hat representing the indigenous people; the flag was unfurled in October 2006 to celebrate 40 years of independence", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$929.5 million (31 December 2014 est.); $916.8 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$824.9 million (2014 est.); $814.6 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996); note - King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne from November 1990 to February 1995 while his father was in exile; head of government: :Prime Minister Pakalitha MOSISILI (since 18 March 2015); cabinet: :Cabinet; elections: :the leader of the majority party, or coalition of parties, in the Assembly automatically becomes prime minister; the monarchy is hereditary, but, under the terms of the constitution that came into effect after the March 1993 election, the monarch is a \"living symbol of national unity\" with no executive or legislative powers; under traditional law, the college of chiefs has the power to depose the monarch, determine next in line of succession or shall serve as regent in the event that the successor is not of mature age", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "maloti (LSL) per US dollar -; 10.6 (2014 est.); 9.64 (2013 est.); 8.2 (2012 est.); 7.26 (2011 est.); 7.32 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%,", "DEATH_RATE": "14.91 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1959, 1967; latest adopted 2 April 1993 (effectively restoring the 1967 version); amended 2001 (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products", "CAPITAL": "name: :Maseru; geographic coordinates: :29 19 S, 27 29 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.358 billion; expenditures: :$1.406 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Lesotho Defense Force (LDF): Army (includes Air Wing) (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "25.92 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "24 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "manufactures (clothing, footwear), wool and mohair, food and live animals, electricity, water, diamonds", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :86%; industry and services: :14%; note: :most of the resident population is engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa (2002 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1%; highest 10%: :39.4% (2003)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "49% (1999)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.94% of GDP (2012); 2.3% of GDP (2011); 1.94% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, and soil exhaustion; desertification; Highlands Water Project controls, stores, and redirects water to South Africa", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :21; 914 to 1,523 m: :5; 16 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :3; over 3,047 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The Basuto National Party ruled the country during its first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995 and subsequently succeeded by his son, King LETSIE III, in 1996. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Batswana military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community. Subsequent constitutional reforms restored relative political stability. Peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002, but the National Assembly elections of February 2007 were hotly contested and aggrieved parties disputed how the electoral law was applied to award proportional seats in the Assembly. In May 2012, competitive elections involving 18 parties saw Prime Minister Motsoahae Thomas THABANE form a coalition government - the first in the country's history - that ousted the 14-year incumbent, Pakalitha MOSISILI, who peacefully transferred power the following month.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :19,110; female: :20,037 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :270,184; females age 16-49: :275,734 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women serve as commissioned officers (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Maryland", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "periodic droughts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m; highest point: :Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.91 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.96 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.99 male(s)/female; total population: :0.97 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (2007)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 1 (2007)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :7.5%; industry: :35.7%; services: :56.9% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "29 30 S, 28 30 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :32.9% (male 321,017/female 318,265); 15-24 years: :19.9% (male 184,006/female 203,336); 25-54 years: :36.8% (male 349,365/female 364,970); 55-64 years: :4.9% (male 51,274/female 44,847); 65 years and over: :5.4% (male 52,955/female 51,973) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Liberia", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Deborah R. MALAC (since 26 July 2012); embassy: :U.S. Embassy, P.O. Box 98, 502 Benson Street, Monrovia; mailing address: :P.O. Box 98, Monrovia; telephone: :[231; FAX: :[231", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$900 (2014 est.); $900 (2013 est.); $900 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.5% (2014 est.); 8.7% (2013 est.); 8.3% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.52% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$3.771 billion (2014 est.); $3.679 billion (2013 est.); $3.386 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :83.9%; youth dependency ratio: :78.4%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.6%; potential support ratio: :18% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "NA; -35% of GDP (2012 est.); -35% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :116.3%; government consumption: :18.4%; investment in fixed capital: :25.4%; investment in inventories: :-1.6%; exports of goods and services: :32.4%; imports of goods and services: :-89.5%; (2011 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "20.2% (2013)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "19; note: :median age at first birth among women 20-24 (2013 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :177,160; percentage: :21% (2007 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "541,600 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "3,673 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "23 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "3,780 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "197,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "311.6 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "335 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "white star; national colors: red, white, blue", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :5.1%; male: :3.4%; female: :6.6% (2010 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "4.8% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.8 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.01 physicians/1,000 population (2008)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "15.5% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "20.4% (2007)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "770 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-4.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "23.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "MONROVIA (capital) 1.224 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"All Hail, Liberia Hail!\"; lyrics/music: :Daniel Bashiel WARNER/Olmstead LUCA; note: :lyrics adopted 1847, music adopted 1860; the anthem's author later became the third president of Liberia", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 28.4% of population; rural: 5.9% of population; total: 16.8% of population; urban: 71.6% of population; rural: 94.1% of population; total: 83.2% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 86.8% of population; rural: 63% of population; total: 74.6% of population; urban: 13.2% of population; rural: 37% of population; total: 25.4% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$738.7 million (31 December 2014 est.); $656 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$512 million (31 December 2014 est.); $459.1 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "3 private TV stations; satellite TV service available; 1 state-owned radio station; about 15 independent radio stations broadcasting in Monrovia, with another 25 local stations operating in other areas; transmissions of 2 international broadcasters are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :49.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.36% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$605 million (31 December 2014 est.); $690.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$65.36 million (31 December 2008); $49.89 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$206.9 million (31 December 2008); $145.6 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "14% (31 December 2014 est.); 13.48% (31 December 2013 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.8% of GDP (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.13 cu km/yr (55%/37%/8%); per capita: :43.66 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "232 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$201 million (31 December 2013 est.); $201 million (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$17.01 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $16.56 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$2.073 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :37,907 (Cote d'Ivoire) (2015); IDPs: :up to 23,000 (civil war from 1990-2004; post-election violence in March and April 2011; unclear how many have found durable solutions; many dwell in slums in Monrovia) (2013)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: :Lassa fever; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$992.8 million (2014 est.); -$953.2 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "8.1% of GDP (2014 est.); 4.1% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "7 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :17.9 years; male: :17.7 years; female: :18.1 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "2,700 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "30,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "1.09% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".lr", "INTERNET_USERS": "20,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "2.394 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "3,200 (2011)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Jeremiah Congbeh SULUNTEH (since 25 April 2012); chancery: :5201 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :New York", "AREA": "total: :111,369 sq km; land: :96,320 sq km; water: :15,049 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "21 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Liberia; conventional short form: :Liberia", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "85% (2003 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "4.81 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :the limited services available are found almost exclusively in the capital, Monrovia; fixed-line service stagnant and extremely limited; telephone coverage extended to a number of other towns and rural areas by four mobile-cellular network operators; domestic: :mobile-cellular subscription base growing and teledensity reached 50 per 100 persons in 2011; international: :country code - 231; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Christian 85.6%, Muslim 12.2%, Traditional 0.6%, other 0.2%, none 1.4% (2008 Census)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :429 km; standard gauge: :345 km 1.435-m gauge; narrow gauge: :84 km 1.067-m gauge; note: :most sections of the railways were inoperable because of damage suffered during the civil wars from 1980 to 2003, but many are being rebuilt (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Buchanan, Monrovia", "POPULATION": "4,092,310 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alliance for Peace and Democracy or APD [Marcus S. G. DAHN; Alternative National Congress or ANC [Orishil GOULD; Congress for Democratic Change or CDC [George WEAH; Liberia Destiny Party or LDP [Nathaniel BARNES; Liberia Transformation Party or LTP [Julius SUKU; Liberty Party or LP [J. Fonati KOFFA; Movement for Progressive Change or MPC [Simeon FREEMAN; National Democratic Coalition or NDC [Dew MAYSON; National Democratic Party of Liberia or NDPL [D. Nyandeh SIEH; National Patriotic Party or NPP [Theophilus C. GOULD; National Reformist Party or NRP [Maximillian T. W. DIABE; National Union for Democratic Progress or NUDP [Victor BARNEY; Unity Party or UP [Varney SHERMAN", "PIPELINES": "oil 4 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Liberia is a low income country that relies heavily on foreign assistance. It is richly endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate favorable to agriculture. It�s principal exports are iron ore, rubber, gold and timber. The Government has attempted to revive raw timber extraction and is encouraging oil exploration. In the 1990s and early 2000s, civil war and government mismanagement destroyed much of Liberia's economy, especially infrastructure in and around the capital. With the conclusion of fighting and the installation of a democratically elected government in 2006, businesses that had fled the country began to return. The country achieved high growth during 2010-13 due to favorable world prices for its commodities. However, in 2014 as the Ebolavirus began to spread, the economy declined and many businesses departed, taking capital and expertise with them. The epidemic forced the government to divert scarce resources to combat the spread of the virus, reducing funds available for needed public investment. Revitalizing the economy in the future will depend on increasing investment and trade, higher global commodity prices, sustained foreign aid and remittances, development of infrastructure and institutions, and maintaining political stability and security. The cost of addressing the Ebola epidemic will weigh heavily on public finances at the same time decreased economic activity reduces government revenue, although higher donor support will partly offset this loss.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :demobilized former military officers", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "facing the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline is characterized by lagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars; the inland grassy plateau supports limited agriculture", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Liberian(s); adjective: :Liberian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 26 July (1847)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :2,559; by type: :barge carrier 5, bulk carrier 662, cargo 143, carrier 2, chemical tanker 248, combination ore/oil 8, container 937, liquefied gas 92, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 526, refrigerated cargo 102, roll on/roll off 5, specialized tanker 10, vehicle carrier 27; foreign-owned: :2,581 (Angola 1, Argentina 1, Australia 1, Belgium 1, Bermuda 4, Brazil 20, Canada 2, Chile 9, China 4, Croatia 1, Cyprus 9, Denmark 8, Egypt 3, Germany 1185, Gibraltar 5, Greece 505, Hong Kong 48, India 8, Indonesia 4, Israel 34, Italy 47, Japan 110, Latvia 5, Lebanon 1, Monaco 8, Netherlands 31, Nigeria 4, Norway 38, Poland 13, Qatar 5, Romania 3, Russia 109, Saudi Arabia 20, Singapore 22, Slovenia 7, South Korea 2, Sweden 12, Switzerland 25, Syria 1, Taiwan 94, Turkey 16, UAE 37, UK 32, Ukraine 10, Uruguay 1, US 53) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :815,826; females age 16-49: :828,484 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :42.9%; male: :60.8%; female: :27% (2007 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :58.21 years; male: :56.56 years; female: :59.9 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (30 seats; members directly elected in 15 two-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 9-year staggered terms with half the membership renewed at 3- and 6-year intervals; eligible for a second term; and the House of Representatives (73 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 6-year terms; eligible for a second term); elections: :Senate - last held on 20 December 2014 (originally scheduled for 14 October 2014, but postponed due to Ebola-virus epidemic; next to be held in fall 2020); House of Representatives - last held on 11 October 2011 (next to be held in 2017); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UP 10, NPP 6, CDC 3, APD 2, NUDP 2, LDP 1, LP 1, NDC 1, NDPL 1, independent 3; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UP 24, CDC 11, LP 7, NUDP 6, NDC 5, APD 3, NPP 3, MPC 2, LDP 1, LTP 1, NRP 1, independent 9", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of common law (based on Anglo-American law) and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages few of which can be written or used in correspondence", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :5.19%; permanent crops: :2.18%; other: :92.63% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,667 km; border countries: :Guinea 590 km, Cote d'Ivoire 778 km, Sierra Leone 299 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "1.554 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of a chief justice and 4 associate justices); note - the Supreme Court has jurisdiction for all constitutional cases; judge selection and term of office: :chief justice and associate justices appointed by the president of Liberia with consent of the Senate; judges can serve until age 70; subordinate courts: :judicial circuit courts; special courts including criminal, civil, labor, traffic; magistrate and traditional or customary courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "11.2% (2014 est.); 7.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :69.19 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :73.46 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :64.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "mining (iron ore), rubber processing, palm oil processing, timber, diamonds", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "50% (2011 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "26 July 1847", "IMPORTS": "$2.615 billion (2014 est.); $2.457 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transshipment point for Southeast and Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine for the European and US markets; corruption, criminal activity, arms-dealing, and diamond trade provide significant potential for money laundering, but the lack of well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a major money-laundering center", "ROADWAYS": "total: :10,600 km; paved: :657 km; unpaved: :9,943 km (2000)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "11 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a white five-pointed star appears on a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner; the stripes symbolize the signatories of the Liberian Declaration of Independence; the blue square represents the African mainland, and the star represents the freedom granted to the ex-slaves; according to the constitution, the blue color signifies liberty, justice, and fidelity, the white color purity, cleanliness, and guilelessness, and the red color steadfastness, valor, and fervor; note: :the design is based on the US flag", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$625.9 million (31 December 2014 est.); $586.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$897.9 million (2014 est.); $831.4 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF (since 16 January 2006); Vice President Joseph BOAKAI (since 16 January 2006); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF (since 16 January 2006); Vice President Joseph BOAKAI (since 16 January 2006); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate; elections: :president elected by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 6-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held in 2 rounds on 11 October and 8 November 2011 (next to be held in 2017); election results: :Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF reelected president; percent of vote in second round - Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF 90.7%, Winston TUBMAN 9.3%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Liberian dollars (LRD) per US dollar -; 86.65 (2014 est.); 77.52 (2013 est.); 73.52 (2012 est.); 72.227 (2011 est.); 71.403 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Kpelle 20.3%, Bassa 13.4%, Grebo 10%, Gio 8%, Mano 7.9%, Kru 6%, Lorma 5.1%, Kissi 4.8%, Gola 4.4%, other 20.1% (2008 Census)", "DEATH_RATE": "9.9 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1847 (at independence); latest drafted 19 October 1983, revised version adopted by referendum 3 July 1984, effective 6 January 1986; amended 2011 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Singapore 29.6%, South Korea 26.9%, China 17.9%, Japan 13.8% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "579 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods; foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Monrovia; geographic coordinates: :6 18 N, 10 48 W; time difference: :UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$490.5 million; expenditures: :$581.7 million (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL): Army, Navy, Air Force", "BIRTH_RATE": "35.07 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "29 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "rubber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava (manioc, tapioca), palm oil, sugarcane, bananas; sheep, goats; timber", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "15 counties; Bomi, Bong, Gbarpolu, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, River Cess, River Gee, Sinoe", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 18.9%, US 11.1%, Spain 10.6%, France 8.8%, Algeria 7.9%, Poland 6.8%, Germany 5.6%, Canada 4.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "rubber, timber, iron, diamonds, cocoa, coffee", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :70%; industry: :8%; services: :22% (2000 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.4%; highest 10%: :30.1% (2007)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "63.8% (2007 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.82% of GDP (2012); 0.86% of GDP (2011); 0.82% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "tropical rain forest deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; pollution of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :27; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :5; 914 to 1,523 m: :8; 14 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; over 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Settlement of freed slaves from the US in what is today Liberia began in 1822; by 1847, the Americo-Liberians were able to establish a republic. William TUBMAN, president from 1944-71, did much to promote foreign investment and to bridge the economic, social, and political gaps between the descendants of the original settlers and the inhabitants of the interior. In 1980, a military coup led by Samuel DOE ushered in a decade of authoritarian rule. In December 1989, Charles TAYLOR launched a rebellion against DOE's regime that led to a prolonged civil war in which DOE was killed. A period of relative peace in 1997 allowed for elections that brought TAYLOR to power, but major fighting resumed in 2000. An August 2003 peace agreement ended the war and prompted the resignation of former president Charles TAYLOR, who faces war crimes charges in The Hague related to his involvement in Sierra Leone's civil war. After two years of rule by a transitional government, democratic elections in late 2005 brought President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF to power. She subsequently won reelection in 2011 and remains challenged to rebuild Liberia's economy, particularly following the 2014-15 Ebola epidemic, and to reconcile a nation still recovering from 14 years of fighting. The UN Security Council in September 2012 passed Resolution 2066 which calls for a halving of UN troops in Liberia by 2015, reducing the troop level to fewer than 4,000, and challenging Liberia's security sector to fill the gaps.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :36,585; female: :38,516 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :524,243; females age 16-49: :544,349 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than Tennessee", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March)", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mount Wuteve 1,380 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :1.01 male(s)/female; total population: :1 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "5 (plus 4 repeaters) (2007)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 0, FM 10, shortwave 2 (2007)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :38.8%; industry: :16.4%; services: :44.7% (2012 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "6 30 N, 9 30 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :43.2% (male 891,002/female 876,655); 15-24 years: :17.9% (male 357,952/female 375,708); 25-54 years: :31.5% (male 642,835/female 646,104); 55-64 years: :4.3% (male 85,906/female 89,943); 65 years and over: :3.1% (male 62,475/female 63,730) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Libya", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Deborah Kay JONES (since 20 June 2013); note: :on 11 September 2012, US Ambassador Christopher STEVENS and three other American diplomats were killed in an attack by heavily armed militants on a US diplomatic post in the eastern city of Benghazi; the US Government evacuated its Embassy in Tripoli in July 1014; embassy: :Sidi Slim Area/Walie Al-Ahed Road, Tripoli; mailing address: :US Embassy, 8850 Tripoli Place, Washington, DC 20521-8850; telephone: :[218", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$16,600 (2014 est.); $21,000 (2013 est.); $24,700 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "-19.8% (2014 est.); -13.6% (2013 est.); 104.5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.08% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$103.3 billion (2014 est.); $128.7 billion (2013 est.); $148.9 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :52.2%; youth dependency ratio: :44.8%; elderly dependency ratio: :7.4%; potential support ratio: :13.5% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "0.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 37.3% of GDP (2013 est.); 45% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :58%; government consumption: :16.8%; investment in fixed capital: :5.4%; investment in inventories: :0.5%; exports of goods and services: :40.9%; imports of goods and services: :-21.6%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "41.9% (2007)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "54.6 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "1.549 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "6.47 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "5.716 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "12.19 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "575 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "119,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "248,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "388,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "48.47 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "1.378 million bbl/day; note: :Libyan crude oil export values are highly volatile because of continuing protests and other disruptions across the country (2014 est,)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "310,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "7.066 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "61 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "14 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "22.31 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "25.96 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "star and crescent, hawk; national colors: red, black, green", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "27.8% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "3.7 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.9 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "3.9% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "5.6% (2007)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "58 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-14.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "37% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "TRIPOLI (capital) 1.126 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Allahu Akbar\" (God Is Greatest); lyrics/music: :Mahmoud el-SHERIF/Abdalla Shams el-DIN; note: :adopted 1969; originally a battle song for the Egyptian Army in the 1956 Suez War", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 96.8% of population; rural: 95.7% of population; total: 96.6% of population; urban: 3.2% of population; rural: 4.3% of population; total: 3.4% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 54.2% of population; rural: 54.9% of population; total: 54.4% of population; urban: 45.8% of population; rural: 45.1% of population; total: 45.6% of population (2001 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$54.66 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $53.34 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$49.21 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $49.59 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-funded and private TV stations; some provinces operate local TV stations; pan-Arab satellite TV stations are available; state-funded radio (2012)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :78.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.13% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$-34.71 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $-38.46 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$4.264 billion (31 December 2008); $3.192 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$26.66 billion (31 December 2008); $18.04 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "5.6% (31 December 2014 est.); 6% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "9.52% (31 December 2010); 3% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :4.33 cu km/yr (14%/3%/83%); per capita: :796.1 cu m/yr (2000)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "0.7 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$24.68 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $21.92 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$17.43 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $16.18 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Libya is a destination and transit country for men and women from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia subjected to forced labor and forced prostitution; migrants who seek employment in Libya as laborers and domestic workers or transit Libya en route to Europe may be subject to forced labor; private employers also recruit migrants from detention centers as forced laborers on farms and construction sites; some sub-Saharan women are reportedly forced to work in Libyan brothels, particularly in the country�s south; militia groups and other informal military units allegedly conscript children under the age of 18; tier rating: :Tier 3 - the Libyan Government does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government failed to demonstrate significant efforts to investigate and prosecute trafficking offenders in 2013 or to identify and protect trafficking victims; authorities continued to treat trafficking victims as illegal migrants, punishing them for unlawful acts that were committed as a result of being trafficked; no public anti-trafficking awareness or education campaigns were conducted (2014)Tier 3 - the Libyan Government does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government failed to demonstrate significant efforts to investigate and prosecute trafficking offenders in 2013 or to identify and protect trafficking victims; authorities continued to treat trafficking victims as illegal migrants, punishing them for unlawful acts that were committed as a result of being trafficked; no public anti-trafficking awareness or education campaigns were conducted (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$49.34 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :16,796 (Syria) (2014); IDPs: :454,000 (conflict between pro-Qadhafi and anti-Qadhafi forces in 2011; clashes in and around Sebha in 2014) (2014)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$105 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $115.4 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$7.973 billion (2014 est.); -$2.737 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "2.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 3.3% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "17,926 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :27.5 years; male: :27.7 years; female: :27.4 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ly", "INTERNET_USERS": "353,900 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "9.59 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "814,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Wafa M.T. BUGHAIGHIS (since 5 December 2014); chancery: :2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Suite 705, Washington, DC 20037; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :1,759,540 sq km; land: :1,759,540 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "4,700 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Libya; local long form: :none; local short form: :Libiya", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "30% (2004 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "operates under a transitional government", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.07 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :telecommunications system is state-owned and service is poor, but investment is being made to upgrade; state retains monopoly in fixed-line services; mobile-cellular telephone system became operational in 1996; domestic: :multiple providers for a mobile telephone system that is growing rapidly; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity has soared; international: :country code - 218; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat, NA Arabsat, and NA Intersputnik; submarine cable to France and Italy; microwave radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt; tropospheric scatter to Greece; participant in Medarabtel (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age, universal", "RELIGIONS": ".1; 1% of the population) and foreign Muslims (2010 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Marsa al Burayqah (Marsa el Brega), Tripoli; oil terminal(s): :Az Zawiyah, Ra's Lanuf; LNG terminal (export): :Marsa el Brega", "POPULATION": "6,244,174; note: :immigrants make up just over 12% of the total population, according to UN data (2013) (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Al-Watan (Homeland) Party; Justice and Construction Party or JCP [Muhammad SAWAN; National Forces Alliance or NFA [Mahmoud JIBRIL, founder; National Front (initially the National Front for the Salvation of Libya, formed in 1981 as a diaspora opposition group); Union for the Homeland [Abd al-Rahman al-SUWAYHILI; note: :partial list of the larger political parties and leaders", "PIPELINES": "condensate 882 km; gas 3,743 km; oil 7,005 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "___no_ECONOMY - OVERVIEW__provided__", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "16.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, natural gas, gypsum", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Libyan(s); adjective: :Libyan", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Liberation Day, 23 October (2011)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :23; by type: :cargo 2, chemical tanker 4, liquefied gas 3, petroleum tanker 13, roll on/roll off 1; foreign-owned: :2 (Kuwait 1, Norway 1); registered in other countries: :6 (Hong Kong 1, Malta 5) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BDEAC, CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; note: :Gulf of Sidra closing line - 32 degrees, 30 minutes north; exclusive fishing zone: :62 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,775,078; females age 16-49: :1,714,194 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :89.9%; male: :96.1%; female: :83.7% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :76.04 years; male: :74.36 years; female: :77.82 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral House of Representatives or Majlis Al Nuwab (200 seats including 32 reserved for women; member term NA); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independents 200; note - not all 200 seats were filled in the June election because of boycotts and lack of security at some polling stations; some elected members of the House also boycotted", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "Libya's post-revolution legal system is in flux and driven by state and non-state entities", "LANGUAGES": "Arabic (official), Italian, English (all widely understood in the major cities); Berber (Nafusi, Ghadamis, Suknah, Awjilah, Tamasheq)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0.98%; permanent crops: :0.19%; other: :98.83% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :4,339 km; border countries: :Algeria 989 km, Chad 1,050 km, Egypt 1,115 km, Niger 342 km, Sudan 382 km, Tunisia 461 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "1.738 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :NA; note - government in transition", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3.9% (2014 est.); 2.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :11.87 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :12.83 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :10.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "petroleum, petrochemicals, aluminum, iron and steel, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-9% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "24 December 1951 (from UN trusteeship)", "IMPORTS": "$16.08 billion (2014 est.); $26.79 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :100,024 km; paved: :57,214 km; unpaved: :42,810 km (2003)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three horizontal bands of red (top), black (double width), and green with a white crescent and star centered on the black stripe; the National Transitional Council reintroduced this flag design of the former Kingdom of Libya (1951-1969) on 27 February 2011; it replaced the former all-green banner promulgated by the QADHAFI regime in 1977; the colors represent the three major regions of the country: red stands for Fezzan, black symbolizes Cyrenaica, and green denotes Tripolitania; the crescent and star represent Islam, the main religion of the country", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$3.904 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.86 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$17.49 billion (2014 est.); $34.91 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aqilah Salah ISSA; head of government: :Prime Minister Abdullah al-THINI; Deputy Prime Ministers Abd al-Salam al-BADRI; Al-Mahdi Hasan Muftah al-LABAD; Abd al-Rahman al-Tahir al-UHAYRISH; cabinet: :new cabinet approved by the House of Representatives in September 2014; elections: :prime minister and Speaker of the House elected by the House of Representatives; election results: :NA", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Libyan dinars (LYD) per US dollar -; 1.281 (2014 est.); 1.272 (2013 est.); 1.26 (2012 est.); 1.224 (2011 est.); 1.2668 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Berber and Arab 97%, other 3% (includes Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, and Tunisians)", "DEATH_RATE": "3.57 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1951, 1977; latest 2011 (interim); note - a 47-member Constitutional Assembly has been meeting since April 2014 (2015)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Italy 13.1%, China 11.9%, Turkey 11.3%, Egypt 6.7%, Tunisia 5.8%, Germany 5.3%, South Korea 4.5%, France 4.3% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "1,770 km", "CLIMATE": "Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery, semi-finished goods, food, transport equipment, consumer products", "CAPITAL": "name: :Tripoli (Tarabulus); geographic coordinates: :32 53 N, 13 10 E; time difference: :UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Friday in March; ends last Friday in October; note: :on 10 November 2012, Libya changed its standard time from UTC+2 to UTC+1", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$18.24 billion; expenditures: :$25.22 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "note - in transition; government attempting to staff a new national army with anti-QADHAFI militia fighters and former members of QADHAFI's military (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "18.4 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "146 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus, vegetables, peanuts, soybeans; cattle", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "22 districts (shabiyat, singular - shabiyat); Al Butnan, Al Jabal al Akhdar, Al Jabal al Gharbi, Al Jafarah, Al Jufrah, Al Kufrah, Al Marj, Al Marqab, Al Wahat, An Nuqat al Khams, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi, Darnah, Ghat, Misratah, Murzuq, Nalut, Sabha, Surt, Tarabulus, Wadi al Hayat, Wadi ash Shati", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Italy 20.2%, Germany 15.1%, France 10.5%, US 6.3%, Spain 6.3%, Netherlands 5.2%, China 5%, UK 4.6% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas, chemicals", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :17%; industry: :23%; services: :59% (2004 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%; note: :about one-third of Libyans live at or below the national poverty line", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Law of the Sea", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "desertification; limited natural freshwater resources; the Great Manmade River Project, the largest water development scheme in the world, brings water from large aquifers under the Sahara to coastal cities", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :78; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :5; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :14; 914 to 1,523 m: :37; 20 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :68; over 3,047 m: :23; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :7; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :30; 914 to 1,523 m: :7; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Italians supplanted the Ottoman Turks in the area around Tripoli in 1911 and did not relinquish their hold until 1943 when defeated in World War II. Libya then passed to UN administration and achieved independence in 1951. Following a 1969 military coup, Col. Muammar al-QADHAFI assumed leadership and began to espouse his political system at home, which was a combination of socialism and Islam. During the 1970s, QADHAFI used oil revenues to promote his ideology outside Libya, supporting subversive and terrorist activities that included the downing of two airliners - one over Scotland, another in Northern Africa - and a discotheque bombing in Berlin. UN sanctions in 1992 isolated QADHAFI politically and economically following the attacks; sanctions were lifted in 2003 following Libyan acceptance of responsibility for the bombings and agreement to claimant compensation. QADHAFI also agreed to end Libya's program to develop weapons of mass destruction, and he made significant strides in normalizing relations with Western nations. Unrest that began in several Middle Eastern and North African countries in late 2010 erupted in Libyan cities in early 2011. QADHAFI's brutal crackdown on protesters spawned a civil war that triggered UN authorization of air and naval intervention by the international community. After months of seesaw fighting between government and opposition forces, the QADHAFI regime was toppled in mid-2011 and replaced by a transitional government. Libya in 2012 formed a new parliament and elected a new prime minister. The country subsequently elected a new parliament in 2014, but remnants of the outgoing legislature refused to leave office and created a rival government.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :59,547; female: :57,070 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,511,144; females age 16-49: :1,458,934 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for mandatory or voluntary service (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about 2.5 times the size of Texas; slightly larger than Alaska", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall; dust storms, sandstorms", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m; highest point: :Bikku Bitti 2,267 m", "HELIPORTS": "2 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.08 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :1.04 male(s)/female; total population: :1.08 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "12 (plus 1 repeater) (1999)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 16, FM 3, shortwave 3 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :2%; industry: :45.8%; services: :52.2% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "25 00 N, 17 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :26.9% (male 859,016/female 820,643); 15-24 years: :18.2% (male 586,749/female 546,602); 25-54 years: :46.1% (male 1,509,108/female 1,370,709); 55-64 years: :4.8% (male 154,847/female 145,330); 65 years and over: :4% (male 126,691/female 124,479) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Liechtenstein", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "the US does not have an embassy in Liechtenstein; the US Ambassador to Switzerland is accredited to Liechtenstein", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$89,400 (2009 est.); $90,600 (2008 est.); $89,700 (2007 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.8% (2012 est.); -0.5% (2009 est.); 3.1% (2007 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.82% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$3.2 billion (2009 est.); $3.216 billion (2008 est.); $3.159 billion (2007 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "1.214 billion kWh (2012)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "1.36 billion kWh (2012)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "145.3 million kWh (2012)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "princely hat (crown); national colors: blue, red", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "2.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "19.5% of GDP (2012 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "VADUZ (capital) 5,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Oben am jungen Rhein\" (High Above the Young Rhine); lyrics/music: :Jakob Joseph JAUCH/Josef FROMMELT; note: :adopted 1850, revised 1963; uses the tune of \"God Save the Queen\"", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "relies on foreign terrestrial and satellite broadcasters for most broadcast media services; first Liechtenstein-based TV station established August 2008; Radio Liechtenstein operates multiple radio stations; a Swiss-based broadcaster operates several radio stations in Liechtenstein (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :14.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.48% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.1% of GDP (2008)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :15 years; male: :16 years; female: :14 years (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$5.113 billion (2010 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "14,278 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :42.4 years; male: :41.3 years; female: :43.5 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".li", "INTERNET_USERS": "23,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "38,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "20,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Claudia FRITSCHE (since 7 December 2000); chancery: :2900 K Street, NW, Suite 602B, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Atlanta, New York, San Francisco", "AREA": "total: :160 sq km; land: :160 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Central Europe, between Austria and Switzerland", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Principality of Liechtenstein; conventional short form: :Liechtenstein; local long form: :Fuerstentum Liechtenstein; local short form: :Liechtenstein", "MILITARY___NOTE": "Liechtenstein has no military forces, but the modern National Police maintains close relations with neighboring forces. (2013)", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "2.3% (2012); 2.5% (2011)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "hereditary constitutional monarchy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.69 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western third", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :automatic telephone system; domestic: :fixed-line and mobile-cellular services widely available; combined telephone service subscribership exceeds 150 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 423; linked to Swiss networks by cable and microwave radio relay (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic (official) 75.9%, Protestant Reformed 6.5%, Muslim 5.4%, Lutheran 1.3%, other 2.9%, none 5.4%, unspecified 2.6% (2010 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :9 km; standard gauge: :9 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified); note: :belongs to the Austrian Railway System connecting Austria and Switzerland (2008)", "POPULATION": "37,313 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Fatherland Union (Vaterlaendische Union) or VU [Jakob BUECHEL; Progressive Citizens' Party (Fortschrittliche Buergerpartei) or FBP [Elfried HASLER; The Free List (Die Freie Liste) or FL [Wolfgang MARXER; the independents (Die Unabhaengigen) or DU [Harry QUADERER", "PIPELINES": "gas 20 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Despite its small size and limited natural resources, Liechtenstein has developed into a prosperous, highly industrialized, free-enterprise economy with a vital financial service sector and likely the second highest per capita income in the world. The Liechtenstein economy is widely diversified with a large number of small businesses. Low business taxes - the maximum tax rate is 20% - and easy incorporation rules have induced many holding companies to establish nominal offices in Liechtenstein providing 30% of state revenues. The country participates in a customs union with Switzerland and uses the Swiss franc as its national currency. It imports more than 90% of its energy requirements. Liechtenstein has been a member of the European Economic Area (an organization serving as a bridge between the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the EU) since May 1995. The government is working to harmonize its economic policies with those of an integrated Europe. Since 2008, Liechtenstein has faced renewed international pressure - particularly from Germany and the United States - to improve transparency in its banking and tax systems. In December 2008, Liechtenstein signed a Tax Information Exchange Agreement with the US. Upon Liechtenstein's conclusion of 12 bilateral information-sharing agreements, the OECD in October 2009 removed the principality from its \"grey list\" of countries that had yet to implement the organization's Model Tax Convention. By the end of 2010, Liechtenstein had signed 25 Tax Information Exchange Agreements or Double Tax Agreements. In 2011 Liechtenstein joined the Schengen area, which allows passport-free travel across 26 European countries.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "along with Uzbekistan, one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world; variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "4.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "hydroelectric potential, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Liechtensteiner(s); adjective: :Liechtenstein", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Assumption Day, 15 August", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "CD, CE, EBRD, EFTA, IAEA, ICCt, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WIPO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :8,009 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :81.68 years; male: :79.52 years; female: :84.4 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Parliament or Landtag (25 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 3 February 2013 (next to be held in February 2017); election results: :percent of vote by party - FBP 40.0%, VU 33.5%, DU 15.3% FL 11.1%; seats by party - FBP 10, VU 8, DU 4, FL 3", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system influenced by Swiss, Austrian, and German law", "LANGUAGES": "German 94.5% (official) (Alemannic is the main dialect), Italian 1.1%, other 4.3% (2010 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :18.75%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :81.25% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :75 km; border countries: :Austria 34 km, Switzerland 41 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "35,830 (2012); note: :51% of the labor force in Liechtenstein commuted daily from Austria, Switzerland, or Germany (2012 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Oberster Gerichtshof (consists of 5 judges); Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgericht (consists of 5 judges and 5 alternates); judge selection and term of office: :judges of both courts elected by the Landtag and appointed by the monarch; Supreme Court judges serve 4-year renewable terms; Constitutional Court judge tenure NA; subordinate courts: :Court of Appeal or Obergericht (second instance), Court of Justice (first instance), Administrative Court, county courts", "WATERWAYS": "28 km (2010)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "-0.7% (2012); 0.2% (2011)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :4.33 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :4.62 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :3.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "electronics, metal manufacturing, dental products, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, food products, precision instruments, tourism, optical instruments", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "INDEPENDENCE": "23 January 1719 (Principality of Liechtenstein established); 12 July 1806 (independence from the Holy Roman Empire); 24 August 1866 (independence from the German Confederation)", "IMPORTS": "$2.09 billion (2012 est.); $2.218 billion (2011 est.); note: :trade data exclude trade with Switzerland", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :380 km; paved: :380 km (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a gold crown on the hoist side of the blue band; the colors may derive from the blue and red livery design used in the principality's household in the 18th century; the prince's crown was introduced in 1937 to distinguish the flag from that of Haiti", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$0 (2001); note: :public external debt only; private external debt unavailable", "EXPORTS": "$3.801 billion (2012 est.); $3.757 billion (2011 est.); note: :trade data exclude trade with Switzerland", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Prince HANS ADAM II (since 13 November 1989, assumed executive powers on 26 August 1984); Heir Apparent Prince ALOIS, son of the monarch (born 11 June 1968); note - on 15 August 2004, HANS ADAM transferred the official duties of the ruling prince to ALOIS, but HANS ADAM retains status of chief of state; head of government: :Head of Government (Prime Minister) Adrian HASLER (since 27 March 2013); cabinet: :Cabinet elected by the Parliament, confirmed by the monarch; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party in the Landtag usually appointed the head of government by the monarch and the leader of the largest minority party in the Landtag usually appointed the deputy head of government by the monarch if there is a coalition government", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Swiss francs (CHF) per US dollar -; 0.9121 (2014); 0.9377 (2012); 0.94 (2012 est.); 0.8876 (2011 est.); 1.0429 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Liechtensteiner 65.6%, other 34.4% (2000 census)", "DEATH_RATE": "7.02 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1862; latest adopted 5 October 1921; amended many times, last in 2011 (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (doubly landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "agricultural products, raw materials, energy products, machinery, metal goods, textiles, foodstuffs, motor vehicles", "CAPITAL": "name: :Vaduz; geographic coordinates: :47 08 N, 9 31 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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$995.3 million; expenditures: :$890.4 million (2011 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces; National Police maintains close relations with neighboring forces (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "10.53 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "wheat, barley, corn, potatoes; livestock, dairy products", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "11 communes (Gemeinden, singular - Gemeinde); Balzers, Eschen, Gamprin, Mauren, Planken, Ruggell, Schaan, Schellenberg, Triesen, Triesenberg, Vaduz", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "small specialty machinery, connectors for audio and video, parts for motor vehicles, dental products, hardware, prepared foodstuffs, electronic equipment, optical products", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :0.8%; industry: :39.4%; services: :59.9% (2012)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Law of the Sea", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "BACKGROUND": "The Principality of Liechtenstein was established within the Holy Roman Empire in 1719. Occupied by both French and Russian troops during the Napoleonic Wars, it became a sovereign state in 1806 and joined the Germanic Confederation in 1815. Liechtenstein became fully independent in 1866 when the Confederation dissolved. Until the end of World War I, it was closely tied to Austria, but the economic devastation caused by that conflict forced Liechtenstein to enter into a customs and monetary union with Switzerland. Since World War II (in which Liechtenstein remained neutral), the country's low taxes have spurred outstanding economic growth. In 2000, shortcomings in banking regulatory oversight resulted in concerns about the use of financial institutions for money laundering. However, Liechtenstein implemented anti-money laundering legislation and a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the US that went into effect in 2003.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :219; female: :211 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :6,538; females age 16-49: :6,746 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Ruggeller Riet 430 m; highest point: :Vorder-Grauspitz 2,599 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.26 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.14 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.81 male(s)/female; total population: :0.98 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "NA (linked to Swiss networks) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 0, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :8%; industry: :37%; services: :55% (2009)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "47 16 N, 9 32 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :15.7% (male 3,130/female 2,744); 15-24 years: :11.7% (male 2,160/female 2,197); 25-54 years: :43.1% (male 8,029/female 8,069); 55-64 years: :13.4% (male 2,479/female 2,535); 65 years and over: :16% (male 2,713/female 3,257) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Lithuania", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Deborah A. MCCARTHY (since 5 February 2013); embassy: :Akmenu gatve 6, Vilnius, LT-03106; mailing address: :American Embassy, Akmenu Gatve 6, Vilnius LT-03106; telephone: :[370; FAX: :[370", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$26,700 (2014 est.); $25,800 (2013 est.); $24,900 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3% (2014 est.); 3.3% (2013 est.); 3.7% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.29% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$78.95 billion (2014 est.); $76.67 billion (2013 est.); $74.26 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :44.9%; youth dependency ratio: :22.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :22.7%; potential support ratio: :4.4% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "20.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 19.9% of GDP (2013 est.); 18.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :63.9%; government consumption: :16.7%; investment in fixed capital: :18.9%; investment in inventories: :3.2%; exports of goods and services: :82.5%; imports of goods and services: :-85.2%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "62.9%; note: :percent of women aged 18-49 (2006)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "26.7 (2011 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "16.69 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "3.32 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "3.32 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "16,110 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "155,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "75,270 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "197,400 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "12 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "190,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "2,181 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "3,900 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "7.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "88.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "3.639 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "8.073 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "1.127 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "10.3 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "12.27 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "mounted knight known as Vytis (the Chaser), white stork; national colors: yellow, green, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :26.4%; male: :29.9%; female: :21.8% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "27.6% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "7 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "4.12 physicians/1,000 population (2012)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.7% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "8 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-1.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "32.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "VILNIUS (capital) 519,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Tautiska giesme\" (The National Song); lyrics/music: :Vincas KUDIRKA; note: :adopted 1918, restored 1990; written in 1898 while Lithuania was a part of Russia; banned during the Soviet occupation from 1940 to 1990", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 98.7% of population; rural: 85.4% of population; total: 94.3% of population; urban: 1.3% of population; rural: 14.6% of population; total: 5.7% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.3% of population; rural: 88.9% of population; total: 95.9% of population; urban: 0.7% of population; rural: 11.1% of population; total: 4.1% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$22.25 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $22.41 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$15.92 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $15.85 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "public broadcaster operates 3 channels with the third channel - a satellite channel - introduced in 2007; various privately owned commercial TV broadcasters operate national and multiple regional channels; many privately owned local TV stations; multi-channel cable and satellite TV services available; publicly owned broadcaster operates 3 radio networks; many privately owned commercial broadcasters, many with repeater stations in various regions throughout the country (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :66.5% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :-0.53% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$23.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $24.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$8.731 billion (31 December 2009 est.); $8.419 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$8.55 billion (January 2010); $9.519 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "5.3% (31 December 2014 est.); 4.94% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "3% (31 December 2010); 2.06% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.4% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :16 years; male: :16 years; female: :17 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :2.38 cu km/yr (7%/90%/3%); per capita: :703.8 cu m/yr (2009)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "24.9 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$3.964 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $4.075 billion (31 December 2011); $5.661 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$3.387 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.037 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$6.273 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.924 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$48.72 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :3,892 (2013)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :intermediate; vectorborne diseases: :tickborne encephalitis (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$8.524 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $8.072 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$802 million (2014 est.); $675 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "38.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 39.3% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :official data; data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities, debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are sold at public auctions", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "1.205 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :41.2 years; male: :38.5 years; female: :43.7 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "35.5 (2009); 34 (1999)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".lt", "INTERNET_USERS": "1.964 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "5 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "667,300 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Zygimantas PAVILIONIS (since 5 August 2010); chancery: :2622 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Chicago, New York", "AREA": "total: :65,300 sq km; land: :62,680 sq km; water: :2,620 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "13.4 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Lithuania; conventional short form: :Lithuania; local long form: :Lietuvos Respublika; local short form: :Lietuva; former: :Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "11.1% (2014 est.); 11.8% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.29 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :adequate; being modernized to provide improved international capability and better residential access; domestic: :rapid expansion of mobile-cellular services has resulted in a steady decline in the number of fixed-line connections; mobile-cellular teledensity stands at about 140 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 370; major international connections to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway by submarine cable for further transmission by satellite; landline connections to Latvia and Poland (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 77.2%, Russian Orthodox 4.1%, Old Believer 0.8%, Evangelical Lutheran 0.6%, Evangelical Reformist 0.2%, other (including Sunni Muslim, Jewish, Greek Catholic, and Karaite) 0.8%, none 6.1%, unspecified 10.1% (2011 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :1,767 km; broad gauge: :1,745 km 1.524-m gauge (122 km electrified); standard gauge: :22 km 1.435-m gauge (2011)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Klaipeda; oil terminals: :Butinge oil terminal", "POPULATION": "3,505,738; note: :Statistics Lithuania (the national statistical agency of Lithuania) estimates the country's total population at the start of 2013 to be 2,971,905, which takes into account the findings of Lithuania's 2011 census and the high rate of net outmigration since the country joined the EU in 2004 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Christian Party or KP [Gediminas VAGNORIUS; Civil Democracy Party or PDP [Algimantas MATULEVICIUS; Democratic Labor and Unity Party or DDVP [Kristina BRAZAUSKIENE; Electoral Action of Lithuanian Poles or LLRA [Valdemar TOMASEVSKI; Emigrants Party or EP [Juozas MURAUSKAS; Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats or TS-LKD [Andrius KUBILIUS; Labor Party or DP [Loreta GRAUZINIENE; Liberal and Center Union or LCS [Arturas MELIANAS; Liberal Movement or LS or LRLS [Eligijus MASIULIS; Lithuanian People's Party or LLP [Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE; Lithuanian People's Party or LZP [Joana SIMANAUSKIENE; Lithuanian Russian Union or LRS [Sergejus DMITRIJEVAS; Lithuanian Social Democratic Party or LSDP [Algirdas BUTKEVICIUS; Nationalist Union or TS [Gintaras SONGAILA; Order and Justice Party or TT [Rolandas PAKSAS; Peasant and Greens Union or LVZS [Ramunas KARBAUSKIS; Republican Party or RP [Valdemaras VALKIUNAS; Russian Alliance or RA [Tamara LOCHANKINA; Socialist People's Front or SLF [Algirdas PALECKIS; Way of Courage or DK [Jonas VARKALA; YES-Homeland Revival and Perspective or YES Union or TAIP Union or TAIP [Arturas ZUOKAS; Young Lithuania Party or PJL [Stanislovas BUSKEVICIUS", "PIPELINES": "gas 1,921 km; refined products 121 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "___no_ECONOMY - OVERVIEW__provided__", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands that are ancient glacial deposits", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "peat, arable land, amber", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Lithuanian(s); adjective: :Lithuanian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 16 February (1918); note - 16 February 1918 was the date Lithuania declared its independence from Soviet Russia and established its statehood; 11 March 1990 was the date it declared its independence from the Soviet Union", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :38; by type: :cargo 20, container 1, passenger/cargo 6, refrigerated cargo 9, roll on/roll off 2; foreign-owned: :8 (Denmark 8); registered in other countries: :22 (Antigua and Barbuda 3, Belize 1, Comoros 1, Cook Islands 1, Norway 1, Panama 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 9, unknown 3) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :890,074; females age 16-49: :875,780 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :99.8%; male: :99.8%; female: :99.8% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :75.98 years; male: :71.2 years; female: :81.02 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Parliament or Seimas (141 seats; 71 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote and 70 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 14 and 28 October 2012 (next to be held in October 2016); election results: :percent of vote by party - DP 19.8%, LSDP 18.4%, TS-LKD 15.1%, LS 8.6%, DK 8%, TT 7.3%, LLRA 5.8%, LVZS 3.9%, other 13.1%; seats by party - LSDP 38, TS-LKD 33, DP 29, TT 11, LS 10, LLRA 8, DK 7, unaffiliated 4, vacant 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system; legislative acts can be appealed to the constitutional court", "LANGUAGES": "Lithuanian (official) 82%, Russian 8%, Polish 5.6%, other 0.9%, unspecified 3.5% (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :36.07%; permanent crops: :0.51%; other: :63.43% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,549 km; border countries: :Belarus 640 km, Latvia 544 km, Poland 104 km, Russia (Kaliningrad) 261 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "1.454 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of 37 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the Seimas; judges serve 5-year renewable terms; Constitutional Court judges selected by the Seimas from among nominations by the president, by the Seimas chairperson, and Supreme Court chairperson; judges serve 9-year, nonrenewable terms; note - one-third of court judges reconstituted every 3 years; subordinate courts: :Court of Appeals; district and local courts", "WATERWAYS": "441 km (navigable year round) (2007)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.3% (2014 est.); 1% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :6 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :7.14 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :4.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "metal-cutting machine tools, electric motors, television sets, refrigerators and freezers, petroleum refining, shipbuilding (small ships), furniture, textiles, food processing, fertilizers, agricultural machinery, optical equipment, electronic components, computers, amber jewelry", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "11 March 1990 (declared); 6 September 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union); notable earlier dates: 6 July 1253 (coronation of MINDAUGAS, traditional founding date), 1 July 1569 (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth created)", "IMPORTS": "$35.24 billion (2014 est.); $33.44 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transshipment and destination point for cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, and opiates from Southwest Asia, Latin America, Western Europe, and neighboring Baltic countries; growing production of high-quality amphetamines, but limited production of cannabis, methamphetamines; susceptible to money laundering despite changes to banking legislation", "ROADWAYS": "total: :84,166 km; paved: :72,297 km (includes 312 km of expressways); unpaved: :11,869 km (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), green, and red; yellow symbolizes golden fields, as well as the sun, light, and goodness; green represents the forests of the countryside, in addition to nature, freedom, and hope; red stands for courage and the blood spilled in defense of the homeland", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$28.88 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $30.95 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$31.64 billion (2014 est.); $31.82 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Dalia GRYBAUSKAITE (since 12 July 2009); head of government: :Prime Minister Algirdas BUTKEVICIUS (since 22 November 2012); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the nomination of the prime minister and approval of the Parliament; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held on 11 and 25 May 2014 (next to be held in May 2019); prime minister appointed by the president on the approval of the Parliament; election results: :Dalia GRYBAUSKAITE reelected president; percent of vote - Dalia GRYBAUSKAITE 59%, Zigmantas BALCYTIS 41%; Algirdas BUTKEVICIUS approved by Parliament 90-40", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "litai (LTL) per US dollar -; 2.557 (2014 est.); 2.6008 (2013 est.); 2.69 (2012 est.); 2.481 (2011 est.); 2.6063 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Lithuanian 84.1%, Polish 6.6%, Russian 5.8%, Belarusian 1.2%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.2% (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "11.55 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted by referendum 25 October 1992, entered into force 2 November 1992; amended 2003 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Russia 29.4%, Germany 10.4%, Poland 9.5%, Latvia 6.2%, Netherlands 5.2% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "90 km", "CLIMATE": "transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "mineral products, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, chemicals, textiles and clothing, metals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Vilnius; geographic coordinates: :54 41 N, 25 19 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$15.68 billion; expenditures: :$16.58 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Lithuanian Armed Forces (Lietuvos Ginkluotosios Pajegos): Land Forces (Sausumos Pajegos), Naval Forces (Karines Juru Pajegos), Air Forces (Karines Oro Pajegos) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "9.36 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "61 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "grain, potatoes, sugar beets, flax, vegetables; beef, milk, eggs; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "60 municipalities (savivaldybe, singular - savivaldybe); Akmene, Alytaus Miestas, Alytus, Ank�ciai, Bir�tono, Bir�ai, Druskininkai, Elektr�nai, Ignalina, Jonava, Joni�kis, Jurbarkas, Kai�iadorys, Kalvarijos, Kauno Miestas, Kaunas, Kazlu Rudos, Kedainiai, Kelme, Klaipedos Miestas, Klaipeda, Kretinga, Kupi�kis, Lazdijai, Marijampole, Ma�eikiai, Moletai, Neringa, Pag�giai, Pakruojis, Palangos Miestas, Paneve�ys, Pasvalys, Plunge, Prienai, Radvili�kis, Raseiniai, Rietavo, Roki�kis, �akiai, �alcininkai, �iauliu Miestas, �iauliai, �ilale, �ilute, �irvintos, Skuodas, �vencionys, Taurage, Tel�iai, Trakai, Ukmerge, Utena, Varena, Vilkavi�kis, Vilniaus, Vilnius, Visaginas, Zarasai", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Russia 20%, Latvia 10.1%, Estonia 7.6%, Poland 7.5%, Germany 7.2%, Belarus 5.2%, UK 5%, Netherlands 4.4% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles, foodstuffs, plastics", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :7.9%; industry: :19.6%; services: :72.5% (2012 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.6%; highest 10%: :29.1% (2008)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "4% (2008)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.97% of GDP (2012); 0.85% of GDP (2011); 0.97% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "contamination of soil and groundwater with petroleum products and chemicals at military bases", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :39; over 3,047 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :2; 36 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :22; over 3,047 m: :3; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :7; 914 to 1,523 m: :2; under 914 m: :9 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Lithuanian lands were united under MINDAUGAS in 1236; over the next century, through alliances and conquest, Lithuania extended its territory to include most of present-day Belarus and Ukraine. By the end of the 14th century Lithuania was the largest state in Europe. An alliance with Poland in 1386 led the two countries into a union through the person of a common ruler. In 1569, Lithuania and Poland formally united into a single dual state, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This entity survived until 1795 when its remnants were partitioned by surrounding countries. Lithuania regained its independence following World War I but was annexed by the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US and many other countries. On 11 March 1990, Lithuania became the first of the Soviet republics to declare its independence, but Moscow did not recognize this proclamation until September of 1991 (following the abortive coup in Moscow). The last Russian troops withdrew in 1993. Lithuania subsequently restructured its economy for integration into Western European institutions; it joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004. In January 2014, Lithuania assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2014-15 term; in January 2015, Lithuania joined the eurozone.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :20,425; female: :19,527 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :669,111; females age 16-49: :724,803 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; service obligation 1 year; Lithuania converted to a professional military in the fall of 2008, although the decision continues under judicial review (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than West Virginia", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Baltic Sea 0 m; highest point: :Aukstojas 294 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.89 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.53 male(s)/female; total population: :0.89 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "44 (may have as many as 100 transmitters, including repeater stations) (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 29, FM 142, shortwave 1 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :3.7%; industry: :28.2%; services: :68.1% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "56 00 N, 24 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :13.5% (male 243,001/female 230,674); 15-24 years: :12.5% (male 224,584/female 214,184); 25-54 years: :44.7% (male 782,238/female 785,521); 55-64 years: :12.2% (male 193,374/female 235,595); 65 years and over: :17% (male 207,222/female 389,345) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Luxembourg", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Robert MANDELL (since 25 October 2011); embassy: :22 Boulevard Emmanuel Servais, L-2535 Luxembourg City; mailing address: :American Embassy Luxembourg, Unit 1410, APO AE 09126-1410 (official mail); American Embassy Luxembourg, PSC 9, Box 9500, APO AE 09123 (personal mail); telephone: :[352; FAX: :[352", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$92,400 (2014 est.); $91,900 (2013 est.); $90,800 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.7% (2014 est.); 2.1% (2013 est.); -0.2% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.12% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$50.65 billion (2014 est.); $49.33 billion (2013 est.); $48.29 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :46.6%; youth dependency ratio: :25.6%; elderly dependency ratio: :21%; potential support ratio: :4.8% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "23.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 23.7% of GDP (2013 est.); 27.2% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :31.3%; government consumption: :17.1%; investment in fixed capital: :18.6%; investment in inventories: :1.6%; exports of goods and services: :174.5%; imports of goods and services: :-143.1%; (2014 est.)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "30.2; note: :data are based on events and not on fertility rates (2012 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "11.69 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "1.03 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "1.034 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "4 million cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "56,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "52 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "59,010 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "17.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "5.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "76.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "1.74 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "6.889 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "1.907 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "6.37 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "2.211 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "lion; national colors: red, white, light blue", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :18.8%; male: :18.9%; female: :18.6% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "26% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "5.4 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.82 physicians/1,000 population (2012)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.9% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "20 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "0.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "43.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "LUXEMBOURG (capital) 107,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Ons Heemecht\" (Our Motherland); \"De Wilhelmus\" (The William); lyrics/music: :Michel LENTZ/Jean-Antoine ZINNEN; Nikolaus WELTER/unknown; note: :\"Ons Heemecht,\" adopted 1864, is the national anthem, while \"De Wilhelmus,\" adopted 1919, serves as a royal anthem for use when members of the grand ducal family enter or exit a ceremony in Luxembourg", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$265.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $276.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$209.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $207.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.); note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "Luxembourg has a long tradition of operating radio and TV services to pan-European audiences and is home to Europe's largest privately owned broadcast media group, the RTL group, which operates 46 TV stations and 29 radio stations in Europe; also home to Europe's largest satellite operator, Societe Europeenne des Satellites (SES); domestically, the RTL group operates TV and radio networks; other domestic private radio and TV operators and French and German stations available; satellite and cable TV services available (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :89.9% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.71% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$99.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $101.4 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$NA; note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi money circulating within their own borders", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.75% (31 December 2013); 1.5% (31 December 2010); note: :this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.7% of GDP (2001)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :14 years; male: :14 years; female: :14 years (2010)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.06 cu km/yr (65%/33%/1%); per capita: :135.9 cu m/yr (2010)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "3.1 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$70.34 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $67.63 billion (31 December 2011); $101.1 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$NA; $11.21 billion (31 December 2008 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$63.93 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :177 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$963 million (31 December 2013 est.); $963 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$2.7 billion (2014 est.); $3.161 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "23.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 23.1% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "250,900 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :39.6 years; male: :38.5 years; female: :40.7 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "30.4 (2013 est.); 26 (2005 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".lu", "INTERNET_USERS": "424,500 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "761,300 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "266,700 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Jean-Louis WOLZFELD (since 11 September 2012); chancery: :2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :New York, San Francisco", "AREA": "total: :2,586 sq km; land: :2,586 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Western Europe, between France and Germany", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Grand Duchy of Luxembourg; conventional short form: :Luxembourg; local long form: :Grand Duche de Luxembourg; local short form: :Luxembourg", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "7.1% (2014 est.); 6.9% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional monarchy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.77 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallow valleys; uplands to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope down to Moselle flood plain in the southeast", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :highly developed, completely automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables; domestic: :fixed line teledensity over 50 per 100 persons; nationwide mobile-cellular telephone system with market for mobile-cellular phones virtually saturated; international: :country code - 352 (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal and compulsory", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 87%, other (includes Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 13% (2000)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :275 km; standard gauge: :275 km 1.435-m gauge (243 km electrified) (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "river port(s): :Mertert (Moselle)", "POPULATION": "520,672 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alternative Democratic Reform Party or ADR [Jean SCHOOS; Christian Social People's Party or CSV [Michel WOLTER; Democratic Party or DP [Xavier BETTEL; Green Party [Sam TANSON and Christian KMIOTEK; Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party or LSAP [Alex BODRY; The Left (dei Lenk/la Gauche) [Serge URBANY; other minor parties", "PIPELINES": "gas 142 km; refined products 27 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "This small, stable, high-income economy has historically featured solid growth, low inflation, and low unemployment. The industrial sector, initially dominated by steel, has become increasingly diversified to include chemicals, rubber, automobile components, and other products. The financial sector, which now accounts for about 36% of GDP, is the leading sector in the economy. The economy depends on foreign and cross-border workers for about 40% of its labor force. Luxembourg experienced uneven economic growth the aftermath of the global economic crisis that began in late 2008. Luxembourg's GDP contracted 3.6% in 2009, rebounded in 2010-12, fell again in 2013, but recovered in 2014. Unemployment has trended below the EU average, and the country continues to enjoy an extraordinarily high standard of living - GDP per capita ranks among the highest in the world, and is the highest in the euro zone. Luxembourg has one of the highest current account surpluses as a share of GDP in the euro zone, and it maintains a healthy budgetary position and the lowest public debt levels in the region. Luxembourg has lost some of its advantage as a favorable tax location because of OECD and EU pressure. In 2015 the government�s compliance with EU requirements to end bank secrecy and facilitate sharing of tax information could discourage financial activity and dampen GDP growth. Likewise, changes to the way EU members collect taxes from e-commerce activity threatens to undercut Luxembourg�s tax revenues, and could require the government to raise additional levies on other activities to compensate.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "ABBL (bankers' association) [Ernst Wilhelm CONTZEN; ALEBA (financial sector trade union) [Marc GLESENER; Centrale Paysanne (federation of agricultural producers) [Marc FISCH; CEP (professional sector chamber) [Stephane LIA; CGFP (trade union representing civil service) [Joseph DALEIDEN; Chamber of Artisans (Chambre des Metiers) [Roland KUHN; Chamber of Commerce (Chambre de Commerce) [Carlo THELEN; FEDIL (federation of industrialists) [Nicolas SOISSON; Greenpeace (environment protection) [Kumi NAIDOO; LCGP (center-right trade union) [Patrick DURY; Mouvement Ecologique (environment protection) [Blanche WEBER; OGBL (center-left trade union) [Jean-Claude REDING", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; the only Grand Duchy in the world", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "7.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "iron ore (no longer exploited), arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Luxembourger(s); adjective: :Luxembourg", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "National Day (birthday of Grand Duchess Charlotte) 23 June; note - the actual date of birth was 23 January 1896, but the festivities were shifted by five months to allow observance during a more favorable time of year", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :49; by type: :bulk carrier 2, cargo 3, chemical tanker 20, container 10, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 12; foreign-owned: :48 (Belgium 11, Denmark 1, France 15, Germany 9, Japan 3, Netherlands 3, Switzerland 1, UK 5); registered in other countries: :18 (Italy 14, Malta 3, Panama 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB (nonregional member), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :118,665; females age 16-49: :117,456 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :80.01 years; male: :76.77 years; female: :83.46 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (60 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - a 21-member Council of State appointed by the Grand Duke on the advice of the prime minister serves as an advisory body to the Chamber of Deputies; elections: :last held on 20 October 2013 (next to be held by June 2018); election results: :percent of vote by party - CSV 33.7%, LSAP 20.3%, DP 18.3%, Green Party 10.1%, ADR 6.6%, The Left 4.5%, other 6.1%; seats by party - CSV 23, LSAP 13, DP 13, Green Party 6, ADR 3, The Left 2", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system", "LANGUAGES": "Luxembourgish (official administrative language and national language (spoken vernacular)) 88.8%, French (official administrative language) 4.2%, Portuguese 2.3%, German (official administrative language) 1.1%, other 3.5% (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :24.15%; permanent crops: :0.61%; other: :75.24% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :327 km; border countries: :Belgium 130 km, France 69 km, Germany 128 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "253,600; note: :data exclude foreign workers; in addition to the figure for domestic labor force, about 150,000 workers commute daily from France, Belgium, and Germany (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Superior Court of Justice includes Court of Appeal and Court of Cassation (consists of 27 judges on 9 benches); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members); judge selection and term of office: :judges of both courts appointed by the monarch for life; subordinate courts: :district and local tribunals and courts", "WATERWAYS": "37 km (on Moselle River) (2010)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.8% (2014 est.); 1.7% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :4.28 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :4.32 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :4.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "banking and financial services, iron and steel, information technology, telecommunications, cargo transportation, food processing, chemicals, metal products, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum, tourism, biotechnology, logistics", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.4% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1839 (from the Netherlands)", "IMPORTS": "$27.92 billion (2014 est.); $25.34 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :2,899 km; paved: :2,899 km (includes 152 km of expressways) (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and light blue; similar to the flag of the Netherlands, which uses a darker blue and is shorter; the coloring is derived from the Grand Duke's coat of arms (a red lion on a white and blue striped field)", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$2.935 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); $2.084 trillion (31 December 2011)", "EXPORTS": "$18.9 billion (2014 est.); $16.98 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Grand Duke HENRI (since 7 October 2000); Heir Apparent Prince GUILLAUME (son of the monarch, born 11 November 1981); head of government: :Prime Minister Xavier BETTEL (since 4 December 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Etienne SCHNEIDER (since 4 December 2013); cabinet: :Council of Ministers recommended by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; following popular elections to the Chamber of Deputies, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; the deputy prime minister appointed by the monarch; the prime minister and deputy prime minister are responsible to the Chamber of Deputies; note: :government coalition - DP, LSAP, and the Green Party (first time since 1979 that the CSV is in opposition)", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.78 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Luxembourger 57%, Portuguese 16.1%, French 6.1%, Italian 3.5%, Belgian 3.3%, German 2.4%, British 1.1%, other 10.5%; note: :represents composition by citizenship (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "8.53 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1842 (heavily amended 1848, 1856); latest effective 17 October 1968; amended many times, last in 2008 (2008)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Belgium 31.5%, Germany 24.3%, France 10.9%, US 8.3%, China 6.4%, Netherlands 4.6% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "modified continental with mild winters, cool summers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "minerals, metals, foodstuffs, luxury consumer goods", "CAPITAL": "name: :Luxembourg; geographic coordinates: :49 36 N, 6 07 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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$27.95 billion; expenditures: :$27.82 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Luxembourg Army (L'Armee Luxembourgeoises) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "11.75 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "2 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "grapes, barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits; dairy and livestock products", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 22.6%, France 15.9%, Belgium 15.8%, Italy 7.3%, Switzerland 4.5% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :1.1%; industry: :20%; services: :78.9% (2013 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.5%; highest 10%: :23.8% (2000)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.6% of GDP (2012); 0.61% of GDP (2011); 0.6% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Environmental Modification", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air and water pollution in urban areas, soil pollution of farmland", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; over 3,047 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Founded in 963, Luxembourg became a grand duchy in 1815 and an independent state under the Netherlands. It lost more than half of its territory to Belgium in 1839 but gained a larger measure of autonomy. Full independence was attained in 1867. Overrun by Germany in both world wars, it ended its neutrality in 1948 when it entered into the Benelux Customs Union and when it joined NATO the following year. In 1957, Luxembourg became one of the six founding countries of the European Economic Community (later the European Union), and in 1999 it joined the euro currency area.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :3,263; female: :3,084 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :97,290; females age 16-49: :96,361 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-24 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; Luxembourg citizen or EU citizen with 3-year residence in Luxembourg (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Rhode Island", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Moselle River 133 m; highest point: :Buurgplaatz 559 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.07 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.71 male(s)/female; total population: :0.97 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "5 (1999)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :0.3%; industry: :12%; services: :87.7% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "49 45 N, 6 10 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :17.9% (male 47,968/female 45,100); 15-24 years: :12.7% (male 33,657/female 32,212); 25-54 years: :42.1% (male 109,528/female 109,662); 55-64 years: :12% (male 31,076/female 31,212); 65 years and over: :15.4% (male 33,892/female 46,365) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Macau", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "the US has no offices in Macau; US Consulate General in Hong Kong is accredited to Macau", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "special administrative region of the People's Republic of China", "AFFILIATION": "(special administrative region of China)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$88,700 (2013 est.); $79,900 (2010 est.); $73,900 (2009 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "11.9% (2013 est.); 9.1% (2012 est.); 21.3% (2011 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.83% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$51.68 billion (2013 est.); $46.19 billion (2012 est.); $42.34 billion (2011 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :26.6%; youth dependency ratio: :15.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :10.8%; potential support ratio: :9.2% (2014 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :18.5%; government consumption: :6.5%; investment in fixed capital: :16.7%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :101.7%; imports of goods and services: :-43.4%; (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "1.694 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "371,000 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "355,000 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "5,780 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "11,600 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "472,000 kW (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "3.855 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "4.291 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "413.7 million kWh (2013 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "lotus blossom; national colors: green, white, yellow", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :5.8%; male: :7%; female: :4.7% (2011 est.)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "35.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "45.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "note: :as a Special Administrative Region of China, \"Yiyongjun Jinxingqu\" is the official anthem (see China)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$64.67 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $55.29 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$7.17 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $7.35 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "local government dominates broadcast media; 2 television stations operated by the government with one broadcasting in Portuguese and the other in Cantonese and Mandarin; 1 cable TV and 4 satellite TV services available; 3 radio stations broadcasting, of which 2 are government-operated (2012)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :100% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.78% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$-4.956 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $-5.517 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$22.68 billion (31 December 2009 est.); $22.15 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$4.55 billion (31 December 2009); $3.09 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "5.3% (31 December 2014 est.); 5.25% (31 December 2013 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.7% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :14 years; male: :15 years; female: :14 years (2008)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$85.5 billion (2 March 2012 est.); $46.1 billion (31 February 2011); $2.3 billion (31 December 2008 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$1.166 billion (2012 est.); $667.8 million (2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$18.91 billion (31 December 2011 est.); $14.91 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$51.68 billion (2013 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$16.15 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $16.15 billion (31 December 2013 est.); note: :the Fiscal Reserves Act that came into force on 1 January 2012 requires the fiscal reserve to be separated from the foreign exchange reserves and to be managed separately; the transfer of assets took place in February 2012", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$20.77 billion (2013 est.); $17.39 billion (2012 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "327 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :37.7 years; male: :38.3 years; female: :37.3 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "35 (2013); 38 (2008)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".mo", "INTERNET_USERS": "270,200 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "1.613 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "162,500 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (Special Administrative Region of China)", "AREA": "total: :28.2 sq km; land: :28.2 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA; note - included in the total for China", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Southeast Asia", "LOCATION": "Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Macau Special Administrative Region; conventional short form: :Macau; official long form: :Aomen Tebie Xingzhengqu (Chinese); Regiao Administrativa Especial de Macau (Portuguese); official short form: :Aomen (Chinese); Macau (Portuguese)", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of China", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "1.9% (2013 est.); 1.9% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "limited democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "0.93 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "generally flat", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :fairly modern communication facilities maintained for domestic and international services; domestic: :termination of monopoly over mobile-cellular telephone services in 2001 spurred sharp increase in subscriptions with mobile-cellular teledensity exceeding 200 per 100 persons; fixed-line subscribership appears to have peaked and is now in decline; international: :country code - 853; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; HF radiotelephone communication facility; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age in direct elections for some legislative positions, universal for permanent residents living in Macau for the past seven years; note - indirect elections are limited to organizations registered as \"corporate voters\" (973 were registered in the 2009 legislative elections) and a 400-member Election Committee for the Chief Executive drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, central government bodies, and elected Macau officials", "RELIGIONS": "Buddhist 50%, Roman Catholic 15%, none or other 35% (1997 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Macau", "POPULATION": "587,914; note: :Macau's statistical agency estimated the total population to be approximately 607,500 as of 31 December 2013 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alliance for Change or APM [Melinda CHAN Mei-yi; Macau-Guangdong Union or UMG [MAK Soi-kun; New Democratic Macau Association or ANMD (an electoral list of the New Macau Association); New Hope or NE [Jose Maria Pereira COUTINHO; New Macau Association or ANM [Sulu SOU Ka-hou; New Union for Macau's Development or NUDM [Angela LEONG On-kei; Prosperous Democratic Macau Association or APMD (an electoral list of the New Macau Association); Union for Development or UPD [KWAN Tsui-hang; Union for Promoting Progress or UPP [HO Ion-sang; United Citizens Association of Macau or ACUM [CHAN Meng-kam; note: :there is no political party ordinance, so there are no registered political parties; politically active groups register as societies or companies", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Since opening up its locally-controlled casino industry to foreign competition in 2001, Macau has attracted tens of billions of dollars in foreign investment, transforming the territory into one of the world's largest gaming centers. Macau's gaming and tourism businesses were fueled by China's decision to relax travel restrictions on Chinese citizens wishing to visit Macau. Through October 2014, Macau's gaming-related taxes accounted for more than 88% of total government revenue. Macau's economy slowed dramatically in 2009 as a result of the global economic slowdown, but strong growth resumed in 2010-13, largely on the back of tourism from mainland China and the gaming sectors. In 2013, this city of 607,500 hosted nearly 29.3 million visitors. Almost 64% came from mainland China. Macau's traditional manufacturing industry has slowed greatly since the termination of the Multi-Fiber Agreement in 2005. Services export�primarily gaming�increasingly has driven Macau�s economic performance. Mainland China�s ongoing anti-corruption campaign has brought Macau�s gambling boom to a halt, with spending in casinos contracting 7.1% in the third quarter of 2014. As a result, Macau's inflation-adjusted GDP through September 2014 grew 6% from the same period in 2013, down from double-digit expansion rates in 2010-13. Non-inflation adjusted exports of goods and services grew 7.3% from 2013, reflecting the slowdown in gaming exports. Macau continues to face the challenges of managing its growing casino industry, risks from money-laundering activities, and the need to diversify the economy away from heavy dependence on gaming revenues. Macau's currency, the pataca, is closely tied to the Hong Kong dollar, which is also freely accepted in the territory.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Bar-Bending Workers' Association [WONG Wai-Man; Civic Power [Agnes LAM lok-fong; Democratic Action [LEE Kin-yun; Macau New Chinese Youth Association [LEONG Sin-man; Macau Worker's Union [HO Heng-kuok; New Macau Association [Antonio NG Kuok-cheong; Workers' Self-Help Union [CHEONG Weng-fat", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "essentially urban; an area of land reclaimed from the sea measuring 5.2 sq km and known as Cotai now connects the islands of Coloane and Taipa; the island area is connected to the mainland peninsula by three bridges", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "3.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "NEGL", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Chinese; adjective: :Chinese", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "National Day (anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949); note - 20 December 1999 is celebrated as Macau Special Administrative Region Establishment Day", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ICC (national committees), IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), ISO (correspondent), UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "not specified", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :150,780 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :95.6%; male: :97.8%; female: :93.7% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :84.48 years; male: :81.52 years; female: :87.59 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Legislative Council or Regiao Administrativa Especial de Macau (33 seats; 14 members directly elected by proportional representation vote, 12 indirectly elected by an electoral college of professional and commercial interest groups, and 7 appointed by the chief executive; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 15 September 2013 (next to be held in September 2017); election results: :percent of vote - ACUM 18.0%, UMG 11.1%, UPP 10.8%, NE 9.0%, NUDM 8.9%, UPD 8.2%, APMD 7.5%, ANMD 6.0%, APM 6.0%, other 14.5%; seats by political group - ACUM 3, UMG 2, UPP 2, NE 2, NUDM 1, UPD 1, APMD 1, ANMD 1, APM 1; 12 seats filled by professional and business groups; 7 members appointed by the chief executive", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system based on the Portuguese model", "LANGUAGES": "Cantonese 83.3%, Mandarin 5%, Hokkien 3.7%, English 2.3%, other Chinese dialects 2%, Tagalog 1.7%, Portuguese 0.7%, other 1.3%; note: :Chinese and Portuguese are official languages (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :3 km; regional border: :China 3 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "367,800 (2013 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Court of Final Appeal of Macau Special Administrative Region (consists of the court president and 2 associate justices); judge selection and term of office: :justices appointed by the Macau chief executive upon the recommendation of an independent commission of judges, lawyers, and \"eminent\" persons; judge tenure NA; subordinate courts: :Court of Second Instance; Court of First instance; Lower Court; Administrative Court", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "6% (2014 est.); 5.5% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :3.13 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :3.29 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :2.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, gambling, clothing, textiles, electronics, footwear, toys", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "10% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (special administrative region of China)", "IMPORTS": "$10.13 billion (2013 est.); $8.866 billion (2012 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transshipment point for drugs going into mainland China; consumer of opiates and amphetamines", "ROADWAYS": "total: :413 km; paved: :413 km (2009)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "green with a lotus flower above a stylized bridge and water in white, beneath an arc of five gold, five-pointed stars: one large in the center of the arc and two smaller on either side; the lotus is the floral emblem of Macau, the three petals represent the peninsula and two islands that make up Macau; the five stars echo those on the flag of China", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$0 (31 December 2013); $0 (31 December 2012)", "EXPORTS": "$1.137 billion (2013 est.); $1.384 billion (2012 est.); note: :includes reexports", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President of China XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013); head of government: :Chief Executive Fernando CHUI Sai On (since 20 December 2009); cabinet: :Executive Council consists of 11 members selected by the Chief Executive, including business leaders, legislators, and a professional; elections: :chief executive chosen by a 400-member Election Committee for a five-year term (chief executive is eligible to serve for up to two consecutive terms); election last held on 31 August 2014 (next to be held in August 2019); note: :the Legislative Assembly voted in August 2012 to expand the electoral committee from 300 to 400 seats for the 2014 election.; election results: :Fernando CHUI Sai On was reelected with 380 votes; he was sworn in on 20 December 2014", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "patacas (MOP) per US dollar -; 7.99 (2014 est.); 7.9893 (2013 est.); 7.99 (2012 est.); 8.0182 (2011 est.); 8.0022 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Chinese 92.4%, Portuguese 0.6%, mixed 1.1%, other 5.9% (includes Macanese - mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry) (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "4.1 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1976 (Organic Statute of Macau, by Portugal); latest adopted 31 March 1993, effective 20 December 1999 (Basic Law of the Macau Special Administrative Region, by the People's Republic of China, serves as Macau's constitution) (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 53.8%, Hong Kong 21.4%, France 14.2%, Japan 9.7%, United States 8.3%, Germany 4.1% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "41 km", "CLIMATE": "subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "raw materials and semi-manufactured goods, consumer goods (foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco, garments and footwear, motor vehicles), capital goods, mineral fuels and oils", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$23.3 billion; expenditures: :$4.931 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular indigenous military forces", "BIRTH_RATE": "8.98 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "only 2% of land area is cultivated, mainly by vegetable growers; fishing, mostly for crustaceans, is important; some of the catch is exported to Hong Kong", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (special administrative region of the People's Republic of China)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Hong Kong 53.4%, China 17.6%, United States 4% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "clothing, textiles, footwear, toys, electronics, machinery and parts", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "manufacturing: :2.5%; construction: :9.8%; transport and communications: :4.4%; wholesale and retail trade: :12.4%; restaurants and hotels: :15%; gambling: :25.9%; public sector: :7.1%; financial services: :2.6%; other services: :20.3% (2013 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member)", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; over 3,047 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Colonized by the Portuguese in the 16th century, Macau was the first European settlement in the Far East. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and Portugal on 13 April 1987, Macau became the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China on 20 December 1999. In this agreement, China promised that, under its \"one country, two systems\" formula, China's political and economic system would not be imposed on Macau, and that Macau would enjoy a \"high degree of autonomy\" in all matters except foreign affairs and defense for the subsequent 50 years.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :4,274; female: :3,674 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :124,189; females age 16-49: :149,514 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "less than one-sixth the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "typhoons", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :South China Sea 0 m; highest point: :Coloane Alto 172 m", "HELIPORTS": "2 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.1 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.08 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.81 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.91 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.88 male(s)/female; total population: :0.91 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (2009)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :0%; industry: :5.9%; services: :94.1% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "22 10 N, 113 33 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :14.4% (male 44,350/female 40,272); 15-24 years: :13.7% (male 41,941/female 38,697); 25-54 years: :50.9% (male 133,612/female 165,735); 55-64 years: :11.8% (male 35,011/female 34,372); 65 years and over: :9.2% (male 25,254/female 28,670) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Macedonia", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Jess L. BAILY (since 12 February 2015); embassy: :Str. Samolilova, Nr. 21, 1000 Skopje; mailing address: :American Embassy Skopje, US Department of State, 7120 Skopje Place, Washington, DC 20521-7120 (pouch); telephone: :[389; FAX: :[389", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$13,200 (2014 est.); $12,800 (2013 est.); $12,500 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.4% (2014 est.); 2.9% (2013 est.); -0.4% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.21% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$27.41 billion (2014 est.); $26.51 billion (2013 est.); $25.76 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars; Macedonia has a large informal sector that may not be reflected in these data", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :41.2%; youth dependency ratio: :23.4%; elderly dependency ratio: :17.8%; potential support ratio: :5.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "21.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 22.3% of GDP (2013 est.); 26.4% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :78.1%; government consumption: :17.1%; investment in fixed capital: :22.6%; investment in inventories: :1.6%; exports of goods and services: :56.2%; imports of goods and services: :-75.6%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "40.2% (2011)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "26.2 (2011 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :16,782; percentage: :6% (2005 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "8.084 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "158.6 million cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2013)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "158.6 million cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2013)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "8,157 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "6,750 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "16,670 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "17,030 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "51,510 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2013)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "50 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0.4% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "33.2% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "66.4% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "1.953 million kW (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "2.676 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "62.36 million kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "6.989 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "5.676 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "eight-rayed sun; national colors: red, yellow", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :53.9%; male: :55.2%; female: :51.7% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "21.1% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "4.5 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.624 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "7.1% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "1.3% (2011)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "10 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-4.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "30.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "SKOPJE (capital) 501,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Denes Nad Makedonija\" (Today Over Macedonia); lyrics/music: :Vlado MALESKI/Todor SKALOVSKI; note: :adopted 1991; written in 1943, the song previously served as the anthem of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia while part of Yugoslavia", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 97.2% of population; rural: 82.8% of population; total: 91.4% of population; urban: 2.8% of population; rural: 17.2% of population; total: 8.6% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.8% of population; rural: 98.8% of population; total: 99.4% of population; urban: 0.2% of population; rural: 1.2% of population; total: 0.6% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$6.286 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $5.708 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$1.568 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.569 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "public TV broadcaster operates 3 national channels and a satellite network; 5 privately owned TV channels broadcast nationally using terrestrial transmitters and about 15 broadcast on national level via satellite; roughly 75 local commercial TV stations; large number of cable operators offering domestic and international programming; public radio broadcaster operates over multiple stations; 3 privately owned radio stations broadcast nationally; about 70 local commercial radio stations (2012)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :57% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.11% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$5.768 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.552 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$3.132 billion (31 December 2009); $3.254 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$1.224 billion (31 December 2009); $1.307 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "8.2% (31 December 2014 est.); 8.04% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "3.25% (31 December 2013); 3.75% (31 December 2012); note: :series discontinued in January 2010; the discount rate has been replaced by a referent rate for calculating the penalty rate", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :13 years; male: :13 years; female: :14 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :1.03 cu km/yr (21%/67%/12%); per capita: :502 cu m/yr (2007)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "6.4 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$2.214 billion (31 December 2013); $2.423 billion (31 December 2012); $2.495 billion (31 December 2011)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$758 million (31 December 2014 est.); $744 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$156.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $144 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$10.92 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :819 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$2.869 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.747 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$332.8 million (2014 est.); -$194.9 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "34% of GDP (2014 est.); 33.1% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :official data from Ministry of Finance; data cover central government debt; this data excludes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; includes treasury debt held by foreign entitites; excludes debt issued by sub-national entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; there are no debt instruments sold for social funds", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "62,826 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :36.8 years; male: :35.7 years; female: :37.9 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "39.2 (2011); 43.2 (2009)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "fewer than 100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "200 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.01% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".mk", "INTERNET_USERS": "1.057 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "2.235 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "407,900 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Vasko NAUMOVSKI (since 18 November 2014); chancery: :2129 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Chicago, Detroit, New York", "AREA": "total: :25,713 sq km; land: :25,433 sq km; water: :280 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1,278 sq km (2004)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Europe, north of Greece", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Macedonia; conventional short form: :Macedonia; local long form: :Republika Makedonija; local short form: :Makedonija; note: :the provisional designation used by the UN, EU, and NATO is the \"former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia\" (FYROM); former: :People's Republic of Macedonia, Socialist Republic of Macedonia", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "28% (2014 est.); 29% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.59 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mountainous territory covered with deep basins and valleys; three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line; country bisected by the Vardar River", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :competition from the mobile-cellular segment of the telecommunications market has led to a drop in fixed-line telephone subscriptions; domestic: :combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership about 130 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 389 (2012)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Macedonian Orthodox 64.8%, Muslim 33.3%, other Christian 0.4%, other and unspecified 1.5% (2002 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :699 km; standard gauge: :699 km 1.435-m gauge (234 km electrified) (2012)", "POPULATION": "2,091,719 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alliance for Positive Macedonia or APM [Ljupco ZIKOV; Citizens Option for Macedonia or GROM [Stevco JAKIMOVSKI; Democratic Party of Albanians or DPA [Menduh THACI; Democratic Union for Integration or DUI [Ali AHMETI; Dosoinstvo (Diginity) [Stojance ANGELOV; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity or VMRO-DPMNE [Nikola GRUEVSKI; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - People's Party or VMRO-NP [Ljubco GEORGIEVSKI; National Democratic Revival or NDR [Rufi OSMANI; Party for a European Future or PEI [Fijat CANOSKI; Party for Democratic Prosperity [Abdyladi VEJSELI; Social Democratic Union of Macedonia or SDSM [Zoran ZAEV", "PIPELINES": "gas 268 km; oil 120 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Since its independence in 1991, Macedonia has made progress in liberalizing its economy and improving its business environment, but has lagged the Balkan region in attracting foreign investment and corruption remains a significant problem. Unemployment has remained consistently high at more than 30% since 2008, but may be overstated based on the existence of an extensive gray market, estimated to be between 20% and 45% of GDP, that is not captured by official statistics. Macedonia�s economy is closely linked to Europe as a customer for exports and source of investment, and has suffered as a result of prolonged weakness in the euro zone. Macedonia maintained macroeconomic stability through the global financial crisis by conducting prudent monetary policy, which keeps the domestic currency pegged against the euro, and by limiting fiscal deficits. The government has been loosening fiscal policy, however, and the budget deficit reached 4.2% of GDP in 2013. Macedonia�s government will face a growing debt in 2015, which although low by regional comparison, is significant for a small economy.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Federation of Free Trade Unions [Mirjana ANDREVSKA; Federation of Trade Unions [Zivko MITREVSKI; Trade Union of Education, Science and Culture [Jakim NEDELKOV", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; major transportation corridor from Western and Central Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "low-grade iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, manganese, nickel, tungsten, gold, silver, asbestos, gypsum, timber, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Macedonian(s); adjective: :Macedonian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 8 September (1991); also known as National Day", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "BIS, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EU (candidate country), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :532,196; females age 16-49: :511,964 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :97.5%; male: :98.7%; female: :96.3% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :75.8 years; male: :73.23 years; female: :78.56 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Assembly or Sobranie (123 seats; 120 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 3 directly elected in diaspora constituencies worldwide by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 27 April 2014 (next to be held in April 2019); election results: :percent of vote by party - VMRO-DPMNE 43.0%, SDSM 25.3%, DUI 13.7%, DPA 5.9%, GROM 2.8%, NDR 1.6%, other 4.3%, invalid 3.4%; seats by party - VMRO-DPMNE 61, SDSM 34, DUI 19, DPA 7, GROM 1, NDR 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts", "LANGUAGES": "Macedonian (official) 66.5%, Albanian (official) 25.1%, Turkish 3.5%, Roma 1.9%, Serbian 1.2%, other 1.8% (2002 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :16.42%; permanent crops: :1.43%; other: :82.16% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :838 km; border countries: :Albania 181 km, Bulgaria 162 km, Greece 234 km, Kosovo 160 km, Serbia 101 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "959,300 (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consist of NA judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges nominated by the Judicial Council, a 7-member body of legal professionals, and appointed by the Assembly; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the legislature for nonrenewable, 9-year terms; subordinate courts: :Courts of Appeal; Basic Courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "-0.2% (2014 est.); 2.8% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :7.9 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :8.16 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :7.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, iron, steel, cement, energy, pharmaceuticals", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.1% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "8 September 1991 (referendum by registered voters endorsed independence from Yugoslavia)", "IMPORTS": "$6.091 billion (2014 est.); $5.634 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :14,038 km (includes 259 km of expressways); paved: :9,489 km; unpaved: :4,549 km (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "a yellow sun (the Sun of Liberty) with eight broadening rays extending to the edges of the red field; the red and yellow colors have long been associated with Macedonia", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$7.461 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $7.18 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$3.421 billion (2014 est.); $3.167 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Gjorge IVANOV (since 12 May 2009); head of government: :Prime Minister Nikola GRUEVSKI (since 26 August 2006); cabinet: :Council of Ministers elected by the majority vote of all the deputies in the Assembly; note - current cabinet formed by the government coalition parties VMRO-DPMNE, DUI, and several small parties; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); two-round election: first round held on 13 April 2014, second round held on 27 April 2014; prime minister elected by the Assembly following legislative elections; the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually elected prime minister; election results: :Gjorge IVANOV reelected president in second-round; percent of vote - Gjorge IVANOV 55.3%, Stevo PENDAROVSKI 41.1%; note - 13 April 2014 first round results - Gjorge IVANOV 51.7%, Stevo PENDAROVSKI 37.5%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Macedonian denars (MKD) per US dollar -; 45.52 (2014 est.); 46.395 (2013 est.); 47.89 (2012 est.); 44.231 (2011 est.); 46.485 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Macedonian 64.2%, Albanian 25.2%, Turkish 3.9%, Roma (Gypsy) 2.7%, Serb 1.8%, other 2.2% (2002 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "9.04 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991; amended several times, last in 2011 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Greece 16.8%, Germany 12.5%, UK 11.3%, Serbia 9.8%, Bulgaria 7.8%, Italy 4.8%, Turkey 4.6% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "warm, dry summers and autumns; relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, automobiles, chemicals, fuels, food products", "CAPITAL": "name: :Skopje; geographic coordinates: :42 00 N, 21 26 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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$3.272 billion; expenditures: :$3.687 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Army of the Republic of Macedonia (ARM; includes General Staff and subordinate Joint Operational Command, Training and Doctrine Command, Special Operations Regiment) (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "11.64 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "10 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "grapes, tobacco, vegetables, fruits; milk, eggs", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "71 municipalities (opstini, singular - opstina); Aracinovo, Berovo, Bitola, Bogdanci, Bogovinje, Bosilovo, Brvenica, Caska, Centar Zupa, Cesinovo-Oblesevo, Cucer Sandevo, Debar, Debarca, Delcevo, Demir Hisar, Demir Kapija, Dojran, Dolneni, Gevgelija, Gostivar, Grad Skopje, Gradsko, Ilinden, Jegunovce, Karbinci, Kavadarci, Kicevo, Kocani, Konce, Kratovo, Kriva Palanka, Krivogastani, Krusevo, Kumanovo, Lipkovo, Lozovo, Makedonska Kamenica, Makedonski Brod, Mavrovo i Rostusa, Mogila, Negotino, Novaci, Novo Selo, Ohrid, Pehcevo, Petrovec, Plasnica, Prilep, Probistip, Radovis, Rankovce, Resen, Rosoman, Sopiste, Staro Nagoricane, Stip, Struga, Strumica, Studenicani, Sveti Nikole, Tearce, Tetovo, Valandovo, Vasilevo, Veles, Vevcani, Vinica, Vrapciste, Zelenikovo, Zelino, Zrnovci", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 32.7%, Kosovo 12.5%, Italy 6.3%, Bulgaria 6.1%, Serbia 5.6%, Greece 4.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco; textiles, miscellaneous manufactures, iron, steel; automotive parts", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :18.8%; industry: :27.5%; services: :53.7% (31 September 2013 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.2%; highest 10%: :34.5% (2009 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "30.4% (2011)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.12% of GDP (2015); 1.17% of GDP (2014); 1.14% of GDP (2013); 1.38% of GDP (2012); 1.27% of GDP (2011); 1.38% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air pollution from metallurgical plants", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :1; 1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :8; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; under 914 m: :6 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Macedonia gained its independence peacefully from Yugoslavia in 1991. Greece's objection to the new state's use of what it considered a Hellenic name and symbols delayed international recognition, which occurred under the provisional designation of \"the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.\" In 1995, Greece lifted a 20-month trade embargo and the two countries agreed to normalize relations, but the issue of the name remained unresolved and negotiations for a solution are ongoing. Since 2004, the US and over 130 other nations have recognized Macedonia by its constitutional name, Republic of Macedonia. Ethnic Albanian grievances over perceived political and economic inequities escalated into an insurgency in 2001 that eventually led to the internationally brokered Ohrid Framework Agreement, which ended the fighting and established guidelines for constitutional amendments and the creation of new laws that enhanced the rights of minorities. Although Macedonia became an EU candidate in 2005, the country still faces challenges, including fully implementing the Framework Agreement, resolving the outstanding name dispute with Greece, improving relations with Bulgaria, democratic backsliding, and stimulating economic growth and development. Macedonia's membership in NATO was blocked by Greece at the Alliance's Summit of Bucharest in 2008.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :16,144; female: :14,920 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :443,843; females age 16-49: :426,251 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2008 (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than Vermont", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "high seismic risks", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Vardar River 50 m; highest point: :Golem Korab (Maja e Korabit) 2,764 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.08 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.75 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "76 (2009)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 68, shortwave 0 (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :10.4%; industry: :26.2%; services: :63.4% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "41 50 N, 22 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :17.7% (male 191,682/female 178,510); 15-24 years: :14.1% (male 151,901/female 142,679); 25-54 years: :43.8% (male 464,392/female 451,038); 55-64 years: :12.1% (male 123,272/female 129,081); 65 years and over: :12.4% (male 111,090/female 148,074) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Madagascar", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Robert TIYAMATE (since 13 January 2015); note - also accredited to Comoros; embassy: :Lot 207A, Point Liberty, Andranoro, Antehiroka, 105 Antananarivo; mailing address: :B. P. 620, Antsahavola, Antananarivo; telephone: :[261; FAX: :[261", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$1,400 (2014 est.); $1,400 (2013 est.); $1,400 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3% (2014 est.); 2.4% (2013 est.); 2.5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.62% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$33.64 billion (2014 est.); $32.65 billion (2013 est.); $31.89 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :81.4%; youth dependency ratio: :76.3%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.1%; potential support ratio: :19.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "11.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 12.2% of GDP (2013 est.); 10.9% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :84.1%; government consumption: :13.3%; investment in fixed capital: :15.9%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :30.1%; imports of goods and services: :-43.3%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "39.9% (2008/09)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "19.4; note: :median age at first birth among women 20-24 (2008/09 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :1,827,423; percentage: :28%; note: :data represents children ages 5-17 (2007 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "2.886 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "2.01 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "12,120 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "365 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "20,140 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "25.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "74% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "512,200 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "1.246 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "1.34 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "traveller's palm, zebu; national colors: red, green, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :2.3%; male: :1.7%; female: :2.8% (2005 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "1.6% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.2 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.16 physicians/1,000 population (2007)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "4.1% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "36.8% (2004)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "240 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-3.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "21.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "ANTANANARIVO (capital) 2.487 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Ry Tanindraza nay malala o\" (Oh, Our Beloved Fatherland); lyrics/music: :Pasteur RAHAJASON/Norbert RAHARISOA; note: :adopted 1959", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 19.2% of population; rural: 11.3% of population; total: 13.9% of population; urban: 80.8% of population; rural: 88.7% of population; total: 86.1% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 78.2% of population; rural: 35.4% of population; total: 49.6% of population; urban: 21.8% of population; rural: 64.6% of population; total: 50.4% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$2.787 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.494 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$1.611 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.588 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-owned Radio Nationale Malagasy (RNM) and Television Malagasy (TVM) have an extensive national network reach; privately owned radio and TV broadcasters in cities and major towns; state-run radio dominates in rural areas; relays of 2 international broadcasters are available in Antananarivo (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :34.5% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :4.69% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$1.822 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.638 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$667.2 million (31 December 2008); $577.4 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$1.216 billion (31 December 2008); $1.161 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "61% (31 December 2014 est.); 58.98% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "5% (31 December 2010)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.7% of GDP (2012)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :10 years; male: :11 years; female: :10 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :16.5 cu km/yr (2%/1%/97%); per capita: :1,010 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "337 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$NA", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Madagascar is a source country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and women and children subjected to sex trafficking; poor Malagasy women hired as domestic workers in Lebanon, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia are vulnerable to abuse by recruitment agencies and employers; Malagasy men experience forced labor aboard Chinese-flagged fishing vessels in South Africa�s territorial waters; Malagasy children, mostly from rural areas, are subjected to domestic servitude, prostitution, forced begging, and forced labor within the country, often with the complicity of family members; child sex tourism continues to increase, especially in coastal cities, with Malagasy men being the main clients; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Madagascar does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the first seven convictions under the 2007 anti-trafficking law were secured in 2013; no government employees were investigated, despite widespread corruption and the alleged official complicity in human trafficking; authorities lacked formal procedures to identify victims among vulnerable groups and did not systematically provide or refer victims to NGOs for care; the government did not engage with the Lebanese Government regarding the protection of and legal remedies for exploited Malagasy workers but began discussions with Saudi and Kuwaiti officials (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$11.19 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "IDPs: :21,475 (floods in 2015) (2015)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria and dengue fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$1.005 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $905.1 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.625 billion (2014 est.); -$1.714 billion (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "38,392 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :19.2 years; male: :19 years; female: :19.4 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "47.5 (2001); 38.1 (1999)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "5,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "54,200 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.4% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".mg", "INTERNET_USERS": "319,900 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "8.564 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "143,700 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Velotiana Rakotoanosy RAOBELINA (since 20 June 2011); chancery: :2374 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :587,041 sq km; land: :581,540 sq km; water: :5,501 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "10,860 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Madagascar; conventional short form: :Madagascar; local long form: :Republique de Madagascar/Repoblikan'i Madagasikara; local short form: :Madagascar/Madagasikara; former: :Malagasy Republic", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA%; 3.6% (2012 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "4.28 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :system is above average for the region; Antananarivo's main telephone exchange modernized in the late 1990s, but the rest of the analogue-based telephone system is poorly developed; domestic: :combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity about 40 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 261; landing point for the EASSy, SEACOM, and LION fiber-optic submarine cable systems; satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat - Indian Ocean, 1 Intersputnik - Atlantic Ocean region) (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "indigenous beliefs 52%, Christian 41%, Muslim 7%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :854 km; narrow gauge: :854 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Antsiranana (Diego Suarez), Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara (Tulear)", "POPULATION": "23,201,926 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "AVANA Party [Jean-Louis ROBINSON; Economic Liberalism and Democratic Action for National Recovery/LEADER Fanilo or LF [Manasse ESOAVELOMANDROSO; Green Party/Parti Vert or AMHM [Sarah Georget RABEHARISOA; National Unity, Freedom, and Development or FFF [Andriamparany Benjamin RADAVIDSON; New Force for Madagascar or FIDIO [Hery RAJAONARIMAMPIANINA; Parti Hiaraka Isika or PHI [Albert Camille VITAL; Party of Andry Rajoelina or MPAR [Andry RAJOELINA; Pillar of Madagascar or AIM [Andry RAKOTOVAO; Ravlomanana Movement or MR [Marc RAVALOMANANA; Sambo Fiaran'i Noe or SFN; Union Party or Tambatra [Pety RAKOTONIAINA; Vondrona Politika Miara dia Malagasy Miara Miainga or VPM MMM [Milavonjy ANDRIASY", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "After discarding socialist economic policies in the mid-1990s, Madagascar followed a World Bank- and IMF-led policy of privatization and liberalization until the onset of a political crisis , which lasted from 2009-2013 . The free market strategy had previously placed the country on a slow and steady growth path from an extremely low starting point. Exports of apparel boomed after gaining duty-free access to the US in 2000; however, Madagascar's failure to comply with the requirements of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) led to the termination of the country's duty-free access in January 2010, a sharp fall in textile production, and a loss of more than 100,000 jobs; Madagascar regained AGOA access in January 2015 following the democratic election of a new President the previous year. Agriculture, including fishing and forestry, is a mainstay of the economy, accounting for more than one-fourth of GDP and employing roughly 80% of the population. Deforestation and erosion, aggravated by the use of firewood as the primary source of fuel, are serious concerns. Many investors remain wary of investing for fear of a return to political instability in the country and because of weaknesses in the business environment. Expansion in mining and agricultural sectors contributed to growth in 2014. International organizations and foreign donors resumed development aid to Madagascar after RAJAONARIMAMPIANINA appointed a new government in mid-2014, however full-scale assistance will require further policy reforms, particularly on addressing rampant corruption.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Committee for the Defense of Truth and Justice or KMMR; Committee for National Reconciliation or CRN [Albert ZAFY; National Council of Christian Churches or FFKM", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, rare earth elements, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Malagasy (singular and plural); adjective: :Malagasy", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 26 June (1960)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :1; by type: :cargo 1; registered in other countries: :1 (unknown 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, CD, COMESA, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or 100 nm from the 2,500-m isobath", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :4,900,729; females age 16-49: :4,909,061 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :64.5%; male: :67.4%; female: :61.6% (2009 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :65.2 years; male: :63.77 years; female: :66.67 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Antenimierampirenena (151 seats; 87 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 64 directly elected in two-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :National Assembly - last held on 20 December 2013 (next to be held in 2017); note - a power-sharing agreement in the summer of 2009 established a 15-month transition, concluding in general elections held in 2013 after repeated delays; election results: :National Assembly - percent of vote by party - MPAR 17.3%, MR 10.8%, VPM MMM 8.2%, independent and other 63.7%; seats by party - MPAR 49, MR 20, VPM MMM 13, PHI 5, other 35, independent 25, seats with delayed elections 4", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system based on the old French civil code and customary law in matters of marriage, family, and obligation", "LANGUAGES": "French (official), Malagasy (official), English", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :6.02%; permanent crops: :1.05%; other: :92.94% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "12.15 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of 11 members; addresses judicial administration issues only); High Constitutional Court or Haute Cour Constitutionnelle (consists of 9 members); note - the judiciary includes a High Court of Justice responsible for adjudicating crimes and misdemeanors by government officials including the president; judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court heads elected by the president and judiciary officials to serve single-renewable, 3-year terms; High Constitutional Court members appointed - 3 each by the president, by both legislative bodies, and by the Council of Magistrates; members serve single, 6-year terms; subordinate courts: :Courts of Appeal; provincial and city tribunals", "WATERWAYS": "600 km (432 km navigable) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "6.4% (2014 est.); 5.8% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :44.88 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :48.86 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :40.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "meat processing, seafood, soap, beer, leather, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum, tourism, mining", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "6.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "26 June 1960 (from France)", "IMPORTS": "$2.742 billion (2014 est.); $2.681 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild varieties) used mostly for domestic consumption; transshipment point for heroin", "ROADWAYS": "total: :34,476 km; paved: :5,613 km; unpaved: :28,863 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a vertical white band of the same width on hoist side; by tradition, red stands for sovereignty, green for hope, white for purity", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$3.63 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.282 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$864.8 million (2014 est.); $721.2 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Hery Martial RAJAONARIMAMPIANINA Rakotoarimanana (since 25 January 2014); head of government: :Prime Minister Jean RAVELONARIVO (since 17 January 2015); Roger Laurent Christophe KOLO, M.D. resigned 12 January 2015; cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election held in two rounds on 25 October and 20 December 2013 (next to be held in 2018); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the president; election results: :Hery RAJAONARIMAMPIANINA elected president in second round; percent of vote - Hery RAJAONARIMAMPIANINA 53.5%, Jean Louis ROBINSON 46.5%; note: :on 17 March 2009, democratically elected President Marc RAVALOMANANA stepped down handing the government over to the military, which in turn conferred the presidency on opposition leader and Antananarivo mayor Andry RAJOELINA; a power-sharing agreement established a 15-month transition period to conclude with a general election in 2010, which failed to occur; a subsequent agreement aimed for an early 2013 election - the first round was held on 25 October 2013 and the second on 20 December 2013", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Malagasy ariary (MGA) per US dollar -; 2,393.5 (2014 est.); 2,206.9 (2013 est.); 2,195 (2012 est.); 2,025.1 (2011 est.); 2,090 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Malayo-Indonesian (Merina and related Betsileo), Cotiers (mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry - Betsimisaraka, Tsimihety, Antaisaka, Sakalava), French, Indian, Creole, Comoran", "DEATH_RATE": "6.95 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1992; latest passed by referendum 17 November 2010, promulgated 11 December 2010 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 19.4%, France 11.9%, India 6.4%, South Africa 5.6%, Bahrain 4.6%, Kuwait 4.3%, Mauritius 4.2% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "4,828 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "capital goods, petroleum, consumer goods, food", "CAPITAL": "name: :Antananarivo; geographic coordinates: :18 55 S, 47 31 E; time difference: :UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$2.375 billion; expenditures: :$2.741 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "People's Armed Forces: Intervention Force, Development Force, and Aeronaval Force (navy and air); National Gendarmerie", "BIRTH_RATE": "33.12 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "83 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa, rice, cassava (manioc, tapioca), beans, bananas, peanuts; livestock products", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "6 provinces (faritany); Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "France 21.6%, US 8.6%, China 8.2%, Netherlands 5.3%, Germany 5.1%, Canada 4.9%, Belgium 4.5%, Japan 4.4%, South Africa 4.1% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "coffee, vanilla, shellfish, sugar, cotton cloth, clothing, chromite, petroleum products", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.2%; highest 10%: :34.7% (2010 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "50% (2004 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.69% of GDP (2012); 0.73% of GDP (2011); 0.69% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "soil erosion results from deforestation and overgrazing; desertification; surface water contaminated with raw sewage and other organic wastes; several endangered species of flora and fauna unique to the island", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :57; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :38; 18 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :26; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :6; 914 to 1,523 m: :16; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Formerly an independent kingdom, Madagascar became a French colony in 1896 but regained independence in 1960. During 1992-93, free presidential and National Assembly elections were held ending 17 years of single-party rule. In 1997, in the second presidential race, Didier RATSIRAKA, the leader during the 1970s and 1980s, was returned to the presidency. The 2001 presidential election was contested between the followers of Didier RATSIRAKA and Marc RAVALOMANANA, nearly causing secession of half of the country. In April 2002, the High Constitutional Court announced RAVALOMANANA the winner. RAVALOMANANA achieved a second term following a landslide victory in the generally free and fair presidential elections of 2006. In early 2009, protests over increasing restrictions on opposition press and activities resulted in RAVALOMANANA handing over power to the military, which then conferred the presidency on the mayor of Antananarivo, Andry RAJOELINA, in what amounted to a coup d'etat. Following a lengthy mediation process led by the Southern African Development Community, Madagascar held UN-supported presidential and parliamentary elections in 2013. Former de facto finance minister Hery RAJAONARIMAMPIANINA won runoff elections in December 2013 and was inaugurated in January 2014.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :248,184; female: :246,769 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :3,390,071; females age 16-49: :3,682,180 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-25 years of age for male-only voluntary military service; no conscription; service obligation is 18 months for military or equivalent civil service; 20-30 years of age for National Gendarmerie recruits and 35 years of age for those with military experience (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than twice the size of Arizona", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "periodic cyclones; drought; and locust infestation; volcanism: :Madagascar's volcanoes have not erupted in historical times", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Indian Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Maromokotro 2,876 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.83 male(s)/female; total population: :1 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (plus 36 repeaters) (2001)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 6 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :28.1%; industry: :17.4%; services: :54.5% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "20 00 S, 47 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :40.7% (male 4,765,523/female 4,685,298); 15-24 years: :20.6% (male 2,394,146/female 2,384,564); 25-54 years: :31.3% (male 3,635,506/female 3,629,204); 55-64 years: :4.2% (male 466,263/female 503,375); 65 years and over: :3.2% (male 334,533/female 403,514) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Malawi", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Virginia E. PALMER (since 5 February 2015); embassy: :16 Jomo Kenyatta Road, Lilongwe 3; mailing address: :P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe 3, Malawi; telephone: :[265; FAX: :[265", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$800 (2014 est.); $800 (2013 est.); $700 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "5.7% (2014 est.); 5.2% (2013 est.); 1.9% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.33% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$13.76 billion (2014 est.); $13.01 billion (2013 est.); $12.37 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :93.3%; youth dependency ratio: :87%; elderly dependency ratio: :6.3%; potential support ratio: :16% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "13.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 13.5% of GDP (2013 est.); 12.5% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :95%; government consumption: :11%; investment in fixed capital: :16.5%; investment in inventories: :6.6%; exports of goods and services: :28.1%; imports of goods and services: :-57.1%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "46.1% (2010)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "18.9; note: :median age at first birth among women 20-24 (2010 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :993,318; percentage: :26% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "1.91 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "6,059 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "13,040 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "200 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "99.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "0.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "301,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "1.924 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "2.069 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "lion; national colors: black, red, green", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "4.3% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.3 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.02 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "9.2% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "13.8% (2010)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "460 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "28.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "LILONGWE (capital) 867,000; Blantyre-Limbe 785,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Mulungu dalitsa Malawi\" (Oh God Bless Our Land of Malawi); lyrics/music: :Michael-Fredrick Paul SAUKA; note: :adopted 1964", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 22.3% of population; rural: 8% of population; total: 10.3% of population; urban: 77.7% of population; rural: 92% of population; total: 89.7% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 94.6% of population; rural: 83.2% of population; total: 85% of population; urban: 5.4% of population; rural: 16.8% of population; total: 15% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$1.481 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$578.5 million (31 December 2014 est.); $454.7 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "radio is the main broadcast medium; privately-owned Zodiac radio has the widest national broadcasting reach, followed by state-run radio; about a dozen private and community radio stations broadcast in cities and towns around the country; the largest TV network is government-owned, but two private TV networks now broadcast in urban areas and more plan to begin broadcasting in 2014; relays of multiple international broadcasters are available (2014)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :16.1% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.77% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$1.176 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $969.2 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$491.1 million (31 December 2008); $250.4 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$502.1 million (31 December 2008); $361.5 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "44% (31 December 2014 est.); 46% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "15% (31 December 2009); 15% (31 December 2008)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.4% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :11 years; male: :11 years; female: :11 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :1.36 cu km/yr (11%/4%/86%); per capita: :99.86 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "17.28 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$753.6 million (31 December 2012 est.); $1.384 billion (31 December 2011); $1.363 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$4.408 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "IDPs: :230,000 (floods in 2015) (2015)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria and dengue fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$469.7 million (31 December 2014 est.); $435.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.014 billion (2014 est.); -$958.4 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "48% of GDP (2014 est.); 49.6% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "1,099 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :16.3 years; male: :16.2 years; female: :16.4 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "39 (2004)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "47,800 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "1.022 million (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "10.25% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".mw", "INTERNET_USERS": "716,400 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "4.42 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "227,300 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Stephen Dick Tennyson MATENSE (since 10 September 2010); chancery: :2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :118,484 sq km; land: :94,080 sq km; water: :24,404 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "735 sq km (2006)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Southern Africa, east of Zambia, west and north of Mozambique", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Malawi; conventional short form: :Malawi; local long form: :Dziko la Malawi; local short form: :Malawi; former: :British Central African Protectorate, Nyasaland Protectorate, Nyasaland", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "multiparty democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "5.66 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :rudimentary; privatization of Malawi Telecommunications (MTL), a necessary step in bringing improvement to telecommunications services, completed in 2006; domestic: :limited fixed-line subscribership of about 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular services are expanding but network coverage is limited and is based around the main urban areas; mobile-cellular subscribership about 25 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 265; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Atlantic Ocean) (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Christian 82.6%, Muslim 13%, other 1.9%, none 2.5% (2008 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :797 km; narrow gauge: :797 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "lake port(s): :Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Chilumba", "POPULATION": "17,377,468; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alliance for Democracy or AFORD [Godfrey SHAWA; Chipani Cha Fuko or CCP [Davis KATSONGA PHIRI; Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [Peter MUTHARIKA; Malawi Congress Party or MCP [Lazarus CHAKWERA; People's Party or PP [Joyce BANDA; United Democratic Front or UDF [Atupele MULUZI", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's most densely populated and least developed countries. The economy is predominately agricultural with about 80% of the population living in rural areas. The country�s economic performance has historically been constrained by policy inconsistency, macroeconomic instability, limited connectivity to the region and the world, and poor health and education outcomes that limit labor productivity. Agriculture accounts for about one-third of GDP and 90% of export revenues. The performance of the tobacco sector is key to short-term growth as tobacco accounts for more than half of exports. The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. In 2006, Malawi was approved for relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries program. The government faces many challenges including developing a market economy, improving educational facilities, addressing environmental problems, dealing with HIV/AIDS, and satisfying foreign donors on anti-corruption efforts.. Between 2005 and 2009 Malawi�s government exhibited improved financial discipline under the guidance of Finance Minister Goodall GONDWE and signed a three year IMF Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility worth $56 million. The government announced infrastructure projects that could yield improvements, such as a new oil pipeline for better fuel access, and the potential for a waterway link through Mozambican rivers to the ocean for better transportation options. Since 2009, however, Malawi has experienced some setbacks, including a general shortage of foreign exchange, which has damaged its ability to pay for imports, and fuel shortages that hinder transportation and productivity. In October 2013, the African Development Bank, the IMF, several European countries, and the US indefinitely froze $150 million in direct budgetary support in response to a high level corruption scandal called �Cashgate,� citing a lack of trust in the government�s financial management system and civil service. Most of the frozen donor funds�which accounted for 40% of the budget�have been channeled through non-governmental organizations in the country. Investment had fallen continuously for several years, but rose 4 percentage points in 2014 to 17% of GDP. The government has failed to address barriers to investment such as unreliable power, water shortages, poor telecommunications infrastructure, and the high costs of services.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Council for NGOs in Malawi or CONGOMA (human rights, democracy, and development); Human Rights Consultative Committee or HRCC (human rights); Malawi Economic Justice Network or MEJN (pro economic growth, development, government accountability); Malawi Law Society (an umbrella organization of all lawyers in Malawi); Public Affairs Committee or PAC (promotes democracy, development, peace and unity)", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature; it contains more fish species than any other lake on earth", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Malawian(s); adjective: :Malawian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day (Republic Day), 6 July (1964)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :3,514,809 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :61.3%; male: :72.1%; female: :51.3% (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :59.99 years; male: :58.04 years; female: :61.97 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 20-22 May 2014 (next to be held in May 2019); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - DPP 50, MCP 48, PP 26, UDF 14, other 2, independent 52; note - voting in one electoral constituency to be rescheduled due to death of candidate", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal", "LANGUAGES": "English (official), Chichewa (common), Chinyanja, Chiyao, Chitumbuka, Chilomwe, Chinkhonde, Chingoni, Chisena, Chitonga, Chinyakyusa, Chilambya", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :39.78%; permanent crops: :1.43%; other: :58.79% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,857 km; border countries: :Mozambique 1,498 km, Tanzania 512 km, Zambia 847 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "5.747 million (2007 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and at least 3 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly; other judges appointed by the president upon recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission, which regulates judicial officers; judges serve until age 65; subordinate courts: :High Court; magistrate courts; Industrial Relations Court; district and city traditional or local courts", "WATERWAYS": "700 km (on Lake Nyasa [Lake Malawi", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "22.8% (2014 est.); 27.3% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :48.01 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :54.94 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :40.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-1.7% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "6 July 1964 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$2.498 billion (2014 est.); $2.52 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :15,450 km; paved: :6,951 km; unpaved: :8,499 km (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered on the black band; black represents the native peoples, red the blood shed in their struggle for freedom, and green the color of nature; the rising sun represents the hope of freedom for the continent of Africa", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 July - 30 June", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$1.729 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.487 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$1.332 billion (2014 est.); $1.374 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Arthur Peter MUTHARIKA (since 31 May 2014); Vice President Saulos CHILIMA (since 31 May 2014); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Arthur Peter MUTHARIKA (since 31 May 2014); Vice President Saulos CHILIMA (since 31 May 2014); cabinet: :26-32-member Cabinet named by the president; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 20 May 2014 (next to be held in May 2019); election results: :Peter MUTHARIKA elected president; percent of vote - Peter MUTHARIKA 36.4%, Lazarus CHAKWERA 27.8%, Joyce BANDA 20.2%, Atupele MULUZI 13.7%, other 1.9%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Malawian kwachas (MWK) per US dollar -; 412.1 (2014 est.); 364.41 (2013 est.); 249.11 (2012 est.); 156.93 (2011 est.); 150.49 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Chewa 32.6%, Lomwe 17.6%, Yao 13.5%, Ngoni 11.5%, Tumbuka 8.8%, Nyanja 5.8%, Sena 3.6%, Tonga 2.1%, Ngonde 1%, other 3.5%", "DEATH_RATE": "8.74 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1953 (preindependence), 1966; latest drafted January to May 1994, approved 16 May 1994, entered into force 18 May 1995; amended several times, last in 2013 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "South Africa 25.1%, China 12.7%, India 12%, Zambia 11.7%, Tanzania 4.8% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "food, petroleum products, semi-manufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment", "CAPITAL": "name: :Lilongwe; geographic coordinates: :13 58 S, 33 47 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.264 billion; expenditures: :$1.573 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Malawi Defense Forces (MDF): Army (includes Air Wing, Marine Unit) (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "41.8 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "32 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (manioc, tapioca), sorghum, pulses, groundnuts, Macadamia nuts; cattle, goats", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "28 districts; Balaka, Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Chitipa, Dedza, Dowa, Karonga, Kasungu, Likoma, Lilongwe, Machinga, Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, Neno, Ntcheu, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Phalombe, Rumphi, Salima, Thyolo, Zomba", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Canada 12.4%, Zimbabwe 9.4%, South Africa 6.7%, US 6.4%, Russia 6.3%, Zambia 6.1%, Germany 6.1%, South Korea 4.3% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "tobacco 53%, tea, sugar, cotton, coffee, peanuts, wood products, apparel (2010 est.)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :90%; industry and services: :10% (2003 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3%; highest 10%: :31.9% (2004)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "53% (2004)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.93% of GDP (2012); 0.79% of GDP (2011); 0.93% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Law of the Sea", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish populations", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :25; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :11; 13 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :7; over 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :4 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of one-party rule under President Hastings Kamuzu BANDA the country held multiparty elections in 1994, under a provisional constitution that came into full effect the following year. President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA, elected in May 2004 after a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another term, struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor and subsequently started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party in 2005. MUTHARIKA was reelected to a second term in May 2009. He oversaw some economic improvement in his first term, but was accused of economic mismanagement and poor governance in his second term. He died abruptly in April 2012 and was succeeded by his vice president, Joyce BANDA, who had earlier started her own party, the People's Party. MUTHARIKA�s brother, Peter MUTHARIKA, defeated BANDA in May 2014 elections. Population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and the scourge of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :183,683; female: :183,028 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,132,909; females age 16-49: :2,043,925 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; high school equivalent required for enlisted recruits and college equivalent for officer recruits; initial engagement is 7 years for enlisted personnel and 10 years for officers (2014)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Pennsylvania", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique 37 m; highest point: :Sapitwa (Mount Mlanje) 3,002 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.02 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.75 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (2001)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 9, FM 5 (plus 15 repeater stations), shortwave 2 (plus one shortwave station on standby) (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :30.1%; industry: :18.5%; services: :51.3% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "13 30 S, 34 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :46.9% (male 4,056,810/female 4,100,841); 15-24 years: :20.2% (male 1,748,919/female 1,765,212); 25-54 years: :27.1% (male 2,329,952/female 2,371,274); 55-64 years: :3.1% (male 256,034/female 280,997); 65 years and over: :2.7% (male 206,923/female 260,506) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Maldives", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "the US does not have an embassy in Maldives; the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka is accredited to Maldives and makes periodic visits", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$12,400 (2014 est.); $12,100 (2013 est.); $11,900 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "4.5% (2014 est.); 3.7% (2013 est.); 0.9% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.09% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$4.254 billion (2014 est.); $4.072 billion (2013 est.); $3.925 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :50%; youth dependency ratio: :42.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :7.4%; potential support ratio: :13.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "0.4% of GDP (2014 est.); -0.8% of GDP (2013 est.); -2% of GDP (2012 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "34.7% (2009)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "23.9; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2009 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "1.123 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "6,940 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "7,610 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "99.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "77,080 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "246.6 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "265.2 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "coconut palm, yellowfin tuna; national colors: red, green, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :22.2%; male: :15.5%; female: :30.5% (2006 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "12.9% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "4.3 beds/1,000 population (2009)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.42 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "8.5% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "17.8% (2009)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "60 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-4.7% of GDP (2013 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "31.7% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "MALE (capital) 156,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Gaumee Salaam\" (National Salute); lyrics/music: :Mohamed Jameel DIDI/Wannakuwattawaduge DON AMARADEVA; note: :lyrics adopted 1948, music adopted 1972; between 1948 and 1972, the lyrics were sung to the tune of \"Auld Lang Syne\"", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 97.5% of population; rural: 99.6% of population; total: 98.7% of population; urban: 2.5% of population; rural: 0.4% of population; total: 1.3% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.5% of population; rural: 97.9% of population; total: 98.6% of population; urban: 0.5% of population; rural: 2.1% of population; total: 1.4% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$1.538 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $1.298 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$623 million (31 December 2013 est.); $547.1 million (31 December 2012 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-owned radio and TV monopoly until recently; state-owned TV operates 2 channels; 3 privately owned TV stations; state owns Voice of Maldives and operates both an entertainment and a music-based station; 5 privately owned radio stations (2012)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :44.5% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :4.49% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$1.559 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $1.601 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$488 million (31 October 2009); $487.8 million (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$460 million (31 October 2009); $475.2 million (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "10.5% (31 December 2012 est.); 10.2% (31 December 2011 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "7% (31 December 2012); 6.96% (31 December 2011)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "6.8% of GDP (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.01 cu km/yr (95%/5%/0%); per capita: :18.44 cu m/yr (2008)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "0.03 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$555 million (31 December 2011 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$2.405 billion (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$368.3 million (31 December 2013 est.); $356 million (30 November 2012 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$232.4 million (2013 est.); $310 million (2012 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "3,296 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :27.1 years; male: :27.3 years; female: :26.7 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "37.4 (2004 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "fewer than 100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "fewer than 100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.01% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".mv", "INTERNET_USERS": "86,400 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "560,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "23,140 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Ahmed SAREER (since 11 January 2013); chancery: :800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400E, New York, NY 10017; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :298 sq km; land: :298 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "0 sq km NA (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Asia", "LOCATION": "Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Maldives; conventional short form: :Maldives; local long form: :Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa; local short form: :Dhivehi Raajje", "MILITARY___NOTE": "the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF), with its small size and with little serviceable equipment, is inadequate to prevent external aggression and is primarily tasked to reinforce the Maldives Police Service (MPS) and ensure security in the exclusive economic zone (2008)", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "11% (2012 est.); 12% (2011 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.76 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "flat, with white sandy beaches", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :telephone services have improved; inter-atoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service; domestic: :each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile-cellular networks with a rapidly expanding subscribership that has reached 135 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 960; linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Sunni Muslim (official)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Male", "POPULATION": "393,595 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "note: :political parties with an asterisk were dissolved on 7 February 2014 by the Elections Commission under the Political Parties Act, which requires a minimum membership; the status of these parties is unresolved, as the Supreme Court later ruled the dissolution invalid; Adhaalath (Justice) Party or AP [Sheikh Imran ABDULLA; Dhivehi Qaumee Party or DQP [Hassan SAEED; Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (Maldivian People's Party) or DRP; Gaumee Itthihaad Party (National Unity Party) or GIP [Mohamed WAHEED; Islamic Democratic Party or IDP*; Maldives Development Alliance or MDA [Ahmed SIYAM; Maldives National Congress or MNC [Ali AMJAD; Maldives Reform Movement or MRM [Mohamed MUNAWWAR; Maldivian Democratic Party or MDP [Reeko Moosa MANIKU; Maldivian Labor Party or MLP [Ahmed MOOSA; Maldivian Social Democratic Party or MSDP [Reeko Ibrahim MANIKU; Meedhu Dhaaira; People's Alliance or PA [Moosa ZAMEERI; People's Party or PP [Ahmed RIYAZ; Poverty Alleviation Party or PAP; Progressive Party of Maldives or PPM [Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM; Republican (Jumhooree) Party or JP [Qasim IBRAHIM; Social Liberal Party or SLP [Mazian RASHEED", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Tourism, Maldives' largest economic activity, accounts for nearly 30% of GDP and more than 60% of foreign exchange receipts. Fishing is the second leading sector, but the fish catch has dropped sharply in recent years. Agriculture and manufacturing continue to play a lesser role in the economy, constrained by the limited availability of cultivable land and the shortage of domestic labor. Lower than expected tourist arrivals and fish exports, combined with high government spending on social needs, subsidies, and civil servant salaries contributed to a balance of payments crisis, which was temporarily eased with a $79.3 million IMF Stand-By agreement. However, after the first two disbursements, the IMF withheld subsequent disbursements due to concerns over Maldives' growing budget deficit, and the government has been seeking other sources of budgetary support ever since. A new Goods and Services Tax (GST) on tourism introduced in January 2011, on general goods and services in October 2011, and a new Business Profit Tax introduced in July 2011 have provided a boost to revenue. In recent years, gross foreign reserves have hovered around $300 million, sufficient to finance about two to three months of imports. Diversifying the economy beyond tourism and fishing, reforming public finance, increasing employment opportunities, and combating corruption, cronyism, and a growing drug problem are other near-term challenges facing the government. Over the longer term Maldivian authorities worry about the impact of erosion and possible global warming on their low-lying country; 80% of the area is 1 meter or less above sea level. In August 2014 the Maldives� Parliament passed a bill to create special economic zones, a step aimed at attracting investment and diversifying the economy away from tourism and fishing. The Maldives� took some steps to reduce the fiscal deficit in 2015, such as imposing a green tax on tourist establishments and raising import duties, but the deficit will grow because increasing public expenditure.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :various unregistered political parties", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "smallest Asian country; archipelago of 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-12.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Maldivian(s); adjective: :Maldivian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 26 July (1965)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :18; by type: :bulk carrier 1, cargo 14, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2; foreign-owned: :4 (Singapore 4); registered in other countries: :4 (Panama 2, Tuvalu 1, unknown 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, AOSIS, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines; territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :156,319; females age 16-49: :98,815 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :98.4%; male: :98.4%; female: :98.4% (2006 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :75.15 years; male: :72.86 years; female: :77.55 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Parliament or People's Majlis (85 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 22 March 2014 (next to be held in 2019); election results: :percent of vote - PPM 40%, MDP 28.2%, JP 18.8%, MDA 5.9%, other 1.2%, independent 5.9%; seats by party - PPM 33, MDP 26, JP 15, MDA 5, other 1, independent 5", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "Islamic religious legal system with English common law influences, primarily in commercial matters", "LANGUAGES": "Dhivehi (official, dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English (spoken by most government officials)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :10%; permanent crops: :10%; other: :80% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "159,700 (2012)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 6 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges appointed by the president in consultation with the Judicial Service Commission - a separate 10-member body of selected high government officials and the public - and upon confirmation by voting members of the People's Majlis; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 70; subordinate courts: :High Court; Criminal, Civil, Family, Juvenile, and Drug Courts; Magistrate Courts (on each of the inhabited islands)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "4% (2013 est.); 10.9% (2012 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :24.59 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :27.01 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :22.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, fish processing, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "14% (2012 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "26 July 1965 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$1.728 billion (2013 est.); $1.55 billion (2012 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :88 km; paved roads: :88 km - 60 km in Male; 14 km on Addu Atolis; 14 km on Laamu; note: :island roads are mainly compacted coral (2013)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "red with a large green rectangle in the center bearing a vertical white crescent moon; the closed side of the crescent is on the hoist side of the flag; red recalls those who have sacrificed their lives in defense of their country, the green rectangle represents peace and prosperity, and the white crescent signifies Islam", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$793.6 million (2013 est.); $890.8 million (2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$166 million (2013 est.); $161 million (2012 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom (since 17 November 2013); Vice President Mohamed JAMEEL Ahmed (since 17 November 2013); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom (since 17 November 2013); Vice President Mohamed JAMEEL Ahmed (since 17 November 2013); cabinet: :Cabinet of Ministers is appointed by the president; elections: :president elected by direct vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); the election held on 7 September 2013 was annulled by the Supreme Court; rerun of first round held on 9 November 2013 and runoff held on 16 November (next election to be held in 2018); election results: :first round (9 November 2013); percent of vote - Mohamed NASHEED 46.9%, Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom 29.7%, Qasim IBRAHIM 23.3%; runoff (postponed to 16 November 2013); percent of vote - Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom elected president 51.4%, Mohamed NASHEED 48.6%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "rufiyaa (MVR) per US dollar -; 15.41 (2013); 15.37 (2012)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs", "DEATH_RATE": "3.84 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "many previous; latest ratified 7 August 2008 (2010)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Thailand 37%, France 13%, Iran 6%, Germany 6%, Sri Lanka 6% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "644 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum products, clothing, intermediate and capital goods", "CAPITAL": "name: :Male; geographic coordinates: :4 10 N, 73 30 E; time difference: :UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$762 million; expenditures: :$876 million (2012 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF): Marine Corps, Security Protection Group, Coast Guard (2010)", "BIRTH_RATE": "15.59 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "9 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "7 provinces and 1 municipality*; Dhekunu (South), Maale*, Mathi Dhekunu (Upper South), Mathi Uthuru (Upper North), Medhu (Central), Medhu Dhekunu (South Central), Medhu Uthuru (North Central), Uthuru (North)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "United Arab Emirates 28%, Singapore 16%, India 9%, Sri Lanka 6%, Thailand 5% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fish", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :15%; industry: :15%; services: :70% (2010 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.2%; highest 10%: :33.3% (FY09/10)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "16% (2008)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; global warming and sea level rise; coral reef bleaching", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :2 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :7; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :4 (2013)", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :4,167; female: :3,595 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :135,374; females age 16-49: :85,181 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-28 years of age for voluntary service; no conscription; 10th grade or equivalent education required; must not be a member of a political party (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "tsunamis; low elevation of islands makes them sensitive to sea level rise", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Indian Ocean 0 m; highest point: :unnamed location on Viligili in the Addu Atholhu 2.4 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.4 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.43 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.29 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.94 male(s)/female; total population: :1.34 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "2 (2009)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 6, shortwave 1 (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :4%; industry: :23%; services: :73% (2012 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "3 15 N, 73 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :21% (male 42,154/female 40,490); 15-24 years: :23.4% (male 53,760/female 38,385); 25-54 years: :46.5% (male 107,703/female 75,360); 55-64 years: :4.8% (male 9,782/female 9,180); 65 years and over: :4.3% (male 7,974/female 8,807) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Mali", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Andrew YOUNG (since 2014); embassy: :located just off the Roi Bin Fahad Aziz Bridge just west of the Bamako central district; mailing address: :ACI 2000, Rue 243, Porte 297, Bamako; telephone: :[223; FAX: :[223", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$1,600 (2014 est.); $1,500 (2013 est.); $1,500 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "5.9% (2014 est.); 1.7% (2013 est.); 0% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "3% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$27.1 billion (2014 est.); $25.59 billion (2013 est.); $25.15 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :100.9%; youth dependency ratio: :95.4%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.5%; potential support ratio: :18.2% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "16.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 14% of GDP (2013 est.); 14.2% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :78.4%; government consumption: :16.6%; investment in fixed capital: :14.8%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :26.5%; imports of goods and services: :-36.2%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "10.3% (2012/13)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "18.3; note: :median age at first birth among women 20-24 (2012/13 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :1,485,027; percentage: :36% (2010 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "773,900 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "4,698 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "5,440 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "51.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "48.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "304,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "483.6 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "520 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Great Mosque of Djenne; national colors: green, yellow, red", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "4.3% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.1 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.08 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.8% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "27.9% (2006)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "540 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-4.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "22.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "BAMAKO (capital) 2.386 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Le Mali\" (Mali); lyrics/music: :Seydou Badian KOUYATE/Banzoumana SISSOKO; note: :adopted 1962; also known as \"Pour L'Afrique et pour toi, Mali\" (For Africa and for You, Mali) and \"A ton appel Mali\" (At Your Call, Mali)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 35.3% of population; rural: 14.5% of population; total: 21.9% of population; urban: 64.7% of population; rural: 85.5% of population; total: 78.1% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 90.9% of population; rural: 54.2% of population; total: 67.2% of population; urban: 9.1% of population; rural: 45.8% of population; total: 32.8% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$3.984 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.817 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$2.833 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.772 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "national public TV broadcaster; 2 privately-owned companies provide subscription services to foreign multi-channel TV packages; national public radio broadcaster supplemented by a large number of privately-owned and community broadcast stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :39.1% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :5.08% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$2.484 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.37 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$561 million (31 December 2008); $697.1 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$1.559 billion (31 December 2008); $1.58 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "9.3% (31 December 2014 est.); 9.3% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "16% (31 December 2010); 4.25% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.8% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :8 years; male: :9 years; female: :7 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :6.55 cu km/yr (9%/1%/90%); per capita: :545.4 cu m/yr (2000)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "100 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$61.2 million (31 December 2014 est.); $52.28 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$2.812 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.412 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Mali is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; women and girls are forced into domestic servitude, agricultural labor, and support roles in gold mines, as well as subjected to sex trafficking; Malian boys are found in conditions of forced labor in agricultural settings, gold mines, and the informal commercial sector, as well as forced begging within Mali and neighboring countries; Malians and other Africans who travel through Mali to Mauritania, Algeria, or Libya in hopes of reaching Europe are particularly at risk of becoming victims of human trafficking; men and boys, primarily of Songhai ethnicity, are subjected to the longstanding practice of debt bondage in the salt mines of Taoudenni in northern Mali; some members of Mali's black Tamachek community are subjected to traditional slavery-related practices, and this involuntary servitude reportedly has extended to their children; there has been a decrease in the recruitment of Malian children as combatants, cooks, porters, guards, spies, and sex slaves by non-governmental armed groups in northern Mali; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List - Mali does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; although the government enacted a comprehensive anti-trafficking law in 2012, it did not demonstrate evidence of overall increasing efforts to address human trafficking over the previous year; the government failed to prosecute or convict any trafficking offenders because the law had not yet been distributed to judges and a significant lack of awareness of the law within the judiciary remained; authorities did not provide any direct services to victims and did not make any tangible prevention efforts; NGOs provided care to victims without government funding; no awareness-raising campaigns or anti-trafficking training were carried out (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$12.04 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :12,898 (Mauritania) (2014); IDPs: :86,026 (Tuareg rebellion since 2012) (2014)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria and dengue fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; respiratory disease: :meningococcal meningitis; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$93 million (2014 est.); $232.4 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "32.1% of GDP (2014 est.); 29.1% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "437 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :16 years; male: :15.4 years; female: :16.7 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "40.1 (2001); 50.5 (1994)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "5,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "97,000 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.86% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ml", "INTERNET_USERS": "249,800 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "14.613 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "112,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Tiena COULIBALY (since 18 November 2014); chancery: :2130 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :1,240,192 sq km; land: :1,220,190 sq km; water: :20,002 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "2,358 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "interior Western Africa, southwest of Algeria, north of Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, and Burkina Faso, west of Niger", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Mali; conventional short form: :Mali; local long form: :Republique de Mali; local short form: :Mali; former: :French Sudan and Sudanese Republic", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "30% (2004 est.); 8.1% (2012 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "6.16 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna in south, rugged hills in northeast", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :domestic system unreliable but improving; increasing use of local radio loops to extend network coverage to remote areas; domestic: :fixed-line subscribership remains less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership has increased sharply to about 70 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 223; satellite communications center and fiber-optic links to neighboring countries; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Indian Ocean) (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 94.8%, Christian 2.4%, Animist 2%, none 0.5%, unspecified 0.3% (2009 Census)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :593 km; narrow gauge: :593 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "river port(s): :Koulikoro (Niger)", "POPULATION": "16,455,903 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence or SADI [Oumar MARIKO, Secretary General; Alliance for Democracy or ADEMA [Dionconda TRAORE; Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP (a coalition of political parties including ADEMA and URD formed in December 2006 to support the presidential candidacy of Amadou TOURE); Alliance for Democratic Change (political group comprised mainly of Tuareg from Mali's northern region); Alliance for the Solidarity of Mali-Convergence of Patriotic Forces or ASMA-CFP [Soumeylou Boubeye MAIGA; Alternative Forces for Renewal and Emergence or FARE [Modibo SIDIBE; Convergence for the development of Mali or CODEM [Housseyni GUINDO; Economic and Social Development Party or PDES [Jamille BITTAR; Front for Democracy and the Republic or FDR (a coalition of political parties including RPM and PARENA formed to oppose the presidential candidacy of Amadou TOURE); Movement for a Common Destiny or MODEC [Koniba SIDIBE; National Congress for Democratic Initiative or CNID [Mountaga TALL; Party for Democracy and Progress or PDP [Mady KONATE; Party for National Renewal or PARENA [Tiebile DRAME; Patriotic Movement for Renewal or MPR [Choguel Kokalla MAIGA; Rally for Democracy and Labor or RDT [Amadou Ali NIANGADOU; Rally for Mali or RPM [Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA; Sudanese Union/African Democratic Rally or US/RDA [Mamadou Bamou TOURE; Union for Democracy and Development or UDD [Tieman Hubert COULIBALY; Union for Republic and Democracy or URD [Younoussi TOURE; Yelema [Moussa MARA", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Among the 25 poorest countries in the world, Mali is a landlocked country that depends on gold mining and agricultural exports for revenue. The country's fiscal status fluctuates with gold and agricultural commodity prices and the harvest; cotton and gold exports make up around 80% of export earnings. Economic activity is largely confined to the riverine area irrigated by the Niger River and about 65% of its land area is desert or semidesert. About 10% of the population is nomadic and about 80% of the labor force is engaged in farming and fishing. Mali remains dependent on foreign aid. Industrial activity is concentrated on processing farm commodities. Mali is developing its iron ore extraction industry to diversify foreign exchange earnings away from gold, but the pace will largely depend on global price trends. The government is subsidizing the production of cereals to decrease the country�s dependence on imported foodstuffs and to reduce its vulnerability to food price shocks. The main threat to Mali�s economy is a return to physical insecurity. Other long term threats to the economy include high population growth, corruption, a weak infrastructure, and low levels of human capital. The administration�s purchase of a presidential jet for $40 million and inflated defense contracts damaged it�s credibility and led the IMF to temporarily suspend aid in 2014.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :the army; Islamic authorities; state-run cotton company CMDT", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; divided into three natural zones: the southern, cultivated Sudanese; the central, semiarid Sahelian; and the northern, arid Saharan", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-2.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, gypsum, granite, hydropower; note: :bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but not exploited", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Malian(s); adjective: :Malian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 22 September (1960)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, CD, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,848,412; females age 16-49: :2,981,106 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :33.6%; male: :43.3%; female: :24.6% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :54.95 years; male: :53.12 years; female: :56.83 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (147 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held in two rounds on 24 November 2013 and on 15 December 2013 (next to be held in 2018); note - the scheduled July 2012 election was cancelled due to a coup d'etat and the Tuareg Rebellion; election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FDR coalition 64 (RPM 61, PARENA 3), ADP coalition 42 (ADEMA 20, URD 18, CNID 4), FARE 5, CODEM 5, SADI 4, ASMA-CFP 4, Yelema 2, independent 16, other 5; note - 13 seats were from voters abroad", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system based on the French civil law model and influenced by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court", "LANGUAGES": "French (official), Bambara 46.3%, Peul/foulfoulbe 9.4%, Dogon 7.2%, Maraka/soninke 6.4%, Malinke 5.6%, Sonrhai/djerma 5.6%, Minianka 4.3%, Tamacheq 3.5%, Senoufo 2.6%, unspecified 0.6%, other 8.5%; note: :Mali has 13 national languages in addition to its official language", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :5.62%; permanent crops: :0.12%; other: :94.25% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :7,908 km; border countries: :Algeria 1,359 km, Burkina Faso 1,325 km, Cote d'Ivoire 599 km, Guinea 1,062 km, Mauritania 2,236 km, Niger 838 km, Senegal 489 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "5.538 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of 19 members organized into 3 civil chambers and a criminal chamber); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court members appointed by the Ministry of Justice to serve 5-year terms; Constitutional Court members selected - 3 each by the president, the National Assembly, and the Supreme Council of the Magistracy; members serve single renewable 7-year terms; subordinate courts: :High Court of Justice (jurisdiction limited to cases of high treason or criminal offenses by the president or ministers while in office)", "WATERWAYS": "1,800 km (downstream of Koulikoro; low water levels on the River Niger cause problems in dry years; in the months before the rainy season the river is not navigable by commercial vessels) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1% (2014 est.); -0.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :104.34 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :111.04 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :97.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "food processing; construction; phosphate and gold mining", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "5.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "22 September 1960 (from France)", "IMPORTS": "$2.995 billion (2014 est.); $2.964 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :22,474 km; paved: :5,522 km; unpaved: :16,952 km (2009)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red; note: :uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; the colors from left to right are the same as those of neighboring Senegal (which has an additional green central star) and the reverse of those on the flag of neighboring Guinea", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$3.737 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.431 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$2.763 billion (2014 est.); $3.081 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA (since 4 September 2013); head of government: :Prime Minister Modibo KEITA (since 8 January 2015); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); the election scheduled for 29 April 2012 and delayed following the March 2012 coup took place 28 July 2013 and a runoff election was held on 11 August 2013; prime minister appointed by the president; election results: :Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA elected president in a runoff election; percent of vote - Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA 77.6%, Soumaila CISSE 22.4%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -; 491.2 (2014 est.); 494.04 (2013 est.); 510.53 (2012 est.); 471.87 (2011 est.); 495.28 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Mande 50% (Bambara, Malinke, Soninke), Peul 17%, Voltaic 12%, Songhai 6%, Tuareg and Moor 10%, other 5%", "DEATH_RATE": "13.22 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest drafted August 1991, approved by referendum 12 January 1992, effective 25 February 1992; amended 1999; note - suspended briefly in 2012 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "France 11%, Senegal 10.1%, Cote dIvoire 9.2%, China 7.6% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "subtropical to arid; hot and dry (February to June); rainy, humid, and mild (June to November); cool and dry (November to February)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum, machinery and equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs, textiles", "CAPITAL": "name: :Bamako; geographic coordinates: :12 39 N, 8 00 W; time difference: :UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$2.698 billion; expenditures: :$3.265 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Malian Armed Forces: Army (Armee de Terre), Republic of Mali Air Force (Force Aerienne de la Republique du Mali, FARM), National Guard (Garde National du Mali) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "45.53 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "25 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cotton, millet, rice, corn, vegetables, peanuts; cattle, sheep, goats", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "8 regions (regions, singular - region), 1 district*; District de Bamako*, Gao, Kayes, Kidal, Koulikoro, Mopti, Segou, Sikasso, Tombouctou (Timbuktu)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 30.5%, India 15.1%, Indonesia 8.6%, Bangladesh 6.3%, Thailand 5.6% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "cotton, gold, livestock", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :80%; industry and services: :20% (2005 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.5%; highest 10%: :25.8% (2010 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "36.1% (2005 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.44% of GDP (2012); 1.51% of GDP (2011); 1.44% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :17; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :9; 5 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :8; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :4; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Sudanese Republic and Senegal became independent of France in 1960 as the Mali Federation. When Senegal withdrew after only a few months, what formerly made up the Sudanese Republic was renamed Mali. Rule by dictatorship was brought to a close in 1991 by a military coup that ushered in a period of democratic rule. President Alpha KONARE won Mali's first two democratic presidential elections in 1992 and 1997. In keeping with Mali's two-term constitutional limit, he stepped down in 2002 and was succeeded by Amadou Toumani TOURE, who was elected to a second term in a 2007 election that was widely judged to be free and fair. Malian returnees from Libya in 2011 exacerbated tensions in northern Mali, and Tuareg ethnic militias rebelled in January 2012. Low- and mid-level soldiers, frustrated with the poor handling of the rebellion, overthrew TOURE on 22 March. Intensive mediation efforts led by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) returned power to a civilian administration in April with the appointment of Interim President Dioncounda TRAORE. The post-coup chaos led to rebels expelling the Malian military from the three northern regions of the country and allowed Islamic militants to set up strongholds. Hundreds of thousands of northern Malians fled the violence to southern Mali and neighboring countries, exacerbating regional food shortages in host communities. An international military intervention to retake the three northern regions began in January 2013 and within a month most of the north had been retaken. In a democratic presidential election conducted in July and August of 2013, Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA was elected president.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :158,031; female: :159,733 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,825,779; females age 16-49: :1,968,563 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than twice the size of Texas", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; recurring droughts; occasional Niger River flooding", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Senegal River 23 m; highest point: :Hombori Tondo 1,155 m", "HELIPORTS": "2 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.91 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.87 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :1.01 male(s)/female; total population: :0.95 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "2 (plus repeaters) (2007)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 230 (27 regional and government stations, and 203 private stations), shortwave 1 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :38%; industry: :23.3%; services: :38.7% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "17 00 N, 4 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :47.6% (male 3,931,818/female 3,899,535); 15-24 years: :19% (male 1,489,830/female 1,638,995); 25-54 years: :26.7% (male 2,042,666/female 2,348,337); 55-64 years: :3.7% (male 307,167/female 306,470); 65 years and over: :3% (male 246,084/female 245,001) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Malta", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Gina ABERCROMBIE-WINSTANLEY (since 18 April 2012); embassy: :Ta' Qali National Park, Attard, ATD 4000; mailing address: :5800 Valetta Place, Dulles, VA 20189; telephone: :[356; FAX: :[356", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$31,700 (2014 est.); $31,100 (2013 est.); $30,500 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2012 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.2% (2014 est.); 2.9% (2013 est.); 1.1% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.33% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$13.38 billion (2014 est.); $13.09 billion (2013 est.); $12.73 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :45.7%; youth dependency ratio: :20.9%; elderly dependency ratio: :24.8%; potential support ratio: :4% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "17.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 17.3% of GDP (2013 est.); 16.2% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :58.2%; government consumption: :20.8%; investment in fixed capital: :15.5%; investment in inventories: :0.9%; exports of goods and services: :94.5%; imports of goods and services: :-89.8%; (2014 est.)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "26.9; note: :data refer to the average of the different childbearing ages of first-order births (2010 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "6.564 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "36,480 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "14,410 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "39,450 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "2.5% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "97.5% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "530,000 kW (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "2.211 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "2.221 billion kWh (2013)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Maltese cross; national colors: red, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :14.2%; male: :14%; female: :14.5% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "28.8% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "4.8 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3.23 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "9.1% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "8 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "40.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "VALLETTA (capital) 197,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"L-Innu Malti\" (The Maltese Anthem); lyrics/music: :Dun Karm PSAILA/Robert SAMMUT; note: :adopted 1945; written in the form of a prayer", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$15.44 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $13.88 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$5.574 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.738 billion (31 December 2013 est.); note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "2 publicly owned TV stations, Television Malta (TVM) broadcasting nationally plus an educational channel; several privately owned national television stations, two of which are owned by political parties; Italian and British broadcast programs are available; multi-channel cable and satellite TV services are available; publicly owned radio broadcaster operates 1 station; roughly 20 commercial radio stations (2011)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :95.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.46% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$13.68 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $14.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$8.771 billion (31 January 2008 est.); $7.645 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$4.639 billion (31 January 2008); $4.603 billion (31 December 2007); note: :this figure represents the US dollar value of Maltese liri in circulation prior to Malta joining the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the EMU; individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi money circulating within their own borders", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "4% (31 December 2014 est.); 4.4% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.75% (31 December 2013); 1.5% (13 November 2013); note: :this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "6.9% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :14 years; male: :14 years; female: :15 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.05 cu km/yr (64%/1%/35%); per capita: :134.1 cu m/yr (2009)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "0.05 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$3.631 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $3.424 billion (31 December 2011); $2.399 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$1.442 billion (31 June 2013 est.); $1.471 billion (31 December 2012)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$15.17 billion (31 June 2013); $16.4 billion (31 December 2012)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$10.26 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :5,543 (Somalia) (2014)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$617.4 million (31 December 2014 est.); $596.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$28 million (2014 est.); $87 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "75.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 72.2% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :Malta reports public debt at nominal value outstanding at the end of the year, according to guidelines set out in the Maastricht Treaty for general government gross debt; the data include the following categories of government liabilities (as defined in ESA95): currency and deposits (AF.2), securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives (AF.3, excluding AF.34), and loans (AF.4); general government comprises the central government, state government, local government and social security funds", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "14,754 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :40.9 years; male: :39.7 years; female: :42.1 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "27.9 (2013); 27.1 (2012)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".mt", "INTERNET_USERS": "240,600 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "539,500 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "229,700 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Marisa Maria Louise MICALLEF (since 22 August 2013); chancery: :2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :316 sq km; land: :316 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "32 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Southern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily (Italy)", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Malta; conventional short form: :Malta; local long form: :Repubblika ta' Malta; local short form: :Malta", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "5.9% (2014 est.); 6.4% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.54 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal cliffs", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :automatic system featuring submarine cable and microwave radio relay between islands; domestic: :combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership exceeds 180 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 356; submarine cable connects to Italy; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic (official) more than 90% (2011 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Marsaxlokk (Malta Freeport), Valletta; container port(s) (TEUs): :Marsaxlokk (2,360,000)", "POPULATION": "412,655 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alternativa Demokratika/Alliance for Social Justice or AD (Green Party) [Arnold CASSOLA; Labor Party or PL [Joseph MUSCAT; Nationalist Party or PN [Simon BUSUTTIL", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Malta - the smallest economy in the euro zone - produces only about 20% of its food needs, has limited fresh water supplies, and has few domestic energy sources. Malta's geographic position between Europe and North Africa makes it a target for irregular migration, which has strained Malta's political and economic resources. Malta's fertility rate is below the EU average, and population growth in recent years has largely been from immigration, putting increasing pressure on the pension system. Malta adopted the euro on 1 January 2008. Malta's economy is dependent on foreign trade, manufacturing, and tourism, and was hurt by the global economic downturn, but fared better than most other EU member states. Malta has low unemployment relative to other European countries, and growth has recovered since the 2009 recession. Malta's financial services industry has grown in recent years and it has avoided contagion from the European financial crisis, largely because its debt is mostly held domestically and its banks have low exposure to the sovereign debt of peripheral European countries. In 2013, Malta led the Eurozone in growth, expanding by nearly 3%, but the government continued to garner scrutiny from the EU for skirting the 3% excessive deficit limit.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Alliance of Liberal Democrats Malta (Alleanza Liberali-Demokratika Malta) of ALDM (for divorce, abortion, gay marriage, women's rights); Together for a Better Environment (Flimkien Ghal-Ambjent Ahjar) or FAA (pro-environment); other: :environmentalists", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the country comprises an archipelago, with only the three largest islands (Malta, Ghawdex or Gozo, and Kemmuna or Comino) being inhabited; numerous bays provide good harbors; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "1.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "limestone, salt, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Maltese (singular and plural); adjective: :Maltese", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 21 September (1964); Republic Day, 13 December (1974)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :1,650; by type: :bulk carrier 544, cargo 351, carrier 1, chemical tanker 324, container 117, liquefied gas 36, passenger 50, passenger/cargo 18, petroleum tanker 160, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 22, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 18; foreign-owned: :1,437 (Angola 7, Azerbaijan 1, Belgium 7, Bermuda 15, Bulgaria 8, Canada 5, China 6, Croatia 6, Cyprus 32, Denmark 34, Egypt 1, Estonia 16, Finland 3, France 8, Germany 135, Greece 469, Hong Kong 4, India 3, Iran 48, Ireland 4, Israel 3, Italy 45, Japan 5, Kuwait 3, Latvia 8, Lebanon 6, Libya 5, Luxembourg 3, Malaysia 1, Monaco 3, Netherlands 3, Norway 96, Oman 5, Poland 21, Portugal 3, Romania 7, Russia 45, Saudi Arabia 2, Singapore 4, Slovenia 4, South Korea 2, Spain 8, Sweden 1, Switzerland 20, Syria 4, Turkey 233, UAE 1, UK 21, Ukraine 29, US 34); registered in other countries: :2 (Panama 2) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Australia Group, C, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina (observer), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation; exclusive fishing zone: :25 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :95,499; females age 16-49: :90,919 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :92.4%; male: :91.2%; female: :93.5% (2005 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :80.11 years; male: :77.8 years; female: :82.56 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral House of Representatives or Il-Kamra Tad-Deputati (normally 65 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - the parliament elected in 2013 has 69 seats; elections: :last held on 9 March 2013 (next to be held by March 2018); election results: :percent of vote by party - PL 54.8%, PN 43.3%, other 1.9%; seats by party - PL 39, PN 30", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of English common law and civil law (based on the Roman and Napoleonic civil codes)", "LANGUAGES": "Maltese (official) 90.1%, English (official) 6%, multilingual 3%, other 0.9% (2005 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :28.13%; permanent crops: :4.06%; other: :67.81% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "190,500 (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Court of Appeal (consists of either 1 or 3 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 3 judges); Court of Criminal Appeal (consists of either 1 or 3 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Court of Appeal and Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president, usually upon the advice of the prime minister; judges of both courts serve until age 65; subordinate courts: :Civil Court (divided into the General Jurisdiction Section, Family Section, and Voluntary Section); Criminal Court; Court of Magistrates; Gozo Courts (for the islands of Gozo and Comino}", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1% (2014 est.); 1% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :3.59 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :4 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :3.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, electronics, ship building and repair, construction, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, footwear, clothing, tobacco, aviation services, financial services, information technology services", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-6.9% (2013)", "INDEPENDENCE": "21 September 1964 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$5.295 billion (2014 est.); $6.132 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "minor transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Western Europe", "ROADWAYS": "total: :3,096 km; paved: :2,704 km; unpaved: :392 km (2008)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "two equal vertical bands of white (hoist side) and red; in the upper hoist-side corner is a representation of the George Cross, edged in red; according to legend, the colors are taken from the red and white checkered banner of Count Roger of Sicily who removed a bi-colored corner and granted it to Malta in 1091; an uncontested explanation is that the colors are those of the Knights of Saint John who ruled Malta from 1530 to 1798; in 1942, King George VI of the United Kingdom awarded the George Cross to the islanders for their exceptional bravery and gallantry in World War II; since independence in 1964, the George Cross bordered in red has appeared directly on the white field", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$51.08 billion (30 September 2013 est.); $46.72 billion (31 December 2012)", "EXPORTS": "$3.71 billion (2014 est.); $3.633 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Marie-Louise Coleiro PRECA (since 4 April 2014); head of government: :Prime Minister Joseph MUSCAT (since 11 March 2013); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister; elections: :president appointed by a resolution of the House of Representatives for a five-year term; appointment last held on 4 April 2014 (next to be held by April 2019); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the president for a five-year term; the deputy prime minister appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister; election results: :Marie-Louise Coleiro PRECA appointed president; Joseph MUSCAT elected prime minister", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.78 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Maltese (descendants of ancient Carthaginians and Phoenicians with strong elements of Italian and other Mediterranean stock)", "DEATH_RATE": "8.96 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "many previous; latest adopted 21 September 1964; amended many times, last in 2011 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Italy 30.3%, Germany 6.9%, UK 6.7%, France 6.1%, Netherlands 4.4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "196.8 km (excludes 56 km for the island of Gozo)", "CLIMATE": "Mediterranean; mild, rainy winters; hot, dry summers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "mineral fuels, oils and products; electrical machinery; aircraft/spacecraft and parts thereof; machinery and mechanical appliances; plastic and other semi-manufactured goods; vehicles and parts", "CAPITAL": "name: :Valletta; geographic coordinates: :35 53 N, 14 30 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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$4.129 billion; expenditures: :$4.379 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Armed Forces of Malta (AFM; includes land, maritime, and air elements) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "10.24 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "potatoes, cauliflower, grapes, wheat, barley, tomatoes, citrus, cut flowers, green peppers; pork, milk, poultry, eggs", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "68 localities (Il-lokalita); Attard, Balzan, Birgu, Birkirkara, Birzebbuga, Bormla, Dingli, Fgura, Floriana, Fontana, Ghajnsielem, Gharb, Gharghur, Ghasri Ghaxaq, Gudja, Gzira, Hamrun, Iklin, Imdina, Imgarr, Imqabba, Imsida, Imtarfa, Isla, Kalkara, Kercem, Kirkop, Lija, Luqa, Marsa, Marsaskala, Marsaxlokk, Mellieha, Mosta, Munxar, Nadur, Naxxar, Paola, Pembroke, Pieta, Qala, Qormi, Qrendi, Rabat, Rabat (Ghawdex), Safi, San Giljan/Saint Julian, San Gwann/Saint John, San Lawrenz/Saint Lawrence, Sannat, San Pawl il-Bahar/Saint Paul's Bay, Santa Lucija/Saint Lucia, Santa Venera/Saint Venera, Siggiewi, Sliema, Swieqi, Tarxien, Ta' Xbiex, Valletta, Xaghra, Xewkija, Xghajra, Zabbar, Zebbug, Zebbug (Ghawdex), Zejtun, Zurrieq", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 12.7%, Singapore 10.2%, France 8.7%, Hong Kong 7.5%, US 5.7%, Italy 5.7%, Japan 4.7%, Libya 4.4% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and mechanical appliances; mineral fuels, oils and petroleum products; pharmaceutical products; books and newspapers; aircraft/spacecraft and parts; toys, games, and sports equipment", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :1.4%; industry: :22.2%; services: :76.4% (2013)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "15.1% (2012)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.61% of GDP (2012); 0.61% of GDP (2011); 0.61% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "limited natural freshwater resources; increasing reliance on desalination", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; over 3,047 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Great Britain formally acquired possession of Malta in 1814. The island staunchly supported the UK through both world wars and remained in the Commonwealth when it became independent in 1964; a decade later it declared itself a republic. Since about the mid-1980s, the island has transformed itself into a freight transshipment point, a financial center, and a tourist destination. Malta became an EU member in May 2004 and began using the euro as currency in 2008.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :2,554; female: :2,385 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :79,645; females age 16-49: :75,684 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Mediterranean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Ta'Dmejrek 253 m (near Dingli)", "HELIPORTS": "2 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.79 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "6 (2009)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 18, shortwave 6 (1999)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :1.6%; industry: :12.9%; services: :85.6% (2013 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "35 50 N, 14 35 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :15.1% (male 32,021/female 30,432); 15-24 years: :12.6% (male 26,680/female 25,201); 25-54 years: :40.4% (male 85,109/female 81,577); 55-64 years: :14% (male 28,751/female 29,113); 65 years and over: :17.9% (male 32,903/female 40,868) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Marshall Islands", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Thomas H. ARMBRUSTER (since 16 August 2012); embassy: :Oceanside, Mejen Weto, Long Island, Majuro; mailing address: :P. O. Box 1379, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands 96960-1379; telephone: :[692; FAX: :[692", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$3,200 (2014 est.); $3,200 (2013 est.); $3,200 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.2% (2014 est.); 0.8% (2013 est.); 3.2% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.72% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$178 million (2014 est.); $172.5 million (2013 est.); $171.1 million (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "44.6% (2007)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "20.7; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2007 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "a 24-rayed star; national colors: blue, white, orange", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "45.4% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.7 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.44 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "15.6% of GDP (2012)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "0.4% of GDP (FY09 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "57.6% of GDP (FY09 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "MAJURO (capital) 31,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Forever Marshall Islands\"; lyrics/music: :Amata KABUA; note: :adopted 1981", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 84.2% of population; rural: 55.5% of population; total: 76.2% of population; urban: 15.8% of population; rural: 44.5% of population; total: 23.8% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 93.4% of population; rural: 97.5% of population; total: 94.5% of population; urban: 6.6% of population; rural: 2.5% of population; total: 5.5% of population (2012 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "no TV broadcast station; a cable network is available on Majuro with programming via videotape replay and satellite relays; 4 radio broadcast stations; American Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) provides satellite radio and television service to Kwajalein Atoll (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :72.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.59% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "12.2% of GDP (2003)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :The Marshall Islands is a source and destination country for Marshallese women and girls and women from East Asia subjected to sex trafficking; Marshallese and foreign women are reportedly forced into prostitution in businesses frequented by crew members of fishing and transshipping vessels; some Chinese women are recruited to the Marshall Islands with promises of legitimate work and are subsequently forced into prostitution; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � The Marshall Islands do not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; government officials publically acknowledged the existence of human trafficking and an investigation into women being forced into prostitution was initiated in 2013; the government has not provided evidence of implementing 2011 anti-trafficking legislation or providing training to law enforcement or judges on the law; no trafficking prosecutions have been reported since 2011; in 2013, no proactive efforts were made to identify victims among vulnerable groups, such as women in prostitution or foreign men in the fishing industry; several public awareness campaigns were conducted in 2013 (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$183 million (2014 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "3 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :22.5 years; male: :22.5 years; female: :22.6 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".mh", "INTERNET_USERS": "2,200 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "3,800 (2010)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "4,400 (2010)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Charles R. PAUL (since 6 September 2011); chancery: :2433 Massachusetts Avenue NW, 1st Floor, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Honolulu, Springdale (AK); consulate(s): :Agana (Guam)", "AREA": "total: :181 sq km; land: :181 sq km; water: :0 sq km; note: :the archipelago includes 11,673 sq km of lagoon waters and encompasses the atolls of Bikini, Enewetak, Kwajalein, Majuro, Rongelap, and Utirik", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "0 sq km (2011)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, two archipelagic island chains of 29 atolls, each made up of many small islets, and five single islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and Australia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of the Marshall Islands; conventional short form: :Marshall Islands; local long form: :Republic of the Marshall Islands; local short form: :Marshall Islands; abbreviation: :RMI; former: :Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Marshall Islands District", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the US", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "36% (2006 est.); 30.9% (2000 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force on 21 October 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into force in May 2004", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "3.22 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "low coral limestone and sand islands", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :digital switching equipment; modern services include telex, cellular, Internet, international calling, caller ID, and leased data circuits; domestic: :Majuro Atoll and Ebeye and Kwajalein islands have regular, seven-digit, direct-dial telephones; other islands interconnected by high frequency radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes) and mini-satellite telephones; international: :country code - 692; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); US Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein (2005)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 54.8%, Assembly of God 25.8%, Roman Catholic 8.4%, Bukot nan Jesus 2.8%, Mormon 2.1%, other Christian 3.6%, other 1%, none 1.5% (1999 census)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Enitwetak Island, Kwajalein, Majuro", "POPULATION": "70,983 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "traditionally there have been no formally organized political parties; what has existed more closely resembles factions or interest groups because they do not have party headquarters, formal platforms, or party structures; the following two \"groupings\" have competed in legislative balloting in recent years - Aelon Kein Ad Party [Michael KABUA", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "US assistance and lease payments for the use of Kwajalein Atoll as a US military base are the mainstay of this small island country. The Marshall Islands received roughly $1 billion in aid from the US during 1986-2001 under the original Compact of Free Association (Compact). In 2002 and 2003, the US and the Marshall Islands renegotiated the Compact's financial package for a 20-year period, from 2004 to 2024. Under the amended Compact, the Marshall Islands will receive roughly $1.5 billion in direct US assistance. Agricultural production, primarily subsistence, is concentrated on small farms; the most important commercial crops are coconuts and breadfruit. Industry is limited to handicrafts, tuna processing, and copra. Tourism holds some potential. The islands and atolls have few natural resources, and imports exceed exports. Under the amended Compact, the US is also funding, jointly with the Marshall Islands, a Trust Fund for the people of the Marshall Islands that will provide an income stream beyond 2024 when direct Compact aid is to end.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the islands of Bikini and Enewetak are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein atoll, famous as a World War II battleground, surrounds the world's largest lagoon and is used as a US missile test range; the island city of Ebeye is the second largest settlement in the Marshall Islands, after the capital of Majuro, and one of the most densely populated locations in the Pacific", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-4.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "coconut products, marine products, deep seabed minerals", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Marshallese (singular and plural); adjective: :Marshallese", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Constitution Day, 1 May (1979)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :1,593; by type: :barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 524, cargo 65, carrier 1, chemical tanker 351, container 226, liquefied gas 88, passenger 7, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 297, refrigerated cargo 13, roll on/roll off 9, vehicle carrier 10; foreign-owned: :1,468 (Belgium 1, Bermuda 35, Brazil 1, Canada 8, China 14, Croatia 12, Cyprus 40, Denmark 7, Egypt 1, France 7, Germany 248, Greece 408, Hong Kong 3, India 10, Indonesia 1, Iraq 2, Ireland 6, Italy 1, Japan 59, Jersey 11, Kuwait 2, Latvia 19, Malaysia 11, Mexico 2, Monaco 30, Netherlands 21, Norway 75, Pakistan 1, Qatar 29, Romania 2, Russia 5, Singapore 30, Slovenia 6, South Korea 41, Sweden 1, Switzerland 12, Taiwan 8, Turkey 70, UAE 12, UK 12, Ukraine 1, US 200) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, ADB, AOSIS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :16,446 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :72.58 years; male: :70.42 years; female: :74.84 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral legislature consists of the Council of Iroij (12 seats; consists of tribal chiefs chosen by holders of the chieftainship among the constituent islands) and the National Parliament or Nitijela (33 seats; members directly elected by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms); note - the Council of Iroij advises the Presidential Cabinet and reviews legislation affecting customary law or any traditional practice); elections: :last held on 21 November 2011 (next to be held by November 2015); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independents 33", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of US and English common law, customary law, and local statutes", "LANGUAGES": "Marshallese (official) 98.2%, other languages 1.8% (1999 census); note: :English (official), widely spoken as a second language", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :11.11%; permanent crops: :44.44%; other: :44.44% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "10,480 (2011 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and other judges as prescribed by law); judge selection and term of office: :judges appointed by the Cabinet on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission and upon the approval of the Nitijela; judges appointed until retirement, normally at age 72; subordinate courts: :High Court; District Courts; Traditional Rights Court; Community Courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "12.9% (2008 est.); 3% (2005 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :21.39 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :24.09 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :18.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "copra, tuna processing, tourism, craft items (from seashells, wood, and pearls)", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "INDEPENDENCE": "21 October 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship)", "IMPORTS": "$118.7 million (2011 est.); $54.7 million (2000 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :2,028 km (includes 75 km of expressways) (2007)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "blue with two stripes radiating from the lower hoist-side corner - orange (top) and white; a white star with four large rays and 20 small rays appears on the hoist side above the two stripes; blue represents the Pacific Ocean, the orange stripe signifies the Ralik Chain or sunset and courage, while the white stripe signifies the Ratak Chain or sunrise and peace; the star symbolizes the cross of Christianity, each of the 24 rays designates one of the electoral districts in the country and the four larger rays highlight the principal cultural centers of Majuro, Jaluit, Wotje, and Ebeye; the rising diagonal band can also be interpreted as representing the equator, with the star showing the archipelago's position just to the north", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 October - 30 September", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$87 million (2008 est.); $86.5 million (FY99/00 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$50.14 million (2011 est.); $9.1 million (2000 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Christopher J. LOEAK (since 17 January 2012); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Christopher J. LOEAK (since 17 January 2012); cabinet: :Cabinet selected by the president from among the members of the legislature; elections: :president elected by Nitijela (legislature) from among its members for a four-year term; election last held on 3 January 2012 (next to be held in 2016); election results: :Christopher J. LOEAK elected president; Nitijela vote - NA", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "the US dollar is used", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Marshallese 92.1%, mixed Marshallese 5.9%, other 2% (2006)", "DEATH_RATE": "4.24 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "effective 1 May 1979; amended several times, last in 1990 (2005)", "COASTLINE": "370.4 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November; islands border typhoon belt", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels, beverages, tobacco", "CAPITAL": "name: :Majuro; geographic coordinates: :7 06 N, 171 23 E; time difference: :UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$105.4 million; expenditures: :$104.7 million (FY09 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces; Marshall Islands Police (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "26.36 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "15 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coconuts, tomatoes, melons, taro, breadfruit, fruits; pigs, chickens", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "24 municipalities; Ailinglaplap, Ailuk, Arno, Aur, Bikini & Kili, Ebon, Enewetak & Ujelang, Jabat, Jaluit, Kwajalein, Lae, Lib, Likiep, Majuro, Maloelap, Mejit, Mili, Namdrik, Namu, Rongelap, Ujae, Utrik, Wotho, Wotje", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "copra cake, coconut oil, handicrafts, fish", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :11%; industry: :16.3%; services: :72.7% (2011 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "inadequate supplies of potable water; pollution of Majuro lagoon from household waste and discharges from fishing vessels", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :11; 914 to 1,523 m: :10; 1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :4; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "After almost four decades under US administration as the easternmost part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Marshall Islands attained independence in 1986 under a Compact of Free Association. Compensation claims continue as a result of US nuclear testing on some of the atolls between 1947 and 1962. The Marshall Islands hosts the US Army Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) Reagan Missile Test Site, a key installation in the US missile defense network.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :653; female: :631 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :13,568; females age 16-49: :13,606 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "infrequent typhoons", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :unnamed location on Likiep 10 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.95 male(s)/female; total population: :1.04 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "2 (both are US military stations; Marshalls Broadcasting Service, a cable company, operates on Majuro) (2005)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (additionally, the American Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (Central Pacific Network) operates one FM and one AM station on Kwajalein Island) (2005)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :14.3%; industry: :13.9%; services: :71.8% (2011 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "9 00 N, 168 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :36.6% (male 13,244/female 12,741); 15-24 years: :17.5% (male 6,305/female 6,087); 25-54 years: :36.9% (male 13,308/female 12,856); 55-64 years: :5.7% (male 2,078/female 1,938); 65 years and over: :3.4% (male 1,187/female 1,239) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Mauritania", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Larry Edward ANDRE, Jr. (since 25 September 2014); embassy: :288 Rue Abdallaye, Rue 42-100 (between Presidency building and Spanish Embassy), Nouakchott; mailing address: :BP 222, Nouakchott; telephone: :[222; FAX: :[222", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$3,400 (2014 est.); $3,200 (2013 est.); $3,100 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "6.8% (2014 est.); 6.7% (2013 est.); 7% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.26% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$12.86 billion (2014 est.); $12.04 billion (2013 est.); $11.28 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :75.7%; youth dependency ratio: :70.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.6%; potential support ratio: :17.9% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "10.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 6.7% of GDP (2013 est.); 6.2% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :50.9%; government consumption: :29.5%; investment in fixed capital: :60.6%; investment in inventories: :5.2%; exports of goods and services: :35.2%; imports of goods and services: :-81.4%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "9.3% (2007)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :127,251; percentage: :16% (2007 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "2.408 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "28.32 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "12,810 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "17,870 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "20 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "7,337 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "6,750 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "33.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "66.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "293,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "864.9 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "930 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "star and crescent; national colors: green, yellow", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "12.7% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.4 beds/1,000 population (2006)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.13 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.4% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "19.5% (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "510 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-1.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "45.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "NOUAKCHOTT (capital) 945,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Hymne National de la Republique Islamique de Mauritanie\" (National Anthem of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania); lyrics/music: :Baba Ould CHEIKH/traditional, arranged by Tolia NIKIPROWETZKY; note: :adopted 1960; the unique rhythm of the Mauritanian anthem makes it particularly challenging to sing", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 51.1% of population; rural: 9.2% of population; total: 26.7% of population; urban: 48.9% of population; rural: 90.8% of population; total: 73.3% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 52.3% of population; rural: 47.7% of population; total: 49.6% of population; urban: 47.7% of population; rural: 52.3% of population; total: 50.4% of population (2012 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "one state-run TV (Television de Mauritanie) and one state-run radio network (Radio de Mauritanie); Television de Mauritanie has three channels, Al Mahadra station (for Islamic content) and Channels 1 and 2, which cover news, sports, and other programming; Radio de Mauritanie runs 12 regional stations as well as a radio station for youth and the Holy Quran station; five private TV channels and five private radio stations also broadcast from Mauritania; six private international radio stations broadcast in Mauritania on the FM band; with satellite connections, Mauritanians also have access to hundreds of foreign TV channels (2013)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :59.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.54% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$1.895 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.726 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$NA", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "18% (31 December 2014 est.); 18% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "9% (31 December 2009); 12% (31 December 2007)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.7% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :8 years; male: :8 years; female: :8 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :1.35 cu km/yr (7%/2%/91%); per capita: :420.2 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "11.4 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Mauritania is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; adults and children from traditional slave castes are subjected to slavery-related practices rooted in ancestral master-slave relationships; Mauritanian boy students called talibe are trafficked within the country by religious teachers for forced begging; Mauritanian girls, as well as girls from Mali, Senegal, The Gambia, and other West African countries, are forced into domestic servitude; Mauritanian women and girls are forced into prostitution domestically or transported to countries in the Middle East for the same purpose; tier rating: :Tier 3 - Mauritania does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; in 2013, law enforcement and judicial personnel thwarted the progress of criminal prosecutions for human trafficking by intervening on the behalf of alleged offenders; the government did not provide adequate protective services to victims or ensure their referral to NGOs, which provide the majority of care to trafficking victims without financial support from the government; the absence of measures in place to identify trafficking victims among vulnerable populations may have led to victims being punished for acts committed as a result of being trafficked; the effectiveness of the 2007 anti-slavery law remains impaired because slaves, many of whom are illiterate, are unable to file the required legal complaint; NGOs are barred from lodging cases on behalf of slaves, and the national agency to fight slavery became operational in 2013 but did not submit any criminal complaints for victims (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$4.286 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :26,000 (Western Saharan - Sahrawis) (2014); 52,402 (Mali) (2015)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria and dengue fever; respiratory disease: :meningococcal meningitis; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.588 billion (2014 est.); -$1.367 billion (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "22 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :19.9 years; male: :19 years; female: :20.9 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "39 (2000); 37.3 (1995)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "800 (2012 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "10,500 (2012 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.4% (2012 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".mr", "INTERNET_USERS": "75,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "4.024 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "65,100 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Mohamed Lemine El HAYCEN (since 28 July 2010); chancery: :2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :1,030,700 sq km; land: :1,030,700 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "450.1 sq km (2004)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Islamic Republic of Mauritania; conventional short form: :Mauritania; local long form: :Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah; local short form: :Muritaniyah", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "31% (2012 est.); 30% (2008 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "military junta", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "4.07 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :limited system of cable and open-wire lines, minor microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone communications stations; mobile-cellular services expanding rapidly; domestic: :Mauritel, the national telecommunications company, was privatized in 2001 but remains the monopoly provider of fixed-line services; fixed-line teledensity 2 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular network coverage extends mainly to urban areas with a teledensity of roughly 106 per 100 persons; mostly cable and open-wire lines; a domestic satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with regional capitals; international: :country code - 222; satellite earth stations - 3 (1 Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean, 2 Arabsat); fiber-optic and asymmetric digital subscriber line cables for Internet access (2009)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim (official) 100%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :728 km; standard gauge: :728 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Nouadhibou, Nouakchott", "POPULATION": "3,516,806 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alliance for Justice and Democracy/Movement for Renewal or AJD/MR [Ibrahima Moctar SARR; Alternative or El-Badil [Mohamed Yahdhi Ould MOCTAR HACEN; Coalition of Majority Parties or CPM (parties supporting the regime including PRDR, UPR, UDP, RD, HATEM-PMUC, UCD); Coalition for Pacific Alternation or CAP (coalition of opposition parties, including APP, El Wiam, and Sawab); Coordination of Democratic Opposition or COD [Ahmed Ould DADDAH; Democratic Renewal or RD [Moustapha Ould ABDEIDARRAHMANE; El Karama Party [Cheikhna Ould Mohamed Ould HAJBOU; El Vadila Party [Ethmane Ould Ahmed ABOULMAALY; El Wiam [Boidiel Ould HOUMEIT; Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (Biram Dah ABEID; Mauritanian Party for Unity and Change or HATEM-PMUC [Saleh Ould HANENA; National Pact for Democracy and Development or PNDD-ADIL [Yahya Ould Ahmed El WAGHEF; National Rally for Freedom, Democracy and Equality or RNLDE; National Rally for Reform and Development or RNRD-TAWASSOUL [Mohamed Jamil MANSOUR; Party of Unity and Development or PUD [Mohamed BARO; Popular Front or FP [Mohamed Lemine Ch'bih Ould CHEIKH MALAININE; Popular Progressive Alliance or APP [Messaoud Ould BOULKHEIR; Rally of Democratic Forces or RFD [Ahmed Ould DADDAH; Ravah Party; Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal or PRDR [Mintata Mint HIDEID; Sawab [Abdel Salem Ould HORMA; Socialist and Democratic Unity Party or PUDS [Mahfouz Weld AZIZ; Surge of Youth for the Nation [Lalla CHERIVA; Union for Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha Mint MOUKNASS; Union for the Republic or UPR [Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Mohamed LEMINE; Union of Democratic Center or UCD [Cheikh Sid'Ahmed Ould BABA; Union of the Forces for Progress or UFP [Mohamed Ould MAOULOUD", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Mauritania's economy is dominated by natural resources and agriculture. Half the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood, even though many of the nomads and subsistence farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. Recently, GDP growth has been driven by foreign investment in the mining and oil sectors. Mauritania's extensive mineral resources include iron ore, gold, copper, gypsum, and phosphate rock, and exploration is ongoing for uranium, crude oil, and natural gas. Extractive commodities make up about three-quarters of Mauritania's total exports, subjecting the economy to price swings in world commodity markets. Mining is also a growing source of government revenue, rising from 13% to 29% of total revenue between 2006 and 2013. China was Mauritania�s main export and import partner 2013. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world, and fishing accounts for about 25% of budget revenues, but overexploitation by foreigners threatens this key source of revenue. Risks to Mauritania's economy include its recurring droughts, dependence on foreign aid and investment, and insecurity in neighboring Mali, as well as significant shortages of infrastructure, institutional capacity, and human capital. Mauritania has sought additional IMF support by focusing efforts on poverty reduction. Investment in agriculture and infrastructure are the largest components of the country�s public expenditures.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "General Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CGTM [Abdallahi Ould MOHAMED, secretary general; Independent Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CLTM [Samory Ould BEYE; Mauritanian Workers Union or UTM [Mohamed Ely Ould BRAHIM, secretary general; other: :Arab nationalists; Ba'thists; Islamists", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "most of the population is concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Mauritanian(s); adjective: :Mauritanian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 28 November (1960)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU (candidate), EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MIUSMA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :718,713; females age 16-49: :804,622 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :45.5%; male: :57.4%; female: :35.3% (2007 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :62.28 years; male: :60 years; female: :64.63 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament or Barlamane consists of the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh (56 seats; 53 members indirectly elected by municipal leaders by simple majority vote and 3 directly elected by Mauritanians abroad; members serve 6-year terms) and the National Assembly or Al Jamiya Al Wataniya (146 seats; 106 members directly elected in single- and two-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed and 40 directly elected in constituencies with three or more seats by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :Senate - last held on 8 and 15 November 2009 (next to be held in 2014); National Assembly - first round last held on 23 November and second round on 21 December 2013 (next to be held in 2018); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPM (Coalition of Majority Parties) 14, RNRD-TAWASSOUL 1, independent 2; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UPR 75, RNRD-TAWASSOUL 16, El Wiam 10, APP 7, El Karama Party 6, UDP 6, AJD/MR 4, Surge of Youth for the Nation 4, El Vadila Party 3, PRDR 3, PUD 3, Ravah Party 3, other 6", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of Islamic and French civil law", "LANGUAGES": "Arabic (official and national), Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof (all national languages), French, Hassaniya (a variety of Arabic)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0.39%; permanent crops: :0.01%; other: :99.6% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :5,002 km; border countries: :Algeria 460 km, Mali 2,236 km, Senegal 742 km, Western Sahara 1,564 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "1.292 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (subdivided into 1 criminal and 2 civil chambers, each with a president and 5 counselors); Constitutional Council (consists of 6 members); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court president appointed by the president of the republic to serve a 5-year renewable term; Constitutional Council members appointed - 3 by the president of the republic, 2 by the president of the National Assembly, and 1 by the president of the Senate; members serve single, 9-year terms with one-third of membership renewed every 3 years; subordinate courts: :High Court of Justice (cases involving treason and criminal acts of high government officials); courts of appeal; wilaya (regional) courts (located at the headquarters of each of the 13 regions); commercial and labor courts; criminal courts; moughataa (district) courts; informal/customary courts", "WATERWAYS": "(some navigation is possible on the Senegal River) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "4.4% (2014 est.); 4.1% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :56.06 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :61.04 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :50.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "fish processing, oil production, mining (iron ore, gold, copper); note: :gypsum deposits have never been exploited", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "10% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "28 November 1960 (from France)", "IMPORTS": "$3.489 billion (2014 est.); $3.413 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :10,628 km; paved: :3,158 km; unpaved: :7,470 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "green with a yellow five-pointed star above a yellow, horizontal crescent; the closed side of the crescent is down; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam; the yellow color stands for the sands of the Sahara", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$3.996 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.702 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$2.573 billion (2014 est.); $2.738 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ (since 5 August 2009); note - AZIZ, who deposed democratically elected President Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDELLAHI in a coup and installed himself as President of the High State Council on 6 August 2008, retired from the military and stepped down from the presidency in April 2009 to run for president; he was elected president on 18 July 2009; head of government: :Prime Minister Yahya Ould HADEMINE (since 20 August 2014); cabinet: :Council of Ministers; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held on 21 June 2014 (next to be held by 2019); election results: :Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ elected president; percent of vote - Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ 81.9%, Biram Dah ABEID 8.7%, Boidiel Ould HOUMEIT 4.5%, Ibrahima Moctar SARR 4.4%, other .5%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "ouguiyas (MRO) per US dollar -; 299.5 (2014 est.); 298.5 (2013 est.); 296.6 (2012 est.); 281.12 (2011 est.); 275.89 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "black Moors (Haratines - Arab-speaking slaves, former slaves, and their descendants of African origin, enslaved by white Moors) 40%, white Moors (of Arab-Berber descent, known as Bidhan) 30%, black Africans (non-Arabic speaking, Halpulaar, Soninke, Wolof, and Bamara ethnic groups) 30%", "DEATH_RATE": "8.35 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1964; latest adopted 12 July 1991; amended 2006, 2012 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 15.8%, Netherlands 13.6%, France 7.6%, US 6.5%, Brazil 4.8%, Spain 4.7%, Belgium 4.5% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "754 km", "CLIMATE": "desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods", "CAPITAL": "name: :Nouakchott; geographic coordinates: :18 04 N, 15 58 W; time difference: :UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.953 billion; expenditures: :$1.999 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Mauritanian Armed Forces: Army, Mauritanian Navy (Marine Mauritanienne; includes naval infantry), Islamic Republic of Mauritania Air Group (Groupement Aerienne Islamique de Mauritanie, GAIM) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "31.83 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "30 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn; cattle, sheep", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "13 regions (wilayas, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh ech Chargui, Hodh el Gharbi, Inchiri, Nouakchott, Tagant, Tiris Zemmour, Trarza", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 55.4%, Italy 8.1%, Japan 4.7%, US 4.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "iron ore, fish and fish products, gold, copper, petroleum", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :50%; industry: :2%; services: :48% (2001 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.5%; highest 10%: :29.5% (2000)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "40% (2004 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion aggravated by drought are contributing to desertification; limited natural freshwater resources away from the Senegal, which is the only perennial river; locust infestation", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :21; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :10; 914 to 1,523 m: :8; 2 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :9; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :5; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :4 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Independent from France in 1960, Mauritania annexed the southern third of the former Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara) in 1976 but relinquished it after three years of raids by the Polisario guerrilla front seeking independence for the territory. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA seized power in a coup in 1984 and ruled Mauritania with a heavy hand for more than two decades. A series of presidential elections that he held were widely seen as flawed. A bloodless coup in August 2005 deposed President TAYA and ushered in a military council that oversaw a transition to democratic rule. Independent candidate Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDALLAHI was inaugurated in April 2007 as Mauritania's first freely and fairly elected president. His term ended prematurely in August 2008 when a military junta led by General Mohamed Ould Abdel AZIZ deposed him and installed a military council government. AZIZ was subsequently elected president in July 2009 and sworn in the following month. AZIZ sustained injuries from an accidental shooting by his own troops in October 2012 but has continued to maintain his authority. The country continues to experience ethnic tensions among its black population (Afro-Mauritanians) and white and black Moor (Arab-Berber) communities, and confronts a terrorism threat by al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :36,116; female: :36,826 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :480,042; females age 16-49: :581,473 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind primarily in March and April; periodic droughts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m; highest point: :Kediet Ijill 915 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.96 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.86 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.93 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.74 male(s)/female; total population: :0.93 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (2002)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 14, shortwave 1 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :17.1%; industry: :48.7%; services: :34.2% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "20 00 N, 12 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :39.5% (male 697,156/female 691,548); 15-24 years: :20% (male 343,214/female 358,533); 25-54 years: :32.5% (male 528,133/female 613,324); 55-64 years: :4.5% (male 71,265/female 87,086); 65 years and over: :3.6% (male 53,705/female 72,842) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Mauritius", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Sharon VILLAROSA (since 10 September 2012); note - also accredited to Seychelles; embassy: :4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis; mailing address: :international mail: P. O. Box 544, Port Louis; US mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2450; telephone: :[230; FAX: :[230", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$17,900 (2014 est.); $17,400 (2013 est.); $16,900 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.3% (2014 est.); 3.2% (2013 est.); 3.2% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.66% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$23.42 billion (2014 est.); $22.67 billion (2013 est.); $21.97 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :39.8%; youth dependency ratio: :27.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :12.8%; potential support ratio: :7.8% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "14% of GDP (2014 est.); 13.4% of GDP (2013 est.); 17.5% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :73.4%; government consumption: :14.4%; investment in fixed capital: :21.2%; investment in inventories: :2.8%; exports of goods and services: :55.4%; imports of goods and services: :-67.2%; (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "5.317 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "20,620 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "25,430 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "17.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "6.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "75.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "901,200 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "2.444 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "2.628 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "dodo bird; national colors: red, blue, yellow, green", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :23.7%; male: :20.4%; female: :28.4% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "18.5% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "3.4 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.06 physicians/1,000 population (2004)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "4.8% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "60 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-3.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "22% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "PORT LOUIS (capital) 135,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Motherland\"; lyrics/music: :Jean Georges PROSPER/Philippe GENTIL; note: :adopted 1968", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 91.7% of population; rural: 90.1% of population; total: 90.8% of population; urban: 8.3% of population; rural: 9.9% of population; total: 9.2% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.9% of population; rural: 99.7% of population; total: 99.8% of population; urban: 0.1% of population; rural: 0.3% of population; total: 0.2% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$12.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $12.15 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$2.666 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.562 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "the government maintains control over TV broadcasting through the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), which operates 3 analog and 10 digital TV stations; MBC is a shareholder in a local company that operates 2 pay-TV stations; the state retains the largest radio broadcast network with multiple stations; several private radio broadcasters have entered the market since 2001; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :39.8% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :-0.08% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$16.27 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $14.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$6.914 billion (31 December 2008); $6.759 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$1.68 billion (31 December 2008); $1.673 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "8.7% (31 December 2014 est.); 8.5% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "9% (31 December 2010)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.5% of GDP (2012)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :16 years; male: :15 years; female: :16 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.73 cu km/yr (30%/3%/68%); per capita: :568.2 cu m/yr (2003)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "2.75 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$7.093 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $7.667 billion (31 December 2011); $7.442 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$12.72 billion (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$4.018 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.491 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.108 billion (2014 est.); -$1.179 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "61.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 60% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "51,139 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :33.9 years; male: :33.1 years; female: :34.8 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "39 (2006 est.); 37 (1987 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "900 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "9,600 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "1.1% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".mu", "INTERNET_USERS": "290,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "1.485 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "349,100 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Hans Irvin Antish BHUGUN (since 17 July 2014); chancery: :1709 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036; administrative offices - 3201 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 441, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :2,040 sq km; land: :2,030 sq km; water: :10 sq km; note: :includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "212.2 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, about 800 km (500 mi) east of Madagascar", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Mauritius; conventional short form: :Mauritius; local long form: :Republic of Mauritius; local short form: :Mauritius; note: :island named after Prince Maurice VAN NASSAU, stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, in 1598", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "8% (2014 est.); 8% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.77 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :small system with good service; domestic: :monopoly over fixed-line services terminated in 2005; fixed-line teledensity roughly 30 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular services launched in 1989 with current teledensity roughly 100 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 230; landing point for the SAFE submarine cable that provides links to Asia and South Africa where it connects to the SAT-3/WASC submarine cable that provides further links to parts of East Africa, and Europe; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several countries (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Hindu 48.5%, Roman Catholic 26.3%, Muslim 17.3%, other Christian 6.4%, other 0.6%, none 0.7%, unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Port Louis", "POPULATION": "1,331,155 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alliance Lepep (Alliance of the People) [Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH; Labor Party (Parti Travailliste) or PTR or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM; Mauritian Militant Movement (Mouvement Militant Mauricien) or MMM [Paul BERENGER; Mauritian Social Democratic Party (Parti Mauricien Social Democrate) or PMSD [Xavier Luc DUVAL; Mauritian Solidarity Front (Front Solidarite Mauricienne) or FSM [Cehi FAKEERMEEAH; Militant Socialist Movement (Mouvement Socialist Mauricien) or MSM [Pravind JUGNAUTH; Muvman Liberator or ML [Ivan COLLENDAVELLOO; PTR-MMM Coalition [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM; Rodrigues Peoples Organization (Organisation du Peuple Rodriguais) or OPR [Serge CLAIR", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has undergone a remarkable economic transformation from a low-income, agriculturally based economy to a diversified, upper middle-income economy with growing industrial, financial, and tourist sectors. Mauritius has achieved steady and strong growth over the last several decades, resulting in more equitable income distribution, increased life expectancy, lowered infant mortality, and a much-improved infrastructure. The economy rests on sugar, tourism, textiles and apparel, and financial services, and is expanding into fish processing, information and communications technology, and hospitality and property development. Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 15% of export earnings. The government's development strategy centers on creating vertical and horizontal clusters of development in these sectors. Mauritius has attracted more than 32,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in India, South Africa, and China. Investment in the banking sector alone has reached over $1 billion. Mauritius, with its strong textile sector, has taken advantage of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, with Mauritian exports to the US growing by 400% from 2001-2012. Mauritius' sound economic policies and prudent banking practices helped to mitigate negative effects of the global financial crisis in 2008-09. GDP grew in the 3-4% per year range in 2010-14, and the country continues to expand its trade and investment outreach around the globe.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Blok 104. Rezistans ek Alternativ (Resistence and Alternative), Say No to Coal!; other: :various labor unions", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs; former home of the dodo, a large flightless bird related to pigeons, driven to extinction by the end of the 17th century through a combination of hunting and the introduction of predatory species", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "arable land, fish", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Mauritian(s); adjective: :Mauritian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 12 March (1968)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :4; by type: :passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1 (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, C, CD, COMESA, CPLP (associate), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SAARC (observer), SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines; territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :343,628 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :89.2%; male: :92%; female: :86.7% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :75.17 years; male: :71.71 years; female: :78.81 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (70 seats; 62 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 8 seats allocated to non-elected party candidates by the Electoral Commissioner's Office to ensure fair and adequate representation of each community and party in the Assembly; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 10 December 2014 (next to be held in 2019); note - the National Assembly was dissolved on 6 October 2014, resulting in early elections; election results: :percent of vote by party - Alliance Lepep 49.8%, PTR-MMM 38.5%, FSM 2.1%, OPR 1.1%, other 8.5%; elected seats by party - Alliance Lepop 47, PTR-MMM 13, OPR 2; appointed seats Alliance Lepep 4, PTR-MMM 3, unassigned 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil legal system based on French civil law with some elements of English common law", "LANGUAGES": "Creole 86.5%, Bhojpuri 5.3%, French 4.1%, two languages 1.4%, other 2.6% (includes English, the official language, which is spoken by less than 1% of the population), unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :37.44%; permanent crops: :1.97%; other: :60.59% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "600,200 (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Mauritius (consists of the chief justice, a senior puisne judge, and 17 puisne judges); judge selection and term of office: :chief justice appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister; senior puisne judge appointed by the president with the advice of the chief justice; other puisne judges appointed by the president with the advice of the Judicial and Legal Commission, a 4-member body of judicial officials including the chief justice; all judges serve until retirement at age 62; subordinate courts: :Court of Civil Appeal; Court of Criminal Appeal; Public Bodies Appeal Tribunal (formed by a 2008 constitutional amendment)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3.9% (2014 est.); 3.5% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :10.59 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :12.59 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :8.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing, mining, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery, tourism", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.4% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "12 March 1968 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$5.441 billion (2014 est.); $5.141 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :2,149 km; paved: :2,149 km (includes 75 km of expressways) (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green; red represents self-determination and independence, blue the Indian Ocean surrounding the island, yellow has been interpreted as the new light of independence, golden sunshine, or the bright future, and green can symbolize either agriculture or the lush vegetation of the island", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 July - 30 June", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$5.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.229 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$3.135 billion (2014 est.); $2.872 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Rajkeswur Kailash PURRYAG (since 21 July 2012); head of government: :Prime Minister Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 17 December 2014); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister; elections: :president and vice president elected by the National Assembly for five-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held on 21 July 2012 (next to be held in 2017); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president, responsible to the National Assembly; election results: :Rajkeswur Kailash PURRYAG elected president by unanimous vote", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Mauritian rupees (MUR) per US dollar -; 30.43 (2014 est.); 30.703 (2013 est.); 30.05 (2012 est.); 28.706 (2011 est.); 30.784 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2%", "DEATH_RATE": "6.85 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted 12 March 1968; amended many times, last in 2012 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "India 24.3%, China 14.7%, France 8.2%, South Africa 6.2% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "177 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Port Louis; geographic coordinates: :20 09 S, 57 29 E; time difference: :UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$2.797 billion; expenditures: :$3.263 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces; Mauritius Police Force, Special Mobile Force, National Coast Guard (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "13.46 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "5 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega Islands*, Black River, Cargados Carajos Shoals*, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "UK 16.9%, France 15%, US 10.1%, Italy 8.9%, South Africa 8.4%, Madagascar 6.2%, Spain 5.8% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses, fish, primates (for research)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture and fishing: :9%; construction and industry: :30%; transportation and communication: :7%; trade, restaurants, hotels: :22%; finance: :6%; other services: :25% (2007)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "8% (2006 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.19% of GDP (2012); 0.16% of GDP (2011); 0.19% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "water pollution, degradation of coral reefs", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :2; 1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; over 3,047 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Although known to Arab and Malay sailors as early as the 10th century, Mauritius was first explored by the Portuguese in the 16th century and subsequently settled by the Dutch - who named it in honor of Prince Maurits van NASSAU - in the 17th century. The French assumed control in 1715, developing the island into an important naval base overseeing Indian Ocean trade, and establishing a plantation economy of sugar cane. The British captured the island in 1810, during the Napoleonic Wars. Mauritius remained a strategically important British naval base, and later an air station, playing an important role during World War II for anti-submarine and convoy operations, as well as the collection of signals intelligence. Independence from the UK was attained in 1968. A stable democracy with regular free elections and a positive human rights record, the country has attracted considerable foreign investment and has one of Africa's highest per capita incomes.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :10,193; female: :10,104 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :280,596; females age 16-49: :283,317 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Indian Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mont Piton 828 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.67 male(s)/female; total population: :0.97 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "2 (plus several repeaters) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 4, FM 9, shortwave 0 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :4.5%; industry: :22.4%; services: :73.2% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "20 17 S, 57 33 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :21% (male 143,064/female 137,021); 15-24 years: :15.5% (male 104,257/female 102,233); 25-54 years: :44.1% (male 293,607/female 294,029); 55-64 years: :10.9% (male 68,749/female 76,407); 65 years and over: :8.4% (male 45,145/female 66,643) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Mexico", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Earl Anthony WAYNE (since 2 August 2011); embassy: :Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, 06500 Mexico, Distrito Federal; mailing address: :P. O. Box 9000, Brownsville, TX 78520-9000; telephone: :[52; FAX: :[52; consulate(s) general: :Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, Matamoros, Merida, Monterrey, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo, Tijuana", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$17,900 (2014 est.); $17,700 (2013 est.); $17,700 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.4% (2014 est.); 1.1% (2013 est.); 4% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.21% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$2.143 trillion (2014 est.); $2.093 trillion (2013 est.); $2.071 trillion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :52.7%; youth dependency ratio: :42.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :10.1%; potential support ratio: :9.9% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "19.8% of GDP (2014 est.); 19.5% of GDP (2013 est.); 21.9% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :68.5%; government consumption: :12.2%; investment in fixed capital: :20.7%; investment in inventories: :-1%; exports of goods and services: :33.2%; imports of goods and services: :-33.6%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "72.5% (2009)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "21.3 (2008 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :1,105,617; percentage: :5% (2009 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "453.8 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "483.5 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "18.53 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "32 million cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "64.58 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "46.43 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "653,200 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "189,100 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "2.044 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "1.361 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "10.07 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "1.46 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "2.882 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "3.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "2.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "18.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "75.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "61.51 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "607 million kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "1.288 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "232.3 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "277.6 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "golden eagle; national colors: green, white, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :9.4%; male: :9.1%; female: :9.9% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "32.1% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.5 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.1 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.1% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "2.8% (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "50 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-3.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "23.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "MEXICO CITY (capital) 20.843 million; Guadalajara 4.766 million; Monterrey 4.435 million; Puebla 2.936 million; Toluca de Lerdo 2.12 million; Tijuana 1.941 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Himno Nacional Mexicano\" (National Anthem of Mexico); lyrics/music: :Francisco Gonzalez BOCANEGRA/Jaime Nuno ROCA; note: :adopted 1943, in use since 1854; also known as \"Mexicanos, al grito de Guerra\" (Mexicans, to the War Cry); according to tradition, Francisco Gonzalez BOCANEGRA, an accomplished poet, was uninterested in submitting lyrics to a national anthem contest; his fiancee locked him in a room and refused to release him until the lyrics were completed", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 87% of population; rural: 79% of population; total: 85.3% of population; urban: 13% of population; rural: 21% of population; total: 14.7% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 95.9% of population; rural: 90.8% of population; total: 94.9% of population; urban: 3.9% of population; rural: 9.2% of population; total: 5.1% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$826.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $727 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$215.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $192.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "many TV stations and more than 1,400 radio stations with most privately owned; the Televisa group once had a virtual monopoly in TV broadcasting, but new broadcasting groups and foreign satellite and cable operators are now available (2012)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :79% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.57% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$502.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $438.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$146.8 billion (31 December 2009 est.); $147.4 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$115.9 billion (31 December 2009 est.); $92.34 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "4% (31 December 2014 est.); 4.25% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "4.5% (31 December 2012); 4.5% (31 December 2011)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.1% of GDP (2009)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :13 years; male: :13 years; female: :13 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :80.4 cu km/yr (14%/9%/77%); per capita: :700.4 cu m/yr (2009)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "457.2 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$525.1 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $408.7 billion (31 December 2011); $454.3 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$170.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $157.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$389.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $361.2 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$1.296 trillion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "IDPs: :160,000 (government's quashing of Zapatista uprising in 1994 in eastern Chiapas Region; drug cartel violence and government's military response since 2007; violence between and within indigenous groups) (2014); stateless persons: :13 (2013)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :intermediate; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A; vectorborne disease: :dengue fever (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$200.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $181 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$21.92 billion (2014 est.); -$26.28 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "41% of GDP (2014 est.); 38% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "16.233 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :27.3 years; male: :26.3 years; female: :28.4 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "48.3 (2008); 53.1 (1998)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "5,600 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "175,100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.23% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".mx", "INTERNET_USERS": "31.02 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "100.786 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "20.22 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chancery: :1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, El Paso (TX), Houston, Laredo (TX), Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Nogales (AZ), Phoenix, Sacramento (CA), San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), San Juan (Puerto Rico), Saint Paul (MN); consulate(s): :Albuquerque, Anchorage (AK), Boise (ID), Brownsville (TX), Calexico (CA), Del Rio (TX), Detroit, Douglas (AZ), Eagle Pass (TX), Fresno (CA), Indianapolis (IN), Kansas City (MO), Las Vegas (NV), Little Rock (AR), McAllen (TX), New Orleans, Omaha (NE), Orlando (FL), Oxnard (CA), Philadelphia, Portland (OR), Presidio (TX), Raleigh (NC), Salt Lake City, San Bernardino (CA), Santa Ana (CA), Seattle, Tucson (AZ), Yuma (AZ); note - Washington DC Consular Section located in a separate building from the Mexican Embassy and has jurisdiction over DC, parts of Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia", "AREA": "total: :1,964,375 sq km; land: :1,943,945 sq km; water: :20,430 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "64,600 sq km (2009)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "North America", "LOCATION": "North America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the United States and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the United States", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :United Mexican States; conventional short form: :Mexico; local long form: :Estados Unidos Mexicanos; local short form: :Mexico", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "4.7% (2014 est.); 4.9% (2013 est.); note: :underemployment may be as high as 25%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "federal republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.29 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "high, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus; desert", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :adequate telephone service for business and government; improving quality and increasing mobile cellular availability, with mobile subscribers far outnumbering fixed-line subscribers; domestic satellite system with 120 earth stations; extensive microwave radio relay network; considerable use of fiber-optic cable and coaxial cable; domestic: :despite the opening to competition in January 1997, Telmex remains dominant; Fixed-line teledensity is less than 20 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is about 80 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 52; Columbus-2 fiber-optic submarine cable with access to the US, Virgin Islands, Canary Islands, Spain, and Italy; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the MAYA-1 submarine cable system together provide access to Central America, parts of South America and the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 120 (32 Intelsat, 2 Solidaridad (giving Mexico improved access to South America, Central America, and much of the US as well as enhancing domestic communications), 1 Panamsat, numerous Inmarsat mobile earth stations); linked to Central American Microwave System of trunk connections (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal and compulsory", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 82.7%, Pentecostal 1.6%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.4%, other Evangelical Churches 5%, other 1.9%, none 4.7%, unspecified 2.7% (2010 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :17,166 km; standard gauge: :17,166 km 1.435-m gauge (22 km electrified) (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Altamira, Coatzacoalcos, Lazaro Cardenas, Manzanillo, Veracruz; container port(s) (TEUs): :Manzanillo (1,992,176), Lazaro Cardenas (1,242,777) (2012); oil terminals: :Cayo Arcas terminal, Dos Bocas terminal; LNG terminal(s) (import): :Altamira, Ensenada; cruise port(s): :Cancun, Cozumel, Ensenada", "POPULATION": "120,286,655 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Citizen's Movement (Movimiento Ciudadano) [Dante DELGADO Rannaoro; Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional) or PRI [Cesar CAMACHO Quiroz; Labor Party (Partido del Trabajo) or PT [Alberto ANAYA Gutierrez; Mexican Green Ecological Party (Partido Verde Ecologista de Mexico) or PVEM [Jorge Emilio GONZALEZ Torres; Movement for National Regeneration (Movimiento Regeneracion Nacional) or MORENA [Marti BATRES; National Action Party (Partido Accion Nacional) or PAN [Gustavo MADERO Munoz; New Alliance Party (Partido Nueva Alianza) or PNA/PANAL [Luis CASTRO Obregon; Party of the Democratic Revolution (Partido de la Revolucion Democratica) or PRD [Jesus ZAMBRANO Grijalva", "PIPELINES": "gas 18,074 km; liquid petroleum 2,102 km; oil 8,775 km; oil/gas/water 369 km; refined products 7,565 km; water 123 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Mexico's $1.3 trillion economy has become increasingly oriented toward manufacturing in the 21 years since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) entered into force. Per capita income is roughly one-third that of the US; income distribution remains highly unequal. Mexico has become the United States' second-largest export market and third-largest source of imports. In 2013, two-way merchandise trade reached nearly $507 billion. Mexico has free trade agreements with 46 countries - putting more than 90% of trade under free trade agreements. In 2012, Mexico formally joined the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations and formed the Pacific Alliance with Peru, Colombia and Chile. Mexico's current government, led by President Enrique PENA NIETO, emphasized economic reforms during its first two years in office, passing and implementing education, energy, financial, fiscal and telecommunications reform legislation, among others, with the aim to improve competitiveness and economic growth across the Mexican economy. Although the economy is expected to experience stronger growth in 2015 as a result of increased investment and stronger demand for Mexican exports, growth will continue to remain modest and below expectations. Over the medium-term, the economy is vulnerable to global economic pressures, such as rising interest rates and low oil prices�which account for about 30 percent of government revenue.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Businessmen's Coordinating Council or CCE; Confederation of Employers of the Mexican Republic or COPARMEX; Confederation of Industrial Chambers or CONCAMIN; Confederation of Mexican Workers or CTM; Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce or CONCANACO; Coordinator for Foreign Trade Business Organizations or COECE; Federation of Unions Providing Goods and Services or FESEBES; National Chamber of Transformation Industries or CANACINTRA; National Confederation of Popular Organizations or CNOP; National Coordinator for Education Workers or CNTE; National Peasant Confederation or CNC; National Small Business Chamber or CANACOPE; National Syndicate of Education Workers or SNTE; National Union of Workers or UNT; Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca or APPO; Roman Catholic Church", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location on southern border of US; corn (maize), one of the world's major grain crops, is thought to have originated in Mexico", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-1.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Mexican(s); adjective: :Mexican", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 16 September (1810)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :52; by type: :bulk carrier 5, cargo 3, chemical tanker 11, liquefied gas 3, passenger/cargo 10, petroleum tanker 17, roll on/roll off 3; foreign-owned: :5 (France 1, Greece 2, South Africa 1, UAE 1); registered in other countries: :12 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Marshall Islands 2, Panama 5, Portugal 1, Spain 1, Venezuela 1, unknown 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "APEC, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CAN (observer), Caricom (observer), CD, CDB, CE (observer), CELAC, CSN (observer), EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-3, G-15, G-20, G-24, G-5, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, MIGA, NAFTA, NAM (observer), NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UNASUR (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina (observer), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :28,815,506; females age 16-49: :30,363,558 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :94.2%; male: :95.4%; female: :93.2% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :75.43 years; male: :72.67 years; female: :78.32 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral National Congress or Congreso de la Union consists of the Senate or Camara de Senadores (128 seats; 96 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 32 directly elected in a single, nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 6-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (500 seats; 300 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 200 directly elected in a single, nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 3-year terms); elections: :Senate - last held on 1 July 2012 (next to be held on 1 July 2018); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 1 July 2012 (next to be held on 7 June 2015); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRI 52, PAN 38, PRD 22, PVEM 9, PT 4, Movimiento Ciudadano 2, PANAL 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRI 208, PAN 114, PRD 100, PVEM 33, PT 19, Movimiento Ciudadano 16, PANAL 10", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system with US constitutional law influence; judicial review of legislative acts", "LANGUAGES": "Spanish only 92.7%, Spanish and indigenous languages 5.7%, indigenous only 0.8%, unspecified 0.8%; note: :indigenous languages include various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional languages (2005)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :11.9%; permanent crops: :1.38%; other: :86.72% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :4,389 km; border countries: :Belize 276 km, Guatemala 958 km, US 3,155 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "52.9 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Justice or Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nacion (consists of the chief justice and 11 justices and organized into civil, criminal, administrative, and labor panels) and the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary (organized into the superior court, with 7 judges including the court president and 5 regional courts, each with 3 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court justices nominated by the president of the republic and approved by two-thirds vote of the members present in the Senate; justices serve for life; Electoral Tribunal superior and regional court judges nominated by the Supreme Court and elected by two-thirds vote of members present in the Senate; superior court president elected from among its members to hold office for a single-renewable 4-year term; other judges of the superior and regional courts serve staggered, single-renewable 9-year terms; subordinate courts: :federal level includes circuit, collegiate, and unitary courts; state and district level courts", "WATERWAYS": "2,900 km (navigable rivers and coastal canals mostly connected with ports on the country's east coast) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3.8% (2014 est.); 3.8% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :12.58 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :14 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :11.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.8% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "16 September 1810 (declared); 27 September 1821 (recognized by Spain)", "IMPORTS": "$407.1 billion (2014 est.); $381.6 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "major drug-producing and transit nation; world's second largest opium poppy cultivator; opium poppy cultivation in 2009 rose 31% over 2008 to 19,500 hectares yielding a potential production of 50 metric tons of pure heroin, or 125 metric tons of \"black tar\" heroin, the dominant form of Mexican heroin in the western United States; marijuana cultivation increased 45% to 17,500 hectares in 2009; government conducts the largest independent illicit-crop eradication program in the world; continues as the primary transshipment country for US-bound cocaine from South America, with an estimated 95% of annual cocaine movements toward the US stopping in Mexico; major drug syndicates control the majority of drug trafficking throughout the country; producer and distributor of ecstasy; significant money-laundering center; major supplier of heroin and largest foreign supplier of marijuana and methamphetamine to the US market (2007)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :377,660 km; paved: :137,544 km (includes 7,176 km of expressways); unpaved: :240,116 km (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; Mexico's coat of arms (an eagle with a snake in its beak perched on a cactus) is centered in the white band; green signifies hope, joy, and love; white represents peace and honesty; red stands for hardiness, bravery, strength, and valor; the coat of arms is derived from a legend that the wandering Aztec people were to settle at a location where they would see an eagle on a cactus eating a snake; the city they founded, Tenochtitlan, is now Mexico City; note: :similar to the flag of Italy, which is shorter, uses lighter shades of red and green, and does not have anything in its white band", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$438.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $394.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$406.4 billion (2014 est.); $380.7 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Enrique PENA NIETO (since 1 December 2012); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Enrique PENA NIETO (since 1 December 2012); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president; note - appointment of attorney general, the head of the Bank of Mexico, and senior treasury officials require consent of the Senate; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a single six-year term; election last held on 1 July 2012 (next to be held in July 2018); election results: :Enrique PENA NIETO elected president; percent of vote - Enrique PENA NIETO (PRI) 38.21%, Andres Manuel LOPEZ OBRADOR (PRD) 31.59%, Josefina Eugenia VAZQUEZ Mota (PAN) 25.41%, other 4.79%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Mexican pesos (MXN) per US dollar -; 13.14 (2014 est.); 12.772 (2013 est.); 13.17 (2012 est.); 12.423 (2011 est.); 12.636 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 62%, predominantly Amerindian 21%, Amerindian 7%, other 10% (mostly European); note: :Mexico does not collect census data on ethnicity (2012 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "5.24 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest approved 5 February 1917; amended many times, last in 2014 (2014)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 49.1%, China 16.1%, Japan 4.5% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "9,330 km", "CLIMATE": "varies from tropical to desert", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "metalworking machines, steel mill products, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment, automobile parts for assembly and repair, aircraft, aircraft parts", "CAPITAL": "name: :Mexico City (Distrito Federal); geographic coordinates: :19 26 N, 99 08 W; time difference: :UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last Sunday in October; note: :Mexico has three time zones", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$300.8 billion; expenditures: :$348.4 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Secretariat of National Defense (Secretaria de Defensa Nacional, Sedena): Army (Ejercito), Mexican Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Mexicana, FAM); Secretariat of the Navy (Secretaria de Marina, Semar): Mexican Navy (Armada de Mexico (ARM); includes Naval Air Force (FAN), Mexican Naval Infantry Corps (Cuerpo de Infanteria de Marina, Mexmar or CIM)) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "19.02 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "1,714 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy products; wood products", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "31 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Colima, Distrito Federal*, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan de Ocampo, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (Veracruz), Yucatan, Zacatecas", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 78.8% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "manufactured goods, oil and oil products, silver, fruits, vegetables, coffee, cotton", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :13.4%; industry: :24.1%; services: :61.9% (2011)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2%; highest 10%: :37.5% (2010)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "52.3%; note: :based on food-based definition of poverty; asset-based poverty amounted to more than 47% (2012 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.59% of GDP (2012); 0.56% of GDP (2011); 0.59% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "scarcity of hazardous waste disposal facilities; rural to urban migration; natural freshwater resources scarce and polluted in north, inaccessible and poor quality in center and extreme southeast; raw sewage and industrial effluents polluting rivers in urban areas; deforestation; widespread erosion; desertification; deteriorating agricultural lands; serious air and water pollution in the national capital and urban centers along US-Mexico border; land subsidence in Valley of Mexico caused by groundwater depletion; note: :the government considers the lack of clean water and deforestation national security issues", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1,471; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :42; 914 to 1,523 m: :281; 1,146 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :243; over 3,047 m: :12; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :32; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :80; 914 to 1,523 m: :86; under 914 m: :33 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The site of several advanced Amerindian civilizations - including the Olmec, Toltec, Teotihuacan, Zapotec, Maya, and Aztec - Mexico was conquered and colonized by Spain in the early 16th century. Administered as the Viceroyalty of New Spain for three centuries, it achieved its independence early in the 19th century. The global financial crisis beginning in late 2008 caused a massive economic downturn the following year, although growth returned quickly in 2010. Ongoing economic and social concerns include low real wages, high underemployment, inequitable income distribution, and few advancement opportunities for the largely indigenous population in the impoverished southern states. The elections held in 2000 marked the first time since the 1910 Mexican Revolution that an opposition candidate - Vicente FOX of the National Action Party (PAN) - defeated the party in government, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). He was succeeded in 2006 by another PAN candidate Felipe CALDERON, but Enrique PENA NIETO regained the presidency for the PRI in 2012. Since 2007, Mexico's powerful drug-trafficking organizations have engaged in bloody feuding, resulting in tens of thousands of drug-related homicides.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :1,105,371; female: :1,067,007 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :23,239,866; females age 16-49: :25,642,549 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript service obligation is 12 months; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary enlistment; conscripts serve only in the Army; Navy and Air Force service is all voluntary; women are eligible for voluntary military service; cadets enrolled in military schools from the age of 15 are considered members of the armed forces (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than three times the size of Texas", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean coasts; volcanism: :volcanic activity in the central-southern part of the country; the volcanoes in Baja California are mostly dormant; Colima (elev. 3,850 m), which erupted in 2010, is Mexico's most active volcano and is responsible for causing periodic evacuations of nearby villagers; it has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Popocatepetl (elev. 5,426 m) poses a threat to Mexico City; other historically active volcanoes include Barcena, Ceboruco, El Chichon, Michoacan-Guanajuato, Pico de Orizaba, San Martin, Socorro, and Tacana", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Laguna Salada -10 m; highest point: :Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,675 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.93 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.96 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.81 male(s)/female; total population: :0.96 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "729 (2009)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 851, FM 726, shortwave 15 (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :3.5%; industry: :36.4%; services: :60.1% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "23 00 N, 102 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :27.9% (male 17,188,577/female 16,423,421); 15-24 years: :18.1% (male 10,999,445/female 10,741,999); 25-54 years: :40.4% (male 23,385,321/female 25,200,511); 55-64 years: :7% (male 3,850,792/female 4,527,074); 65 years and over: :6.6% (male 3,594,675/female 4,374,840) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Micronesia, Federated States of", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Dorothea-Maria (Doria) ROSEN (since 9 August 2012); embassy: :101 Upper Pics Road, Kolonia; mailing address: :P. O. Box 1286, Kolonia, Pohnpei, 96941; U.S. Embassy in Micronesia, 4120 Kolonia Place, Washington, D.C. 20521-4120; telephone: :[691; FAX: :[691", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$3,200 (2014 est.); $3,200 (2013 est.); $3,100 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "0.6% (2014 est.); 0.6% (2013 est.); 0.4% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.42% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$331 million (2014 est.); $329 million (2013 est.); $327 million (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars; GDP supplemented by grant aid, averaging perhaps $100 million annually", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :63.3%; youth dependency ratio: :56.4%; elderly dependency ratio: :6.9%; potential support ratio: :14.6% (2014 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2002)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2002)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "178.6 million kWh (2002)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "192 million kWh (2002)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "four, five-pointed, white stars on a light blue field; national colors: light blue, white", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "40.6% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "3.2 beds/1,000 population (2009)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.18 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "12.8% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "100 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "1.5% of GDP (FY10/11 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "31.6% of GDP (FY10/11 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "PALIKIR (capital) 7,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Patriots of Micronesia\"; lyrics/music: :unknown; note: :adopted 1991; also known as \"Across All Micronesia\"; the music is based on the 1820 German patriotic song \"Ich hab mich ergeben\", which was the West German national anthem from 1949-1950; variants of this tune are used in Johannes Brahms' \"Festival Overture\" and Gustav Mahler's \"Third Symphony\"", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 85.1% of population; rural: 49% of population; total: 57.2% of population; urban: 14.9% of population; rural: 51% of population; total: 42.8% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 94.8% of population; rural: 87.4% of population; total: 89% of population; urban: 5.2% of population; rural: 12.6% of population; total: 11% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$118.4 million (31 December 2011 est.); $113.9 million (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$NA; $27.22 million (31 December 2011 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "no TV broadcast stations; each state has a multi-channel cable service with TV transmissions carrying roughly 95% imported programming and 5% local programming; about a half dozen radio stations (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :22.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.27% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$NA; $56.77 million (31 December 2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$76.8 million (31 December 2008); $72.49 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$21.21 million (31 December 2008); $22.45 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "14.35% (31 December 2013 est.); 14.35% (31 December 2012 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$339 million (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$75.06 million (31 December 2011 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$34.3 million (FY05 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "4,668 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :23.8 years; male: :23.2 years; female: :24.4 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".fm", "INTERNET_USERS": "17,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "27,600 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "8,400 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Asterio R. TAKESY (since 13 January 2012); chancery: :1725 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Honolulu, Tamuning (Guam)", "AREA": "total: :702 sq km; land: :702 sq km; water: :0 sq km (fresh water only); note: :includes Pohnpei (Ponape), Chuuk (Truk) Islands, Yap Islands, and Kosrae (Kosaie)", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, island group in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Indonesia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Federated States of Micronesia; conventional short form: :none; local long form: :Federated States of Micronesia; local short form: :none; former: :Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Ponape, Truk, and Yap Districts; abbreviation: :FSM", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the US", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "22% (2000 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force on 3 November 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into force in May 2004", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.55 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "islands vary geologically from high mountainous islands to low, coral atolls; volcanic outcroppings on Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Chuuk", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :adequate system; domestic: :islands interconnected by shortwave radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes), satellite (Intelsat) ground stations, and some coaxial and fiber-optic cable; mobile-cellular service available on Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap; international: :country code - 691; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2002)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 54.7%, Protestant 41.1% (includes Congregational 38.5%, Baptist 1.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 0.8%, Assembly of God .7%), Mormon 1.5%, other 1.9%, none 0.7%, unspecified 0.1% (2010 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Colonia (Tomil Harbor), Lele Harbor, Pohnepi Harbor", "POPULATION": "105,681 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "no formal parties", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Economic activity consists of subsistence farming and fishing and government which is funded largely by Compact of Free Association (Compact) assistance provided by the US. The islands have few known mineral deposits worth commercial exploration. The potential for tourism is also limited by isolation, lack of adequate facilities, and limited air and water connections hinder development. Under the terms of the original Compact, the US provided $1.3 billion in grants and aid in 1986-2001. The US and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) negotiated a second (amended) Compact agreement in 2002-2003 that took effect in 2004. The amended Compact runs for a 20-year period to 2024; during which the US will provide roughly $2.1 billion to the FSM. The amended Compact also includes a Trust Fund for the people of the FSM which is to provide an income stream beyond 2024 when Compact grants are to end. The country's medium-term economic outlook appears fragile because of reduced US assistance and lackluster performance of its small and stagnant private sector.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "four major island groups totaling 607 islands", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-20.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "timber, marine products, deep-seabed minerals, phosphate", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Micronesian(s); adjective: :Micronesian; Chuukese, Kosraen(s), Pohnpeian(s), Yapese", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Constitution Day, 10 May (1979)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :3; by type: :cargo 1, passenger/cargo 2 (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, ADB, AOSIS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO, WMO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :26,712 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :72.35 years; male: :70.34 years; female: :74.45 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Congress (14 seats; 10 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 2-year terms and 4 directly elected from each of the 4 states by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 5 March 2013 (next to be held in March 2015); election results: :percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 14", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of common and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "English (official and common language), Chuukese, Kosrean, Pohnpeian, Yapese, Ulithian, Woleaian, Nukuoro, Kapingamarangi", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :2.86%; permanent crops: :24.29%; other: :72.86% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "15,920 (2011 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and not more than 5 associate justices and organized into appellate and criminal divisions); judge selection and term of office: :justices appointed by the president of the Federated States of Micronesia with the approval of two-thirds of Congress; justices appointed for life; subordinate courts: :the highest state-level courts are: Chuuk Supreme Court; Korsae State Court; Pohnpei State Court; Yap State Court", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3.4% (2011 est.); 3.5% (2010 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :21.93 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :24.28 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :19.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, construction; fish processing, specialized aquaculture; craft items (from shell, wood, and pearls)", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "INDEPENDENCE": "3 November 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship)", "IMPORTS": "$132.7 million (2004)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "major consumer of cannabis", "ROADWAYS": "total: :240 km; paved: :42 km; unpaved: :198 km (2000)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "light blue with four white five-pointed stars centered; the stars are arranged in a diamond pattern; blue symbolizes the Pacific Ocean, the stars represent the four island groups of Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 October - 30 September", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$60.8 million (FY05 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$24.9 million (2009 est.); $14 million (2004 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Emanuel MORI (since 11 May 2007); Vice President Alik L. ALIK (since 11 May 2007); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Emanuel MORI (since 11 May 2007); Vice President Alik L. ALIK (since 11 May 2007); cabinet: :Cabinet includes the vice president and the heads of the eight executive departments; elections: :president and vice president elected by Congress from among the four senators at large for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 11 May 2011 (next to be held in May 2015); election results: :Emanuel MORI re-elected president by Congress unopposed; Alik L. ALIK reelected vice president", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "the US dollar is used", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Chuukese/Mortlockese 49.3%, Pohnpeian 29.8%, Kosraean 6.3%, Yapese 5.7%, Yap outer islanders 5.1%, Polynesian 1.6%, Asian 1.4%, other 0.8% (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "4.25 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "drafted June 1975, ratified 1 October 1978, entered into force 10 May 1979; amended 1990 (2012)", "COASTLINE": "6,112 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands; located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with occasionally severe damage", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "food, manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, beverages", "CAPITAL": "name: :Palikir; geographic coordinates: :6 55 N, 158 09 E; time difference: :UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$107 million; expenditures: :$102 million (FY10/11 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "20.97 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "6 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "black pepper, tropical fruits and vegetables, coconuts, bananas, cassava (manioc, tapioca), sakau (kava), Kosraen citrus, betel nuts, sweet potatoes; pigs, chickens; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "4 states; Chuuk (Truk), Kosrae (Kosaie), Pohnpei (Ponape), Yap", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fish, garments, bananas, black pepper, sakau (kava), betel nuts", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :0.9%; industry: :20.6%; services: :78.5%; note: :two-thirds of the labor force are government employees (2011 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "26.7% (2000)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "overfishing, climate change, pollution", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :6; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :4; 914 to 1,523 m: :2 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean; they became part of a UN Trust Territory under US administration following World War II. The eastern four island groups adopted a constitution in 1979 and chose to become the Federated States of Micronesia. (The fifth, westernmost island group became Palau.) Independence came in 1986 under a Compact of Free Association with the US, which was amended and renewed in 2004. Present concerns include large-scale unemployment, overfishing, overdependence on US foreign aid, and state perception of inequitable allocation of US aid.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :1,276; female: :1,253 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :22,008; females age 16-49: :23,501 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "four times the size of Washington, DC (land area only)", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "typhoons (June to December)", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Dolohmwar (Totolom) 791 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.77 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "3 (cable TV also available) (2004)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 5, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :14%; industry: :12%; services: :74% (2011 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "6 55 N, 158 15 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :31.9% (male 17,120/female 16,561); 15-24 years: :20.2% (male 10,755/female 10,609); 25-54 years: :38% (male 19,483/female 20,686); 55-64 years: :6.5% (male 3,440/female 3,477); 65 years and over: :3.4% (male 1,576/female 1,974) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Moldova", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador James D. PETTIT (since 29 January 2015); embassy: :103 Mateevici Street, Chisinau MD-2009; mailing address: :use embassy street address; telephone: :[373; FAX: :[373", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$4,800 (2014 est.); $4,700 (2013 est.); $4,400 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.8% (2014 est.); 8.9% (2013 est.); -0.7% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-1.02% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$17.19 billion (2014 est.); $16.89 billion (2013 est.); $15.51 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :39.3%; youth dependency ratio: :23.2%; elderly dependency ratio: :16.1%; potential support ratio: :6.2% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "17.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 18% of GDP (2013 est.); 15.2% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :93.3%; government consumption: :20.2%; investment in fixed capital: :22.8%; investment in inventories: :0.6%; exports of goods and services: :45.7%; imports of goods and services: :-82.5%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "67.8% (2005)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "23.7 (2011 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :72,364; percentage: :16% (2009 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "9.415 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "3.47 billion cu m; note: :excludes Transnistria (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "3.47 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "15,280 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "552 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "21,330 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "321 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "7,330 bbl (1 January 2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "3.6% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "96.4% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "439,900 kW; note: :excludes Transnistria (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "3.297 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "4.211 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "5.456 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "aurochs (a type of wild cattle); national colors: blue, yellow, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :13.1%; male: :12.8%; female: :13.4% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "21.2% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "6.2 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.86 physicians/1,000 population (2012)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "11.7% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "3.2% (2005)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "41 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "37.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "CHISINAU (capital) 721,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Limba noastra\" (Our Language); lyrics/music: :Alexei MATEEVICI/Alexandru CRISTEA; note: :adopted 1994", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 89.2% of population; rural: 84.4% of population; total: 86.7% of population; urban: 10.8% of population; rural: 15.6% of population; total: 13.3% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.5% of population; rural: 93.7% of population; total: 96.5% of population; urban: 0.5% of population; rural: 6.3% of population; total: 3.5% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$4.685 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.797 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$2.102 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.077 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-owned national radio-TV broadcaster operates 2 TV and 2 radio stations; a total of nearly 40 terrestrial TV channels and some 50 radio stations are in operation; Russian and Romanian channels also are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :44.9% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :-0.73% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$3.243 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.381 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$1.928 billion (31 December 2008); $1.449 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$1.116 billion (31 December 2008); $965 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "12% (31 December 2014 est.); 12.29% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "3.5% (31 December 2013); 4.5% (31 December 2012); note: :this is the basic rate on short-term operations", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "8.4% of GDP (2012)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :12 years; male: :12 years; female: :12 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :1.07 cu km/yr (14%/83%/4%); per capita: :290 cu m/yr (2010)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "11.65 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$65.28 million (31 December 2012 est.); $51.46 million (31 December 2012); $20.71 million (31 December 2011)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$108.2 million (31 December 2012); $88.42 million (31 December 2011)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$3.448 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $3.262 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$7.744 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :5,577 applicants for forms of legal stay other than asylum (Ukraine) (2015); stateless persons: :2,029 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$2.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.821 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$462.8 million (2014 est.); -$398.6 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "18.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 18.9% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "711,564 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :35.7 years; male: :33.9 years; female: :37.7 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "33 (2010); 33.2 (2003)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "900 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "14,800 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.61% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".md", "INTERNET_USERS": "1.333 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "4.08 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "1.206 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Igor MUNTEANU (since 7 September 2010); chancery: :2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :33,851 sq km; land: :32,891 sq km; water: :960 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "2,283 sq km (2011)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Moldova; conventional short form: :Moldova; local long form: :Republica Moldova; local short form: :Moldova; former: :Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "6.2% (2014 est.); 5.2% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.56 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :poor service outside Chisinau; some modernization is under way; domestic: :multiple private operators of GSM mobile-cellular telephone service are operating; GPRS system is being introduced; a CDMA mobile telephone network began operations in 2007; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity 100 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 373; service through Romania and Russia via landline; satellite earth stations - at least 3 (Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Orthodox 93.3%, Baptist 1%, other Christian 1.2%, other 0.9%, atheist 0.4%, none 1%, unspecified 2.2% (2004 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :1,190 km; broad gauge: :1,176 km 1.520-m gauge; standard gauge: :14 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)", "POPULATION": "3,583,288 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Communist Party of the Republic of Moldova or PCRM [Vladimir VORONIN; Democratic Party or PD [Marian LUPU; Liberal Democratic Party or PLDM [Vladimir FILAT; Liberal Party or PL [Mihai GHIMPU; Party of Socialists or PSRM [Igor DODON; Anti-Fascist Movement or Antifa [Grigore PETRENCO; Anti-Mafia Movement [Sergiu MOCANU; Christian Democratic People's Party or PPCD [Iurie ROSCA; Conservative Party or PC [Natalia NIRCA; Ecological Party of Moldova \"Green Alliance\" or PEMAVE [Vladimir BRAGA; European Action Movement or MAE [Veaceslav UNTILA; Humanist Party of Moldova or PUM [Valeriu PASAT; Labor Party or PM [Gheorghe SIMA; Liberal Reformers Party or PLR [Ion HADARCA; National Liberal Party or PNL [Vitalia PAVLICENKO; Patria Party [Renato USATII; Patriots of Moldova Party or PPM [Mihail GARBUZ; Popular Republican Party or PPR [Nicolae ANDRONIC; Republican Party of Moldova or PRM [Andrei STRATAN; Roma Social Political Movement of the Republic of Moldova or MRRM [Ion BUCUR; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Victor SELIN; Social Political Movement \"Equality\" or MR [Valeriy KLIMENCO; United Moldova Party or PMUEM [Vladimir TURCAN", "PIPELINES": "gas 1,906 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Despite recent progress, Moldova remains one of the poorest countries in Europe. With a moderate climate and good farmland, Moldova's economy relies heavily on its agriculture sector, featuring fruits, vegetables, wine, and tobacco. Moldova also depends on annual remittances of about $1.6 billion from the roughly one million Moldovans working in Europe, Russia, and other former Soviet Bloc countries. With few natural energy resources, Moldova imports almost all of its energy supplies from Russia and Ukraine. Moldova's dependence on Russian energy is underscored by a growing $5 billion debt to Russian natural gas supplier Gazprom, largely the result of unreimbursed natural gas consumption in the separatist Transnistria region. In August 2013, work began on a new pipeline between Moldova and Romania that may eventually break Russia's monopoly on Moldova's gas supplies. The government's goal of EU integration has resulted in some market-oriented progress. Moldova experienced better than expected economic growth in 2014 due to increased agriculture production, to economic policies adopted by the Moldovan government since 2009, and to the receipt of EU trade preferences. Moldova signed an Association Agreement and a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the EU during fall 2014, connecting Moldovan products to the world�s largest market. Still, growth has been hampered by high prices for Russian natural gas, a Russian import ban on Moldovan wine, increased foreign scrutiny of Moldovan agricultural products, and by Moldova�s large external debt. Over the longer term, Moldova's economy remains vulnerable to political uncertainty, weak administrative capacity, vested bureaucratic interests, corruption, higher fuel prices, Russian pressure, and the illegal separatist regime in Moldova's Transnistria region.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-9.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, limestone, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Moldovan(s); adjective: :Moldovan", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 27 August (1991)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :121; by type: :bulk carrier 7, cargo 88, carrier 1, chemical tanker 3, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 11, specialized tanker 1; foreign-owned: :63 (Bulgaria 1, Denmark 1, Egypt 5, Greece 1, Israel 2, Lebanon 1, Pakistan 1, Romania 2, Russia 5, Syria 5, Turkey 18, UK 3, Ukraine 14, Yemen 4) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, CIS, EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,143,440; females age 16-49: :1,156,958 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :99.1%; male: :99.6%; female: :98.6% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :70.12 years; male: :66.25 years; female: :74.24 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Parliament or Parlament (101 seats; members directly elected in a single, nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 30 November 2014 (next to be held in November 2018); election results: :percent of vote by party - PSRM 21.3%, PLDM 19.5%, PCRM 18%, PD 15.8%, PL 9.4%, other 16%; seats by party - PSRM 25, PLDM 23, PCRM 21, PD 19, PL 13", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system with Germanic law influences; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts", "LANGUAGES": "Moldovan 58.8% (official; virtually the same as the Romanian language), Romanian 16.4%, Russian 16%, Ukrainian 3.8%, Gagauz 3.1% (a Turkish language), Bulgarian 1.1%, other 0.3%, unspecified 0.4%; note: :percentages represent lanugage usually spoken (2004 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :55.2%; permanent crops: :8.98%; other: :35.82% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,885 km; border countries: :Romania 683 km, Ukraine 1,202 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "1.23 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Justice (consists of a chief judges, 3 deputy-chief judges, 45 judges, and 7 assistant judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president and 6 judges); note - the Constitutional Court is autonomous to the other branches of government; the Court interprets the Constitution and reviews the constitutionality of parliamentary laws and decisions, decrees of the president, and acts of the government; judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court of Justice judges appointed by Parliament upon the recommendation of the Supreme Council of the Magistracy; all judges serve 4-year renewable terms; Constitutional Court judges appointed 2 each by Parliament, the Moldovan president, and the Higher Council of Magistracy; court president elected by other court judges for a 3-year term; other judges appointed for 6-year terms; subordinate courts: :Courts of Appeal; Court of Business Audit; municipal courts", "WATERWAYS": "558 km (in public use on Danube, Dniester and Prut rivers) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "4.7% (2014 est.); 4.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :12.93 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :14.82 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :10.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "sugar, vegetable oil, food processing, agricultural machinery; foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines; hosiery, shoes, textiles", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "4% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "27 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)", "IMPORTS": "$5.57 billion (2014 est.); $5.449 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for CIS consumption; transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia via Central Asia to Russia, Western Europe, and possibly the US; widespread crime and underground economic activity", "ROADWAYS": "total: :9,352 km; paved: :8,835 km; unpaved: :517 km (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; emblem in center of flag is of a Roman eagle of gold outlined in black with a red beak and talons carrying a yellow cross in its beak and a green olive branch in its right talons and a yellow scepter in its left talons; on its breast is a shield divided horizontally red over blue with a stylized aurochs head, star, rose, and crescent all in black-outlined yellow; based on the color scheme of the flag of Romania - with which Moldova shares a history and culture - but Moldova's blue band is lighter; the reverse of the flag does not display any coat of arms; note: :one of only three national flags that differ on their obverse and reverse sides - the others are Paraguay and Saudi Arabia", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$6.778 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $6.501 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$2.63 billion (2014 est.); $2.466 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Nicolae TIMOFTI (since 23 March 2012); head of government: :Prime Minister Chiril GABURICI (since 18 February 2015); cabinet: :Cabinet, as proposed by the prime minister-designate and nominated by the president, approved through a vote of confidence in Parliament; elections: :president elected by Parliament for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 16 March 2012 (next to be held in March 2016); note - prime minister designated by the president upon consultation with Parliament; within 15 days from designation, the prime minister-designate must request a vote of confidence from the Parliament regarding his/her work program and entire cabinet; following the November 2014 legislative election, the prime minister and Cabinet received a vote of confidence on 18 February 2015; election results: :Nicolae TIMOFTI elected president; parliamentary votes - 62 of 101; Prime Minister-designate Chiril GABURICI; parliamentary votes of confidence - 60 of 101", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Moldovan lei (MDL) per US dollar -; 13.97 (2014 est.); 12.587 (2013 est.); 12.11 (2012 est.); 11.738 (2011 est.); 12.369 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Moldovan 75.8%, Ukrainian 8.4%, Russian 5.9%, Gagauz 4.4%, Romanian 2.2%, Bulgarian 1.9%, other 1%, unspecified 0.4%; note: :internal disputes with ethnic Slavs in the Transnistrian region (2004 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "12.6 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1978; latest adopted 29 July 1994, effective 27 August 1994; amended 2003 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Russia 23.3%, Romania 15.1%, Ukraine 14%, Germany 7.6%, Italy 4.6%, Belarus 4.3% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "moderate winters, warm summers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "mineral products and fuel, machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles", "CAPITAL": "name: :Chisinau in Romanian (Kishinev in Russian); note: :pronounced KEE-shee-now (KIH-shi-nyov); geographic coordinates: :47 00 N, 28 51 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$2.922 billion; expenditures: :$3.15 billion; note: :National Public Budget (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "National Army: Land Forces Command, Air Forces Command (includes air defense unit) (2014)", "BIRTH_RATE": "12.21 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "7 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "vegetables, fruits, grapes, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, tobacco; beef, milk; wine", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "32 raions (raioane, singular - raion), 3 municipalities (municipii, singular - municipiul), 1 autonomous territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala autonoma), and 1 territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala); raions: :Anenii Noi, Basarabeasca, Briceni, Cahul, Cantemir, Calarasi, Causeni, Cimislia, Criuleni, Donduseni, Drochia, Dubasari, Edinet, Falesti, Floresti, Glodeni, Hincesti, Ialoveni, Leova, Nisporeni, Ocnita, Orhei, Rezina, Riscani, Singerei, Soldanesti, Soroca, Stefan-Voda, Straseni, Taraclia, Telenesti, Ungheni; municipalities: :Balti, Bender, Chisinau; autonomous territorial unit: :Gagauzia; territorial unit: :Stinga Nistrului (Transnistria)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Russia 18.3%, Romania 16.7%, Turkey 10.1%, Italy 9.6%, Germany 5.6%, Ukraine 5% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foodstuffs, textiles, machinery", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :26.4%; industry: :13.2%; services: :60.4% (2012 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.3%; highest 10%: :26% (2010 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "21.9% (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.5% of GDP (2014); 0.3% of GDP (2012); 0.3% of GDP (2011); 0.3% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "heavy use of agricultural chemicals, including banned pesticides such as DDT, has contaminated soil and groundwater; extensive soil erosion from poor farming methods", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :5; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Part of Romania during the interwar period, Moldova was incorporated into the Soviet Union at the close of World War II. Although the country has been independent from the USSR since 1991, Russian forces have remained on Moldovan territory east of the Nistru River supporting the separatist region of Transnistria, composed of a Slavic majority population (mostly Ukrainians and Russians), but with a sizeable ethnic Moldovan minority. Europe's poorest economy, Moldova became the first former Soviet state to elect a communist, Vladimir VORONIN, as its president in 2001. VORONIN served as Moldova's president until he resigned in September 2009. Four Moldovan opposition parties then formed a new coalition, the Alliance for European Integration (AEI), iterations of which acted as Moldova's governing coalitions over the next several years. In May 2013, two of the original AEI parties and a splinter group from a third re-formed a ruling coalition called the Pro-European Coalition. The Moldovan Government in summer 2014 signed and ratified an Association Agreement with the European Union (EU), advancing the Coalition's policy priority of EU integration. Following the country�s most recent legislative election in November 2014, the three pro-European parties that entered Parliament won a total of 55 of the body�s 101 seats, enough for a majority coalition. After negotiations among the three broke down, however, two of the parties � the Liberal Democratic Party (PLDM) and the Democratic Party (PD) � agreed to form the Alliance for a European Moldova (AEM) and a minority government with their combined 42 seats. In February 2015, the PLDM and the PD secured PCRM support to win parliamentary approval with 60 votes for their minority government.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :28,213; female: :26,614 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :875,224; females age 16-49: :969,903 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; male registration required at age 16; 1-year service obligation (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than Maryland", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "landslides", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Dniester (Nistru) 2 m; highest point: :Dealul Balanesti 430 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.6 male(s)/female; total population: :0.94 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "40 (2006)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 2, FM 29, shortwave NA (2006)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :15.7%; industry: :20%; services: :64.3% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "47 00 N, 29 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :17.7% (male 326,968/female 306,948); 15-24 years: :14.2% (male 262,559/female 246,283); 25-54 years: :43.9% (male 785,392/female 786,421); 55-64 years: :13.1% (male 214,899/female 255,046); 65 years and over: :11.1% (male 151,629/female 247,143) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Monaco", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "the US does not have an embassy in Monaco; the US Ambassador to France is accredited to Monaco; the US Consul General in Marseille (France), under the authority of the US ambassador to France, handles diplomatic and consular matters concerning Monaco", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$78,700 (2013 est.); $73,200 (2012); $72,600 (2011)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "9.3% (2013 est.); 1.2% (2012); 7% (2011)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.06% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$6.79 billion (2013 est.); $6.213 billion (2012 est.); $5.748 billion (2011 est.); note: :data are in 2012 US dollars", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "red and white lozenges (diamond shapes); national colors: red, white", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "13.8 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "7.06 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "4.4% of GDP (2012)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-1.1% of GDP (2011 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "17.5% of GDP (2011 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "MONACO (capital) 38,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"A Marcia de Muneghu\" (The March of Monaco); lyrics/music: :Louis NOTARI/Charles ALBRECHT; note: :music adopted 1867, lyrics adopted 1931; although French is commonly spoken, only the Monegasque lyrics are official; the French version is known as \"Hymne Monegasque\" (Monegasque Anthem); the words are generally only sung on official occasions", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "TV Monte-Carlo (TMC) operates a TV network; cable TV available; Radio Monte-Carlo has extensive radio networks in France and Italy with French-language broadcasts to France beginning in the 1960s and Italian-language broadcasts to Italy beginning in the 1970s; other radio stations include Riviera Radio and Radio Monaco (2012)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :100% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.79% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "1.6% of GDP (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$6.063 billion (2011 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "26,009 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :51.1 years; male: :50 years; female: :52.3 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".mc", "INTERNET_USERS": "23,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "33,200 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "44,500 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Maguy MACCARIO-DOYLE (since 3 December 2013); chancery: :3400 International Drive NW, Suite 2K-100, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :(202) 234-1530; FAX: :(202) 244-7656; consulate(s) general: :New York", "AREA": "total: :2 sq km; land: :2 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Western Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea on the southern coast of France, near the border with Italy", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Principality of Monaco; conventional short form: :Monaco; local long form: :Principaute de Monaco; local short form: :Monaco", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of France", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "2% (2012)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional monarchy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.52 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "hilly, rugged, rocky", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modern automatic telephone system; the country's sole fixed line operator offers a full range of services to residential and business customers; domestic: :combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 200 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 377; no satellite earth stations; connected by cable into the French communications system (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 90% (official), other 10%", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Monaco", "POPULATION": "30,508; note: :immigrants make up more than 60% of the total population, according to UN data (2013) (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Horizon Monaco [Laurent NOUVION; Renaissance [SBM (public corporation); Union Monegasque [Stephane VALERI", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Monaco, bordering France on the Mediterranean coast, is a popular resort, attracting tourists to its casino and pleasant climate. The principality also is a banking center and has successfully sought to diversify into services and small, high-value-added, nonpolluting industries. The state has no income tax and low business taxes and thrives as a tax haven both for individuals who have established residence and for foreign companies that have set up businesses and offices. Monaco, however, is not a tax-free shelter; it charges nearly 20% value-added tax, collects stamp duties, and companies face a 33% tax on profits unless they can show that three-quarters of profits are generated within the principality. Monaco's reliance on tourism and banking for its economic growth has left it vulnerable to a downturn in France and other European economies which are the principality's main trade partners. In 2009, Monaco's GDP fell by 11.5% as the euro-zone crisis precipitated a sharp drop in tourism and retail activity and home sales. A modest recovery ensued in 2010 and intensified in 2013, with GDP growth of more than 9%, but Monaco's economic prospects remain uncertain, and tied to future euro-zone growth. Monaco was formally removed from the OECD's \"grey list\" of uncooperative tax jurisdictions in late 2009, but continues to face international pressure to abandon its banking secrecy laws and help combat tax evasion. In October 2014, Monaco officially became the 84th jurisdiction participating in the OECD�s Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters�an effort to combat offshore tax avoidance and evasion. The state retains monopolies in a number of sectors, including tobacco, the telephone network, and the postal service. Living standards are high, roughly comparable to those in prosperous French metropolitan areas.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "second-smallest independent state in the world (after Holy See); smallest country with a coastline; almost entirely urban", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "2.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "none", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Monegasque(s) or Monacan(s); adjective: :Monegasque or Monacan", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "National Day (Saint Rainier's Day), 19 November (1857)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "registered in other countries: :64 (Bahamas 8, Bermuda 2, Liberia 8, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 30, Panama 11, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "CD, CE, FAO, IAEA, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITSO, ITU, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Schengen Convention (de facto member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :12 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :5,749 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :89.57 years; male: :85.66 years; female: :93.64 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Council or Conseil National (24 seats; 16 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 8 directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 10 February 2013 (next to be held in February 2018); election results: :percent of vote by party - Horizon Monaco 50.3%, Union Monegasque 39%, Renaissance 10.7%; seats by party - Horizon Monaco 20, Union Monegasque 3, Renaissance 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system influenced by French legal tradition", "LANGUAGES": "French (official), English, Italian, Monegasque", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :1%; other: :99% (urban area) (2014 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :6 km; border countries: :France 6 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "52,000; note: :includes all foreign workers (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of 5 permanent members and 2 substitutes); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court members appointed by the monarch upon the proposals of the National Council, State Council, Crown Council, Court of Appeal, and Trial Court; subordinate courts: :Court of Appeal; Civil Court of First Instance", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.5% (2010)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :1.81 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :2.05 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :1.56 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "banking, insurance, tourism, construction, small-scale industrial and consumer products", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "20%", "INDEPENDENCE": "1419 (beginning of permanent rule by the House of GRIMALDI)", "IMPORTS": "$1.162 billion (2011); $850.2 million (2010); note: :full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market system through customs union with France", "ROADWAYS": "total: :77 km; paved: :77 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; the colors are those of the ruling House of Grimaldi and have been in use since 1339, making the flag one of the world's oldest national banners; note: :similar to the flag of Indonesia which is longer and the flag of Poland which is white (top) and red", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$NA", "EXPORTS": "$1.115 billion (2011); $684.9 million (2010); note: :full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market system through customs union with France", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Prince ALBERT II (since 6 April 2005); head of government: :Minister of State Michel ROGER (since 29 March 2010); cabinet: :Council of Government under the authority of the monarch; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; minister of state appointed by the monarch from a list of three French national candidates presented by the French Government", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.78 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "French (official) 47%, Monegasque 16%, Italian 16%, other 21%", "DEATH_RATE": "9.01 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1911 (suspended 1959); latest adopted 17 December 1962; amended 2002 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Europe 70.4%, Asia 20.8%, America 4.4%, Africa 4.1% (2013 est.)", "COASTLINE": "4.1 km", "CLIMATE": "Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers", "CAPITAL": "name: :Monaco; geographic coordinates: :43 44 N, 7 25 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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.06 billion; expenditures: :$1.128 billion (2011 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces; Directorate of Public Security (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "6.72 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "none", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none; there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are four quarters (quartiers, singular - quartier); Fontvieille, La Condamine, Monaco-Ville, Monte-Carlo; note - Moneghetti, a part of La Condamine, is sometimes called the 5th quarter of Monaco", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Europe 73.2%, Africa 14.6%, America 5.2%, Asia 4.9% (2013 est.)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :0%; industry: :16.1%; services: :83.9% (2012 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "BACKGROUND": "The Genoese built a fortress on the site of present day Monaco in 1215. The current ruling GRIMALDI family first seized temporary control in 1297, and again in 1331, but were not able to permanently secure their holding until 1419. Economic development was spurred in the late 19th century with a railroad linkup to France and the opening of a casino. Since then, the principality's mild climate, splendid scenery, and gambling facilities have made Monaco world famous as a tourist and recreation center.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :153; female: :141 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :4,629; females age 16-49: :4,597 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Mediterranean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Mont Agel 140 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2012)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.04 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.81 male(s)/female; total population: :0.95 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "5 (1998)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 11, shortwave 1 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :0%; industry: :14%; services: :84% (2011)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "43 44 N, 7 24 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :11.7% (male 1,828/female 1,742); 15-24 years: :9.2% (male 1,445/female 1,371); 25-54 years: :35.1% (male 5,332/female 5,363); 55-64 years: :14.5% (male 2,223/female 2,203); 65 years and over: :29.5% (male 4,020/female 4,981) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Mongolia", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Piper Anne Wind CAMPBELL (since 6 August 2012); embassy: :Denver Street ; mailing address: :PSC 461, Box 300, FPO AP 96521-0002; P.O. Box 341, Ulaanbaatar-14192; telephone: :[976; FAX: :[976", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$10,200 (2014 est.); $9,400 (2013 est.); $8,600 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "9.1% (2014 est.); 11.7% (2013 est.); 12.4% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.37% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$29.71 billion (2014 est.); $27.23 billion (2013 est.); $24.37 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :45.4%; youth dependency ratio: :39.9%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.5%; potential support ratio: :18% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "40.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 28.6% of GDP (2013 est.); 30.4% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :54.4%; government consumption: :12%; investment in fixed capital: :46.1%; investment in inventories: :10.3%; exports of goods and services: :43.7%; imports of goods and services: :-66.5%; (2013 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "54.9% (2010)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "20.5; note: :median age at first birth among women 20-24 (2008 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :106,203; percentage: :18% (2005 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "11.36 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "17,360 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "25,110 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "NA bbl", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "5,680 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "14,050 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "99.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "833,200 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "258 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "24 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "4.062 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "4.472 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "soyombo emblem; national colors: red, blue, yellow", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :11.9%; male: :10.7%; female: :13.2% (2011 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "14.4% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "6.8 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.76 physicians/1,000 population (2008)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.3% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "4.7% (2010)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "63 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-1.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "30.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "ULAANBAATAR (capital) 1.334 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Mongol ulsyn toriin duulal\" (National Anthem of Mongolia); lyrics/music: :Tsendiin DAMDINSUREN/Bilegiin DAMDINSUREN and Luvsanjamts MURJORJ; note: :music adopted 1950, lyrics adopted 2006; lyrics altered on numerous occasions", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 65.3% of population; rural: 35.4% of population; total: 56.2% of population; urban: 34.7% of population; rural: 64.6% of population; total: 43.8% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 94.8% of population; rural: 61.2% of population; total: 84.6% of population; urban: 5.2% of population; rural: 38.8% of population; total: 15.4% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$6.178 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.72 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$1.184 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.259 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "following a law passed in 2005, Mongolia's state-run radio and TV provider converted to a public service provider; also available are private radio and TV broadcasters, as well as multi-channel satellite and cable TV providers; more than 100 radio stations, including some 20 via repeaters for the public broadcaster; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :71.2% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.78% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$7.958 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $6.751 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$1.545 billion (31 December 2009); $1.288 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$451.4 million (31 December 2009); $510.7 million (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "18.2% (31 December 2014 est.); 17.4% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "13.25% (31 December 2012); 12.25% (31 December 2011)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.5% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :15 years; male: :14 years; female: :16 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.55 cu km/yr (13%/43%/44%); per capita: :196.8 cu m/yr (2009)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "34.8 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$1.293 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $1.579 billion (31 December 2011); $1.093 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$1.241 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $1.191 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$15.74 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $13.46 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$11.73 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :16 (2013)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.223 billion (2014 est.); -$3.192 billion (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "20,084 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :27.1 years; male: :26.3 years; female: :27.8 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "36.5 (2008); 32.8 (2002)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "fewer than 100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "600 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.04% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".mn", "INTERNET_USERS": "330,000 (2008)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "3.375 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "176,700 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Bulgaa ALTANGEREL (since 8 January 2013); chancery: :2833 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :New York, San Francisco", "AREA": "total: :1,564,116 sq km; land: :1,553,556 sq km; water: :10,560 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "843 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Asia", "LOCATION": "Northern Asia, between China and Russia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Mongolia; local long form: :none; local short form: :Mongol Uls; former: :Outer Mongolia", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "8.8% (2014 est.); 10.4% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.22 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "vast semidesert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountains in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in south-central", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :network is improving with international direct dialing available in many areas; a fiber-optic network has been installed that is improving broadband and communication services between major urban centers with multiple companies providing inter-city fiber-optic cable services; domestic: :very low fixed-line teledensity; there are multiple mobile-cellular providers and subscribership is increasing; international: :country code - 976; satellite earth stations - 7 (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Buddhist 53%, Muslim 3%, Christian 2.2%, Shamanist 2.9%, other 0.4%, none 38.6% (2010 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :1,908 km; broad gauge: :1,908 km 1.520-m gauge; note: :the railway is 50 percent owned by the Russian State Railway (2010)", "POPULATION": "2,953,190 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Civil Will-Green Party or CWGP [Sanjaasuren OYUN; Democratic Party or DP [Zandaakhuu ENKHBOLD; Justice Coalition (includes MPRP and MNDP); Mongolian National Democratic Party or MNDP [Mendsaikhan ENKHSAIKHAN; Mongolian People's Party or MPP [Miyegombo ENKHBOLD; Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party or MPRP [Nambar ENKHBAYAR", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Mongolia's extensive mineral deposits and attendant growth in mining-sector activities have transformed Mongolia's economy, which traditionally has been dependent on herding and agriculture. Mongolia's copper, gold, coal, molybdenum, fluorspar, uranium, tin, and tungsten deposits, among others, have attracted foreign direct investment (FDI). Soviet assistance, at its height one-third of GDP, disappeared almost overnight in 1990 and 1991 at the time of the dismantlement of the USSR. The following decade saw Mongolia endure both deep recession because of political inaction and natural disasters, as well as strong economic growth because of market reforms and extensive privatization of the formerly state-run economy. The country opened a fledgling stock exchange in 1991. Mongolia joined the World Trade Organization in 1997 and seeks to expand its participation in regional economic and trade regimes. Growth averaged nearly 9% per year in 2004-08 largely because of high copper prices globally and new gold production. By late 2008, Mongolia was hit hard by the global financial crisis. Slower global economic growth hurt the country's exports, notably copper, and slashed government revenues. As a result, Mongolia's real economy contracted 1.3% in 2009. In early 2009, the International Monetary Fund reached a $236 million Stand-by Arrangement with Mongolia and the country has largely emerged from the crisis. The banking sector strengthened but weaknesses remain. In October 2009, Mongolia passed long-awaited legislation on an investment agreement to develop the Oyu Tolgoi mine, considered to be among the world's largest untapped copper-gold deposits. Mongolia's ongoing dispute with a foreign investor over Oyu Tolgoi, however, has called into question the attractiveness of Mongolia as a destination for foreign investment. Negotiations to develop the massive Tavan Tolgoi coal field also have stalled. The economy has grown more than 10% per year since 2010, largely on the strength of commodity exports to nearby countries and high government spending domestically. Mongolia's economy, however, faces near-term economic risks from the government's loose fiscal and monetary policies, which are contributing to high inflation, and from uncertainties in foreign demand for Mongolian exports. Trade with China represents more than half of Mongolia's total external trade - China receives more than 90% of Mongolia's exports and is Mongolia's largest supplier. Mongolia has relied on Russia for energy supplies, leaving it vulnerable to price increases; in the first 11 months of 2014, Mongolia purchased nearly 90% of its gasoline and diesel fuel from Russia. A drop in FDI has put pressure on Mongolia's external finances. Remittances from Mongolians working abroad, particularly in South Korea, are significant.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :human rights groups; women's groups", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; strategic location between China and Russia", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, fluorspar, gold, silver, iron", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Mongolian(s); adjective: :Mongolian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day/Revolution Day, 11 July (1921)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :57; by type: :bulk carrier 21, cargo 25, chemical tanker 1, container 2, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 2, roll on/roll off 3, vehicle carrier 1; foreign-owned: :44 (Indonesia 2, Japan 2, North Korea 1, Russia 2, Singapore 3, Ukraine 1, Vietnam 33) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, ARF, CD, CICA, CP, EBRD, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, OSCE, SCO (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :898,546; females age 16-49: :891,192 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :98.3%; male: :98.2%; female: :98.3% (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :68.98 years; male: :64.72 years; female: :73.45 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral State Great Hural or Ulsyn Ikh Khural (76 seats; 48 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 28 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 28 June 2012 (next to be held in June 2016); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - DP 33, MPP 25, Justice Coalition 11, other 5, vacant 2", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system influenced by Soviet and Romano-Germanic legal systems; constitution ambiguous on judicial review of legislative acts", "LANGUAGES": "Khalkha Mongol 90% (official), Turkic, Russian (1999)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0.42%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :99.58% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :8,082 km; border countries: :China 4,630 km, Russia 3,452 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "1.037 million (2011 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the Chief Justice and 16 judges organized into civil, criminal, and administrative chambers); Constitutional Court or Tsets (consists of a chairman and 8 members); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court chief justice and judges appointed by the president upon recommendation to the State Great Hural by the General Council of Courts; term of appointment is for life; chairman of the Constitutional Court elected from among its members; members appointed by the State Great Heral upon nominations - 3 each by the president, the State Great Hural, and the Supreme Court; term of appointment is 6 years; chairmanship limited to a single renewable 3-year term; subordinate courts: :aimag (provincial) and capital city appellate courts; soum, inter-soum, and district courts; Administrative Cases Courts (established in 2004)", "WATERWAYS": "580 km (the only waterway in operation is Lake Hovsgol) (135 km); Selenge River (270 km) and Orhon River (175 km) are navigable but carry little traffic; lakes and rivers freeze in winter, they are open from May to September) (2010)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "12.8% (2014 est.); 8.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :23.15 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :26.4 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :19.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "construction and construction materials; mining (coal, copper, molybdenum, fluorspar, tin, tungsten, gold); oil; food and beverages; processing of animal products, cashmere and natural fiber manufacturing", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "10.4% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "11 July 1921 (from China)", "IMPORTS": "$5.072 billion (2014 est.); $5.574 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :49,249 km; paved: :4,800 km; unpaved: :44,449 km (2013)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three, equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), blue, and red; centered on the hoist-side red band in yellow is the national emblem (\"soyombo\" - a columnar arrangement of abstract and geometric representation for fire, sun, moon, earth, water, and the yin-yang symbol); blue represents the sky, red symbolizes progress and prosperity", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$5.352 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.371 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$5.676 billion (2014 est.); $4.268 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Tsakhia ELBEGDORJ (since 18 June 2009); head of government: :Prime Minister Chimed SAIKHANBILEG (since 21 November 2014); Deputy Prime Minister Ukhnaa KHURELSUKH (since 9 December 2014); cabinet: :Cabinet nominated by the prime minister in consultation with the president and confirmed by the State Great Hural (parliament); elections: :presidential candidates nominated by political parties represented in State Great Hural and elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 26 June 2013 (next to be held in June 2017); following legislative elections, leaders of the majority party or a majority coalition usually elect the prime minister of the State Great Hural; election results: :Tsakhia ELBEGDORJ elected president; percent of vote - Tsakhia ELBEGDORJ 50.2%, Badmaanyambuu BAT-ERDENE 42%, Natsag UDVAL 6.5%, other 1.3%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "togrog/tugriks (MNT) per US dollar -; 1,817.4 (2014 est.); 1,523.9 (2013 est.); 1,357.6 (2012 est.); 1,265.5 (2011 est.); 1,357.1 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Khalkh 81.9%, Kazak 3.8%, Dorvod 2.7%, Bayad 2.1%, Buryat-Bouriates 1.7%, Zakhchin 1.2%, Dariganga 1%, Uriankhai 1%, other 4.6% (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "6.38 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted 13 January 1992, effective 12 February 1992; amended 1999, 2001 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 37.8%, Russia 27.6%, South Korea 6.2%, Japan 4.6%, US 4.4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature ranges)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, fuel, cars, food products, industrial consumer goods, chemicals, building materials, cigarettes and tobacco, appliances, soap and detergent", "CAPITAL": "name: :Ulaanbaatar; geographic coordinates: :47 55 N, 106 55 E; time difference: :UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$3.524 billion; expenditures: :$3.735 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Mongolian Armed Forces (Mongol ulsyn zevsegt huchin): Mongolian Army, Mongolian Air and Air Defense (2015)", "BIRTH_RATE": "20.88 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "44 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "wheat, barley, vegetables, forage crops; sheep, goats, cattle, camels, horses", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "21 provinces (aymguud, singular - aymag) and 1 municipality* (singular - hot); Arhangay, Bayanhongor, Bayan-Olgiy, Bulgan, Darhan-Uul, Dornod, Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Dzavhan (Zavkhan), Govi-Altay, Govisumber, Hentiy, Hovd, Hovsgol, Omnogovi, Orhon, Ovorhangay, Selenge, Suhbaatar, Tov, Ulaanbaatar*, Uvs", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 90% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "copper, apparel, livestock, animal products, cashmere, wool, hides, fluorspar, other nonferrous metals, coal, crude oil", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :33%; industry: :10.6%; services: :56.4% (2011)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3%; highest 10%: :28.4% (2008)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "29.8% (2011 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.12% of GDP (2012); 0.99% of GDP (2011); 1.12% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "limited natural freshwater resources in some areas; the policies of former Communist regimes promoted rapid urbanization and industrial growth that had negative effects on the environment; the burning of soft coal in power plants and the lack of enforcement of environmental laws severely polluted the air in Ulaanbaatar; deforestation, overgrazing, and the converting of virgin land to agricultural production increased soil erosion from wind and rain; desertification and mining activities had a deleterious effect on the environment", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :29; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :24; 1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :15; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :10; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Mongols gained fame in the 13th century when under Chinggis KHAAN they established a huge Eurasian empire through conquest. After his death the empire was divided into several powerful Mongol states, but these broke apart in the 14th century. The Mongols eventually retired to their original steppe homelands and in the late 17th century came under Chinese rule. Mongolia won its independence in 1921 with Soviet backing and a communist regime was installed in 1924. The modern country of Mongolia, however, represents only part of the Mongols' historical homeland; more ethnic Mongolians live in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China than in Mongolia. Following a peaceful democratic revolution, the ex-communist Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) won elections in 1990 and 1992, but was defeated by the Democratic Union Coalition (DUC) in the 1996 parliamentary election. The MPRP won an overwhelming majority in the 2000 parliamentary election, but the party lost seats in the 2004 election and shared power with democratic coalition parties from 2004-08. The MPRP regained a solid majority in the 2008 parliamentary elections but nevertheless formed a coalition government with the Democratic Party (DP) that lasted until January 2012. In 2009, current President ELBEGDORJ of the DP was elected to office and was re-elected for his second term in June 2013. In 2010, the MPRP voted to retake the name of the Mongolian People's Party (MPP), a name it used in the early 1920s. Shortly thereafter, a new party was formed by former president ENKHBAYAR, which adopted the MPRP name. In the 2012 Parliamentary elections, a coalition of four political parties led by the DP, gained control of the Parliament. The coalition dissolved in November 2014 when then Prime Minster ALTANKHUYAG was voted out of office by Parliament. A new grand coalition�which includes the DP, MPP, MPRP, Mongolian National Democratic Party, and the Civil Will Green Party�was formed in December under the leadership of Prime Minister SAIKHANBILEG.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :30,829; female: :29,648 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :726,199; females age 16-49: :756,628 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation is 12 months in land or air defense forces or police; a small portion of Mongolian land forces is comprised of contract soldiers; women cannot be deployed overseas for military operations (2015)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Alaska", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "dust storms; grassland and forest fires; drought; \"zud,\" which is harsh winter conditions", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Hoh Nuur 560 m; highest point: :Nayramadlin Orgil (Huyten Orgil) 4,374 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.96 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.77 male(s)/female; total population: :1 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "99 (2009)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 7, FM 108 (includes 20 national radio broadcaster repeaters), shortwave 4 (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :16.3%; industry: :33.4%; services: :50.3% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "46 00 N, 105 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :26.8% (male 404,051/female 388,546); 15-24 years: :18.7% (male 278,912/female 273,167); 25-54 years: :44.5% (male 636,799/female 677,236); 55-64 years: :5.9% (male 80,267/female 94,021); 65 years and over: :4.1% (male 49,314/female 70,877) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Montenegro", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Sue K. BROWN (since 27 April 2011); embassy: :Dzona Dzeksona 2, 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro; mailing address: :use embassy street address; telephone: :[382; FAX: :[382", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$15,200 (2014 est.); $14,900 (2013 est.); $14,400 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.3% (2014 est.); 3.5% (2013 est.); -2.5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.49% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$9.499 billion (2014 est.); $9.289 billion (2013 est.); $8.975 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :46.8%; youth dependency ratio: :27.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :19.7%; potential support ratio: :5.1% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "1.8% of GDP (2014 est.); 1.3% of GDP (2013 est.); 0.9% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :84.4%; government consumption: :22.1%; investment in fixed capital: :18.4%; investment in inventories: :1.1%; exports of goods and services: :40.2%; imports of goods and services: :-66.2%; (2011 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "39.4% (2005/06)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "26.3 (2010 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :8,520; percentage: :10% (2005 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "19.72 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "3,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "369 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "4,460 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "75.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "24.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "868,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "1.993 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "431 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "3.468 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "2.557 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "double-headed eagle; national colors: red, gold", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :41.1%; male: :42.3%; female: :39.7% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "22.5% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "4 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.98 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "7.6% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "1% (2013)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "8 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "2.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "36.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICC jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "PODGORICA (capital) 165,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Oj, svijetla majska zoro\" (Oh, Bright Dawn of May); lyrics/music: :Sekula DRLJEVIC/unknown, arranged by Zarko MIKOVIC; note: :adopted 2004; music based on a Montenegrin folk song", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 91.9% of population; rural: 86.8% of population; total: 90% of population; urban: 8.1% of population; rural: 13.2% of population; total: 10% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.6% of population; rural: 95.3% of population; total: 98% of population; urban: 0.4% of population; rural: 4.7% of population; total: 2% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$1.982 billion (31 December 2011 est.); $2.01 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$749 million (31 December 2011 est.); $783.3 million (31 December 2010 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-funded national radio-TV broadcaster operates 2 terrestrial TV networks, 1 satellite TV channel, and 2 radio networks; 4 public TV stations and some 20 private TV stations; 14 local public radio stations and more than 40 private radio stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :63.8% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.34% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$3.29 billion (31 December 2009); $3.771 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$1.406 billion (31 December 2008); $1.446 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$816.8 million (31 December 2008); $1.172 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "9.69% (31 December 2011 est.); 9.53% (31 December 2010 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :15 years; male: :15 years; female: :15 years (2010)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$3.827 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $3.322 billion (31 December 2011); $3.604 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$4.66 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :6,164 (Kosovo) (2014); stateless persons: :3,341 (2013)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :intermediate; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea; vectorborne disease: :Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$400 million (31 December 2011)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.938 billion (2012 est.); -$1.927 billion (2011 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "52.1% of GDP (2012 est.); 45% of GDP (2011 est.); note: :data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "10,088 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :39.2 years; male: :38.2 years; female: :40.5 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "24.3 (2010); 30 (2003)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".me", "INTERNET_USERS": "280,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "1.126 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "163,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Srdjan DARMANOVIC (since 30 November 2010); chancery: :1610 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20009; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :New York", "AREA": "total: :13,812 sq km; land: :13,452 sq km; water: :360 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "24.12 sq km (2010)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Europe, between the Adriatic Sea and Serbia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Montenegro; local long form: :none; local short form: :Crna Gora; former: :People's Republic of Montenegro, Socialist Republic of Montenegro, Republic of Montenegro", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "19.1% (2012 est.); 11.5% (2011 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TERRAIN": "highly indented coastline with narrow coastal plain backed by rugged high limestone mountains and plateaus", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modern telecommunications system with access to European satellites; domestic: :GSM mobile-cellular service, available through multiple providers with national coverage, is growing; international: :country code - 382; 2 international switches connect the national system (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Orthodox 72.1%, Muslim 19.1%, Catholic 3.4%, atheist 1.2%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.6% (2011 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :250 km; standard gauge: :250 km 1.435-m gauge (169 km electrified) (2010)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Bar", "POPULATION": "650,036 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Albanian Coalition (includes Democratic League in Montenegro or DSCG [Mehmet BARDHI; Bosniak Party or BS [Rafet HUSOVIC; Coalition for European Montenegro (bloc) [Milo DJUKANOVIC; Coalition FORCA for Unity (includes FORCA [Nazif CUNGU; Croatian Civic Initiative or HGI [Marija VUCINOVIC; Democratic Front or DF (bloc) [Miodrag LEKIC; Democratic Union of Albanians or DUA [Mehmet ZENKA; Positive Montenegro [Darko PAJOVIC; Socialist People's Party or SNP [Srdan MILIC", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Montenegro's economy is slowly transitioning to a market system, but the state sector remains large and additional institutional changes are needed. The economy relies heavily on foreign tourism and the export of refined metals. Unprofitable state-owned enterprises, especially the Podgorica Aluminum Kombine, weigh heavily on public finances. During the MILOSEVIC era, Montenegro severed its economy from Serbia, maintained its own central bank, adopted the Deutsche Mark, then shifted to the euro as official currency, collected customs tariffs, and managed its own budget. The 2006 dissolution of the loose political union between Serbia and Montenegro led to separate memberships in several international financial institutions, such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. In January 2007, Montenegro joined the World Bank and IMF, and in December 2011, the World Trade Organization. Montenegro began negotiations to join the EC in June, 2012, having met the conditions set down by the European Council, which called on Montenegro to take steps to fight corruption and organized crime. Unemployment and disparities in regional development, especially in the north, remain key political and economic problems. The global financial crisis had a significant negative impact on the economy, due to a credit crunch, a decline in the real estate sector, and a fall in aluminum exports. The Government of Montenegro increased value added tax (VAT) from 17% in 2012 to 19% in 2013 and raised income tax rates from 9% to 15% for those earning over �480 a month. In 2013, the government also retrenched by freezing pensions and limiting salary increases for public enterprises and members of the parliament. In 2014, the government announced a project to build a highway connecting its coast with the north at a cost equal to approximately one-quarter of its GDP, which will significantly increase Montenegro�s debt.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location along the Adriatic coast", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "bauxite, hydroelectricity", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Montenegrin(s); adjective: :Montenegrin", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "National Day, 13 July (1878)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :2; by type: :cargo 1, passenger/cargo 1; registered in other countries: :4 (Bahamas 2, Honduras 1, Slovakia 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; continental shelf: :defined by treaty", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :98.4%; male: :99.4%; female: :97.5% (2011 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Assembly or Skupstina (81 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 14 October 2012 (next to be held by 2016); election results: :percent of vote by party/coalition - Coalition for European Montenegro 45.6%, Democratic Front 22.8%, SNP 11.1%, Positive Montenegro 8.2%, Bosniak Party 4.2%, other (including Albanian and Croatian minority parties) 8.1%; seats by party - Coalition for European Montenegro 39, Democratic Front 20, SNP 9, Positive Montenegro 7, Bosniak Party 3, Albanian and Croatian minority parties 3", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law", "LANGUAGES": "Serbian 42.9%, Montenegrin (official) 37%, Bosnian 5.3%, Albanian 5.3%, Serbo-Croat 2%, other 3.5%, unspecified 4% (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :12.79%; permanent crops: :1.26%; other: :85.95% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :680 km; border countries: :Albania 186 km, Bosnia and Herzegovina 242 km, Croatia 19 km, Kosovo 76 km, Serbia 157 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "251,300 (2011 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Vrhovni Sud (consists of the court president and 6 judges); Constitutional Court or Ustavni Sud (consists of the court president and 6 judges); judge selection and term of office: :president of Supreme Court proposed jointly by the president of Montenegro, the speaker of the Assembly, and the prime minister; other judges elected by the Judicial Council; court president term is 5 years; term of other judges is 9 years; Constitutional Court judges proposed by the president of Montenegro and elected by the Assembly; court president elected among its members; term of judges is 9 years; court president term is 3 years; subordinate courts: :Administrative Court; Court of Appeal; regional and first instance courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "4% (2012); 3% (2011)", "INDUSTRIES": "steelmaking, aluminum, agricultural processing, consumer goods, tourism", "INDEPENDENCE": "3 June 2006 (from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro)", "IMPORTS": "$2.4 billion (2012 est.); $2.5 billion (2011 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :7,763 km; paved: :5,365 km; unpaved: :2,398 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "a red field bordered by a narrow golden-yellow stripe with the Montenegrin coat of arms centered; the arms consist of a double-headed golden eagle - symbolizing the unity of church and state - surmounted by a crown; the eagle holds a golden scepter in its right claw and a blue orb in its left; the breast shield over the eagle shows a golden lion passant on a green field in front of a blue sky; the lion is symbol of episcopal authority and harkens back to the three and a half centuries that Montenegro was ruled as a theocracy", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$1.7 billion (2012 est.); $1.2 billion (2011 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$489.2 million (2012 est.); $640 million (2011 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Filip VUJANOVIC (since 6 April 2008); head of government: :Prime Minister Milo DJUKANOVIC (since 4 December 2012); cabinet: :Ministers act as cabinet; elections: :president elected by direct vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 7 April 2013 (next to be held in 2018); prime minister proposed by president, accepted by Assembly; election results: :Filip VUJANOVIC re-elected president; Filip VUJANOVIC 51.2%, Miodrag LEKIC 48.8%%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.78 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Montenegrin 45%, Serbian 28.7%, Bosniak 8.7%, Albanian 4.9%, Muslim 3.3%, Roma 1%, Croat 1%, other 2.6%, unspecified 4.9% (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "9.3 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted 22 October 2007; note - in early 2013, Montenegro's parliamentary constitutional committee began debate on proposed amendments (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Serbia 29.3%, Greece 8.7%, China 7.1% (2012 est.)", "COASTLINE": "293.5 km", "CLIMATE": "Mediterranean climate, hot dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfalls inland", "CAPITAL": "name: :Podgorica; note - Cetinje retains the status of \"Old Royal Capital\"; geographic coordinates: :42 26 N, 19 16 E; time difference: :UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1 hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.68 billion; expenditures: :$1.58 billion (2012 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Armed Forces of the Republic of Montenegro: Army of Montenegro (includes Montenegrin Navy (Mornarica Crne Gore, MCG)), Air Force (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "10.59 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "5 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "tobacco, potatoes, citrus fruits, olives, grapes; sheep", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "23 municipalities (opstine, singular - opstina); Andrijevica, Bar, Berane, Bijelo Polje, Budva, Cetinje, Danilovgrad, Gusinje, Herceg Novi, Kolasin, Kotor, Mojkovac, Niksic, Petnijica, Plav, Pljevlja, Pluzine, Podgorica, Rozaje, Savnik, Tivat, Ulcinj, Zabljak", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Croatia 22.7%, Serbia 22.7%, Slovenia 7.8% (2012 est.)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :6.3%; industry: :20.9%; services: :72.8% (2011 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "6.6% (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.81% of GDP (2013); 1.87% of GDP (2012); 1.95% of GDP (2011); 1.87% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "pollution of coastal waters from sewage outlets, especially in tourist-related areas such as Kotor", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :5; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The use of the name Crna Gora or Black Mountain (Montenegro) began in the 13th century in reference to a highland region in the Serbian province of Zeta. The later medieval state of Zeta maintained its existence until 1496 when Montenegro finally fell under Ottoman rule. Over subsequent centuries Montenegro managed to maintain a level of autonomy within the Ottoman Empire. From the 16th to 19th centuries, Montenegro was a theocracy ruled by a series of bishop princes; in 1852, it transformed into a secular principality. Montenegro was recognized as an independent sovereign principality at the Congress of Berlin in 1878. After World War I, during which Montenegro fought on the side of the Allies, Montenegro was absorbed by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, which became the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929; at the conclusion of World War II, it became a constituent republic of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. When the latter dissolved in 1992, Montenegro federated with Serbia, creating the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and, after 2003, shifting to a looser State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. In May 2006, Montenegro invoked its right under the Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro to hold a referendum on independence from the state union. The vote for severing ties with Serbia barely exceeded 55% - the threshold set by the EU - allowing Montenegro to formally restore its independence on 3 June 2006.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :3,120; female: :3,677 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :149,159; females age 16-49: :131,823 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Connecticut", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "destructive earthquakes", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Adriatic Sea 0 m; highest point: :Bobotov Kuk 2,522 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2012)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.07 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.89 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.17 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.66 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "13 (2004)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "31 (station frequency types NA) (2004)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :0.8%; industry: :11.3%; services: :87.9% (2011)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "42 30 N, 19 18 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :15.2% (male 48,231/female 50,659); 15-24 years: :10.8% (male 33,085/female 37,029); 25-54 years: :47.1% (male 164,644/female 141,380); 55-64 years: :12.9% (male 41,765/female 42,075); 65 years and over: :14% (male 36,081/female 55,087) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Montserrat", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "overseas territory of the UK", "AFFILIATION": "(overseas territory of the UK)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$8,500 (2006 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.5% (2008 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.48% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$43.78 million (2006 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :89.3%; government consumption: :42%; investment in fixed capital: :24.1%; investment in inventories: :0.1%; exports of goods and services: :18.5%; imports of goods and services: :-74%; (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "88,010 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "569 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "630 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "10,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "22.32 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "24 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "note: :as a territory of the United Kingdom, \"God Save the Queen\" is official (see United Kingdom)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 82.9% of population; rural: 82.9% of population; total: 82.9% of population; urban: 17.1% of population; rural: 17.1% of population; total: 17.1% of population (2007 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99% of population; rural: 99% of population; total: 99% of population; urban: 1% of population; rural: 1% of population; total: 1% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$87.74 million (31 December 2014 est.); $79.75 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$21.76 million (31 December 2014 est.); $19.86 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "Radio Montserrat, a public radio broadcaster, transmits on 1 station and has a repeater transmission to a second station; repeater transmissions from the GEM Radio Network of Trinidad and Tobago provide another 2 radio stations; cable and satellite TV available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :9% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.65% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$4.074 million (31 December 2014 est.); $3.704 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$45.42 million (31 December 2008); $43.9 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$16.71 million (31 December 2008); $17.9 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "8% (31 December 2014 est.); 8% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "10.99% (31 December 2010); 6.5% (31 December 2009)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :15 years; male: :14 years; female: :17 years (2007)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$NA", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$32.08 million (31 December 2012 est.); $40.51 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "2,431 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :31.4 years; male: :30.9 years; female: :31.9 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ms", "INTERNET_USERS": "1,200 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "4,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "3,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "AREA": "total: :102 sq km; land: :102 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Montserrat", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the UK", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "6% (1998 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "NA", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.29 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modern and fully digitalized; domestic: :combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 100 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 1-664; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) optic submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 67.1% (includes Anglican 21.8%, Methodist 17%, Pentecostal 14.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 10.5%, and Church of God 3.7%), Roman Catholic 11.6%, Rastafarian 1.4%, other 6.5%, none 2.6%, unspecified 10.8% (2001 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Little Bay, Plymouth", "POPULATION": "5,215; note: :an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Movement for Change and Prosperity or MCAP [Reuben MEADE; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Shirley OSBORNE", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Severe volcanic activity, which began in July 1995, has put a damper on this small, open economy. A catastrophic eruption in June 1997 closed the airport and seaports, causing further economic and social dislocation. Two-thirds of the 12,000 inhabitants fled the island. Some began to return in 1998 but lack of housing limited the number. The agriculture sector continued to be affected by the lack of suitable land for farming and the destruction of crops. Prospects for the economy depend largely on developments in relation to the volcanic activity and on public sector construction activity. Half of the island remains uninhabitable. In January 2013, the EU announced the disbursement of a $55.2 million aid package to Montserrat in order to boost the country's economic recovery, with a specific focus on public finance management, public sector reform, and prudent economic management.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the island is entirely volcanic in origin and comprised of three major volcanic centers of differing ages", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "NEGL", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Montserratian(s); adjective: :Montserratian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Caricom, CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, UPU", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :3 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,353 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :73.9 years; male: :75.48 years; female: :72.24 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Legislative Council (11 seats; 9 members directly elected in a single constituency by absolute majority vote in two rounds to serve 5-year terms and 2 ex-officio members - the attorney general and financial secretary); elections: :last held on 11 September 2014 (next to be held by 2019); election results: :percent of vote by party - PDM 50.1%, MCAP 35.3%; seats by party - PDM 7, MCAP 2", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "English common law", "LANGUAGES": "English", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :20%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :80% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "4,521 (2012)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to include Montserrat; the ECSC - with its headquarters on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the 9 member states; 1 judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of Montserrat and presides over the High Court; note - Montserrat is also a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice; judge selection and term of office: :Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court chief justice appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62; subordinate courts: :magistrate's court", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3.5% (2014 est.); 0.9% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :13.66 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :10.54 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :16.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$30 million (2014 est.); $35.5 million (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe", "ROADWAYS": "note: :volcanic eruptions that began in 1995 destroyed most of the 227 km road system; a new road infrastructure has been built on the north end of the island (2008)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the arms feature a woman in green dress, Erin, the female personification of Ireland, standing beside a yellow harp and embracing a large dark cross with her right arm; Erin and the harp are symbols of Ireland reflecting the territory's Irish ancestry; blue represents awareness, trustworthiness, determination, and righteousness", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$8.9 million (1997)", "EXPORTS": "$3.6 million (2014 est.); $6.1 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Adrian DAVIS (since 8 April 2011); head of government: :Premier Donaldson ROMERO (since 12 September 2014); note - the office of premier came into effect with the new Constitution Order; he replaces the chief minister; cabinet: :Executive Council consists of the governor, the premier, 3 other ministers, the attorney general, and the finance secretary; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually becomes premier", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -; 2.7 (2014 est.); 2.7 (2013 est.); 2.7 (2012 est.); 2.7 (2011 est.); 2.7 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "African/black 88.4%, mixed 3.7%, hispanic/Spanish 3%, caucasian/white 2.7%, East Indian/Indian 1.5%, other 0.7% (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "6.52 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1960; latest effective 1 September 2010; amended 2011 (2012)", "COASTLINE": "40 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels, lubricants", "CAPITAL": "name: :Plymouth; note - Plymouth was abandoned in 1997 because of volcanic activity; interim government buildings have been built at Brades Estate in the Carr's Bay/Little Bay vicinity at the northwest end of Montserrat; geographic coordinates: :16 42 N, 62 13 W; time difference: :UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$0; expenditures: :$37.04 million (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces; Royal Montserrat Police Force (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "11.31 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers; livestock products", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "electronic components, plastic bags, apparel; hot peppers, limes, live plants; cattle", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "English and Irish colonists from St. Kitts first settled on Montserrat in 1632; the first African slaves arrived three decades later. The British and French fought for possession of the island for most of the 18th century, but it finally was confirmed as a British possession in 1783. The island's sugar plantation economy was converted to small farm landholdings in the mid-19th century. Much of this island was devastated and two-thirds of the population fled abroad because of the eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano that began on 18 July 1995. Montserrat has endured volcanic activity since, with the last eruption occurring in July 2003.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :35; female: :34 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,135; females age 16-49: :1,223 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "volcanic eruptions; severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanism: :Soufriere Hills volcano (elev. 915 m), has erupted continuously since 1995; a massive eruption in 1997 destroyed most of the capital, Plymouth, and resulted in approximately half of the island becoming uninhabitable", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Soufriere Hills volcano pre-eruption height was 915 m; current lava dome is subject to periodic build up and collapse; estimated dome height was 1050 m in 2013", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.04 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.11 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.91 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :1.55 male(s)/female; total population: :1 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :1.6%; industry: :21.9%; services: :76.6% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "16 45 N, 62 12 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :17.6% (male 472/female 445); 15-24 years: :21.5% (male 588/female 531); 25-54 years: :47.9% (male 1,190/female 1,309); 55-64 years: :6.9% (male 160/female 200); 65 years and over: :6.1% (male 196/female 124) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Morocco", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Dwight L. BUSH, Sr. (since 8 April 2014); embassy: :Km 5.7 Avenue Mohammed VI, Souissi, Rabat; mailing address: :Unit 9400, Box Front Office, DPO, AE 09718; telephone: :[212; FAX: :[212; consulate(s) general: :Casablanca", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$7,700 (2014 est.); $7,500 (2013 est.); $7,200 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.5% (2014 est.); 4.4% (2013 est.); 2.7% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.02% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$254.4 billion (2014 est.); $245.7 billion (2013 est.); $235.4 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :49.1%; youth dependency ratio: :41.6%; elderly dependency ratio: :7.5%; potential support ratio: :13.4% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "27.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 26.6% of GDP (2013 est.); 25.5% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :60.6%; government consumption: :19%; investment in fixed capital: :30%; investment in inventories: :4%; exports of goods and services: :33.7%; imports of goods and services: :-47.3%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "67.4% (2010/11)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :500,960; percentage: :8% (2007 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "39.35 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "1.444 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "1.022 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "1.084 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "62.03 million cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "143,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "20,830 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "209,400 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "131,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "680,000 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "122,900 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "5,500 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "4.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "22% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "73.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "6.413 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "5.66 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "818 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "25.14 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "23.65 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "pentacle symbol, lion; national colors: red, green", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :18.6%; male: :18.4%; female: :19.2% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "16.4% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.9 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.62 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.4% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "3.1% (2011)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "100 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "26.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "Casablanca 3.491 million; RABAT (capital) 1.932 million; Fes 1.149 million; Marrakech 1.1 million; Tangier 948,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Hymne Cherifien\" (Hymn of the Sharif); lyrics/music: :Ali Squalli HOUSSAINI/Leo MORGAN; note: :music adopted 1956, lyrics adopted 1970", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 84.5% of population; rural: 63.1% of population; total: 75.4% of population; urban: 15.5% of population; rural: 36.9% of population; total: 24.6% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 98.5% of population; rural: 63.6% of population; total: 83.6% of population; urban: 1.5% of population; rural: 36.4% of population; total: 16.4% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$92.72 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $92.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$77.75 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $77.4 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "2 TV broadcast networks with state-run Radio-Television Marocaine (RTM) operating one network and the state partially owning the other; foreign TV broadcasts are available via satellite dish; 3 radio broadcast networks with RTM operating one; the government-owned network includes 10 regional radio channels in addition to its national service (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :59.7% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.26% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$122.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $124.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$18.98 billion (31 December 2008); $16.23 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$69.25 billion (31 December 2008); $67.42 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "6% (31 December 2014 est.); 6.23% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "6.5% (31 December 2010); 3.31% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.4% of GDP (2009)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :11 years; male: :12 years; female: :11 years (2010)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :12.61 cu km/yr (12%/4%/84%); per capita: :428.1 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "29 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$52.63 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $60.09 billion (31 December 2011); $69.15 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$1.219 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.731 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$49.26 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $45.62 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Morocco is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children who are subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Moroccan adults and children are exploited for forced labor and forced prostitution in the Middle East and Europe; some Moroccan girls recruited to work as maids experience conditions of forced labor, while some Moroccan boys experience forced labor when working as apprentices in the artisan and construction industries and in mechanic shops; women and children from sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia who voluntarily enter Morocco are subsequently coerced into prostitution or, less frequently, forced domestic service; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Morocco does not comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; nevertheless, in 2013, the government did not demonstrate progress in investigating, prosecuting, convicting, and adequately punishing trafficking offenders and provided limited law enforcement data; the government did not develop or employ systematic procedures to proactively identify trafficking victims and provided limited to no social or protective services, relying heavily on NGOs to supply care ; Morocco continues to lack a single comprehensive anti-trafficking law (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$112.6 billion (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$20.97 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $19.26 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$7.597 billion (2014 est.); -$8.692 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "76.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 73.1% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "277,338 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :28.1 years; male: :27.5 years; female: :28.7 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "40.9 (2007 est.); 39.5 (1999 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "1,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "30,600 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.16% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ma", "INTERNET_USERS": "13.213 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "39.016 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "3.28 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Mohammed Rachad BOUHLAL (since 22 December 2011); chancery: :1601 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :New York", "AREA": "total: :446,550 sq km; land: :446,300 sq km; water: :250 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "14,850 sq km (2004)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Western Sahara", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Kingdom of Morocco; conventional short form: :Morocco; local long form: :Al Mamlakah al Maghribiyah; local short form: :Al Maghrib", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "9.6% (2014 est.); 9.2% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional monarchy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.15 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "northern coast and interior are mountainous with large areas of bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :good system composed of open-wire lines, cables, and microwave radio relay links; principal switching centers are Casablanca and Rabat; national network nearly 100% digital using fiber-optic links; improved rural service employs microwave radio relay; Internet available but expensive; domestic: :fixed-line teledensity is roughly 10 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership exceeds 100 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 212; landing point for the Atlas Offshore, Estepona-Tetouan, Euroafrica, Spain-Morocco, and SEA-ME-WE-3 fiber-optic telecommunications undersea cables that provide connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; microwave radio relay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria; participant in Medarabtel; fiber-optic cable link from Agadir to Algeria and Tunisia (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "0.1% Shia), other 1% (includes Christian, Jewish, and Baha'i), Jewish about 6,000 (2010 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :2,067 km; standard gauge: :2,067 km 1.435-m gauge (1,022 km electrified) (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Casablanca, Jorf Lasfar, Mohammedia, Safi, Tangier; container port(s) (TEUs): :Tangier (2,093,408)", "POPULATION": "32,987,206 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Action Party or PA [Mohammed EL IDRISSI; Al Ahd (The Covenant) Party [Najib EL OUAZZANI; An-Nahj Ad-Dimocrati or An-Nahj [Abdellah EL HARIF; Authenticity and Modernity Party or PAM [Mustapha BAKKOURY, Secretary General; Choura et Istiqlal (Consultation and Independence) Party or PCI [Abdelwahed MAACH; Citizens' Forces or FC [Abderrahman LAHJOUJI; Constitutional Union Party or UC [Mohammed ABIED; Democratic and Social Movement or MDS [Mahmoud ARCHANE; Democratic Forces Front or FFD [Touhami EL KHIARI; Democratic Socialist Vanguard Party or PADS [Ahmed BENJELLOUN; Democratic Society Party or PSD [Zhor CHEKKAFI; Democratic Union or UD [Bouazza IKKEN; Environment and Development Party or PED [Ahmed EL ALAMI; Istiqlal (Independence) Party or PI [Hamid CHABAT; Labor Party or LP [Abdelkrim BENATIK; Moroccan Liberal Party or PML [Mohamed ZIANE; National Democratic Party or PND [Abdallah KADIRI; National Ittihadi Congress Party or CNI [Abdelmajid BOUZOUBAA; National Popular Movement or MNP [Mahjoubi AHERDANE; National Rally of Independents or RNI [Salaheddine MEZOUAR; Party of Justice and Development or PJD [Abdelillah BENKIRANE; Popular Movement or MP [Mohamed LAENSER; Progress and Socialism Party or PPS [Nabil BENABDELLAH; Reform and Development Party or PRD [Abderrahmane EL KOUHEN; Renaissance and Virtue Party or PRV [Mohamed KHALIDI; Renewal and Equity Party or PRE [Chakir ACHABAR; Social Center Party or PSC [Lahcen MADIH; Socialist Union of Popular Forces or USFP [Driss LACHGAR; Unified Socialist Party or GSU [Nabila MOUNIB", "PIPELINES": "gas 944 km; oil 270 km; refined products 175 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Morocco has capitalized on its proximity to Europe and relatively low labor costs to build a diverse, open, market-oriented economy. In the 1980s Morocco was a heavily indebted country before pursuing austerity measures and pro-market reforms, overseen by the IMF. Since taking the throne in 1999, King MOHAMMED VI has presided over a stable economy marked by steady growth, low inflation, and gradually falling unemployment, although a poor harvest and economic difficulties in Europe contributed to an economic slowdown in 2012. Industrial development strategies and infrastructure improvements - most visibly illustrated by a new port and free trade zone near Tangier - are improving Morocco's competitiveness. Morocco also seeks to expand its renewable energy capacity with a goal of making renewable 40% of electricity output by 2020. Key sectors of the economy include agriculture, tourism, phosphates, textiles, apparel, and subcomponents. To boost exports, Morocco entered into a bilateral Free Trade Agreement with the United States in 2006 and an Advanced Status agreement with the European Union in 2008. Despite Morocco's economic progress, the country suffers from high unemployment, poverty, and illiteracy, particularly in rural areas. In 2011 and 2012, high prices on fuel - which is subsidized and almost entirely imported - strained the government's budget and widened the country's current account deficit. In the fall of 2013, Morocco capped some of its fuel subsidies in an effort to gradually reduce the country�s large budgetary deficit. Key economic challenges for Morocco include fighting corruption and reforming the education system, the judiciary, and the government's costly subsidy program.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Democratic Confederation of Labor or CDT [Noubir AMAOUI; General Union of Moroccan Workers or UGTM [Abderrazzak AFILAL; Justice and Charity Organization or JCO; Moroccan Employers Association or CGEM [Hassan CHAMI; National Labor Union of Morocco or UNMT [Abdelslam MAATI; Union of Moroccan Workers or UMT [Mahjoub BENSEDDIK", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-3.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Moroccan(s); adjective: :Moroccan", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Throne Day (accession of King MOHAMMED VI to the throne), 30 July (1999)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :26; by type: :cargo 1, chemical tanker 3, container 6, passenger/cargo 14, roll on/roll off 2; foreign-owned: :14 (France 3, Germany 1, Italy 1, Spain 9); registered in other countries: :4 (Gibraltar 4) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CD, EBRD, FAO, G-11, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNSC (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :8,252,682; females age 16-49: :8,691,419 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :67.1%; male: :76.1%; female: :57.6% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :76.51 years; male: :73.44 years; female: :79.74 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament consists of the Chamber of Counsillors or Majlis al-Mustacharin (270 seats; members indirectly elected by an electoral college of local councils, professional organizations, and labor syndicates; members serve 9-year terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 3 years) and the Chamber of Representatives or Majlis al-Nuwab (395 seats; 305 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 90 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - in the national constituency, 60 seats are reserved for women and 30 reserved for young people; elections: :Chamber of Councillors - last held on 3 October 2009 (next pending legislation by the 2011 constitution); Chamber of Representatives - last held on 25 November 2011 (next to be held in 2016); election results: :Chamber of Councillors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PJD 107, PI 60, RNI 52, PAM 47, USFP 39, MP 32, UC 23, PPS 18, other 17", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of civil law based on French law and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts by Supreme Court", "LANGUAGES": "Arabic (official), Berber languages (Tamazight (official), Tachelhit, Tarifit), French (often the language of business, government, and diplomacy)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :18.03%; permanent crops: :3.04%; other: :78.93% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,362.5 km; border countries: :Algeria 1,900 km, Western Sahara 444 km, Spain (Ceuta) 8 km, Spain (Melilla) 10.5 km; note: :an additional 75-meter border segment exists between Morocco and the Spanish exclave of Penon de Velez de la Gomera", "LABOR_FORCE": "12 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Court of Cassation (consists of 5-judge panels organized into civil, family matters, commercial, administrative, social, and criminal sections); Constitutional Council (consists of 12 members); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges appointed by the Superior Council of the Judicial Power, a 20-member body presided by the monarch and including the Supreme Court president, the prosecutor general, representatives of the appeals and first instance courts - among them one woman magistrate, the National Council of the Rights of Man president, and 5 \"notable persons\" appointed by the monarch; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Council members - 6 designated by the monarch and 3 each elected by the Chamber of Councillors and Chamber of Representatives; court president appointed by the monarch from among the court members; members serve 9-year non-renewable terms; subordinate courts: :courts of appeal; High Court of Justice; administrative and commercial courts; regional and sadad courts (for religious, civil and administrative, and penal adjudication); first instance courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.1% (2014 est.); 1.9% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :24.52 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :28.96 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :19.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "phosphate mining and processing, food processing, leather goods, textiles, construction, energy, tourism", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.7% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "2 March 1956 (from France)", "IMPORTS": "$40.04 billion (2014 est.); $39.85 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :58,395 km; paved: :41,116 km (includes 1,080 km of expressways); unpaved: :17,279 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "red with a green pentacle (five-pointed, linear star) known as Sulayman's (Solomon's) seal in the center of the flag; red and green are traditional colors in Arab flags, although the use of red is more commonly associated with the Arab states of the Persian gulf; the pentacle represents the five pillars of Islam and signifies the association between God and the nation; design dates to 1912", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$35.54 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $34.93 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$19.56 billion (2014 est.); $18.26 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :King MOHAMMED VI (since 30 July 1999); head of government: :Prime Minister Abdelillah BENKIRANE (since 29 November 2011); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister as well as Minister Delegates to each ministry appoined by the Palace; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch from the winning party following legislative elections", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Moroccan dirhams (MAD) per US dollar -; 8.24 (2014 est.); 8.3803 (2013 est.); 8.6 (2012 est.); 8.0899 (2011 est.); 8.4172 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Arab-Berber 99%, other 1%", "DEATH_RATE": "4.79 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest drafted 17 June 2011, approved by referendum 1 July 2011; note - sources disagree on whether the 2011 referendum was for a new constitution or for reforms to the previous constitution (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Spain 14%, France 12.7%, China 7.1%, US 6.9%, Saudi Arabia 6.5%, Italy 5.3%, Germany 4.7%, Russia 4.5% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "1,835 km", "CLIMATE": "Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "crude petroleum, textile fabric, telecommunications equipment, wheat, gas and electricity, transistors, plastics", "CAPITAL": "name: :Rabat; geographic coordinates: :34 01 N, 6 49 W; time difference: :UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1 hr, begins last Sunday in April; ends last Sunday in September", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$29.4 billion; expenditures: :$34.99 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Royal Armed Forces (Forces Armees Royales, FAR): Royal Moroccan Army (includes Air Defense), Royal Moroccan Navy (includes Coast Guard, Marines), Royal Moroccan Air Force (Al Quwwat al Jawyiya al Malakiya Marakishiya; Force Aerienne Royale Marocaine) (2010)", "BIRTH_RATE": "18.47 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "55 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "barley, wheat, citrus fruits, grapes, vegetables, olives; livestock; wine", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "15 regions; Grand Casablanca, Chaouia-Ouardigha, Doukkala-Abda, Fes-Boulemane, Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen, Guelmim-Es Smara, Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra, Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz, Meknes-Tafilalet, Oriental, Rabat-Sale-Zemmour-Zaer, Souss-Massa-Draa, Tadla-Azilal, Tanger-Tetouan, Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate; note: :Morocco claims the territory of Western Sahara, the political status of which is considered undetermined by the US Government; portions of the regions Guelmim-Es Smara and Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra as claimed by Morocco lie within Western Sahara; Morocco also claims Oued Eddahab-Lagouira, another region that falls entirely within Western Sahara", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "France 20.9%, Spain 19.9%, Brazil 5.8%, US 4% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "clothing and textiles, electric components, inorganic chemicals, transistors, crude minerals, fertilizers (including phosphates), petroleum products, citrus fruits, vegetables, fish", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :39.1%; industry: :20.3%; services: :40.5% (2014 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.7%; highest 10%: :33.2% (2007)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "15% (2007 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "3.55% of GDP (2012); 3.37% of GDP (2011); 3.55% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :Environmental Modification", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "land degradation/desertification (soil erosion resulting from farming of marginal areas, overgrazing, destruction of vegetation); water supplies contaminated by raw sewage; siltation of reservoirs; oil pollution of coastal waters", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :24; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :7; 914 to 1,523 m: :11; 5 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :31; over 3,047 m: :11; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :9; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :7; 914 to 1,523 m: :4 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "In 788, about a century after the Arab conquest of North Africa, a series of Moroccan Muslim dynasties began to rule in Morocco. In the 16th century, the Sa'adi monarchy, particularly under Ahmad al-MANSUR (1578-1603), repelled foreign invaders and inaugurated a golden age. The Alaouite Dynasty, to which the current Moroccan royal family belongs, dates from the 17th century. In 1860, Spain occupied northern Morocco and ushered in a half century of trade rivalry among European powers that saw Morocco's sovereignty steadily erode; in 1912, the French imposed a protectorate over the country. A protracted independence struggle with France ended successfully in 1956. The internationalized city of Tangier and most Spanish possessions were turned over to the new country that same year. Sultan MOHAMMED V, the current monarch's grandfather, organized the new state as a constitutional monarchy and in 1957 assumed the title of king. Although Morocco is not the UN-recognized Administering Power for the Western Sahara, it exercises de facto administrative control over 80% of the territory. The UN since 1991 has monitored a cease-fire between Morocco and the Polisario Front and leads ongoing negotiations over the status of the territory. King MOHAMMED VI in early 2011 responded to the spread of pro-democracy protests in the region by implementing a reform program that included a new constitution, passed by popular referendum in July 2011, under which some new powers were extended to parliament and the prime minister but ultimate authority remains in the hands of the monarch. In November 2011, the Justice and Development Party - a moderate Islamist party - won the largest number of seats in parliamentary elections, becoming the first Islamist party to lead the Moroccan Government.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :300,327; female: :298,366 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :7,026,016; females age 16-49: :7,377,045 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "20 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; service obligation - 18 months (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than California", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; periodic droughts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Sebkha Tah -55 m; highest point: :Jebel Toubkal 4,165 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.82 male(s)/female; total population: :0.97 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "8 (2009)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM NA, FM 15, shortwave NA (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :14%; industry: :24.9%; services: :61.1% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "32 00 N, 5 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :26.7% (male 4,479,676/female 4,342,605); 15-24 years: :17.7% (male 2,899,041/female 2,931,856); 25-54 years: :42% (male 6,693,877/female 7,146,696); 55-64 years: :7.3% (male 1,200,733/female 1,203,447); 65 years and over: :6.3% (male 940,291/female 1,148,984) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Mozambique", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Douglas M. GRIFFITHS (since 6 July 2012); embassy: :Avenida Kenneth Kuanda 193, Maputo; mailing address: :P. O. Box 783, Maputo; telephone: :[258; FAX: :[258", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$1,100 (2014 est.); $1,100 (2013 est.); $1,000 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "8.3% (2014 est.); 7.1% (2013 est.); 7.2% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.45% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$29.76 billion (2014 est.); $27.47 billion (2013 est.); $25.63 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :94.5%; youth dependency ratio: :88.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :6.4%; potential support ratio: :15.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "1.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 10.6% of GDP (2013 est.); 8.2% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :74.2%; government consumption: :17.9%; investment in fixed capital: :50.3%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :31.8%; imports of goods and services: :-74.3%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "11.6% (2011)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "18.7; median age at first birth among women 20-24 (2011 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :1,369,080; percentage: :22% (2008 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "4.789 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "2.832 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "3.6 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "755 million cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "4.355 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "16,140 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "953 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "24,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "992 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "20 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "89.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "10.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "2.429 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "8.537 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "9.462 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "10.19 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "14.83 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "national colors: green, black, yellow, white, red", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "4.9% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.04 physicians/1,000 population (2012)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.4% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "15.6% (2011)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "490 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-9.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "32.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "MAPUTO (capital) 1.174 million; Matola 899,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Patria Amada\" (Lovely Fatherland); lyrics/music: :Salomao J. MANHICA/unknown; note: :adopted 2002", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 43.6% of population; rural: 10.7% of population; total: 21% of population; urban: 56.4% of population; rural: 89.3% of population; total: 79% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 80.3% of population; rural: 35% of population; total: 49.2% of population; urban: 19.7% of population; rural: 65% of population; total: 50.8% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$7.777 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $7.19 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$5.267 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.851 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 state-run TV station supplemented by private TV station; Portuguese state TV's African service, RTP Africa, and Brazilian-owned TV Miramar are available; state-run radio provides nearly 100% territorial coverage and broadcasts in multiple languages; a number of privately owned and community-operated stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :31.9% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.27% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$4.982 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.573 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$1.752 billion (31 December 2008); $1.467 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$1.406 billion (31 December 2008); $1.261 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "15.3% (31 December 2014 est.); 15.33% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "9.5% (17 January 2013); 3.25% (31 December 2010)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5% of GDP (2006)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :10 years; male: :10 years; female: :9 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.88 cu km/yr (26%/4%/70%); per capita: :46.05 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "217.1 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$16.59 billion (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria and dengue fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$3.334 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.142 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$6.322 billion (2014 est.); -$5.892 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "47.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 41.1% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "89,737 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :16.9 years; male: :16.3 years; female: :17.5 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "45.6 (2008); 47.3 (2002)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "82,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "1.567 million (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "10.75% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".mz", "INTERNET_USERS": "613,600 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "8.108 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "88,100 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Amelia Narciso Matos SUMBANA (since 2 November 2009); chancery: :1525 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :799,380 sq km; land: :786,380 sq km; water: :13,000 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1,181 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel, between South Africa and Tanzania", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Mozambique; conventional short form: :Mozambique; local long form: :Republica de Mocambique; local short form: :Mocambique; former: :Portuguese East Africa", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "17% (2007 est.); 21% (1997 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "5.27 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus in northwest, mountains in west", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :a fair telecommunications system that is shackled with a heavy state presence, lack of competition, and high operating costs and charges; domestic: :stagnation in the fixed-line network contrasts with rapid growth in the mobile-cellular network; mobile-cellular coverage now includes all the main cities and key roads, including those from Maputo to the South African and Swaziland borders, the national highway through Gaza and Inhambane provinces, the Beira corridor, and from Nampula to Nacala; extremely low fixed-line teledensity; despite significant growth in mobile-cellular services, teledensity remains low at about 35 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 258; landing point for the EASSy and SEACOM fiber-optic submarine cable systems; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 28.4%, Muslim 17.9%, Zionist Christian 15.5%, Protestant 12.2% (includes Pentecostal 10.9% and Anglican 1.3%), other 6.7%, none 18.7%, unspecified 0.7% (2007 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :4,787 km; narrow gauge: :4,787 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Beira, Maputo, Nacala", "POPULATION": "24,692,144; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Democratic Movement of Mozambique (Movimento Democratico de Mocambique) or MDM [Daviz SIMANGO; Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frente de Liberatacao de Mocambique) or FRELIMO [Armando Emilio GUEBUZA; Mozambique National Resistance (Resistencia Nacional Mocambicana) or RENAMO [Afonso DHLAKAMA", "PIPELINES": "gas 972 km; refined products 278 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "At independence in 1975, Mozambique was one of the world's poorest countries. Socialist mismanagement and a brutal civil war from 1977-92 exacerbated the situation. In 1987, the government embarked on a series of macroeconomic reforms designed to stabilize the economy. These steps, combined with donor assistance and with political stability since the multi-party elections in 1994, propelled the country�s GDP from $4 billion in 1993, following the war, to about $30.9 billion in 2014. Fiscal reforms, including the introduction of a value-added tax and reform of the customs service, have improved the government's revenue collection abilities. In spite of these gains, more than half the population remains below the poverty line. Subsistence agriculture continues to employ the vast majority of the country's work force. A substantial trade imbalance persists although aluminum production from the Mozal smelter has significantly boosted export earnings in recent years. In 2012, The Mozambican government took over Portugal's last remaining share in the Cahora Bassa Hydroelectricity Company (HCB), a significant contributor to the Southern African Power Pool. The government has plans to expand the Cahora Bassa Dam and build additional dams to increase its electricity exports and fulfill the needs of its burgeoning domestic industries. Mozambique's once substantial foreign debt has been reduced through forgiveness and rescheduling under the IMF's Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) and Enhanced HIPC initiatives, and is now at a manageable level. In July 2007, the US government's Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) signed a $506.9 million Compact with Mozambique that ended in 2013. The Compact focused on improving sanitation, roads, agriculture, and the business regulation environment in an effort to spur economic growth in the four northern provinces of the country. Citizens rioted in September 2010 after fuel, water, electricity, and bread price increases were announced. In an attempt to lessen the negative impact on the population, the government implemented subsidies, decreased taxes and tariffs, and instituted other fiscal measures. Mozambique grew at an average annual rate of 6%-8% in the decade up to 2014, one of Africa's strongest performances. Mozambique's ability to attract large investment projects in natural resources is expected to extend high growth rates in coming years. Revenues from these vast resources, including natural gas, coal, titanium and hydroelectric capacity, could overtake donor assistance within five years.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Mozambican League of Human Rights (Liga Mocambicana dos Direitos Humanos) or LDH [Alice MABOTE, president", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the Zambezi River flows through the north-central and most fertile part of the country", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-2.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower, tantalum, graphite", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Mozambican(s); adjective: :Mozambican", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 25 June (1975)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :2; by type: :cargo 2; foreign-owned: :2 (Belgium 2) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, CPLP, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF (observer), OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :4,613,367 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :50.6%; male: :67.4%; female: :36.5% (2009 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :52.6 years; male: :51.85 years; female: :53.37 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da Republica (250 seats; members - including 2 representing Mozambicans abroad - directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 15 October 2014 (next to be held in October 2019); election results: :percent of vote by party - FRELIMO 55.9%, RENAMO 32.5%, MDM 8.4%, other 3.3%; seats by party - FRELIMO 144, RENAMO 89, MDM 17", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of Portuguese civil law, and customary law; note - in rural, predominately Muslim villages with no formal legal system, Islamic law may be applied", "LANGUAGES": "Emakhuwa 25.3%, Portuguese (official) 10.7%, Xichangana 10.3%, Cisena 7.5%, Elomwe 7%, Echuwabo 5.1%, other Mozambican languages 30.1%, other 4% (1997 census)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :7.18%; permanent crops: :0.38%; other: :92.43% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :4,783 km; border countries: :Malawi 1,498 km, South Africa 496 km, Swaziland 108 km, Tanzania 840 km, Zambia 439 km, Zimbabwe 1,402 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "12.25 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and 5 judges); Constitutional Council (consists of 7 judges); note - the Higher Council of the Judiciary is responsible for judiciary management and discipline; judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court president and vice president appointed by Mozambique president in consultation with the Higher Council of the Judiciary (CSMJ) and with ratification by the legislature; other judges elected by the legislature; judges serve 5-year renewable terms; Constitutional Council judges appointed - 1 by the president, 5 by the legislature, and 1 by the CSMJ; judges serve 5-year nonrenewable terms; subordinate courts: :Administrative Court (capital city only); provincial courts or Tribunais Judicias de Provincia; District Courts or Tribunais Judicias de Districto; customs courts; maritime courts; courts marshal; labor courts; community courts", "WATERWAYS": "460 km (Zambezi River navigable to Tete and along Cahora Bassa Lake) (2010)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3% (2014 est.); 4.2% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :72.42 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :74.53 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :70.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "aluminum, petroleum products, chemicals (fertilizer, soap, paints), textiles, cement, glass, asbestos, tobacco, food, beverages", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "9% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "25 June 1975 (from Portugal)", "IMPORTS": "$8.954 billion (2014 est.); $8.48 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "southern African transit point for South Asian hashish and heroin, and South American cocaine probably destined for the European and South African markets; producer of cannabis (for local consumption) and methaqualone (for export to South Africa); corruption and poor regulatory capability make the banking system vulnerable to money laundering, but the lack of a well-developed financial infrastructure limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center", "ROADWAYS": "total: :30,331 km; paved: :6,303 km; unpaved: :24,028 km (2009)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of green (top), black, and yellow with a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; the black band is edged in white; centered in the triangle is a yellow five-pointed star bearing a crossed rifle and hoe in black superimposed on an open white book; green represents the riches of the land, white peace, black the African continent, yellow the country's minerals, and red the struggle for independence; the rifle symbolizes defense and vigilance, the hoe refers to the country's agriculture, the open book stresses the importance of education, and the star represents Marxism and internationalism", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$7.521 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $6.416 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$4.345 billion (2014 est.); $4.123 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Filipe Jacinto NYUSI (since 15 January 2015); head of government: :Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho DO ROSARIO (since 17 January 2015); Alberto Clementino Antonio VAQUINA removed from office 9 January 2015; cabinet: :Cabinet; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for two terms); election last held on 15 October 2014 (next to be held in October 2019); prime minister appointed by the president; election results: :Filipe NYUSI elected president; percent of vote - Filipe NYUSI (FRELIMO) 57.0%, Afonso DHLAKAMA (RENAMO) 36.6%, Daviz SIMANGO (MDM) 6.4%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "meticais (MZM) per US dollar -; 31.2 (2014 est.); 30.125 (2013 est.); 28.38 (2012 est.); 29.075 (2011 est.); 33.96 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "African 99.66% (Makhuwa, Tsonga, Lomwe, Sena, and others), Europeans 0.06%, Euro-Africans 0.2%, Indians 0.08%", "DEATH_RATE": "12.34 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1975, 1990; latest adopted 16 November 2004, effective 21 December 2004; note - amendments drafted by late 2013, but parliamentary review has been stalled (2014)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "South Africa 26%, India 13.9%, China 12.6%, Portugal 4.5%, Australia 4.3% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "2,470 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical to subtropical", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, chemicals, metal products, foodstuffs, textiles", "CAPITAL": "name: :Maputo; geographic coordinates: :25 57 S, 32 35 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$5.324 billion; expenditures: :$6.967 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Mozambique Armed Defense Forces (Forcas Armadas de Defesa de Mocambique, FADM): Mozambique Army, Mozambique Navy (Marinha de Guerra de Mocambique, MGM), Mozambique Air Force (Forca Aerea de Mocambique, FAM) (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "38.83 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "98 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cotton, cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, cassava (manioc, tapioca), corn, coconuts, sisal, citrus and tropical fruits, potatoes, sunflowers; beef, poultry", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "10 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia), 1 city (cidade)*; Cabo Delgado, Gaza, Inhambane, Manica, Maputo, Cidade de Maputo*, Nampula, Niassa, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "South Africa 30.5%, Italy 9.8%, China 9.4%, Belgium 8%, Spain 6.1%, India 5.1% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "aluminum, prawns, cashews, cotton, sugar, citrus, timber; bulk electricity", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :81%; industry: :6%; services: :13% (1997 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.9%; highest 10%: :36.7% (2008)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "52% (2009 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "a long civil war and recurrent drought in the hinterlands have resulted in increased migration of the population to urban and coastal areas with adverse environmental consequences; desertification; pollution of surface and coastal waters; elephant poaching for ivory is a problem", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :77; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :9; 914 to 1,523 m: :29; 38 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :21; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :9; 914 to 1,523 m: :5; under 914 m: :4 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Almost five centuries as a Portuguese colony came to a close with independence in 1975. Large-scale emigration, economic dependence on South Africa, a severe drought, and a prolonged civil war hindered the country's development until the mid-1990s. The ruling Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) party formally abandoned Marxism in 1989, and a new constitution the following year provided for multiparty elections and a free market economy. A UN-negotiated peace agreement between FRELIMO and rebel Mozambique National Resistance (RENAMO) forces ended the fighting in 1992. In December 2004, Mozambique underwent a delicate transition as Joaquim CHISSANO stepped down after 18 years in office. His elected successor, Armando Emilio GUEBUZA, promised to continue the sound economic policies that have encouraged foreign investment. President GUEBUZA was reelected to a second term in October 2009. However, the elections were flawed by voter fraud, questionable disqualification of candidates, and Frelimo use of government resources during the campaign. As a result, Freedom House removed Mozambique from its list of electoral democracies.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :274,602; female: :280,008 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,677,473; females age 16-49: :2,941,073 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "registration for military service is mandatory for all males and females at 18 years of age; 18-35 years of age for selective compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntary service; 2-year service obligation; women may serve as officers or enlisted (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than twice the size of California", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "severe droughts; devastating cyclones and floods in central and southern provinces", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Indian Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Monte Binga 2,436 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.02 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.88 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.85 male(s)/female; total population: :0.95 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "4 (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 13, FM 17, shortwave 11 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :28.9%; industry: :24%; services: :47.1% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "18 15 S, 35 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :45.3% (male 5,627,116/female 5,566,260); 15-24 years: :21.3% (male 2,566,298/female 2,689,695); 25-54 years: :27% (male 3,113,095/female 3,553,266); 55-64 years: :3.5% (male 404,988/female 448,814); 65 years and over: :2.9% (male 332,013/female 390,599) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Namibia", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Thomas Frederick DAUGHTON (since 6 October 2014); embassy: :14 Lossen Street, Windhoek; mailing address: :Private Bag 12029 Ausspannplatz, Windhoek; telephone: :[264; FAX: :[264", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$10,800 (2014 est.); $10,400 (2013 est.); $10,100 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "4.3% (2014 est.); 4.3% (2013 est.); 5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.67% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$23.59 billion (2014 est.); $22.62 billion (2013 est.); $21.68 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :64.2%; youth dependency ratio: :58.3%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.9%; potential support ratio: :17% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "20.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 19.6% of GDP (2013 est.); 20.8% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :64.7%; government consumption: :29%; investment in fixed capital: :27.5%; investment in inventories: :-2%; exports of goods and services: :43.5%; imports of goods and services: :-62.7%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "55.1% (2006/07)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "21.5; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2013 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "3.716 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "62.29 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "20,810 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "26,810 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "68.2% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "31.8% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "487,000 kW (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "2.907 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "89 million kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "4.238 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "1.331 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "oryx (antelope); national colors: blue, red, green, white, yellow", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :34.3%; male: :29.4%; female: :40.1% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "9.5% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.7 beds/1,000 population (2009)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.37 physicians/1,000 population (2007)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "8.3% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "17.5% (2007)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "200 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-5.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "41.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "WINDHOEK (capital) 356,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Namibia, Land of the Brave\"; lyrics/music: :Axali DOESEB; note: :adopted 1991", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 56.1% of population; rural: 16.9% of population; total: 32.2% of population; urban: 43.9% of population; rural: 83.1% of population; total: 67.8% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 98.4% of population; rural: 87.4% of population; total: 91.7% of population; urban: 1.6% of population; rural: 12.6% of population; total: 8.3% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$7.496 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $6.574 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$3.867 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.23 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 private and 1 state-run TV station; satellite and cable TV service available; state-run radio service broadcasts in multiple languages; about a dozen private radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :45.7% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :4.16% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$6.57 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.993 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$1.158 billion (31 December 2008); $1.493 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$1.983 billion (31 December 2008); $2.149 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "9% (31 December 2014 est.); 8.29% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "5.5% (31 December 2013); 12% (31 December 2010)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "8.4% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :11 years; male: :11 years; female: :11 years (2006)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.29 cu km/yr (25%/5%/70%); per capita: :146 cu m/yr (2002)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "17.72 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$1.305 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $1.152 billion (31 December 2011); $1.176 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$NA", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Namibia is predominantly a country of origin and destination for children and, to a lesser extent, women subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; victims, lured by promises of legitimate jobs, are forced to work in hazardous condition in urban centers and on commercial farms; traffickers exploit Namibian children, as well as children from Angola, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, for forced labor in agriculture, cattle herding, domestic service, fishing, and street vending; children are also forced into prostitution, often catering to tourists from southern Africa and Europe; San girls are particularly vulnerable; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Namibia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute a significant effort toward meeting the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking; draft anti-trafficking legislation awaits review by the attorney general and the Child Care and Protection Bill, which would criminalize child trafficking, is still pending parliamentary approval; the government developed a national protection referral network for crime victims in 2013, but it has not been fully operationalized; authorities did not make systematic efforts to identify trafficking victims or to screen vulnerable groups for potential victims (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$11.98 billion (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne disease: :malaria; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$1.651 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.503 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$902.9 million (2014 est.); -$782.5 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "28.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 26.3% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "78,280 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :22.8 years; male: :22.8 years; female: :22.8 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "59.7 (2010); 70.7 (2003)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "6,600 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "245,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "14.3% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".na", "INTERNET_USERS": "127,500 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "2.435 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "171,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Martin ANDJABA (since 3 September 2010); chancery: :1605 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :824,292 sq km; land: :823,290 sq km; water: :1,002 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "75.73 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and South Africa", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Namibia; conventional short form: :Namibia; local long form: :Republic of Namibia; local short form: :Namibia; former: :German South-West Africa (Sued-West Afrika), South-West Africa", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "27.4% (2012 est.); 51.2% (2008 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.25 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :good system; core fiber-optic network links most centers with digital connections; domestic: :multiple mobile-cellular providers with a combined subscribership of more than 100 telephones per 100 persons; international: :country code - 264; fiber-optic cable to South Africa, microwave radio relay link to Botswana, direct links to other neighboring countries; connected to the South African Far East (SAFE) submarine cable through South Africa; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Christian 80% to 90% (at least 50% Lutheran), indigenous beliefs 10% to 20%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :2,626 km; narrow gauge: :2,626 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Luderitz, Walvis Bay", "POPULATION": "2,198,406; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "All People's Party or APP [Ignatius SHIXWAMENI; Communist Party of Namibia or CPN [Attie BEUKES and Harry BOESAK; Democratic Turnhalle Alliance of Namibia or DTA [McHenry VENAANI; National Unity Democratic Organization or NUDO [Kuaima RIRUAKO; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Hidipo HAMUTENYA; Republican Party or RP [Henk MUDGE; South West Africa National Union or SWANU [Usutuaije MAAMBERUA; South West Africa People's Organization or SWAPO [Hifikepunye POHAMBA; United Democratic Front or UDF [Justus //GAROEB; United People's Movement or UPM [Jan J. VAN WYK", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The economy is heavily dependent on the extraction and processing of minerals for export. Mining accounts for 11.5% of GDP, but provides more than 50% of foreign exchange earnings. Rich alluvial diamond deposits make Namibia a primary source for gem-quality diamonds. Marine diamond mining is becoming increasingly important as the terrestrial diamond supply has dwindled. Namibia is the world's fourth-largest producer of uranium. It also produces large quantities of zinc and is a smaller producer of gold and copper. The mining and quarrying sectors employ less than 2% of the population. Namibia normally imports about 50% of its cereal requirements; in drought years food shortages are a major problem in rural areas. A high per capita GDP, relative to the region, hides one of the world's most unequal income distributions. A five-year, Millenium Challenge Corporation Compact ended in September 2014. As an upper middle income country, Namibia is ineligible for a second Compact. The Namibian economy is closely linked to South Africa with the Namibian dollar pegged one-to-one to the South African rand. Namibia receives 30%-40% of its revenues from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). Volatility in the size of Namibia's annual SACU allotment complicates budget planning. Namibia's economy remains vulnerable to world commodity price fluctuations, and drought. The rising cost of mining diamonds, increasingly from the sea, has reduced profit margins. Namibian authorities recognize these issues and have emphasized the need to increase higher value raw materials, manufacturing, and services, especially in the logistics and transportation sectors.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "National Society for Human Rights or NAMRIGHTS; other: :various labor unions", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "first country in the world to incorporate the protection of the environment into its constitution; some 14% of the land is protected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, silver, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, tungsten, zinc, salt, hydropower, fish; note: :suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Namibian(s); adjective: :Namibian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 21 March (1990)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :1; by type: :cargo 1 (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, CPLP (associate observer), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :568,231 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :76.5%; male: :74.3%; female: :78.4% (2007 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :51.85 years; male: :52.22 years; female: :51.46 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament consists of the National Assembly (78 seats; 72 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms and 6 nonvoting members appointed by the president) and the National Council, which primarily reviews legislation passed and referred by the National Assembly (26 seats; members indirectly elected 2 each by the 13 regional councils to serve 4-year terms); elections: :National Council - elections for regional councils to determine members of the National Council held on 26-27 November 2010 (next to be held in 2016); National Assembly - last held on 28 November 2014 (next to be held in November 2019); election results: :National Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SWAPO 24, UDF 1, DTA 1; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - SWAPO 80.0%, DTA 4.8%, RDP 3.5%, APP 2.3%, UDF 2.1%, NUDO 2.0%, CPN 1.5%, other 3.8%; seats by party - SWAPO 77, DTA 5, RDP 3, APP 2, UDF 2, NUDO 2, CPN 2, SWANU 1, UPM 1, RP 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of uncodified civil law based on Roman-Dutch law and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "Oshiwambo languages 48.9%, Nama/Damara 11.3%, Afrikaans 10.4% (common language of most of the population and about 60% of the white population), Otjiherero languages 8.6%, Kavango languages 8.5%, Caprivi languages 4.8%, English (official) 3.4%, other African languages 2.3%, other 1.7%; note: :Namibia has 13 recognized national languages, including 10 indigenous African languages and 3 Indo-European languages (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0.97%; permanent crops: :0.01%; other: :99.02% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :4,220 km; border countries: :Angola 1,427 km, Botswana 1,544 km, South Africa 1,005 km, Zambia 244 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "1.168 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and at least 3 judges in quorum sessions); judge selection and term of office: :judges appointed by the president of Namibia upon the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission; judges serve until age 65 but can be extended by the president until age 70; subordinate courts: :High Court; Labor Court; regional and district magistrates' courts; community courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "5.6% (2014 est.); 5.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :45.64 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :48.6 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :42.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "meatpacking, fish processing, dairy products, pasta, beverages; mining (diamonds, lead, zinc, tin, silver, tungsten, uranium, copper)", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "5.7% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "21 March 1990 (from South African mandate)", "IMPORTS": "$7.056 billion (2014 est.); $6.624 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :44,138 km; paved: :6,387 km; unpaved: :37,751 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "a wide red stripe edged by narrow white stripes divides the flag diagonally from lower hoist corner to upper fly corner; the upper hoist-side triangle is blue and charged with a yellow, 12-rayed sunburst; the lower fly-side triangle is green; red signifies the heroism of the people and their determination to build a future of equal opportunity for all; white stands for peace, unity, tranquility, and harmony; blue represents the Namibian sky and the Atlantic Ocean, the country's precious water resources and rain; the yellow sun denotes power and existence; green symbolizes vegetation and agricultural resources", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$5.48 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.845 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$4.597 billion (2014 est.); $4.62 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Hifikepunye POHAMBA (since 21 March 2005); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Hifikepunye POHAMBA (since 21 March 2005); Prime Minister Hage GEINGOB (since 4 December 2012); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president from among members of the National Assembly; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); if no single candidate receives a majority of the vote in the first round of voting, a run-off election is scheduled between the two candidates with the greatest vote count; election last held on 28 November 2014 (next to be held in November 2019); election results: :Hage GEINGOB elected president; percent of vote - Hage GEINGOB 86.7%, McHenry VENAANI 5.0%, Hidipo HAMUTENYA 3.4%, Asser MBAI 1.9%, Henk MUDGE 1.0%, other 2.0%; note - GEINGOB will be sworn in 21 March 2015", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Namibian dollars (NAD) per US dollar -; 10.55 (2014 est.); 9.6551 (2013 est.); 8.2 (2012 est.); 7.2597 (2011 est.); 7.3212 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "black 87.5%, white 6%, mixed 6.5%; note: :about 50% of the population belong to the Ovambo tribe and 9% to the Kavangos tribe; other ethnic groups include Herero 7%, Damara 7%, Nama 5%, Caprivian 4%, Bushmen 3%, Baster 2%, Tswana 0.5%", "DEATH_RATE": "13.6 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "drafted 9 February 1990, signed 16 March 1990, entered into force 21 March 1990; amended 1998, 2010 (2010)", "COASTLINE": "1,572 km", "CLIMATE": "desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foodstuffs; petroleum products and fuel, machinery and equipment, chemicals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Windhoek; geographic coordinates: :22 34 S, 17 05 E; time difference: :UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins first Sunday in September; ends first Sunday in April", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$5.021 billion; expenditures: :$5.659 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Namibian Defense Force (NDF): Army, Navy, Air Force (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "20.28 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "112 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "millet, sorghum, peanuts, grapes; livestock; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "14 regions; Erongo, Hardap, //Karas, Kavango East, Kavango West, Khomas, Kunene, Ohangwena, Omaheke, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa, Zambezi; note - the Karas Region was renamed //Karas in September 2013 to include the alveolar lateral click of the Khoekhoegowab language", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "diamonds, copper, gold, zinc, lead, uranium; cattle, white fish and mollusks", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :16.3%; industry: :22.4%; services: :61.3%; note: :about half of Namibia's people are unemployed while about two-thirds live in rural areas; roughly two-thirds of rural dwellers rely on subsistence agriculture (2008 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.4%; highest 10%: :42% (2010)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "28.7% (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "3.11% of GDP (2012); 3.38% of GDP (2011); 3.11% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "limited natural freshwater resources; desertification; wildlife poaching; land degradation has led to few conservation areas", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :93; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :25; 914 to 1,523 m: :52; 16 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :19; over 3,047 m: :4; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :12; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "South Africa occupied the German colony of South-West Africa during World War I and administered it as a mandate until after World War II, when it annexed the territory. In 1966, the Marxist South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla group launched a war of independence for the area that became Namibia, but it was not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration in accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire region. Namibia has been governed by SWAPO since the country won independence in 1990. Hifikepunye POHAMBA was elected president in November 2004 in a landslide victory replacing Sam NUJOMA who led the country during its first 14 years of self rule. POHAMBA was reelected in November 2009. SWAPO retained its parliamentary super majority in the November 2014 elections in which Prime Minister Hage GEINGOB was elected to succeed POHAMBA as president and established a system of gender parity in parliamentary positions.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :26,413; female: :26,038 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :351,431; females age 16-49: :311,513 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly more than half the size of Alaska", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "prolonged periods of drought", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Konigstein 2,606 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.09 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.78 male(s)/female; total population: :1.02 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "2 (2007)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 2, FM 39, shortwave 4 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :6.2%; industry: :30%; services: :63.7% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "22 00 S, 17 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :31.7% (male 352,368/female 345,593); 15-24 years: :23.1% (male 256,965/female 251,276); 25-54 years: :35.9% (male 410,736/female 378,678); 55-64 years: :4.8% (male 47,832/female 58,602); 65 years and over: :4.4% (male 41,697/female 54,659) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Nauru", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$5,000 (2005 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.56% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$60 million (2005 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "35.6% (2007)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "22.1; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2007 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "168,700 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "1,075 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "1,010 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "6,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "23.25 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "25 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "frigatebird, calophyllum flower; national colors: blue, yellow, white", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "71.1% (2008)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.71 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "7.5% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "4.8% (2007)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Nauru Bwiema\" (Song of Nauru); lyrics/music: :Margaret HENDRIE/Laurence Henry HICKS; note: :adopted 1968", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 65.6% of population; total: 65.6% of population; urban: 34.4% of population; total: 34.4% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 96.3% of population; total: 96.3% of population; urban: 3.7% of population; total: 3.7% of population (2012 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 government-owned TV station broadcasting programs from New Zealand sent via satellite or on videotape; 1 government-owned radio station, broadcasting on AM and FM, utilizes Australian and British programs (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :100% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.19% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :9 years; male: :9 years; female: :10 years (2008)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$NA", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "8,162 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :25.3 years; male: :25.6 years; female: :25 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".nr", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "6,800 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "1,900 (2009)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Marlene Inemwin MOSES (since 10 February 2006); chancery: :800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400 D, New York, NY 10017; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s): :Agana (Guam)", "AREA": "total: :21 sq km; land: :21 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Nauru; conventional short form: :Nauru; local long form: :Republic of Nauru; local short form: :Nauru; former: :Pleasant Island", "MILITARY___NOTE": "Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal agreement, defense is the responsibility of Australia", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "90% (2004 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.93 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :adequate local and international radiotelephone communication provided via Australian facilities; international: :country code - 674; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)", "SUFFRAGE": "20 years of age; universal and compulsory", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 60.4% (includes Nauru Congregational 35.7%, Assembly of God 13%, Nauru Independent Church 9.5%, Baptist 1.5%, and Seventh Day Adventist .7%), Roman Catholic 33%, other 3.7%, none 1.8%, unspecified 1.1% (2011 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Nauru", "POPULATION": "9,488 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG; Nauru First (Naoero Amo) Party; Nauru Party (informal); note: :loose multiparty system", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Revenues of this tiny island traditionally have come from exports of phosphates. Few other resources exist, with most necessities being imported, mainly from Australia, its former occupier and later major source of support. In 2005 an Australian company entered into an agreement to exploit remaining supplies. Primary reserves of phosphates were exhausted and mining ceased in 2006, but mining of a deeper layer of \"secondary phosphate\" in the interior of the island began the following year. The secondary phosphate deposits may last another 30 years. The rehabilitation of mined land and the replacement of income from phosphates are serious long-term problems. In anticipation of the exhaustion of Nauru's phosphate deposits, substantial amounts of phosphate income were invested in trust funds to help cushion the transition and provide for Nauru's economic future. As a result of heavy spending from the trust funds, the government faced virtual bankruptcy. To cut costs the government has frozen wages and reduced overstaffed public service departments. Nauru lost further revenue in 2008 with the closure of Australia's refugee processing center, making it almost totally dependent on food imports and foreign aid. Housing, hospitals, and other capital plant are deteriorating. The cost to Australia of keeping the government and economy afloat continues to climb. Few comprehensive statistics on the Nauru economy exist with estimates of Nauru's GDP varying widely.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Woman Information and News Agency (women's issues)", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "world's smallest island country; situated just 53 km south of the Equator; Nauru is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-14.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "phosphates, fish", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Nauruan(s); adjective: :Nauruan", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 31 January (1968)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICCt, IFAD, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,542 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :66.4 years; male: :62.3 years; female: :69.83 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral parliament (19 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by majority vote; members serve 3-year terms); elections: :last held on 8 June 2013 (next to be held in 2016); election results: :percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 19", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of common law based on the English model and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "Nauruan 93% (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English 2% (widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes), other 5% (includes I-Kiribati 2% and Chinese 2%); note: :percentages represent main language spoken at home; Nauruan is spoken by 95% of the population, English by 66%, and other languages by 12% (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :20%; other: :80% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of a chief justice and 1 judge); judge selection and term of office: :judges appointed by the president to serve until age 65; subordinate courts: :District Court, Family Court", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "5.6% (2013 est.); 6.7% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :8.21 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :10.54 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :6.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "phosphate mining, offshore banking, coconut products", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "INDEPENDENCE": "31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship)", "IMPORTS": "$20 million (2004 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :30 km; paved: :24 km; unpaved: :6 km (2002)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "blue with a narrow, horizontal, yellow stripe across the center and a large white 12-pointed star below the stripe on the hoist side; blue stands for the Pacific Ocean, the star indicates the country's location in relation to the Equator (the yellow stripe) and the 12 points symbolize the 12 original tribes of Nauru", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 July - 30 June", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$33.3 million (2004 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$64,000 (2005 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Baron WAQA (since 11 June 2013); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Baron WAQA (since 11 June 2013); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president from among members of Parliament; elections: :president elected by Parliament for a three-year term; election last held on 11 June 2013 (next to be held in 2016); election results: :Baron WAQA elected president on 11 June 2013", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar -; 1.098 (2013); 1.0358 (2013 est.); 0.97 (2012 est.); 0.9695 (2011 est.); 1.0902 (2010)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8%", "DEATH_RATE": "5.9 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "effective 29 January 1968; amended 1968, 2009; note - in early 2013, further amendments were introduced to be passed or denied by the legislature (2013)", "COASTLINE": "30 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery", "CAPITAL": "no official capital; government offices in Yaren District; time difference: :UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$13.5 million; expenditures: :$13.5 million (2005)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "25.61 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coconuts", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "phosphates", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "note: :most of the labor force is employed in phosphate mining, public administration, education, and transportation", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "limited natural freshwater resources, roof storage tanks collect rainwater but mostly dependent on a single, aging desalination plant; intensive phosphate mining during the past 90 years - mainly by a UK, Australia, and NZ consortium - has left the central 90% of Nauru a wasteland and threatens limited remaining land resources", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The exact origins of the Nauruans are unclear since their language does not resemble any other in the Pacific region. Germany annexed the island in 1888. A German-British consortium began mining the island's phosphate deposits early in the 20th century. Australian forces occupied Nauru in World War I; it subsequently became a League of Nations mandate. After the Second World War - and a brutal occupation by Japan - Nauru became a UN trust territory. It achieved independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 as the world's smallest independent republic.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :74; female: :78 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,823; females age 16-49: :2,034 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "periodic droughts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :unnamed elevation along plateau rim 61 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :0.84 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :0.79 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.9 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.78 male(s)/female; total population: :0.91 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :6.1%; industry: :33%; services: :60.8% (2009 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "0 32 S, 166 55 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :32.5% (male 1,359/female 1,720); 15-24 years: :16.9% (male 828/female 773); 25-54 years: :42.7% (male 2,013/female 2,040); 55-64 years: :6% (male 228/female 343); 65 years and over: :1.9% (male 73/female 111) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Navassa Island", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (territory of the US)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "unorganized, unincorporated territory of the US; administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service, US Department of the Interior from the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuge in Boqueron, Puerto Rico; in September 1996, the Coast Guard ceased operations and maintenance of Navassa Island Light, a 46-meter-tall lighthouse on the southern side of the island; there has also been a private claim advanced against the island", "AFFILIATION": "(territory of the US)", "AREA": "total: :5.4 sq km; land: :5.4 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, 35 miles west of Tiburon Peninsula of Haiti", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Navassa Island", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the US", "TERRAIN": "raised coral and limestone plateau, flat to undulating; ringed by vertical white cliffs (9 to 15 m high)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "none; offshore anchorage only", "POPULATION": "uninhabited; note: :transient Haitian fishermen and others camp on the island", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Subsistence fishing and commercial trawling occur within refuge waters.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location 160 km south of the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; mostly exposed rock with numerous solution holes (limestone sinkholes) but with enough grassland to support goat herds; dense stands of fig trees, scattered cactus", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "guano", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "the laws of the US, where applicable, apply", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (2014 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "the flag of the US is used", "COASTLINE": "8 km", "CLIMATE": "marine, tropical", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "BACKGROUND": "This uninhabited island was claimed by the US in 1857 for its guano. Mining took place between 1865 and 1898. The lighthouse, built in 1917, was shut down in 1996 and administration of Navassa Island transferred from the US Coast Guard to the Department of the Interior. A 1998 scientific expedition to the island described it as a unique preserve of Caribbean biodiversity; the following year it became a National Wildlife Refuge and annual scientific expeditions have continued.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "hurricanes", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: :unnamed elevation on southwest side 77 m", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "18 25 N, 75 02 W" }, { "country": "Nepal", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Peter W. BODDE (since 10 September 2012); embassy: :Maharajgunj, Kathmandu; mailing address: :use embassy street address; telephone: :[977; FAX: :[977", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$2,400 (2014 est.); $2,300 (2013 est.); $2,200 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "5.5% (2014 est.); 3.9% (2013 est.); 4.8% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.82% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$66.92 billion (2014 est.); $63.44 billion (2013 est.); $61.09 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :64%; youth dependency ratio: :55.4%; elderly dependency ratio: :8.6%; potential support ratio: :11.7% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "33.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 33.1% of GDP (2013 est.); 34.9% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :78.1%; government consumption: :11.2%; investment in fixed capital: :23.1%; investment in inventories: :13.9%; exports of goods and services: :13.9%; imports of goods and services: :-40.3%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "49.7% (2011)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "20.1; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2011 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :2,467,549; percentage: :34% (2008 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "3.638 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "21,960 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "19,260 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "92.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "7.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "746,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "721 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "31 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "2.832 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "3.431 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "rhododendron blossom; national color: red", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "1.4% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "5 beds/1,000 population (2006)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.21 physicians/1,000 population (2004)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.5% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "29.1% (2011)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "170 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "1.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "20.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "KATHMANDU (capital) 1.142 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Sayaun Thunga Phool Ka\" (Hundreds of Flowers); lyrics/music: :Pradeep Kumar RAI/Ambar GURUNG; note: :adopted 2007; after the abolition of the monarchy in 2006, a new anthem was required because of the previous anthem's praise for the king", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 51.2% of population; rural: 33.7% of population; total: 36.7% of population; urban: 48.8% of population; rural: 66.3% of population; total: 63.3% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 90.3% of population; rural: 87.6% of population; total: 88.1% of population; urban: 9.7% of population; rural: 12.4% of population; total: 11.9% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$14.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $12.55 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$3.808 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.356 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state operates 2 TV stations as well as national and regional radio stations; roughly 30 independent TV channels are registered with only about half in regular operation; nearly 400 FM radio stations are licensed with roughly 300 operational (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :18.2% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.18% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$13.35 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $11.82 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$7.49 billion (1 April 2009); $6.99 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$2.53 billion (31 July 2009); $2.106 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "10.9% (31 December 2014 est.); 12.4% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "8% (31 October 2014); 8% (31 December 2013)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.7% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :12 years; male: :12 years; female: :12 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :9.5 cu km/yr (2%/0%/98%); per capita: :334.7 cu m/yr (2006)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "210.2 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$9.671 billion (31 October 2014 est.); $5.812 billion (31 October 2013); $5.235 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$103 million (31 July 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$19.64 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :23,059 (Bhutan); 15,000 (Tibet/China) (2014); IDPs: :up to 50,000 (remaining from ten-year Maoist insurgency that officially ended in 2006; figure does not include people displaced since 2007 by inter-communal violence and insecurity in the Terai region) (2013); stateless persons: :undetermined (2013); note - in 2007-2008 the government distributed 2.6 million citizenship certificates to the 3.4 million people without one; the remaining 800,000 without citizenship certificates are not necessarily stateless, and the UNHCR is working with the Nepali Government to clarify their situation; lesser numbers of Bhutanese Hindu refugees of Nepali origin (the Lhotsampa) who were stripped of Bhutanese nationality and forced to flee their country in the late 1980s and early 1990s - and undocumented Tibetan refugees who arrived in Nepal prior to the 1990s - are considered stateless", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever; vectorborne disease: :Japanese encephalitis, malaria, and dengue fever (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$5.439 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $4.434 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$912.2 million (2014 est.); $805.7 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "30% of GDP (FY 2012/13 est.); 32% of GDP (FY 2011/12 est.) (FY11/12)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "41,256 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :22.9 years; male: :22.2 years; female: :23.6 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "32.8 (2010); 47.2 (2008 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "3,300 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "38,800 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.23% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".np", "INTERNET_USERS": "577,800 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "18.138 million (2013)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "834,000 (2013)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :ambassador (vacant); Charg� d'Affaires Rishi Ram GHIMIRE (since 22 January 2014); chancery: :2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Cleveland (OH), New York", "AREA": "total: :147,181 sq km; land: :143,351 sq km; water: :3,830 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "11,680 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Asia", "LOCATION": "Southern Asia, between China and India", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal; conventional short form: :Nepal; local long form: :Sanghiya Loktantrik Ganatantra Nepal; local short form: :Nepal", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "46% (2008 est.); 42% (2004 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "federal democratic republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.3 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :poor telephone and telegraph service; fair radiotelephone communication service and mobile-cellular telephone network; domestic: :mobile-cellular telephone subscribership base is increasing with roughly 90% of the population living in areas covered by mobile carriers; international: :country code - 977; radiotelephone communications; microwave and fiber landlines to India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Hindu 81.3%, Buddhist 9%, Muslim 4.4%, Kirant 3.1%, Christian 1.4%, other 0.5%, unspecifed 0.2% (2011 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :59 km; narrow gauge: :59 km 0.762-m gauge (2008)", "POPULATION": "30,986,975 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "note: :120 political parties participated in the 19 November 2013 election and the 30 parties listed below were elected to serve in the Constituent Assembly; Akhanda Nepal Party [Kumar KHADKA; Communist Party of Nepal-Marxist Leninist [C.P. MAINALI; Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist or UML [Jhalanath KHANAL; Communist Party of Nepal (United) [Chandra Dev JOSHI; Dalit Janajati Party [Bishwendra PASHWAN; Federal Socialist Party [Ashok RAI; Jana Jagaran Party Nepal [Lok Mani DHAKAL; Khambuwan Rastriya Morcha-Nepal [Ram Kumar RAI; Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Democratic [Bijay Kumar GACHCHADAR; Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Nepal [Upendra YADAV; Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Republican [Raj Kishore YADAV; Madhes Samata Party Nepal [Meghraj SAHANI; National Madhes Socialist Party [Sharat Singh BHANDARI; Nepal Pariwar Dal [Ek Nath DHAKAL; Nepal Workers and Peasants Party [Narayan Man BIJUKCHHE; Nepali Congress [Sushil KOIRALA; Nepali Janata Dal [Hari Charan SAH; Nepa Rastriya Party [Keshav Man SHAKYA; Rastriya Janamorcha Nepal [Chitra Bahadur K.C.; Rastriya Janamukti Party [Malwar Singh THAPA; Rastriya Prajatantra Party [Surya Bahadur THAPA; Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal [Kamal THAPA; Sadbhavana Party [Rajendra MAHATO; Samajbadi Janata Party Nepal [Prem Bahadur SINGH; Sanghiya Sadbhavana Party [Anil JHA; Sanghiye Lokatantrik Rastriya Manch [Rukmini CHAUDARY; Terai Madhes Democratic Party [Mahantha THAKUR; Terai Madhes Sadbhavana Party-Nepal [Mahendra YADAV; Tharuhat Terai Party Nepal [Bhanuram CHAUDARY; Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) or UCPN(M) [Pushpa Kamal DAHAL, also known as PRACHANDA", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world, with about one-quarter of its population living below the poverty line. Nepal is heavily dependent on remittances, which amount to as much as 22-25% of GDP. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for more than 70% of the population and accounting for a little over one-third of GDP. Industrial activity mainly involves the processing of agricultural products, including pulses, jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain. Nepal has considerable scope for exploiting its potential in hydropower, with an estimated 42,000 MW of commercially feasible capacity, but political uncertainty and a difficult business climate have hampered foreign investment. Additional challenges to Nepal's growth include its landlocked geographic location, persistent power shortages, underdeveloped transportation infrastructure, civil strife and labor unrest, and its susceptibility to natural disaster. The lack of political consensus in the past several years has delayed national budgets and prevented much-needed economic reform, although the government passed a full budget in 2013 and 2014. Nepal and India signed trade and investment agreements in 2014 that will amp up Nepal�s hydropower potential.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "The Communist Party of Nepal - Maoist (CPN-M); note - this party split from the UCPN(M) in June 2012,opposed the November 2013 elections, and is not represented in the current Constituent Assembly; other: :a variety of groups advocating regional autonomy such as the Federal State Limbuwan Council in far eastern Nepal", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; strategic location between China and India; contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga - the world's tallest and third tallest - on the borders with China and India respectively", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "3.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Nepali (singular and plural); adjective: :Nepali", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Republic Day, 29 May", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, BIMSTEC, CD, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :6,941,152; females age 16-49: :7,618,397 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :57.4%; male: :71.1%; female: :46.7% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :67.19 years; male: :65.88 years; female: :68.56 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Constituent Assembly or Sambidhan Sabha (601 seats; 240 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 335 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation (PR) vote and 26 appointed by the cabinet (Council of Ministers); note - political parties allocated more than 30 percent of the PR seats are obliged to follow specified quotas for ethnic groups and within them equal percentages of men and women; elections: :last held on 19 November 2013 (next to be held NA); election results: :percent of vote by party - NC 26%, CPN-UML 24%, Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) 15%, Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal 7%; other 28%; seats by party - NC 196, CPN-UML 175, UCPN(M) 80, Rastriya Prajantantra Party Nepal 24, other smaller parties 100; note - 26 seats filled by the new Cabinet have not yet been appointed", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "English common law and Hindu legal concepts", "LANGUAGES": "Nepali (official) 44.6%, Maithali 11.7%, Bhojpuri 6%, Tharu 5.8%, Tamang 5.1%, Newar 3.2%, Magar 3%, Bajjika 3%, Urdu 2.6%, Avadhi 1.9%, Limbu 1.3%, Gurung 1.2%, other 10.4%, unspecified 0.2%; note: :123 languages reported as mother tongue in 2011 national census; many in government and business also speak English (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :14.78%; permanent crops: :1.45%; other: :83.77% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :3,159 km; border countries: :China 1,389 km, India 1,770 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "14.76 million; note: :severe lack of skilled labor (2012 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and up to 14 judges); judge selection and term of office: :the Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the prime minister on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council; other judges appointed by the prime minister on the recommendation of the Judicial Council; judges serve until age 65; subordinate courts: :appellate and district courts; note: :Nepal's judiciary was restructured under its 2007 Interim Constitution", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "8.4% (2014 est.); 10.2% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :40.43 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :40.5 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :40.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, carpets, textiles; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarettes, cement and brick production", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.7% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan SHAH)", "IMPORTS": "$7.282 billion (2014 est.); $6.502 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "illicit producer of cannabis and hashish for the domestic and international drug markets; transit point for opiates from Southeast Asia to the West", "ROADWAYS": "total: :10,844 km; paved: :4,952 km; unpaved: :5,892 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "red with a blue border around the unique shape of two overlapping right triangles; the smaller, upper triangle bears a white stylized moon and the larger, lower triangle displays a white 12-pointed sun; the color red represents the rhododendron (Nepal's national flower) and is a sign of victory and bravery, the blue border signifies peace and harmony; the two right triangles are a combination of two single pennons (pennants) that originally symbolized the Himalaya Mountains while their charges represented the families of the king (upper) and the prime minister, but today they are understood to denote Hinduism and Buddhism, the country's two main religions; the moon represents the serenity of the Nepalese people and the shade and cool weather in the Himalayas, while the sun depicts the heat and higher temperatures of the lower parts of Nepal; the moon and the sun are also said to express the hope that the nation will endure as long as these heavenly bodies; note: :Nepal is the only country in the world whose flag is not rectangular or square", "FISCAL_YEAR": "16 July - 15 July", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$3.549 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.648 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$1.124 billion (2014 est.); $991.5 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Ram Baran YADAV (since 23 July 2008); Vice President Paramananda JHA (since 23 July 2008); head of government: :Prime Minister Sushil KOIRALA (since 11 February 2014); cabinet: :Prime Minister Koirala on 25 February 2014 appointed the cabinet ministers; the cabinet is dominated by the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal-United Marxist-Leninist; elections: :president elected by Parliament; term extends until the new constitution is promulgated; president elected on 21 July 2008 (next election NA); election results: :Ram Baran YADAV elected president by the Constituent Assembly in second round; Ram Baran YADAV 308 votes, Ram Jaja Prasad SINGH 282", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Nepalese rupees (NPR) per US dollar -; 97.4 (2014 est.); 93 (2013 est.); 85.2 (2012 est.); 74.02 (2011 est.); 73.16 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Chhettri 16.6%, Brahman-Hill 12.2%, Magar 7.1%, Tharu 6.6%, Tamang 5.8%, Newar 5%, Kami 4.8%, Muslim 4.4%, Yadav 4%, Rai 2.3%, Gurung 2%, Damai/Dholii 1.8%, Thakuri 1.6%, Limbu 1.5%, Sarki 1.4%, Teli 1.4%, Chamar/Harijan/Ram 1.3%, Koiri/Kushwaha 1.2%, other 19%; note: :125 caste/ethnic groups were reported in the 2011 national census (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "6.62 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest entered into force 15 January 2007 (interim); note -a Constituent Assembly (CA) elected in 2008 to draft and promulgate a new constitution was unsuccessful and was dissolved in mid-2012; a new CA was elected in late 2013 and the parties have committed to promulgating a new constitution by mid-February 2015 (2014)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "India 50.6%, China 35% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum products, machinery and equipment, gold, electrical goods, medicine", "CAPITAL": "name: :Kathmandu; geographic coordinates: :27 43 N, 85 19 E; time difference: :UTC+5.75 (10.75 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$4.085 billion; expenditures: :$3.834 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Nepal Army (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "21.07 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "47 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "pulses, rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, jute, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "14 zones (anchal, singular and plural); Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "India 53.7%, US 9.2%, China 4.9%, Germany 4.2%, Bangladesh 4.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "clothing, pulses, carpets, textiles, juice, jute goods", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :75%; industry: :7%; services: :18% (2010 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.2%; highest 10%: :29.5% (2011)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "25.2% (2011 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "NA% (2012); 1.41% of GDP (2011); NA% (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Marine Life Conservation", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation (overuse of wood for fuel and lack of alternatives); contaminated water (with human and animal wastes, agricultural runoff, and industrial effluents); wildlife conservation; vehicular emissions", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :36; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :6; 29 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :11; over 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :6; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "In 1951, the Nepali monarch ended the century-old system of rule by hereditary premiers and instituted a cabinet system that brought political parties into the government. That arrangement lasted until 1960, when political parties were again banned, but was reinstated in 1990 with the establishment of a multiparty democracy within the framework of a constitutional monarchy. An insurgency led by Maoists broke out in 1996. The ensuing 10-year civil war between Maoist and government forces witnessed the dissolution of the cabinet and parliament and the re-assumption of absolute power by the king in 2002. Several weeks of mass protests in April 2006 were followed by several months of peace negotiations between the Maoists and government officials, and culminated in a late 2006 peace accord and the 2007 promulgation of an interim constitution. Following a nationwide Constituent Assembly (CA) election in 2008, the newly formed CA declared Nepal a federal democratic republic, abolished the monarchy, and elected the country's first president. Between 2008 and 2011 there were four different coalition governments, led twice by the United Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist, which received a plurality of votes in the 2008 CA election, and twice by the Communist Party of Nepal-United Marxist-Leninist (UML). After the CA failed to draft a constitution by the May 2012 deadline set by the Supreme Court, then-Prime Minister Baburam BHATTARAI dissolved the CA. Months of negotiations ensued until March 2013 when the major political parties agreed to create an interim government headed by then-Chief Justice Khil Raj REGMI with a mandate to hold elections for a new CA. Elections were held in November 2013, in which and the Nepali Congress won the largest share of the seats in the CA and in February 2014 formed a coalition government with the second place UML and with Nepali Congress President Sushil KOIRALA as prime minister. The new government failed to meet its January 2015 deadline for a new constitution primarily due to continuing disagreement over federal restructuring.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :380,172; female: :367,103 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :5,260,878; females age 16-49: :5,947,512 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2014)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than Arkansas", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "severe thunderstorms; flooding; landslides; drought and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Kanchan Kalan 70 m; highest point: :Mount Everest 8,850 m (highest peak in Asia and highest point on earth above sea level)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.04 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.91 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.87 male(s)/female; total population: :0.96 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "9 (plus 9 repeaters) (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 6, FM 80, shortwave 4 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :30.7%; industry: :13.6%; services: :55.7% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "28 00 N, 84 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :31.6% (male 4,989,268/female 4,805,381); 15-24 years: :22.6% (male 3,521,421/female 3,484,203); 25-54 years: :35.7% (male 5,273,079/female 5,775,404); 55-64 years: :5.6% (male 847,431/female 886,760); 65 years and over: :4.5% (male 648,917/female 755,111) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Netherlands", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :ambassador Timothy M. BROAS (since 19 March 2014); embassy: :Lange Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ, The Hague; mailing address: :PSC 71, Box 1000, APO AE 09715; telephone: :[31; FAX: :[31; consulate(s) general: :Amsterdam", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$47,400 (2014 est.); $47,200 (2013 est.); $47,700 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2012 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "0.6% (2014 est.); -0.7% (2013 est.); -1.6% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.42% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$798.1 billion (2014 est.); $793.4 billion (2013 est.); $799.1 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :52.8%; youth dependency ratio: :25.9%; elderly dependency ratio: :26.8%; potential support ratio: :3.7% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "28% of GDP (2014 est.); 28.5% of GDP (2013 est.); 28.3% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :44.7%; government consumption: :26.2%; investment in fixed capital: :18.8%; investment in inventories: :0.1%; exports of goods and services: :83.6%; imports of goods and services: :-73.4%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "69%; note: :percent of women aged 18-45 (2008)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "29.4 (2011 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "239.6 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "1.13 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "26.99 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "67.27 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "46.36 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "86.42 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "2.131 million bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "2.138 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "983,300 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "1.221 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "302.6 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "1.202 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "35,500 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "38,540 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "13.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "1.6% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "85.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "29.92 million kW (2012)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "33.25 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "15.02 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "116.8 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "98.57 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "lion, tulip; national color: orange", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :9.5%; male: :8.9%; female: :10% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "18.8% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "4.7 beds/1,000 population (2009)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3.15 physicians/1,000 population (2003)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "12.4% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "6 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "47% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "AMSTERDAM (capital) 1.084 million; Rotterdam 993,000; The Hague (seat of government) 646,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Het Wilhelmus\" (The William); lyrics/music: :Philips VAN MARNIX van Sint Aldegonde (presumed)/unknown; note: :adopted 1932, in use since the 17th century, making it the oldest national anthem in the world; also known as \"Wilhelmus van Nassouwe\" (William of Nassau), it is in the form of an acrostic, where the first letter of each stanza spells the name of the leader of the Dutch Revolt", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$1.119 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.158 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$387 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $401.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.); note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "more than 90% of households are connected to cable or satellite TV systems that provide a wide range of domestic and foreign channels; public service broadcast system includes multiple broadcasters, 3 with a national reach and the remainder operating in regional and local markets; 2 major nationwide commercial television companies, each with 3 or more stations, and many commercial TV stations in regional and local markets; nearly 600 radio stations with a mix of public and private stations providing national or regional coverage (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :89.9% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.05% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$1.612 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.682 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$NA; note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi money circulating within their own borders", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "2.3% (31 December 2014 est.); 2.31% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.75% (31 December 2013); 1.5% (31 December 2010); note: :this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.9% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :18 years; male: :18 years; female: :18 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :10.61 cu km/yr (12%/88%/1%); per capita: :636.7 cu m/yr (2008)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "91 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$675 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $651 billion (31 December 2012); $594.7 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$1.016 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $982 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$646.4 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $605.7 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$880.4 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :18,799 (Somalia); 15,533 (Iraq); 6,269 (Afghanistan) (2014); stateless persons: :1,951 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$71.95 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $46.25 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$79.2 billion (2014 est.); $87.12 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "69.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 68.6% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment, debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "13.699 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :42.1 years; male: :41.2 years; female: :42.9 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "25.1 (2013 est.); 32.6 (1994 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".nl", "INTERNET_USERS": "14.872 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "19.643 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "7.086 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Rudolf Simon BEKINK (since 20 July 2012); chancery: :4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Chicago, Miami, New York, San Francisco; consulate(s): :Boston", "AREA": "total: :41,543 sq km; land: :33,893 sq km; water: :7,650 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "4,572 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Kingdom of the Netherlands; conventional short form: :Netherlands; local long form: :Koninkrijk der Nederlanden; local short form: :Nederland", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "7.2% (2014 est.); 6.7% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional monarchy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.78 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :highly developed and well maintained; domestic: :extensive fixed-line fiber-optic network; large cellular telephone system with 5 major operators utilizing the third generation of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) technology; one in five households now use Voice over the Internet Protocol (VoIP) services; international: :country code - 31; submarine cables provide links to the US and Europe; satellite earth stations - 5 (3 Intelsat - 1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 28%, Protestant 19% (includes Dutch Reformed 9%, Protestant Church of The Netherlands, 7%, Calvinist 3%), other 11% (includes about 5% Muslim and lesser numbers of Hindu, Buddhist, Jehovah's Witness, and Orthodox), none 42% (2009 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :3,013 km; standard gauge: :3,013 km 1.435-m gauge (2,195 km electrified) (2012)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :IJmuiden, Vlissingen; river port(s): :Amsterdam (Nordsee Kanaal); Moerdijk (Hollands Diep River); Rotterdam (Rhine River); Terneuzen (Western Scheldt River); container port(s) (TEUs): :Rotterdam (11,876,920); LNG terminal(s) (import): :Rotterdam", "POPULATION": "16,877,351 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA [Sybrand VAN HAERSMA BUMA; Christian Union or CU [Arie SLOB; Democrats 66 or D66 [Alexander PECHTOLD; Green Left or GL [Bram VAN OJIK; Labor Party or PvdA [Diederik SAMSOM; Party for Freedom or PVV [Geert WILDERS; Party for the Animals or PvdD [Marianne THIEME; People's Party for Freedom and Democracy or VVD [Mark RUTTE; Reformed Political Party or SGP [Kees VAN DER STAAIJ; Socialist Party or SP [Emile ROEMER; plus a few minor parties", "PIPELINES": "condensate 81 km; gas 8,531 km; oil 578 km; refined products 716 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Netherlands, the sixth-largest economy in the euro-zone, is noted for its important role as a European transportation hub, sizable trade surplus, stable industrial relations, and moderate unemployment and inflation. Industry focuses on food processing, chemicals, petroleum refining, and electrical machinery. A highly mechanized agricultural sector employs only 2% of the labor force but provides large surpluses for food-processing and export. Netherlands, along with 11 of its EU partners, began circulating the euro currency on 1 January 2002. The Dutch financial sector suffered as a result of the global financial crisis, due in part to the high exposure of some Dutch banks to US mortgage-backed securities. In 2008, the government injected billions of dollars of capital into financial institutions to stem the deterioration. To address the economic downturn, the government also sought to stimulate the domestic economy by accelerating infrastructure programs, offering corporate tax breaks for employers to retain workers, and expanding export credits. The stimulus programs and bank bailouts, however, resulted in a government budget deficit of 5.3% of GDP in 2010 that contrasted sharply with a surplus of 0.7% in 2008. The government of Prime Minister Mark RUTTE began implementing austerity measures in early 2011 to reduce the budget deficit, and, in 2013, the government brought the budget deficit below the euro-zone limit of 3% of GDP. Though the Dutch economy remains fragile, a gradual improvement in GDP growth in 2014 helped reduce the deficit further through an increase in government tax revenues. Private consumption remains subdued because of high unemployment, low wage growth, and still-high levels of debt, which together with tax increases, have made households reluctant to spend. Private investment and export growth are susceptible to slower activity in the Netherlands� European trading partners and geopolitical tensions that constrain international trade.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Christian Trade Union Federation or CNV [Jaap SMIT; Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers or VNO-NCW [Bernard WIENTJES; Federation for Small and Medium-sized businesses or MKB [Hans BIESHEUVEL; Netherlands Trade Union Federation or FNV [Ton HEERTS; Social Economic Council or SER [Wiebe DRAIJER; Trade Union Federation of Middle and High Personnel or MHP [Reginald VISSER", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde)", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "1.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women); adjective: :Dutch", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "King's Day (the King's birthday of 27 April (1967); celebrated on 26 April if 27 April is a Sunday)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :744; by type: :bulk carrier 4, cargo 514, carrier 15, chemical tanker 56, container 67, liquefied gas 21, passenger 17, passenger/cargo 14, petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 19, specialized tanker 3; foreign-owned: :196 (Australia 1, Bermuda 1, Denmark 27, Finland 13, France 2, Germany 86, Ireland 8, Italy 6, Japan 1, Norway 19, Sweden 12, UAE 4, US 16); registered in other countries: :233 (Antigua and Barbuda 17, Bahamas 23, Belize 1, Canada 1, Curacao 43, Cyprus 23, Germany 1, Gibraltar 34, Italy 2, Liberia 31, Luxembourg 3, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 21, Panama 6, Paraguay 1, Philippines 17, Russia 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Singapore 1, UK 1, unknown 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CBSS (observer), CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :3,734,610; females age 16-49: :3,687,940 (2014 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :81.12 years; male: :79.02 years; female: :83.34 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral States General or Staten Generaal consists of the First Chamber or Eerste Kamer (75 seats; members indirectly elected by the country's 12 provincial council members by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms) and the Second Chamber or Tweede Kamer (150 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve up to 4-year terms); elections: :First Chamber - last held on May 2011 (next to be held in March 2015); Second Chamber - last held on 12 September 2012 (next to be held by May 2017); election results: :First Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - VVD 16, PvdA 14, CDA 11, PVV 10, SP 8, D66 5, GL 5, other 6; Second Chamber - percent of vote by party - VVD 26.6%, PvdA 24.8%, PVV, 10.1%, SP 9.7%, CDA 8.5%, D66 8.0%, CU 3.1%, GL 6.7%, other 2.5%; seats by party - VVD 41, PvdA 38, PVV 15, SP 15, CDA 13, D66 12, CU 5, GL 4, other 7", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system based on the French system; constitution does not permit judicial review of acts of the States General", "LANGUAGES": "Dutch (official); note: :Frisian, Low Saxon, and Limburgish are recognized as regional languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :29.98%; permanent crops: :1.06%; other: :68.96% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,053 km; border countries: :Belgium 478 km, Germany 575 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "7.893 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Hoge Raad (consists of 41 judges: the president, 6 vice-presidents, 31 justices or raadsheren, and 3 justices in exceptional service, referred to as buitengewone dienst); the court is divided into criminal, civil, tax, and ombuds chambers; judge selection and term of office: :justices appointed by the monarch from a list provided by the Second Chamber of the States General; justices appointed for life or until mandatory retirement at age 70; subordinate courts: :courts of appeal; district courts, each with up to 5 subdistrict courts", "WATERWAYS": "6,237 km (navigable for ships of 50 tons) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.5% (2014 est.); 2.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :3.66 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :3.95 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :3.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, fishing", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-1.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "23 January 1579 (the northern provinces of the Low Countries conclude the Union of Utrecht breaking with Spain; on 26 July 1581 they formally declared their independence with an Act of Abjuration; however, it was not until 30 January 1648 and the Peace of Westphalia that Spain recognized this independence)", "IMPORTS": "$488.8 billion (2014 est.); $489 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "major European producer of synthetic drugs, including ecstasy, and cannabis cultivator; important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering Europe; major source of US-bound ecstasy; large financial sector vulnerable to money laundering; significant consumer of ecstasy", "ROADWAYS": "total: :139,295 km (includes 2,758 km of expressways) (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue; similar to the flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue and is longer; the colors were those of WILLIAM I, Prince of Orange, who led the Dutch Revolt against Spanish sovereignty in the latter half of the 16th century; originally the upper band was orange, but because it tended to fade to red over time, the red shade was eventually made the permanent color; the banner is perhaps the oldest tricolor in continuous use", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$2.347 trillion (31 December 2013 est.); $2.434 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$552.8 billion (2014 est.); $555.6 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :King WILLEM-ALEXANDER (since 30 April 2013); head of government: :Prime Minister Mark RUTTE (since 14 October 2010); Deputy Prime Minister Lodewijk ASSCHER (since 5 November 2012); note - Mark RUTTE tendered his resignation 23 April 2012; new elections were held on 12 September 2012 in which his party won the most seats; during the interim period he remained in office in a care-taking position; he was sworn in again as prime minister on 5 November 2012; cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; following Second Chamber elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; deputy prime ministers appointed by the monarch; note: :there is also a Council of State composed of the monarch, heir apparent, and councilors that provides advice to the cabinet on legislative and administrative policy", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.78 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Dutch 80.7%, EU 5%, Indonesian 2.4%, Turkish 2.2%, Surinamese 2%, Moroccan 2%, Caribbean 0.8%, other 4.8% (2008 est.)", "DEPENDENT_AREAS": "Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten", "DEATH_RATE": "8.57 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1597, 1798; latest adopted 24 August 1815 (substantially revised in 1848); amended many times, last in 2010 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 14.5%, China 12%, Belgium 8.5%, UK 6.6%, Russia 6.5%, US 6.3% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "451 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs, clothing", "CAPITAL": "name: :Amsterdam; note - The Hague is the seat of government; geographic coordinates: :52 21 N, 4 55 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; note: :time descriptions apply to the continental Netherlands only, not to the Caribbean components", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$413.8 billion; expenditures: :$437.3 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (includes Naval Air Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force (Koninklijke Luchtmacht, KLu), Royal Military Police (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "10.83 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "29 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; livestock", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "12 provinces (provincies, singular - provincie); Drenthe, Flevoland, Fryslan (Friesland), Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant (North Brabant), Noord-Holland (North Holland), Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland (Zealand), Zuid-Holland (South Holland)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 25.9%, Belgium 13.2%, France 8.8%, UK 8.6%, Italy 4.6% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :2.6%; industry: :15.6%; services: :81.8% (2013 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.1%; highest 10%: :24.5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "9.1% (2013 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.27% of GDP (2012); 1.35% of GDP (2011); 1.27% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "water pollution in the form of heavy metals, organic compounds, and nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates; air pollution from vehicles and refining activities; acid rain", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :6; 914 to 1,523 m: :4; 2 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :23; over 3,047 m: :3; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :11; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :6; under 914 m: :2 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Dutch United Provinces declared their independence from Spain in 1579; during the 17th century, they became a leading seafaring and commercial power, with settlements and colonies around the world. After a 20-year French occupation, a Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815. In 1830 Belgium seceded and formed a separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I, but suffered invasion and occupation by Germany in World War II. A modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large exporter of agricultural products. The country was a founding member of NATO and the EEC (now the EU) and participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999. In October 2010, the former Netherlands Antilles was dissolved and the three smallest islands - Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba - became special municipalities in the Netherlands administrative structure. The larger islands of Sint Maarten and Curacao joined the Netherlands and Aruba as constituent countries forming the Kingdom of the Netherlands.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :100,446; female: :94,750 (2014 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :3,479,509; females age 16-49: :3,435,564 (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "17 years of age for an all-volunteer force (2014)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "flooding", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Zuidplaspolder -7 m; highest point: :Mount Scenery 862 m (on the island of Saba in the Caribbean, now considered an integral part of the Netherlands following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles); note: :the highest point on continental Netherlands is Vaalserberg at 322 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.8 male(s)/female; total population: :0.98 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "342 (2009)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 4, FM 567, shortwave 1 (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :2.8%; industry: :22.3%; services: :74.8% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "52 30 N, 5 45 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :16.9% (male 1,460,234/female 1,393,766); 15-24 years: :12.2% (male 1,046,323/female 1,006,114); 25-54 years: :40.4% (male 3,423,777/female 3,399,378); 55-64 years: :12.9% (male 1,088,860/female 1,094,574); 65 years and over: :17.6% (male 1,331,258/female 1,633,067) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "New Caledonia", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of France)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "territorial collectivity (or a sui generis collectivity) of France since 1998", "AFFILIATION": "(self-governing territory of France)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$38,800 (2012 est.); $36,500 (2010 est.); $27,300 (2005)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.8% (2014 est.); 2.2% (2013); 2.9% (2012)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.42% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$11.1 billion (2014 est.); $10.8 billion (2013 est.); $10.57 billion (2012)", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :48.1%; youth dependency ratio: :33.2%; elderly dependency ratio: :14.9%; potential support ratio: :6.7% (2014 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :55.4%; government consumption: :22.7%; investment in fixed capital: :38.7%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :12.5%; imports of goods and services: :-29.4%; (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "3.071 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "14,670 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "117 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "15,150 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "7.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "15.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "76.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "499,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "2.26 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "2.43 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "fleche faitiere (native rooftop adornment), kagu bird; national colors: blue, red, green, yellow, black", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "NA% of GDP", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "NOUMEA (capital) 181,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Soyons unis, devenons freres\" (Let Us Be United, Let Us Become Brothers); lyrics/music: :Chorale Melodia (a local choir); note: :adopted 2008; contains a mixture of lyrics in both French and Nengone (an indigenous language); as a self-governing territory of France, in addition to the local anthem, \"La Marseillaise\" is official (see France)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 98.5% of population; rural: 98.5% of population; total: 98.5% of population; urban: 1.5% of population; rural: 1.5% of population; total: 1.5% of population (2012 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "the publicly owned French Overseas Network (RFO), which operates in France's overseas departments and territories, broadcasts over the RFO Nouvelle Caledonie TV and radio stations; a small number of privately owned radio stations also broadcast (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :69.7% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.17% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$11.1 billion (2008 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "34,231 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :31.1 years; male: :30.4 years; female: :31.7 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".nc", "INTERNET_USERS": "85,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "231,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "80,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of France)", "AREA": "total: :18,575 sq km; land: :18,275 sq km; water: :300 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "100 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies; conventional short form: :New Caledonia; local long form: :Territoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances; local short form: :Nouvelle-Caledonie", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of France", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "17.1% (2004)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary representative democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.99 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "coastal plains with interior mountains", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :a submarine cable network connection between New Caledonia and Australia, completed in 2007, increased network capacity and improved high-speed connectivity and access to international networks; domestic: :combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership exceeds 100 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 687; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Noumea", "POPULATION": "267,840 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Build Our Rainbow Nation; Caledonia Together [Philippe GOMES; Caledonian Union or UC [Daniel GOA; Front National or FN [Marine LE PEN; Future Together (l'Avenir Ensemble) [Harold MARTIN; Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS (includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM); Labor Party (Labor Party) [Louis Kotra UREGEI; National Union for Independence (Union Nationale pour l'Independance) or UNI; Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE; Progressive Melanesian Union (Union Progressiste Mellanesienne) or UPM; Socialist Group [Jean Pierre BEL; Socialist Kanak Liberation or LKS [Nidoish NAISSELINE; The Future Together or AE [Harold MARTIN; The Rally or UMP [Pierre GROGIER; Union for Caledonia in France; Union of Pro-Independence Co-operation Committees [Francois BURCK", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "New Caledonia has about 25% of the world's known nickel reserves. Only a small amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts for about 20% of imports. In addition to nickel, substantial financial support from France - equal to more than 15% of GDP - and tourism are keys to the health of the economy; during 2009-10, France sent more development assistance to New Caledonia than to any of its other overseas territories. In October 2014, French Prime Minster Manuel Vals confirmed financial support to New Caledonia totaling $500 million for the period 2016-2020. Substantial new investment in the nickel industry � including two major new plants, combined with the recovery of global nickel prices, brightens the economic outlook for the next several years. In 2015 New Caledonia is likely to help fill China�s shortfall in nickel supplies left by an Indonesian ban on nickel ore exports. The new government, which inherited a $112 million deficit in 2013, is expected to focus on bringing the territory�s budget back into balance.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "consists of the main island of New Caledonia (one of the largest in the Pacific Ocean), the archipelago of Iles Loyaute, and numerous small, sparsely populated islands and atolls", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "4.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population; note: :there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :New Caledonian(s); adjective: :New Caledonian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1789); note - the local holiday is New Caledonia Day, 24 September (1853)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "registered in other countries: :3 (France 3) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ITUC (NGOs), PIF (associate member), SPC, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WMO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :68,219 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :96.5%; male: :97%; female: :96.1% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :77.31 years; male: :73.29 years; female: :81.54 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "unicameral Territorial Congress or Congres du Territoire (54 seats; members indirectly selected proportionally by the partisan makeup of the 3 Provincial Assemblies or Assemblees Provinciales; members of the 3 Provincial Assemblies directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); note: :the Customary Senate is the assembly of the various traditional councils of the Kanaks, the indigenous population, which rules on laws affecting the indigenous population; New Caledonia holds two seats in the French Senate; elections last held on 21 September 2008 (next to be held not later than September 2014); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2; New Caledonia also elects two seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held on 17 June 2012 (next to be held by June 2017); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2; elections: :last held on 11 May 2014 (next to be held on May 2019); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - L'Avenir Ensemble 13, UMP 7, FLINKS 9, Union for Caledonia in France 6, Build Our Rainbow Nation 6, other 7", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system based on French law; note - the 1988 Matignon Accords (signed in the Matignon Hotel) set up a 10-year period of development during which the Kanak community received substantial autonomy but agreed not to raise the independece issue", "LANGUAGES": "French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0.34%; permanent crops: :0.19%; other: :99.47% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "106,400 (2010 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Court of Appeal in Noumea or Cour d'Appel (the highest local judicial court; organized into civil, commercial, social, and pre-trial investigation chambers; number of judges NA); Conseil d'Etat (the highest local administrative court; number of judges NA); note - final appeals are heard before the Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation, in Paris; judge selection and term of office: :NA; subordinate courts: :Courts of First Instance include: civil, juvenile, commercial, labor, police, criminal, Assizes, and also a pre-trial investigation chamber; Joint Commerce Tribunal; administrative courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.4% (2014 est.); 1.3% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :5.46 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :6.43 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :4.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "nickel mining and smelting", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "6% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (overseas territory of France); note - a referendum on independence was held in 1998 but was rejected; a new referendum is scheduled between 2014 and 2018", "IMPORTS": "$3.24 billion (2013 est.); $2.245 billion (2012 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :5,622 km (2006)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "New Caledonia has two official flags; alongside the flag of France, the Kanak (indigenous Melanesian) flag has equal status; the latter consists of three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and green; a large yellow disk - diameter two-thirds the height of the flag - shifted slightly to the hoist side is edged in black and displays a black fleche faitiere symbol, a native rooftop adornment", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$112 million (31 December 2013 est.); $79 million (31 December 1998 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$1.195 billion (2013 est.); $1.321 billion (2012 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012); represented by High Commissioner Vincent BOUVIER (since 18 August 2014); head of government: :President of the Government Cynthia LIGEARD (since 5 June 2014); care-taker president since 16 December 2014; cabinet: :Cabinet consists of 11 members elected from and by the Territorial Congress; elections: :French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the government elected by the Territorial Congress for a five-year term (no term limits); note - last election held on 10 June 2011 (next to be held in June 2016)", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar -; 89.85 (2013 est.); 89.85 (2013 est.); 85.74 (2011 est.); 90.01 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Kanak 40.3%, European 29.2%, Wallisian, Futunian 8.7%, Tahitian 2%, Indonesian 1.6%, Vietnamese 1%, Ni-Vanuatu 0.9%, other 16.2% (2009 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "5.45 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "4 October 1958 (French Constitution with changes as reflected in Noumea Accord of 5 May 1998) (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "France 37%, Singapore 21%, Australia 10%, China 3% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "2,254 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Noumea; geographic coordinates: :22 16 S, 166 27 E; time difference: :UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$996 million; expenditures: :$1.072 billion (2001 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces; French military, police, and gendarmerie (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "15.57 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "25 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "vegetables; beef, venison, other livestock products; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "3 provinces; Province Iles (Islands Province), Province Nord (North Province), and Province Sud (South Province)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Japan 16%, France 15%, South Korea 14%, Australia 9%, Belgium-Luxembourg 5%, United States 4% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "ferronickels, nickel ore, fish", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :20%; industry: :20%; services: :60% (2002)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "erosion caused by mining exploitation and forest fires", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :13; 914 to 1,523 m: :5; 8 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :12; over 3,047 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :10; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Settled by both Britain and France during the first half of the 19th century, the island became a French possession in 1853. It served as a penal colony for four decades after 1864. Agitation for independence during the 1980s and early 1990s ended in the 1998 Noumea Accord, which over a period of 15 to 20 years will transfer an increasing amount of governing responsibility from France to New Caledonia. The agreement also commits France to conduct a referendum between 2014 and 2018 to decide whether New Caledonia should assume full sovereignty and independence.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :2,272; female: :2,167 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :56,233; females age 16-49: :55,983 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than New Jersey", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "cyclones, most frequent from November to March; volcanism: :Matthew and Hunter Islands are historically active", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mont Panie 1,628 m", "HELIPORTS": "8 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.81 male(s)/female; total population: :1 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "6 (plus 25 repeaters) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :1.4%; industry: :26.8%; services: :71.8% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "21 30 S, 165 30 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :23.6% (male 32,311/female 30,926); 15-24 years: :17% (male 23,218/female 22,260); 25-54 years: :42.8% (male 57,646/female 56,939); 55-64 years: :8.1% (male 10,698/female 11,128); 65 years and over: :8.5% (male 10,135/female 12,579) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "New Zealand", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d' Affaires Marie C. DAMOUR (since 17 January 2014); note - also accredited to Samoa; embassy: :29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington; mailing address: :P. O. Box 1190, Wellington; PSC 467, Box 1, APO AP 96531-1034; telephone: :[64; FAX: :[64; consulate(s) general: :Auckland", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$35,000 (2014 est.); $34,200 (2013 est.); $33,600 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.6% (2014 est.); 2.8% (2013 est.); 2.5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.83% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$158.7 billion (2014 est.); $153.2 billion (2013 est.); $149 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :52.5%; youth dependency ratio: :30.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :21.8%; potential support ratio: :4.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "17.8% of GDP (2014 est.); 17.8% of GDP (2013 est.); 16.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :58.8%; government consumption: :18.7%; investment in fixed capital: :21.2%; investment in inventories: :0.7%; exports of goods and services: :28.4%; imports of goods and services: :-27.8%; (2014 est.)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "27.8; note: :median age at first birth (2009 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "37.89 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "29.42 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "4.718 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "4.765 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "37,620 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "2,471 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "152,800 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "117,600 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "81.4 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "99,810 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "47,290 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "39,410 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "15.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "54% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "30.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "9.722 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "40.45 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "42.91 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Southern Cross constellation (four, five-pointed stars), kiwi (bird), silver fern; national colors: black, white, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :17.7%; male: :17.3%; female: :18.1% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "28.3% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.3 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.74 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "10.3% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "15 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-0.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "41.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "Auckland 1.329 million; WELLINGTON (capital) 380,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"God Defend New Zealand\"; lyrics/music: :Thomas BRACKEN [English; note: :adopted 1940 as national song, adopted 1977 as co-national anthem; New Zealand has two national anthems with equal status; as a commonwealth realm, in addition to \"God Defend New Zealand,\" \"God Save the Queen\" serves as a national anthem (see United Kingdom); \"God Save the Queen\" normally played only when a member of the royal family or the governor-general is present; in all other cases, \"God Defend New Zealand\" is played", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$105.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $97.74 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$33.65 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $32.71 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-owned Television New Zealand operates multiple TV networks and state-owned Radio New Zealand operates 3 radio networks and an external shortwave radio service to the South Pacific region; a small number of national commercial TV and radio stations and many regional commercial television and radio stations are available; cable and satellite TV systems are available (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :86.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.05% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$271.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $275.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$81.01 billion (31 December 2008); $96.15 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$20.17 billion (31 December 2008); $26.83 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "6.1% (31 December 2014 est.); 5.53% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "2.5% (31 December 2009); 5% (31 December 2008)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "7.4% of GDP (2012)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :19 years; male: :18 years; female: :20 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :4.75 cu km/yr (23%/5%/72%); per capita: :1,200 cu m/yr (2010)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "327 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$79.8 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $71.66 billion (31 December 2011); $71.83 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$59.08 billion (31 December 2009)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$85.64 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $81.38 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$201 billion (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$18.96 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $16.32 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$8.667 billion (2014 est.); -$6.153 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "35.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 35.3% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "3.026 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :37.6 years; male: :36.7 years; female: :38.4 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "36.2 (1997)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".nz", "INTERNET_USERS": "3.4 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "4.922 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "1.88 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Michael Kenneth MOORE (since 5 August 2010); chancery: :37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Los Angeles, New York, Pago Pago (American Samoa), Santa Monica (CA)", "AREA": "total: :267,710 sq km; land: :267,710 sq km; water: :NA; note: :includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "6,193 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :New Zealand; abbreviation: :NZ", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "5.9% (2014 est.); 6.2% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.05 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :excellent domestic and international systems; domestic: :combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership exceeds 150 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 64; the Southern Cross submarine cable system provides links to Australia, Fiji, and the US; satellite earth stations - 8 (1 Inmarsat - Pacific Ocean, 7 other) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Christian 44.3% (Catholic 11.6%, Anglican 10.8%, Presbyterian and Congregational 7.8%, Methodist, 2.4%, Pentecostal 1.8%, other 9.9%), Hindu 2.1%, Buddhist 1.4%, Maori Christian 1.3%, Islam 1.1%, other religion 1.4% (includes Judaism, Spiritualism and New Age religions, Baha'i, Asian religions other than Buddhism), no religion 38.5%, not stated or unidentified 8.2%, objected to answering 4.1%; note: :based on the 2013 census of the usually resident population; percentages add up to more than 100% because people were able to identify more than one religion (2013 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :4,128 km; narrow gauge: :4,128 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified) (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Auckland, Lyttelton, Manukau Harbor, Marsden Point, Tauranga, Wellington", "POPULATION": "4,401,916 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "ACT New Zealand [Rodney HIDE; Green Party [Russel NORMAN and Metiria TUREI; Jim Anderton's Progressive Party [James (Jim) ANDERTON; Mana Party [Hone HARAWIRA; Maori Party [Tariana TURIA and Dr. Pita SHARPLES; New Zealand First Party or NZ First [Winston PETERS; New Zealand Labor Party [Phil GOFF; New Zealand National Party [John KEY; United Future New Zealand [Peter DUNNE", "PIPELINES": "condensate 331 km; gas 1,936 km; liquid petroleum gas 172 km; oil 288 km; refined products 198 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Over the past 20 years the government has transformed New Zealand from an agrarian economy dependent on concessionary British market access to a more industrialized, free market economy that can compete globally. This dynamic growth has boosted real incomes - but left behind some at the bottom of the ladder - and broadened and deepened the technological capabilities of the industrial sector. Per capita income rose for ten consecutive years until 2007 in purchasing power parity terms, but fell in 2008-09. Debt-driven consumer spending drove robust growth in the first half of the decade, helping fuel a large balance of payments deficit that posed a challenge for economic managers. Inflationary pressures caused the central bank to raise its key rate steadily from January 2004 until it was among the highest in the OECD in 2007-08; international capital inflows attracted to the high rates further strengthened the currency and housing market, however, aggravating the current account deficit. The economy fell into recession before the start of the global financial crisis and contracted for five consecutive quarters in 2008-09. In line with global peers, the central bank cut interest rates aggressively and the government developed fiscal stimulus measures. The economy pulled out of recession late in 2009, and achieved 2-3% per year growth in 2010-14. Nevertheless, key trade sectors remain vulnerable to weak external demand. The government plans to raise productivity growth and develop infrastructure, while reining in government spending.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Women's Electoral Lobby or WEL; other: :apartheid groups; civil rights groups; farmers groups; Maori; nuclear weapons groups; women's rights groups", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "almost 90% of the population lives in cities; Wellington is the southernmost national capital in the world", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "2.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :New Zealander(s); adjective: :New Zealand", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840); ANZAC Day (commemorated as the anniversary of the landing of troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I at Gallipoli, Turkey), 25 April (1915)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :15; by type: :bulk carrier 3, cargo 3, chemical tanker 1, container 1, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 2; foreign-owned: :7 (Germany 2, Hong Kong 1, South Africa 1, Switzerland 2, UK 1); registered in other countries: :5 (Antigua and Barbuda 2, Cook Islands 2, Samoa 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986), APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CD, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), PCA, PIF, SICA (observer), Sparteca, SPC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,019,798; females age 16-49: :1,003,429 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :80.93 years; male: :78.88 years; female: :83.08 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral House of Representatives - commonly called Parliament (usually 120 seats; 70 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies, including 7 Maori constituencies, by simple majority vote and 50 directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 3-year terms); elections: :last held on 20 September 2014 (next to be held by September 2017); election results: :percent of vote by party - National Party 48.1%, Labor Party 24.7%, Green Party 10%, NZ First 8.8%, Maori 1.29%, ACT Party .69%, United Future .22%; seats by party - National Party 61, Labor Party 32, Green Party 13, NZ First 11, Maori 2, ACT Party 1, United Future 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "common law system, based on English model, with special legislation and land courts for the Maori", "LANGUAGES": "English (de facto official) 89.8%, Maori (de jure official) 3.5%, Samoan 2%, Hindi 1.6%, French 1.2%, Northern Chinese 1.2%, Yue 1%, Other or not stated 20.5%, New Zealand Sign Language (de jure official); note: :shares sum to 120.8% due to multiple responses on census (2013 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :2.2%; permanent crops: :0.27%; other: :97.53% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "2.452 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of 5 justices including the chief justice); note - the Supreme Court in 2004 replaced the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, in London, as the final appeals court; judge selection and term of office: :justices appointed by the governor-general on the recommendation of the attorney-general; justices appointed for life; subordinate courts: :Court of Appeal; High Court; tribunals and authorities; district courts; specialized courts for issues related to employment, environment, Maori lands, and military", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.4% (2014 est.); 1.1% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :4.59 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :5.14 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :4.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking, insurance, tourism, mining", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "26 September 1907 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$40.71 billion (2014 est.); $38.81 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "significant consumer of amphetamines", "ROADWAYS": "total: :94,160 km; paved: :62,759 km (includes 199 km of expressways); unpaved: :32,143 km (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with four red five-pointed stars edged in white centered in the outer half of the flag; the stars represent the Southern Cross constellation", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March; note: :this is the fiscal year for tax purposes", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$87.16 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $86.89 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$40.21 billion (2014 est.); $39.94 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Lt. Gen. Sir Jerry MATEPARAE (since 31 August 2011); head of government: :Prime Minister John KEY (since 19 November 2008); Deputy Prime Minister Simon William ENGLISH (since 19 November 2008); cabinet: :Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar -; 1.206 (2014 est.); 1.2187 (2013 est.); 1.23 (2012 est.); 1.263 (2011 est.); 1.3874 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "European 71.2%, Maori 14.1%, Asian 11.3%, Pacific peoples 7.6%, Middle Eastern, Latin American, African 1.1%, other 1.6%, not stated or unidentified 5.4%; note: :based on the 2013 census of the usually resident population; percentages add up to more than 100% because respondents were able to identify more than one ethnic group (2013 est.)", "DEPENDENT_AREAS": "Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau", "DEATH_RATE": "7.3 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "Constitution Act 1986 (the principal formal charter) adopted and effective 1 January 1987; amended 1999, 2005 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 17.5%, Australia 13.3%, US 9.4%, Japan 6.4%, Germany 4.6%, Malaysia 4.1% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "15,134 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate with sharp regional contrasts", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, vehicles, aircraft, petroleum, electronics, textiles, plastics", "CAPITAL": "name: :Wellington; geographic coordinates: :41 18 S, 174 47 E; time difference: :UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in September; ends first Sunday in April; note: :New Zealand has two time zones - New Zealand standard time (12 hours in advance of UTC), and Chatham Islands time (45 minutes in advance of New Zealand standard time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$82.63 billion; expenditures: :$84.37 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF): New Zealand Army; Royal New Zealand Navy; Royal New Zealand Air Force (Te Hokowhitu o Kahurangi, RNZAF) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "13.4 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "123 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "dairy products, lamb and mutton; wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool, beef; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "16 regions and 1 territory*; Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Chatham Islands*, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu-Wanganui, Marlborough, Nelson, Northland, Otago, Southland, Taranaki, Tasman, Waikato, Wellington, West Coast", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 20.8%, Australia 19%, US 8.5%, Japan 5.9% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :7%; industry: :19%; services: :74% (2006 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.13% of GDP (2012); 1.12% of GDP (2011); 1.13% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :Antarctic Seals, Marine Life Conservation", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by invasive species", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :84; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :33; 48 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :39; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :12; 914 to 1,523 m: :23; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. That same year, the British began the first organized colonial settlement. A series of land wars between 1843 and 1872 ended with the defeat of the native peoples. The British colony of New Zealand became an independent dominion in 1907 and supported the UK militarily in both world wars. New Zealand's full participation in a number of defense alliances lapsed by the 1980s. In recent years, the government has sought to address longstanding Maori grievances. New Zealand assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2015-16 term.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :30,846; female: :28,825 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :843,526; females age 16-49: :828,779 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "17 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed until the age of 18; no conscription; 3 years of secondary education required; must be a citizen of NZ, the UK, Australia, Canada, or the US, and resident of NZ for the previous 5 years (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "almost twice the size of North Carolina; about the size of Colorado", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity; volcanism: :significant volcanism on North Island; Ruapehu (elev. 2,797 m), which last erupted in 2007, has a history of large eruptions in the past century; Taranaki has the potential to produce dangerous avalanches and lahars; other historically active volcanoes include Okataina, Raoul Island, Tongariro, and White Island", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Aoraki-Mount Cook 3,754 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.85 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "41 (plus about 700 repeaters) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 124, FM 290, shortwave 4 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :3.8%; industry: :26.6%; services: :69.6% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "41 00 S, 174 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :20% (male 450,985/female 429,184); 15-24 years: :13.9% (male 313,711/female 298,427); 25-54 years: :40.4% (male 890,678/female 888,565); 55-64 years: :11.4% (male 245,084/female 255,879); 65 years and over: :14.3% (male 290,429/female 338,974) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Nicaragua", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Phyllis M. POWERS (since 24 April 2012); embassy: :Kilometer 5.5 Carretera Sur, Managua; mailing address: :American Embassy Managua, APO AA 34021; telephone: :[505; FAX: :[505", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$4,800 (2014 est.); $4,700 (2013 est.); $4,500 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "4% (2014 est.); 4.6% (2013 est.); 5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.02% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$29.85 billion (2014 est.); $28.7 billion (2013 est.); $27.44 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :58.8%; youth dependency ratio: :51.4%; elderly dependency ratio: :7.4%; potential support ratio: :13.4% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "7.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 9.1% of GDP (2013 est.); 10.6% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :84.4%; government consumption: :5.6%; investment in fixed capital: :21%; investment in inventories: :-0.1%; exports of goods and services: :41%; imports of goods and services: :-51.9%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "80.4% (2011/12)", "DEMOGRAPHIC_PROFILE": "Despite being one of the poorest countries in Latin America, Nicaragua has improved its access to potable water and sanitation and has ameliorated its life expectancy, infant and child mortality, and immunization rates. However, income distribution is very uneven, and the poor, agriculturalists, and indigenous people continue to have less access to healthcare services. Nicaragua's total fertility rate has fallen from around 6 children per woman in 1980 to just above replacement level today, but the high birth rate among adolescents perpetuates a cycle of poverty and low educational attainment.; Nicaraguans emigrate primarily to Costa Rica and to a lesser extent the United States. Nicaraguan men have been migrating seasonally to Costa Rica to harvest bananas and coffee since the early 20th century. Political turmoil, civil war, and natural disasters from the 1970s through the 1990s dramatically increased the flow of refugees and permanent migrants seeking jobs, higher wages, and better social and healthcare benefits. Since 2000, Nicaraguan emigration to Costa Rica has slowed and stabilized. Today roughly 300,000 Nicaraguans are permanent residents of Costa Rica - about 75% of the foreign population - and thousands more migrate seasonally for work, many illegally.", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "19.7; note: :median age at first birth among women 20-24 (2006/07 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :223,992; percentage: :14%; note: :data represents children ages 5-17 (2005 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "5.285 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "15,830 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "1,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "34,070 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "15,870 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "12,910 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "200 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "34.1% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "8.3% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "57.6% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "1.275 million kW (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "51.97 million kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "16.23 million kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "2.777 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "4.159 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "turquoise-browed motmot (bird); national colors: blue, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :8.6%; male: :8.1%; female: :9.7% (2006 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "22.2% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.9 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.37 physicians/1,000 population (2003)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "8.2% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "5.7% (2007)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "95 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-1.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "24.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "MANAGUA (capital) 951,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Salve a ti, Nicaragua\" (Hail to Thee, Nicaragua); lyrics/music: :Salomon Ibarra MAYORGA/traditional, arranged by Luis Abraham DELGADILLO; note: :although only officially adopted in 1971, the music was approved in 1918 and the lyrics in 1939; the tune, originally from Spain, was used as an anthem for Nicaragua from the 1830s until 1876", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 63.2% of population; rural: 37% of population; total: 52.1% of population; urban: 36.8% of population; rural: 63% of population; total: 47.9% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 97.6% of population; rural: 67.8% of population; total: 85% of population; urban: 2.4% of population; rural: 32.2% of population; total: 15% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$4.453 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $4.136 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$919.6 million (31 December 2014 est.); $846.7 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "multiple privately owned terrestrial TV networks, supplemented by cable TV in most urban areas; of more than 100 radio stations, nearly all are privately owned; Radio Nicaragua is government-owned and Radio Sandino is controlled by the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :58.5% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.96% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$5.215 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.977 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$1.81 billion (31 December 2008); $1.802 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$507.5 million (31 December 2008); $465.1 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "14.8% (31 December 2014 est.); 14.98% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "3% (31 December 2010)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.6% of GDP (2010)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :1.39 cu km/yr (23%/4%/73%); per capita: :265.9 cu m/yr (2008)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "196.6 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$11.85 billion (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne disease: :dengue fever and malaria (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$2.08 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.993 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.378 billion (2014 est.); -$1.263 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "40.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 41.8% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :official data; data cover general Government Debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by Government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as retirement, medical care, and unemployment, debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions; Nicaragua rebased its GDP figures in 2012, which reduced the figures for debt as a percentage of GDP", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "296,068 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :24.2 years; male: :23.3 years; female: :25.1 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "40.5 (2010); 60.3 (1998)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "6,600 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.19% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ni", "INTERNET_USERS": "199,800 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "5.346 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "320,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Francisco Obadiah CAMPBELL Hooker (since 23 June 2010); chancery: :1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco", "AREA": "total: :130,370 sq km; land: :119,990 sq km; water: :10,380 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "942.4 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Nicaragua; conventional short form: :Nicaragua; local long form: :Republica de Nicaragua; local short form: :Nicaragua", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "7.4% (2014 est.); 6.1% (2013 est.); note: :underemployment was 46.5% in 2008", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.99 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :system being upgraded by foreign investment; nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company; domestic: :since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved; fixed-line teledensity roughly 5 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has increased to roughly 85 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 505; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "16 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 58.5%, Protestant 23.2% (Evangelical 21.6%, Moravian 1.6%), Jehovah's Witnesses 0.9%, other 1.6%, none 15.7% (2005 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Bluefields, Corinto", "POPULATION": "5,848,641 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alliance for the Republic or APRE [Carlos CANALES; Conservative Party or PC [Alejandro BOLANOS Davis; Independent Liberal Party or PLI [Indalecio RODRIGUEZ; Liberal Constitutionalist Party or PLC [Maria Haydee OSUNA; Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance or ALN [Alejandro MEJIA Ferreti; Sandinista National Liberation Front or FSLN [Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra; Sandinista Renovation Movement or MRS [Ana Margarita VIJIL", "PIPELINES": "oil 54 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Nicaragua, the poorest country in Central America and the second poorest in the Western Hemisphere, has widespread underemployment and poverty. The Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) has been in effect since April 2006 and has expanded export opportunities for many agricultural and manufactured goods. Textiles and agriculture combined account for nearly 50% of Nicaragua's exports. In 2013, the government granted a 50-year concession to a newly formed Chinese-run company to finance and build an inter-oceanic canal and related projects, at an estimated cost of $50 billion. The economy grew 4.2% in 2014, despite a steep decline in coffee export revenues due to a coffee rust fungus.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "National Workers Front or FNT (a Sandinista umbrella group of eight labor unions including: Farm Workers Association or ATC, Health Workers Federation or FETASALUD, Heroes and Martyrs Confederation of Professional Associations or CONAPRO, National Association of Educators of Nicaragua or ANDEN, National Union of Employees or UNE, National Union of Farmers and Ranchers or UNAG, Sandinista Workers Central or CST, and Union of Journalists of Nicaragua or UPN); Nicaraguan Workers' Central or CTN (an independent labor union); Permanent Congress of Workers or CPT (an umbrella group of four non-Sandinista labor unions including: Autonomous Nicaraguan Workers Central or CTN-A, Confederation of Labor Unification or CUS, Independent General Confederation of Labor or CGT-I, and Labor Action and Unity Central or CAUS); Superior Council of Private Enterprise or COSEP (a confederation of business groups)", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-3.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Nicaraguan(s); adjective: :Nicaraguan", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 15 September (1821)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; continental shelf: :natural prolongation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,452,107; females age 16-49: :1,552,698 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :78%; male: :78.1%; female: :77.9% (2005 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :72.72 years; male: :70.57 years; female: :74.98 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (92 seats; 70 members in multi-seat constituencies and 20 members in a single nationwide constituency directly elected by proportional representation vote; 2 seats reserved for the previous president and the runner-up candidate in the previous presidential election; members serve 5-year terms;); elections: :last held on 6 November 2011 (next to be held by November 2016); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FSLN 62, PLI/MRS 26, PLC 2", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts", "LANGUAGES": "Spanish (official) 95.3%, Miskito 2.2%, Mestizo of the Caribbean coast 2%, other 0.5%; note: :English and indigenous languages found on the Caribbean coast (2005 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :12.46%; permanent crops: :2.46%; other: :85.08% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,253 km; border countries: :Costa Rica 313 km, Honduras 940 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "2.953 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 16 judges organized into administrative, civil, criminal, and constitutional chambers); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges elected by the National Assembly to serve 5-year staggered terms; subordinate courts: :Appeals Court; first instance civil, criminal, and military courts", "WATERWAYS": "2,220 km (navigable waterways as well as the use of the large Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua; rivers serve only the sparsely populated eastern part of the country) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "6.1% (2014 est.); 7.1% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :20.36 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :23.36 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :17.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products, knit and woven apparel, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear, wood, electric wire harness manufacturing, mining", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "9% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "15 September 1821 (from Spain)", "IMPORTS": "$6.43 billion (2014 est.); $6.402 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transshipment point for cocaine destined for the US and transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing", "ROADWAYS": "total: :23,897 km; paved: :3,282 km; unpaved: :20,615 km (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on the top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; the banner is based on the former blue-white-blue flag of the Federal Republic of Central America; the blue bands symbolize the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, while the white band represents the land between the two bodies of water; note: :similar to the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$10.25 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $9.709 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$3.997 billion (2014 est.); $4.123 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007); Vice President Moises Omar HALLESLEVENS Acevedo (since 10 January 2012); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007); Vice President Moises Omar HALLESLEVENS Acevedo (since 10 January 2012); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president; elections: :president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held on 6 November 2011 (next to be held by November 2016); election results: :Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra reelected president; percent of vote - Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra 62.5%, Fabio GADEA 31%, Arnoldo ALEMAN 5.9%, other 0.6%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "cordobas (NIO) per US dollar -; 26.01 (2014 est.); 24.723 (2013 est.); 23.55 (2012 est.); 22.424 (2011 est.); 21.356 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Amerindian 5%", "DEATH_RATE": "5.07 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted 19 November 1986, effective 9 January 1987; amended several times, last in 2014 (2014)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 17.6%, Venezuela 14.7%, Mexico 13%, Costa Rica 8.8%, China 8.7%, Guatemala 8.3%, El Salvador 5.6% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "910 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "consumer goods, machinery and equipment, raw materials, petroleum products", "CAPITAL": "name: :Managua; geographic coordinates: :12 08 N, 86 15 W; time difference: :UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$2.903 billion; expenditures: :$3.131 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "National Army of Nicaragua (Ejercito Nacional de Nicaragua, ENN; includes Navy, Air Force) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "18.41 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "147 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coffee, bananas, sugarcane, rice, corn, tobacco, sesame, soya, beans; beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy products; shrimp, lobsters, cotton", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "15 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 2 autonomous regions* (regiones autonomistas, singular - region autonoma); Atlantico Norte*, Atlantico Sur*, Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 50.1%, Mexico 12.2%, Canada 7.6%, Venezuela 7.4% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "coffee, beef, gold, sugar, peanuts, shrimp and lobster, tobacco, cigars, automobile wiring harnesses, textiles, apparel, cotton", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :31%; industry: :18%; services: :50% (2011 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.4%; highest 10%: :41.8% (2005)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "42.5% (2009)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.63% of GDP (2012); 0.53% of GDP (2011); 0.63% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :135; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :15; 119 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :12; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :3; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :3; under 914 m: :4 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Pacific coast of Nicaragua was settled as a Spanish colony from Panama in the early 16th century. Independence from Spain was declared in 1821 and the country became an independent republic in 1838. Britain occupied the Caribbean Coast in the first half of the 19th century, but gradually ceded control of the region in subsequent decades. Violent opposition to governmental manipulation and corruption spread to all classes by 1978 and resulted in a short-lived civil war that brought the Marxist Sandinista guerrillas to power in 1979. Nicaraguan aid to leftist rebels in El Salvador caused the US to sponsor anti-Sandinista contra guerrillas through much of the 1980s. After losing free and fair elections in 1990, 1996, and 2001, former Sandinista President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra was elected president in 2006 and reelected in 2011. The 2008 municipal elections, 2010 regional elections, 2011 presidential elections, 2012 municipal elections, and 2013 regional elections were marred by widespread irregularities. Nicaragua's infrastructure and economy - hard hit by the earlier civil war and by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 - are slowly being rebuilt, but democratic institutions have been weakened under the ORTEGA administration.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :69,093; female: :67,522 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,227,757; females age 16-49: :1,335,653 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; tour of duty 18-36 months; requires Nicaraguan nationality and 6th-grade education (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than New York state", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "destructive earthquakes; volcanoes; landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes; volcanism: :significant volcanic activity; Cerro Negro (elev. 728 m), which last erupted in 1999, is one of Nicaragua's most active volcanoes; its lava flows and ash have been known to cause significant damage to farmland and buildings; other historically active volcanoes include Concepcion, Cosiguina, Las Pilas, Masaya, Momotombo, San Cristobal, and Telica", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mogoton 2,438 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.9 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.96 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.83 male(s)/female; total population: :0.96 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "16 (2009)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 63, FM 32, shortwave 1 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :14.9%; industry: :28.8%; services: :56.4% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "13 00 N, 85 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :29.3% (male 873,545/female 839,853); 15-24 years: :22.4% (male 657,076/female 652,856); 25-54 years: :38% (male 1,051,656/female 1,173,084); 55-64 years: :5.4% (male 147,405/female 169,618); 65 years and over: :4.8% (male 127,699/female 155,849) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Niger", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Eunice S. REDDICK (since 12 September 2014); embassy: :BP 11201, Rue Des Ambassades, Niamey; mailing address: :2420 Niamey Pl, Washington DC 20521-2420; telephone: :[227; FAX: :[227", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$1,000 (2014 est.); $1,000 (2013 est.); $1,000 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "6.3% (2014 est.); 4.1% (2013 est.); 11.1% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.28% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$17.67 billion (2014 est.); $16.61 billion (2013 est.); $15.96 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :111.6%; youth dependency ratio: :106%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.5%; potential support ratio: :18% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "21.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 16.5% of GDP (2013 est.); 22% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :71%; government consumption: :10.9%; investment in fixed capital: :29.7%; investment in inventories: :6.3%; exports of goods and services: :22.7%; imports of goods and services: :-40.6%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "13.9% (2012)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "18.1; note: :median age at first birth among women 20-24 (2012 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :1,557,913; percentage: :43% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "1.411 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "5,136 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "5,770 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "150 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "20,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "134,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "600 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "879 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "300 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "zebu; national colors: orange, white, green", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "2.4% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.31 beds/1,000 population (2005)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.02 physicians/1,000 population (2008)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "7.2% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "37.9% (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "590 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-12.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "21.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "NIAMEY (capital) 1.058 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"La Nigerienne\" (The Nigerien); lyrics/music: :Maurice Albert THIRIET/Robert JACQUET and Nicolas Abel Francois FRIONNET; note: :adopted 1961", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 32.9% of population; rural: 3.8% of population; total: 9% of population; urban: 67.1% of population; rural: 96.2% of population; total: 91% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 98.7% of population; rural: 42.1% of population; total: 52.3% of population; urban: 1.3% of population; rural: 57.9% of population; total: 47.7% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$1.901 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.851 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$1.534 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.486 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-run TV station; 3 private TV stations provide a mix of local and foreign programming; state-run radio has only radio station with national coverage; about 30 private radio stations operate locally; as many as 100 community radio stations broadcast; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :18.5% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :5.14% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$945.5 million (31 December 2014 est.); $911 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$226.8 million (31 December 2008); $193.7 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$617.9 million (31 December 2008); $604.5 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "3.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 3.5% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "4.25% (31 December 2009); 4.75% (31 December 2008)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.2% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :5 years; male: :6 years; female: :5 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.98 cu km/yr (30%/3%/67%); per capita: :70.53 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "33.65 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$8.29 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :105,000 (Nigeria) (2014); 48,752 (Mali) (2015); IDPs: :undetermined (unknown how many of the 11,000 people displaced by clashes between government forces and the Tuareg militant group, Niger Movement for Justice, in 2007 are still displaced; inter-communal violence) (2013)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria and dengue fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; respiratory disease: :meningococcal meningitis; animal contact disease: :rabies; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.372 billion (2014 est.); -$1.174 billion (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "454 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :15.1 years; male: :15 years; female: :15.2 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "34 (2007); 50.5 (1995)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "2,900 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "40,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.4% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ne", "INTERNET_USERS": "115,900 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "5.4 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "100,500 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Hassana ALIDOU (since 23 February 2015); chancery: :2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :1.267 million sq km; land: :1,266,700 sq km; water: :300 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "736.6 sq km (2005)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Western Africa, southeast of Algeria", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Niger; conventional short form: :Niger; local long form: :Republique du Niger; local short form: :Niger", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA% (2013 est.); 5.1% (2012 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "6.89 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :inadequate; small system of wire, radio telephone communications, and microwave radio relay links concentrated in southwestern Niger; domestic: :combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity remains only about 30 per 100 persons despite a rapidly increasing cellular subscribership base; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations and 1 planned; international: :country code - 227; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 80%, other (includes indigenous beliefs and Christian) 20%", "POPULATION": "17,466,172 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Democratic and Social Convention-Rahama or CDS-Rahama [Mahamane OUSMANE; National Movement for a Society of Development-Nassara or MNSD-Nassara [Seini OUMAROU; National Union of Independents or UNI [Amadou DJIBO ALI; Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Progress-Zaman Lahiya or ANDP-Zaman Lahiya [Moussa Moumouni DJERMAKOYE; Nigerien Democratic Movement for an African Federation or MODEN/FA Lumana [Hama AMADOU; Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism or PNDS-Tarrayya [Mohamed BAZOUM; Rally for Democracy and Progress-Jama'a or RDP-Jama'a [Hamid ALGABID; Social and Democratic Rally or RSD-Gaskiyya [Cheiffou AMADOU; Union for Democracy and the Republic-Tabbat or UDR-Tabbat [Amadou Boubacar CISSE; note: :the SPLM and SPLM-DC are banned political parties", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Niger is a landlocked, sub-Saharan nation, whose economy centers on subsistence crops, livestock, and some of the world's largest uranium deposits. Agriculture contributes nearly 40% of GDP and provides livelihood for most of the population. The UN ranked Niger as the least developed country in the world in 2014 due to multiple factors such as food insecurity, lack of industry, high population growth, a weak educational sector, and few prospects for work outside of subsistence farming and herding.. Since 2011 public debt has increased in part from a large loan financing a new uranium mine. The government relies on foreign donor resources for a large portion of its fiscal budget. The economy in recent years has been hurt by terrorist activity and kidnappings near its uranium mines and instability in Mali, and concerns about security have boosted fiscal spending on defense. Future growth may be sustained by exploitation of oil, gold, coal, and other mineral resources. Niger has sizable reserves of oil and oil production. Food insecurity and drought remain perennial problems for Niger, and the government plans to invest more in the agriculture sector, most notably irrigation. The mining sector may be affected by the government�s attempt to renegotiate extraction rights contracts to increase royalty rates and reduce tax exemptions. Despite Niger�s three-year $121 million IMF Extended Credit Facility agreement for years 2012-2015, formal private sector investment needed for economic diversification and growth remains a challenge, given the country�s limited domestic markets, access to credit, and competitiveness.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; one of the hottest countries in the world; northern four-fifths is desert, southern one-fifth is savanna, suitable for livestock and limited agriculture", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, molybdenum, gypsum, salt, petroleum", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Nigerien(s); adjective: :Nigerien", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Republic Day, 18 December (1958); note - commemorates the founding of the Republic of Niger which predated independence from France in 1960", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, CD, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :3,329,184; females age 16-49: :3,267,669 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :15.5%; male: :23.2%; female: :8.9% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :54.74 years; male: :53.54 years; female: :55.97 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (113 seats; 105 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 8 directly elected in special single-seat constituencies for minorities by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 31 January 2011 (next to be held in 2016); election results: :percent of vote by party - PNDS-Tarrayya 33%, MNSD-Nassara 21%, MODEN/FA-Lumana 20%, ANDP-Zaman Lahiya 7.5%, RDP-Jama'a 6.5%, UDR-Tabbat 5.4%, CDS-Rahama 3.3%, UNI 1%; seats by party - PNDS-Tarrayya 37, MNSD-Nassara 26, MODEN/FA-Lumana 25, ANDP-Zaman Lahiya 8, RDP-Jama'a 7, UDR-Tabbat 6, CDS-Rahama 3, UNI 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of civil law (based on French civil law), Islamic law, and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "French (official), Hausa, Djerma", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :12.55%; permanent crops: :0.08%; other: :87.37% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :5,834 km; border countries: :Algeria 951 km, Benin 277 km, Burkina Faso 622 km, Chad 1,196 km, Libya 342 km, Mali 838 km, Nigeria 1,608 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "5.8 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Constitutional Court (consists of 7 judges); High Court of Justice (consists of 7 members); judge selection and term of office: :Constitutional Court judges nominated/elected - 1 by the president of the Republic, 1 by the president of the National Assembly, 2 by peer judges, 2 by peer lawyers, 1 law professor by peers, and 1 from within Nigerien society; all appointed by the president; judges serve 6-year nonrenewable terms with one-third of membership renewed every 2 years; High Judicial Court members selected from among the legislature and judiciary; members serve 5-year terms; subordinate courts: :Court of Cassation; Council of State; Court of Finances; various specialized tribunals and customary courts", "WATERWAYS": "300 km (the Niger, the only major river, is navigable to Gaya between September and March) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "-0.2% (2014 est.); 2.3% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :86.27 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :90.86 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :81.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "uranium mining, petroleum, cement, brick, soap, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "6.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "3 August 1960 (from France)", "IMPORTS": "$2.269 billion (2014 est.); $2.092 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :18,949 km; paved: :3,912 km; unpaved: :15,037 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with a small orange disk centered in the white band; the orange band denotes the drier northern regions of the Sahara; white stands for purity and innocence; green symbolizes hope and the fertile and productive southern and western areas, as well as the Niger River; the orange disc represents the sun and the sacrifices made by the people; note: :similar to the flag of India, which has a blue spoked wheel centered in the white band", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$2.851 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.313 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$1.652 billion (2014 est.); $1.56 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "hief of state: :President ISSOUFOU Mahamadou (since 7 April 2011); head of government: :Prime Minister Brigi RAFINI (since 7 April 2011); appointed by the president and shares some executive responsibilities with the president; cabinet: :37-member Cabinet appointed by the president; note - in August 2013, the president authorized a cabinet reshuffle and increased its membership to 37 from 26 in order to create a government of national unity; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); candidate must receive a majority of the votes to be elected president; a presidential election to restore civilian rule was held on 31 January 2011 with a runoff election on 12 March 2011 between ISSOUFOU Mahamadou (PNDS-Tarayya) and Seini OUMAROU (MNSD-Nassara); election results: :ISSOUFOU Mahamadou elected president; percent of vote - ISSOUFOU Mahamadou 58%, Seini OUMAROU 42%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -; 491.2 (2014 est.); 494.04 (2013 est.); 510.53 (2012 est.); 471.87 (2011 est.); 495.28 (2010)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Haoussa 55.4%, Djerma Sonrai 21%, Tuareg 9.3%, Peuhl 8.5%, Kanouri Manga 4.7%, other 1.2% (2001 census)", "DEATH_RATE": "12.73 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; passed by referendum 31 October 2010, entered into force 25 November 2010 (2014)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "France 13.6%, China 11.6%, Nigeria 9.1%, French Polynesia 8.6%, Belgium 5.6%, India 5.3%, Togo 4.8%, Cote dIvoire 4.1% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foodstuffs, machinery, vehicles and parts, petroleum, cereals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Niamey; geographic coordinates: :13 31 N, 2 07 E; time difference: :UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.761 billion; expenditures: :$2.807 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Nigerien Armed Forces (Forces Armees Nigeriennes, FAN): Army, Nigerien Air Force (Force Aerienne du Niger) (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "46.12 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "30 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cowpeas, cotton, peanuts, millet, sorghum, cassava (manioc, tapioca), rice; cattle, sheep, goats, camels, donkeys, horses, poultry", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "8 regions (regions, singular - region) includes 1 capital district* (communite urbaine); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey*, Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Nigeria 54.2%, South Korea 26.2%, Ghana 6.7% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "uranium ore, livestock, cowpeas, onions", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :90%; industry: :6%; services: :4% (1995)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.7%; highest 10%: :28.5% (2007)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "63% (1993 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.06% of GDP (2012); NA% (2011); 1.06% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Law of the Sea", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation; desertification; wildlife populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe, and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :20; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :15; 2 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :10; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :3; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :6; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Niger became independent from France in 1960 and experienced single-party and military rule until 1991, when Gen. Ali SAIBOU was forced by public pressure to allow multiparty elections, which resulted in a democratic government in 1993. Political infighting brought the government to a standstill and in 1996 led to a coup by Col. Ibrahim BARE. In 1999, BARE was killed in a counter coup by military officers who restored democratic rule and held elections that brought Mamadou TANDJA to power in December of that year. TANDJA was reelected in 2004 and in 2009 spearheaded a constitutional amendment that would allow him to extend his term as president. In February 2010, a military coup deposed TANDJA, immediately suspended the constitution, and dissolved the Cabinet. ISSOUFOU Mahamadou emerged victorious from a crowded field in the election following the coup and was inaugurated in April 2011. Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world with minimal government services and insufficient funds to develop its resource base. The largely agrarian and subsistence-based economy is frequently disrupted by extended droughts common to the Sahel region of Africa. The Nigerien Movement for Justice, a predominantly ethnic Tuareg rebel group, emerged in February 2007, and attacked several military targets in Niger's northern region throughout 2007 and 2008. Successful government offensives in 2009 ended the rebellion. Niger is facing increased security concerns on its borders from various external threats including insecurity in Libya, spillover from the conflict in Mali, and violent extremism in northeastern Nigeria.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :186,348; female: :180,779 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,194,570; females age 16-49: :2,219,416 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 is the presumed legal minimum age for compulsory or voluntary military service; enlistees must be Nigerien citizens and unmarried; 2-year service term; women may serve in health care (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than twice the size of Texas", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "recurring droughts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Niger River 200 m; highest point: :Idoukal-n-Taghes 2,022 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :1.03 male(s)/female; total population: :1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "5 (2007)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 5, FM 6, shortwave 4 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :37.7%; industry: :18.6%; services: :43.7% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "16 00 N, 8 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :49.8% (male 4,387,785/female 4,308,312); 15-24 years: :18.4% (male 1,586,720/female 1,626,457); 25-54 years: :25.9% (male 2,261,287/female 2,266,576); 55-64 years: :3.3% (male 294,446/female 274,268); 65 years and over: :2.6% (male 234,079/female 226,242) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Niue", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "self-governing in free association with New Zealand since 1974; Niue fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs and defense; however, these responsibilities confer no rights of control and are only exercised at the request of the Government of Niue", "AFFILIATION": "(self-governing in free association with New Zealand)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$5,800 (2003 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "6.2% (2003 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.03% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$10.01 million (2003 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "3,520 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "23 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "20 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "1,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "2.79 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "3 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "yellow, five-pointed star; national color: yellow", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3 physicians/1,000 population (2008)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.7% of GDP (2012)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-12.6% of GDP (FY04/05)", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "ALOFI (capital) 1,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Ko e Iki he Lagi\" (The Lord in Heaven); lyrics/music: :unknown/unknown, prepared by Sioeli FUSIKATA; note: :adopted 1974", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 98.5% of population; rural: 98.6% of population; total: 98.6% of population; urban: 1.5% of population; rural: 1.4% of population; total: 1.4% of population (2012 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 government-owned TV station with many of the programs supplied by Television New Zealand; 1 government-owned radio station broadcasting in AM and FM (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :41.8% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :-0.94% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :13 years; male: :12 years; female: :15 years (2005)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$10.01 million (2003)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "79,508 (2012)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".nu", "INTERNET_USERS": "1,100 (2009)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)", "AREA": "total: :260 sq km; land: :260 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Niue; note: :pronunciation falls between nyu-way and new-way, but not like new-wee; former: :Savage Island", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of New Zealand", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "12% (2001)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "self-governing parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "NA", "TERRAIN": "steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "domestic: :single-line telephone system connects all villages on island; international: :country code - 683 (2001)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Ekalesia Niue (Congregational Christian Church of Niue - a Protestant church founded by missionaries from the London Missionary Society) 67%, other Protestant 3% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 1%, Presbyterian 1%, and Methodist 1%), Mormon 10%, Roman Catholic 10%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 6%, none 2% (2011 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Alofi", "POPULATION": "1,190 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alliance of Independents or AI; Niue People's Action Party or NPP [Young VIVIAN", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The economy suffers from the typical Pacific island problems of geographic isolation, few resources, and a small population. Government expenditures regularly exceed revenues, and the shortfall is made up by critically needed grants from New Zealand that are used to pay wages to public employees. Niue has cut government expenditures by reducing the public service by almost half. The agricultural sector consists mainly of subsistence gardening, although some cash crops are grown for export. Industry consists primarily of small factories to process passion fruit, lime oil, honey, and coconut cream. The sale of postage stamps to foreign collectors is an important source of revenue. The island in recent years has suffered a serious loss of population because of emigration to New Zealand. Efforts to increase GDP include the promotion of tourism and financial services, although the International Banking Repeal Act of 2002 resulted in the termination of all offshore banking licenses. Economic aid from New Zealand in FY08/09 was US$5.7 million. While in the process of rebuilding, Niue has been dependent on foreign aid.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "one of world's largest coral islands", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Niuean(s); adjective: :Niuean", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AOSIS, FAO, IFAD, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :NA; male: :NA; female: :NA", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Assembly or Fono Ekepule (20 seats; 14 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 6 directly elected from the National Register or \"common roll\" by majority vote; members serve 3-year terms); elections: :last held on 12 April 2014 (next to be held in 2017); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - 20 independents", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "English common law", "LANGUAGES": "Niuean (official) 46% (a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan), Niuean and English 32%, English (official) 11%, Niuean and others 5%, other 6% (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :3.85%; permanent crops: :11.54%; other: :84.62% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "663 (2001)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest resident court(s): :Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and up to 3 judges); note - the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) is the final appeal court beyond the Niue Court of Appeal; note - Niue is a participant in the Pacific Judicial Development Program; the program is designed to build governance and the rule of law in 15 Pacific island countries; judge selection and term of office: :Niue chief justice appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the Cabinet and tendered by the premier; other judges appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the Cabinet and tendered by the chief justice and the minister of justice; judges serve until age 68; subordinate courts: :High Court", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "4% (2005)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :NA; male: :NA; female: :NA", "INDUSTRIES": "handicrafts, food processing", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "INDEPENDENCE": "19 October 1974 (Niue became a self-governing parliamentary government in free association with New Zealand)", "IMPORTS": "$9.038 million (2004)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :120 km; paved: :120 km (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "yellow with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the flag of the UK bears five yellow five-pointed stars - a large star on a blue disk in the center and a smaller star on each arm of the bold red cross; the larger star stands for Niue, the smaller stars recall the Southern Cross constellation on the New Zealand flag and symbolize links with that country; yellow represents the bright sunshine of Niue and the warmth and friendship between Niue and New Zealand", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$418,000 (2002 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$201,400 (2004)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General of New Zealand Anand SATYANAND (since 23 August 2006); the UK and New Zealand are represented by New Zealand High Commissioner Mark BLUMSKY (since September 2011); head of government: :Premier Toke TALAGI (since 18 June 2008); cabinet: :Cabinet consists of the premier and 3 ministers; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; premier elected by the Legislative Assembly for a three-year term; election last held on 24 April 2014 (next to be held in 2017); election results: :Toke TALAGI re-elected premier; Legislative Assembly vote - Toke TALAGI 12, Stanley KALAUNI 8", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar -; 1.206 (2014); 1.2187 (2013); 1.23 (2012); 1.263 (2011); 1.3874 (2010)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Niuen 66.5%, part-Niuen 13.4%, non-Niuen 20.1% (includes 12% European and Asian and 8% Pacific Islanders) (2011 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous (New Zealand colonial statutes); latest 19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act 1974); amended 1992, 2007 (2007)", "COASTLINE": "64 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; modified by southeast trade winds", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Alofi; geographic coordinates: :19 01 S, 169 55 W; time difference: :UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$15.07 million; expenditures: :$16.33 million (FY04/05)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular indigenous military forces; Police Force", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes, taro, yams, cassava (manioc, tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none; note - there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 14 villages at the second order", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "canned coconut cream, copra, honey, vanilla, passion fruit products, pawpaws, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "note: :most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "increasing attention to conservationist practices to counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash and burn agriculture", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2012)", "BACKGROUND": "Niue's remoteness, as well as cultural and linguistic differences between its Polynesian inhabitants and those of the adjacent Cook Islands, has caused it to be separately administered by New Zealand. The population of the island continues to drop (from a peak of 5,200 in 1966 to an estimated 1,229 in 2013) with substantial emigration to New Zealand 2,400 km to the southwest.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "1.5 times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "typhoons", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :unnamed elevation near Mutalau settlement 68 m", "SEX_RATIO": "NA", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :23.5%; industry: :26.9%; services: :49.5% (2003)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "19 02 S, 169 52 W" }, { "country": "Norfolk Island", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (territory of Australia)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "self-governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport", "AFFILIATION": "(territory of Australia)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.01% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$NA", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Norfolk Island pine", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Come Ye Blessed\"; lyrics/music: :New Testament/John Prindle SCOTT; note: :the local anthem, whose lyrics consist of the words from Matthew 25:34-36, 40, is also known as \"The Pitcairn Anthem;\" as a territory of Australia, \"God Save the Queen\" is official (see Australia); however, the island does not recognize \"Advance Australia Fair\"", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 local radio station; broadcasts of several Australian radio and TV stations available via satellite (2009)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "128 (2012)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".nf", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (territory of Australia)", "AREA": "total: :36 sq km; land: :36 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Territory of Norfolk Island; conventional short form: :Norfolk Island", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of Australia", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "NA", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "NA", "TERRAIN": "volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :adequate; domestic: :free local calls; international: :country code - 672; submarine cable links with Australia and New Zealand; satellite earth station - 1", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 49.6% (Anglican 31.8%, Uniting Church in Australia 10.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.2%), Roman Catholic 11.7%, other 8.6%, none 23.5%, unspecified 6.6% (2011 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Kingston", "POPULATION": "2,210 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Norfolk Island Labor Party [Mike KELLY; Norfolk Liberals [John BROWN", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Norfolk Island is suffering from a severe economic downturn. Tourism, the primary economic activity, is the main driver of economic growth. The agricultural sector has become self sufficient in the production of beef, poultry, and eggs.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "none", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "most of the 32 km coastline consists of almost inaccessible cliffs, but the land slopes down to the sea in one small southern area on Sydney Bay, where the capital of Kingston is situated", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Norfolk Islander(s); adjective: :Norfolk Islander(s)", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Bounty Day (commemorates the arrival of Pitcairn Islanders), 8 June (1856)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "UPU", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :NA; male: :NA; female: :NA", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Legislative Assembly (9 seats; members directly elected by modified majority vote in which electors have 9 votes but are limited to 4 votes per candidate; members serve 3-year terms); elections: :last held on 13 March 2013 (next to be held in 2016); election results: :seats - independents 8; Norfolk Liberals 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "English common law and the laws of Australia", "LANGUAGES": "English (official) 67.6%, other 32.4% (includes Norfolk Island 23.7%, which is a mixture of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian) (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "978 (2006)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Norfolk Island (consists of the chief justice and NA justices); note - appeals beyond the Supreme Court of Norfolk Island are heard by the Federal Court of Australia; judge selection and term of office: :justices appointed by the governor general of Australia from among justices of the Federal Court of Australia; justices serve until mandatory retirement at age 70; subordinate courts: :Petty Court of Sessions; specialized courts including a Coroner's Court and the Employment Tribunal", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :NA; male: :NA; female: :NA", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, light industry, ready mixed concrete", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (territory of Australia)", "IMPORTS": "$NA", "ROADWAYS": "total: :80 km; paved: :53 km; unpaved: :27 km (2008)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green with a large green Norfolk Island pine tree centered in the slightly wider white band; green stands for the rich vegetation on the island, and the pine tree - endemic to the island - is a symbol of Norfolk Island; note: :somewhat reminiscent of the flag of Canada with its use of only two colors and depiction of a prominent local floral symbol in the central white band; also resembles the green and white triband of Nigeria", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 July - 30 June", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$NA", "EXPORTS": "$NA", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by the Australian governor general; head of government: :Administrator Neil POPE (since 1 April 2012); cabinet: :Executive Council made up of 4 of the 9 members of the Legislative Assembly; the council devises government policy and acts as an advisor to the administrator; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia for a two year term and represents the monarch and Australia", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar -; 1.098 (2014); 1.0358 (2013); 0.97 (2012); 0.9695 (2011); 1.0902 (2010)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Australian 79.5%, New Zealander 13.3%, Fijian 2.5%, Filipino 1.1%, English 1%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.8% (2011 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1913, 1957; latest effective 7 August 1979; amended many times, last in 2010 (2011)", "COASTLINE": "32 km", "CLIMATE": "subtropical; mild, little seasonal temperature variation", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "NA", "CAPITAL": "name: :Kingston; geographic coordinates: :29 03 S, 167 58 E; time difference: :UTC+11.5 (16.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$4.6 million; expenditures: :$4.8 million (FY99/00)", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "Norfolk Island pine seed, Kentia palm seed, cereals, vegetables, fruit; cattle, poultry", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (territory of Australia)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "postage stamps, seeds of the Norfolk Island pine and Kentia palm, small quantities of avocados", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :6%; industry: :14%; services: :80% (2006 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Two British attempts at establishing the island as a penal colony (1788-1814 and 1825-55) were ultimately abandoned. In 1856, the island was resettled by Pitcairn Islanders, descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about 0.2 times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "typhoons (especially May to July)", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mount Bates 319 m", "SEX_RATIO": "NA", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (local programming station plus 2 repeaters that air Australian programs by satellite) (2005)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2005)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "29 02 S, 167 57 E" }, { "country": "Norway", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Julie FURUTA-TOY (since 27 September 2013); embassy: :Henrik Ibsens gate 48, 0244 Oslo; note - the embassy will move to Huseby in the near future; mailing address: :PSC 69, Box 1000, APO AE 09707; telephone: :[47; FAX: :[47", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$65,900 (2014 est.); $65,400 (2013 est.); $65,800 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.8% (2014 est.); 0.6% (2013 est.); 2.9% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.19% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$339.5 billion (2014 est.); $333.5 billion (2013 est.); $331.4 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :53.2%; youth dependency ratio: :28.5%; elderly dependency ratio: :24.7%; potential support ratio: :4.1% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "37.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 37.6% of GDP (2013 est.); 39.4% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :41.1%; government consumption: :21.3%; investment in fixed capital: :22.3%; investment in inventories: :3.8%; exports of goods and services: :39%; imports of goods and services: :-27.6%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "88.4%; note: :percent of women aged 20-44 (2005)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "28.5; note: :data is calculated based on actual age at first births (2012 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "41.06 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "2.09 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "2 million cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "102.8 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "5.94 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "108.7 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "91,980 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "349,600 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "222,600 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "328,700 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "5.825 billion bbl (1 January 2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "11,320 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "1.602 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "1.817 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "2.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "93.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "4.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "31.76 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "10.21 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "15.14 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "111.5 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "144.7 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "lion; national colors: red, white, blue", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :8.6%; male: :10%; female: :7.2% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "21.5% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "3.3 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3.7 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "9% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "7 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "12.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "57.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "OSLO (capital) 970,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Ja, vi elsker dette landet\" (Yes, We Love This Country); lyrics/music: :lyrics/music: Bjornstjerne BJORNSON/Rikard NORDRAAK; note: :adopted 1864; in addition to the national anthem, \"Kongesangen\" (Song of the King), which uses the tune of \"God Save the Queen,\" serves as the royal anthem", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$323.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $310 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$146.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $144.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-owned public radio-TV broadcaster operates 3 nationwide TV stations, 3 nationwide radio stations, and 16 regional radio stations; roughly a dozen privately owned television stations broadcast nationally and roughly another 25 local TV stations broadcasting; nearly 75% of households have access to multi-channel cable or satellite TV; 2 privately owned radio stations broadcast nationwide and another 240 stations operate locally (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :80.2% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.35% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$731.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $689.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$NA", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "2.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 2.5% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "6.25% (31 December 2010); 1.75% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "6.9% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :17 years; male: :17 years; female: :18 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :2.94 cu km/yr (28%/43%/29%); per capita: :622.4 cu m/yr (2006)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "382 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$252.9 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $219.2 billion (31 December 2011); $250.9 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$279.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $271.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$294.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $282.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$511.6 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :9,275 (Somalia); 9,344 (Eritrea); 5,679 (Iraq); 5,523 (Afghanistan) (2014); stateless persons: :1,975 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$58.28 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $58.28 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$58 billion (2014 est.); $57.39 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "29.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 29.7% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data exclude treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "3.588 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :39.1 years; male: :38.2 years; female: :39.9 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "25 (2008); 25.8 (1995)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".no", "INTERNET_USERS": "4.431 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "5.732 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "1.465 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Kare Reidar AAS (since 22 August 2013); chancery: :2720 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Houston, New York, San Francisco", "AREA": "total: :323,802 sq km; land: :304,282 sq km; water: :19,520 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1,149 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Northern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Sweden", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Kingdom of Norway; conventional short form: :Norway; local long form: :Kongeriket Norge; local short form: :Norge", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "3.4% (2014 est.); 3.5% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional monarchy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.86 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken by fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply indented by fjords; arctic tundra in north", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modern in all respects; one of the most advanced telecommunications networks in Europe; domestic: :Norway has a domestic satellite system; the prevalence of rural areas encourages the wide use of mobile-cellular systems; international: :country code - 47; 2 buried coaxial cable systems; submarine cables provide links to other Nordic countries and Europe; satellite earth stations - NA Eutelsat, NA Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Norway shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Church of Norway (Evangelical Lutheran - official) 82.1%, other Christian 3.9%, Muslim 2.3%, Roman Catholic 1.8%, other 2.4%, unspecified 7.5% (2011 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :4,237 km; standard gauge: :4,237 km 1.435-m gauge (2,784 km electrified) (2012)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Bergen, Haugesund, Maaloy, Mongstad, Narvik, Sture; LNG terminal(s) (export): :Melkoya Island", "POPULATION": "5,147,792 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Center Party or Sp [Liv Signe NAVARSETE; Christian Democratic Party or KrF [Knut Arild HAREIDE; Conservative Party or H [Erna SOLBERG; Green Party or MDG [Rasmus NANSSON; Labor Party or Ap [Jens STOLTENBERG; Liberal Party or V [Trine SKEI-GRANDE; Progress Party or FrP [Siv JENSEN; Socialist Left Party or SV [Audun LYSBAKKEN", "PIPELINES": "condensate 578 km; condensate/gas 220 km; gas 8,044 km; oil 3,794 km; oil/gas/water 457 km; water 96 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The Norwegian economy is a prosperous mixed economy, with a vibrant private sector, a large state sector, and an extensive social safety net. The government controls key areas, such as the vital petroleum sector, through extensive regulation and large-scale state-majority-owned enterprises. The country is richly endowed with natural resources - petroleum, hydropower, fish, forests, and minerals - and is highly dependent on the petroleum sector, which accounts for the largest portion of export revenue and about 30% of government revenue. Norway is the world's third-largest natural gas exporter; and seventh largest oil exporter, making one of its largest offshore oil finds in 2011. Norway opted to stay out of the EU during a referendum in November 1994; nonetheless, as a member of the European Economic Area, it contributes sizably to the EU budget. In anticipation of eventual declines in oil and gas production, Norway saves state revenue from the petroleum sector in the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, valued at over $870 billion in December 2014 and annually uses up to 4% of the fund, it�s projected long term return, to help finance public expenses. After solid GDP growth in 2004-07, the economy slowed in 2008, and contracted in 2009, before returning to positive growth in 2010-14. Nevertheless, the government budget remains in surplus. Lower oil prices in 2015 may cause the economy to contract as higher costs production costs in the North Sea deter investment.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (Naeringslivets Hovedorganisasjon) or NHO [President Tore ULSTEIN; CEO Kristin SKOGEN LUND; Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (Landsorganisasjonen i Norge) or LO [Gerd KRISTIANSEN; other: :environmental groups; media; digital privacy movements", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "about two-thirds mountains; some 50,000 islands off its much-indented coastline; strategic location adjacent to sea lanes and air routes in North Atlantic; one of the most rugged and longest coastlines in the world", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "7.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, titanium, pyrites, nickel, fish, timber, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Norwegian(s); adjective: :Norwegian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Constitution Day, 17 May (1814)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :585; by type: :bulk carrier 55, cargo 105, carrier 5, chemical tanker 121, combination ore/oil 12, liquefied gas 47, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 121, petroleum tanker 54, refrigerated cargo 9, roll on/roll off 4, vehicle carrier 49; foreign-owned: :81 (Bermuda 24, Canada 1, Cyprus 1, Denmark 7, France 5, Iceland 2, Lithuania 1, Saudi Arabia 3, Sweden 27, US 10); registered in other countries: :974 (Antigua and Barbuda 9, Bahamas 186, Barbados 38, Belize 2, Bermuda 5, Brazil 3, Canada 4, Chile 1, Comoros 1, Cook Islands 8, Croatia 2, Curacao 2, Cyprus 14, Denmark 2, Dominica 1, Equatorial Guinea 1, Estonia 2, Faroe Islands 13, Gibraltar 46, Hong Kong 48, Indonesia 3, Isle of Man 30, Italy 6, Liberia 38, Libya 1, Malta 96, Marshall Islands 75, Netherlands 19, Panama 81, Portugal 2, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 13, Singapore 153, Spain 10, Sweden 3, UK 32, US 17, Vanuatu 1, unknown 3) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, EITI (implementing country), ESA, FAO, FATF, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :10 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,079,043; females age 16-49: :1,051,210 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :81.6 years; male: :79.63 years; female: :83.69 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Parliament or Storting (169 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 9 September 2013 (next to be held in September 2017); election results: :percent of vote by party - Ap 30.8%, H 26.3%, FrP 16.3%, KrF 5.6%, Sp 5.5%, V 5.2%, SV 4.1%, MDG 2.8, other 2.7%; seats by party - Ap 55, H 48, FrP 29, Sp 10, KrF 10, V 9, SV 7, MDG 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of civil, common, and customary law; Supreme Court can advise on legislative acts", "LANGUAGES": "Bokmal Norwegian (official), Nynorsk Norwegian (official), small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities; note: :Sami is an official language in nine municipalities", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :2.22%; permanent crops: :0.01%; other: :97.77% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,566 km; border countries: :Finland 709 km, Sweden 1,666 km, Russia 191 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "2.724 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Hoyesterett (consists of the chief justice and 18 associate justices); judge selection and term of office: :justices appointed by the monarch (King in Council) upon the recommendation of the Judicial Appointments Board; justice retirement mandatory at age 70; subordinate courts: :Courts of Appeal or Lagmensrett; regional and district courts; Conciliation Boards; ordinary and special courts; note - in addition to professionally trained judges, elected lay judges sit on the bench with professional judges in the Courts of Appeal and district courts", "WATERWAYS": "1,577 km (2010)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2% (2014 est.); 2.1% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :2.48 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :2.79 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :2.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "petroleum and gas, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, textiles, fishing", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.8% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "7 June 1905 (Norway declared the union with Sweden dissolved); 26 October 1905 (Sweden agreed to the repeal of the union)", "IMPORTS": "$91.03 billion (2014 est.); $92.83 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :93,870 km (includes 393 km of expressways); paved: :75,754 km; unpaved: :18,116 km (2013)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "red with a blue cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag); the colors recall Norway's past political unions with Denmark (red and white) and Sweden (blue)", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$720.6 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $595.7 billion (31 December 2011); note: :Norway is a net external creditor", "EXPORTS": "$150.2 billion (2014 est.); $158.3 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :King HARALD V (since 17 January 1991); Heir Apparent Crown Prince HAAKON MAGNUS, son of the monarch (born 20 July 1973); head of government: :Prime Minister Erna SOLBERG (since 16 October 2013); cabinet: :State Council appointed by the monarch with the approval of parliament; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; following parliamentary elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch with the approval of the parliament", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Norwegian kroner (NOK) per US dollar -; 6.163 (2014 est.); 5.876 (2013 est.); 5.82 (2012 est.); 5.6065 (2011 est.); 6.0442 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Norwegian 94.4% (includes Sami, about 60,000), other European 3.6%, other 2% (2007 est.)", "DEPENDENT_AREAS": "Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard", "DEATH_RATE": "8.19 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "drafted spring 1814, adopted 16 May 1814, signed by Constituent Assembly 17 May 1814; amended many times, last in 2012 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Sweden 13.3%, Germany 12.4%, China 9.1%, UK 6.3%, Denmark 6%, US 5.9% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "25,148 km (includes mainland 2,650 km, as well as long fjords, numerous small islands, and minor indentations 22,498 km; length of island coastlines 58,133 km)", "CLIMATE": "temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior with increased precipitation and colder summers; rainy year-round on west coast", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals, foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Oslo; geographic coordinates: :59 55 N, 10 45 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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$294.3 billion; expenditures: :$230.5 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Norwegian Army (Haeren), Royal Norwegian Navy (Kongelige Norske Sjoeforsvaret, RNoN; includes Coastal Rangers and Coast Guard (Kystvakt)), Royal Norwegian Air Force (Kongelige Norske Luftforsvaret, RNoAF), Home Guard (Heimevernet, HV) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "12.09 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "95 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "barley, wheat, potatoes; pork, beef, veal, milk; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "19 counties (fylker, singular - fylke); Akershus, Aust-Agder, Buskerud, Finnmark, Hedmark, Hordaland, More og Romsdal, Nordland, Nord-Trondelag, Oppland, Oslo, Ostfold, Rogaland, Sogn og Fjordane, Sor-Trondelag, Telemark, Troms, Vest-Agder, Vestfold", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "UK 24.5%, Netherlands 13.1%, Germany 12.9%, France 6.6%, Sweden 5.8%, US 4.5% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum and petroleum products, machinery and equipment, metals, chemicals, ships, fish", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :2.2%; industry: :20.2%; services: :77.6% (2012)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.9%; highest 10%: :21% (2008)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.4% of GDP (2012); 1.47% of GDP (2011); 1.4% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "water pollution; acid rain damaging forests and adversely affecting lakes, threatening fish stocks; air pollution from vehicle emissions", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :28; 914 to 1,523 m: :6; 22 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :67; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :14; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :10; 914 to 1,523 m: :22; under 914 m: :21 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Two centuries of Viking raids into Europe tapered off following the adoption of Christianity by King Olav TRYGGVASON in 994. Conversion of the Norwegian kingdom occurred over the next several decades. In 1397, Norway was absorbed into a union with Denmark that lasted more than four centuries. In 1814, Norwegians resisted the cession of their country to Sweden and adopted a new constitution. Sweden then invaded Norway but agreed to let Norway keep its constitution in return for accepting the union under a Swedish king. Rising nationalism throughout the 19th century led to a 1905 referendum granting Norway independence. Although Norway remained neutral in World War I, it suffered heavy losses to its shipping. Norway proclaimed its neutrality at the outset of World War II, but was nonetheless occupied for five years by Nazi Germany (1940-45). In 1949, neutrality was abandoned and Norway became a member of NATO. Discovery of oil and gas in adjacent waters in the late 1960s boosted Norway's economic fortunes. In referenda held in 1972 and 1994, Norway rejected joining the EU. Key domestic issues include immigration and integration of ethnic minorities, maintaining the country's extensive social safety net with an aging population, and preserving economic competitiveness.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :32,290; female: :30,777 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :888,761; females age 16-49: :865,697 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "19-35 years of age for male compulsory military service; 16 years of age in wartime; 17 years of age for male volunteers; 18 years of age for women; 1-year service obligation followed by 4-5 refresher training periods through ages 35-60, totalling 18 months (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than New Mexico", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "rockslides, avalanches; volcanism: :Beerenberg (elev. 2,227 m) on Jan Mayen Island in the Norwegian Sea is the country's only active volcano", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Norwegian Sea 0 m; highest point: :Galdhopiggen 2,469 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.78 male(s)/female; total population: :0.98 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "69 (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 5, FM 160, shortwave 1 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :1.7%; industry: :41.8%; services: :56.5% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "62 00 N, 10 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :18.2% (male 480,176/female 456,128); 15-24 years: :13.1% (male 347,873/female 329,021); 25-54 years: :40.8% (male 1,080,339/female 1,021,370); 55-64 years: :11.7% (male 305,094/female 298,134); 65 years and over: :16.1% (male 375,909/female 453,748) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Oman", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Greta C. HOLTZ (since 27 September 2012); embassy: :Jamait Ad Duwal Al Arabiyya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat; mailing address: :P. O. Box 202, P.C. 115, Madinat Al Sultan Qaboos, Muscat; telephone: :[968; FAX: :[968", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$44,100 (2014 est.); $44,000 (2013 est.); $45,900 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.4% (2014 est.); 4.8% (2013 est.); 5.8% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.06% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$163.6 billion (2014 est.); $158.2 billion (2013 est.); $151 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :34.4%; youth dependency ratio: :30.4%; elderly dependency ratio: :3.9%; potential support ratio: :25.4% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "38.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 39.9% of GDP (2013 est.); 38.6% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :33.1%; government consumption: :21.3%; investment in fixed capital: :26.1%; investment in inventories: :5.9%; exports of goods and services: :62.1%; imports of goods and services: :-48.5%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "24.4% (2007/08)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "62.85 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "849.5 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "1.836 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "10.87 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "20.26 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "29.29 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "2,390 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "47,710 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "153,800 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "164,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "5.5 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "705,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "944,800 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "4.861 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "17.23 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "20.07 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Khanjar dagger superimposed on two crossed swords; national colors: red, white, green", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "20.9% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.7 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.22 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "2.6% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "8.6% (2009)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "32 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "49.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "MUSCAT (capital) 812,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Nashid as-Salaam as-Sultani\" (The Sultan's Anthem); lyrics/music: :Rashid bin Uzayyiz al KHUSAIDI/James Frederick MILLS, arranged by Bernard EBBINGHAUS; note: :adopted 1932; new lyrics written after QABOOS bin Said al Said gained power in 1970; first performed by the band of a British ship as a salute to the Sultan during a 1932 visit to Muscat; the bandmaster of the HMS Hawkins was asked to write a salutation to the Sultan on the occasion of his ship visit", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 97.3% of population; rural: 94.7% of population; total: 96.6% of population; urban: 2.7% of population; rural: 5.3% of population; total: 3.4% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 95.5% of population; rural: 86.1% of population; total: 93% of population; urban: 4.5% of population; rural: 13.9% of population; total: 7% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$34.21 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $30.79 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$11.18 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $10.28 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 state-run TV broadcaster; TV stations transmitting from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Yemen available via satellite TV; state-run radio operates multiple stations; first private radio station began operating in 2007 and 2 additional stations now operating (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :77.2% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :8.54% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$33.72 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $28.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$14.57 billion (31 December 2008); $11.04 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$5.25 billion (31 December 2008); $5.044 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "5.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 5.41% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "2% (31 December 2010); 0.05% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.3% of GDP (2009)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :14 years; male: :13 years; female: :14 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :1.32 cu km/yr (10%/1%/88%); per capita: :515.8 cu m/yr (2003)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "1.4 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$20.19 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $19.07 billion (31 December 2013); $20.27 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$80.54 billion (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$17.85 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $15.95 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$7.978 billion (2014 est.); $9.184 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "4.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 4.4% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "14,531 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :24.9 years; male: :26.1 years; female: :23.4 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".om", "INTERNET_USERS": "1.465 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "5.278 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "305,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Hunaina bint Sultan bin Ahmad al-MUGHAIRI (since 9 November 2005); chancery: :2535 Belmont Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :309,500 sq km; land: :309,500 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "588.5 sq km (2004)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Middle East", "LOCATION": "Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Sultanate of Oman; conventional short form: :Oman; local long form: :Saltanat Uman; local short form: :Uman; former: :Muscat and Oman", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "15% (2004 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "monarchy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.86 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modern system consisting of open-wire, microwave, and radiotelephone communication stations; limited coaxial cable; domestic satellite system with 8 earth stations; domestic: :fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership both increasing with fixed-line phone service gradually being introduced to remote villages using wireless local loop systems; international: :country code - 968; the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) and the SEA-ME-WE-3 submarine cable provide connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat (2008)", "SUFFRAGE": "21 years of age; universal; note - members of the military and security forces by law cannot vote", "RELIGIONS": ".1, other 1%, unaffiliated 0.2%; note: :approximately 75% of Omani citizens, who compose almost 70% of the country's total population, are Ibadhi Muslims; the Omani government does not keep statistics on religious affiliation (2013) (2010 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Mina' Qabus, Salalah, Suhar; container port(s) (TEUs): :Salalah (3,200,000); LNG terminal(s) (export): :Qalhat", "POPULATION": "3,219,775; note: :immigrants make up just over 30% of the total population, according to UN data (2013) (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "political parties are illegal", "PIPELINES": "condensate 106 km; gas 4,224 km; oil 3,558 km; oil/gas/water 33 km; refined products 264 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Oman is heavily dependent on dwindling oil resources, which generates 77% of government revenue. It is using enhanced oil recovery techniques to boost production. Muscat has actively pursued a development plan that focuses on diversification, industrialization, and privatization, with the objective of reducing the oil sector's contribution to GDP from 46% to 9% by 2020. Muscat also is focused on creating more jobs to employ the rising numbers of Omanis entering the workforce. Tourism and gas-based industries are key components of the government's diversification strategy. However, increases in social welfare benefits, particularly since the Arab Spring, have challenged the government's ability to effectively balance its budget as oil prices decline. Despite government acknowledgement that Oman�s expansive social welfare benefits are unsustainable, Oman authorities are comfortable with short-term budget deficits and have approved an expansionary 2015 budget. Concurrently, Oman has expanded efforts to support the development of small and medium-size enterprises and entrepreneurship. Government agencies and large oligarchic group companies have announced new initiatives to spin off non-essential functions to entrepreneurs, incubate new businesses, train and mentor up and coming business people, and provide financing for start-ups.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "none", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Omani(s); adjective: :Omani", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Birthday of Sultan QABOOS, 18 November (1940)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :5; by type: :chemical tanker 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 3; registered in other countries: :15 (Malta 5, Panama 10) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :985,957; females age 16-49: :737,812 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :86.9%; male: :90.2%; female: :81.8% (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :74.97 years; male: :73.07 years; female: :76.97 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Council of Oman or Majlis Oman consists of the Council of State or Majlis al-Dawla (83 seats; members appointed by the sultan from among former government officials and prominent educators, businessmen, and citizens) and the Consultative Assembly or Majlis al-Shura (84 seats; members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms); note - following political reforms in 2011, legislation from the Consultative Assembly is submitted to the Council of State for passage and amendments; elections: :(Majlis al-Shura) last held on 15 October 2011 (next to be held in October 2015); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; note - three prominent figures from the Arab Spring 2011 protests won seats; one woman also won a seat", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of Anglo-Saxon law and Islamic law", "LANGUAGES": "Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0.11%; permanent crops: :0.13%; other: :99.76% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,561 km; border countries: :Saudi Arabia 658 km, UAE 609 km, Yemen 294 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "968,800; note: :about 60% of the labor force is non-national (2007 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of 5 judges); judge selection and term of office: :judges nominated by the 9-member Supreme Judicial Council (chaired by the monarch) and appointed by the monarch; judge tenure NA; subordinate courts: :Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; sharia courts; magistrates' courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.8% (2014 est.); 1.2% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :14 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :14.29 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :13.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "crude oil production and refining, natural and liquefied natural gas (LNG) production; construction, cement, copper, steel, chemicals, optic fiber", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.7% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)", "IMPORTS": "$34.37 billion (2014 est.); $30.46 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :60,240 km; paved: :29,685 km (includes 1,943 km of expressways); unpaved: :30,545 km (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three horizontal bands of white, red, and green of equal width with a broad, vertical, red band on the hoist side; the national emblem (a khanjar dagger in its sheath superimposed on two crossed swords in scabbards) in white is centered near the top of the vertical band; white represents peace and prosperity, red recalls battles against foreign invaders, and green symbolizes the Jebel Akhdar (Green Mountains) and fertility", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$11.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $10.83 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$58.74 billion (2014 est.); $56.61 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al-Said (sultan since 23 July 1970 and prime minister since 23 July 1972); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government; head of government: :Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al-Said (sultan since 23 July 1970 and prime minister since 23 July 1972); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the monarch; elections: :the Ruling Family Council determines a successor from the Sultan's extended family; if the Council cannot form a consensus within three days of the Sultan's death or incapacitation, the Defense Council will relay a predetermined heir as chosen by the Sultan", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Omani rials (OMR) per US dollar -; 0.3845 (2014 est.); 0.3845 (2013 est.); 0.3845 (2012 est.); 0.3845 (2011 est.); 0.3845 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African", "DEATH_RATE": "3.38 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1996 (The Basic Law of the Sultanate of Oman serves as the constitution); latest amended by royal decree in 2011 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "UAE 24.1%, Japan 11%, India 10.4%, China 6.7%, US 5.3% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "2,092 km", "CLIMATE": "dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants", "CAPITAL": "name: :Muscat; geographic coordinates: :23 37 N, 58 35 E; time difference: :UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$40.09 billion; expenditures: :$37.65 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Sultan's Armed Forces (SAF): Royal Army of Oman, Royal Navy of Oman, Royal Air Force of Oman (al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Sultanat Oman) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "24.47 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "132 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables; camels, cattle; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "11 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazat); Ad Dakhiliyah, Al Buraymi, Al Wusta, Az Zahirah, Janub al Batinah (Al Batinah South), Janub ash Sharqiyah (Ash Sharqiyah South), Masqat (Muscat), Musandam, Shamal al Batinah (Al Batinah North), Shamal ash Sharqiyah (Ash Sharqiyah North), Zufar (Dhofar)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 38.2%, Japan 10.3%, UAE 10%, South Korea 8.7%, India 5.6% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :NA%; industry: :NA%; services: :NA%", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "8.61% of GDP (2012); 6.13% of GDP (2011); 8.61% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; limited natural freshwater resources", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :119; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :7; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :51; 914 to 1,523 m: :33; 26 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :13; over 3,047 m: :7; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :5; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The inhabitants of the area of Oman have long prospered on Indian Ocean trade. In the late 18th century, a newly established sultanate in Muscat signed the first in a series of friendship treaties with Britain. Over time, Oman's dependence on British political and military advisors increased, but it never became a British colony. In 1970, QABOOS bin Said Al-Said overthrew his father, and has since ruled as sultan, but he has never designated a successor. His extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world while preserving the longstanding close ties with the UK. Oman's moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good relations with all Middle Eastern countries. Inspired by the popular uprisings that swept the Middle East and North Africa beginning in January 2011, some Omanis began staging marches, demonstrations, and sit-ins calling mostly for more jobs and economic benefits and an end to corruption. In response to those protester demands, QABOOS in 2011 pledged to implement economic and political reforms, such as granting legislative and regulatory powers to the Majlis al-Shura and introducing unemployment benefits. Additionally, in August 2012, the Sultan announced a royal directive mandating the speedy implementation of a national job creation plan for thousands of public and private sector jobs. As part of the government's efforts to decentralize authority and allow greater citizen participation in local governance, Oman successfully conducted its first municipal council elections in December 2012. Announced by the Sultan in 2011, the municipal councils will have the power to advise the Royal Court on the needs of local districts across Oman's 11 governorates. The Sultan left Oman in July 2014 for medical treatment in Germany and has not returned since.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :31,959; female: :30,264 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :837,886; females age 16-49: :642,427 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Kansas", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior; periodic droughts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Arabian Sea 0 m; highest point: :Jabal Shams 2,980 m", "HELIPORTS": "3 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.1 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.41 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.2 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :1.03 male(s)/female; total population: :1.22 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "13 (plus 25 repeaters) (1999)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 3, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :1.3%; industry: :55.2%; services: :43.5% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "21 00 N, 57 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :30.4% (male 501,352/female 476,333); 15-24 years: :19.9% (male 335,404/female 304,261); 25-54 years: :42.6% (male 801,539/female 569,187); 55-64 years: :3.9% (male 67,085/female 58,254); 65 years and over: :3.3% (male 53,320/female 53,040) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Pakistan", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Richard OLSON (since 31 October 2012); embassy: :Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad; mailing address: :8100 Islamabad Pl., Washington, DC 20521-8100; telephone: :[92; FAX: :[92; consulate(s) general: :Karachi; consulate(s): :Lahore, Peshawar", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$4,700 (2014 est.); $4,700 (2013 est.); $4,600 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "4.1% (2014 est.); 3.7% (2013 est.); 3.8% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.49% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$884.2 billion (2014 est.); $849.1 billion (2013 est.); $818.8 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :60.4%; youth dependency ratio: :53.4%; elderly dependency ratio: :7.1%; potential support ratio: :14.2% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "12.8% of GDP (2014 est.); 13.5% of GDP (2013 est.); 13% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :80.5%; government consumption: :12%; investment in fixed capital: :12.4%; investment in inventories: :1.6%; exports of goods and services: :12.3%; imports of goods and services: :-18.8%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "35.4% (2012/13)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "23.4; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2012/13 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "146.9 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "754.6 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "41.4 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "41.4 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "227,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "34,660 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "437,100 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "210,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "341.9 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "151,200 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "59,590 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "3.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "28.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "68% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "23.66 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "80.3 billion kWh (FY2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "89.88 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "star and crescent, jasmine; national colors: green, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :7.7%; male: :7%; female: :10.5% (2008 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "5.5% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.6 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.83 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "2.7% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "31.6% (2013)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "260 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-5.9% of GDP (FY2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "15.5% of GDP (FY2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "Karachi 16.126 million; Lahore 8.5 million; Faisalabad 3.46 million; Rawalpindi 2.432 million; Multan 1.874 million; ISLAMABAD (capital) 1.297 million; Gujranwala 2.053 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Qaumi Tarana\" (National Anthem); lyrics/music: :Abu-Al-Asar Hafeez JULLANDHURI/Ahmed Ghulamali CHAGLA; note: :adopted 1954; also known as \"Pak sarzamin shad bad\" (Blessed Be the Sacred Land)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 71.8% of population; rural: 33.6% of population; total: 47.4% of population; urban: 28.2% of population; rural: 66.4% of population; total: 52.4% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 95.7% of population; rural: 89% of population; total: 91.4% of population; urban: 4.3% of population; rural: 11% of population; total: 8.6% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$97.27 billion (31 October 2014 est.); $98.77 billion (30 June 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$76.42 billion (31 October 2014 est.); $77.62 billion (30 June 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "media is government regulated; 1 dominant state-owned TV broadcaster, Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV), operates a network consisting of 5 channels; private TV broadcasters are permitted; to date 69 foreign satellite channels are operational; the state-owned radio network operates more than 40 stations; nearly 100 commercially licensed privately owned radio stations provide programming mostly limited to music and talk shows (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :38.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.81% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$102 billion (31 October 2014 est.); $94.67 billion (30 June 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$NA (31 December 2008); $18.42 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$NA (31 December 2008); $52.76 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "9.7% (8 December 2014 est.); 9.98% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "9.5% (18 December 2014); 10% (31 December 2013)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.1% of GDP (2012)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :8 years; male: :8 years; female: :7 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :183.5 cu km/yr (5%/1%/94%); per capita: :1,038 cu m/yr (2008)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "246.8 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$43.68 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $32.76 billion (31 December 2011); $38.17 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$1.805 billion (30 June 2014 est.); $1.731 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$31.25 billion (30 June 2014 est.); $27.59 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Pakistan is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; the country�s deteriorating security situation and weak economy have dominated the government�s resources and attention; the largest human trafficking problem is bonded labor in agriculture, brickmaking and, to a lesser extent, mining and carpet-making; children are bought, sold, rented, and placed in forced begging rings, domestic service, small shops, brick kilns, or prostitution; militant groups also force children to spy, fight, or die as suicide bombers, kidnapping the children or getting them from poor parents through sale or coercion; women and girls are forced into prostitution or marriages; Pakistani adults migrate to the Gulf States and African and European states for low-skilled jobs and sometimes become victims of forced labor, debt bondage, or prostitution; foreign adults and children from Afghanistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Tanzania, and Bangladesh may be subject to forced labor, and foreign women may be sex trafficked in Pakistan, with refugees and minorities being most vulnerable; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Pakistan does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; officials continue to focus on trafficking as a transnational problem and lack the political will to address the issue unless pressured by the media and activists; the government does not prohibit and penalize all forms of trafficking and has not submitted a draft anti-trafficking bill to the National Assembly or Senate; authorities have yet to convict any offenders under the Bonded Labor System Act since it came into force in 1992; trafficking and smuggling continue to be conflated, with trafficking victims often prosecuted for prostitution or other crimes committed as a result of trafficking; Pakistan does not have systematic methods for identifying trafficking victims among vulnerable population and referring them to protective services (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$237.5 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :3 million (1.6 million registered, 1.4 million undocumented) (Afghanistan) (2015); IDPs: :1,946,559 (primarily those who remain displaced by counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations and violent conflict between armed non-state groups in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber-Paktunkwa Province; more than one million displaced in Northern Waziristan in 2014; individuals also have been displaced by repeated monsoon floods) (2014)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever and malaria; animal contact disease: :rabies; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$14.41 billion (30 June 2014 est.); $10.83 billion (30 June 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$2.971 billion (FY2014 est.); -$2.496 billion (FY2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "64.3% of GDP (FY2014 est.); 64.8% of GDP (FY2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "365,813 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :22.6 years; male: :22.6 years; female: :22.6 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "29.6 (FY2011); 30 (FY2008)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "2,200 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "68,000 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.07% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".pk", "INTERNET_USERS": "20.431 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "125 million (2013)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "5.803 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Jalil Abbas JILANI (since 10 March 2014); chancery: :3517 International Court, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles; consulate(s): :Louisville (KY), San Francisco", "AREA": "total: :796,095 sq km; land: :770,875 sq km; water: :25,220 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "199,900 sq km (2008)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Asia", "LOCATION": "Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Islamic Republic of Pakistan; conventional short form: :Pakistan; local long form: :Jamhuryat Islami Pakistan; local short form: :Pakistan; former: :West Pakistan", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "6.8% (FY2014 est.); 6.2% (2013 est.); note: :substantial underemployment exists", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "federal republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.86 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest; Balochistan plateau in west", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :the telecommunications infrastructure is improving dramatically with foreign and domestic investments in fixed-line and mobile-cellular networks; system consists of microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, cellular, and satellite networks;; domestic: :mobile-cellular subscribership has skyrocketed, exceeding 110 million by the end of 2011, up from only about 300,000 in 2000; more than 90 percent of Pakistanis live within areas that have cell phone coverage and more than half of all Pakistanis have access to a cell phone; fiber systems are being constructed throughout the country to aid in network growth; fixed line availability has risen only marginally over the same period and there are still difficulties getting fixed-line service to rural areas; international: :country code - 92; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable systems that provide links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); 3 operational international gateway exchanges (1 at Karachi and 2 at Islamabad); microwave radio relay to neighboring countries (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal; note - there are joint electorates and reserved parliamentary seats for women and non-Muslims", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim (official) 96.4% (Sunni 85-90%, Shia 10-15%), other (includes Christian and Hindu) 3.6% (2010 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :7,791 km; broad gauge: :7,479 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified); narrow gauge: :312 km 1.000-m gauge (2007)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Karachi, Port Muhammad Bin Qasim; container port(s) (TEUs): :Karachi (1,545,434)", "POPULATION": "196,174,380 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Awami National Party or ANP [Asfandyar Wali KHAN; Balochistan National Party-Awami or BNP-A; Balochistan National Party-Hayee Group or BNP-H [Dr. Abdul Hayee BALOCH; Balochistan National Party-Mengal or BNP-M [Sardar Akhtar Jan MENGAL; Jamaat-i Islami or JI [Sirajul HAQ; Jamhoori Watan Party or JWP [[Nawab Akbar BUGTI; Jamiat Ahle Hadith or JAH [Sajid MIR; Jamiat-i Ulema-i Islam Fazl-ur Rehman or JUI-F [Fazl-ur REHMAN; Jamiat-i Ulema-i Islam Sami-ul HAQ or JUI-S [Sami ul-HAQ; Jamiat-i Ulema-i Pakistan or JUP [Abul Khair ZUBAIR; Tehreek-e-Jafferia Pakistan [Allama Sajid NAQVI; Muttahida Qaumi Movement or MQM [Altaf HUSSAIN; Pakhtun-khwa Milli Awami Party or PKMAP [Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI; Pakistan Awami Tehrik or PAT [Tahir ul QADRI; Pakistan Muslim League-Functional or PML-F [Pir PAGARO; Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz or PML-N [Nawaz SHARIF; Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-i Azam or PML-Q [Chaudhry Shujaat HUSSAIN; Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians or PPPP [Bilawal Bhutto ZARDARI, chairman; Asif Ali ZARDARI, co-chairman; Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaaf or PTI [Imran KHAN; Quami Watan Party or QWP [Aftab Ahmed Khan SHERPAO; note: :political alliances in Pakistan can shift frequently", "PIPELINES": "gas 12,646 km; oil 2,576 km; refined products 1,087 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Decades of internal political disputes and low levels of foreign investment have led to slow growth and underdevelopment in Pakistan. Agriculture accounts for more than one-fourth of output and two-fifths of employment. Textiles account for most of Pakistan's export earnings, and Pakistan's failure to diversify its exportshas left the country vulnerable to shifts in world demand. Official unemployment was 6.9% in 2014, but this fails to capture the true picture, because much of the economy is informal and underemployment remains high. Pakistan�s human development continues to lag behind most of the region.. As a result of political and macroeconomic instability, the Pakistani rupee has depreciated more than 40% since 2007. The government agreed to an International Monetary Fund Standby Arrangement in November 2008 to preventa balance of payments crisis, but the IMF ended the Arrangement early because of Pakistan�s failure to implement required reforms. The economy has stabilized, it continues to underperform and foreign investment has not returned to levels seen during themid-2000�s, due to investor concerns related to governance, electricity shortages, , and a slow-down in the global economy. Remittances from overseas workers, averaging more than$1 billion a month, remain a bright spot for Pakistan. After a small current account surplus in fiscal year 2011 (July 2010/June 2011), Pakistan's current account turned to a deficit where it remained through 2014, spurred by higher prices for imported oil and lower prices for exported cotton. In September 2013, after facing balance of payments concerns, Pakistan entered into a three-year, $6.7 billion IMF Extended Fund Facility. The Sharif government has since made modest progress implementing fiscal and energy reforms, and in December 2014 the IMF described Pakistan�s progress as �broadly on track.� Pakistan remains stuck in a low-income, low-growth trap, with growth averaging about 3.5% per year from 2008 to 2014. Pakistan must address long standing issues related to government revenues and the electricity and natural gas sectorsin order to spur the amount of economic growth that will be necessary to employ its growing and rapidly urbanizing population, more than half of which is under 22. Other long term challenges include expanding investment in education and healthcare, adapting to the effects of climate change and natural disasters, and reducing dependence on foreign donors.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :military; ulema (clergy); landowners; industrialists; small merchants", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-1.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "arable land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Pakistani(s); adjective: :Pakistani", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Pakistan Day (also referred to as Pakistan Resolution Day or Republic Day), 23 March (1940); note - commemorates both the adoption of the Lahore Resolution by the All-India Muslim League during its 22-24 March 1940 session, which called for the creation of independent Muslim states, and the adoption of the first constitution of Pakistan on 23 March 1956 during the transition to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :11; by type: :bulk carrier 5, cargo 3, petroleum tanker 3; registered in other countries: :11 (Comoros 5, Marshall Islands 1, Moldova 1, Panama 3, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), C, CICA, CP, D-8, ECO, FAO, G-11, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :48,453,305; females age 16-49: :44,898,096 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :54.7%; male: :67%; female: :42% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :67.05 years; male: :65.16 years; female: :69.03 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral parliament or Majlis-e-Shoora consists of the Senate (104 seats; members indirectly elected by the 4 provincial assemblies and the territories' representatives by proportional representation vote; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years) and the National Assembly (342 seats; 272 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 70 members - 60 women and 10 non-Muslims - directly elected by proportional representation vote; all members serve 5-year terms); elections: :Senate - last held on 2 March 2012 (next to be held in March 2015); National Assembly - last held on 11 May 2013 (next to be held by 2018); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPPP 41, PML-N 14, ANP 12, JUI-F 7, MQM 7, PML-Q 5, BNP-A 4, NPP 1, PML-F 1, independent 12; National Assembly - percent of votes by party - NA; seats by party as of June 2013) - PML-N 126, PPPP 31, PTI 28, MQM 18, JUI-F 10, PML-F 5, other 22, independent 25, unfilled seats 7; 60 seats reserved for women, 10 seats reserved for non-Muslims", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "common law system with Islamic law influence", "LANGUAGES": "Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Saraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashto (alternate name, Pashtu) 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English (official; lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski, and other 8%", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :27.48%; permanent crops: :1.11%; other: :71.41% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :7,257 km; border countries: :Afghanistan 2,670 km, China 438 km, India 3,190 km, Iran 959 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "62.42 million; note: :extensive export of labor, mostly to the Middle East, and use of child labor (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Pakistan (consists of the chief justice and 16 judges); judge selection and term of office: :justices nominated by an 8-member Majlis-e-Shoora (parliamentary) Committee upon the recommendation of the Judicial Commission (a 9-member body of several judges and other judicial professionals), and appointed by the president of Pakistan; justices can serve until age 65; subordinate courts: :High Courts; Federal Shariat Court; provincial and district civil and criminal courts; specialized courts for issues such as taxation, banking, customs, etc.", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "8.6% (FY2014 est.); 7.4% (FY2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :57.48 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :60.67 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :54.13 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "textiles and apparel, food processing, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, paper products, fertilizer, shrimp", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "5.8% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "14 August 1947 (from British India)", "IMPORTS": "$45.07 billion (FY2014 est.); $44.95 billion (FY2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "significant transit area for Afghan drugs, including heroin, opium, morphine, and hashish, bound for Iran, Western markets, the Gulf States, Africa, and Asia; financial crimes related to drug trafficking, terrorism, corruption, and smuggling remain problems; opium poppy cultivation estimated to be 2,300 hectares in 2007 with 600 of those hectares eradicated; federal and provincial authorities continue to conduct anti-poppy campaigns that utilizes forced eradication, fines, and arrests", "ROADWAYS": "total: :262,256 km; paved: :189,218 km (includes 708 km of expressways); unpaved: :73,038 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "green with a vertical white band (symbolizing the role of religious minorities) on the hoist side; a large white crescent and star are centered in the green field; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 July - 30 June", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$62.33 billion (30 June 2014 est.); $57.8 billion (30 June 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$25.11 billion (FY2014 est.); $24.46 billion (FY2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Mamnoon HUSSAIN (since 9 September 2013); head of government: :Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz SHARIF (since 5 June 2013); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president upon the advice of the prime minister; elections: :president indirectly elected by the Electoral College comprising members of the Senate, National Assembly, and provincial assemblies for a 5 year term; election last held on 30 July 2013 (next to be held in 2018); prime minister selected by the National Assembly; election results: :Mamnoon HUSSAIN elected president; Mamnoon HUSSAIN 432 votes, Wajihuddin AHMED 77 votes", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Pakistani rupees (PKR) per US dollar -; 102.89 (FY2014 est.); 96.86 (FY2013 est.); 93.4 (2012 est.); 86.3434 (2011 est.); 85.194 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Punjabi 44.68%, Pashtun (Pathan) 15.42%, Sindhi 14.1%, Sariaki 8.38%, Muhajirs 7.57%, Balochi 3.57%, other 6.28%", "DEATH_RATE": "6.58 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest endorsed 12 April 1973, passed 19 April 1973, entered into force 14 August 1973 (suspended and restored several times); amended many times, last in 2012 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 17.1%, UAE 16.4%, Saudi Arabia 9.9%, Kuwait 7.5%, India 4.5% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "1,046 km", "CLIMATE": "mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, plastics, transportation equipment, edible oils, paper and paperboard, iron and steel, tea", "CAPITAL": "name: :Islamabad; geographic coordinates: :33 41 N, 73 03 E; time difference: :UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$36.92 billion; expenditures: :$51.02 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Pakistan Army (includes National Guard), Pakistan Navy (includes Marines and Maritime Security Agency), Pakistan Air Force (Pakistan Fiza'ya) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "23.19 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "151 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; milk, beef, mutton, eggs", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "4 provinces, 1 territory*, and 1 capital territory**; Balochistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital Territory**, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly North-West Frontier Province), Punjab, Sindh; note: :the Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region consists of two administrative entities: Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 15%, China 9.6%, Afghanistan 7.5%, UK 6.3%, Germany 4.6% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "textiles (garments, bed linen, cotton cloth, yarn), rice, leather goods, sporting goods, chemicals, manufactures, carpets and rugs", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :44%; industry: :22%; services: :33% (FY2013 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :4.2%; highest 10%: :25.6% (FY07/08)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "12.4% (FY05/06 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "3.04% of GDP (2012); 3.13% of GDP (2011); 3.04% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Marine Life Conservation", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff; limited natural freshwater resources; most of the population does not have access to potable water; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :43; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :9; 914 to 1,523 m: :9; 24 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :108; over 3,047 m: :15; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :20; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :43; 914 to 1,523 m: :20; under 914 m: :10 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world and dating back at least 5,000 years, spread over much of what is presently Pakistan. During the second millennium B.C., remnants of this culture fused with the migrating Indo-Aryan peoples. The area underwent successive invasions in subsequent centuries from the Persians, Greeks, Scythians, Arabs (who brought Islam), Afghans, and Turks. The Mughal Empire flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries; the British came to dominate the region in the 18th century. The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with West and East sections) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved, and India and Pakistan fought two wars - in 1947-48 and 1965 - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A third war between these countries in 1971 - in which India capitalized on Islamabad's marginalization of Bengalis in Pakistani politics - resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. India-Pakistan relations have been rocky since the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, but both countries are taking small steps to put relations back on track. In February 2008, Pakistan held parliamentary elections and in September 2008, after the resignation of former President MUSHARRAF, elected Asif Ali ZARDARI to the presidency. Pakistani government and military leaders are struggling to control domestic insurgents, many of whom are located in the tribal areas adjacent to the border with Afghanistan.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :2,237,723; female: :2,104,906 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :37,945,440; females age 16-49: :37,381,549 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "16-23 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed for combat until age 18; the Pakistani Air Force and Pakistani Navy have inducted their first female pilots and sailors; the Pakistan Air Force recruits aviation technicians at age 15; service obligation (Navy) 10-18 years; retirement required after 18-30 years service or age 40-52 (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly more than five times the size of Georgia; slightly less than twice the size of California", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August)", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Indian Ocean 0 m; highest point: :K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m", "HELIPORTS": "23 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.08 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.89 male(s)/female; total population: :1.06 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "20 (5 state-run channels and 15 privately-owned satellite channels) (2006)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 31, FM 68, shortwave NA (2006)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :25.1%; industry: :21.3%; services: :53.6% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "30 00 N, 70 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :33.3% (male 33,595,949/female 31,797,766); 15-24 years: :21.5% (male 21,803,617/female 20,463,184); 25-54 years: :35.7% (male 36,390,119/female 33,632,395); 55-64 years: :5.1% (male 5,008,681/female 5,041,434); 65 years and over: :4.3% (male 3,951,190/female 4,490,045) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Palau", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Helen P. REED-ROWE (since 27 September 2013); embassy: :Koror (no street address); mailing address: :P. O. Box 6028, Koror, Republic of Palau 96940; telephone: :[680; FAX: :[680", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$15,100 (2014 est.); $14,900 (2013 est.); $14,900 (2012 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.8% (2014 est.); -0.2% (2013 est.); 5.5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.37% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$272 million (2014 est.); $267.3 million (2013 est.); $267.9 million (2012 est.); note: :GDP estimate includes US subsidy", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "bai (native meeting house); national colors: blue, yellow", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "48.9% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "4.8 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.38 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "9.5% of GDP (2012)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2% of GDP (2010 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "34.4% of GDP (2010 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "MELEKEOK (capital) 299 (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Belau rekid\" (Our Palau); lyrics/music: :multiple/Ymesei O. EZEKIEL; note: :adopted 1980", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 97% of population; rural: 86% of population; total: 95.3% of population; urban: 3% of population; rural: 14% of population; total: 4.7% of population (2011 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "no TV stations; a cable TV network covers the major islands and provides access to rebroadcasts, on a delayed basis, of a number of US stations as well as access to a number of real-time satellite TV channels; about a half dozen radio stations with 1 government-owned (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :86.5% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.66% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "7.3% of GDP (2002)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$259 million (2014 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$20.8 million (2010 est.); $15.09 million (FY03/04)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "4 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :33 years; male: :32.5 years; female: :34.2 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".pw", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "17,150 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "7,300 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Hersey KYOTA (since 12 November 1997); chancery: :1701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s): :Tamuning (Guam)", "AREA": "total: :459 sq km; land: :459 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Palau; conventional short form: :Palau; local long form: :Beluu er a Belau; local short form: :Belau; former: :Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Palau District", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the US; under a Compact of Free Association between Palau and the US, the US military is granted access to the islands for 50 years, but it has not stationed any military forces there (2008)", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "4.2% (2005 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force on 1 October 1994", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.71 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "varying geologically from the high, mountainous main island of Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier reefs", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "domestic: :fixed-line and mobile-cellular services available with a combined subscribership of roughly 100 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 680; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2009)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 49.4%, Protestant 30.9% (includes Protestant (general) 23.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 5.3%, and other Protestant 2.5%), Modekngei 8.7% (indigenous to Palau), Jehovah's Witnesses 1.1%, other 8.8%, none or unspecified 1.1% (2005 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Koror", "POPULATION": "21,186 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "none", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The economy consists of tourism and other services such as trade, subsistence agriculture, and fishing. Government is a major employer of the work force relying on financial assistance from the US under the Compact of Free Association (Compact) with the US. The Compact took effect, after the end of the UN trusteeship on 1 October 1994. The US provided Palau with roughly $700 million in aid for the first 15 years following commencement of the Compact in 1994 in return for unrestricted access to its land and waterways for strategic purposes. Business and leisure tourist arrivals numbered over 109,000 in 2011, for a 27% increase over 2010. The population enjoys a per capita income roughly double that of the Philippines and much of Micronesia. Long-run prospects for tourism have been bolstered by the expansion of air travel in the Pacific, the rising prosperity of industrial East Asia, and the willingness of foreigners to finance infrastructure development. Proximity to Guam, the region's major destination for tourists from East Asia, and a regionally competitive tourist infrastructure enhance Palau's advantage as a destination.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "westernmost archipelago in the Caroline chain, consists of six island groups totaling more than 300 islands; includes World War II battleground of Beliliou (Peleliu) and world-famous rock islands", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products, deep-seabed minerals", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Palauan(s); adjective: :Palauan", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Constitution Day, 9 July (1979)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, ADB, AOSIS, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, IOC, IPU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :3 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :6,987 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :99.5%; male: :99.5%; female: :99.6% (2013 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :72.6 years; male: :69.43 years; female: :75.96 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral National Congress or Olbiil Era Kelulau consists of the Senate (9 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by majority vote to serve 4-year terms) and the House of Delegates (16 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms); elections: :Senate - last held on 6 November 2012 (next to be held in November 2016); House of Delegates - last held on 6 November 2012 (next to be held in November 2016); election results: :Senate - percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9; House of Delegates - percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 16", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of civil, common, and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "Palauan (official on most islands) 66.6%, Carolinian 0.7%, other Micronesian 0.7%, English (official) 15.5%, Filipino 10.8%, Chinese 1.8%, other Asian 2.6%, other 1.3%; note: :Sonsoral (Sonsoralese and English are official), Tobi (Tobi and English are official), and Angaur (Angaur, Japanese, and English are official) (2005 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :2.17%; permanent crops: :4.35%; other: :93.48% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "9,777 (2005)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 3 associate justices organized into appellate trial divisions; also within the Supreme Court organization are the Common Pleas and Land Courts); judge selection and term of office: :justices nominated by a 7-member independent body consisting of judges, presidential appointees, and lawyers, and appointed by the president; judges appointed until mandatory retirement at age 65; subordinate courts: :National Court and other 'inferior' courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "7.7% (2013 est.); 9.7% (2012 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :11.46 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :13.01 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :9.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, craft items (from shell, wood, pearls), construction, garment making", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "INDEPENDENCE": "1 October 1994 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship)", "IMPORTS": "$113.4 million (2010 est.); $107.3 million (2004 est.)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "light blue with a large yellow disk shifted slightly to the hoist side; the blue color represents the ocean, the disk represents the moon; Palauans consider the full moon to be the optimum time for human activity; it is also considered a symbol of peace, love, and tranquility; blue and yellow are the national colors", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 October - 30 September", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$0 (FY99/00)", "EXPORTS": "$12.3 million (2010 est.); $5.882 million (2004 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Tommy REMENGESAU (since 17 January 2013); Vice President Antonio BELLS (since 17 January 2013); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Tommy REMENGESAU (since 17 January 2013); Vice President Antonio BELLS (since 17 January 2013); cabinet: :NA; elections: :president and vice president elected on separate tickets by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held on 6 November 2012 (next to be held in November 2016); election results: :Tommy REMENGESAU elected president; percent of vote - Tommy REMENGESAU 58%, Johnson TORIBIONG 42%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "the US dollar is used", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Palauan (Micronesian with Malayan and Melanesian admixtures) 72.5%, Carolinian 1%, other Micronesian 2.4%, Filipino 16.3%, Chinese 1.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other Asian 3.4%, white 0.9%, other 0.3% (2005 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "7.93 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "ratified 9 July 1980, effective 1 January 1981; amended 1992, 2004 (2011)", "COASTLINE": "1,519 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, fuels, metals; foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Melekeok; geographic coordinates: :7 29 N, 134 38 E; time difference: :UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$89 million; expenditures: :$94.3 million (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces; Palau National Police (2009)", "BIRTH_RATE": "10.95 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "3 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coconuts, copra, cassava (manioc, tapioca), sweet potatoes; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "16 states; Aimeliik, Airai, Angaur, Hatohobei, Kayangel, Koror, Melekeok, Ngaraard, Ngarchelong, Ngardmau, Ngatpang, Ngchesar, Ngeremlengui, Ngiwal, Peleliu, Sonsorol", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "shellfish, tuna, copra, garments", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :20%; industry: :NA%; services: :NA% (1990)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "inadequate facilities for disposal of solid waste; threats to the marine ecosystem from sand and coral dredging, illegal fishing practices, and overfishing", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "After three decades as part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific under US administration, this westernmost cluster of the Caroline Islands opted for independence in 1978 rather than join the Federated States of Micronesia. A Compact of Free Association with the US was approved in 1986 but not ratified until 1993. It entered into force the following year when the islands gained independence.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :216; female: :222 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :5,272; females age 16-49: :3,969 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "typhoons (June to December)", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mount Ngerchelchuus 242 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.56 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.1 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.4 male(s)/female; total population: :1.12 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (cable) (2005)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :3.2%; industry: :20%; services: :76.8% (2012 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "7 30 N, 134 30 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :20.5% (male 2,239/female 2,101); 15-24 years: :17.4% (male 1,835/female 1,855); 25-54 years: :46.4% (male 5,985/female 3,842); 55-64 years: :8.6% (male 642/female 1,188); 65 years and over: :7.1% (male 410/female 1,089) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Panama", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Jonathan D. FARRAR (since 15 May 2012); embassy: :Edificio 783, Avenida Demetrio Basilio Lakas Panama, Apartado Postal 0816-02561, Zona 5, Panama City; mailing address: :American Embassy Panama, Unit 0945, APO AA 34002; American Embassy Panama, 9100 Panama City PL, Washington, DC 20521-9100; telephone: :[507; FAX: :[507", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$20,300 (2014 est.); $19,400 (2013 est.); $18,200 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "6.6% (2014 est.); 8.4% (2013 est.); 10.8% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.35% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$76.95 billion (2014 est.); $72.18 billion (2013 est.); $66.61 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :54.7%; youth dependency ratio: :43.2%; elderly dependency ratio: :11.4%; potential support ratio: :8.7% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "19% of GDP (2014 est.); 18.1% of GDP (2013 est.); 18% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :52.9%; government consumption: :11.3%; investment in fixed capital: :28.7%; investment in inventories: :5.8%; exports of goods and services: :75.3%; imports of goods and services: :-74%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "52.2% (2009)", "DEMOGRAPHIC_PROFILE": "Panama is a country of demographic and economic contrasts. It is in the midst of a demographic transition, characterized by steadily declining rates of fertility, mortality, and population growth, but disparities persist based on wealth, geography, and ethnicity. Panama has one of the fastest growing economies in Latin America and dedicates substantial funding to social programs, yet poverty and inequality remain prevalent. The indigenous population accounts for a growing share of Panama's poor and extreme poor, while the non-indigenous rural poor have been more successful at rising out of poverty through rural-to-urban labor migration. The government's large expenditures on untargeted, indirect subsidies for water, electricity, and fuel have been ineffective, but its conditional cash transfer program has shown some promise in helping to decrease extreme poverty among the indigenous population.; Panama has expanded access to education and clean water, but the availability of sanitation and, to a lesser extent, electricity remains poor. The increase in secondary schooling - led by female enrollment - is spreading to rural and indigenous areas, which probably will help to alleviate poverty if educational quality and the availability of skilled jobs improve. Inadequate access to sanitation contributes to a high incidence of diarrhea in Panama's children, which is one of the main causes of Panama's elevated chronic malnutrition rate, especially among indigenous communities.", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :59,294; percentage: :7%; note: :data represents children ages 5-17 (2010 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "16.23 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "111,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "101,400 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "56.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "43.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "2.391 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "19 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "59 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "6.626 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "7.642 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "harpy eagle; national colors: blue, white, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :10.3%; male: :8.7%; female: :13.3% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "25.4% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.2 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.55 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "7.6% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "3.9% (2008)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "92 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-4.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "24.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "PANAMA CITY (capital) 1.638 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Himno Istmeno\" (Isthmus Hymn); lyrics/music: :Jeronimo DE LA OSSA/Santos A. JORGE; note: :adopted 1925", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 79.7% of population; rural: 52.5% of population; total: 73.2% of population; urban: 20.3% of population; rural: 47.5% of population; total: 26.8% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 96.8% of population; rural: 86.6% of population; total: 94.3% of population; urban: 3.2% of population; rural: 13.4% of population; total: 5.7% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$28.22 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $25.81 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$6.887 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $6.347 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "multiple privately owned TV networks and a government-owned educational TV station; multi-channel cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; more than 100 commercial radio stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :66.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.07% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$40.11 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $28.83 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$15.84 billion (31 December 2008); $14.05 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$3.764 billion (31 December 2008); $3.054 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "6.6% (31 December 2014 est.); 6.59% (31 December 2013 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.5% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :12 years; male: :12 years; female: :13 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.91 cu km/yr (27%/2%/71%); per capita: :296.1 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "148 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$12.54 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $10.68 billion (31 December 2011); $8.348 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$8.34 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $7.835 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$39.39 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $35.69 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Panama is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; most Panamanian victims are sexually exploited domestically; indigenous girls and women are also forced into domestic servitude in the country; foreign women from nearby countries migrate to Panama legally but some are subsequently exploited in sex trafficking or, to a lesser extent, in domestic service; Chinese adults and men from neighboring countries are subjected to debt bondage, while Colombian and Middle Eastern men are used as forced labor in restaurants; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Panama does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; several public awareness events were conducted in 2013, but the government did not demonstrate overall increasing anti-trafficking efforts; authorities did not report whether any internal sex trafficking or forced labor involving the movement of victims was investigated or prosecuted in 2013; many officials lack an understanding of human trafficking; fewer trafficking victims were identified and assisted in 2013; victim assistance mechanisms required by Panamanian law were not implemented (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$44.69 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :15,962 (Colombia) (2014)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :intermediate; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea; vectorborne disease: :dengue fever (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$3.048 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.848 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$4.288 billion (2014 est.); -$4.806 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "37.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 36.8% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "11,022 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :28.3 years; male: :27.9 years; female: :28.7 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "51.9 (2010 est.); 56.1 (2003)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "15,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.65% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".pa", "INTERNET_USERS": "959,800 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "6.77 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "640,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Emanuel Arturo GONZALEZ-REVILLA Lince (since 18 September 2014); chancery: :2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Honolulu, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, Tampa, Washington DC", "AREA": "total: :75,420 sq km; land: :74,340 sq km; water: :1,080 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "346.2 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Panama; conventional short form: :Panama; local long form: :Republica de Panama; local short form: :Panama", "MILITARY___NOTE": "on 10 February 1990, the government of then President ENDARA abolished Panama's military and reformed the security apparatus by creating the Panamanian Public Forces; in October 1994, Panama's Legislative Assembly approved a constitutional amendment prohibiting the creation of a standing military force but allowing the temporary establishment of special police units to counter acts of \"external aggression\"", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "4.5% (2014 est.); 4.1% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.38 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :domestic and international facilities well-developed; domestic: :mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has increased rapidly; international: :country code - 507; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1), the MAYA-1, and PAN-AM submarine cable systems that together provide links to the US and parts of the Caribbean, Central America, and South America; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to the Central American Microwave System (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal and compulsory", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :76 km; standard gauge: :76 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Balboa, Colon, Cristobal; container port(s) (TEUs): :Balboa (3,232,265), Colon (2,390,976), Manzanillo (2,391,066)", "POPULATION": "3,608,431 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Democratic Change or CD [Ricardo MARTINELLI Berrocal; Democratic Revolutionary Party or PRD [Juan Carlos NAVARRO Quelquejeu; Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement or MOLIRENA [Sergio GONZALEZ-Ruiz; Panamenista Party [Juan Carlos VARELA Rodriguez; Popular Party or PP [Milton HENRIQUEZ", "PIPELINES": "oil 128 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Panama's dollar-based economy rests primarily on a well-developed services sector that accounts for more than three-quarters of GDP. Services include operating the Panama Canal, logistics, banking, the Colon Free Trade Zone, insurance, container ports, flagship registry, and tourism. Economic growth will be bolstered by the Panama Canal expansion project that began in 2007 and is estimated to be completed by 2016 at a cost of $5.3 billion - about 10-15% of current GDP. The expansion project will more than double the Canal's capacity, enabling it to accommodate ships that are too large to traverse the existing canal. The United States and China are the top users of the Canal. Panama completed a metro system in Panama City, valued at $1.2 billion in 2014. Panama's transportation and logistics services sectors, along with infrastructure development projects, have boosted economic growth; however, public debt surpassed $17 billion in 2014 because of excessive government spending and public works projects. Foreign direct investment, has continued to be a source of growth. Strong economic performance has not translated into broadly shared prosperity, as Panama has the second worst income distribution in Latin America. About one-fourth of the population lives in poverty; however, from 2006 to 2012 poverty was reduced by 10 percentage points. The US-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement was approved by Congress and signed into law in October 2011, and entered into force in October 2012.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Chamber of Commerce; Concertacion Nacional (mechanism for government of Panama to formally dialogue with representatives of civil society); National Council of Organized Workers or CONATO; National Council of Private Enterprise or CONEP; National Union of Construction and Similar Workers (SUNTRACS); Panamanian Association of Business Executives or APEDE; Panamanian Industrialists Society or SIP; Workers Confederation of the Republic of Panama or CTRP", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Panamanian(s); adjective: :Panamanian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 3 November (1903)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :6,413; by type: :barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 2,525, cargo 1,115, carrier 27, chemical tanker 588, combination ore/oil 1, container 742, liquefied gas 205, passenger 42, passenger/cargo 51, petroleum tanker 545, refrigerated cargo 191, roll on/roll off 87, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 290; foreign-owned: :5,162 (Albania 4, Argentina 5, Australia 4, Bahamas 6, Bangladesh 5, Belgium 1, Bermuda 27, Brazil 3, Bulgaria 6, Burma 3, Canada 6, Chile 14, China 534, Colombia 2, Croatia 2, Cuba 2, Cyprus 5, Denmark 41, Ecuador 3, Egypt 11, Finland 2, France 7, Gabon 1, Germany 24, Gibraltar 1, Greece 379, Hong Kong 144, India 24, Indonesia 10, Iran 5, Ireland 1, Israel 1, Italy 25, Japan 2372, Jordan 11, Kuwait 12, Lebanon 2, Lithuania 3, Luxembourg 1, Malaysia 12, Maldives 2, Malta 2, Mexico 5, Monaco 11, Netherlands 6, Nigeria 6, Norway 81, Oman 10, Pakistan 3, Peru 9, Philippines 5, Portugal 10, Qatar 1, Romania 3, Russia 49, Saudi Arabia 11, Singapore 92, South Korea 373, Spain 30, Sweden 2, Switzerland 15, Syria 34, Taiwan 328, Tanzania 2, Thailand 6, Turkey 62, UAE 83, UK 37, Ukraine 8, US 90, Venezuela 13, Vietnam 43, Yemen 4); registered in other countries: :1 (Honduras 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "BCIE, CAN (observer), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, SICA, UN, UNASUR (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm or edge of continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :890,006 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :94.1%; male: :94.7%; female: :93.5% (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :78.3 years; male: :75.51 years; female: :81.22 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (71 seats; 45 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies - populous towns and cities - by proportional representation vote and 26 directly elected in single-seat constituencies - outlying rural districts - by plurality vote; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 4 May 2014 (next to be held in May 2019); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRD 25, CD 30, Panamenista 12, MOLIRENA 2, PP 1, independent 1; note - only 57 deputies were officially installed because fourteen runners-up challenged the election", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Justice", "LANGUAGES": "Spanish (official), indigenous languages (including Ngabe, Bugle, Kuna, Embera, Wounaan, Naso Tjerdi, and Bri Bri); note: :many Panamanians are bilingual", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :7.2%; permanent crops: :2.56%; other: :90.25% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :687 km; border countries: :Colombia 339 km, Costa Rica 348 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "1.563 million; note: :shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 9 magistrates and 9 alternates and divided into civil, criminal, administrative, and general business chambers); judge selection and term of office: :magistrates appointed by the president for staggered 10-year terms; subordinate courts: :appellate courts or Tribunal Superior; Labor Supreme Courts; Court of Audit; circuit courts or Tribunal Circuital (2 each in 9 of the 10 provinces); municipal courts; electoral, family, maritime, and adolescent courts", "WATERWAYS": "800 km (includes the 82-km Panama Canal that is being widened) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.9% (2014 est.); 4% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :10.7 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :11.46 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :9.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "construction, brewing, cement and other construction materials, sugar milling", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "8.2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain on 28 November 1821)", "IMPORTS": "$25.65 billion (2014 est.); $24.26 billion (2013 est.); note: :includes the Colon Free Zone", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "major cocaine transshipment point and primary money-laundering center for narcotics revenue; money-laundering activity is especially heavy in the Colon Free Zone; offshore financial center; negligible signs of coca cultivation; monitoring of financial transactions is improving; official corruption remains a major problem", "ROADWAYS": "total: :15,137 km; paved: :6,351 km; unpaved: :8,786 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white (hoist side) with a blue five-pointed star in the center and plain red; the bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star in the center; the blue and red colors are those of the main political parties (Conservatives and Liberals respectively) and the white denotes peace between them; the blue star stands for the civic virtues of purity and honesty, the red star signifies authority and law", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$15.47 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $13.88 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$18.07 billion (2014 est.); $17.5 billion (2013 est.); note: :includes the Colon Free Zone", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Juan Carlos VARELA (since 1 July 2014); Vice President Isabel de SAINT MALO de Alvarado (since 1 July 2014); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Juan Carlos VARELA (since 1 July 2014); Vice President Isabel de SAINT MALO de Alvarado (since 1 July 2014); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president; elections: :president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms (president not eligible for immediate reelection and must sit out two additional terms (10 years) before becoming eligible for reelection); election last held on 4 May 2014 (next to be held in May 2019); election results: :Juan Carlos VARELA elected president; percent of vote - Juan Carlos VARELA 39.1%, Jose Domingo ARIAS 31.4%, Juan Carlos NAVARRO 28.2%, other 1.3%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "balboas (PAB) per US dollar -; 1 (2014 est.); 1 (2013 est.); 1 (2012 est.); 1 (2011 est.); 1 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 65%, Native American 12.3% (Ngabe 7.6%, Kuna 2.4%, Embera .9%, Bugle .8%, other .4%, unspecified .2%), black or African descent 9.2%, mulatto 6.8%, white 6.7% (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "4.77 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest effective 11 October 1972; amended several times, last in 2004 (2010)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 19%, China 14.8%, Singapore 13.1%, Japan 9.5%, Brazil 8.2%, Colombia 5.1% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "2,490 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fuels, machinery, vehicles, iron and steel rods, pharmaceuticals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Panama City; geographic coordinates: :8 58 N, 79 32 W; time difference: :UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$10.86 billion; expenditures: :$12.69 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces; Panamanian Public Security Forces (subordinate to the Ministry of Public Security), comprising the National Police (PNP), National Air-Naval Service (SENAN), National Border Service (SENAFRONT) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "18.61 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "117 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane, vegetables; livestock; shrimp", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "10 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 3 indigenous territories* (comarcas); Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Embera-Wounaan*, Herrera, Kuna Yala*, Los Santos, Ngobe-Bugle*, Panama, Panama Oeste, Veraguas", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Ecuador 33.9%, US 11.4%, Japan 8.8% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fruit and nuts, fish, iron and steel waste, wood", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :17%; industry: :18.6%; services: :64.4% (2009 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.1%; highest 10%: :40.1% (2010 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "26% (2012 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :Marine Life Conservation", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "water pollution from agricultural runoff threatens fishery resources; deforestation of tropical rain forest; land degradation and soil erosion threatens siltation of Panama Canal; air pollution in urban areas; mining threatens natural resources", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :60; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :8; 51 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :57; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :3; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :20; under 914 m: :30 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Explored and settled by the Spanish in the 16th century, Panama broke with Spain in 1821 and joined a union of Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela - named the Republic of Gran Colombia. When the latter dissolved in 1830, Panama remained part of Colombia. With US backing, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903 and promptly signed a treaty with the US allowing for the construction of a canal and US sovereignty over a strip of land on either side of the structure (the Panama Canal Zone). The Panama Canal was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers between 1904 and 1914. In 1977, an agreement was signed for the complete transfer of the Canal from the US to Panama by the end of the century. Certain portions of the Zone and increasing responsibility over the Canal were turned over in the subsequent decades. With US help, dictator Manuel NORIEGA was deposed in 1989. The entire Panama Canal, the area supporting the Canal, and remaining US military bases were transferred to Panama by the end of 1999. In October 2006, Panamanians approved an ambitious plan (estimated to cost $5.3 billion) to expand the Canal. The project, which began in 2007 and could double the Canal's capacity, is expected to be completed in 2016.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :32,142; female: :30,879 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :731,254; females age 16-49: :728,329 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than South Carolina", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "occasional severe storms and forest fires in the Darien area", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Volcan Baru 3,475 m", "HELIPORTS": "3 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.86 male(s)/female; total population: :1.02 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "38 (including repeaters) (1998)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 101, FM 134, shortwave 0 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :2.9%; industry: :14.1%; services: :83% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "9 00 N, 80 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :27.4% (male 504,710/female 484,166); 15-24 years: :17.3% (male 317,875/female 306,378); 25-54 years: :40.1% (male 733,588/female 714,859); 55-64 years: :7.4% (male 131,899/female 135,015); 65 years and over: :7.8% (male 129,091/female 150,850) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Papua New Guinea", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Walter E. NORTH (since 7 November 2012); note - also accredited to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu; embassy: :Douglas Street, Port Moresby, N.C.D.; mailing address: :4240 Port Moresby Place, US Department of State, Washington DC 20521-4240; telephone: :[675; FAX: :[675", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$2,400 (2014 est.); $2,300 (2013 est.); $2,300 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "5.8% (2014 est.); 5.5% (2013 est.); 8.1% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.84% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$18.11 billion (2014 est.); $17.11 billion (2013 est.); $16.21 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :68.2%; youth dependency ratio: :63.2%; elderly dependency ratio: :5%; potential support ratio: :20.1% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "8% of GDP (2014 est.); -8.5% of GDP (2013 est.); -29.5% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :58.6%; government consumption: :10.6%; investment in fixed capital: :14%; investment in inventories: :0.5%; exports of goods and services: :68.5%; imports of goods and services: :-52.2%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "32.4% (2006/07)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "3.385 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "155.3 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "100 million cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "100 million cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "5,937 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "3,536 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "22,170 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "17,330 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "185.9 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "14,880 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "28,400 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "28,090 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "30.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "61.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "700,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "3.092 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "3.325 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "bird of paradise; national colors: red, black", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "16.2% (2008)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.05 physicians/1,000 population (2008)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.2% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "27.9% (2011)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "230 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "27.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "PORT MORESBY (capital) 338,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"O Arise All You Sons\"; lyrics/music: :Thomas SHACKLADY; note: :adopted 1975", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 56.4% of population; rural: 13.3% of population; total: 18.7% of population; urban: 43.6% of population; rural: 86.7% of population; total: 81.3% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 88% of population; rural: 32.8% of population; total: 39.7% of population; urban: 12% of population; rural: 67.2% of population; total: 60.3% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$8.085 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $7.477 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$5.388 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.975 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "2 TV stations, 1 commercial station operating since the late 1980s and 1 state-run station launched in 2008; satellite and cable TV services are available; state-run National Broadcasting Corporation operates 3 radio networks with multiple repeaters and about 20 provincial stations; several commercial radio stations with multiple transmission points as well as several community stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are accessible (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :13% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.12% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$5.922 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.312 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$1.726 billion (31 December 2008); $1.482 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$2.005 billion (31 December 2008); $1.685 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "10.1% (31 December 2014 est.); 10.13% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "14% (31 December 2010); 6.92% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.39 cu km/yr (57%/43%/0%); per capita: :61.3 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "801 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$10.71 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $8.999 billion (31 December 2011); $9.742 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$NA", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Papua New Guinea is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; foreign and Papua New Guinean women and children are subjected to sex trafficking and domestic servitude; parents may sell girls into forced marriages to settle debts or as peace offerings, leaving them vulnerable to forced domestic service, or may prostitute their children for income or to pay school fees; local and Chinese men are forced to labor in logging and mining camps through debt bondage schemes; migrant women from Malaysia, Thailand, China, and the Philippines are subjected to sex trafficking and domestic servitude at logging and mining camps, fisheries, and entertainment sites; tier rating: :Tier 3 - Papua New Guinea does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; no law enforcement or government officials were investigated in 2013, despite reports of complicity in human trafficking at the highest levels of government; parliament in 2012 passed legislation prohibiting all forms of trafficking, but the bill did not enter into force during the reporting period; trafficking-related crimes were prosecuted in village courts rather than criminal courts, resulting in restitution to the victim but no prison time for offenders; no formal victim identification or referral mechanism exists, and the government did not fund shelters run by NGOS or international organizations (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$16.1 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :9,368 (Indonesia) (2013); IDPs: :22,500 (natural disasters, tribal conflict, inter-communal violence, development projects) (2014)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever and malaria (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$3.647 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.826 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$913.6 million (2014 est.); -$2.914 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "32.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 27.8% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "5,006 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :22.4 years; male: :22.6 years; female: :22.2 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "50.9 (1996)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "1,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "31,900 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.65% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".pg", "INTERNET_USERS": "125,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "2.709 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "139,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Rupa Abraham MALINA (since 10 March 2014); chancery: :1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 805, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :462,840 sq km; land: :452,860 sq km; water: :9,980 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "0 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, group of islands including the eastern half of the island of New Guinea between the Coral Sea and the South Pacific Ocean, east of Indonesia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Independent State of Papua New Guinea; conventional short form: :Papua New Guinea; local short form: :Papuaniugini; former: :Territory of Papua and New Guinea; abbreviation: :PNG", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "1.9% (2008 est.); 1.7% (2004)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "3.24 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :services are minimal; facilities provide radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio, aeronautical radio, and international radio communication services; domestic: :access to telephone services is not widely available although combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity has increased to roughly 40 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 675; submarine cables to Australia and Guam; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); international radio communication service (2009)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 27%, Protestant 69.4% (Evangelical Lutheran 19.5%, United Church 11.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10%, Pentecostal 8.6%, Evangelical Alliance 5.2%, Anglican 3.2%, Baptist 2.5%, other Protestant 8.9%), Baha'i 0.3%, indigenous beliefs and other 3.3% (2000 census)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Kimbe, Lae, Madang, Rabaul, Wewak", "POPULATION": "6,552,730 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "National Alliance Party or NA [Patrick PRUAITCHI; Papua New Guinea Party or PNGP [Beldan NEMAH; People's National Congress Party or PNC [Peter Paire O'NEILL; People's Party or PP (merged with People's National Congress Party); People's Progress Party or PPP [Sir Julius CHAN; Triumph Heritage Empowerment Party or THE [Don POYLE; United Resources Party or URP [William DUMA; note: :as of 13 March 2012, 41 political parties were registered", "PIPELINES": "oil 264 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Papua New Guinea (PNG) is richly endowed with natural resources, but exploitation has been hampered by rugged terrain, land tenure issues, and the high cost of developing infrastructure. The economy has a small formal sector, focused mainly on the export of those natural resources, and an informal sector, employing the majority of the population. Agriculture provides a subsistence livelihood for 85% of the people. Mineral deposits, including copper, gold, and oil, account for nearly two-thirds of export earnings. Natural gas reserves amount to an estimated 155 billion cubic meters. A consortium led by a major American oil company is constructing a liquefied natural gas (LNG) production facility that could begin exporting in 2014. As the largest investment project in the country's history, it has the potential to double GDP in the near-term and triple Papua New Guinea's export revenue. An American-owned firm also opened PNG's first oil refinery in 2004 and is building a second LNG production facility. The government faces the challenge of ensuring transparency and accountability for revenues flowing from this and other large LNG projects. In 2011 and 2012, the National Parliament passed legislation that created an offshore Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) to manage government surpluses from mineral, oil, and natural gas projects. In recent years, the government has opened up markets in telecommunications and air transport, making both more affordable to the people. Numerous challenges still face the government of Peter O'NEILL, including providing physical security for foreign investors, regaining investor confidence, restoring integrity to state institutions, promoting economic efficiency by privatizing moribund state institutions, and maintaining good relations with Australia, its former colonial ruler. Other socio-cultural challenges could upend the economy including chronic law and order and land tenure issues. The global financial crisis had little impact because of continued foreign demand for PNG's commodities.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Centre for Environment Law and Community Rights or Celcor [Damien ASE; Community Coalition Against Corruption; National Council of Women; Transparency International PNG", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil, fisheries", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Papua New Guinean(s); adjective: :Papua New Guinean", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 16 September (1975)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :31; by type: :bulk carrier 7, cargo 22, petroleum tanker 2; foreign-owned: :8 (Germany 1, Malaysia 1, UAE 6) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, ADB, AOSIS, APEC, ARF, ASEAN (observer), C, CD, CP, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "measured from claimed archipelagic baselines; territorial sea: :12 nm; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,568,210; females age 16-49: :1,478,965 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :62.9%; male: :65.5%; female: :60.3% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :66.85 years; male: :64.63 years; female: :69.19 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Parliament (111 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies - 91 local and 20 provincial - by majority preferential vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - the constitution allows up to 126 seats; note: :14 other parties won 3 or fewer seats; association with political parties is fluid; elections: :last held from 23 June 2012 to 27 July 2012 (next to be held in June 2017); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - People's National Congress Party 27, Triumph Heritage Empowerment Party 12, PNG Party 8, National Alliance Party 7, United Resources Party 7, People's Party 6, People's Progess Party 6, other 22, independent 16", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of English common law and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "Tok Pisin (official), English (official), Hiri Motu (official), some 836 indigenous languages spoken (about 12% of the world's total); most languages have fewer than 1,000 speakers; note: :Tok Pisin, a creole language, is widely used and understood; English is spoken by 1%-2%; Hiri Motu is spoken by less than 2%", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0.66%; permanent crops: :1.55%; other: :97.79% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :824 km; border countries: :Indonesia 824 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "4.171 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice, deputy chief justice, and 28 other judges); National Courts (10 courts located in the province capitals, with a total of 16 resident judges); judge selection and term of office: :chief justice appointed by the governor-general upon advice of the National Executive Council (cabinet) after consultation with the National Justice Administration Minister; deputy chief justice and other justices appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, a 5-member body to include the Supreme Court chief and deputy chief justices, the chief ombudsman, and a member of the National Parliament; citizen judges appointed for 10-year renewable terms; non-citizen judges appointed for 3-year renewable terms; appointment and tenure of National Court resident judges NA; subordinate courts: :district, village, and juvenile courts", "WATERWAYS": "11,000 km (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "5% (2014 est.); 3.5% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :39.67 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :43.29 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :35.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "copra crushing, palm oil processing, plywood production, wood chip production; mining (gold, silver, copper); crude oil and petroleum products; construction, tourism", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "7.1% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "16 September 1975 (from the Australian-administered UN trusteeship)", "IMPORTS": "$4.255 billion (2014 est.); $5.229 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "major consumer of cannabis", "ROADWAYS": "total: :9,349 km; paved: :3,000 km; unpaved: :6,349 km (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "divided diagonally from upper hoist-side corner; the upper triangle is red with a soaring yellow bird of paradise centered; the lower triangle is black with five, white, five-pointed stars of the Southern Cross constellation centered; red, black, and yellow are traditional colors of Papua New Guinea; the bird of paradise - endemic to the island of New Guinea - is an emblem of regional tribal culture and represents the emergence of Papua New Guinea as a nation; the Southern Cross, visible in the night sky, symbolizes Papua New Guinea's connection with Australia and several other countries in the South Pacific", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$30.87 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $28.07 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$7.418 billion (2014 est.); $5.564 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Michael OGIO (since 25 February 2011); head of government: :Prime Minister Peter Paire O'NEILL (since 2 August 2011); Deputy Prime Minister Leo DION (since 9 August 2012); cabinet: :National Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; the governor general nominated by parliament and appointed by the chief of state; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of the majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general acting in accordance with a decision of the parliament; election results: :Peter Paire O'NEILL elected prime minister; parliamentary vote - 94 to 12; election last held on 3 August 2012 (next to be held NA 2017)", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "kina (PGK) per US dollar -; 2.435 (2014 est.); 2.2445 (2013 est.); 2.08 (2012 est.); 2.371 (2011 est.); 2.7193 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian", "DEATH_RATE": "6.53 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "adopted 15 August 1975, effective at independence 16 September 1975; amended many times, last in 2003 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Australia 37.9%, Singapore 13.6%, Malaysia 8.8%, China 8.7%, Japan 4.9% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "5,152 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, fuels, chemicals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Port Moresby; geographic coordinates: :9 27 S, 147 11 E; time difference: :UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$4.464 billion; expenditures: :$5.592 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Papua New Guinea Defense Force (PNGDF; includes Maritime Operations Element, Air Operations Element) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "24.89 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "561 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coffee, cocoa, copra, palm kernels, tea, sugar, rubber, sweet potatoes, fruit, vegetables, vanilla; poultry, pork; shellfish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "20 provinces, 1 autonomous region*, and 1 district**; Bougainville*, Central, Chimbu, Eastern Highlands, East New Britain, East Sepik, Enga, Gulf, Hela, Jiwaka, Madang, Manus, Milne Bay, Morobe, National Capital**, New Ireland, Northern, Southern Highlands, Western, Western Highlands, West New Britain, West Sepik", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Australia 26.2%, Japan 7.2%, China 6.6% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "oil, gold, copper ore, logs, palm oil, coffee, cocoa, crayfish, prawns", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :85%; industry: :NA%; services: :NA% (2005 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.7%; highest 10%: :40.5% (1996)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "37% (2002 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.54% of GDP (2012); 0.6% of GDP (2011); 0.54% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "rain forest subject to deforestation as a result of growing commercial demand for tropical timber; pollution from mining projects; severe drought", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :540; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :11; 914 to 1,523 m: :53; 476 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :21; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :12; 914 to 1,523 m: :5; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The eastern half of the island of New Guinea - second largest in the world - was divided between Germany (north) and the UK (south) in 1885. The latter area was transferred to Australia in 1902, which occupied the northern portion during World War I and continued to administer the combined areas until independence in 1975. A nine-year secessionist revolt on the island of Bougainville ended in 1997 after claiming some 20,000 lives. Since 2001, Bougainville has experienced autonomy. Under the terms of a peace accord, 2015 is the year that a five-year window opens for a referendum on the question of independence.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :67,781; female: :65,820 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,130,951; females age 16-49: :1,137,753 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "16 years of age for voluntary military service (with parental consent); no conscription; graduation from grade 12 required (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than California", "PEOPLE___NOTE": "the indigenous population of Papua New Guinea is one of the most heterogeneous in the world; PNG has several thousand separate communities, most with only a few hundred people; divided by language, customs, and tradition, some of these communities have engaged in low-scale tribal conflict with their neighbors for millennia; the advent of modern weapons and modern migrants into urban areas has greatly magnified the impact of this lawlessness", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "active volcanism; situated along the Pacific \"Ring of Fire\"; the country is subject to frequent and sometimes severe earthquakes; mud slides; tsunamis; volcanism: :severe volcanic activity; Ulawun (elev. 2,334 m), one of Papua New Guinea's potentially most dangerous volcanoes, has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Rabaul (elev. 688 m) destroyed the city of Rabaul in 1937 and 1994; Lamington erupted in 1951 killing 3,000 people; Manam's 2004 eruption forced the island's abandonment; other historically active volcanoes include Bam, Bagana, Garbuna, Karkar, Langila, Lolobau, Long Island, Pago, St. Andrew Strait, Victory, and Waiowa", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mount Wilhelm 4,509 m", "HELIPORTS": "2 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :1.14 male(s)/female; total population: :1.05 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "3 (all in the Port Moresby area; stations at Mt. Hagen, Goroka, Lae, and Rabaul are planned) (2004)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 8, FM 19, shortwave 28 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :26.3%; industry: :39%; services: :34.8% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "6 00 S, 147 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :35% (male 1,165,911/female 1,125,104); 15-24 years: :19.7% (male 652,548/female 635,411); 25-54 years: :36.2% (male 1,226,213/female 1,146,951); 55-64 years: :5.2% (male 173,019/female 169,329); 65 years and over: :3.9% (male 134,396/female 123,848) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Paraguay", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "Ambassador Leslie A. BASSETT (since 15 January 2015); embassy: :1776 Avenida Mariscal Lopez, Casilla Postal 402, Asuncion; mailing address: :Unit 4711, DPO AA 34036-0001; telephone: :[595; FAX: :[595", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$8,400 (2014 est.); $8,200 (2013 est.); $7,300 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "4% (2014 est.); 13.6% (2013 est.); -1.2% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.19% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$57.87 billion (2014 est.); $55.64 billion (2013 est.); $49 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :60.5%; youth dependency ratio: :51.5%; elderly dependency ratio: :8.9%; potential support ratio: :11.2% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "16.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 17.5% of GDP (2013 est.); 14.2% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :65.8%; government consumption: :11.6%; investment in fixed capital: :15.2%; investment in inventories: :0.5%; exports of goods and services: :51%; imports of goods and services: :-44.1%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "79.4%; note: :percent of women aged 15-44 (2008)", "DEMOGRAPHIC_PROFILE": "Paraguay falls below the Latin American average in several socioeconomic categories, including immunization rates, potable water, sanitation, and secondary school enrollment, and has greater rates of income inequality and child and maternal mortality. Paraguay's poverty rate has declined in recent years but remains high, especially in rural areas, with more than a third of the population below the poverty line. However, the well-being of the poor in many regions has improved in terms of housing quality and access to clean water, telephone service, and electricity. The fertility rate continues to drop, declining sharply from an average 4.3 births per woman in the late 1990s to about 2 in 2013, as a result of the greater educational attainment of women, increased use of contraception, and a desire for smaller families among young women.; Paraguay is a country of emigration; it has not attracted large numbers of immigrants because of political instability, civil wars, years of dictatorship, and the greater appeal of neighboring countries. Paraguay first tried to encourage immigration in 1870 in order to rebound from the heavy death toll it suffered during the War of the Triple Alliance, but it received few European and Middle Eastern immigrants. In the 20th century, limited numbers of immigrants arrived from Lebanon, Japan, South Korea, and China, as well as Mennonites from Canada, Russia, and Mexico. Large flows of Brazilian immigrants have been arriving since the 1960s, mainly to work in agriculture. Paraguayans continue to emigrate to Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, the United States, Italy, Spain, and France.", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "22.9; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2008 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :205,297; percentage: :15% (2004 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "3.869 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "31,290 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "27,190 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "2,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "99.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "0.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "8.816 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "47.37 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "7.497 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "57.05 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "lion; national colors: red, white, blue", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :11.2%; male: :9%; female: :14.6% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "17.9% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.3 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.11 physicians/1,000 population (2002)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "10.3% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "3.4% (2005)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "99 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-1.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "16.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "ASUNCION (capital) 2.307 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Paraguayos, Republica o muerte!\" (Paraguayans, The Republic or Death!); lyrics/music: :Francisco Esteban ACUNA de Figueroa/disputed; note: :adopted 1934, in use since 1846; officially adopted following its re-arrangement in 1934", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 96.1% of population; rural: 52.5% of population; total: 79.7% of population; urban: 3.9% of population; rural: 47.5% of population; total: 20.3% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 83.4% of population; total: 93.8% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 16.6% of population; total: 6.2% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$9.483 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $8.546 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$4.899 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "6 privately owned TV stations; about 75 commercial and community radio stations; 1 state-owned radio network (2010)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :59.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$12.19 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $10.58 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$1.599 billion (31 December 2008); $1.368 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$2.062 billion (31 December 2008); $1.943 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "19.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 19.27% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "5.5% (31 December 2012); 6% (31 December 2011)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.8% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :12 years; male: :12 years; female: :13 years (2010)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.49 cu km/yr (20%/8%/71%); per capita: :88.05 cu m/yr (2000)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "336 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$962.3 million (31 December 2012 est.); $958.1 million (31 December 2011); $42 million (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$105.4 million (31 December 2014 est.); $105.3 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$5.604 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.991 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$31.3 billion (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :intermediate; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne disease: :dengue fever (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$7.241 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.873 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$1.099 billion (2014 est.); $620.6 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "18.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 15.3% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "280,658 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :26.8 years; male: :26.6 years; female: :27 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "53.2 (2009); 57.7 (1998)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "300 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "15,800 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.4% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".py", "INTERNET_USERS": "1.105 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "6.79 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "376,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Igor Alberto PANGRAZIO Vera (since 18 September 2014); chancery: :2400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Los Angeles, Miami, New York", "AREA": "total: :406,752 sq km; land: :397,302 sq km; water: :9,450 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "670 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "South America", "LOCATION": "Central South America, northeast of Argentina, southwest of Brazil", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Paraguay; conventional short form: :Paraguay; local long form: :Republica del Paraguay; local short form: :Paraguay", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "7.3% (2014 est.); 7.5% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.96 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "grassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay; Gran Chaco region west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy plain near the river, and dry forest and thorny scrub elsewhere", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :the fixed-line market is a state monopoly and fixed-line telephone service is meager; principal switching center is in Asuncion; domestic: :deficiencies in provision of fixed-line service have resulted in a rapid expansion of mobile-cellular services fostered by competition among multiple providers; international: :country code - 595; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 75", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 89.6%, Protestant 6.2%, other Christian 1.1%, other or unspecified 1.9%, none 1.1% (2002 census)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :36 km; standard gauge: :36 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "river port(s): :Asuncion, Villeta, San Antonio, Encarnacion (Parana)", "POPULATION": "6,703,860 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Asociacion Nacional Republicana - Colorado Party or ANR [Lilian SAMANIEGO; Avanza Pais coalition [Adolfo FERREIRO; Broad Front coalition (Frente Guasu) or FG [Fernando Armindo LUGO Mendez; Movimiento Union Nacional de Ciudadanos Eticos or UNACE [Jorge OVIEDO MATTO; Partido del Movimiento al Socialismo or P-MAS [Camilo Ernesto SOARES Machado; Partido Democratica Progresista or PDP [Desiree MASI; Partido Encuentro Nacional or PEN [Fernando CAMACHO Paredes; Partido Liberal Radical Autentico or PLRA [Miguel ABDON SAGUIER; Partido Pais Solidario or PPS [Carlos Alberto FILIZZOLA Pallares; Partido Popular Tekojoja [Sixto PEREIRA; Patria Querida (Beloved Fatherland Party) or PPQ [Sebastian ACHA", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Landlocked Paraguay has a market economy distinguished by a large informal sector, featuring re-export of imported consumer goods to neighboring countries, as well as the activities of thousands of microenterprises and urban street vendors. A large percentage of the population, especially in rural areas, derives its living from agricultural activity, often on a subsistence basis. Because of the importance of the informal sector, accurate economic measures are difficult to obtain. On a per capita basis, real income has stagnated at 1980 levels. The economy grew rapidly between 2003 and 2008 as growing world demand for commodities combined with high prices and favorable weather to support Paraguay's commodity-based export expansion. Paraguay is the sixth largest soy producer in the world. Drought hit in 2008, reducing agricultural exports and slowing the economy even before the onset of the global recession. The economy fell 3.8% in 2009, as lower world demand and commodity prices caused exports to contract. The government reacted by introducing fiscal and monetary stimulus packages. Growth resumed at a 13% level in 2010, the highest in South America, but slowed in 2011-13 as the stimulus subsided and severe drought and outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease led to a drop in beef and other agricultural exports. The economy took another leap in 2014, largely due to strong export growth. Political uncertainty, corruption, limited progress on structural reform, and deficient infrastructure are the main obstacles to long-term growth.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Ahorristas Estafados or AE; National Coordinating Board of Campesino Organizations or MCNOC [Luis AGUAYO; National Federation of Campesinos or FNC [Odilon ESPINOLA; National Workers Central or CNT [Secretary General Juan TORRALES; Paraguayan Workers Confederation or CPT; Roman Catholic Church; Unitary Workers Central or CUT [Jorge Guzman ALVARENGA Malgarejo", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil; population concentrated in southern part of country", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Paraguayan(s); adjective: :Paraguayan", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 14 May 1811 (observed 15 May)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :19; by type: :cargo 13, container 3, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1; foreign-owned: :6 (Argentina 5, Netherlands 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "CAN (associate), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,678,335; females age 16-49: :1,675,352 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :93.9%; male: :94.8%; female: :92.9% (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :76.8 years; male: :74.16 years; female: :79.56 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (45 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (80 seats; members directly elected in 18 multi-seat constituencies - corresponding to the country's 17 departments and capital city - by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms); elections: :Chamber of Senators - last held on 21 April 2013 (next to be held in April 2018); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 21 April 2013 (next to be held in April 2018); election results: :Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ANR 19, PLRA 12, FG 5, PDP 3, Avanza Pais 2, UNACE 2, PEN 1, PPQ 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ANR 44, PLRA 27, Avanza Pais 2, PEN 2, UNACE 2, FG 1, PPQ 1, other 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system with influences from Argentine, Spanish, Roman, and French civil law models; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice", "LANGUAGES": "Spanish (official), Guarani (official)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :11.1%; permanent crops: :0.23%; other: :88.67% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :4,655 km; border countries: :Argentina 2,531 km, Bolivia 753 km, Brazil 1,371 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "3.26 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 9 justices divided 3 each into the Constitutional Court, Civil and Commercial Chamber, and Criminal Division; judge selection and term of office: :justices proposed by the Council of Magistrates or Consejo de la Magistratura, a 6-member independent body, and appointed by the Chamber of Senators with presidential concurrence; judges appointed until mandatory retirement at age 75; subordinate courts: :appellate courts; first instance courts; minor courts, including justices of the peace", "WATERWAYS": "3,100 km (primarily on the Paraguay and Paran� river systems) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "5.1% (2014 est.); 2.7% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :20.75 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :24.39 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :16.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "sugar, cement, textiles, beverages, wood products, steel, base metals, electric power", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.6% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "14 May 1811 (from Spain)", "IMPORTS": "$12.37 billion (2014 est.); $11.86 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "major illicit producer of cannabis, most or all of which is consumed in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile; transshipment country for Andean cocaine headed for Brazil, other Southern Cone markets, and Europe; weak border controls, extensive corruption and money-laundering activity, especially in the Tri-Border Area; weak anti-money-laundering laws and enforcement", "ROADWAYS": "total: :32,059 km; paved: :4,860 km; unpaved: :27,199 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal, horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue with an emblem centered in the white band; unusual flag in that the emblem is different on each side; the obverse (hoist side at the left) bears the national coat of arms (a yellow five-pointed star within a green wreath capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles); the reverse (hoist side at the right) bears a circular seal of the treasury (a yellow lion below a red Cap of Liberty and the words PAZ Y JUSTICIA (Peace and Justice)); red symbolizes bravery and patriotism, white represents integrity and peace, and blue denotes liberty and generosity; note: :the three color bands resemble those on the flag of the Netherlands; one of only three national flags that differ on their obverse and reverse sides - the others are Moldova and Saudi Arabia", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$8.759 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $7.291 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$14.61 billion (2014 est.); $13.44 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Horacio CARTES (since 15 August 2013); Vice President Juan AFARA Maciel (since 15 August 2013); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Horacio CARTES (since 15 August 2013); Vice President Juan AFARA Maciel (since 15 August 2013); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president; elections: :president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held on 21 April 2013 (next to be held in April 2018); election results: :Horacio CARTES elected president; percent of vote - Horacio CARTES 45.8%, Efrain ALEGRE 36.94%, Mario FERREIRO 5.88%, Anibal CARRILLO 3.32%, other 8.06%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "guarani (PYG) per US dollar -; 4,451.7 (2014 est.); 4,320.7 (2013 est.); 4,424.9 (2012 est.); 4,176.1 (2011 est.); 4,735.5 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "mestizo (mixed Spanish and Amerindian) 95%, other 5%", "DEATH_RATE": "4.64 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest approved and promulgated 20 June 1992; amended 2011 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 28.5%, Brazil 26.5%, Argentina 14.2%, US 6.5% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, becoming semiarid in the far west", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "road vehicles, consumer goods, tobacco, petroleum products, electrical machinery, tractors, chemicals, vehicle parts", "CAPITAL": "name: :Asuncion; geographic coordinates: :25 16 S, 57 40 W; time difference: :UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends fourth Sunday in March", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$5.222 billion; expenditures: :$5.651 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Armed Forces Command (Commando de las Fuerzas Militares): Army, National Navy (Armada Nacional, includes Marine Corps, Naval Aviation, and Coast Guard), Paraguayan Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Paraguay, FAP), Logistics Command, War Materiel Directorate (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "16.66 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "799 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cotton, sugarcane, soybeans, corn, wheat, tobacco, cassava (manioc, tapioca), fruits, vegetables; beef, pork, eggs, milk; timber", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "17 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 capital city*; Alto Paraguay, Alto Parana, Amambay, Asuncion*, Boqueron, Caaguazu, Caazapa, Canindeyu, Central, Concepcion, Cordillera, Guaira, Itapua, Misiones, Neembucu, Paraguari, Presidente Hayes, San Pedro", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Brazil 30%, Russia 10%, Argentina 9.3%, Chile 5.3% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "soybeans, livestock feed, cotton, meat, edible oils, wood, leather", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :26.5%; industry: :18.5%; services: :55% (2008)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1%; highest 10%: :41.1% (2010 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "34.7% (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.66% of GDP (2012); 1.16% of GDP (2011); 1.66% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; water pollution; inadequate means for waste disposal pose health risks for many urban residents; loss of wetlands", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :784; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :23; 914 to 1,523 m: :290; 471 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :15; over 3,047 m: :3; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :7; 914 to 1,523 m: :5 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Paraguay achieved its independence from Spain in 1811. In the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70) - between Paraguay and Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay - Paraguay lost two-thirds of its adult males and much of its territory. The country stagnated economically for the next half century. Following the Chaco War of 1932-35 with Bolivia, Paraguay gained a large part of the Chaco lowland region. The 35-year military dictatorship of Alfredo STROESSNER ended in 1989, and, despite a marked increase in political infighting in recent years, Paraguay has held relatively free and regular presidential elections since the country's return to democracy.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :73,367; female: :71,801 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,409,859; females age 16-49: :1,433,037 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation is 12 months for Army, 24 months for Navy; volunteers for the Air Force must be younger than 22 years of age with a secondary school diploma (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than California", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "local flooding in southeast (early September to June); poorly drained plains may become boggy (early October to June)", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :junction of Rio Paraguay and Rio Parana 46 m; highest point: :Cerro Pero 842 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.87 male(s)/female; total population: :1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "6 (2009)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 41, FM 121, shortwave 6 (2006)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :19.9%; industry: :17.6%; services: :62.5% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "23 00 S, 58 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :26.2% (male 892,315/female 861,915); 15-24 years: :20.5% (male 691,365/female 683,653); 25-54 years: :39.5% (male 1,326,281/female 1,323,194); 55-64 years: :7.2% (male 246,869/female 236,564); 65 years and over: :6.6% (male 206,089/female 235,615) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Peru", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Brian A. NICHOLS (since 30 June 2014); embassy: :Avenida La Encalada, Cuadra 17 s/n, Surco, Lima 33; mailing address: :P. O. Box 1995, Lima 1; American Embassy (Lima), APO AA 34031-5000; telephone: :[51; FAX: :[51", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$12,000 (2014 est.); $11,800 (2013 est.); $11,300 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.6% (2014 est.); 5.8% (2013 est.); 6% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.99% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$376.7 billion (2014 est.); $363.6 billion (2013 est.); $343.7 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :53.7%; youth dependency ratio: :43.6%; elderly dependency ratio: :10%; potential support ratio: :10% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "22.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 23.8% of GDP (2013 est.); 23.5% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :64%; government consumption: :11.2%; investment in fixed capital: :26.2%; investment in inventories: :0.2%; exports of goods and services: :21.8%; imports of goods and services: :-23.5%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "75.5% (2012)", "DEMOGRAPHIC_PROFILE": "Peru's urban and coastal communities have benefited much more from recent economic growth than rural, Afro-Peruvian, indigenous, and poor populations of the Amazon and mountain regions. The poverty rate has dropped substantially during the last decade but remains stubbornly high at about 30% (more than 55% in rural areas). After remaining almost static for about a decade, Peru's malnutrition rate began falling in 2005, when the government introduced a coordinated strategy focusing on hygiene, sanitation, and clean water. School enrollment has improved, but achievement scores reflect ongoing problems with educational quality. Many poor children temporarily or permanently drop out of school to help support their families. About a quarter to a third of Peruvian children aged 6 to 14 work, often putting in long hours at hazardous mining or construction sites.; Peru was a country of immigration in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but has become a country of emigration in the last few decades. Beginning in the 19th century, Peru brought in Asian contract laborers mainly to work on coastal plantations. Populations of Chinese and Japanese descent - among the largest in Latin America - are economically and culturally influential in Peru today. Peruvian emigration began rising in the 1980s due to an economic crisis and a violent internal conflict, but outflows have stabilized in the last few years as economic conditions have improved. Nonetheless, more than 2 million Peruvians have emigrated in the last decade, principally to the US, Spain, and Argentina.", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "22.2; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2013 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :2,545,855; percentage: :34%; note: :data represents children ages 5-17 (2007 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "53.58 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "435.4 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "8.73 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "11.85 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "32.4 billion cu m (2012)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "43,480 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "82,080 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "171,400 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "159,500 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "632.9 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "99,590 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "15,610 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "170,500 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "40.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "59.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "8.557 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "2 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "35.71 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "38.4 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "vicuna (a camelid related to the llama); national colors: red, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :9.5%; male: :9.4%; female: :9.7% (2011 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "15.7% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.5 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.13 physicians/1,000 population (2012)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.1% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "3.5% (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "67 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-0.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "30.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "LIMA (capital) 972,000; Arequipa 839,000; Trujillo 784,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Himno Nacional del Peru\" (National Anthem of Peru); lyrics/music: :Jose DE LA TORRE Ugarte/Jose Bernardo ALZEDO; note: :adopted 1822; the song won a national anthem contest", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 81.2% of population; rural: 44.8% of population; total: 73.1% of population; urban: 18.8% of population; rural: 55.2% of population; total: 26.9% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 91.2% of population; rural: 71.6% of population; total: 86.8% of population; urban: 8.8% of population; rural: 28.4% of population; total: 13.2% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$91.26 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $84.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$33.71 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $32.59 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "10 major TV networks of which only one, Television Nacional de Peru, is state-owned; multi-channel cable TV services are available; in excess of 2,000 radio stations including a substantial number of indigenous language stations (2010)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :78.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.69% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$47.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $43.06 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$25.27 billion (31 December 2008); $19.95 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$15.48 billion (31 December 2008); $14.66 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "15.7% (31 December 2014 est.); 18.16% (31 December 2013 est.); note: :domestic currency lending rate, 90 day maturity", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "5.05% (31 December 2012); 5.05% (31 December 2011)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.8% of GDP (2012)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :13 years; male: :13 years; female: :13 years (2010)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :19.34 cu km/yr (8%/10%/82%); per capita: :727.6 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "1,913 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$153.4 billion (31 December 2012); $121.6 billion (31 December 2011); $160.9 billion (31 December 2010)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$3.883 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.849 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$81.63 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $72.61 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$208.2 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "IDPs: :150,000 (civil war from 1980-2000; most IDPs are indigenous peasants in Andean and Amazonian regions; as of 2011, no new information on the situation of these IDPs) (2013)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne disease: :dengue fever, malaria, and Bartonellosis (Oroya fever) (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$63.35 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $65.71 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$10.63 billion (2014 est.); -$9.126 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "15.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 16.3% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued by government entities other than the treasury; the data exclude treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "234,102 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :27 years; male: :26.3 years; female: :27.7 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "45.3 (2012); 51 (2005)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "2,800 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "65,100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.35% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".pe", "INTERNET_USERS": "9.158 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "29.4 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "3.42 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Luis Miguel CASTILLA Rubio (since 4 February 2015); chancery: :1700 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Hartford (CT), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paterson (NJ), San Francisco, Washington DC", "AREA": "total: :1,285,216 sq km; land: :1,279,996 sq km; water: :5,220 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "11,960 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "South America", "LOCATION": "Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Peru; conventional short form: :Peru; local long form: :Republica del Peru; local short form: :Peru", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "7.6% (2014 est.); 6.5% (2013 est.); note: :data are for metropolitan Lima; widespread underemployment", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.22 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :adequate for most requirements; nationwide microwave radio relay system and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations; domestic: :fixed-line teledensity is only about 12 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity, spurred by competition among multiple providers, exceeds 100 telephones per 100 persons; international: :country code - 51; the South America-1 (SAM-1) and Pan American (PAN-AM) submarine cable systems provide links to parts of Central and South America, the Caribbean, and US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 70", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 81.3%, Evangelical 12.5%, other 3.3%, none 2.9% (2007 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :1,907 km; standard gauge: :1,772 km 1.435-m gauge; narrow gauge: :135 km 0.914-m gauge (2012)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Callao, Matarani, Paita; river port(s): :Iquitos, Pucallpa, Yurimaguas (Amazon); oil terminals: :Conchan oil terminal, La Pampilla oil terminal; container port(s) (TEUs): :Callao (1,616,365)", "POPULATION": "30,147,935 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alliance for Progress (Alianza para el Progreso) or APP [Cesar ACUNA Peralta; Fuerza Popular (formerly Fuerza 2011) [Keiko FUJIMORI Higuchi; National Solidarity (Solidaridad Nacional) or SN [Luis CASTANEDA Lossio; Peru Posible or PP (a coalition of Accion Popular and Somos Peru) [Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique; Peruvian Aprista Party (Partido Aprista Peruano) or PAP [Alan GARCIA Perez; Peruvian Nationalist Party [Ollanta HUMALA; Popular Christian Party (Partido Popular Cristiano) or PPC [Lourdes FLORES Nano; Wide Front (Frente Amplio), a coalition of left-of-center parties including Tierra y Libertad [Marco ARANA Zegarra", "PIPELINES": "extra heavy crude 786 km; gas 1,526 km; liquid petroleum gas 679 km; oil 1,033 km; refined products 15 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Peru's economy reflects its varied topography - an arid lowland coastal region, the central high sierra of the Andes, the dense forest of the Amazon, with tropical lands bordering Colombia and Brazil. A wide range of important mineral resources are found in the mountainous and coastal areas, and Peru's coastal waters provide excellent fishing grounds. Peru is the world's second largest producer of silver and third largest producer of copper. The Peruvian economy grew by an average of 5.6% from 2009-13 with a stable exchange rate and low inflation, which in 2013 was just below the upper limit of the Central Bank target range of 1 to 3%. This growth was due partly to high international prices for Peru's metals and minerals exports, which account for almost 60% of the country's total exports. Growth slipped in 2014, due to weaker world prices for these resources. Despite Peru's strong macroeconomic performance, dependence on minerals and metals exports and imported foodstuffs makes the economy vulnerable to fluctuations in world prices. Peru's rapid expansion coupled with cash transfers and other programs have helped to reduce the national poverty rate by 28 percentage points since 2002, but inequality persists and continues to pose a challenge for the Ollanta HUMALA administration, which has championed a policy of social inclusion and a more equitable distribution of income. Poor infrastructure hinders the spread of growth to Peru's non-coastal areas. The HUMALA administration passed several economic stimulus packages in 2014 to bolster growth. In order to spur investment in Peru�s lucrative mining sector, it reduced some environmental regulations, in a move that was opposed by environmental groups. Peru's free trade policy has continued under the HUMALA administration; since 2006, Peru has signed trade deals with the US, Canada, Singapore, China, Korea, Mexico, Japan, the EU, the European Free Trade Association, Chile, Thailand, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, concluded negotiations with Guatemala, and begun trade talks with Honduras and El Salvador, Turkey and the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Peru also has signed a trade pact with Chile, Colombia, and Mexico, called the Pacific Alliance, that rivals Mercosur. Since the US-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement entered into force in February 2009, total trade between Peru and the United States has doubled.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "General Workers Confederation of Peru (Confederacion General de Trabajadores del Peru) or CGTP [Mario HUAMAN; Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) or SL [Abimael GUZMAN Reynoso (imprisoned), Victor QUISPE Palomino (top leader at-large)", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with Bolivia; a remote slope of Nevado Mismi, a 5,316 m peak, is the ultimate source of the Amazon River", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-2.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Peruvian(s); adjective: :Peruvian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 28 July (1821)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :22; by type: :cargo 2, chemical tanker 5, liquefied gas 2, petroleum tanker 13; foreign-owned: :8 (Chile 6, Ecuador 1, Spain 1); registered in other countries: :9 (Panama 9) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "APEC, BIS, CAN, CD, CELAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance, PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :7,385,588; females age 16-49: :7,727,623 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :93.8%; male: :97%; female: :90.7% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :73.23 years; male: :71.23 years; female: :75.33 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Congress of the Republic of Peru or Congreso de la Republica del Peru (130 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 10 April 2011 with run-off election on 6 June 2011 (next to be held in April 2016); election results: :percent of vote by party - Gana Peru 25.3%, Fuerza 2011 23%, PP 14.8%, Alliance for Great Change 14.4%, National Solidarity 10.2%, Peruvian Aprista Party 6.4%, other 5.9%; seats by party - Gana Peru 47, Fuerza 2011 37, PP 21, Alliance for Great Change 12, National Solidarity 9, Peruvian Aprista Party 4; seats by bloc party as of 10 March 2014 - Gana Peru 43, Fuerza Popular (formerly Fuerza 2011) 36, PP 10, Accion Popular-Frente Amplio 10, National Solidarity 9, Union Regional 8, Partido Popular Cristiano-Alianza Para el Progreso 7, Concertacion Parlamentaria 6, Independent 1; note - defections by members of the National Assembly are commonplace, resulting in the formation of new blocs and frequent changes in the numbers of seats held by the various blocs", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system", "LANGUAGES": "Spanish (official) 84.1%, Quechua (official) 13%, Aymara (official) 1.7%, Ashaninka 0.3%, other native languages (includes a large number of minor Amazonian languages) 0.7%, other (includes foreign languages and sign language) 0.2% (2007 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :3.24%; permanent crops: :1.08%; other: :95.68% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :7,062 km; border countries: :Bolivia 1,212 km, Brazil 2,659 km, Chile 168 km, Colombia 1,494 km, Ecuador 1,529 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "16.55 million; note: :individuals older than 14 years of age (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of 16 judges and divided into civil, criminal, and constitutional-social sectors); judge selection and term of office: :justices proposed by the National Council of the Judiciary or National Judicial Council (a 7-member independent body), nominated by the president, and confirmed by the Congress (all appointments reviewed by the Council every 7 years); justices appointed for life or until age 70; subordinate courts: :Court of Constitutional Guarantees; Superior Courts or Cortes Superiores; specialized civil, criminal, and mixed courts; two types of peace courts in which professional judges and selected members of the local communities preside", "WATERWAYS": "8,808 km (there are 8,600 km of navigable tributaries on the Amazon system and 208 km on Lago Titicaca) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3.3% (2014 est.); 2.8% (2013 est.); note: :data are for metropolitan Lima, annual average", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :20.21 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :22.44 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :17.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "mining and refining of minerals; steel, metal fabrication; petroleum extraction and refining, natural gas and natural gas liquefaction; fishing and fish processing, cement, glass, textiles, clothing, food processing, beer, soft drinks, rubber, machinery, electrical machinery, chemicals, furniture", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "4.2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "28 July 1821 (from Spain)", "IMPORTS": "$40.25 billion (2014 est.); $42.22 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "until 1996 the world's largest coca leaf producer, Peru is now the world's second largest producer of coca leaf, though it lags far behind Colombia; cultivation of coca in Peru was estimated at 40,000 hectares in 2009, a slight decrease over 2008; second largest producer of cocaine, estimated at 225 metric tons of potential pure cocaine in 2009; finished cocaine is shipped out from Pacific ports to the international drug market; increasing amounts of base and finished cocaine, however, are being moved to Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia for use in the Southern Cone or transshipment to Europe and Africa; increasing domestic drug consumption", "ROADWAYS": "total: :140,672 km (of which 18,698 km are paved); note: :includes 24,593 km of national roads (of which 14,748 km are paved), 24,235 km of departmental roads (2,340 km paved), and 91,844 km of local roads (1,611 km paved) (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), white, and red with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a shield bearing a vicuna (representing fauna), a cinchona tree (the source of quinine, signifying flora), and a yellow cornucopia spilling out coins (denoting mineral wealth); red recalls blood shed for independence, white symbolizes peace", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$56.47 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $55.62 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$36.43 billion (2014 est.); $42.18 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Ollanta HUMALA Tasso (since 28 July 2011); First Vice President Marisol ESPINOZA Cruz (since 28 July 2011); Second Vice President (vacant); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Ollanta HUMALA Tasso (since 28 July 2011); First Vice President Marisol ESPINOZA Cruz (since 28 July 2011); Second Vice President (vacant); note: :Prime Minister Ana JARA (since 22 July 2014) does not exercise executive power; this power rests with the president; note - Prime Minister Rene CORNEJO resigned 22 July 2014; cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for nonconsecutive reelection); presidential election last held on 10 April 2011 with run-off election held on 6 June 2011 (next to be held in April 2016); election results: :Ollanta HUMALA Tasso elected president; percent of vote - Ollanta HUMALA Tasso 51.5%, Keiko FUJIMORI Higuchi 48.5%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "nuevo sol (PEN) per US dollar -; 2.836 (2014 est.); 2.7019 (2013 est.); 2.64 (2012 est.); 2.7541 (2011 est.); 2.8251 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Amerindian 45%, mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 37%, white 15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%", "DEATH_RATE": "5.99 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest promulgated 29 December 1993, enacted 31 December 1993; amended several times, last in 2009 (2009)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 24.8%, China 15.3%, Brazil 5.3%, Argentina 4.8%, Chile 4.7%, Ecuador 4.6%, Mexico 4.4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "2,414 km", "CLIMATE": "varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, plastics, machinery, vehicles, TV sets, power shovels, front-end loaders, telephones and telecommunication equipment, iron and steel, wheat, corn, soybean products, paper, cotton, vaccines and medicines", "CAPITAL": "name: :Lima; geographic coordinates: :12 03 S, 77 03 W; time difference: :UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$64.25 billion; expenditures: :$64.49 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Peruvian Army (Ejercito Peruano), Peruvian Navy (Marina de Guerra del Peru, MGP; includes naval air, naval infantry, and Coast Guard), Air Force of Peru (Fuerza Aerea del Peru, FAP) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "18.57 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "191 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "asparagus, coffee, cocoa, cotton, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, corn, plantains, grapes, oranges, pineapples, guavas, bananas, apples, lemons, pears, coca, tomatoes, mangoes, barley, medicinal plants, palm oil, marigold, onion, wheat, dry beans; poultry, beef, pork, dairy products; guinea pigs; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "25 regions (regiones, singular - region) and 1 province* (provincia); Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Ica, Junin, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Lima*, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali; note: :Callao, the largest port in Peru, is also referred to as a constitutional province, the only province of the the Callao region", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 18.4%, China 17.8%, Canada 7%, Japan 5.2%, Brazil 4.3%, Switzerland 4.3%, Spain 4.2%, South Korea 4% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "copper, gold, lead, zinc, tin, iron ore, molybdenum, silver; crude petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas; coffee, asparagus and other vegetables, fruit, apparel and textiles, fishmeal, fish, chemicals, fabricated metal products and machinery, alloys", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :25.8%; industry: :17.4%; services: :56.8% (2011)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.4%; highest 10%: :36.1% (2010 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "25.8% (2012 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.28% of GDP (2012); 1.15% of GDP (2011); 1.28% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation (some the result of illegal logging); overgrazing of the slopes of the costa and sierra leading to soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Lima; pollution of rivers and coastal waters from municipal and mining wastes", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :132; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :19; 914 to 1,523 m: :30; 82 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :59; over 3,047 m: :5; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :21; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :16; 914 to 1,523 m: :12; under 914 m: :5 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peruvian independence was declared in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces were defeated in 1824. After a dozen years of military rule, Peru returned to democratic leadership in 1980, but experienced economic problems and the growth of a violent insurgency. President Alberto FUJIMORI's election in 1990 ushered in a decade that saw a dramatic turnaround in the economy and significant progress in curtailing guerrilla activity. Nevertheless, the president's increasing reliance on authoritarian measures and an economic slump in the late 1990s generated mounting dissatisfaction with his regime, which led to his resignation in 2000. A caretaker government oversaw new elections in the spring of 2001, which installed Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique as the new head of government - Peru's first democratically elected president of indigenous ethnicity. The presidential election of 2006 saw the return of Alan GARCIA Perez who, after a disappointing presidential term from 1985 to 1990, oversaw a robust economic rebound. In June 2011, former army officer Ollanta HUMALA Tasso was elected president; he has carried on the sound, market-oriented economic policies of the three preceding administrations.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :304,094; female: :298,447 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :5,788,629; females age 16-49: :6,565,097 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-50 years of age for male and 18-45 years of age for female voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Alaska", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, landslides, mild volcanic activity; volcanism: :volcanic activity in the Andes Mountains; Ubinas (elev. 5,672 m), which last erupted in 2009, is the country's most active volcano; other historically active volcanoes include El Misti, Huaynaputina, Sabancaya, and Yucamane", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Nevado Huascaran 6,768 m", "HELIPORTS": "5 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.93 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.9 male(s)/female; total population: :0.97 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "13 (plus 112 repeaters) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 472, FM 198, shortwave 189 (1999)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :7.1%; industry: :36.7%; services: :56.2% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "10 00 S, 76 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :27.3% (male 4,184,330/female 4,040,096); 15-24 years: :19.2% (male 2,894,168/female 2,889,409); 25-54 years: :39.4% (male 5,715,542/female 6,161,540); 55-64 years: :7.3% (male 1,071,688/female 1,125,100); 65 years and over: :6.9% (male 979,854/female 1,086,208) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Pitcairn Islands", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "overseas territory of the UK", "AFFILIATION": "(overseas territory of the UK)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$NA", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"We From Pitcairn Island\"; lyrics/music: :unknown/Frederick M. LEHMAN; note: :serves as a local anthem; as a territory of the United Kingdom, \"God Save the Queen\" is official (see United Kingdom)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "satellite TV from Fiji-based Sky Pacific offering a wide range of international channels", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :0% of total population (2012); rate of urbanization: :NA annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "26 (2012)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".pn", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "AREA": "total: :47 sq km; land: :47 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about midway between Peru and New Zealand", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands; conventional short form: :Pitcairn Islands", "COMMUNICATIONS___NOTE": "satellite-based local phone service and broadband Internet connections available in all homes", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the UK", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "NA", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "NA", "TERRAIN": "rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with cliffs", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :satellite-based phone services; domestic: :local phone service with international connections via Internet; international: :country code - 872; satellite earth station - 1 (Inmarsat)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal with three years residency", "RELIGIONS": "Seventh-Day Adventist 100%", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Adamstown (on Bounty Bay)", "POPULATION": "48 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "none", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The inhabitants of this tiny isolated economy exist on fishing, subsistence farming, handicrafts, and postage stamps. The fertile soil of the valleys produces a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including citrus, sugarcane, watermelons, bananas, yams, and beans. Bartering is an important part of the economy. The major sources of revenue are the sale of postage stamps to collectors and the sale of handicrafts to passing ships.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "none", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "Britain's most isolated dependency; only the larger island of Pitcairn is inhabited but it has no port or natural harbor; supplies must be transported by rowed longboat from larger ships stationed offshore", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish; note: :manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver, and zinc have been discovered offshore", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Pitcairn Islander(s); adjective: :Pitcairn Islander", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926); Discovery Day, 2 July (1767)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "SPC, UPU", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :3 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :NA; male: :NA; female: :NA", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Island Council (10 seats; 4 members directly elected by proportional representation vote, 1 nominated by the elected Council members, 2 appointed by the governor, and 3 ex-officio members - the governor, deputy governor, and commissioner; elected members serve 1-year terms); elections: :last held on 13 November 2013 (next to be held not later than December 2015); election results: :percent of vote - NA; seats - 5 independents", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "local island by-laws", "LANGUAGES": "English (official), Pitkern (mixture of an 18th century English dialect and a Tahitian dialect)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "15 (2004)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest resident court(s): :Pitcairn Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, 2 judges, and the Supreme Court chief justice (ex-officio member); Pitcairn Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 2 judges); note - appeals beyond the Pitcairn Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London);the Court of Appeal was established in 2000 by an Order in Council; judge selection and term of office: :all judges of both courts appointed by the governor of the Pitcairn Islands on the instructions of the Queen of England through the Secretary of State; all judges appointed until retirement, normally at age 75; subordinate courts: :Magistrate's Court", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :NA; male: :NA; female: :NA", "INDUSTRIES": "postage stamps, handicrafts, beekeeping, honey", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$NA", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Pitcairn Islander coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the green, yellow, and blue of the shield represents the island rising from the ocean; the green field features a yellow anchor surmounted by a bible (both the anchor and the bible were items found on the HMS Bounty); sitting on the crest is a Pitcairn Island wheelbarrow from which springs a slip of miro (a local plant)", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "EXPORTS": "$NA", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by UK High Commissioner to New Zealand and Governor (nonresident) of the Pitcairn Islands Victoria M. TREADELL (since May 2010); Commissioner (nonresident) Leslie JAQUES (since September 2003) serves as liaison between the governor and the Island Council; head of government: :Mayor and Chairman of the Island Council Shawn CHRISTIAN (since 13 November 2013); cabinet: :NA; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; governor and commissioner appointed by the monarch; island mayor elected by popular vote for a three-year term; election last held in November 2013 (next to be held not later than December 2016); election results: :Shawn CHRISTIAN elected mayor and chairman of the Island Council", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar -; 1.206 (2014); 1.2187 (2013); 1.23 (2012); 1.263 (2011); 1.3874 (2010)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian wives", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest made 10 February 2010, presented 17 February 2010, effective 4 March 2010 (2010)", "COASTLINE": "51 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; hot and humid; modified by southeast trade winds; rainy season (November to March)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fuel oil, machinery, building materials, flour, sugar, other foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Adamstown; geographic coordinates: :25 04 S, 130 05 W; time difference: :UTC-9 (4 hours behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$746,000; expenditures: :$1.028 million (FY04/05)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "honey; wide variety of fruits and vegetables; goats, chickens; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fruits, vegetables, curios, postage stamps", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "note: :no business community in the usual sense; some public works; subsistence farming and fishing", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation (only a small portion of the original forest remains because of burning and clearing for settlement)", "BACKGROUND": "Pitcairn Island was discovered in 1767 by the British and settled in 1790 by the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions. Pitcairn was the first Pacific island to become a British colony (in 1838) and today remains the last vestige of that empire in the South Pacific. Outmigration, primarily to New Zealand, has thinned the population from a peak of 233 in 1937 to less than 50 today.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about three tenths the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "typhoons (especially November to March)", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Big Ridge 347 m", "SEX_RATIO": "NA", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (15 ham radio operators (VP6)) (2004)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "25 04 S, 130 06 W" }, { "country": "Poland", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Stephen MULL (since 24 October 2012); embassy: :Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540 Warsaw; mailing address: :American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch); telephone: :[48; FAX: :[48; consulate(s) general: :Krakow", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$24,400 (2014 est.); $23,700 (2013 est.); $23,300 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.2% (2014 est.); 1.6% (2013 est.); 2% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.11% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$941.4 billion (2014 est.); $911.8 billion (2013 est.); $897.9 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :42.6%; youth dependency ratio: :21.4%; elderly dependency ratio: :21.2%; potential support ratio: :4.7% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "19.1% of GDP (2014 est.); 17.4% of GDP (2013 est.); 16.7% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :61.1%; government consumption: :17.9%; investment in fixed capital: :18.7%; investment in inventories: :0.6%; exports of goods and services: :49.2%; imports of goods and services: :-47.5%; (2014 est.)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "26.9 (2011 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "289.5 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "92 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "12.47 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "94 million cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "18.23 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "6.206 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "109,900 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "68,970 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "511,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "553,700 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "156.5 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "547,900 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "3,615 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "25,220 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "5.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "2.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "91.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "34.32 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "7.8 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "12.32 billion kWh (2013)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "137.5 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "150.9 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "white eagle; national colors: white, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :26.5%; male: :24.1%; female: :30% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "25.3% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "6.5 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.2 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.7% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "5 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-1.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "16.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "WARSAW (capital) 1.718 million; Krakow 759,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Mazurek Dabrowskiego\" (Dabrowski's Mazurka); lyrics/music: :Jozef WYBICKI/traditional; note: :adopted 1927; the anthem, commonly known as \"Jeszcze Polska nie zginela\" (Poland Has Not Yet Perished), was written in 1797; the lyrics resonate strongly with Poles because they reflect the numerous occasions in which the nation's lands have been occupied", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 95.7% of population; rural: 79.7% of population; total: 89.5% of population; urban: 4.3% of population; rural: 20.3% of population; total: 10.5% of population (2008 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$306.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $318.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$181.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $184.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-run public TV operates 2 national channels supplemented by 16 regional channels and several niche channels; privately owned entities operate several national TV networks and a number of special interest channels; many privately owned channels broadcasting locally; roughly half of all households are linked to either satellite or cable TV systems providing access to foreign television networks; state-run public radio operates 5 national networks and 17 regional radio stations; 2 privately owned national radio networks, several commercial stations broadcasting to multiple cities, and many privately owned local radio stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :60.6% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :-0.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$352 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $362.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$109 billion (31 December 2008); $93.98 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$118.2 billion (31 December 2008); $137.4 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "6.3% (31 December 2014 est.); 7.07% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "4.25% (31 December 2012); 4% (31 December 2010)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.2% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :15 years; male: :15 years; female: :16 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :11.96 cu km/yr (31%/60%/10%); per capita: :312.3 cu m/yr (2009)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "61.6 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$177.7 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $138.2 billion (31 December 2011); $190.2 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$69.72 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $68.92 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$273.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $269.4 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$552.2 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :15,149 (Russia) (2014); 42,712 applicants for forms of legal stay other than asylum (Ukraine) (2015); stateless persons: :10,825 (2013)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :intermediate; vectorborne disease: :tickborne encephalitis; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$105.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $106.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$6.008 billion (2014 est.); -$7.014 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "45.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 49.7% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities, the data include subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "13.265 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :39.5 years; male: :37.9 years; female: :41.3 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "34.1 (2009); 31.6 (1998)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".pl", "INTERNET_USERS": "22.452 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "50.84 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "6.125 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Ryszard SCHNEPF (since 28 September 2012); chancery: :2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Chicago, Los Angeles, New York", "AREA": "total: :312,685 sq km; land: :304,255 sq km; water: :8,430 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1,157 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Central Europe, east of Germany", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Poland; conventional short form: :Poland; local long form: :Rzeczpospolita Polska; local short form: :Polska", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "12.7% (2014 est.); 13.5% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.33 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modernization of the telecommunications network has accelerated with market-based competition; fixed-line service, dominated by the former state-owned company, is dwarfed by the growth in mobile-cellular services; domestic: :mobile-cellular service available since 1993 and provided by three nation-wide networks with a fourth provider beginning operations in late 2006; coverage is generally good with some gaps in the east; fixed-line service lags in rural areas; international: :country code - 48; international direct dialing with automated exchanges; satellite earth station - 1 with access to Intelsat, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Catholic 87.2% (includes Roman Catholic 86.9% and Greek Catholic, Armenian Catholic, and Byzantine-Slavic Catholic .3%), Orthodox 1.3% (almost all are Polish Autocephalous Orthodox), Protestant 0.4% (mainly Augsburg Evangelical and Pentacostal), other 0.4% (includes Jehovah's Witness, Buddhist, Hare Krishna, Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Muslim, Jewish, Mormon), unspecified 10.8% (2012 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :19,428 km; broad gauge: :399 km 1.524-m gauge; standard gauge: :19,029 km 1.435-m gauge (11,805 km electrified) (2007)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Gdansk, Gdynia, Swinoujscie; river port(s): :Szczecin (River Oder)", "POPULATION": "38,346,279 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "A Just Poland (union of PR and SP) [Jaroslaw GOWIN; Civic Platform or PO [Ewa KOPACZ,chairperson; Rafal GRUPINSKI, parliamentary caucus leader; Democratic Left Alliance or SLD [Leszek MILLER, chairman, parliamentary caucus leader; German Minority of Lower Silesia or MNSO [Ryszard GALLA, representative; Law and Justice or PiS [Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI, chairman; Mariusz BLASZCZAK, parliamentary caucus leader; New Right Congress or KNP [Michal MARUSIK, chairman; Poland Together or PR [Jaroslaw GOWIN, chairman; Polish People's Party or PSL [Janusz PIECHOCINSKI, chairman; Jan BURY, parliamentary caucus leader; Social Democratic Party of Poland or SDPL [Wojciech FILEMONOWICZ, chairman; United Poland or SP [Zbigniew ZIOBRO, chairperson; Your Movement or TR [Janusz PALIKOT, chairman, parliamentary caucus leader", "PIPELINES": "gas 14,198 km; oil 1,374 km; refined products 777 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Poland has pursued a policy of economic liberalization since 1990 and Poland's economy was the only one in the EU to avoid a recession through the 2008-09 economic downturn. Although EU membership and access to EU structural funds have provided a major boost to the economy since 2004, GDP per capita remains significantly below the EU average while unemployment continues to exceed the EU average. The government of Prime Minister Donald TUSK steered the Polish economy through the economic downturn by skillfully managing public finances and adopting controversial pension and tax reforms to further shore up public finances. While the Polish economy has performed well over the past five years, growth slowed in 2013 and 2014, in part due to the ongoing economic difficulties in the euro zone. Short-term, the key policy challenge will be to consolidate debt and spending without stifling economic growth. Over the longer term, Poland's economic performance could improve if the country addresses some of the remaining deficiencies in its road and rail infrastructure, business environment, rigid labor code, commercial court system, government red tape, and burdensome tax system.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ (trade union) [Jan GUZ; Independent and Self-Governing Trade Union \"Solidarity\" [Piotr DUDA; Roman Catholic Church [Cardinal Stanislaw DZIWISZ, Archbishop Jozef MICHALIK", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Pole(s); adjective: :Polish", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Constitution Day, 3 May (1791)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :9; by type: :cargo 7, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 1; registered in other countries: :106 (Antigua and Barbuda 2, Bahamas 34, Cyprus 24, Liberia 13, Malta 21, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, Vanuatu 9) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :defined by international treaties", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :9,531,855; females age 16-49: :9,298,593 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :99.7%; male: :99.9%; female: :99.6% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :76.65 years; male: :72.74 years; female: :80.8 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral legislature consists of the Senate or Senat (100 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms) and the Sejm (460 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms); note - the designation National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe is only used on those rare occasions when the two houses meet jointly; note: :the German minority is exempt from the 5% threshold requirement for seats to the Sejm; elections: :Senate - last held on 9 October 2011 (next to be held by October 2015); Sejm - last held on 9 October 2011 (next to be held by October 2015); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PO 63, PiS 29, PSL 2, SP 2, independent 4; seats by party as of 26 February 2015 - PO 63, PiS 31, PSL 2, independent 4; Sejm - percent of vote by party - PO 39.2%, PiS 29.9%, RP 10%, PSL 8.4%, SLD 8.2%, other 4.3%; seats by party - PO 206, PiS 137, RP 43, PSL 28, SLD 25, SP 19, independent 1, German minority 1; seats by party as of 26 February 2015 - PO 202, PiS 132, TR 16, PSL 39, SLD 34, KPSP (coalition of smaller parties) 15, independent 21, German Minority 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system; changes gradually being introduced as part of broader democratization process; limited judicial review of legislative acts, but rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal are final", "LANGUAGES": "Polish (official) 98.2%, Silesian 1.4%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.3%; note: :data represents the language spoken at home; shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census; Poland ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in 2009 recognizing Kashub as a regional language, Czech, Hebrew, Yiddish, Belarusian, Lithuanian, German, Armenian, Russian, Slovak, and Ukrainian as national minority languages, and Karaim, Lemko, Romani (Polska Roma and Bergitka Roma), and Tatar as ethnic minority languages (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :35.68%; permanent crops: :1.3%; other: :63.02% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :3,071 km; border countries: :Belarus 418 km, Czech Republic 796 km, Germany 467 km, Lithuania 104 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 210 km, Slovakia 541 km, Ukraine 535 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "18.26 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Sad Najwyzszy (consists of the president of the Supreme Court and 116 judges organized in criminal, civil, labor and social insurance, and military chambers); judge selection and term of office: :president of the Supreme Court nominated by the General Assembly of the Supreme Court and selected by the president of Poland; other judges nominated by the 25-member National Judiciary Council, and appointed by the president of Poland; judges appointed until retirement, usually at age 65, but tenure can be extended; subordinate courts: :Constitutional Tribunal; regional and appellate courts subdivided into military, civil, criminal, labor, and family courts", "WATERWAYS": "3,997 km (navigable rivers and canals) (2009)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.2% (2014 est.); 1.1% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :6.19 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :6.88 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :5.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "5.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "11 November 1918 (republic proclaimed); notable earlier dates: 966 (adoption of Christianity, traditional founding date), 1 July 1569 (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth created)", "IMPORTS": "$217 billion (2014 est.); $196.9 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "despite diligent counternarcotics measures and international information sharing on cross-border crimes, a major illicit producer of synthetic drugs for the international market; minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and Latin American cocaine to Western Europe", "ROADWAYS": "total: :412,035 km; paved: :280,719 km (includes 2,418 km of expressways); unpaved: :131,316 km (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; colors derive from the Polish emblem - a white eagle on a red field; note: :similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$395.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $377.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$218.9 billion (2014 est.); $197.8 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Bronislaw KOMOROWSKI (since 6 August 2010); head of government: :Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz (since 22 September 2014); Deputy Prime Ministers Janusz PIECHOCINSKI (since 6 December 2012) and Tomasz SIEMONIAK (since 22 September 2014); cabinet: :Council of Ministers responsible to the prime minister and the Sejm; the prime minister proposes, the president appoints, and the Sejm approves the Council of Ministers; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 20 June and 4 July 2010 (next to be held in on 10 May 2015); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm; election results: :Bronislaw KOMOROWSKI elected president; percent of popular vote - Bronislaw KOMOROWSKI 53%, Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI 47%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "zlotych (PLN) per US dollar -; 3.139 (2014 est.); 3.1606 (2013 est.); 3.26 (2012 est.); 2.9639 (2011 est.); 3.0153 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Polish 96.9%, Silesian 1.1%, German 0.2%, Ukrainian 0.1%, other and unspecified 1.7%; note: :represents ethnicity declared first (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "10.37 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted 2 April 1997, approved by referendum 25 May 1997, effective 17 October 1997; amended 2006, 2009 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 27.5%, Russia 10.6%, Netherlands 6%, China 5.7%, Italy 5.3%, Czech Republic 4.3%, France 4.2% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "440 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and transport equipment 38%, intermediate manufactured goods 21%, chemicals 15%, minerals, fuels, lubricants, and related materials 9% (2011 est.)", "CAPITAL": "name: :Warsaw; geographic coordinates: :52 15 N, 21 00 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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$92.96 billion; expenditures: :$101.5 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Polish Armed Forces: Land Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Aviation Forces, Special Forces (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "9.77 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "126 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork, dairy", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "16 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo); Dolnoslaskie (Lower Silesia), Kujawsko-Pomorskie (Kuyavia-Pomerania), Lodzkie (Lodz), Lubelskie (Lublin), Lubuskie (Lubusz), Malopolskie (Lesser Poland), Mazowieckie (Masovia), Opolskie (Opole), Podkarpackie (Subcarpathia), Podlaskie, Pomorskie (Pomerania), Slaskie (Silesia), Swietokrzyskie (Holy Cross), Warminsko-Mazurskie (Warmia-Masuria), Wielkopolskie (Greater Poland), Zachodniopomorskie (West Pomerania)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 26%, UK 6.8%, Czech Republic 6.4%, France 5.8%, Russia 5.3%, Italy 4.5%, Netherlands 4.1% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and transport equipment 37.8%, intermediate manufactured goods 23.7%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 17.1%, food and live animals 7.6% (2012 est.)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :12.9%; industry: :30.2%; services: :57% (2010)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.3%; highest 10%: :27.1% (2009 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "10.6% (2008 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.91% of GDP (2012); 1.83% of GDP (2011); 1.91% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "situation has improved since 1989 due to decline in heavy industry and increased environmental concern by post-Communist governments; air pollution nonetheless remains serious because of sulfur dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, and the resulting acid rain has caused forest damage; water pollution from industrial and municipal sources is also a problem, as is disposal of hazardous wastes; pollution levels should continue to decrease as industrial establishments bring their facilities up to EU code, but at substantial cost to business and the government", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :39; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :17; 21 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :87; over 3,047 m: :5; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :30; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :36; 914 to 1,523 m: :10; under 914 m: :6 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Poland's history as a state begins near the middle of the 10th century. By the mid-16th century, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth ruled a vast tract of land in central and eastern Europe. During the 18th century, internal disorders weakened the nation, and in a series of agreements between 1772 and 1795, Russia, Prussia, and Austria partitioned Poland among themselves. Poland regained its independence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II. It became a Soviet satellite state following the war, but its government was comparatively tolerant and progressive. Labor turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union \"Solidarity\" that over time became a political force with over ten million members. Free elections in 1989 and 1990 won Solidarity control of the parliament and the presidency, bringing the communist era to a close. A \"shock therapy\" program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe. Poland joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004. With its transformation to a democratic, market-oriented country largely completed and with large investments in defense, energy, and other infrastructure, Poland is an increasingly active member of Euro-Atlantic organizations.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :221,889; female: :211,172 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :7,817,556; females age 16-49: :7,766,361 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-28 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription phased out in 2009-12; service obligation shortened from 12 to 9 months in 2005; women only allowed to serve as officers and noncommissioned officers (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than New Mexico", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "flooding", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :near Raczki Elblaskie -2 m; highest point: :Rysy 2,499 m", "HELIPORTS": "6 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.62 male(s)/female; total population: :0.94 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "75 (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 14, FM 63, shortwave 2 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :3.7%; industry: :32%; services: :64.3% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "52 00 N, 20 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :14.6% (male 2,876,264/female 2,716,569); 15-24 years: :11.9% (male 2,333,627/female 2,235,228); 25-54 years: :43.8% (male 8,459,153/female 8,355,491); 55-64 years: :14.7% (male 2,658,106/female 2,973,933); 65 years and over: :15% (male 2,224,569/female 3,513,339) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Portugal", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Robert A. SHERMAN (since 30 May 2014); embassy: :Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600-081 Lisbon; mailing address: :Apartado 43033, 1601-301 Lisboa; PSC 83, APO AE 09726; telephone: :[351; FAX: :[351; consulate(s): :Ponta Delgada (Azores)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$26,300 (2014 est.); $26,100 (2013 est.); $26,200 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1% (2014 est.); -1.4% (2013 est.); -3.2% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.12% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$276 billion (2014 est.); $273.3 billion (2013 est.); $277.2 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :50.8%; youth dependency ratio: :22.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :28.7%; potential support ratio: :3.5% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "16.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 15.3% of GDP (2013 est.); 14.4% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :64.6%; government consumption: :19.1%; investment in fixed capital: :15%; investment in inventories: :-0.1%; exports of goods and services: :39.6%; imports of goods and services: :-38.2%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "86.8% (2005/06)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "29.5 (2012 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :36,569; percentage: :3%; note: :data represents children ages 6-14 (2001 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "51.2 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "4.42 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "4.352 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "86,720 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "168,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "240,800 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "239,900 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "222,300 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "2,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "27.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "23.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "49% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "20.04 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "5.229 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "2.448 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "48.58 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "44.27 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "armillary sphere (a spherical astrolabe modeling objects in the sky and representing the Republic); national colors: red, green", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :37.6%; male: :36.4%; female: :39.1% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "24% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "3.4 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3.42 physicians/1,000 population (2003)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "9.4% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "8 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-4.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "43.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "LISBON (capital) 2.869 million; Porto 1.296 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"A Portugesa\" (The Song of the Portuguese); lyrics/music: :Henrique LOPES DE MENDOCA/Alfredo KEIL; note: :adopted 1910; \"A Portuguesa\" was originally written to protest the Portuguese monarchy's acquiescence to the 1890 British ultimatum forcing Portugal to give up areas of Africa; the lyrics refer to the \"insult\" that resulted from the event", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.8% of population; rural: 99.9% of population; total: 99.8% of population; urban: 0.2% of population; rural: 0.1% of population; total: 0.2% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$296.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $316.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$91.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $97.65 billion (31 December 2013 est.); note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "Radio e Televisao de Portugal (RTP),the publicly-owned TV broadcaster, operates 2 domestic channels and external service channels to Africa; overall, roughly 40 domestic TV stations; viewers have widespread access to international broadcasters with more than half of all households connected to multi-channel cable or satellite TV systems; publicly owned radio operates 3 national networks and provides regional and external services; several privately owned national radio stations and some 300 regional and local commercial radio stations (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :62.9% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.97% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$394 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $428.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$NA; note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi money circulating within their own borders", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "5.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 5.91% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.75% (31 December 2013); 1.5% (31 December 2010); note: :this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.6% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :16 years; male: :16 years; female: :17 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :8.46 cu km/yr (12%/18%/69%); per capita: :812 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "68.7 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$65.53 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $61.69 billion (31 December 2011); $82 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$99.55 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $99.55 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$152.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $146.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$228.2 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :553 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$17.55 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $17.55 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$1.4 billion (2014 est.); $1.16 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "131% of GDP (2014 est.); 129% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "3.748 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :41.1 years; male: :39 years; female: :43.3 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "34.2 (2013 est.); 34.5 (2012 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".pt", "INTERNET_USERS": "5.168 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "12.312 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "4.558 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Nuno Filipe Alves Salvador e BRITO (since 10 February 2011); chancery: :2012 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Boston, New York, San Francisco; consulate(s): :New Bedford (MA), Newark (NJ), Providence (RI)", "AREA": "total: :92,090 sq km; land: :91,470 sq km; water: :620 sq km; note: :includes Azores and Madeira Islands", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "5,837 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Portuguese Republic; conventional short form: :Portugal; local long form: :Republica Portuguesa; local short form: :Portugal", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "14.2% (2014 est.); 16.2% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic; parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.52 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mountainous north of the Tagus River, rolling plains in south", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :Portugal's telephone system has a state-of-the-art network with broadband, high-speed capabilities; domestic: :integrated network of coaxial cables, open-wire, microwave radio relay, and domestic satellite earth stations; international: :country code - 351; a combination of submarine cables provide connectivity to Europe, North and East Africa, South Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the US; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to Azores (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 81%, other Christian 3.3%, other (includes Jewish, Muslim, other) 0.6%, none 6.8%, unspecified 8.3%; notes: :represents population 15 years of age and older (2011 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :3,319 km; broad gauge: :2,700 km 1.668-m gauge (1,436 km electrified); narrow gauge: :192 km 1.000-m gauge; 427 km 0.760-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Leixoes, Lisbon, Setubal, Sines; LNG terminal (import): :Sines", "POPULATION": "10,813,834 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Democratic and Social Center/Popular Party or CDS/PP [Paulo PORTAS; Social Democratic Party or PPD/PSD [Pedro PASSOS COELHO; Socialist Party or PS [Antonio COSTA; The Left Bloc or BE [Catarina Soares MARTINS; Unitarian Democratic Coalition or CDU [Jeronimo DE SOUSA", "PIPELINES": "gas 1,344 km; oil 11 km; refined products 188 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Portugal has become a diversified and increasingly service-based economy since joining the European Community - the EU's predecessor - in 1986. Over the following two decades, successive governments privatized many state-controlled firms and liberalized key areas of the economy, including the financial and telecommunications sectors. The country joined the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) in 1999 and began circulating the euro on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU members. The economy grew by more than the EU average for much of the 1990s, but the rate of growth slowed in 2001-08. The economy contracted in 2009, and fell again from 2011 to 2014, as the government implemented spending cuts and tax increases to comply with conditions of an EU-IMF financial rescue package, signed in May 2011. A modest recovery began in 2013 and gathered steam in in 2014 due to strong export performance and a rebound in private consumption. Although austerity measures were instituted to reduce the large budget deficit, they contributed to record unemployment and a wave of emigration not seen since the 1960s. A continued reduction in private- and public-sector debt could weigh on consumption and investment in 2015, holding back a stronger recovery. The government of Pedro PASSOS COELHO has passed legislation aimed at reducing labor market rigidity, and, this, along sustained fiscal discipline, could make Portugal more attractive to foreign direct investment. The government reduced the budget deficit from 10.1% of GDP in 2009 to 4.8% in 2014, a figure that is significantly higher than the EU-IMF target of 4%. The government has pledged to lower the deficit to under 3% of GDP in 2015 in order to comply with euro-zone fiscal obligations. Legislative elections in 2015 could increase the risk of fiscal slippage and undermine investor confidence in Portugal�s economy, which has improved over the course of the EU-IMF program. The EU-IMF financing program expired in May 2014.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Armed Forces Officers' Association (AOFA) [Colonel Pereira CRACEL; the Desperate Generation (youth movement protesting against low wages, precarious labor conditions, and unemployment); the General Workers Union or General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (UGT) [Carlos SILVA; Portuguese National Workers' Conference (CGTP) [Armenio CARLOS; TugaLeaks (a website that has become a mouthpiece for publicizing diverse protest action); other: :the media; labor unions", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "2.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish, forests (cork), iron ore, copper, zinc, tin, tungsten, silver, gold, uranium, marble, clay, gypsum, salt, arable land, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Portuguese (singular and plural); adjective: :Portuguese", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Portugal Day (Dia de Portugal), 10 June (1580); note - also called Camoes Day, the day that revered national poet Luis de Camoes (1524-80) died", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :109; by type: :bulk carrier 8, cargo 35, carrier 1, chemical tanker 21, container 7, liquefied gas 6, passenger 13, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 9; foreign-owned: :81 (Belgium 8, Colombia 1, Denmark 4, Germany 14, Greece 2, Italy 12, Japan 9, Mexico 1, Norway 2, Spain 18, Sweden 3, Switzerland 3, US 4); registered in other countries: :15 (Cyprus 2, Malta 3, Panama 10) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CE, CERN, CPLP, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINUSMA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,566,264; females age 16-49: :2,458,297 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :94.5%; male: :96.3%; female: :92.9% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :79.01 years; male: :75.76 years; female: :82.47 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da Republica (230 seats; 226 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 4 members - 2 each in 2 constituencies representing Portuguese living abroad - directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 5 June 2011 (next to be held by October 2015); election results: :percent of vote by party - PPD/PSD 38%, PS 28%, CDS/PP 11%, PCP/PEV (see CDU) 7%, BE 5%, other 11%; seats by party - PPD/PSD 108, PS 74, CDS/PP 24, PCP/PEV (see CDU) 16, BE 8", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts", "LANGUAGES": "Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official, but locally used)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :11.9%; permanent crops: :7.8%; other: :80.3% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,224 km; border countries: :Spain 1,224 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "5.271 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (consists of 12 justices); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 13 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court justices nominated by the president and appointed by the Assembly of the Republic; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Court judges - 10 elected by the Assembly and 3 elected by the other Constitutional Court judges; judges elected for 6-year non-renewable terms; subordinate courts: :Supreme Administrative Court (Supremo Tribunal Administrativo); Audit Court (Tribunal de Contas); appellate, district, and municipal courts", "WATERWAYS": "210 km (on Douro River from Porto) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0% (2014 est.); 0.4% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :4.48 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :4.92 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :4.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "textiles, clothing, footwear, wood and cork, paper, chemicals, auto parts, base metals, porcelain and ceramics, glassware, technology, telecommunications; dairy products, wine, other foodstuffs; ship construction and refurbishment; tourism", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.1% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1143 (Kingdom of Portugal recognized); 5 October 1910 (republic proclaimed)", "IMPORTS": "$76.11 billion (2014 est.); $72.63 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "seizing record amounts of Latin American cocaine destined for Europe; a European gateway for Southwest Asian heroin; transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe; consumer of Southwest Asian heroin", "ROADWAYS": "total: :82,900 km; paved: :71,294 km (includes 2,613 km of expressways); unpaved: :11,606 km (2008)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "two vertical bands of green (hoist side, two-fifths) and red (three-fifths) with the national coat of arms (armillary sphere and Portuguese shield) centered on the dividing line; explanations for the color meanings are ambiguous, but a popular interpretation has green symbolizing hope and red the blood of those defending the nation", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$508.3 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $482.2 billion (31 December 2011)", "EXPORTS": "$66.3 billion (2014 est.); $62.98 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Anibal CAVACO SILVA (since 9 March 2006); head of government: :Prime Minister Pedro Manuel PASSOS COELHO Mamede (since 21 June 2011); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister; note: :there is also a Council of State that acts as a consultative body to the president; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 23 January 2011 (next to be held in January 2016); following legislative elections which must be held by October 2015, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the president; election results: :Anibal CAVACO SILVA reelected president; percent of vote - Anibal CAVACO SILVA 53%, Manuel ALEGRE 19.8%, Fernando NOBRE 14.1%, Francisco LOPES 7.1%, Manuel COELHO 4.5%, Defensor MOURA 1.6%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.78 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "homogeneous Mediterranean stock; citizens of black African descent who immigrated to mainland during decolonization number less than 100,000; since 1990 East Europeans have entered Portugal", "DEATH_RATE": "10.97 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted 2 April 1976, effective 25 April 1976; amended several times, last in 2005 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Spain 32.5%, Germany 11.5%, France 6.8%, Italy 5.2%, Netherlands 5%, Angola 4.7% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "1,793 km", "CLIMATE": "maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "agricultural products, chemical products, vehicles and other transport material, optical and precision instruments, computer accessories and parts, semi-conductors and related devices, oil products, base metals, food products, textile materials", "CAPITAL": "name: :Lisbon; geographic coordinates: :38 43 N, 9 08 W; time difference: :UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$99.6 billion; expenditures: :$110.7 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Portuguese Army (Exercito Portuguesa), Portuguese Navy (Marinha Portuguesa; includes Marine Corps), Portuguese Air Force (Forca Aerea Portuguesa, FAP) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "9.42 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "64 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "grain, potatoes, tomatoes, olives, grapes; sheep, cattle, goats, pigs, poultry, dairy products; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "18 districts (distritos, singular - distrito) and 2 autonomous regions* (regioes autonomas, singular - regiao autonoma); Aveiro, Acores (Azores)*, Beja, Braga, Braganca, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Evora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria, Lisboa (Lisbon), Madeira*, Portalegre, Porto, Santarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Spain 23.9%, Germany 11.7%, France 11.7%, Angola 6.5%, UK 5.5%, US 4.1%, Netherlands 4.1% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "agricultural products, foodstuffs, wine, oil products, chemical products, plastics and rubber, hides, leather, wood and cork, wood pulp and paper, textile materials, clothing, footwear, machinery and tools, base metals", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :10.5%; industry: :23.1%; services: :66.4% (2013 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.1%; highest 10%: :28.4% (1995 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "18% (2006)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.29% of GDP (2014); 1.2% of GDP (2013); 1.78% of GDP (2012)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Environmental Modification", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "soil erosion; air pollution caused by industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution, especially in coastal areas", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :21; 914 to 1,523 m: :1; 20 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :43; over 3,047 m: :5; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :7; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :8; 914 to 1,523 m: :15; under 914 m: :8 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Following its heyday as a global maritime power during the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence of Brazil, its wealthiest colony, in 1822. A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six decades, repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms. The following year, Portugal granted independence to all of its African colonies. Portugal is a founding member of NATO and entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :62,208; female: :54,786 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,103,080; females age 16-49: :2,018,004 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no compulsory military service, but conscription possible if insufficient volunteers available; women serve in the armed forces, on naval ships since 1993, but are prohibited from serving in some combatant specialties; reserve obligation to age 35 (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Indiana", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "Azores subject to severe earthquakes; volcanism: :limited volcanic activity in the Azores Islands; Fayal or Faial (elev. 1,043 m) last erupted in 1958; most volcanoes have not erupted in centuries; historically active volcanoes include Agua de Pau, Furnas, Pico, Picos Volcanic System, San Jorge, Sete Cidades, and Terceira", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Ponta do Pico (Pico or Pico Alto) on Ilha do Pico in the Azores 2,351 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.07 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.09 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.13 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.69 male(s)/female; total population: :0.95 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "42 (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 2, FM 63, shortwave 1 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :2.6%; industry: :22.4%; services: :75% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "39 30 N, 8 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :15.9% (male 893,902/female 821,062); 15-24 years: :11.4% (male 654,102/female 579,440); 25-54 years: :42.2% (male 2,304,503/female 2,260,556); 55-64 years: :11.9% (male 599,380/female 685,279); 65 years and over: :18.6% (male 824,062/female 1,191,548) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Puerto Rico", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "unincorporated, organized territory of the US with commonwealth status; policy relations between Puerto Rico and the US conducted under the jurisdiction of the Office of the President", "AFFILIATION": "(territory of the US with commonwealth status)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$16,300 (2010 est.); $17,400 (2009 est.); $18,100 (2008 est.); note: :data are in 2010 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "-5.8% (2010 est.); -3.7% (2009 est.); -2.8% (2008 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.65% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$64.84 billion (2010 est.); $68.84 billion (2009 est.); $71.51 billion (2008 est.); note: :data are in 2010 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :50.1%; youth dependency ratio: :28.8%; elderly dependency ratio: :21.3%; potential support ratio: :4.7% (2014 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :89.4%; government consumption: :14.7%; investment in fixed capital: :13.4%; investment in inventories: :1%; exports of goods and services: :108.7%; imports of goods and services: :-127.2%; (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "26.81 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "1.36 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "1.36 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "176,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "106,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "2.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "97.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "5.571 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "18.61 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "20.02 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Puerto Rican spindalis (bird), coqui (frog); national colors: red, white, blue", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :26.6%; male: :28.9%; female: :23.1% (2012 est.)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "20 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-0.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "9.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "SAN JUAN (capital) 2.466 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"La Borinquena\" (The Puerto Rican); lyrics/music: :Manuel Fernandez JUNCOS/Felix Astol ARTES; note: :music adopted 1952, lyrics adopted 1977; the local anthem's name is a reference to the indigenous name of the island, Borinquen; the music was originally composed as a dance in 1867 and gained popularity in the early 20th century; there is some evidence that the music was written by Francisco RAMIREZ; as a commonwealth of the United States, \"The Star-Spangled Banner\" is official (see United States)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 99.3% of population; rural: 99.3% of population; total: 99.3% of population; urban: 0.7% of population; rural: 0.7% of population; total: 0.7% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 93.6% of population; rural: 93.6% of population; total: 93.6% of population; urban: 6.4% of population; rural: 6.4% of population; total: 6.4% of population (2001 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "more than 30 TV stations operating; cable TV subscription services are available; roughly 125 radio stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :93.6% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :-0.21% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "3.3% (31 December 2014 est.); 3.3% (31 December 2013 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :16 years; male: :14 years; female: :17 years (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$93.52 billion (2010 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "93.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 91.8% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "469 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :38.7 years; male: :36.8 years; female: :40.5 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".pr", "INTERNET_USERS": "1 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "3.06 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "780,200 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (territory of the US)", "AREA": "total: :13,790 sq km; land: :8,870 sq km; water: :4,921 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "220.4 sq km (2005)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; conventional short form: :Puerto Rico", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the US", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "16% (2011 est.); 12% (2002 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "commonwealth", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.64 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modern system integrated with that of the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with high-speed data capability; domestic: :digital telephone system; mobile-cellular services; international: :country code - 1-787, 939; submarine cables provide connectivity to the US, Caribbean, Central and South America; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal; note - island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15%", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Ensenada Honda, Mayaguez, Playa de Guayanilla, Playa de Ponce, San Juan; container port(s) (TEUs): :San Juan (1,484,595); LNG terminal(s) (import): :Guayanilla Bay", "POPULATION": "3,620,897 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "National Democratic Party [Roberto PRATS; National Republican Party of Puerto Rico [Carlos MENDEZ; New Progressive Party or PNP [Pedro PIERLUISI; Popular Democratic Party or PPD [Alejandro Garcia PADILLA; Puerto Rican Independence Party or PIP [Ruben BERRIOS Martinez", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region, however, growth has been negative for the past four years, and unemployment rose to nearly 16% in 2011. The industrial sector has surpassed agriculture as the primary locus of economic activity and income. Mainland US firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. US minimum wage laws apply. Sugar production has lost out to dairy production and other livestock products as the main source of income in the agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income with estimated arrivals of more than 3.6 million tourists in 2008. Closing the budget deficit while restoring economic growth and employment remain the central concerns of the government.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Boricua Popular Army or EPB (a revolutionary group also known as Los Macheteros); the following radical groups are considered dormant by Federal law enforcement: Armed Forces for National Liberation or FALN, Armed Forces of Popular Resistance, Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-8.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens); adjective: :Puerto Rican", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "US Independence Day, 4 July (1776); Puerto Rico Constitution Day, 25 July (1952)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "AOSIS (observer), Caricom (observer), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNWTO (associate), UPU, WFTU (NGOs)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :92%; male: :91.3%; female: :92.5% (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :79.09 years; male: :75.46 years; female: :82.8 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa consists of the Senate or Senado (27 seats; 16 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 11 at-large members directly elected by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms); the House of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (51 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms); elections: :Senate - last held on 6 November 2012 (next to be held on 8 November 2016); House of Representatives - last held on 6 November 2012 (next to be held on 8 November 2016); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPD 18, PNP 8, PIP 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPD 28, PNP 23; note: :Puerto Rico directly elects 1 member by simple majority vote to serve a 4-year term as a commissioner to the US House of Representatives; the commissioner can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House, but not when legislation is submitted for a �full floor� House vote; election of commissioner last held on 6 November 2012 (next to be held on 8 November 2016)", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system based on the Spanish civil code and within the framework of the US federal system", "LANGUAGES": "Spanish, English", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :6.78%; permanent crops: :5.64%; other: :87.59% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "1.286 million (March 2012 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 8 associate justices); judge selection and term of office: :justices appointed by the governor and confirmed by majority Senate vote; judges serve until compulsory retirement at age 70; subordinate courts: :Court of Appeals; First Instance Court comprised of superior and municipal courts; note: :the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Judiciary Act of 2003 reformed the judicial system", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.9% (2014 est.); 0.9% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :7.73 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :8.53 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :6.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, tourism", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-5.2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)", "IMPORTS": "$46.9 billion (2014 est.); $49.57 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :26,862 km (includes 454 km of expressways) (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large, white, five-pointed star in the center; the white star symbolizes Puerto Rico; the three sides of the triangle signify the executive, legislative and judicial parts of the government; blue stands for the sky and the coastal waters; red symbolizes the blood shed by warriors, while white represents liberty, victory, and peace; note: :design initially influenced by the US flag, but similar to the Cuban flag, with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 July - 30 June", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$56.82 billion (31 December 2010 est.); $52.98 billion (31 December 2009 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$68.34 billion (2014 est.); $68.27 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Barack H. OBAMA (since 20 January 2009); Vice President Joseph R. BIDEN (since 20 January 2009); head of government: :Governor Alejandro GARCIA Padilla (since 2 January 2013); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the governor with the consent of the legislature; elections: :under the US Constitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such as Puerto Rico, do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; however, they may vote in Democratic and Republican party presidential primary elections; governor elected by popular vote for a four-year term (no term limits); election last held on 6 November 2012 (next to be held in November 2016); election results: :Alejandro GARCIA Padilla elected governor with 48.2% of the vote", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "the US dollar is used", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "white 75.8%, black/African American 12.4%, other 8.5% (includes American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, other Pacific Islander, and others), mixed 3.3%; note: :99% of the population is Latino (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "8.51 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1900 (Organic Act, or Foraker Act); latest ratified 3 March 1952, approved 3 July 1952, effective 25 July 1952; note - constitutional amendments introduced in 2012 were rejected in a referendum (2013)", "COASTLINE": "501 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "chemicals, machinery and equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products", "CAPITAL": "name: :San Juan; geographic coordinates: :18 28 N, 66 07 W; time difference: :UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$9.033 billion; expenditures: :$9.128 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular indigenous military forces; paramilitary National Guard, Police Force", "BIRTH_RATE": "10.9 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "29 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock products, chickens", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (territory of the US with commonwealth status); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 78 municipalities (municipios, singular - municipio) at the second order; Adjuntas, Aguada, Aguadilla, Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Anasco, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barceloneta, Barranquitas, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Camuy, Canovanas, Carolina, Catano, Cayey, Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio, Corozal, Culebra, Dorado, Fajardo, Florida, Guanica, Guayama, Guayanilla, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Hatillo, Hormigueros, Humacao, Isabela, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Juncos, Lajas, Lares, Las Marias, Las Piedras, Loiza, Luquillo, Manati, Maricao, Maunabo, Mayaguez, Moca, Morovis, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Penuelas, Ponce, Quebradillas, Rincon, Rio Grande, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San German, San Juan, San Lorenzo, San Sebastian, Santa Isabel, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja, Vieques, Villalba, Yabucoa, Yauco", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "chemicals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :2.1%; industry: :19%; services: :79% (2005)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :12; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1; 10 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :17; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :7; under 914 m: :5 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Christopher COLUMBUS' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters chose not to alter the existing political status with the US, but the results of a 2012 vote left open the possibility of American statehood.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :30,517; female: :29,010 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :700,443; females age 16-49: :786,035 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "periodic droughts; hurricanes", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Cerro de Punta 1,338 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.02 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.91 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.92 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.77 male(s)/female; total population: :0.92 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "34 (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 74, FM 53, shortwave 0 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :0.7%; industry: :48.5%; services: :50.8% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "18 15 N, 66 30 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :18.1% (male 335,142/female 319,765); 15-24 years: :14.5% (male 267,596/female 256,487); 25-54 years: :38.5% (male 665,092/female 727,412); 55-64 years: :12% (male 197,256/female 238,139); 65 years and over: :17% (male 265,674/female 348,334) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Qatar", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Dana Shell SMITH (8 September 2014); embassy: :Al-Luqta District, 22 February Road, Doha; mailing address: :P. O. Box 2399, Doha; telephone: :[974; FAX: :[974", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$144,400 (2014 est.); $148,400 (2013 est.); $155,100 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "6.5% (2014 est.); 6.5% (2013 est.); 6.1% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.58% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$323.2 billion (2014 est.); $303.4 billion (2013 est.); $284.9 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :17.1%; youth dependency ratio: :16%; elderly dependency ratio: :1.1%; potential support ratio: :87.4% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "56% of GDP (2014 est.); 61.6% of GDP (2013 est.); 61.9% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :13.3%; government consumption: :12.9%; investment in fixed capital: :34.5%; investment in inventories: :0.5%; exports of goods and services: :86.1%; imports of goods and services: :-47.3%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "38% (2012)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "99.17 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "25.07 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "120.8 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "35.58 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "156.4 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "210,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "220,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "287,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "25.24 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "1.389 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "2.057 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "7.83 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "28.24 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "28.87 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "a maroon field surmounted by a white serrated band with nine white points; national colors: maroon, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :1.3%; male: :0.4%; female: :8.9% (2011 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "33.2% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.2 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "7.74 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "2.2% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "7 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "11.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "43% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "DOHA (capital) 699,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Al-Salam Al-Amiri\" (The Peace for the Anthem); lyrics/music: :Sheikh MUBARAK bin Saif al-Thani/Abdul Aziz Nasser OBAIDAN; note: :adopted 1996; anthem first performed that year at a meeting of the Gulf Cooperative Council hosted by Qatar", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$142.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $125.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$32.59 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $29.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "TV and radio broadcast licensing and access to local media markets are state controlled; home of the satellite TV channel Al-Jazeera, which was originally owned and financed by the Qatari government, but has evolved to independent corporate status; Al-Jazeera claims editorial independence in broadcasting; local radio transmissions include state, private, and international broadcasters on FM frequencies in Doha; in August 2013, Qatar's satellite company Es'hailSat launched its first communications satellite Es'hail 1 (manufactured in the US), which entered commercial service in December 2013 to provide improved television broadcasting capability and expand availability of voice and internet; Es'hailSat released a request for proposals in March 2014 for its second satellite to launch in 2016 (2014)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :99.2% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :6.02% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$164.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $149.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$44.5 billion (31 December 2009); $36.58 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$14.59 billion (31 December 2009); $13.98 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "4.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 4.5% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "4.5% (31 December 2012); 4.93% (31 December 2011)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.5% of GDP (2008)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :14 years; male: :14 years; female: :14 years (2005)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.44 cu km/yr (39%/2%/59%); per capita: :376.9 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "0.06 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$126.4 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $125.4 billion (31 December 2011); $123.6 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$38.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $34.88 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$32.04 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $31.33 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Qater is a destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor, and, to a much lesser extent, forced prostitution; the predominantly foreign workforce migrates to Qatar legally but often experiences situations of forced labor, including debt bondage, delayed or nonpayment of salaries, confiscation of passports, abuse, hazardous working conditions, and squalid living arrangements; foreign female domestic workers are particularly vulnerable to trafficking because of their isolation in private homes and lack of protection under Qatari labor laws; some women who migrate for work are also forced into prostitution; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Qatar does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; in 2013, the government took action to prevent human trafficking by convicting individuals for visa selling, doubling the number of labor inspectors, closing some recruitment firms, and implementing anti-trafficking awareness campaigns; authorities identified some trafficking victims and provided them with shelter and other protection services; the government did not reform the exploitive sponsorship system, prosecute or convict any trafficking offenders, or rigorously enforce laws prohibiting employers from wage and passport withholding (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$212 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :1,200 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$47.14 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $42.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$39 billion (2014 est.); $62.59 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "30% of GDP (2014 est.); 32.1% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "897 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :32.6 years; male: :33.6 years; female: :28 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".qa", "INTERNET_USERS": "563,800 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "2.6 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "327,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Jaham A.A. KUWARI (since 10 March 2014); chancery: :2555 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulates: :Houston, Los Angeles", "AREA": "total: :11,586 sq km; land: :11,586 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "129.4 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Middle East", "LOCATION": "Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :State of Qatar; conventional short form: :Qatar; local long form: :Dawlat Qatar; local short form: :Qatar; note: :closest approximation of the native pronunciation is cutter", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "0.4% (2014 est.); 0.3% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "emirate", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.92 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modern system centered in Doha; domestic: :combined fixed and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership exceeds 130 telephones per 100 persons; international: :country code - 974; landing point for the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and the US; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and the UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 77.5%, Christian 8.5%, other (includes mainly Hindu and other Indian religions) 14% (2004 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Doha, Mesaieed (Umaieed), Ra's Laffan; LNG terminal(s) (export): :Ras Laffan", "POPULATION": "2,123,160 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "none", "PIPELINES": "condensate 288 km; condensate/gas 221 km; gas 2,383 km; liquid petroleum gas 90 km; oil 745 km; refined products 103 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Qatar has prospered in the last several years with continued high real GDP growth. GDP was driven largely by the oil and gas sector however growth in the manufacturing, construction, and financial services sectors have pushed the non-oil component to just over half of Qatar�s nominal GDP for the first time since 2000. Economic policy is focused on sustaining Qatar's nonassociated natural gas reserves and increasing private and foreign investment in non-energy sectors, but oil and gas still account for roughly 92% of export earnings, and 62% of government revenues. Oil and gas have made Qatar the world's highest per-capita income country and the country with the lowest unemployment. Proved oil reserves in excess of 25 billion barrels should enable continued output at current levels for about 56 years. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas exceed 25 trillion cubic meters, about 13% of the world total and third largest in the world. Qatar's successful 2022 World Cup bid is accelerating large-scale infrastructure projects such as Qatar's metro system, light rail system, the construction of a new port, roads, stadiums and related sporting infrastructure. The new Hamad International Airport opened in mid-2014 with an initial annual passenger capacity of 24 million and with a projected 50 million when complete.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "none", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "27.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, natural gas, fish", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Qatari(s); adjective: :Qatari", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "National Day, 18 December (1878), anniversary of Al Thani family accession to the throne; Independence Day, 3 September (1971)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :28; by type: :bulk carrier 3, chemical tanker 2, container 13, liquefied gas 6, petroleum tanker 4; foreign-owned: :6 (Kuwait 6); registered in other countries: :35 (Liberia 5, Marshall Islands 29, Panama 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CD, CICA (observer), EITI (implementing country), FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :as determined by bilateral agreements or the median line", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :389,487; females age 16-49: :165,572 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :96.7%; male: :96.9%; female: :95.8% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :78.38 years; male: :76.4 years; female: :80.4 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura (15 seats; members appointed by the monarch); note - the 2003 constitutional referendum called for the election of 30 members, however, the first election scheduled for 2013 was postponed; note: :the Advisory Council has limited legislative authority to draft and approve laws, but the Amir has final say on all matters; Qatar's first legislative elections were expected to be held in 2013, but HAMAD postponed them in a final legislative act prior to handing over power to TAMIN; in principle the public would elect 30 members and the Amir would appoint 15; the Advisory Council would have authority to approve the national budget, hold ministers accountable through no-confidence votes, and propose legislation; Qatar in May 2011 held nationwide elections for the 29-member Central Municipal Council (CMC) - first elected in 1999 - which has limited consultative authority aimed at improving municipal services", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of civil law and Islamic law (in family and personal matters)", "LANGUAGES": "Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :1.12%; permanent crops: :0.23%; other: :98.65% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :87 km; border countries: :Saudi Arabia 87 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "1.553 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Court of Cassation (consists of the court president and several judges); Supreme Constitutional Court (consists of the chief justice and 6 members); note - the Supreme Constitutional Court and the Judicial Supreme Council were established in 1999; judge selection and term of office: :Cassation Court judges nominated by the Judicial Supreme Council, a 9-member independent body consisting of judiciary heads appointed by the monarch; judges appointed for 3-year renewable terms; Supreme Constitutional Court members nominated by the Judicial Supreme Council and appointed by the monarch; term of appointment NA; subordinate courts: :Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; Sharia Courts; Courts of Justice", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3.2% (2014 est.); 3.1% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :6.42 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :6.67 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :6.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "liquefied natural gas, crude oil production and refining, ammonia, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement, commercial ship repair", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "4.4% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "3 September 1971 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$39.12 billion (2014 est.); $31.47 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :9,830 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side; maroon represents the blood shed in Qatari wars, white stands for peace; the nine-pointed serrated edge signifies Qatar as the ninth member of the \"reconciled emirates\" in the wake of the Qatari-British treaty of 1916; note: :the other eight emirates are the seven that compose the UAE and Bahrain; according to some sources, the dominant color was formerly red, but this darkened to maroon upon exposure to the sun and the new shade was eventually adopted", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$158 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $149.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$121.2 billion (2014 est.); $136.9 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Amir TAMIM bin Hamad Al Thani (since 25 June 2013); head of government: :Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Nasir bin Khalifa Al Thani (since 26 June 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad bin Abdallah al-MAHMUD (since 20 September 2011); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the amir; elections: :the position of amir is hereditary", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Qatari rials (QAR) per US dollar -; 3.64 (2014 est.); 3.64 (2013 est.); 3.64 (2012 est.); 3.64 (2011 est.); 3.64 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Arab 40%, Indian 18%, Pakistani 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14%", "DEATH_RATE": "1.53 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1972 (provisional); latest drafted 2 July 2002, approved by referendum 29 April 2003, endorsed 8 June 2004, effective 9 June 2005 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 14.2%, UAE 11.1%, Saudi Arabia 8.6%, UK 6.4%, Japan 6%, China 4.8%, Germany 4.7%, Italy 4.4%, France 4.4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "563 km", "CLIMATE": "arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and transport equipment, food, chemicals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Doha; geographic coordinates: :25 17 N, 51 32 E; time difference: :UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$91.07 billion; expenditures: :$67.32 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Qatari Emiri Land Force (QELF), Qatari Emiri Navy (QEN), Qatari Emiri Air Force (QEAF) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "9.95 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "6 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "fruits, vegetables; poultry, dairy products, beef; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "7 municipalities (baladiyat, singular - baladiyah); Ad Dawhah, Al Khawr wa adh Dhakhirah, Al Wakrah, Ar Rayyan, Ash Shamal, Az Za'ayin, Umm Salal", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Japan 26.7%, South Korea 19%, India 12.1%, Singapore 5.7%, China 5.4% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum products, fertilizers, steel", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.3%; highest 10%: :35.9% (2007)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "limited natural freshwater resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :1; 1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :4; over 3,047 m: :3; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Qatari economy was crippled by a continuous siphoning off of petroleum revenues by the Amir, who had ruled the country since 1972. His son, HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, overthrew the father in a bloodless coup in 1995. In short order, HAMAD oversaw the creation of the pan-Arab satellite news network Al-Jazeera and Qatar's pursuit of a leadership role in mediating regional conflicts. In the 2000s, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. As of 2007, oil and natural gas revenues had enabled Qatar to attain the highest per capita income in the world. Qatar has not experienced domestic unrest or violence like that seen in other Near Eastern and North African countries in 2010-11, due in part to its immense wealth. Since the outbreak of regional unrest, however, Doha has prided itself on its support for many of these popular revolutions, particularly in Libya and Syria. In mid-2013, HAMAD transferred power to his 33 year-old son, the current Amir TAMIM bin Hamad - a peaceful abdication rare in the history of Arab Gulf states. TAMIM has prioritized improving the domestic welfare of Qataris, including establishing advanced healthcare and education systems and expanding the country's infrastructure in anticipation of Doha's hosting of the 2022 World Cup.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :6,429; female: :5,162 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :321,974; females age 16-49: :140,176 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "conscription for males aged 18-35; 4 month general obligation, 3 months for graduates (2014)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Connecticut", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "haze, dust storms, sandstorms common", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Persian Gulf 0 m; highest point: :Tuwayyir al Hamir 103 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.02 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :2.75 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :4.8 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :3.37 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :1.5 male(s)/female; total population: :3.29 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (plus 3 repeaters) (2001)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :0.1%; industry: :68%; services: :31.9% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "25 30 N, 51 15 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :12.5% (male 134,477/female 130,640); 15-24 years: :13.4% (male 208,278/female 75,889); 25-54 years: :69.9% (male 1,228,151/female 256,099); 55-64 years: :3.4% (male 55,386/female 16,156); 65 years and over: :0.9% (male 11,226/female 6,858) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Romania", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Duane BUTCHER (since 14 December 2012); embassy: :Bulevardul Dr. Liviu Librescu 4-6, District 1, Bucharest, 015118; mailing address: :American Embassy Bucharest, US Department of State, 5260 Bucharest Place, Washington, DC 20521-5260 (pouch); telephone: :[40; FAX: :[40", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$19,400 (2014 est.); $17,700 (2013 est.); $17,100 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.4% (2014 est.); 3.5% (2013 est.); 0.6% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.29% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$386.5 billion (2014 est.); $377.5 billion (2013 est.); $364.6 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :43.6%; youth dependency ratio: :21.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :21.9%; potential support ratio: :4.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "21.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 21.9% of GDP (2013 est.); 21.6% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :72.5%; government consumption: :6.1%; investment in fixed capital: :22.1%; investment in inventories: :0.6%; exports of goods and services: :44.8%; imports of goods and services: :-46.1%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "69.8%; note: :percent of women aged 18-49 (2005)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "26 (2011 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :26,658; percentage: :1% (2000 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "86.06 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "105.5 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "2.85 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "13.48 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "10.63 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "44,070 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "75,480 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "215,300 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "218,700 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "600 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "122,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "1,604 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "92,390 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "8.6% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "6.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "30.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "55.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "21.77 million kW (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "450 million kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "2.466 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "52.36 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "56.71 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "golden eagle; national colors: blue, yellow, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :22.7%; male: :22.3%; female: :23.2% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "19.1% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "6.1 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.39 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.1% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "3.5% (2002)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "27 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-1.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "30.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "BUCHAREST (capital) 1.872 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Desteapta-te romane!\" (Wake up, Romanian!); lyrics/music: :Andrei MURESIANU/Anton PANN; note: :adopted 1990; the anthem was written during the 1848 Revolution", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 87.9% of population; rural: 54.4% of population; total: 72.1% of population; urban: 12.1% of population; rural: 45.6% of population; total: 27.9% of population (2008 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 98.5% of population; rural: 75.6% of population; total: 87.7% of population; urban: 1.5% of population; rural: 24.4% of population; total: 12.3% of population (2008 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$68.63 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $74.11 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$30.09 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $30.82 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "a mixture of public and private TV stations; the public broadcaster operates multiple stations; roughly 100 private national, regional, and local stations; more than 75% of households are connected to multi-channel cable or satellite TV systems that provide access to Romanian, European, and international stations; state-owned public radio broadcaster operates 4 national networks and regional and local stations; more than 100 private radio stations (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :54.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.01% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$69.41 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $81.58 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$36.09 billion (31 December 2008); $34.96 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$25.3 billion (31 December 2008); $25.17 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "8.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 10.52% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "4% (31 December 2013); 5.25% (31 December 2012)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.2% of GDP (2009)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :14 years; male: :14 years; female: :14 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :6.88 cu km/yr (22%/61%/17%); per capita: :320.8 cu m/yr (2009)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "211.9 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$43.67 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $31.71 billion (31 December 2012); $24.26 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$2.766 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.566 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$89.62 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $85.61 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$202.5 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :297 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$47.67 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $48.82 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$4.31 billion (2014 est.); -$2.059 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "39.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 38.5% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :defined by the EU's Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value, outstanding at the end of the year in the following categories of government liabilities: currency and deposits, securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives, and loans; general government sector comprises the subsectors: central government, state government, local government, and social security funds", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "2.667 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :39.8 years; male: :38.4 years; female: :41.4 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "27.4 (2011); 24.2 (2010)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "16,200 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.11% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ro", "INTERNET_USERS": "7.787 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "22.7 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "4.68 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Iulian BUGA (since 3 December 2013); chancery: :1607 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Chicago, Los Angeles, New York", "AREA": "total: :238,391 sq km; land: :229,891 sq km; water: :8,500 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "6,153 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Romania; local long form: :none; local short form: :Romania", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "7% (2014 est.); 7.1% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.32 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the Moldavian Plateau on the east by the Eastern Carpathian Mountains and separated from the Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :the telecommunications sector is being expanded and modernized; domestic and international service improving rapidly, especially mobile-cellular services; domestic: :more than 90 percent of telephone network is automatic; fixed-line teledensity exceeds 20 telephones per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 110 telephones per 100 persons; international: :country code - 40; the Black Sea Fiber Optic System provides connectivity to Bulgaria and Turkey; satellite earth stations - 10; digital, international, direct-dial exchanges operate in Bucharest (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Eastern Orthodox (including all sub-denominations) 81.9%, Protestant (various denominations including Reformed and Pentecostal) 6.4%, Roman Catholic 4.3%, other (includes Muslim) 0.9%, none or atheist 0.2%, unspecified 6.3% (2011 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :10,777 km; broad gauge: :134 km 1.524-m gauge; standard gauge: :10,639 km 1.435-m gauge (4,020 km electrified); narrow gauge: :4 km 1.000-m gauge (2012)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Constanta, Midia; river port(s): :Braila, Galati (Galatz), Mancanului (Giurgiu), Tulcea (Danube River)", "POPULATION": "21,729,871 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Christian-Democratic National Peasants' Party or PNT-CD [Aurelian PAVELESCU; Conservative Party or PC [Daniel CONSTANTIN; Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania or UDMR [Hunor KELEMEN; National Liberal Party or PNL [Alina GORGIU and Vasile BLAGA co-presidents; National Union for Romania's Progress or UNPR [Gabriel OPREA; New Republic Party or NR [Mihail NEAMTU; People's Party - Dan Diaconescu or PP-DD [Marin DIACONESCU; Popular Movement Party or PMP [Eugen TOMAC; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Victor-Viorel PONTA", "PIPELINES": "gas 3,726 km; oil 2,451 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Romania, which joined the EU on 1 January 2007, began the transition from Communism in 1989 with a largely obsolete industrial base and a pattern of output unsuited to the country's needs. The country emerged in 2000 from a punishing three-year recession due to strong demand in EU export markets. Domestic consumption and investment fueled strong GDP growth, but led to large current account imbalances. Romania's macroeconomic gains have only recently started to spur creation of a middle class and to address Romania's widespread poverty. Corruption and red tape continue to permeate the business environment. In the aftermath of the global financial crisis, Romania signed on to a $26 billion emergency assistance package from the IMF, the EU, and other international lenders. GDP contracted until 2011. In March 2011, Romania and the IMF/EU/World Bank signed a 24-month precautionary stand-by agreement, worth $6.6 billion, to promote fiscal discipline, encourage progress on structural reforms, and strengthen financial sector stability. In September 2013, Romanian authorities and the IMF/EU agreed to a follow-on stand-by agreement, worth $5.4 billion, to continue with reforms, although Bucharest has announced that it does not intend to draw funds under the agreement. Economic growth rebounded in 2013, driven by strong industrial exports and an excellent agricultural harvest, and the current account deficit was reduced substantially. Yet, progress on structural reforms is uneven and the economy still is vulnerable to shocks.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :various human rights and professional associations", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "controls most easily traversable land route between the Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt, arable land, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Romanian(s); adjective: :Romanian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Unification Day (of Romania and Transylvania), 1 December (1918)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :5; by type: :cargo 1, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1; foreign-owned: :1 (Russia 1); registered in other countries: :31 (Georgia 7, Liberia 3, Malta 7, Marshall Islands 2, Moldova 2, Panama 3, Russia 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Sierra Leone 2, Tanzania 1, Togo 1, unknown 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CBSS (observer), CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G-9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :5,601,234; females age 16-49: :5,428,939 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :98.6%; male: :99%; female: :98.2% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :74.69 years; male: :71.23 years; female: :78.36 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (176 seats; 137 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote and 39 directly elected in single-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camera Deputatilor (412 seats; 315 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote and 97 directly elected in single-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); note - in the Chamber of Deputies, seats are reserved for minority parties that receive at least 10 percent of total valid votes cast; elections: :Senate - last held on 9 December 2012 (next to be held by December 2016); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 9 December 2012 (next to be held by December 2016); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by alliance/party - USL 60.1%, ARD 16.7%, PP-DD 14.6%, UDMR 5.3%, other 3.3%; seats by alliance/party - USL 122, ARD 24, PP-DD 21, UDMR 9; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by alliance/party - USL 58.6%, ARD 16.5%, PP-DD 14%, UDMR 5.2%, ethnic minorities 2.6%, other 3.1%; seats by alliance/party - USL 273, ARD 56, PP-DD 47, UDMR 18, ethnic minorities 18", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system", "LANGUAGES": "Romanian (official) 85.4%, Hungarian 6.3%, Romany (Gypsy) 1.2%, other 1%, unspecified 6.1% (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :38.25%; permanent crops: :1.94%; other: :59.81% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,844 km; border countries: :Bulgaria 605 km, Hungary 424 km, Moldova 683 km, Serbia 531 km, Ukraine 601 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "9.945 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :High Court of Cassation and Justice (consists of 111 judges organized into civil, penal, commercial, contentious administrative and fiscal business, and joint sections); Supreme Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members); judge selection and term of office: :High Court of Cassation and Justice judges appointed by the president upon nomination by the Superior Council of Magistracy, a 19-member body of judges, prosecutors, and law specialists; judges appointed for 6-year renewable terms; Constitutional Court members - 6 elected by Parliament and 3 appointed by the president; members serve 9-year, non-renewable terms; subordinate courts: :Courts of Appeal; regional tribunals; first instance courts; military and arbitration courts", "WATERWAYS": "1,731 km (includes 1,075 km on the Danube River, 524 km on secondary branches, and 132 km on canals) (2010)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.2% (2014 est.); 4% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :10.16 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :11.52 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :8.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "electric machinery and equipment, textiles and footwear, light machinery, auto assembly, mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, food processing, petroleum refining", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "9 May 1877 (independence proclaimed from the Ottoman Empire; independence recognized on 13 July 1878 by the Treaty of Berlin); 26 March 1881 (kingdom proclaimed); 30 December 1947 (republic proclaimed)", "IMPORTS": "$72.57 billion (2014 est.); $65.58 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route and small amounts of Latin American cocaine bound for Western Europe; although not a significant financial center, role as a narcotics conduit leaves it vulnerable to laundering, which occurs via the banking system, currency exchange houses, and casinos", "ROADWAYS": "total: :84,185 km; paved: :49,873 km (includes 337 km of expressways); unpaved: :34,312 km (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; modeled after the flag of France, the colors are those of the principalities of Walachia (red and yellow) and Moldavia (red and blue), which united in 1862 to form Romania; the national coat of arms that used to be centered in the yellow band has been removed; note: :now similar to the flag of Chad, whose blue band is darker; also resembles the flags of Andorra and Moldova", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$127.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $129.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$63.12 billion (2014 est.); $58.29 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Klaus IOHANNIS (since 21 December 2014); head of government: :Prime Minister Victor-Viorel PONTA (since 7 May 2012); Deputy Prime Minister Gabriel OPREA (since 5 March 2014); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 2 November 2014 with runoff on 16 November 2014 (next to be held in November-December 2019); prime minister appointed by the president with the consent of the Parliament; election results: :Klaus IOHANNIS elected president; percent of vote - Klaus IOHANNIS 54.4%, Victor PONTA 45.6%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "lei (RON) per US dollar -; 3.35 (2014 est.); 3.3279 (2013 est.); 3.47 (2012 est.); 3.0486 (2011 est.); 3.1779 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Romanian 83.4%, Hungarian 6.1%, Roma 3.1%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German 0.2%, other 0.7%, unspecified 6.1% (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "11.88 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted 21 November 1991, approved by referendum and effective 8 December 1991; amended 2003 (2014)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 18.7%, Italy 11%, Hungary 8.3%, France 5.8%, Poland 4.5%, Russia 4.3%, Austria 4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "225 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels and minerals, metals, textile and products, agricultural products", "CAPITAL": "name: :Bucharest; geographic coordinates: :44 26 N, 26 06 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$62.51 billion; expenditures: :$66.27 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Land Forces, Naval Forces (Fortele Naval, FN), Romanian Air Force (Fortele Aeriene Romane, FAR) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "9.27 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "45 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, grapes; eggs, sheep", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "41 counties (judete, singular - judet) and 1 municipality* (municipiu); Alba, Arad, Arges, Bacau, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud, Botosani, Braila, Brasov, Bucuresti (Bucharest)*, Buzau, Calarasi, Caras-Severin, Cluj, Constanta, Covasna, Dambovita, Dolj, Galati, Gorj, Giurgiu, Harghita, Hunedoara, Ialomita, Iasi, Ilfov, Maramures, Mehedinti, Mures, Neamt, Olt, Prahova, Salaj, Satu Mare, Sibiu, Suceava, Teleorman, Timis, Tulcea, Vaslui, Valcea, Vrancea", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 18.9%, Italy 11.7%, France 6.9%, Turkey 5.2%, Hungary 5%, UK 4.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, metals and metal products, textiles and footwear, chemicals, agricultural products, minerals and fuels", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :29%; industry: :28.6%; services: :42.4% (2012)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :14.1%; highest 10%: :7.5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "22.2% (2011 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.29% of GDP (2012); 1.3% of GDP (2011); 1.29% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "soil erosion and degradation; water pollution; air pollution in south from industrial effluents; contamination of Danube delta wetlands", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :19; 914 to 1,523 m: :5; 14 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :26; over 3,047 m: :4; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :10; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :11; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia - for centuries under the suzerainty of the Turkish Ottoman Empire - secured their autonomy in 1856; they were de facto linked in 1859 and formally united in 1862 under the new name of Romania. The country gained recognition of its independence in 1878. It joined the Allied Powers in World War I and acquired new territories - most notably Transylvania - following the conflict. In 1940, Romania allied with the Axis powers and participated in the 1941 German invasion of the USSR. Three years later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed an armistice. The post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of a communist \"people's republic\" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took power in 1965, and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power. Romania joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :117,798; female: :111,607 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :4,550,409; females age 16-49: :4,507,880 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "20-35 years of age for compulsory male military service; conscription ended 2006, but military service remains mandatory; 18 years of age for male and female voluntary service; all military inductees (including women) contract for an initial 5-year term of service, with subsequent successive 3-year terms until age 36 (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Oregon", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "earthquakes, most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Black Sea 0 m; highest point: :Moldoveanu 2,544 m", "HELIPORTS": "2 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.68 male(s)/female; total population: :0.95 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "623 (plus 200 repeaters) (2006)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "698 (station frequency type NA) (2006)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :12.4%; industry: :35.6%; services: :52% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "46 00 N, 25 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :14.6% (male 1,628,220/female 1,541,914); 15-24 years: :11.3% (male 1,258,746/female 1,197,681); 25-54 years: :45.7% (male 5,021,370/female 4,916,576); 55-64 years: :13% (male 1,320,781/female 1,508,878); 65 years and over: :15.4% (male 1,346,864/female 1,988,841) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Russia", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador John Francis TEFFT (since 19 November 2014); embassy: :Bolshoy Deviatinskiy Pereulok No. 8, 121099 Moscow; mailing address: :PSC-77, APO AE 09721; telephone: :[7; FAX: :[7; consulate(s) general: :Saint Petersburg, Vladivostok, Yekaterinburg", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$24,800 (2014 est.); $24,700 (2013 est.); $24,500 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "0.5% (2014 est.); 1.3% (2013 est.); 3.4% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.03% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$3.568 trillion (2014 est.); $3.55 trillion (2013 est.); $3.505 trillion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :41.3%; youth dependency ratio: :22.8%; elderly dependency ratio: :18.5%; potential support ratio: :5.4% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "23.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 24.2% of GDP (2013 est.); 27.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :51.4%; government consumption: :19.7%; investment in fixed capital: :19.6%; investment in inventories: :2.2%; exports of goods and services: :29.7%; imports of goods and services: :-22.6%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "68%; note: :percent of women aged 15-44 (2011)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "24.6 (2009 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "1.782 billion Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "47.8 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "8.2 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "196 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "413.5 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "668 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "28,040 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "2.968 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "3.32 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "4.812 million bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "80 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "16,380 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "4.72 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "10.05 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "10.6% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "20.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "69.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "239.7 million kW (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "2.7 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "15.7 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "1.037 trillion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "1.054 trillion kWh (2013 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "bear, double-headed eagle; national colors: white, blue, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :14.8%; male: :14.5%; female: :15.1% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "26.5% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "9.7 beds/1,000 population (2006)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "4.31 physicians/1,000 population (2006)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.3% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "34 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "0.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "20.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "MOSCOW (capital) 12.063 million; Saint Petersburg 4.984 million; Novosibirsk 1.497 million; Yekaterinburg 1.377 million; Nizhniy Novgorod 1.224 million; Samara 1.168 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Gimn Rossiyskoy Federatsii\" (National Anthem of the Russian Federation); lyrics/music: :Sergey Vladimirovich MIKHALKOV/Aleksandr Vasilyevich ALEKSANDROV; note: :in 2000, Russia adopted the tune of the anthem of the former Soviet Union (composed in 1939); the lyrics, also adopted in 2000, were written by the same person who authored the Soviet lyrics in 1943", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 74.4% of population; rural: 59.3% of population; total: 70.5% of population; urban: 25.6% of population; rural: 40.7% of population; total: 29.5% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 98.7% of population; rural: 92.2% of population; total: 97% of population; urban: 1.3% of population; rural: 7.8% of population; total: 3% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$926.8 billion (31 October 2014 est.); $1.087 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$158.6 billion (1 December 2014 est.); $320.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "6 national TV stations with the federal government owning 1 and holding a controlling interest in a second; state-owned Gazprom maintains a controlling interest in a third national channel; government-affiliated Bank Rossiya owns controlling interest in a fourth and fifth, while the sixth national channel is owned by the Moscow city administration; roughly 3,300 national, regional, and local TV stations with over two-thirds completely or partially controlled by the federal or local governments; satellite TV services are available; 2 state-run national radio networks with a third majority-owned by Gazprom; roughly 2,400 public and commercial radio stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :73.9% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :-0.13% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$882.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $984.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$318.4 billion (31 December 2008); $292.5 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$252.5 billion (31 December 2008); $303.7 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "11.3% (2014 est.); 9.47% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "17% (2014 est.); 8% (31 December 2011); note: :this is the so-called refinancing rate, but in Russia banks do not get refinancing at this rate; this is a reference rate used primarily for fiscal purposes", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.1% of GDP (2008)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :15 years; male: :14 years; female: :15 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :66.2 cu km/yr (20%/60%/20%); per capita: :454.9 cu m/yr (2001)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "4,508 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$874.7 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $796.4 billion (31 December 2011); $1.005 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$533.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $479.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$606 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $566.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Russia is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children who are subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking, although labor trafficking is the predominant problem; workers from Russia and other countries in Europe, Central Asia, and Asia, including Vietnam and North Korea, are subjected to conditions of forced labor in Russia�s construction, manufacturing, agriculture, grocery store, maritime, and domestic services industries, as well as forced begging, waste sorting, and street sweeping; North Koreans contracted under bilateral government arrangements to work in the timber industry in the Russian Far East reportedly are subjected to forced labor; Russian women and children were reported to be victims of sex trafficking in Russia, Northeast Asia, Europe, Central Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, while women from European, Southeast Asian, African, and Central Asian countries were reportedly forced into prostitution in Russia; tier rating: :Tier 3 - Russia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making a significant effort to do so; prosecutions of trafficking offenders remains low in comparison to the scope of Russia�s trafficking problem; in 2013, the government did not develop or deploy a formal system for the identification of trafficking victims or their referral to protective services, although some victims were reportedly cared for through ad hoc efforts; victims were routinely detained and deported; the government has not investigated allegations of slave-like conditions of North Korean workers in Russia; the Russian Security Council has not made a decision on an anti-trafficking national action plan (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$2.057 trillion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :293,571 asylum seekers and 610,558 applicants for other forms of legal stay (Ukraine) (2015); IDPs: :at least 41,000 (armed conflict, human rights violations, generalized violence in North Caucasus, particularly Chechnya and North Ossetia) (2014); stateless persons: :178,000 (2013); note - Russia's stateless population consists of Roma, Meskhetian Turks, and ex-Soviet citizens from the former republics; between 2003 and 2010 more than 600,000 stateless people were naturalized; most Meskhetian Turks, followers of Islam with origins in Georgia, fled or were evacuated from Uzbekistan after a 1989 pogrom and have lived in Russia for more than the required five-year residency period; they continue to be denied registration for citizenship and basic rights by local Krasnodar Krai authorities on the grounds that they are temporary illegal migrants", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :intermediate; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea; vectorborne disease: :tickborne encephalitis; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$418.9 billion (31 November 2014 est.); $509.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$51.97 billion (2014 est.); $32.76 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "13.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 8.1% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment, debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "14.865 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :38.9 years; male: :36 years; female: :41.9 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "42 (2012); 41.7 (2011)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ru; note - Russia also has responsibility for a legacy domain \".su\" that was allocated to the Soviet Union and is being phased out", "INTERNET_USERS": "40.853 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "261.9 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "42.9 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Sergey Ivanovich KISLYAK (since 16 September 2008); chancery: :2650 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Houston, San Francisco; consulate(s): :New York, Seattle", "AREA": "total: :17,098,242 sq km; land: :16,377,742 sq km; water: :720,500 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "43,460 sq km (2008)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Asia", "LOCATION": "North Asia bordering the Arctic Ocean, extending from Europe (the portion west of the Urals) to the North Pacific Ocean", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Russian Federation; conventional short form: :Russia; local long form: :Rossiyskaya Federatsiya; local short form: :Rossiya; former: :Russian Empire, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "4.9% (2014 est.); 5.5% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "federation", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.61 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "broad plain with low hills west of Urals; vast coniferous forest and tundra in Siberia; uplands and mountains along southern border regions", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :the telephone system is experiencing significant changes; there are more than 1,000 companies licensed to offer communication services; access to digital lines has improved, particularly in urban centers; Internet and e-mail services are improving; Russia has made progress toward building the telecommunications infrastructure necessary for a market economy; the estimated number of mobile subscribers jumped from fewer than 1 million in 1998 to more than 235 million in 2011; fixed line service has improved but a large demand remains; domestic: :cross-country digital trunk lines run from Saint Petersburg to Khabarovsk, and from Moscow to Novorossiysk; the telephone systems in 60 regional capitals have modern digital infrastructures; cellular services, both analog and digital, are available in many areas; in rural areas, the telephone services are still outdated, inadequate, and low density; international: :country code - 7; Russia is connected internationally by undersea fiber optic cables; satellite earth stations provide access to Intelsat, Intersputnik, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Orbita systems (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Russian Orthodox 15-20%, Muslim 10-15%, other Christian 2% (2006 est.); note: :estimates are of practicing worshipers; Russia has large populations of non-practicing believers and non-believers, a legacy of over seven decades of Soviet rule", "RAILWAYS": "total: :87,157 km; broad gauge: :86,200 km 1.520-m gauge (40,300 km electrified); narrow gauge: :957 km 1.067-m gauge (on Sakhalin Island); note: :an additional 30,000 km of non-common carrier lines serve industries (2006)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Kaliningrad, Nakhodka, Novorossiysk, Primorsk, Vostochnyy; river port(s): :Saint Petersburg (Neva River); oil terminal(s): :Kavkaz oil terminal; container port(s) (TEUs): :Saint Petersburg (2,365,174); LNG terminal(s) (export): :Sakhalin Island", "POPULATION": "142,470,272 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "A Just Russia [Sergey MIRONOV; Communist Party of the Russian Federation or CPRF [Gennadiy ZYUGANOV; Liberal Democratic Party of Russia or LDPR [Vladimir ZHIRINOVSKIY; United Russia [Dmitriy MEDVEDEV; note: :78 political parties are registered with Russia's Ministry of Justice (as of January 2014), but only four parties maintain representation in Russia's national legislature", "PIPELINES": "condensate 122 km; gas 163,872 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,378 km; oil 80,820 km; oil/gas/water 40 km; refined products 13,658 km; water 23 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Russia has undergone significant changes since the collapse of the Soviet Union, moving from a globally-isolated, centrally-planned economy towards a more market-based and globally-integrated economy, but stalling as a partially reformed, statist economy with a high concentration of wealth in officials' hands. Economic reforms in the 1990s privatized most industry, with notable exceptions in the energy and defense-related sectors. The protection of property rights is still weak and the private sector remains subject to heavy state interference. Russia is one of the world's leading producers of oil and natural gas and is also a top exporter of metals such as steel and primary aluminum. Russia's manufacturing sector is generally uncompetitive on world markets and is geared toward domestic consumption. Russia's reliance on commodity exports makes it vulnerable to boom and bust cycles that follow the volatile swings in global prices. The economy, which had averaged 7% growth during 1998-2008 as oil prices rose rapidly, was one of the hardest hit by the 2008-09 global economic crisis as oil prices plummeted and the foreign credits that Russian banks and firms relied on dried up. Slowly declining oil prices over the past few years and difficulty attracting foreign direct investment have contributed to a noticeable slowdown in GDP growth rates. In late 2013, the Russian Economic Development Ministry reduced its growth forecast through 2030 to an average of only 2.5% per year, down from its previous forecast of 4.0 to 4.2%. In 2014, following Russia's military intervention in Ukraine, economic growth declined further, with expectations that GDP growth in 2015 could drop below zero if world oil prices continue to fall. The Russian ruble lost about half of its value in the second half of 2014 and remains volatile, contributing to increased capital outflows.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Confederation of Labor of Russia (KTR); Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia; Golos Association in Defense of Voters' Rights; Memorial; Movement Against Illegal Migration; Russkiye; Solidarnost; The World Russian People's Congress; Union of the Committees of Soldiers' Mothers; Union of Russian Writers; other: :business associations; environmental organizations; religious groups (especially those with Orthodox or Muslim affiliation); veterans groups", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "largest country in the world in terms of area but unfavorably located in relation to major sea lanes of the world; despite its size, much of the country lacks proper soils and climates (either too cold or too dry) for agriculture; Mount El'brus is Europe's tallest peak; Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world, is estimated to hold one fifth of the world's fresh water", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "1.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "wide natural resource base including major deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, and many strategic minerals, reserves of rare earth elements, timber; note: :formidable obstacles of climate, terrain, and distance hinder exploitation of natural resources", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Russian(s); adjective: :Russian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Russia Day, 12 June (1990)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :1,143; by type: :bulk carrier 20, cargo 642, carrier 3, chemical tanker 57, combination ore/oil 42, container 13, passenger 15, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 244, refrigerated cargo 84, roll on/roll off 13, specialized tanker 3; foreign-owned: :155 (Belgium 4, Cyprus 13, Estonia 1, Ireland 1, Italy 14, Latvia 2, Netherlands 2, Romania 1, South Korea 1, Switzerland 3, Turkey 101, Ukraine 12); registered in other countries: :439 (Antigua and Barbuda 3, Belgium 1, Belize 30, Bulgaria 2, Cambodia 50, Comoros 12, Cook Islands 1, Cyprus 46, Dominica 3, Georgia 6, Hong Kong 1, Kiribati 1, Liberia 109, Malaysia 2, Malta 45, Marshall Islands 5, Moldova 5, Mongolia 2, Panama 49, Romania 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 13, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 11, Sierra Leone 7, Singapore 2, Spain 6, Vanuatu 7, unknown 19) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, BRICS, BSEC, CBSS, CD, CE, CERN (observer), CICA, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EAS, EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-20, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNSC (permanent), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :34,765,736; females age 16-49: :35,410,779 (2013 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :99.7%; male: :99.7%; female: :99.6% (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :70.16 years; male: :64.37 years; female: :76.3 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Federal Assembly or Federalnoye Sobraniye consists of the Federation Council or Sovet Federatsii (166 seats; 2 members in each of the 83 federal administrative units - oblasts, krays, republics, autonomous okrugs and oblasts, and the federal cities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg - appointed by the top executive and legislative officials; members serve 4-year terms) and the State Duma or Gosudarstvennaya Duma (450 seats; as of February 2014, the electoral system reverted to a mixed electoral system for the 2016 election in which one-half of the members are directly elected by simple majority vote and one-half directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :State Duma - last held on 4 December 2011 (next to be held in December 2016); election results: :State Duma - United Russia 49.6%, CPRF 19.2%, A Just Russia 13.2%, LDPR 11.7%, other 6.3%; seats by party - United Russia 238, CPRF 92, A Just Russia 64, LDPR 56; note: :the State Duma now includes 2 representatives each from the Republic of Crimea and Federal City of Sevastopol, two annexed Ukrainian regions that the United States does not recognize as part of Russia", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts", "LANGUAGES": "Russian (official) 96.3%, Dolgang 5.3%, German 1.5%, Chechen 1%, Tatar 3%, other 10.3%; note: :shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census (2010 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :7.31%; permanent crops: :0.1%; other: :92.59% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :22,408 km; border countries: :Azerbaijan 338 km, Belarus 1,312 km, China (southeast) 4,133 km, China (south) 46 km, Estonia 324 km, Finland 1,309 km, Georgia 894 km, Kazakhstan 7,644 km, North Korea 18 km, Latvia 332 km, Lithuania (Kaliningrad Oblast) 261 km, Mongolia 3,452 km, Norway 191 km, Poland (Kaliningrad Oblast) 210 km, Ukraine 1,944 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "75.25 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of the Russian Federation (consists of 170 members organized into the Judicial Panel for Civil Affairs, the Judicial Panel for Criminal Affairs, and the Military Panel); Constitutional Court (consists of 19 members); note - in February 2014, Russia�s Superior Court of Arbitration was abolished and its former authorities transferred to the Supreme Court, which in addition to being the country�s highest judicial authority for appeals, civil, criminal, administrative cases, and military cases, and the disciplinary judicial board, now has jurisdiction over economic disputes; judge selection and term of office: :all members of Russia's three highest courts nominated by the president and appointed by the Federation Council (the upper house of the legislature); members of all 3 courts appointed for life; subordinate courts: :Higher Arbitration Court; regional (kray) and provincial (oblast) courts; Moscow and St. Petersburg city courts; autonomous province and district courts; note - the 14 Russian Republics have court systems specified by their own constitutions", "WATERWAYS": "102,000 km (including 48,000 km with guaranteed depth; the 72,000 km system in European Russia links Baltic Sea, White Sea, Caspian Sea, Sea of Azov, and Black Sea) (2009)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "9.1% (2014 est.); 6.8% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :7.08 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :7.93 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :6.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "complete range of mining and extractive industries producing coal, oil, gas, chemicals, and metals; all forms of machine building from rolling mills to high-performance aircraft and space vehicles; defense industries (including radar, missile production, advanced electronic components), shipbuilding; road and rail transportation equipment; communications equipment; agricultural machinery, tractors, and construction equipment; electric power generating and transmitting equipment; medical and scientific instruments; consumer durables, textiles, foodstuffs, handicrafts", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.6% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "24 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union); notable earlier dates: 1157 (Principality of Vladimir-Suzdal created); 16 January 1547 (Tsardom of Muscovy established); 22 October 1721 (Russian Empire proclaimed); 30 December 1922 (Soviet Union established)", "IMPORTS": "$323.9 billion (2014 est.); $315 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :1,283,387 km; paved: :927,721 km (includes 39,143 km of expressways); unpaved: :355,666 km (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red; note: :the colors may have been based on those of the Dutch flag; despite many popular interpretations, there is no official meaning assigned to the colors of the Russian flag; this flag inspired other Slav countries to adopt horizontal tricolors of the same colors but in different arrangements, and so red, blue, and white became the Pan-Slav colors", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$683.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $728.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$520.3 billion (2014 est.); $527.3 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN (since 7 May 2012); head of government: :Premier Dmitriy Anatolyevich MEDVEDEV (since 8 May 2012); First Deputy Premier Igor Ivanovich SHUVALOV (since 12 May 2008); Deputy Premiers Arkadiy Vladimirovich DVORKOVICH (since 21 May 2012), Olga Yuryevna GOLODETS (since 21 May 2012), Aleksandr Gennadiyevich KHLOPONIN (since 19 January 2010), Dmitriy Nikolayevich KOZAK (since 14 October 2008), Dmitriy Olegovich ROGOZIN (since 23 December 2011), Sergey Eduardovich PRIKHODKO (since 22 May 2013), Yuriy Petrovich TRUTNEV (since 31 August 2013); cabinet: :the \"Government\" is composed of the premier, his deputies, and ministers; all are appointed by the president, and the premier is also confirmed by the Duma; note: :there is also a Presidential Administration (PA) that provides staff and policy support to the president, drafts presidential decrees, and coordinates policy among government agencies; a Security Council also reports directly to the president; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 4 March 2012 (next to be held in March 2018); note - the term length was extended from four to six years in late 2008, effective after the 2012 election; there is no vice president; if the president dies in office, cannot exercise his powers because of ill health, is impeached, or resigns, the premier serves as acting president until a new presidential election is held, which must be within three months; premier appointed by the president with the approval of the Duma; election results: :Vladimir PUTIN elected president; percent of vote - Vladimir PUTIN 63.6%, Gennadiy ZYUGANOV 17.2%, Mikhail PROKHOROV 8%, Vladimir ZHIRINOVSKIY 6.2%, Sergey MIRONOV 3.9%, other 1.1%; Dmitriy MEDVEDEV approved as premier by Duma; vote - 299 to 144", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Russian rubles (RUB) per US dollar -; 62.9 (19 December 2014 est.); 32.73 (2013 est.); 30.84 (2012 est.); 29.382 (2011 est.); 30.368 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Russian 77.7%, Tatar 3.7%, Ukrainian 1.4%, Bashkir 1.1%, Chuvash 1%, Chechen 1%, other 10.2%, unspecified 3.9%; note: :more than 190 ethnic groups are represents in Russia's 2010 census (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "13.83 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous (during Russian Empire and Soviet eras); latest drafted 12 July 1993, adopted by referendum 12 December 1993, effective 25 December 1993; amended 2008 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 16.5%, Germany 12.5%, Ukraine 5.2%, Belarus 4.9%, Italy 4.4%, US 4.3% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "37,653 km", "CLIMATE": "ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in much of European Russia; subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the polar north; winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery, vehicles, pharmaceutical products, plastic, semi-finished metal products, meat, fruits and nuts, optical and medical instruments, iron, steel", "CAPITAL": "name: :Moscow; geographic coordinates: :55 45 N, 37 36 E; time difference: :UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); note: :Russia has 11 time zones, which includes two that were added in 2014", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$416.5 billion; expenditures: :$408.3 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Ground Troops (Sukhoputnyye Voyskia, SV), Navy (Voyenno-Morskoy Flot, VMF), Air Forces (Voyenno-Vozdushniye Sily, VVS); Airborne Troops (Vozdushno-Desantnyye Voyska, VDV), Missile Troops of Strategic Purpose (Raketnyye Voyska Strategicheskogo Naznacheniya, RVSN) referred to commonly as Strategic Rocket Forces, and Aerospace Defense Troops (Voyska Vozdushno-Kosmicheskoy Oborony or Voyska VKO) are independent \"combat arms,\" not subordinate to any of the three branches; Russian Ground Troops include the following combat arms: motorized-rifle troops, tank troops, missile and artillery troops, air defense of the Ground Troops (2014)", "BIRTH_RATE": "11.87 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "1,218 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, vegetables, fruits; beef, milk", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "46 provinces (oblastey, singular - oblast), 21 republics (respublik, singular - respublika), 4 autonomous okrugs (avtonomnykh okrugov, singular - avtonomnyy okrug), 9 krays (krayev, singular - kray), 2 federal cities (goroda, singular - gorod), and 1 autonomous oblast (avtonomnaya oblast'); oblasts: :Amur (Blagoveshchensk), Arkhangel'sk, Astrakhan', Belgorod, Bryansk, Chelyabinsk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Kaliningrad, Kaluga, Kemerovo, Kirov, Kostroma, Kurgan, Kursk, Leningrad, Lipetsk, Magadan, Moscow, Murmansk, Nizhniy Novgorod, Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Orenburg, Orel, Penza, Pskov, Rostov, Ryazan', Sakhalin (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk), Samara, Saratov, Smolensk, Sverdlovsk (Yekaterinburg), Tambov, Tomsk, Tula, Tver', Tyumen', Ul'yanovsk, Vladimir, Volgograd, Vologda, Voronezh, Yaroslavl'; republics: :Adygeya (Maykop), Altay (Gorno-Altaysk), Bashkortostan (Ufa), Buryatiya (Ulan-Ude), Chechnya (Groznyy), Chuvashiya (Cheboksary), Dagestan (Makhachkala), Ingushetiya (Magas), Kabardino-Balkariya (Nal'chik), Kalmykiya (Elista), Karachayevo-Cherkesiya (Cherkessk), Kareliya (Petrozavodsk), Khakasiya (Abakan), Komi (Syktyvkar), Mariy-El (Yoshkar-Ola), Mordoviya (Saransk), North Ossetia (Vladikavkaz), Sakha [Yakutiya; autonomous okrugs: :Chukotka (Anadyr'), Khanty-Mansi-Yugra (Khanty-Mansiysk), Nenets (Nar'yan-Mar), Yamalo-Nenets (Salekhard); krays: :Altay (Barnaul), Kamchatka (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy), Khabarovsk, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, Perm', Primorskiy [Maritime; federal cities: :Moscow [Moskva; autonomous oblast: :Yevrey [Jewish; note 1: :administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Netherlands 10.7%, Germany 8.2%, China 6.8%, Italy 5.5%, Ukraine 5%, Turkey 4.9%, Belarus 4.1%, Japan 4% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, metals, wood and wood products, chemicals, and a wide variety of civilian and military manufactures", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :9.7%; industry: :27.8%; services: :62.5% (2012)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :5.7%; highest 10%: :42.4% (2011 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "11% (2013 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "3.49% of GDP (2014); 3.18% of GDP (2013); 2.92% of GDP (2012); 2.71% of GDP (2011)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :Air Pollution-Sulfur 94", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air pollution from heavy industry, emissions of coal-fired electric plants, and transportation in major cities; industrial, municipal, and agricultural pollution of inland waterways and seacoasts; deforestation; soil erosion; soil contamination from improper application of agricultural chemicals; scattered areas of sometimes intense radioactive contamination; groundwater contamination from toxic waste; urban solid waste management; abandoned stocks of obsolete pesticides", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :624; over 3,047 m: :4; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :13; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :69; 914 to 1,523 m: :81; 457 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :594; over 3,047 m: :54; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :197; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :123; 914 to 1,523 m: :95; under 914 m: :125 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Founded in the 12th century, the Principality of Muscovy, was able to emerge from over 200 years of Mongol domination (13th-15th centuries) and to gradually conquer and absorb surrounding principalities. In the early 17th century, a new ROMANOV Dynasty continued this policy of expansion across Siberia to the Pacific. Under PETER I (ruled 1682-1725), hegemony was extended to the Baltic Sea and the country was renamed the Russian Empire. During the 19th century, more territorial acquisitions were made in Europe and Asia. Defeat in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 contributed to the Revolution of 1905, which resulted in the formation of a parliament and other reforms. Repeated devastating defeats of the Russian army in World War I led to widespread rioting in the major cities of the Russian Empire and to the overthrow in 1917 of the imperial household. The communists under Vladimir LENIN seized power soon after and formed the USSR. The brutal rule of Iosif STALIN (1928-53) strengthened communist rule and Russian dominance of the Soviet Union at a cost of tens of millions of lives. The Soviet economy and society stagnated in the following decades until General Secretary Mikhail GORBACHEV (1985-91) introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) in an attempt to modernize communism, but his initiatives inadvertently released forces that by December 1991 splintered the USSR into Russia and 14 other independent republics. Following economic and political turmoil during President Boris YELTSIN�s term (1991-99), Russia shifted toward a centralized semi-authoritarian state in which the leadership seeks to legitimize its rule through managed elections, populist appeals by President PUTIN, foreign policy focused on enhancing the country�s geopolitical influence - particularly in the former Soviet Union - and continued economic growth. Russia has severely disabled a Chechen rebel movement, although violence still occurs throughout the North Caucasus.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :696,768; female: :664,847 (2013 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :22,597,728; females age 16-49: :23,017,006 (2013 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; males are registered for the draft at 17 years of age; service obligation is 1 year (conscripts can only be sent to combat zones after 6 months of training); reserve obligation for non-officers to age 50; enrollment in military schools from the age of 16, cadets classified as members of the armed forces; note: :the chief of the General Staff Mobilization Directorate announced in May 2013 that for health reasons, only 65% of draftees called up during the spring 2013 draft campaign were fit for military service, and over 12% of these were sent for an additional medical examination (by way of comparison, 69.9% in 2012 and 57.7% in 2011 were deemed fit for military service); approximately 50% of draft-age Russian males receive some type of legal deferment each draft cycle (2014)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "approximately 1.8 times the size of the US", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "permafrost over much of Siberia is a major impediment to development; volcanic activity in the Kuril Islands; volcanoes and earthquakes on the Kamchatka Peninsula; spring floods and summer/autumn forest fires throughout Siberia and parts of European Russia; volcanism: :significant volcanic activity on the Kamchatka Peninsula and Kuril Islands; the peninsula alone is home to some 29 historically active volcanoes, with dozens more in the Kuril Islands; Kliuchevskoi (elev. 4,835 m), which erupted in 2007 and 2010, is Kamchatka's most active volcano; Avachinsky and Koryaksky volcanoes, which pose a threat to the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, have been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; other notable historically active volcanoes include Bezymianny, Chikurachki, Ebeko, Gorely, Grozny, Karymsky, Ketoi, Kronotsky, Ksudach, Medvezhia, Mutnovsky, Sarychev Peak, Shiveluch, Tiatia, Tolbachik, and Zheltovsky", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caspian Sea -28 m; highest point: :Gora El'brus 5,633 m (highest point in Europe)", "HELIPORTS": "49 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.96 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.86 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.44 male(s)/female; total population: :0.86 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "7,306 (1998)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 323, FM about 1,500, shortwave 62 (2004)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :4%; industry: :36.3%; services: :59.7% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "60 00 N, 100 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :16.4% (male 11,980,138/female 11,344,818); 15-24 years: :10.7% (male 7,828,947/female 7,482,143); 25-54 years: :45.8% (male 31,928,886/female 33,319,671); 55-64 years: :13.8% (male 8,408,637/female 11,287,153); 65 years and over: :13.3% (male 5,783,983/female 13,105,896) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Rwanda", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Erica BARKS-RUGGLES (since 26 January 2015); embassy: :2657 Avenue de la Gendarmerie, Kigali; mailing address: :B. P. 28, Kigali; telephone: :[250; FAX: :[250", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$1,700 (2014 est.); $1,600 (2013 est.); $1,600 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "6% (2014 est.); 4.7% (2013 est.); 8.8% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.63% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$18.7 billion (2014 est.); $17.65 billion (2013 est.); $16.86 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :80.2%; youth dependency ratio: :75.8%; elderly dependency ratio: :4.4%; potential support ratio: :22.8% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "11.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 16.9% of GDP (2013 est.); 12.7% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :82.6%; government consumption: :9.6%; investment in fixed capital: :24.2%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :17%; imports of goods and services: :-33.5%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "51.6% (2010/11)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "22.9; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2010 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :783,113; percentage: :35% (2000 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "769,300 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "56.63 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "5,302 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "5,320 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "10 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "59.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "39.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "684,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "78 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "5 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "352.2 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "300.2 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "traditional woven basket with peaked lid; national colors: blue, yellow, green", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "4.3% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.6 beds/1,000 population (2007)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.06 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "10.7% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "11.7% (2011)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "340 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-3.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "24.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "KIGALI (capital) 1.223 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Rwanda nziza\" (Rwanda, Our Beautiful Country); lyrics/music: :Faustin MURIGO/Jean-Bosco HASHAKAIMANA; note: :adopted 2001", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 61% of population; rural: 64.4% of population; total: 63.8% of population; urban: 39% of population; rural: 35.6% of population; total: 36.2% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 80.7% of population; rural: 68.3% of population; total: 70.7% of population; urban: 19.3% of population; rural: 31.7% of population; total: 29.3% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$1.387 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.245 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$833 million (31 December 2014 est.); $739.5 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "government owns and operates the only TV station; government-owned and operated Radio Rwanda has a national reach; 9 private radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :27.8% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :6.43% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$1.141 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $846.8 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$227.4 million (31 December 2005)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$233.6 million (31 December 2005)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "17.2% (31 December 2014 est.); 17.3% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "7.75% (31 December 2010); 11.25% (31 December 2008)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.1% of GDP (2013)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :10 years; male: :10 years; female: :10 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.15 cu km/yr (33%/11%/55%); per capita: :17.25 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "9.5 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$12.9 million (31 December 2014 est.); $12.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$1.016 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $853.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Rwanda is a source and, to a lesser extent, transit and destination country for women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Rwandan girls and, to a lesser extent, boys are exploited in domestic servitude within the country; Rwandan adults and children are forced to work in agriculture, industry, domestic servitude, and prostitution in Kenya, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Burundi, Zambia, South Africa, UAE, Malaysia, China, the US, and Europe; women and children from neighboring countries and Somalia are subjected to prostitution and forced labor in Rwanda; until its defeat in late 2013, M23, an armed group operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, recruited men and children with the support of some Rwandan officials; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Rwanda does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; in 2013, the government maintained strong efforts to investigate and prosecute some trafficking crimes but convicted no offenders and remained complicit in human trafficking crimes through its support of M23; the government opened five additional centers for assisting victims of gender-based violence and provided financial support to private and NGO-run child rehabilitation centers (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$8.002 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :73,657 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2015); IDPs: :undetermined (fighting between government and insurgency in 1998-99; returning refugees) (2012)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria and dengue fever; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$1.128 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.071 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$663.1 million (2014 est.); -$562 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "31.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 29.7% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "1,447 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :18.7 years; male: :18.4 years; female: :18.9 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "46.8 (2000); 28.9 (1985)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "4,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "195,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "2.85% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".rw", "INTERNET_USERS": "450,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "5.69 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "44,400 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Mathilde MUKANTABANA (since 5 July 2013); chancery: :1875 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 418, Washington, DC, 2000; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :26,338 sq km; land: :24,668 sq km; water: :1,670 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "96.25 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Rwanda; conventional short form: :Rwanda; local long form: :Republika y'u Rwanda; local short form: :Rwanda; former: :Ruanda, German East Africa", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic; presidential, multiparty system", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "4.62 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with altitude declining from west to east", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :small, inadequate telephone system primarily serves business, education, and government; domestic: :the capital, Kigali, is connected to the centers of the provinces by microwave radio relay and, recently, by cellular telephone service; much of the network depends on wire and HF radiotelephone; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone density has increased and now exceeds 40 telephones per 100 persons; international: :country code - 250; international connections employ microwave radio relay to neighboring countries and satellite communications to more distant countries; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) in Kigali (includes telex and telefax service) (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 49.5%, Protestant 39.4% (includes Adventist 12.2% and other Protestant 27.2%), other Christian 4.5%, Muslim 1.8%, animist 0.1%, other 0.6%, none 3.6% (2001), unspecified 0.5% (2002 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "lake port(s): :Cyangugu, Gisenyi, Kibuye (Lake Kivu)", "POPULATION": "12,337,138; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Liberal Party or PL [Protais MITALI; Party for Progress and Concord or PPC [Christian MARARA; Rwandan Patriotic Front or RPF [Paul KAGAME; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Vincent BIRUTA", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Rwanda is a rural country with about 90% of the population engaged in subsistence agriculture and some mineral and agro-processing. Tourism, minerals, coffee and tea are Rwanda's main sources of foreign exchange. The 1994 genocide decimated Rwanda's fragile economic base, severely impoverished the population, particularly women, and temporarily stalled the country's ability to attract private and external investment. However, Rwanda has made substantial progress in stabilizing and rehabilitating its economy to pre-1994 levels. GDP has rebounded with an average annual growth of 7%-8% since 2003 and inflation has been reduced to single digits. Nonetheless, a significant percent of the population still live below the official poverty line; 45% of the population now lives below the poverty line, compared to 57% in 2006. Despite Rwanda's fertile ecosystem, food production often does not keep pace with demand, requiring food imports In recognition of Rwanda's successful management of its macro economy, in 2010, the IMF graduated Rwanda to a Policy Support Instrument (PSI). Africa's most densely populated country is trying to overcome the limitations of its small, landlocked economy by leveraging regional trade; Rwanda joined the East African Community and is aligning its budget, trade, and immigration policies with its regional partners. The government has embraced an expansionary fiscal policy to reduce poverty by improving education, infrastructure, and foreign and domestic investment and pursuing market-oriented reforms. Energy shortages, instability in neighboring states, and lack of adequate transportation linkages to other countries continue to handicap private sector growth. The Rwandan Government is seeking to become regional leader in information and communication technologies. In 2012, Rwanda completed the first modern Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Kigali. The SEZ seeks to attract investment in all sectors, but specifically in agribusiness, information and communications technologies, trade and logistics, mining, and construction.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "IBUKA (association of genocide survivors)", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; most of the country is savanna grassland with the population predominantly rural", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), methane, hydropower, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Rwandan(s); adjective: :Rwandan", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 1 July (1962)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CEPGL, COMESA, EAC, EADB, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,625,917; females age 16-49: :2,608,110 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :65.9%; male: :71.1%; female: :61.5% (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :59.26 years; male: :57.73 years; female: :60.83 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate or Senat (26 seats; 12 members indirectly elected by local councils, 8 appointed by the president, 4 appointed by the Political Organizations Forum - a body of registered political parties, and 2 selected by institutions of higher learning; members serve 8-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (80 seats; 53 members directly elected by proportional representation vote, 24 women elected by special interest groups, and 3 selected by youth and disability organizations; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :Senate - NA; Chamber of Deputies - last held on 16-18 September 2013 (next to be held in 2018); election results: :Chamber of Deputies percent of vote by party - RPF 76.2%, PSD 13%, PL 9.3%, other 1.5%; seats by party - RPF 41, PSD 7, PL 5, 27 members indirectly elected", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of civil law, based on German and Belgian models, and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court", "LANGUAGES": "Kinyarwanda only (official, universal Bantu vernacular) 93.2%, Kinyarwanda and other language(s) 6.2%, French (official) and other language(s) 0.1%, English (official) and other language(s) 0.1%, Swahili (or Kiswahili, used in commercial centers) 0.02%, other 0.03%, unspecified 0.3% (2002 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :47.9%; permanent crops: :10.13%; other: :41.96% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :930 km; border countries: :Burundi 315 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 221 km, Tanzania 222 km, Uganda 172 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "6.061 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and 12 judges; normally organized into 3-judge benches); note: :the Gacaca Court was established in 2001 by the National Unity Government to try cases of genocide against the Tutsis; judge selection and term of office: :judges nominated by the president of the republic after consultation with the Cabinet and the Superior Council of the Judiciary (a 14-member body of judges, other judicial officials, and legal professionals), and approved by the Senate; court president and vice president appointed for 8-year nonrenewable terms; tenure of other judges NA; subordinate courts: :High Court of the Republic; commercial courts including the High Commercial Court; intermediate courts; primary courts; Gacaca and military specialized courts", "WATERWAYS": "(Lac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.4% (2014 est.); 4.2% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :59.59 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :63.11 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :55.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "cement, agricultural products, small-scale beverages, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "7.1% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)", "IMPORTS": "$1.898 billion (2014 est.); $1.852 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :4,700 km; paved: :1,207 km; unpaved: :3,493 km (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three horizontal bands of sky blue (top, double width), yellow, and green, with a golden sun with 24 rays near the fly end of the blue band; blue represents happiness and peace, yellow economic development and mineral wealth, green hope of prosperity and natural resources; the sun symbolizes unity, as well as enlightenment and transparency from ignorance", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$1.901 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$720 million (2014 est.); $703 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Paul KAGAME (since 22 April 2000); head of government: :Prime Minister Anastase MUREKEZI (since 24 July 2014); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 9 August 2010 (next to be held in 2017); election results: :Paul KAGAME reelected president; Paul KAGAME 93.1%, Jean NTAWUKURIRYAYO 5.1%, Prosper HIGIRO 1.4%, Alvera MUKABARAMBA 0.4%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Rwandan francs (RWF) per US dollar -; 684.3 (2014 est.); 644.4 (2013 est.); 616.6 (2012 est.); 601.83 (2011 est.); 583.13 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Hutu (Bantu) 84%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 15%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%", "DEATH_RATE": "9.18 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted by referendum 26 May 2003, effective 4 June 2003; amended several times, last in 2010 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Uganda 15.9%, Kenya 15.2%, China 10.4%, UAE 8.6%, India 6.8%, Tanzania 5.1%, Belgium 4.6% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, steel, petroleum products, cement and construction material", "CAPITAL": "name: :Kigali; geographic coordinates: :1 57 S, 30 03 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.953 billion; expenditures: :$2.249 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Rwanda Defense Force (RDF): Rwanda Army (Rwanda Land Force), Rwanda Air Force (Force Aerienne Rwandaise, FAR) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "34.61 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "7 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coffee, tea, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), bananas, beans, sorghum, potatoes; livestock", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "4 provinces (in French - provinces, singular - province; in Kinyarwanda - intara for singular and plural) and 1 city* (in French - ville; in Kinyarwanda - umujyi); Est (Eastern), Kigali*, Nord (Northern), Ouest (Western), Sud (Southern)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 24.2%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 17%, Malaysia 13.4%, Swaziland 6.8%, US 5.5%, Pakistan 5.3% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "coffee, tea, hides, tin ore", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :90%; industry and services: :10% (2000)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.1%; highest 10%: :43.2% (2011 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "44.9% (2011 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.12% of GDP (2012); 1.19% of GDP (2011); 1.12% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Law of the Sea", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation results from uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel; overgrazing; soil exhaustion; soil erosion; widespread poaching", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :2; 1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :4; over 3,047 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :2; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "In 1959, three years before independence from Belgium, the majority ethnic group, the Hutus, overthrew the ruling Tutsi king. Over the next several years, thousands of Tutsis were killed, and some 150,000 driven into exile in neighboring countries. The children of these exiles later formed a rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), and began a civil war in 1990. The war, along with several political and economic upheavals, exacerbated ethnic tensions, culminating in April 1994 in a state-orchestrated genocide, in which Rwandans killed up to a million of their fellow citizens, including approximately three-quarters of the Tutsi population. The genocide ended later that same year when the predominantly Tutsi RPF, operating out of Uganda and northern Rwanda, defeated the national army and Hutu militias, and established an RPF-led government of national unity. Approximately 2 million Hutu refugees - many fearing Tutsi retribution - fled to neighboring Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and former Zaire. Since then, most of the refugees have returned to Rwanda, but several thousand remained in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, the former Zaire) and formed an extremist insurgency bent on retaking Rwanda, much as the RPF did in 1990. Rwanda held its first local elections in 1999 and its first post-genocide presidential and legislative elections in 2003. Rwanda in 2009 staged a joint military operation with the Congolese Army in DRC to rout out the Hutu extremist insurgency there, and Kigali and Kinshasa restored diplomatic relations. Rwanda also joined the Commonwealth in late 2009 and assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2013-14 term.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :110,736; female: :110,328 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,685,066; females age 16-49: :1,749,580 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; Rwandan citizenship is required, as is a 9th-grade education for enlisted recruits and an A-level certificate for officer candidates; enlistment is either as contract (5-years, renewable twice) or career; retirement (for officers and senior NCOs) after 20 years of service or at 40-60 years of age (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Maryland", "PEOPLE___NOTE": "Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "periodic droughts; the volcanic Virunga Mountains are in the northwest along the border with Democratic Republic of the Congo; volcanism: :Visoke (elev. 3,711 m), located on the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is the country's only historically active volcano", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Rusizi River 950 m; highest point: :Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.67 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "2 (2004)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 0, FM 10 (two main FM programs are broadcast through a system of repeaters; international FM programming includes the BBC, VOA, and Deutchewelle) (2007)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :32.5%; industry: :14.8%; services: :52.7% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "2 00 S, 30 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :42.1% (male 2,617,472/female 2,575,429); 15-24 years: :18.9% (male 1,166,258/female 1,167,934); 25-54 years: :32.5% (male 2,010,034/female 1,994,582); 55-64 years: :4% (male 229,759/female 267,430); 65 years and over: :2.5% (male 125,862/female 182,378) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Saint Kitts and Nevis", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "the US does not have an embassy in Saint Kitts and Nevis; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Kitts and Nevis", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$20,300 (2014 est.); $20,300 (2013 est.); $19,900 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.5% (2014 est.); 3.8% (2013 est.); -0.9% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.78% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$1.22 billion (2014 est.); $1.178 billion (2013 est.); $1.135 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "13.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 17.8% of GDP (2013 est.); 14.7% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :71.8%; government consumption: :11%; investment in fixed capital: :29.8%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :30.2%; imports of goods and services: :-42.7%; (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "250,700 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "1,784 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "1,740 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "4.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "95.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "46,200 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "128.3 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "138 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "brown pelican, Poinciana (Flamboyant) tree; national colors: green, yellow, red, black, white", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "40.7% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.3 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.17 physicians/1,000 population (2001)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.9% of GDP (2012)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "4.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "31.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "BASSETERRE (capital) 14,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Oh Land of Beauty!\"; lyrics/music: :Kenrick Anderson GEORGES; note: :adopted 1983", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 87.3% of population; rural: 87.3% of population; total: 87.3% of population; urban: 12.7% of population; rural: 12.7% of population; total: 12.7% of population (2007 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 98.3% of population; rural: 98.3% of population; total: 98.3% of population; urban: 1.7% of population; rural: 1.7% of population; total: 1.7% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$914.8 million (31 December 2014 est.); $958.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$212.3 million (31 December 2014 est.); $193.2 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "the government operates a national TV network that broadcasts on 2 channels; cable subscription services provide access to local and international channels; the government operates a national radio network; a mix of government-owned and privately owned broadcasters operate roughly 15 radio stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :32% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.27% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$481.5 million (31 December 2014 est.); $514.1 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$680.6 million (31 December 2008); $688.6 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$107.2 million (31 December 2008); $97.31 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "9% (31 December 2014 est.); 8.78% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "6.5% (31 December 2009); 6.5% (31 December 2008)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.2% of GDP (2007)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :13 years; male: :12 years; female: :13 years (2008)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "0.02 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$598.4 million (31 December 2011); $598.4 million (31 December 2011); $623.9 million (31 December 2010)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$812 million (2014 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$144.5 million (2014 est.); -$62.7 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "83% of GDP (2013 est.); 144% of GDP (2012 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "54 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :33.5 years; male: :33.6 years; female: :33.4 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".kn", "INTERNET_USERS": "17,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "84,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "20,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Jacinth Lorna HENRY-MARTIN (since 14 February 2011); chancery: :3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis 93 sq km); land: :261 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "0.18 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis; conventional short form: :Saint Kitts and Nevis; former: :Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "4.5% (1997)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.78 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "volcanic with mountainous interiors", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :good interisland and international connections; domestic: :interisland links via Eastern Caribbean Fiber Optic cable; construction of enhanced wireless infrastructure launched in November 2004; fixed-line teledensity about 40 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 170 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 1-869; connected internationally by the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean fiber optic system (SCF) submarine cables (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic", "RAILWAYS": "total: :50 km; narrow gauge: :50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts for tourists (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Basseterre, Charlestown", "POPULATION": "51,538 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Vance AMORY; Nevis Reformation Party or NRP [Joseph PARRY; People's Action Movement or PAM [Shawn RICHARDS; People's Labour Party or PLP [Timothy HARRIS; Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party or SKNLP [Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The economy of Saint Kitts and Nevis depends on tourism; since the 1970s, tourism has replaced sugar as the economy�s traditional mainstay. Following the 2005 harvest, the government closed the sugar industry after several decades of losses. To compensate for lost jobs, the government has embarked on a program to diversify the agricultural sector and to stimulate other sectors of the economy, such as export-oriented manufacturing and offshore banking. Roughly 200,000 tourists visited the islands in 2009, but reduced tourism arrivals and foreign investment led to an economic contraction in 2009-2013, and the economy returned to growth only in 2014. Like other tourist destinations in the Caribbean, St. Kitts and Nevis is vulnerable to damage from natural disasters and shifts in tourism demand. The government has made notable progress on reducing its public debt�from 154% of GDP in 2011 to 83% in 2013�although it still faces one of the highest levels in the world, largely attributable to public enterprise losses.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "smallest country in the Americas and Western Hemisphere; with coastlines in the shape of a baseball bat and ball, the two volcanic islands are separated by a 3-km-wide channel called The Narrows; on the southern tip of long, baseball bat-shaped Saint Kitts lies the Great Salt Pond; Nevis Peak sits in the center of its almost circular namesake island and its ball shape complements that of its sister island", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "1.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s); adjective: :Kittitian, Nevisian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 19 September (1983)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :152; by type: :bulk carrier 16, cargo 81, chemical tanker 4, combination ore/oil 1, container 2, liquefied gas 3, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 27, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 1; foreign-owned: :73 (Belgium 1, China 1, Egypt 1, Greece 2, India 2, Japan 2, Malaysia 1, Norway 3, Pakistan 1, Russia 13, Singapore 10, Turkey 18, UAE 8, UK 1, Ukraine 8, US 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :13,506; females age 16-49: :13,089 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :75.29 years; male: :72.88 years; female: :77.75 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly (14 seats; 11 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 3 appointed by the governor general; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 16 February 2015 (next to be held by 2020); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAM 4, SKNLP 3, CCM 2, PLP 1, NRP 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "English common law", "LANGUAGES": "English (official)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :19.23%; permanent crops: :0.38%; other: :80.38% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "18,170 (June 1995 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States which includes Saint Kitts and Nevis; the ECSC - with its headquarters on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the member states; 2 High Court judges reside on Saint Kitts and Nevis; note - the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in 2003 replaced the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) as the final court of appeal on Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Kitts and Nevis is also a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice; judge selection and term of office: :Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court chief justice appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62; subordinate courts: :magistrates' courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3% (2014 est.); 0.7% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :8.98 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :6.11 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :11.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear, beverages", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "19 September 1983 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$189.2 million (2014 est.); $251.3 million (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; some money-laundering activity", "ROADWAYS": "total: :383 km; paved: :163 km; unpaved: :220 km (2002)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a broad black band bearing two white, five-pointed stars; the black band is edged in yellow; the upper triangle is green, the lower triangle is red; green signifies the island's fertility, red symbolizes the struggles of the people from slavery, yellow denotes year-round sunshine, and black represents the African heritage of the people; the white stars stand for the islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, but can also express hope and liberty, or independence and optimism", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$162.9 million (31 December 2014 est.); $158.7 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$101.5 million (2014 est.); $58.1 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Sir Edmund LAWRENCE (since 2 January 2013); head of government: :Prime Minister Timothy HARRIS (since 18 February 2015); Deputy Prime Minister Shawn RICHARDS (since 22 February 2015); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the governor general in consultation with the prime minister; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; the governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -; 2.7 (2014 est.); 2.7 (2013 est.); 2.7 (2012 est.); 2.7 (2011 est.); 2.7 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "predominantly black; some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese", "DEATH_RATE": "7.08 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest presented 22 June 1983, effective 23 June 1983 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 28.3%, Germany 16.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.4%, Italy 9.7%, Russia 4.3% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "135 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical, tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery, manufactures, food, fuels", "CAPITAL": "name: :Basseterre; geographic coordinates: :17 18 N, 62 43 W; time difference: :UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$259.3 million; expenditures: :$222.2 million (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Security, Labour, Immigration, and Social Security: Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Defense Force (includes Coast Guard), Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "13.64 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "2 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "14 parishes; Christ Church Nichola Town, Saint Anne Sandy Point, Saint George Basseterre, Saint George Gingerland, Saint James Windward, Saint John Capesterre, Saint John Figtree, Saint Mary Cayon, Saint Paul Capesterre, Saint Paul Charlestown, Saint Peter Basseterre, Saint Thomas Lowland, Saint Thomas Middle Island, Trinity Palmetto Point", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 49.8%, Belgium 9.2%, Canada 8.3% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery, food, electronics, beverages, tobacco", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Carib Indians occupied the islands of the West Indies for hundreds of years before the British began settlement in 1623. In 1967, the island territory of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla became an associated state of the UK with full internal autonomy. The island of Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971. The remaining islands achieved independence in 1983 as Saint Kitts and Nevis. In 1998, a vote in Nevis on a referendum to separate from Saint Kitts fell short of the two-thirds majority needed. Nevis continues in its efforts to separate from Saint Kitts.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :380; female: :422 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :10,742; females age 16-49: :10,923 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "one and a half times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "hurricanes (July to October)", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Mount Liamuiga 1,156 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.02 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.8 male(s)/female; total population: :1 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (plus 3 repeaters) (2003)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 3, FM 8, shortwave 0 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :1.5%; industry: :23%; services: :75.4% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "17 20 N, 62 45 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :21.4% (male 5,520/female 5,518); 15-24 years: :15.4% (male 3,904/female 4,028); 25-54 years: :45.1% (male 11,869/female 11,384); 55-64 years: :10.2% (male 2,637/female 2,610); 65 years and over: :7.9% (male 1,834/female 2,234) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Saint Lucia", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Lucia", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$11,100 (2014 est.); $11,300 (2013 est.); $11,700 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "-1.1% (2014 est.); -2.3% (2013 est.); -1.3% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.35% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$1.893 billion (2014 est.); $1.914 billion (2013 est.); $1.959 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :48%; youth dependency ratio: :34.9%; elderly dependency ratio: :13.1%; potential support ratio: :7.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "21.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 22% of GDP (2013 est.); 19.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :54.6%; government consumption: :20.4%; investment in fixed capital: :34.2%; investment in inventories: :-0.2%; exports of goods and services: :54%; imports of goods and services: :-63%; (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "415,700 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "2,914 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "3,040 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "76,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "336.7 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "362 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "twin pitons (volcanic peaks), Saint Lucia parrot; national colors: cerulean blue, gold, black, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :40.8%; male: :37.1%; female: :45.5% (2004 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "21.4% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.6 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.47 physicians/1,000 population (2002)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "8.5% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "2.8% (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "35 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.8% of GDP (2011 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "13.8% of GDP (2011 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "CASTRIES (capital) 22,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Sons and Daughters of St. Lucia\"; lyrics/music: :Charles JESSE/Leton Felix THOMAS; note: :adopted 1967", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 70.4% of population; rural: 64.1% of population; total: 65.2% of population; urban: 29.6% of population; rural: 35.9% of population; total: 34.8% of population (2011 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 98.6% of population; rural: 92.8% of population; total: 93.8% of population; urban: 1.4% of population; rural: 7.2% of population; total: 6.2% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$1.104 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.057 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$257.3 million (31 December 2014 est.); $257.6 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "3 privately owned TV stations; 1 public TV station operating on a cable network; multi-channel cable TV service available; a mix of state-owned and privately owned broadcasters operate nearly 25 radio stations including repeater transmission stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :18.5% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.89% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$1.763 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.644 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$800.1 million (31 December 2008); $720.9 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$261.3 million (31 December 2008); $264.7 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "9.1% (31 December 2014 est.); 9.05% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "6.5% (31 December 2010); 6.5% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.1% of GDP (2012)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :12 years; male: :12 years; female: :12 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.02 cu km/yr; per capita: :98.22 cu m/yr (2005)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$1.345 billion (2014 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$175.4 million (2014 est.); -$100.3 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "77% of GDP (2012 est.); 77% of GDP (2010 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "100 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :32.9 years; male: :31.7 years; female: :34 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".lc", "INTERNET_USERS": "142,900 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "227,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "36,800 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Sonia Merlyn JOHNNY (since 12 September 2012); chancery: :3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :New York", "AREA": "total: :616 sq km; land: :606 sq km; water: :10 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "30 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Saint Lucia", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "20% (2003 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.77 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :an adequate system that is automatically switched; domestic: :fixed-line teledensity is 25 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 130 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 1-758; the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean fiber optic system (SCF) submarine cables, along with Intelsat from Martinique, carry calls internationally; direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric scatter to Barbados (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 61.5%, Protestant 25.5% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 10.4%, Pentecostal 8.9%, Baptist 2.2%, Anglican 1.6%, Church of God 1.5%, other Protestant .9%), other Christian 3.4% (includes Evangelical 2.3% and Jehovah's Witness 1.1%), Rastafarian 1.9%, other 0.4%, none 5.9%, unspecified 1.4% (2010 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Castries, Cul-de-Sac, Vieux-Fort", "POPULATION": "163,362 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Lucian People's Movement or LPM [Therold PRUDENT; Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Kenny ANTHONY; United Workers Party or UWP [Allen CHASTANET", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The island nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment, especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries . Tourism is Saint Lucia's main source of jobs and income - accounting for 65% of GDP - and the island's main source of foreign exchange earnings. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area. Crops such as bananas, mangos, and avocados continue to be grown for export, but St. Lucia's once solid banana industry has been devastated by strong competition. Saint Lucia is vulnerable to a variety of external shocks, including volatile tourism receipts, natural disasters, and dependence on foreign oil. Furthermore, high public debt - 77% of GDP in 2012 - and high debt servicing obligations constrain the ANTHONY administration's ability to respond to adverse external shocks. St. Lucia has experienced anemic growth since the onset of the global financial crisis in 2008, largely because of a slowdown in tourism - airlines cut back on their routes to St. Lucia in 2012. Also, St. Lucia introduced a value added tax in 2012 of 15%, becoming the last country in the Eastern Caribbean to do so. In 2013, the government introduced a National Competitiveness and Productivity Council to address St. Lucia's high public wages and lack of productivity.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), striking cone-shaped peaks south of Soufriere, are one of the scenic natural highlights of the Caribbean", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-3.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Saint Lucian(s); adjective: :Saint Lucian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 22 February (1979)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :41,414 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :77.41 years; male: :74.69 years; female: :80.28 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats; 6 members appointed on the advice of the prime minister, 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and 2 upon consultation with religious, economic, and social groups; members serve 5-year terms) and the House of Assembly (17 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms); elections: :House of Assembly - last held on 28 November 2011 (next to be held in 2016); election results: :House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - SLP 49.68%, UWP 45.83%; seats by party - SLP 11, UWP 6", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "English common law", "LANGUAGES": "English (official), French patois", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :4.92%; permanent crops: :11.48%; other: :83.61% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "79,700 (2012 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - with its headquarters on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the member states; 3 High Court judges reside on Saint Lucia; note - Saint Lucia is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice; judge selection and term of office: :Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court chief justice appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62; subordinate courts: :magistrate's court", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1% (2014 est.); 1.5% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :11.75 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :11.15 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :12.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism; clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, lime processing, coconut processing", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.1% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "22 February 1979 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$558.8 million (2014 est.); $496.7 million (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe", "ROADWAYS": "total: :1,210 km; paved: :847 km; unpaved: :363 km (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "cerulean blue with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border; the blue color represents the sky and sea, gold stands for sunshine and prosperity, and white and black the racial composition of the island (with the latter being dominant); the two major triangles invoke the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), cone-shaped volcanic plugs that are a symbol of the island", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$498.2 million (31 December 2014 est.); $485.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$203.3 million (2014 est.); $205.3 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Dame Pearlette LOUISY (since September 1997); head of government: :Prime Minister Kenny Davis ANTHONY (since 30 November 2011); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; the governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -; 2.7 (2013 est.); 2.7 (2013 est.); 2.7 (2012 est.); 2.7 (2011 est.); 2.7 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "black/African descent 85.3%, mixed 10.9%, East Indian 2.2%, other 1.6%, unspecified 0.1% (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "7.32 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1958, 1960 (preindependence); latest presented 20 December 1978, effective 22 February 1979; note - a constitutional reform report was submitted to the St. Lucian Parliament in April 2013 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 47.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.9%, Argentina 9.1%, Brazil 7.2%, Colombia 4.3% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "158 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "food, manufactured goods, machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, fuels", "CAPITAL": "name: :Castries; geographic coordinates: :14 00 N, 61 00 W; time difference: :UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$185.2 million; expenditures: :$222.2 million (2011 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces; Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit, Marine Unit) (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "13.94 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "2 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "10 districts; Anse-la-Raye, Canaries, Castries, Choiseul, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Dominican Republic 29.6%, US 10.5%, UK 7.5%, Peru 7.5%, Antigua and Barbuda 7.2%, Dominica 7%, Barbados 6.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 5.8%, Grenada 4.8% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, avocados, mangoes, coconut oil (2010 est.)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :21.7%; industry: :24.7%; services: :53.6% (2002 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries, was contested between England and France throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries (changing possession 14 times); it was finally ceded to the UK in 1814. Even after the abolition of slavery on its plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia remained an agricultural island, dedicated to producing tropical commodity crops. Self-government was granted in 1967 and independence in 1979.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :1,574; female: :1,502 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :32,688; females age 16-49: :36,289 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary security service; no national army (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "three and a half times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "hurricanes; volcanic activity", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Mount Gimie 950 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.93 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.83 male(s)/female; total population: :0.95 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "2 (1 commercial broadcast station and 1 community antenna television or CATV channel) (2003)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 2, FM 11, shortwave 0 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :3%; industry: :14.5%; services: :82.5% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "13 53 N, 60 58 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :21.2% (male 17,814/female 16,809); 15-24 years: :16.6% (male 13,701/female 13,368); 25-54 years: :42.9% (male 33,695/female 36,445); 55-64 years: :8.8% (male 6,657/female 7,717); 65 years and over: :10.5% (male 7,760/female 9,396) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Saint Pierre and Miquelon", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (territorial overseas collectivity of France)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France", "AFFILIATION": "(territorial overseas collectivity of France)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$34,900 (2006 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-1.02% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$215.3 million (2006 est.); note: :supplemented by annual payments from France of about $60 million", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "151,100 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "584 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "1,010 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "2.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "97.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "26,600 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "39.06 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "42 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "16th-century sailing ship", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "4.6% of GDP (1996)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "32.5% of GDP (1996)", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "SAINT-PIERRE (capital) 5,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "note: :as a collectivity of France, \"La Marseillaise\" is official (see France)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "2 TV stations with a third repeater station, all part of the French Overseas Network; radio stations on St. Pierre and on Miquelon are part of the French Overseas Network (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :90.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$215.3 million (2006 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "15 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :44.6 years; male: :44.2 years; female: :45 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".pm", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "4,800 (2010)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (territorial overseas collectivity of France)", "AREA": "total: :242 sq km; land: :242 sq km; water: :0 sq km; note: :includes eight small islands in the Saint Pierre and the Miquelon groups", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "North America", "LOCATION": "Northern North America, islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, south of Newfoundland (Canada)", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon; conventional short form: :Saint Pierre and Miquelon; local long form: :Departement de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon; local short form: :Saint-Pierre et Miquelon", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of France", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "9.9% (2008 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary representative democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.56 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly barren rock", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :adequate; international: :country code - 508; radiotelephone communication with most countries in the world; satellite earth station - 1 in French domestic satellite system", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Saint-Pierre", "POPULATION": "5,716 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Archipelago Tomorrow or AD [Stephane ARTANO; Ensemble pour l'Avenir [Annick GIRARDIN", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The inhabitants have traditionally earned their livelihood by fishing and by servicing fishing fleets operating off the coast of Newfoundland. The economy has been declining, however, because of disputes with Canada over fishing quotas and a steady decline in the number of ships stopping at Saint Pierre. In 1992, an arbitration panel awarded the islands an exclusive economic zone of 12,348 sq km to settle a longstanding territorial dispute with Canada, although it represents only 25% of what France had sought. France heavily subsidizes the islands to the great betterment of living standards. The government hopes an expansion of tourism will boost economic prospects. Fish farming, crab fishing, and agriculture are being developed to diversify the local economy. Recent test drilling for oil may pave the way for development of the energy sector.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "vegetation scanty", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-8.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish, deepwater ports", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women); adjective: :French", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1789)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "UPU, WFTU (NGOs)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :80.26 years; male: :77.95 years; female: :82.7 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Territorial Council or Conseil Territorial (19 seats - 15 from Saint Pierre and 4 from Miquelon; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote to serve 6-year terms); note: :Saint Pierre and Miquelon elect one member to the French Senate; elections last held on 21 September 2008 (next to be held in September 2014); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 1; Saint Pierre and Miquelon also elects one member to the French National Assembly; elections last held on 17 June 2012 (next to be held by June 2017); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRG 1; elections: :elections last held on 18 March 2012 (next to be held in March 2018); election results: :percent of vote by party - AD 52.5%, Ensemble pour l'Avenir 47.5%; seats by party - AD 14, Ensemble pour l'Avenir 5", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "French civil law", "LANGUAGES": "French (official)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :8.7%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :91.3% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "3,194 (2006)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel (composition NA); judge selection and term of office: :judge selection and tenure NA; subordinate courts: :NA", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "4.5% (2010); 8.1% (2005)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :6.95 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :8.07 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :5.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (territorial collectivity of France; has been under French control since 1763)", "IMPORTS": "$95.35 million (2010 est.); $68.2 million (2005 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :117 km; paved: :80 km; unpaved: :37 km (2009)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "a yellow three-masted sailing ship facing the hoist side rides on a blue background with scattered, white, wavy lines under the ship; a continuous black-over-white wavy line divides the ship from the white wavy lines; on the hoist side, a vertical band is divided into three parts: the top part (called ikkurina) is red with a green diagonal cross extending to the corners overlaid by a white cross dividing the rectangle into four sections; the middle part has a white background with an ermine pattern; the third part has a red background with two stylized yellow lions outlined in black, one above the other; these three heraldic arms represent settlement by colonists from the Basque Country (top), Brittany, and Normandy; the blue on the main portion of the flag symbolizes the Atlantic Ocean and the stylized ship represents the Grande Hermine in which Jacques Cartier \"discovered\" the islands in 1536; note: :the flag of France used for official occasions", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$NA", "EXPORTS": "$6.641 million (2010 est.); $5.5 million (2005 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012); represented by Prefect Jean-Christophe BOUVIER (since September 2014); head of government: :President of the Territorial Council Stephane ARTANO (since 21 February 2007); cabinet: :NA; elections: :French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held on 6 May 2012 (next to be held in 2017); prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Council elected by the members of the council", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.78 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Basques and Bretons (French fishermen)", "DEATH_RATE": "9.27 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "4 October 1958 (French Constitution) (2013)", "COASTLINE": "120 km", "CLIMATE": "cold and wet, with considerable mist and fog; spring and autumn are often windy", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "meat, clothing, fuel, electrical equipment, machinery, building materials", "CAPITAL": "name: :Saint-Pierre; geographic coordinates: :46 46 N, 56 11 W; time difference: :UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$70 million; expenditures: :$60 million (1996)", "BIRTH_RATE": "7.7 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "2 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (territorial overseas collectivity of France); note - there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are two communes at the second order - Saint Pierre, Miquelon", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fish and fish products, soybeans, animal feed, mollusks and crustaceans, fox and mink pelts", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :18%; industry: :41%; services: :41% (1996)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "recent test drilling for oil in waters around Saint Pierre and Miquelon may bring future development that would impact the environment", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "First settled by the French in the early 17th century, the islands represent the sole remaining vestige of France's once vast North American possessions.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :34; female: :32 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,064; females age 16-49: :1,069 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "one and half times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.1 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.96 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.69 male(s)/female; total population: :0.97 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "0 (2 repeaters rebroadcast programs from France, Canada, and the US) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :2%; industry: :15%; services: :83% (2006 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "46 50 N, 56 20 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :16.3% (male 481/female 450); 15-24 years: :8.5% (male 249/female 235); 25-54 years: :43.5% (male 1,234/female 1,252); 55-64 years: :13.9% (male 416/female 378); 65 years and over: :17.9% (male 421/female 600) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Saint Vincent and the Grenadines", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "the US does not have an embassy in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$10,900 (2014 est.); $10,700 (2013 est.); $10,500 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.7% (2014 est.); 2.3% (2013 est.); 1.5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.29% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$1.198 billion (2014 est.); $1.178 billion (2013 est.); $1.152 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :47.1%; youth dependency ratio: :36.6%; elderly dependency ratio: :10.5%; potential support ratio: :9.5% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "-0.4% of GDP (2014 est.); -2.5% of GDP (2013 est.); -4.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :95.7%; government consumption: :17%; investment in fixed capital: :24%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :18.5%; imports of goods and services: :-55.2%; (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "268,900 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "1,474 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "2,080 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "14.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "85.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "47,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "125.6 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "135 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Saint Vincent parrot; national colors: blue, gold, green", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "23.4% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "5.2 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.53 physicians/1,000 population (2001)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.2% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "48 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "0% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "24.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "KINGSTOWN (capital) 27,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"St. Vincent! Land So Beautiful!\"; lyrics/music: :Phyllis Joyce MCCLEAN PUNNETT/Joel Bertram MIGUEL; note: :adopted 1967", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 76.1% of population; rural: 76.1% of population; 76.1% of population; urban: 23.9% of population; rural: 23.9% of population; total: 23.9% of population (2007 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 95.1% of population; rural: 95.1% of population; total: 95.1% of population; urban: 4.9% of population; rural: 4.9% of population; total: 4.9% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$500.4 million (31 December 2014 est.); $476.4 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$151.7 million (31 December 2014 est.); $138.6 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "St. Vincent and the Grenadines Broadcasting Corporation operates 1 TV station and 5 repeater stations that provide near total coverage to the multi-island state; multi-channel cable TV service available; a partially government-funded national radio service broadcasts on 1 station and has 2 repeater stations; about a dozen privately owned radio stations and repeater stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :50.2% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.72% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$435.2 million (31 December 2014 est.); $414.5 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$302.7 million (31 December 2008); $280.2 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$150.8 million (31 December 2008); $155.5 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "9.4% (31 December 2014 est.); 9.45% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "6.5% (31 December 2010); 6.5% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.1% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :13 years; male: :13 years; female: :13 years (2004)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.01 cu km/yr; per capita: :92.59 cu m/yr (1995)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; some children under 18 are pressured into providing sexual acts in exchange for money or gifts; foreign workers may experience forced labor and are particularly vulnerable when employed by small, foreign-owned companies; adults and children are vulnerable to forced labor domestically, especially in the agriculture sector; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Saint Vincent and the Grenadines does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; authorities investigated three trafficking cases in 2013 but did not report prosecuting or convicting any offenders; the government did not proactively identify any victims or refer them to care in 2013, a decline from the previous year; anti-trafficking awareness efforts in schools have increased; a national action plan awaits parliamentary approval but lacks resources for implementation (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$745 million (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$120 million (31 December 2014 est.); $135.1 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$200.7 million (2014 est.); -$210.3 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "67% of GDP (2013 est.); 68% of GDP (2011 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "305 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :31.9 years; male: :32 years; female: :31.7 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".vc", "INTERNET_USERS": "76,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "135,500 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "19,400 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador La Celia A. PRINCE (since 30 May 2008); chancery: :3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :New York", "AREA": "total: :389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km); land: :389 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "10 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Saint Vincent and the Grenadines", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "18.8% (2008 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.84 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "volcanic, mountainous", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :adequate islandwide, fully automatic telephone system; domestic: :fixed-line teledensity exceeds 20 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 125 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 1-784; the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean fiber optic system (SCF) submarine cables carry international calls; connectivity also provided by VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to Barbados; SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and Saint Lucia; access to Intelsat earth station in Martinique through Saint Lucia (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 75% (Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%), Roman Catholic 13%, other (includes Hindu, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Protestant) 12%", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Kingstown", "POPULATION": "102,918 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "New Democratic Party or NDP [Arnhim EUSTACE; Unity Labor Party or ULP [Ralph GONSALVES", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Success of the economy hinges upon seasonal variations in agriculture, tourism, and construction activity as well as remittance inflows. Much of the workforce is employed in banana production and tourism, but persistent high unemployment has prompted many to leave the islands. This lower-middle-income country is vulnerable to natural disasters - tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in 1994, 1995, and 2002. Floods and mudslides caused by unseasonable 2013 rainfall caused substantial damage to infrastructure, homes, and crops, which the World Bank estimated at US$112 million. In 2013, the islands had more than 200,000 tourist arrivals, mostly to the Grenadines. The arrival numbers represent a marginal increase from 2012 but remain 26% below St. Vincent's 2009 peak. Saint Vincent is home to a small offshore banking sector and has moved to adopt international regulatory standards. The government's ability to invest in social programs and respond to external shocks is constrained by its high public debt burden, which was 67% of GDP - one of the lowest levels in the Eastern Caribbean - at the end of 2013. Weak recovery in the tourism and construction sectors limited growth in 2014.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is comprised of 32 islands and cays", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-9.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "hydropower, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s); adjective: :Saint Vincentian or Vincentian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 27 October (1979)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :412; by type: :bulk carrier 64, cargo 263, carrier 14, chemical tanker 4, container 18, liquefied gas 3, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 12, roll on/roll off 15, specialized tanker 1; foreign-owned: :325 (Austria 1, Azerbaijan 1, Bangladesh 1, Belgium 7, Bermuda 1, Bulgaria 9, China 65, Croatia 8, Cyprus 3, Czech Republic 1, Denmark 9, Dominica 1, Egypt 2, Estonia 8, France 2, Germany 3, Greece 42, Guyana 2, Hong Kong 5, Israel 3, Italy 4, Japan 3, Kenya 2, Latvia 15, Lebanon 2, Lithuania 9, Monaco 2, Netherlands 1, Norway 13, Poland 3, Romania 1, Russia 11, Singapore 5, Slovenia 1, Sweden 10, Switzerland 7, Syria 9, Turkey 13, UAE 3, UK 6, Ukraine 12, US 18, Venezuela 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :27,809 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :74.86 years; male: :72.9 years; female: :76.88 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral House of Assembly (21 seats; 15 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 6 appointed by the governor general; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 13 December 2010 (next to be held in 2015); election results: :percent of vote by party - ULP 51.6%, NDP 47.8%, other 0.6%; seats by party - ULP 8, NDP 7", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "English common law", "LANGUAGES": "English, French patois", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :12.82%; permanent crops: :7.69%; other: :79.49% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "57,520 (2007 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to include Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the ECSC - with its headquarters on Saint Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the member states; 2 High Court judges reside on Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; note - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice; judge selection and term of office: :Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court chief justice appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62; subordinate courts: :magistrates' courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "5.4% (2014 est.); 0.8% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :13.07 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :14.24 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :11.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism; food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "27 October 1979 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$313.6 million (2014 est.); $333.5 million (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; small-scale cannabis cultivation", "ROADWAYS": "total: :829 km; paved: :580 km; unpaved: :249 km (2003)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double width), and green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a V pattern, which stands for Vincent; the diamonds recall the islands as the \"Gems of the Antilles\"; blue conveys the colors of a tropical sky and crystal waters, yellow signifies the golden Grenadine sands, and green represents lush vegetation", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$248.7 million (31 December 2014 est.); $256.7 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$48.2 million (2014 est.); $53.4 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Sir Fredrick Nathaniel BALLANTYNE (since 2 September 2002); head of government: :Prime Minister Ralph E. GONSALVES (since 29 March 2001); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; the governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -; 2.7 (2014 est.); 2.7 (2013 est.); 2.7 (2012 est.); 2.7 (2011 est.); 2.7 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "black 66%, mixed 19%, East Indian 6%, European 4%, Carib Amerindian 2%, other 3%", "DEATH_RATE": "7.12 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest presented 26 July 1979, effective 27 October 1979 (2009)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Trinidad and Tobago 20.8%, Singapore 17.4%, US 15.7%, Denmark 10.9%, Switzerland 4.8%, Barbados 4.6%, China 4.3%, Italy 4.1% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "84 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels", "CAPITAL": "name: :Kingstown; geographic coordinates: :13 08 N, 61 13 W; time difference: :UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$185.2 million; expenditures: :$185.2 million (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces; Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVPF) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "13.85 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "6 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Trinidad and Tobago 13.4%, St. Lucia 11.9%, Turkey 10%, Barbados 9.9%, Dominica 7.8%, Grenada 7.5%, Antigua and Barbuda 6.7%, Greece 5.6%, Switzerland 5.6%, Italy 4.9%, Croatia 4.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "bananas, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch; tennis racquets", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :26%; industry: :17%; services: :57% (1980 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "pollution of coastal waters and shorelines from discharges by pleasure yachts and other effluents; in some areas, pollution is severe enough to make swimming prohibitive", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :5; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :3; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Resistance by native Caribs prevented colonization on Saint Vincent until 1719. Disputed between France and the United Kingdom for most of the 18th century, the island was ceded to the latter in 1783. Between 1960 and 1962, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was a separate administrative unit of the Federation of the West Indies. Autonomy was granted in 1969 and independence in 1979.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :964; female: :953 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :22,875; females age 16-49: :22,015 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "twice the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "hurricanes; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: :La Soufriere 1,234 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.08 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.84 male(s)/female; total population: :1.03 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (plus 3 repeaters) (2004)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 8, shortwave 0 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :8.5%; industry: :20.9%; services: :70.6% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "13 15 N, 61 12 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :22.9% (male 11,858/female 11,661); 15-24 years: :16.7% (male 8,687/female 8,528); 25-54 years: :42.6% (male 22,781/female 21,065); 55-64 years: :9.2% (male 4,873/female 4,634); 65 years and over: :8.6% (male 4,083/female 4,748) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Samoa", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :the US does not have an embassy in Samoa; the US Ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Samoa; embassy: :Accident Corporation Building, 5th Floor, Matafele, Apia; mailing address: :P. O. Box 3430, Matafele, Apia; telephone: :[685; FAX: :[685", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$5,200 (2014 est.); $5,100 (2013 est.); $5,200 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2% (2014 est.); -1.1% (2013 est.); 1.5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.59% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$995 million (2014 est.); $975.8 million (2013 est.); $987.1 million (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :74.4%; youth dependency ratio: :65.4%; elderly dependency ratio: :9%; potential support ratio: :11.1% (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "28.7% (2009)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "23.6; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2009 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "161,000 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "1,149 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "1,130 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "28.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "71.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "42,100 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "107.1 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "115.2 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Southern Cross constellation (five, five-pointed stars); national colors: red, white, blue", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :16.1%; male: :13.8%; female: :22.2% (2011 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "54.1% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1 beds/1,000 population (2005)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.45 physicians/1,000 population (2008)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.8% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "100 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-5.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "26% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "APIA (capital) 37,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"O le Fu'a o le Sa'olotoga o Samoa\" (The Banner of Freedom); lyrics/music: :Sauni Liga KURESA; note: :adopted 1962; also known as \"Samoa Tula'i\" (Samoa Arise)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 93.3% of population; rural: 91.1% of population; total: 91.6% of population; urban: 6.7% of population; rural: 8.9% of population; total: 8.4% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 97.4% of population; rural: 98.8% of population; total: 98.5% of population; urban: 2.6% of population; rural: 1.2% of population; total: 1.5% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$366 million (31 December 2014 est.); $318.7 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$106.9 million (31 December 2014 est.); $104.1 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-owned TV station privatized in 2008; 4 privately-owned television broadcast stations; about a half dozen privately owned radio stations and one state-owned radio station; TV and radio broadcasts of several stations from American Samoa are available (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :19.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :-0.24% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$332.1 million (31 December 2014 est.); $319.1 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$162.8 million (31 December 2008); $168.7 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$60.13 million (31 December 2008); $69.97 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "10.2% (31 December 2014 est.); 10.19% (31 December 2013 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.8% of GDP (2008)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$825 million (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$170.9 million (31 December 2013 est.); $170.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$76.11 million (2011 est.); -$32.4 million (2012 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "18,013 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :23.1 years; male: :22.9 years; female: :23.4 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ws", "INTERNET_USERS": "9,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "167,400 (2010)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "35,300 (2010)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Aliioaiga Feturi ELISAIA (since 4 December 2003); chancery: :800 Second Avenue, Suite 400J, New York, NY 10017; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Pago Pago (American Samoa)", "AREA": "total: :2,831 sq km; land: :2,821 sq km; water: :10 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Independent State of Samoa; conventional short form: :Samoa; local long form: :Malo Sa'oloto Tuto'atasi o Samoa; local short form: :Samoa; former: :Western Samoa; note: :the name \"Samoa\" is composed of two parts, \"sa\" meaning sacred and \"moa\" meaning center, so the name can mean Holy Center; alternatively, it can mean \"place of the sacred moa bird\" of Polynesian mythology", "MILITARY___NOTE": "Samoa has no formal defense structure or regular armed forces; informal defense ties exist with NZ, which is required to consider any Samoan request for assistance under the 1962 Treaty of Friendship", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.94 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "two main islands (Savaii, Upolu) and several smaller islands and uninhabited islets; narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :adequate; domestic: :combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 100 telephones per 100 persons; international: :country code - 685; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2007)", "SUFFRAGE": "21 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 57.4% (Congregationalist 31.8%, Methodist 13.7%, Assembly of God 8%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.9%), Roman Catholic 19.4%, Mormon 15.2%, Worship Centre 1.7%, other Christian 5.5%, other 0.7%, none 0.1%, unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Apia", "POPULATION": "196,628; note: :prior estimates used official net migration data by sex, but a highly unusual pattern for 1993 lead to a significant imbalance in the sex ratios (more men and fewer women) and a seeming reduction in the female population; the revised total was calculated using a 1993 number that was an average of the 1992 and 1994 migration figures (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Human Rights Protection Party or HRPP [Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA; Samoa Christian Party or TCP [Tuala Tiresa MALIETOA; Samoa Progressive Political Party or SPPP [Toalepaiali'i Toesulusulu S'iueva POSE II; Tautua Samoa [Leatinu'u Salole LESA", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on development aid, family remittances from overseas, agriculture, and fishing. The country is vulnerable to devastating storms. Agriculture employs roughly two-thirds of the labor force and furnishes 90% of exports, featuring coconut cream, coconut oil, and copra. The manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. One factory in the Foreign Trade Zone employs 3,000 people to make automobile electrical harnesses for an assembly plant in Australia. Tourism is an expanding sector accounting for 25% of GDP; 122,000 tourists visited the islands in 2007. In late September 2009, an earthquake and the resulting tsunami severely damaged Samoa, and nearby American Samoa, disrupting transportation and power generation, and resulting in about 200 deaths. In December 2012, extensive flooding and wind damage from Tropical Cyclone Evan killed four people, displaced over 6,000, and damaged or destroyed an estimated 1,500 homes in Samoa's Upolu island. The Samoan Government has called for deregulation of the financial sector, encouragement of investment, and continued fiscal discipline, while at the same time protecting the environment. Observers point to the flexibility of the labor market as a basic strength for future economic advances. Foreign reserves are in a relatively healthy state, the external debt is stable, and inflation is low.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "occupies an almost central position within Polynesia", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-10.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "hardwood forests, fish, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Samoan(s); adjective: :Samoan", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day Celebration, 1 June (1962); note - 1 January 1962 is the date of independence from the New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship; it is observed in June", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :2; by type: :cargo 1, passenger/cargo 1; foreign-owned: :1 (NZ 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :47,906 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :98.9%; male: :99.1%; female: :98.7% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :73.21 years; male: :70.32 years; female: :76.24 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fono (49 seats; 47 members - traditional family chiefs or matai and 2 members - part-Samoan or non-Samoan - directly elected by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :election last held on 4 March 2011 (next election to be held no later than March 2016); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - HRPP 29, Tautua Samoa 13, independents 7", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the citizen", "LANGUAGES": "Samoan (Polynesian) (official), English", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :2.83%; permanent crops: :7.77%; other: :89.4% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "48,580 (2012 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and 2 Supreme Court judges and meets once or twice a year); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and several judges); judge selection and term of office: :chief justice appointed by the head of state upon the advice of the prime minister; other Supreme Court judges appointed by the Judicial Service Commission, a 3-member body chaired by the chief justice and includes the attorney general and an appointee of the Minister of Justice; judges normally appointed until retirement at age 68; subordinate courts: :District Court; Magistrates' Courts; Land and Titles Courts; village fono or village chief councils", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "-1.2% (2014 est.); 0.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :20.5 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :24.18 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :16.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "food processing, building materials, auto parts", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1 January 1962 (from New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship)", "IMPORTS": "$318.7 million (2011 est.); $308.4 million (2012 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :2,337 km; paved: :332 km; unpaved: :2,005 km (2001)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation; red stands for courage, blue represents freedom, and white signifies purity", "FISCAL_YEAR": "June 1 - May 31", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$368.3 million (31 December 2011 est.); $422.9 million (31 December 2012 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$11.4 million (2011 est.); $31.2 million (2012 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :TUI ATUA Tupua Tamasese Efi (since 20 June 2007); head of government: :Prime Minister TUILA'EPA Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi (since 1998); Deputy Prime Minister FONOTOE Pierre Lauofo (since 2011); cabinet: :Cabinet consists of 12 members appointed by the chief of state on the prime minister's advice; elections: :chief of state elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a five-year term (no term limits); election last held on 20 July 2012 (next to be held in 2017); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually appointed prime minister by the chief of state with the approval of the Legislative Assembly; election results: :TUI ATUA Tupua Tamasese Efi unanimously elected by the Legislative Assembly", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "tala (SAT) per US dollar -; 2.329 (2014 est.); 2.3109 (2013 est.); 2.29 (2012 est.); 2.3175 (2011 est.); 2.4847 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians (persons of European and Polynesian blood) 7%, Europeans 0.4% (2001 census)", "DEATH_RATE": "5.32 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous (preindependence); latest 1 January 1962; amended several times, last in 2013 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "NZ 21.6%, Fiji 19.5%, Singapore 15%, China 12.6%, US 6.5%, Australia 5.7% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "403 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, industrial supplies, foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Apia; geographic coordinates: :13 49 S, 171 46 W; time difference: :UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); +1hr, begins last Sunday in September; ends first Sunday in April", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$214.7 million; expenditures: :$257.6 million (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces; Samoa Police Force (2008)", "BIRTH_RATE": "21.29 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "4 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coconuts, bananas, taro, yams, coffee, cocoa", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "11 districts; A'ana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Fa'asaleleaga, Gaga'emauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupa'itea, Tuamasaga, Va'a-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "American Samoa 42.4%, Australia 19.1% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fish, coconut oil and cream, copra, taro, automotive parts, garments, beer", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :65%; industry: :NA%; services: :NA%", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "soil erosion, deforestation, invasive species, overfishing", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :3; 3 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "New Zealand occupied the German protectorate of Western Samoa at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It continued to administer the islands as a mandate and then as a trust territory until 1962, when the islands became the first Polynesian nation to reestablish independence in the 20th century. The country dropped the \"Western\" from its name in 1997.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :2,221; female: :2,062 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :38,260; females age 16-49: :38,032 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Rhode Island", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "occasional typhoons; active volcanism; volcanism: :Savai'I Island (elev. 1,858 m), which last erupted in 1911, is historically active", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mount Silisili 1,857 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.08 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.78 male(s)/female; total population: :1.05 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "2 (2002)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 2, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :11.4%; industry: :30.1%; services: :58.5% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "13 35 S, 172 20 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :33.4% (male 33,842/female 31,749); 15-24 years: :20.1% (male 20,227/female 19,200); 25-54 years: :35.2% (male 35,872/female 33,355); 55-64 years: :6% (male 5,955/female 5,770); 65 years and over: :5.4% (male 4,647/female 6,011) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "San Marino", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "the US does not have an embassy in San Marino; the ambassador to Italy is accredited to San Marino", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$55,000 (2013 est.); $55,000 (2012 est.); $60,800 (2011 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "0% (2014 est.); -3.2% (2013 est.); -5.1% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.87% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$2.007 billion (2014 est.); $2.007 billion (2013 est.); $2.073 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "exports of goods and services: :176.6%; imports of goods and services: :-153.3%", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "three peaks each displaying a tower; national colors: white, blue", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "3.8 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "4.88 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.5% of GDP (2012)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.9% of GDP (2011 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "35.9% of GDP (2011 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "SAN MARINO 4,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Inno Nazionale della Repubblica\" (National Anthem of the Republic); lyrics/music: :none/Federico CONSOLO; note: :adopted 1894; the music for the lyric-less anthem is based on a 10th century chorale piece", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$NA; $4.584 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$NA; $1.326 billion (31 December 2007)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-owned public broadcaster operates 1 TV station and 3 radio stations; receives radio and TV broadcasts from Italy (2012)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :94.2% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.62% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$8.822 billion (30 September 2010); $8.008 billion (31 December 2009)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$NA (31 December 2008); $4.584 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$NA (31 December 2008); $1.326 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "5.92% (31 December 2011 est.); 5.38% (31 December 2010 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :15 years; male: :15 years; female: :16 years (2012)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$1.858 billion (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$308.6 million (2012 est.); $341.9 million (2011 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "25.8% of GDP (2013 est.); 20.3% of GDP (2012 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "11,015 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :43.6 years; male: :42.6 years; female: :44.4 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".sm", "INTERNET_USERS": "17,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "36,000 (2011)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "18,700 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Paolo RONDELLI (since 16 July 2007); chancery: :1711 N Street NW, 2nd floor, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: :202-250-1535; FAX: :202-223-2748", "AREA": "total: :61 sq km; land: :61 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Southern Europe, an enclave in central Italy", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of San Marino; conventional short form: :San Marino; local long form: :Repubblica di San Marino; local short form: :San Marino", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of Italy", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "7% (2012); 5.5% (2011)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.49 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "rugged mountains", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :automatic telephone system completely integrated into Italian system; domestic: :combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity 170 telephones per 100 persons; international: :country code - 378; connected to Italian international network (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic", "POPULATION": "32,742 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "San Marino Common Good (includes Christian Democrats or PDCS [Teodoro LONFERNINI; Entente for the Country (includes Sammarinese Union of Moderates or USDM [Romeo MORRI and Glauco SANSOVINI; Active Citizenship (includes Civic 10 [Mateo CIACCI; other: :Civic Movement R.E.T.E. (Network) [Gloria ARCANGELONI; For San Marino [Emilio DELLA BALDA; San Marino 3.0 [Simone DELLA VALLE", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "San Marino's economy relies heavily on tourism, the banking industry and the manufacture and export of ceramics, clothing, fabrics, furniture, paints, spirits, tiles, and wine. The manufacturing and financial sectors account for more than half of San Marino's GDP. The per capita level of output and standard of living are comparable to those of the most prosperous regions of Italy. The economy benefits from foreign investment due to its relatively low corporate taxes and low taxes on interest earnings. The income tax rate is also very low, about one-third the average EU level. San Marino does not issue public debt securities; when necessary, it finances deficits by drawing down central bank deposits. San Marino's economy has been contracting since 2008, largely due to weakened demand from Italy - which accounts for nearly 90% of its export market - and financial sector consolidation. Difficulties in the banking sector, the recent global economic downturn, and the sizable decline in tax revenues have contributed to negative real GDP growth. The government has adopted measures to counter the economic downturn, including subsidized credit to businesses and is seeking to shift its growth model away from a reliance on bank and tax secrecy. San Marino continues to work towards harmonizing its fiscal laws with EU and international standards. In September 2009, the OECD removed San Marino from its list of tax havens that have yet to fully adopt global tax standards, and in 2010 San Marino signed Tax Information Exchange Agreements with most major countries. In 2013 San Marino's Government signed a Double Taxation Agreement with Italy, but a referendum on EU membership failed to reach the quorum needed to bring it to a vote.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; smallest independent state in Europe after the Holy See and Monaco; dominated by the Apennine Mountains", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "8.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "building stone", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Sammarinese (singular and plural); adjective: :Sammarinese", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Founding of the Republic, 3 September (A.D. 301)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "CE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), OPCW, OSCE, Schengen Convention (de facto member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WHO, WIPO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :6,892 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :83.18 years; male: :80.64 years; female: :85.94 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Grand and General Council or Consiglio Grande e Generale (60 seats; members directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 11 November 2012 (next to be held by November 2017); election results: :percent of vote by party - San Marino Common Good coalition (San Marino Bene Comune) 50.7% (including PDCS 29.5%, PSD 14.3%, AP 6.7%), Entente for the Country coalition (Intesa per Il Paese) 22.3% (including PS 12.1%, UPR 8.4%, USDM 1.7%), Active Citizenry coalition (Cittadinanza Attiva) 16.1% (including SU 9.1%, Civic 10 6.7%), Civic Movement R.E.T.E. 6.3%, For San Marino 2.8%, San Marino 3.0 1.8%; seats by party - San Marino Common Good coalition 35 (PDCS 21, PSD 10, AP 4), Entente for the Country coalition 12 (PS 7, UPR 5), Active Citizenry 9 (SU 5, Civic 10 4), Civic Movement R.E.T.E. 4", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system with Italian civil law influences", "LANGUAGES": "Italian", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :16.67%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :83.33% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :37 km; border countries: :Italy 37 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "21,960 (September 2013 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Council of Twelve or Consiglio dei XII (consists of 12 members); note - the College of Guarantors for the Constitutionality and General Norms functions as San Marino's constitutional court; judge selection and term of office: :judges elected by the Grand and General Council from among its own to serve 5-year terms; subordinate courts: :first instance and first appeal criminal, administrative, and civil courts; justices of the peace or conciliatory judges", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.8% (2012 est.); 2% (2011)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :4.52 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :4.71 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :4.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, banking, textiles, electronics, ceramics, cement, wine", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-1.1% (2012 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "3 September 301", "IMPORTS": "$2.551 billion (2011 est.); $2.132 billion (2010 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :292 km; paved: :292 km (2006)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and light blue with the national coat of arms superimposed in the center; the main colors derive from the shield of the coat of arms, which features three white towers on three peaks on a blue field; the towers represent three castles built on San Marino's highest feature, Mount Titano: Guaita, Cesta, and Montale; the coat of arms is flanked by a wreath, below a crown and above a scroll bearing the word LIBERTAS (Liberty); the white and blue colors are also said to stand for peace and liberty respectively", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$NA", "EXPORTS": "$3.827 billion (2011 est.); $2.576 billion (2010 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Co-chiefs of State Captain Regent Gian Franco TERENZI and Captain Regent Guerrino ZANOTTI (for the period 1 October 2014 - 1 April 2015); head of government: :Secretary of State for Foreign and Political Affairs Pasquale VALENTINI (since 5 December 2012); cabinet: :Congress of State elected by the Great and General Council for a five-year term; elections: :co-chiefs of state (captains regent) elected by the Grand and General Council for a six-month term; election last held in March 2014 (next to be held in Septermber 2014); secretary of state for foreign and political affairs elected by the Grand and General Council for a five-year term; election last held on 11 November 2012 (next to be held by November 2017); election results: :Anna Maria MUCCIOLI and Gian Carlo CAPICCHIONI elected captains regent; percent of legislative vote - NA; Pasquale VALENTINI elected secretary of state for foreign and political affairs; percent of legislative vote - NA; note: :the popularly elected parliament (Grand and General Council) selects two of its members to serve as the captains regent (co-chiefs of state) for a six-month period; they preside over meetings of the Grand and General Council and its cabinet (Congress of State), which has nine other members, all are selected by the Grand and General Council; assisting the captains regent are nine secretaries of state; the secretary of state for Foreign Affairs has some prime ministerial roles", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.78 2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Sammarinese, Italian", "DEATH_RATE": "8.31 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "consists of several legislative instruments, chief among them the Statutes (Leges Statuti) of 1600 and the Declaration of Citizen Rights of 1974; latter document amended 2000, 2002 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Italy 81.8% (2012 est.)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "Mediterranean; mild to cool winters; warm, sunny summers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "wide variety of consumer manufactures, food, energy", "CAPITAL": "name: :San Marino; geographic coordinates: :43 56 N, 12 25 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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$667.7 million; expenditures: :$721.6 million (2011 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces; voluntary Military Corps (Corpi Militari) performs ceremonial duties and limited police support functions (2010)", "BIRTH_RATE": "8.7 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "wheat, grapes, corn, olives; cattle, pigs, horses, beef, cheese, hides", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "9 municipalities (castelli, singular - castello); Acquaviva, Borgo Maggiore, Chiesanuova, Domagnano, Faetano, Fiorentino, Montegiardino, San Marino Citta, Serravalle", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Italy 82.3% (2012 est.)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "building stone, lime, wood, chestnuts, wheat, wine, baked goods, hides, ceramics", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :0.2%; industry: :33.5%; services: :66.3% (September 2013 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :Air Pollution", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air pollution; urbanization decreasing rural farmlands", "BACKGROUND": "Geographically the third smallest state in Europe (after the Holy See and Monaco), San Marino also claims to be the world's oldest republic. According to tradition, it was founded by a Christian stonemason named MARINUS in A.D. 301. San Marino's foreign policy is aligned with that of the European Union, although it is not a member; social and political trends in the republic track closely with those of its larger neighbor, Italy.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :186; female: :166 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :5,565; females age 16-49: :6,067 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; government has the authority to call up all San Marino citizens from 16-60 years of age to service in the military (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about one third times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Torrente Ausa 55 m; highest point: :Monte Titano 755 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.1 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.14 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.89 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.8 male(s)/female; total population: :0.94 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (San Marino residents also receive broadcasts from Italy) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 0, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :0.1%; industry: :39.2%; services: :60.7% (2009)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "43 46 N, 12 25 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :16% (male 2,779/female 2,445); 15-24 years: :10.9% (male 1,822/female 1,733); 25-54 years: :42.4% (male 6,552/female 7,328); 55-64 years: :12% (male 1,957/female 1,957); 65 years and over: :18.8% (male 2,756/female 3,413) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Sao Tome and Principe", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "the US does not have an embassy in Sao Tome and Principe; the Ambassador to Gabon is accredited to Sao Tome and Principe on a nonresident basis and makes periodic visits to the islands", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$3,100 (2014 est.); $3,100 (2013 est.); $3,000 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "5% (2014 est.); 4% (2013 est.); 4% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.89% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$612 million (2014 est.); $582.9 million (2013 est.); $560.4 million (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :81.3%; youth dependency ratio: :75.3%; elderly dependency ratio: :6%; potential support ratio: :16.7% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "22% of GDP (2014 est.); 13.3% of GDP (2013 est.); 25.9% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :79.1%; government consumption: :13.9%; investment in fixed capital: :40.7%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :10.1%; imports of goods and services: :-43.8%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "38.4% (2008/09)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "19.4; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2008/09 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :3,235; percentage: :8% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "137,800 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "889 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "930 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "25% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "75% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "16,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "55.8 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "60 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "palm tree; national colors: green, yellow, red, black", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "9.5% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.9 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.49 physicians/1,000 population (2004)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "7.9% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "14.4% (2009)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "70 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-10.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "27.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "SAO TOME (capital) 71,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Independencia total\" (Total Independence); lyrics/music: :Alda Neves DA GRACA do Espirito Santo/Manuel dos Santos Barreto de Sousa e ALMEIDA; note: :adopted 1975", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 40.8% of population; rural: 23.3% of population; total: 34.4% of population; urban: 59.2% of population; rural: 76.7% of population; total: 65.6% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 98.9% of population; rural: 93.6% of population; total: 97% of population; urban: 1.1% of population; rural: 6.4% of population; total: 3% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$133.1 million (31 December 2014 est.); $120.8 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$67.45 million (31 December 2014 est.); $59.57 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 government-owned TV station; 1 government-owned radio station; 3 independent local radio stations authorized in 2005 with 2 operating at the end of 2006; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :64.5% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.58% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$85.66 million (31 December 2014 est.); $92.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$36.95 million (31 December 2008); $33.5 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$27.84 million (31 December 2008); $19.99 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "25.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 25.75% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "16% (31 December 2009); 28% (31 December 2008)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "9.5% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :11 years; male: :11 years; female: :11 years (2012)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$362 million (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria and dengue fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$68.6 million (31 December 2014 est.); $63.79 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$70.1 million (2014 est.); -$58.7 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "77.1% of GDP (2014 est.); 84.5% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "1,678 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :17.8 years; male: :17.3 years; female: :18.2 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "200 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "2,300 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.64% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".st", "INTERNET_USERS": "26,700 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "122,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "8,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Carlos Filomeno Azevedo Agostinho das NEVES (since 3 December 2013); chancery: :675 Third Avenue, Suite 1807, New York, NY 10017; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :964 sq km; land: :964 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "97 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Central Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, just north of the Equator, west of Gabon", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe; conventional short form: :Sao Tome and Principe; local long form: :Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe; local short form: :Sao Tome e Principe", "MILITARY___NOTE": "Sao Tome and Principe's army is a tiny force with almost no resources at its disposal and would be wholly ineffective operating unilaterally; infantry equipment is considered simple to operate and maintain but may require refurbishment or replacement after 25 years in tropical climates; poor pay, working conditions, and alleged nepotism in the promotion of officers have been problems in the past, as reflected in the 1995 and 2003 coups; these issues are being addressed with foreign assistance aimed at improving the army and its focus on realistic security concerns; command is exercised from the president, through the Minister of Defense, to the Chief of the Armed Forces (infantry, technical issues) and the Chief of the General Staff (logistics, administration, finances) (2012)", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "4.67 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "volcanic, mountainous", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :local telephone network of adequate quality with most lines connected to digital switches; domestic: :combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 65 telephones per 100 persons; international: :country code - 239; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Catholic 55.7%, Adventist 4.1%, Assembly of God 3.4%, New Apostolic 2.9%, Mana 2.3%, Universal Kingdom of God 2%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, other 6.2%, none 21.2%, unspecified 1% (2012 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Sao Tome", "POPULATION": "190,428 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Force for Change Democratic Movement or MDFM [Fradigue Bandeira Melo DE MENEZES; Independent Democratic Action or ADI [Patrice TROVOADA; Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe-Social Democratic Party or MLSTP-PSD [Aurelio MARTINS; Party for Democratic Convergence-Reflection Group or PCD-GR [Leonel Mario D'ALVA; other small parties", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "This small, poor island economy has become increasingly dependent on cocoa since independence in 1975. Cocoa production has substantially declined in recent years because of drought and mismanagement. Sao Tome and Principe has to import fuels, most manufactured goods, consumer goods, and a substantial amount of food, making it vulnerable to fluctuations in global commodity prices. Over the years, it has had difficulty servicing its external debt and has relied heavily on concessional aid and debt rescheduling. Sao Tome and Principe benefited from $200 million in debt relief in December 2000 under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries program, which helped bring down the country's $300 million debt burden. In August 2005, the government signed on to a new 3-year IMF Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility program worth $4.3 million. In April 2011 the country completed a Threshold Country Program with The Millennium Challenge Corporation to help increase tax revenues, reform customs, and improve the business environment. Considerable potential exists for development of a tourist industry, and the government has taken steps to expand facilities in recent years. The government also has attempted to reduce price controls and subsidies. Potential exists for the development of petroleum resources in Sao Tome and Principe's territorial waters in the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea, which are being jointly developed in a 60-40 split with Nigeria, but any actual production is at least several years off. The first production licenses were sold in 2004, though a dispute over licensing with Nigeria delayed the country's receipt of more than $20 million in signing bonuses for almost a year. Maintaining control of inflation, fiscal discipline, and increasing flows of foreign direct investment into the oil sector are the major economic problems facing the country.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Association of Sao Tome and Principe NGOs or FONG; other: :the media", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the smallest country in Africa; the two main islands form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both are mountainous", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-8.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Sao Tomean(s); adjective: :Sao Tomean", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 12 July (1975)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :3; by type: :bulk carrier 1, cargo 2; foreign-owned: :2 (China 1, Greece 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, CD, CEMAC, CPLP, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "measured from claimed archipelagic baselines; territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :39,182; females age 16-49: :39,845 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :69.5%; male: :80.3%; female: :60.1% (2008 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :64.22 years; male: :62.94 years; female: :65.53 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (55 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 12 October 2014 (next expected in December 2018); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ADI 33, MLSTP-PSD 16, PCD-GR 5, other 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of civil law base on the Portuguese model and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "Portuguese 98.4% (official), Forro 36.2%, Cabo Verdian 8.5%, French 6.8%, Angolar 6.6%, English 4.9%, Lunguie 1%, other (including sign language) 2.4%; note: :shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census (2012 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :9.06%; permanent crops: :41.67%; other: :49.27% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "70,200 (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of 5 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 5 judges, 3 of which are from the Supreme Court); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges appointed by the National Assembly; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges nominated by the president of the republic and elected by the National Assembly for 5-year terms; subordinate courts: :Court of First Instance; Audit Court", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "7% (2014 est.); 8.3% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :49.16 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :51.16 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :47.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "light construction, textiles, soap, beer, fish processing, timber", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "4.2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "12 July 1975 (from Portugal)", "IMPORTS": "$126.2 million (2014 est.); $118.1 million (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :320 km; paved: :218 km; unpaved: :102 km (2000)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three horizontal bands of green (top), yellow (double width), and green with two black five-pointed stars placed side by side in the center of the yellow band and a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; green stands for the country's rich vegetation, red recalls the struggle for independence, and yellow represents cocoa, one of the country's main agricultural products; the two stars symbolize the two main islands; note: :uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$416.4 million (31 December 2014 est.); $299.6 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$12.6 million (2014 est.); $11.9 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Manuel Pinto DA COSTA (since 3 September 2011); head of government: :Prime Minister Patrice Emery TROVOADA (since 25 November 2014); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the proposal of the prime minister; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 17 July and 7 August 2011 (next to be held in 2016); prime minister chosen by the National Assembly and approved by the president; election results: :Manuel Pinto DA COSTA elected president in a run-off election; percent of vote - Manuel Pinto DA COSTA 52.9%, Evaristo CARVALHO 47.1%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "dobras (STD) per US dollar -; 18,347 (2014 est.); 18,450 (2013 est.); 19,068 (2012 est.); 17,623 (2011 est.); 18,499 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "mestico, angolares (descendants of Angolan slaves), forros (descendants of freed slaves), servicais (contract laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cabo Verde), tongas (children of servicais born on the islands), Europeans (primarily Portuguese), Asians (mostly Chinese)", "DEATH_RATE": "7.45 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "approved 5 November 1975; revised several times, last in 2003 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Portugal 67.2%, Gabon 5.6%, China 5.2% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "209 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and electrical equipment, food products, petroleum products", "CAPITAL": "name: :Sao Tome; geographic coordinates: :0 20 N, 6 44 E; time difference: :UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$98.29 million; expenditures: :$135.2 million (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Armed Forces of Sao Tome and Principe (Forcas Armadas de Sao Tome e Principe, FASTP): Army; Coast Guard of Sao Tome e Principe (Guarda Costeira de Sao Tome e Principe, GCSTP; also called \"Navy\"); Presidential Guard (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "35.12 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "2 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, copra, cinnamon, pepper, coffee, bananas, papayas, beans; poultry; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "2 provinces; Principe, Sao Tome", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Netherlands 30.5%, Belgium 20.4%, Spain 9.8%, Nigeria 7.4%, Turkey 7.3% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "cocoa 80%, copra, coffee, palm oil (2010 est.)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "note: :population mainly engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing; shortages of skilled workers", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "66.2% (2009 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; soil erosion and exhaustion", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Discovered and claimed by Portugal in the late 15th century, the islands' sugar-based economy gave way to coffee and cocoa in the 19th century - all grown with African plantation slave labor, a form of which lingered into the 20th century. While independence was achieved in 1975, democratic reforms were not instituted until the late 1980s. The country held its first free elections in 1991, but frequent internal wrangling between the various political parties precipitated repeated changes in leadership and two failed coup attempts in 1995 and 2003. In 2012, three opposition parties combined in a no confidence vote to bring down the majority government of former Prime Minister Patrice TROVOADA. The new government of Prime Minister Gabriel Arcanjo Ferreira DA COSTA is entirely composed of opposition party members with limited experience in governance. New oil discoveries in the Gulf of Guinea may attract increased attention to the small island nation.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :2,076; female: :2,003 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :27,310; females age 16-49: :29,279 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory military service; 17 is the legal minimum age for voluntary service (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "more than five times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Pico de Sao Tome 2,024 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.96 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.84 male(s)/female; total population: :1 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "2 (2001)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :18.8%; industry: :16.1%; services: :65.1% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "1 00 N, 7 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :43.5% (male 42,170/female 40,750); 15-24 years: :19.8% (male 19,085/female 18,573); 25-54 years: :30.3% (male 28,232/female 29,410); 55-64 years: :3.5% (male 3,010/female 3,612); 65 years and over: :2.9% (male 2,523/female 3,063) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Saudi Arabia", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Joseph William WESTPHAL (since 26 March 2014); embassy: :Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh; mailing address: :American Embassy, Unit 61307, APO AE 09803-1307; International Mail: P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693; telephone: :[966; FAX: :[966; consulate(s) general: :Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$52,800 (2014 est.); $52,000 (2013 est.); $52,000 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.6% (2014 est.); 2.7% (2013 est.); 5.8% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.49% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$1.616 trillion (2014 est.); $1.56 trillion (2013 est.); $1.519 trillion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :46.1%; youth dependency ratio: :41.8%; elderly dependency ratio: :4.3%; potential support ratio: :23.5% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "45.8% of GDP (2014 est.); 45.9% of GDP (2013 est.); 48.8% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :31.1%; government consumption: :23.5%; investment in fixed capital: :24.9%; investment in inventories: :3.8%; exports of goods and services: :48.6%; imports of goods and services: :-31.9%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "23.8% (2007)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "582.7 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "8.235 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "103 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "103 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "196,700 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "1.471 million bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "2.925 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "1.935 million bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "268.4 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "6.88 million bbl/day (2011 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "11.59 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "51.15 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "211.6 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "235.1 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "palm tree surmounting two crossed swords; national colors: green, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :28.3%; male: :20.8%; female: :54.4% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "33% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.1 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.77 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "3.2% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "5.3% (2005)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "24 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-1.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "35.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "RIYADH (capital) 6.195 million; Jeddah 3.988 million; Mecca 1.742 million; Medina 1.258 million; Ad Dammam 1.043 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Aash Al Maleek\" (Long Live Our Beloved King); lyrics/music: :Ibrahim KHAFAJI/Abdul Rahman al-KHATEEB; note: :music adopted 1947, lyrics adopted 1984", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 97% of population; rural: 97% of population; total: 97% of population; unimproved: :urban: 3% of population; rural: 3% of population; total: 3% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$461.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $412 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$301.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $266.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "broadcast media are state-controlled; state-run TV operates 4 networks; Saudi Arabia is a major market for pan-Arab satellite TV broadcasters; state-run radio operates several networks; multiple international broadcasters are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :82.9% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$-38.16 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $-58.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$136.4 billion (31 December 2008); $109.5 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$113.6 billion (31 December 2008); $102.4 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "6.8% (31 December 2014 est.); 6.7% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "2.5% (31 December 2008)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.1% of GDP (2008)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :16 years; male: :15 years; female: :16 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :23.67 cu km/yr (9%/3%/88%); per capita: :928.1 cu m/yr (2006)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "2.4 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$373.4 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $338.9 billion (31 December 2011); $353.4 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$31.51 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $27.06 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$242.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $232.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Saudi Arabia is a destination country for men and women subjected to forced labor and, to a lesser extent, forced prostitution; many men and women from Central Asia, the Middle East, and Africa who voluntarily travel to Saudi Arabia as domestic servants or low-skilled laborers subsequently face conditions of involuntary servitude, including nonpayment, withholding of passports, restriction of movement, food deprivation, and abuse; some migrant workers are forced to work indefinitely beyond the term of their contract because their employers will not grant them a required exit visa; foreign domestic workers are particularly vulnerable because of their isolation in private homes; women, primarily from Asian and African countries, are believed to be forced into prostitution in Saudi Arabia, while other foreign women were reportedly kidnapped and forced into prostitution after running away from abusive employers; Yemeni, Nigerian, Pakistani, Afghan, Chadian, and Sudanese children were subjected to forced labor as beggars and street vendors in Saudi Arabia, facilitated by criminal gangs; tier rating: :Tier 3 - Saudi Arabia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; in 2013, the government did not report prosecuting or convicting any trafficking offenders and identified and referred fewer victims to protection services than in the previous reporting period; the sponsorship system, including the exit visa requirement, continues to restrict the freedom of movement of migrant workers and to hamper the ability of victims to pursue legal cases against their employers; the withholding of workers� passports remains widespread because legislation prohibiting the practice was not enforced; officials continue to arrest, detain, deport, and sometimes prosecute trafficking victims for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$777.9 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :70,000 (2013); note - thousands of biduns (stateless Arabs) are descendants of nomadic tribes who were not officially registered when national borders were established, while others migrated to Saudi Arabia in search of jobs; some have temporary identification cards that must be renewed every five years, but their rights remain restricted; most Palestinians have only legal resident status; some naturalized Yemenis were made stateless after being stripped of their passports when Yemen backed Iraq in its invasion of Kuwait in 1990; Saudi women cannot pass their citizenship on to their children, so if they marry a non-national, their children risk statelessness", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$756.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $725.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$108.7 billion (2014 est.); $134.3 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "1.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 2.7% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "145,941 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :26.4 years; male: :27.3 years; female: :25.3 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".sa", "INTERNET_USERS": "9.774 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "53 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "4.8 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Adil al-Ahmad al-JUBAYR (since 21 February 2007); chancery: :601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Houston, Los Angeles, New York", "AREA": "total: :2,149,690 sq km; land: :2,149,690 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "16,200 sq km (2004)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Middle East", "LOCATION": "Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; conventional short form: :Saudi Arabia; local long form: :Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah; local short form: :Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "11.2% (2014 est.); 11.6% (2013 est.); note: :data are for Saudi males only (local bank estimates; other estimates are as high as 25%)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "monarchy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.17 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly uninhabited, sandy desert", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modern system including a combination of extensive microwave radio relays, coaxial cables, and fiber-optic cables; domestic: :mobile-cellular subscribership has been increasing rapidly; international: :country code - 966; landing point for the international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) and for both the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable networks providing connectivity to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and US; microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "21 years of age; male", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim (official; citizens are 85-90% Sunni and 10-15% Shia), other (includes Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh) (2012 est.); note: :despite having a large expatriate community of various faiths (more than 30% of the population), most forms of public religious expression inconsistent with the government-sanctioned interpretation of Sunni Islam are restricted; non-Muslims are not allowed to have Saudi citizenship and non-Muslim places of worship are not permitted (2013)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :1,378 km; standard gauge: :1,378 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings) (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Jeddah, Yanbu al Bahr; container port(s) (TEUs): :Ad Dammam (1,492,315), Jeddah (4,010,448)", "POPULATION": "27,345,986; note: :immigrants make up more than 30% of the total population, according to UN data (2013) (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "none", "PIPELINES": "condensate 209 km; gas 2,940 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,183 km; oil 5,117 km; refined products 1,151 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "___no_ECONOMY - OVERVIEW__provided__", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :gas companies; religious groups", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the world without a river; extensive coastlines on the Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through the Persian Gulf and Suez Canal", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Saudi(s); adjective: :Saudi or Saudi Arabian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :72; by type: :cargo 1, chemical tanker 25, container 4, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 10, petroleum tanker 20, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 7; foreign-owned: :15 (Egypt 1, Greece 4, Kuwait 4, UAE 6); registered in other countries: :55 (Bahamas 16, Dominica 2, Liberia 20, Malta 2, Norway 3, Panama 11, Tanzania 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ABEDA, AfDB (nonregional member), AFESD, AMF, BIS, CAEU, CP, FAO, G-20, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :18 nm; continental shelf: :not specified", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :8,644,522; females age 16-49: :6,601,985 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :94.4%; male: :96.5%; female: :91.4% (2013 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :74.82 years; male: :72.79 years; female: :76.94 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (150 seats; members appointed by the monarch to serve 4-year terms); note - in early 2013, the monarch granted women 30 seats on the Council", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "Islamic (sharia) legal system with some elements of Egyptian, French, and customary law; note - several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees", "LANGUAGES": "Arabic (official)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :1.47%; permanent crops: :0.11%; other: :98.42% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :4,272 km; border countries: :Iraq 811 km, Jordan 731 km, Kuwait 221 km, Oman 658 km, Qatar 87 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,307 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "11.22 million; note: :about 80% of the labor force is non-national (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :High Court (consists of the court chief and organized into circuits with 3-judge panels except the criminal circuit which has a 5-judge panel for cases involving major punishments); judge selection and term of office: :the High Court chief and chiefs of the High Court Circuits appointed by royal decree following the recommendation of the Supreme Judiciary Council, a 10-member body of high level judges and other judicial heads; new judges and assistant judges serve 1- and 2- year probations, respectively, before permanent assignment; subordinate courts: :Court of Appeals; first-degree courts composed of general, criminal, personal status, and commercial courts, and the Labor Court; hierarchy of administrative courts; note: :in 2005, King Abdullah issued decrees approving an overhaul of the judicial system and which were incorporated in the Judiciary Law of 2007; changes include the establishment of a High Court and special commercial, labor, and administrative courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.9% (2014 est.); 3.5% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :14.58 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :16.73 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :12.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, ammonia, industrial gases, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), cement, fertilizer, plastics, metals, commercial ship repair, commercial aircraft repair, construction", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.6% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom)", "IMPORTS": "$162.2 billion (2014 est.); $152.7 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "death penalty for traffickers; improving anti-money-laundering legislation and enforcement", "ROADWAYS": "total: :221,372 km; paved: :47,529 km (includes 3,891 km of expressways); unpaved: :173,843 km (2006)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "green, a traditional color in Islamic flags, with the Shahada or Muslim creed in large white Arabic script (translated as \"There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God\") above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); design dates to the early twentieth century and is closely associated with the Al Saud family which established the kingdom in 1932; the flag is manufactured with differing obverse and reverse sides so that the Shahada reads - and the sword points - correctly from right to left on both sides; note: :the only national flag to display an inscription as its principal design; one of only three national flags that differ on their obverse and reverse sides - the others are Moldova and Paraguay", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$164.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $152 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$359.4 billion (2014 est.); $377 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :King and Prime Minister SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 23 January 2015); Heir Apparent Crown Prince MUQRIN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud, (born 15 September 1945); Heir to the Crown Prince MUHAMMAD BIN NAYIF bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (born 30 August 1959); note - the monarch is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :King and Prime Minister SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 23 January 2015); Deputy Prime Minister MUQRIN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 23 January 2015); Second Deputy Prime Minister MUHAMMAD BIN NAYIF bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 23 January 2015); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch every four years and includes many royal family members; elections: :none; the monarchy is hereditary; note - an Allegiance Commission created by royal decree in October 2006 established a committee of Saudi princes that will play a role in selecting future Saudi kings", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Saudi riyals (SAR) per US dollar -; 3.75 (2014 est.); 3.75 (2013 est.); 3.75 (2012 est.); 3.75 (2011 est.); 3.75 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%", "DEATH_RATE": "3.32 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "1 March 1992 - Basic Law of Government, issued by royal decree, serves as the constitutional framework and is based on the Qur'an and the life and tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 13.1%, China 12.9%, India 8.1%, Germany 7.4%, South Korea 6.1%, Japan 4.7% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "2,640 km", "CLIMATE": "harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles", "CAPITAL": "name: :Riyadh; geographic coordinates: :24 39 N, 46 42 E; time difference: :UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$278.9 billion; expenditures: :$293.3 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Ministry of Defense: Royal Saudi Land Forces, Royal Saudi Naval Forces (includes Marine Forces and Special Forces), Royal Saudi Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Malakiya as-Sa'udiya), Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces, Royal Saudi Strategic Rocket Forces, Ministry of the National Guard (SANG) (2015)", "BIRTH_RATE": "18.78 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "214 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "13 provinces (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah (Northern Border), Al Jawf, Al Madinah (Medina), Al Qasim, Ar Riyad (Riyadh), Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jazan, Makkah (Mecca), Najran, Tabuk", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 13.9%, US 13.6%, Japan 13%, South Korea 9.8%, India 9.5% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum and petroleum products 90% (2012 est.)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :6.7%; industry: :21.4%; services: :71.9% (2005 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "7.98% of GDP (2012); 7.25% of GDP (2011); 7.98% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :132; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :7; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :72; 914 to 1,523 m: :37; 16 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :82; over 3,047 m: :33; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :16; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :27; 914 to 1,523 m: :2; under 914 m: :4 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and home to Islam's two holiest shrines in Mecca and Medina. The king's official title is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The modern Saudi state was founded in 1932 by ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman Al SAUD (Ibn Saud) after a 30-year campaign to unify most of the Arabian Peninsula. One of his male descendants rules the country today, as required by the country's 1992 Basic Law. King SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz ascended to the throne in 2015 and placed the first next-generation prince, MUHAMMAD BIN NAYIF bin Abd al-Aziz, in the line of succession as Crown Prince. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait the following year. The continuing presence of foreign troops on Saudi soil after the liberation of Kuwait became a source of tension between the royal family and the public until all operational US troops left the country in 2003. Major terrorist attacks in May and November 2003 spurred a strong on-going campaign against domestic terrorism and extremism. King ABDALLAH from 2005 to 2015 worked to incrementally modernize the Kingdom - driven by personal ideology and political pragmatism - through a series of social and economic initiatives, including expanding employment and social opportunities for women, attracting foreign investment, increasing the role of the private sector in the economy, and discouraging businesses from hiring foreign workers. The Arab Spring inspired protests - increasing in number since 2011 but usually small in size - over primarily domestic issues among Saudi Arabia's majority Sunni population. Riyadh has taken a cautious but firm approach by arresting some protesters but releasing most of them quickly, and by using its state-sponsored clerics to counter political and Islamist activism. In addition, Saudi Arabia has seen protests among the Shia populace in the Eastern Province, who have protested primarily against the detention of political prisoners, endemic discrimination, and Bahraini and Saudi Government actions in Bahrain. Protests are met by a strong police presence, with some arrests, but not the level of bloodshed seen in protests elsewhere in the region. In response to the unrest, King ABDALLAH in February and March 2011 announced a series of benefits to Saudi citizens including funds to build affordable housing, salary increases for government workers, and unemployment entitlements. To promote increased political participation, the government held elections nationwide in September 2011 for half the members of 285 municipal councils - a body that holds little influence in the Saudi Government. Also in September, King ABDALLAH announced that women will be allowed to run for and vote in future municipal elections - first held in 2005 - and serve as full members of the advisory Consultative Council. The country remains a leading producer of oil and natural gas and holds about 16% of the world's proven oil reserves. The government continues to pursue economic reform and diversification, particularly since Saudi Arabia's accession to the WTO in 2005, and promotes foreign investment in the kingdom. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are ongoing governmental concerns.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :261,105; female: :244,763 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :7,365,624; females age 16-49: :5,677,819 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "17 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "frequent sand and dust storms; volcanism: :despite many volcanic formations, there has been little activity in the past few centuries; volcanoes include Harrat Rahat, Harrat Khaybar, Harrat Lunayyir, and Jabal Yar", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Persian Gulf 0 m; highest point: :Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m", "HELIPORTS": "10 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.15 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.33 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.2 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :1.08 male(s)/female; total population: :1.21 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "117 (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :2%; industry: :59.7%; services: :38.3% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "25 00 N, 45 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :27.6% (male 3,869,961/female 3,681,616); 15-24 years: :19.3% (male 2,832,538/female 2,458,339); 25-54 years: :45.4% (male 7,086,004/female 5,323,373); 55-64 years: :4.5% (male 674,571/female 555,136); 65 years and over: :3.2% (male 444,302/female 420,146) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Senegal", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador James P. Zumwalt (since 9 January 2015); note - also accredited to Guinea-Bissau; embassy: :Route des Almadies, Dakar; mailing address: :B. P. 49, Dakar; telephone: :[221; FAX: :[221", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$2,300 (2014 est.); $2,300 (2013 est.); $2,300 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "4.5% (2014 est.); 3.5% (2013 est.); 3.4% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.48% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$33.68 billion (2014 est.); $32.21 billion (2013 est.); $31.13 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :86.5%; youth dependency ratio: :81%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.5%; potential support ratio: :18.2% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "17.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 17% of GDP (2013 est.); 19% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :73.1%; government consumption: :16.6%; investment in fixed capital: :23.5%; investment in inventories: :4.2%; exports of goods and services: :21.1%; imports of goods and services: :-38.5%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "17.8% (2012/13)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "21.4; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2010/11 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :657,216; percentage: :22% (2005 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "7.139 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "20.48 million cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "20.48 million cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "23,760 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "562 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "43,720 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "15,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "15,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "99.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "623,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "2.279 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "2.801 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "lion; national colors: green, yellow, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :14.8%; male: :11.9%; female: :20.1% (2006 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "6.8% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.3 beds/1,000 population (2008)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.06 physicians/1,000 population (2008)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "16.8% (2013)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "370 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-5.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "24.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "DAKAR (capital) 3.393 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Pincez Tous vos Koras, Frappez les Balafons\" (Pluck Your Koras, Strike the Balafons); lyrics/music: :Leopold Sedar SENGHOR/Herbert PEPPER; note: :adopted 1960; lyrics written by Leopold Sedar SENGHOR, Senegal's first president; the anthem sometimes played incorporating the Koras (harp-like stringed instruments) and Balafons (types of xylophones) mentioned in the title", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 67.1% of population; rural: 40.5% of population; total: 51.9% of population; urban: 32.9% of population; rural: 59.5% of population; total: 48.1% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 92.5% of population; rural: 60.3% of population; total: 74.1% of population; urban: 7.5% of population; rural: 39.7% of population; total: 25.9% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$6.443 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $6.574 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$4.086 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.177 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-run Radiodiffusion Television Senegalaise (RTS) operates 2 TV stations; a few private TV subscription channels rebroadcast foreign channels without providing any local news or programs; RTS operates a national radio network and a number of regional FM stations; many community and private-broadcast radio stations are available; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are accessible on FM in Dakar (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :43.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.59% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$5.549 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.394 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$1.599 billion (31 December 2008); $1.579 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$2.658 billion (31 December 2008); $2.842 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "13.3% (31 December 2014 est.); 14% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.25% (31 December 2010); 4.25% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.6% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :8 years; male: :8 years; female: :8 years (2008)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :2.22 cu km/yr (4%/3%/93%); per capita: :221.6 cu m/yr (2002)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "38.8 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$15.88 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :13,697 (Mauritania) (2014); IDPs: :up to 24,000 (clashes between government troops and separatists in Casamance region) (2013)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; respiratory disease: :meningococcal meningitis; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$1.95 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.253 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.474 billion (2014 est.); -$1.598 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "47.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 43.6% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "237 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :18.4 years; male: :17.5 years; female: :19.3 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "41.3 (2001); 41.3 (1995)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "1,800 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "38,700 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.46% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".sn", "INTERNET_USERS": "1.818 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "11.47 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "338,200 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Babacar DIAGNE (since 18 November 2014); embassy: :2215 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Houston, New York", "AREA": "total: :196,722 sq km; land: :192,530 sq km; water: :4,192 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1,197 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Senegal; conventional short form: :Senegal; local long form: :Republique du Senegal; local short form: :Senegal; former: :Senegambia (along with The Gambia), Mali Federation", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "48% (2007 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "4.52 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :good system with microwave radio relay, coaxial cable and fiber-optic cable in trunk system; domestic: :above-average urban system with a fiber-optic network; nearly two-thirds of all fixed-line connections are in Dakar where a call-center industry is emerging; expansion of fixed-line services in rural areas needed; mobile-cellular service is expanding rapidly; international: :country code - 221; the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic cable provides connectivity to Europe and Asia while Atlantis-2 provides connectivity to South America; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 94% (most adhere to one of the four main Sufi brotherhoods), Christian 5% (mostly Roman Catholic), indigenous beliefs 1%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :906 km; narrow gauge: :906 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Dakar", "POPULATION": "13,635,927 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "African Party of Independence; Alliance for the Republic-Yakaar [Macky SALL; Alliance of Forces of Progress or AFP [Moustapha NIASSE; And-Jef/African Party for Democracy and Socialism or AJ/PADS [Landing SAVANE; Benno Bokk Yakaar coaltion [Macky SALL; Benno Siggil Senegal (a coalition of opposition parties); Bokk Giss Giss coalition [Pape DIOP; Citizen Movement for National Reform or MCRN-Bes Du Nakk; Democratic League-Labor Party Movement or LD-MPT [Dr. Abdoulaye BATHILY; Front for Socialism and Democracy/Benno Jubel or FSD/BJ [Cheikh Abdoulaye Bamba DIEYE; Gainde Centrist Bloc or BGC [Jean-Paul DIAS; Independence and Labor Party or PIT [Amath DANSOKHO; Jef-Jel [Talla SYLLA; National Democratic Rally or RND [Madior DIOUF; Party for Truth and Development or PVD [Ahmadou Kara MBACKE; People's Labor Party or PTP [El Hadji DIOUF; Reform Party or PR [Abdourahim AGNE; Republican Movement for Socialism and Democracy or MRDS; Rewmi Party [Idrissa SECK; Senegalese Democratic Party or PDS [Abdoulaye WADE; Socialist Party or PS [Ousmane Tanor DIENG; SOPI Coalition [Abdoulaye WADE; Synergy for Ethics and Transparency [Aminata TALL; Union for Democratic Renewal or URD [Djibo Leyti KA", "PIPELINES": "gas 43 km; refined products 8 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Senegal�s economy is driven by agriculture which is the primary source of employment for the rural areas. The country's key export industries are phosphate mining, fertilizer production, and commercial fishing and it is also working on iron ore and oil exploration projects. Senegal relies heavily on donor assistance and foreign direct investment. President Macky SALL, who was elected in March 2012 under a reformist policy agenda, inherited an economy with a weak infrastructure, challenging business environment, and a culture of overspending. Senegal received IMF approval in December 2010 for a policy support instrument to assist economic reform through reducing the fiscal deficit, increasing transparency, encouraging the private sector, and strengthening the financial sector, while continuing to reduce arrears. The economy suffers from a high cost of living and slow progress on energy investments to improve its unreliable power supplies. However, investors have had enough confidence in the country to facilitate Senegal�s successful Eurobond issuances in recent years, including in 2014.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :labor; students; Sufi brotherhoods, including the Mourides and Tidjanes; teachers", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "westernmost country on the African continent; The Gambia is almost an enclave within Senegal", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-1.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish, phosphates, iron ore", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Senegalese (singular and plural); adjective: :Senegalese", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 4 April (1960)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :1; by type: :passenger/cargo 1 (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, CD, CPLP (associate), ECOWAS, EITI (candidate country), FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,699,196; females age 16-49: :3,018,565 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :52.1%; male: :66.3%; female: :40.4% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :60.95 years; male: :58.94 years; female: :63.02 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (150 seats; 90 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 60 directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :National Assembly - last held on 1 July 2012 (next to be held in 2017); election results: :National Assembly results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Benno Bokk Yakaar coalition 119, PDS 12, Bokk Giss Giss coalition 4, MCRN-Bes Du Nakk 4, PVD 2, MRDS 2, URD 1, AJ/PADS 1, other 5", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system based on French law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court", "LANGUAGES": "French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :17.4%; permanent crops: :0.34%; other: :82.26% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,684 km; border countries: :The Gambia 749 km, Guinea 363 km, Guinea-Bissau 341 km, Mali 489 km, Mauritania 742 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "6.326 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Highest Appeals Court or Cour de Cassation (consists of 13 judges including the court president); Constitutional Council (consists of 5 members including the court president, vice-president, and 3 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Highest Appeals Court judges' tenure NA; Constitutional Council members appointed by the president of the republic to serve 6-year terms with renewal of 3 members every two years; subordinate courts: :Court of Appeals; regional and first instance courts", "WATERWAYS": "1,000 km (primarily on the Senegal, Saloum, and Casamance rivers) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "-0.7% (2014 est.); 0.7% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :52.72 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :58.91 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :46.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer production, petroleum refining; iron ore, zircon, and gold mining, construction materials, ship construction and repair", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "5.2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "4 April 1960 (from France); note - complete independence achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960", "IMPORTS": "$5.481 billion (2014 est.); $5.698 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and South American cocaine moving to Europe and North America; illicit cultivator of cannabis", "ROADWAYS": "total: :14,008 km; paved: :4,099 km (includes 7 km of expressways); unpaved: :9,909 km (2003)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red with a small green five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; green represents Islam, progress, and hope; yellow signifies natural wealth and progress; red symbolizes sacrifice and determination; the star denotes unity and hope; note: :uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; the colors from left to right are the same as those of neighboring Mali and the reverse of those on the flag of neighboring Guinea", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$5.747 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.91 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$2.462 billion (2014 est.); $2.563 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Macky SALL (since 2 April 2012); head of government: :Prime Minister Mohammed Abdallah Boun DIONNE (since 4 July 2014); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 26 February 2012 with a second round runoff on 25 March 2012 (next to be held 2019); prime minister appointed by the president; election results: :Macky SALL elected president; percent of votes in a runoff - Macky SALL 65.8%, Abdoulaye WADE 34.2%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -; 491.2 (2014 est.); 494.04 (2013 est.); 510.53 (2012 est.); 471.33 (2011 est.); 495.28 (2010)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Wolof 43.3%, Pular 23.8%, Serer 14.7%, Jola 3.7%, Mandinka 3%, Soninke 1.1%, European and Lebanese 1%, other 9.4%", "DEATH_RATE": "8.65 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1959 (preindependence), 1963; latest adopted by referendum 7 January 2001, promulgated 22 January 2001; amended many times, last in 2008 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "France 17.7%, Nigeria 11.6%, China 8.2%, Netherlands 5.8%, India 5.5%, Spain 4.5% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "531 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "food and beverages, capital goods, fuels", "CAPITAL": "name: :Dakar; geographic coordinates: :14 44 N, 17 38 W; time difference: :UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$3.844 billion; expenditures: :$4.662 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Senegalese Armed Forces: Army, Senegalese National Navy (Marine Senegalaise, MNS), Senegalese Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Senegal) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "35.09 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "20 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "peanuts, millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes, green vegetables; cattle, poultry, pigs; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "14 regions (regions, singular - region); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaffrine, Kaolack, Kedougou, Kolda, Louga, Matam, Saint-Louis, Sedhiou, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Mali 14.9%, Switzerland 9.6%, India 7.9%, Guinea 4.5%, France 4.4% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fish, groundnuts (peanuts), petroleum products, phosphates, cotton", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :77.5%; industry and services: :22.5% (2007 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.5%; highest 10%: :30.1% (2005)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "54% (2001 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "wildlife populations threatened by poaching; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; overfishing", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :11; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :7; 914 to 1,523 m: :3; 1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :9; over 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :6; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The French colonies of Senegal and the French Sudan were merged in 1959 and granted their independence as the Mali Federation in 1960. The union broke up after only a few months. Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982. The envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out, and the union was dissolved in 1989. The Movement of Democratic Forces in the Casamance (MFDC) has led a low-level separatist insurgency in southern Senegal since the 1980s, and several peace deals have failed to resolve the conflict. Nevertheless, Senegal remains one of the most stable democracies in Africa and has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping and regional mediation. Senegal was ruled by a Socialist Party for 40 years until Abdoulaye WADE was elected president in 2000. He was reelected in 2007 and during his two terms amended Senegal's constitution over a dozen times to increase executive power and to weaken the opposition. His decision to run for a third presidential term sparked a large public backlash that led to his defeat in a March 2012 runoff election with Macky SALL.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :145,509; female: :145,064 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,788,493; females age 16-49: :2,133,370 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; 20 years of age for selective conscript service; service obligation is 2 years; women have been accepted into military service since 2008 (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than South Dakota", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :unnamed elevation southwest of Kedougou 581 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.84 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.85 male(s)/female; total population: :0.94 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "7 (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 8, FM 20, shortwave 1 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :15.6%; industry: :23.8%; services: :60.6% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "14 00 N, 14 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :42.5% (male 2,908,431/female 2,880,258); 15-24 years: :20.5% (male 1,388,530/female 1,401,109); 25-54 years: :30.4% (male 1,892,403/female 2,253,576); 55-64 years: :3.8% (male 225,942/female 289,920); 65 years and over: :2.9% (male 179,444/female 216,314) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Serbia", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Michael KIRBY (since 11 September 2012); embassy: :92 Bulevar kneza Aleksandra Karadjordjevica, 11040 Belgrade, Serbia; mailing address: :5070 Belgrade Place, Washington, DC 20521-5070; telephone: :[381; FAX: :[381", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$12,500 (2014 est.); $12,700 (2013 est.); $12,400 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.5% (2014 est.); 2.5% (2013 est.); -1.5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.46% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$90.32 billion (2014 est.); $91.24 billion (2013 est.); $89.01 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :44.3%; youth dependency ratio: :23.2%; elderly dependency ratio: :21.1%; potential support ratio: :4.7% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "14.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 11.9% of GDP (2013 est.); 8.8% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :73.7%; government consumption: :19.3%; investment in fixed capital: :20.2%; investment in inventories: :-1.9%; exports of goods and services: :45.8%; imports of goods and services: :-57.1%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "60.8% (2010)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "27.5 (2011 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :36,141; percentage: :4% (2005 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "62 million Mt (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "48.14 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "2.45 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "2.827 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "484.7 million cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "31,120 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "16,060 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "77,200 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "65,720 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "77.5 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "33,330 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "20,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "3.5% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "39% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "57.5% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "7.379 million kW (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "5.835 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "5.707 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "28.04 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "37.65 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "double-headed eagle; national colors: red, blue, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :51.1% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "24.8% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "5.4 beds/1,000 population (2009)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.11 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "10.5% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "1.6% (2010)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "12 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-6.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "38.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "BELGRADE (capital) 1.181 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Boze pravde\" (God of Justice); lyrics/music: :Jovan DORDEVIC/Davorin JENKO; note: :adopted 1904; song originally written as part of a play in 1872 and has been used as an anthem by the Serbian people throughout the 20th and 21st centuries", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 98.6% of population; rural: 95.7% of population; total: 97.3% of population; urban: 1.4% of population; rural: 4.3% of population; total: 2.7% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.4% of population; rural: 98.9% of population; total: 99.2% of population; urban: 0.6% of population; rural: 1.1% of population; total: 0.8% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$19.82 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $20.65 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$4.483 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.671 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :55.5% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :-0.34% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$22.57 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $23.09 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$14.11 billion (31 December 2009); $11.95 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$3.69 billion (31 December 2009); $3.831 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "14.4% (31 December 2014 est.); 18.33% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "9.5% (18 March 2014); 11.75% (6 February 2013)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.8% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :14 years; male: :13 years; female: :14 years (2012)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "162.2 cu km (note - includes Kosovo) (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$9.199 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $7.451 billion (31 December 2012); $8.365 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$26.89 billion (31 December 2009 est.); $11.95 billion (2006 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$42.65 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :15,296 (Bosnia and Herzegovina) (2013); 32,409 (Croatia) (2014); IDPs: :97,300 (most are Kosovar Serbs, some are Roma, Ashkalis, and Egyptian (RAE); some RAE IDPs are unregistered) (2013); stateless persons: :4,195 (includes stateless persons in Kosovo) (2013)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :intermediate; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$13.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $15.43 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$2.153 billion (2014 est.); -$2.077 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "65% of GDP (2014 est.); 63.8% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued or owned by government entities other than the treasury (for which the GOS issued guarantees); the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities (for which the GOS issued guarantees), as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment, debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "1.102 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :41.9 years; male: :40.2 years; female: :43.6 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "38 (2013 est.); 28.2 (2008 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "3,000 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.05% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".rs", "INTERNET_USERS": "4.107 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "9.138 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "2.977 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Derd MATKOVIC (since 23 February 2015); chancery: :2134 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Chicago, New York", "AREA": "total: :77,474 sq km; land: :77,474 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "919.6 sq km (2011)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Europe, between Macedonia and Hungary", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Serbia; conventional short form: :Serbia; local long form: :Republika Srbija; local short form: :Srbija; former: :People's Republic of Serbia, Socialist Republic of Serbia", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "26.1% (2014 est.); 27.2% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.42 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "extremely varied; to the north, rich fertile plains; to the east, limestone ranges and basins; to the southeast, ancient mountains and hills", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :replacements of, and upgrades to, telecommunications equipment damaged during the 1999 war has resulted in a modern digitalized telecommunications system; domestic: :wireless service, available through multiple providers with national coverage, is growing very rapidly; best telecommunications services are centered in urban centers; 3G mobile network launched in 2007; international: :country code - 381 (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age, 16 if employed; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Serbian Orthodox 84.6%, Catholic 5%, Muslim 3.1%, Protestant 1%, atheist 1.1%, other 0.8%, undeclared or unknown 4.5% (2011 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :3,809 km; standard gauge: :3,809 km 1.435-m gauge (1,279 km electrified) (2010)", "POPULATION": "7,209,764; note: :does not include the population of Kosovo (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians or SVM [Istvan PASZTOR; Boris Tadic Coalition [Boris TADIC; Democratic Party of Serbia or DSS [Sanda Razkovic IVIC; Dveri [Bosko OBRADOVIC; Enough of That [Sasa RADULOVIC; Party for Democratic Action or PDD [Riza HALIMI; Party of Democratic Action of the Sandzak or SDA [Sulejman UGLJANIN; Serbian Radical Party or SRS [Vojislav SESELJ; SNS-led Coalition/A Future We Believe In [Aleksandar VUCIC; United Regions of Serbia or URS [Mladan DINKIC; With Democratic Party for Democratic Serbia/Democratic Party or DS [Dragan DJILAS; SPS/PUPS/JS [Ivica DACIC; LDP-led Coalition [Cedomir JOVANOVIC", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Serbia has a transitional economy largely dominated by market forces, but the state sector remains significant in certain areas and many institutional reforms are needed. The economy relies on manufacturing and exports, driven largely by foreign investment. MILOSEVIC-era mismanagement of the economy, an extended period of international economic sanctions, civil war, and the damage to Yugoslavia's infrastructure and industry during the NATO airstrikes in 1999 left the economy only half the size it was in 1990. After the ousting of former Federal Yugoslav President MILOSEVIC in September 2000, the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) coalition government implemented stabilization measures and embarked on a market reform program. After renewing its membership in the IMF in December 2000, Serbia continued to reintegrate into the international community by rejoining the World Bank (IBRD) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Serbia has made progress in trade liberalization and enterprise restructuring and privatization, but many large enterprises - including the power utilities, telecommunications company, natural gas company, and others - remain in state hands. Serbia has made some progress towards EU membership, signing a Stabilization and Association Agreement with Brussels in May 2008, and with full implementation of the Interim Trade Agreement with the EU in February 2010, gained candidate status in March 2012. In January 2014, Serbia's EU accession talks officially opened. Serbia's negotiations with the World Trade Organization are advanced, with the country's complete ban on the trade and cultivation of agricultural biotechnology products representing the primary remaining obstacle to accession. Serbia's program with the IMF was frozen in early 2012 because the 2012 budget approved by parliament deviated from the program parameters; the arrangement is now void. High unemployment and stagnant household incomes are ongoing political and economic problems. Structural economic reforms needed to ensure the country's long-term prosperity have largely stalled since the onset of the global financial crisis. Growing budget deficits constrain the use of stimulus efforts to revive the economy and contribute to growing concern of a public debt crisis, given that Serbia's total public debt as a share of GDP more than doubled between 2008 and 2014. Serbia's concerns about inflation and exchange-rate stability may preclude the use of expansionary monetary policy. During 2014 the SNS party addressed issues with the fiscal deficit, state-owned enterprises, the labor market, construction permits, bankruptcy and privatization, and other areas. Major challenges ahead include: high unemployment rates and the need for job creation; high government expenditures for salaries, pensions, healthcare, and unemployment benefits; a growing need for new government borrowing; rising public and private foreign debt; attracting new foreign direct investment; and getting the IMF program back on track. Other serious longer-term challenges include an inefficient judicial system, high levels of corruption, and an aging population. Factors favorable to Serbia's economic growth include its strategic location, a relatively inexpensive and skilled labor force, and free trade agreements with the EU, Russia, Turkey, and countries that are members of the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA). In late 2014, Serbia and the IMF announced a tentative plan for a precautionary loan worth approximately $1 billion. In 2015, the government will be challenged to implement IMF-mandated reforms�which will target social spending, the large public sector, and social spending.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "1389 (Serbian nationalist movement); Obraz (Orthodox clero-fascist organization); SNP NASI (Serbian National Movement NASI)", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "controls one of the major land routes from Western Europe to Turkey and the Near East", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "oil, gas, coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, chromite, gold, silver, magnesium, pyrite, limestone, marble, salt, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Serb(s); adjective: :Serbian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "National Day, 15 February", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "BIS, BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EU (candidate country), FAO, G-9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :98.2%; male: :99.2%; female: :97.1% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :75.02 years; male: :72.17 years; female: :78.07 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Narodna Skupstina (250 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 16 March 2014 (next to be held by March 2018); election results: :percent of vote by coalition/party - SNS-led Coalition 48.4%, SPS/PUPS/JS 13.5%, DS 6.0%, Boris Tadic Coalition 5.7%, DSS 4.2%, Dveri 3.6%, LDP-led Coalition 3.4%, URS 3.0%, SVM 2.1%, Enough of that 4.3%, SRS 2.0%, SDA 1.0%, PDD .7%, other and invalid 1.2%; seats by coalition/party - SNS-led Coalition 158, SPS/PUPS/JS 44, DS 19, Boris Tadic Coalition 18, SVM 6, SDA 3, PDD 2", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system", "LANGUAGES": "Serbian (official) 88.1%, Hungarian 3.4%, Bosnian 1.9%, Romany 1.4%, other 3.4%, undeclared or unknown 1.8%; note: :Serbian, Hungarian, Slovak, Romanian, Croatian, and Rusyn all official in Vojvodina (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :37.53%; permanent crops: :3.35%; other: :59.12% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,322 km; border countries: :Bosnia and Herzegovina 345 km, Bulgaria 344 km, Croatia 314 km, Hungary 164 km, Kosovo 366 km, Macedonia 101 km, Montenegro 157 km, Romania 531 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "3.14 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Cassation (consists of more than 60 judges organized into 3- and 5-member panels for criminal, civil, and administrative cases); Constitutional Court (consists of 15 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court justices proposed by the High Judicial Council (HJC), an 11-member body of which 7 are judges, and elected by the National Assembly; Constitutional Court judges appointed - 5 each by the National Assembly, the president, and the Supreme Court of Cassation; judges of both courts appointed to permanent tenure by the HJC; subordinate courts: :appellate courts, higher courts, and municipal and district courts; courts of special jurisdiction include the Administrative Court, Appellate Commercial Court, and two levels of misdemeanor courts; note: :in 2003, specialized panels on war crimes were established within the Serbian court system; the panels have jurisdiction over alleged violations of the Basic Criminal Code and crimes against humanity, international law, and criminal acts as defined by the Statute of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia", "WATERWAYS": "587 km (primarily on the Danube and Sava rivers) (2009)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.3% (2014 est.); 7.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :6.16 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :7.1 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :5.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "automobiles, base metals, furniture, food processing, machinery, chemicals, sugar, tires, clothes, pharmaceuticals", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-3% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "5 June 2006 (from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro)", "IMPORTS": "$20.63 billion (2014 est.); $19.84 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin moving to Western Europe on the Balkan route; economy vulnerable to money laundering", "ROADWAYS": "total: :44,248 km; paved: :28,000 km; unpaved: :16,248 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal stripes of red (top), blue, and white - the Pan-Slav colors representing freedom and revolutionary ideals; charged with the coat of arms of Serbia shifted slightly to the hoist side; the principal field of the coat of arms represents the Serbian state and displays a white two-headed eagle on a red shield; a smaller red shield on the eagle represents the Serbian nation, and is divided into four quarters by a white cross; interpretations vary as to the meaning and origin of the white, curved symbols resembling firesteels or Cyrillic \"C's\" in each quarter; a royal crown surmounts the coat of arms; note: :the Pan-Slav colors were inspired by the 19th-century flag of Russia", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$35.62 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $34.75 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$15 billion (2014 est.); $14.56 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Tomislav NIKOLIC (since 31 May 2012); head of government: :Prime Minister Aleksandar VUCIC (since 22 April 2014); cabinet: :Republican Ministries act as cabinet; elections: :president elected by direct vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 20 May 2012 (next to be held in 2017); prime minister elected by the National Assembly; election results: :Tomislav NIKOLIC elected president in runoff election; percent of vote - NIKOLIC 51.2%, Boris TADIC 48.8%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Serbian dinars (RSD) per US dollar -; 87.71 (2014 est.); 84.919 (2013 est.); 87.99 (2012 est.); 72.455 (2011 est.); 77.729 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Serb 83.3%, Hungarian 3.5%, Romany 2.1%, Bosniak 2%, other 5.7%, undeclared or unknown 3.4% (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "13.71 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "many previous; latest approved by referendum 28-29 October 2006, adopted 30 September 2006, effective 8 November 2006 (2011)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "in the north, continental climate (cold winters and hot, humid summers with well-distributed rainfall); in other parts, continental and Mediterranean climate (relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall and hot, dry summers and autumns)", "CAPITAL": "name: :Belgrade (Beograd); geographic coordinates: :44 50 N, 20 30 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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$16.38 billion; expenditures: :$19.32 billion; note: :this is the consolidated budget, including both central government and local goverment budgets (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Serbian Armed Forces (Vojska Srbije, VS): Land Forces Command (includes Riverine Component, consisting of a river flotilla on the Danube), Air and Air Defense Forces Command (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "9.13 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "26 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "wheat, maize, sunflower, sugar beets, fruits (raspberries, apples, sour cherries), vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes), beef, pork, and meat products, milk and dairy products, grapes/wine", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "122 municipalities (opstine, singular - opstina) and 23 cities (gradovi, singular - grad); municipalities: :Ada, Aleksandrovac, Aleksinac, Alibunar, Apatin, Arandelovac, Arilje, Babusnica, Bac, Backa Palanka, Backa Topola, Backi Petrovac, Bajina Basta, Batocina, Becej, Bela Crkva, Bela Palanka, Beocin, Blace, Bogatic, Bojnik, Boljevac, Bor, Bosilegrad, Brus, Bujanovac, Cajetina, Cicevac, Coka, Crna Trava, Cuprija, Despotovac, Dimitrov, Doljevac, Gadzin Han, Golubac, Gornji Milanovac, Indija, Irig, Ivanjica, Kanjiza, Kikinda, Kladovo, Knic, Knjazevac, Koceljeva, Kosjeric, Kovacica, Kovin, Krupanj, Kucevo, Kula, Kursumlija, Lajkovac, Lapovo, Lebane, Ljig, Ljubovija, Lucani, Majdanpek, Mali Idos, Mali Zvornik, Malo Crnice, Medveda, Merosina, Mionica, Negotin, Nova Crnja, Nova Varos, Novi Becej, Novi Knezevac, Odzaci, Opovo, Osecina, Paracin, Pecinci, Petrovac na Mlavi, Pirot, Plandiste, Pozega, Presevo, Priboj, Prijepolje, Prokuplje, Raca, Raska, Razanj, Rekovac, Ruma, Secanj, Senta, Sid, Sjenica, Smederevska Palanka, Sokobanja, Srbobran, Sremski Karlovci, Stara Pazova, Surdulica, Svilajnac, Svrljig, Temerin, Titel, Topola, Trgoviste, Trstenik, Tutin, Ub, Varvarin, Velika Plana, Veliko Gradiste, Vladicin Han, Vladimirci, Vlasotince, Vrbas, Vrnjacka Banja, Vrsac, Zabalj, Zabari, Zagubica, Zitiste, Zitorada; cities: :Beograd, Cacak, Jagodina, Kragujevac, Kraljevo, Krusevac, Leskovac, Loznica, Nis, Novi Pazar, Novi Sad, Pancevo, Pozarevac, Sabac, Smederevo, Sombor, Sremska Mitrovica, Subotica, Uzice, Vajevo, Vranje, Zajecar, Zrenjanin; note: :the northern 39 municipalities and 7 cities - about 28% of Serbia's area - compose the autonomous province of Vojvodina", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "iron and steel, rubber, clothes, wheat, fruit and vegetables, nonferrous metals, electric appliances, metal products, weapons and ammunition, automobiles", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :23.9%; industry: :16.5%; services: :59.6% (2013 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "9.1% (2013 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "2.21% of GDP (2012); 2.28% of GDP (2011); 2.21% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air pollution around Belgrade and other industrial cities; water pollution from industrial wastes dumped into the Sava which flows into the Danube", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :16; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :10; 5 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :10; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :3; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :2 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes was formed in 1918; its name was changed to Yugoslavia in 1929. Communist Partisans resisted the Axis occupation and division of Yugoslavia from 1941 to 1945 and fought nationalist opponents and collaborators as well. The military and political movement headed by Josip Broz \"TITO\" (Partisans) took full control of Yugoslavia when their domestic rivals and the occupiers were defeated in 1945. Although communists, TITO and his successors (Tito died in 1980) managed to steer their own path between the Warsaw Pact nations and the West for the next four and a half decades. In 1989, Slobodan MILOSEVIC became president of the Republic of Serbia and his ultranationalist calls for Serbian domination led to the violent breakup of Yugoslavia along ethnic lines. In 1991, Croatia, Slovenia, and Macedonia declared independence, followed by Bosnia in 1992. The remaining republics of Serbia and Montenegro declared a new Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) in April 1992 and under MILOSEVIC's leadership, Serbia led various military campaigns to unite ethnic Serbs in neighboring republics into a \"Greater Serbia.\" These actions were ultimately unsuccessful and, after international intervention, led to the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords in 1995. MILOSEVIC retained control over Serbia and eventually became president of the FRY in 1997. In 1998, an ethnic Albanian insurgency in the formerly autonomous Serbian province of Kosovo provoked a Serbian counterinsurgency campaign that resulted in massacres and massive expulsions of ethnic Albanians living in Kosovo. The MILOSEVIC government's rejection of a proposed international settlement led to NATO's bombing of Serbia in the spring of 1999. Serbian military and police forces withdrew from Kosovo in June 1999, and the UN Security Council authorized an interim UN administration and a NATO-led security force in Kosovo. FRY elections in late 2000 led to the ouster of MILOSEVIC and the installation of democratic government. In 2003, the FRY became the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, a loose federation of the two republics. Widespread violence predominantly targeting ethnic Serbs in Kosovo in March 2004 led to more intense calls to address Kosovo's status, and the UN began facilitating status talks in 2006. In June 2006, Montenegro seceded from the federation and declared itself an independent nation. Serbia subsequently gave notice that it was the successor state to the union of Serbia and Montenegro. In February 2008, after nearly two years of inconclusive negotiations, Kosovo declared itself independent of Serbia - an action Serbia refuses to recognize. At Serbia's request, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in October 2008 sought an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on whether Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence was in accordance with international law. In a ruling considered unfavorable to Serbia, the ICJ issued an advisory opinion in July 2010 stating that international law did not prohibit declarations of independence. In late 2010, Serbia agreed to an EU-drafted UNGA Resolution acknowledging the ICJ's decision and calling for a new round of talks between Serbia and Kosovo, this time on practical issues rather than Kosovo's status. The EU-moderated Belgrade-Pristina dialogue began in March 2011 and was raised to the level of prime ministers in October 2012. Serbia and Kosovo signed the first agreement of principles governing the normalization of relations between the two countries in April 2013 and are in the process of implementing its provisions.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :43,945; female: :41,080 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,395,426; females age 16-49: :1,356,415 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished December 2010; reserve obligation to age 60 for men and age 50 for women (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than South Carolina", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "destructive earthquakes", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Danube and Timok Rivers 35 m; highest point: :Midzor 2,169 m", "HELIPORTS": "2 (2012)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.07 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.69 male(s)/female; total population: :0.95 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "138 (2009)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "308 (station frequency types NA) (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :8.2%; industry: :36.9%; services: :54.9% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "44 00 N, 21 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :14.8% (male 549,469/female 515,988); 15-24 years: :11.6% (male 432,471/female 407,367); 25-54 years: :41.6% (male 1,512,888/female 1,488,099); 55-64 years: :14.7% (male 511,516/female 551,117); 65 years and over: :17.2% (male 508,751/female 732,098) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Seychelles", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "the US does not have an embassy in Seychelles; the US Ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to Seychelles", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$24,500 (2014 est.); $23,900 (2013 est.); $23,300 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.7% (2014 est.); 3.5% (2013 est.); 2.8% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.87% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$2.304 billion (2014 est.); $2.222 billion (2013 est.); $2.147 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :42.8%; youth dependency ratio: :31.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :11.1%; potential support ratio: :9% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "15% of GDP (2014 est.); 21.4% of GDP (2013 est.); 12.4% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :101%; government consumption: :10.2%; investment in fixed capital: :31.4%; investment in inventories: :-5.1%; exports of goods and services: :42.1%; imports of goods and services: :-79.6%; (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "1.304 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "6,316 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "9,060 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "89,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "282.7 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "304 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "coco de mer (sea coconut); national colors: blue, yellow, red, white, green", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "23.9% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "3.6 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.51 physicians/1,000 population (2004)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "4.7% of GDP (2012)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "1.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "33.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "VICTORIA (capital) 26,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Koste Seselwa\" (Seychellois Unite); lyrics/music: :David Francois Marc ANDRE and George Charles Robert PAYET; note: :adopted 1996", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 97.1% of population; rural: 97.1% of population; total: 97.1% of population; urban: 2.9% of population; rural: 2.9% of population; total: 2.9% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 96.3% of population; rural: 96.3% of population; total: 96.3% of population; urban: 3.7% of population; rural: 3.7% of population; total: 3.7% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$567.8 million (31 December 2014 est.); $529.3 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$435.1 million (31 December 2014 est.); $431.2 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "the government operates the only terrestrial TV station, which provides local programming and airs broadcasts from international services; multi-channel cable and satellite TV are available; the government operates 1 AM and 1 FM radio station; transmissions of 2 international broadcasters are accessible in Victoria (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :53.6% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.14% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$485.1 million (31 December 2014 est.); $500.8 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$185.2 million (31 December 2008); $249 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$173.1 million (31 December 2008); $330.8 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "13% (31 December 2014 est.); 12.29% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "11.17% (31 December 2010)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.6% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :12 years; male: :11 years; female: :12 years (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$1.473 billion (2013 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$496.6 million (31 December 2014 est.); $425.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$338.5 million (2014 est.); -$209.9 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "64.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 65.5% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "247 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :33.9 years; male: :33.4 years; female: :34.5 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".sc", "INTERNET_USERS": "32,000 (2008)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "138,300 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "28,900 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Marie-Louise Cecile POTTER (since 6 September 2012); chancery: :800 Second Avenue, Suite 400C, New York, NY 10017; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :455 sq km; land: :455 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "2.6 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Seychelles; conventional short form: :Seychelles; local long form: :Republic of Seychelles; local short form: :Seychelles", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "2% (2006 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.88 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :effective system; domestic: :combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 170 telephones per 100 persons; radiotelephone communications between islands in the archipelago; international: :country code - 248; direct radiotelephone communications with adjacent island countries and African coastal countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 76.2%, Protestant 10.6% (Anglican 6.1%, Pentecoastal Assembly 1.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.2%, other Protestant 1.6), other Christian 2.4%, Hindu 2.4%, Muslim 1.6%, other non-Christian 1.1%, unspecified 4.8%, none 0.9% (2010 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Victoria", "POPULATION": "91,650 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Democratic Party or DP [Paul CHOW; People's Party (Parti Lepep) or PL [James Alix MICHEL; Popular Democratic Movement or PDM [David PIERRE; Seychelles National Party or SNP [Wavel RAMKALAWAN; Seychelles United Party or SUP [Robert EMESTA", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Since independence in 1976, per capita output in this Indian Ocean archipelago has expanded to roughly seven times the pre-independence, near-subsistence level, moving the island into the upper-middle-income group of countries. Growth has been led by the tourist sector, which employs about 30% of the labor force and provides more than 70% of hard currency earnings, and by tuna fishing. In recent years, the government has encouraged foreign investment to upgrade hotels and other services. At the same time, the government has moved to reduce the dependence on tourism by promoting the development of farming, fishing, and small-scale manufacturing. In 2008, having depleted its foreign exchange reserves, Seychelles defaulted on interest payments due on a $230 million Eurobond, requested assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and immediately enacted a number of significant structural reforms, including liberalization of the exchange rate, reform of the public sector to include layoffs, and the selling of some state assets. In December 2013, the IMF declared that Seychelles had successfully transitioned to a market-based economy with full employment and a fiscal surplus.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Roman Catholic Church; other: :trade unions", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "smallest African country; the constitution of the Republic of Seychelles lists 155 islands: 42 granitic and 113 coralline; by far the largest island is Mahe, which is home to about 90% of the population and the site of the capital city of Victoria", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish, coconuts (copra), cinnamon trees", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Seychellois (singular and plural); adjective: :Seychellois", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Constitution Day (National Day), 18 June (1993)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :9; by type: :cargo 1, carrier 1, chemical tanker 6, petroleum tanker 1; foreign-owned: :3 (Hong Kong 1, Nigeria 1, South Africa 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, C, CD, COMESA, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :26,257; females age 16-49: :23,996 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :91.8%; male: :91.4%; female: :92.3% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :74.25 years; male: :69.66 years; female: :78.98 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (34 seats; 25 members directly elected in single-member constituencies by simple majority vote and 9 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 29 September - 1 October 2011 (next to be held in 2016); note - the National Assembly was dissolved in July 2011 resulting in early elections; election results: :percent of vote by party - PL 88.6%, PDM 10.9%, independent 0.6%; seats by party - PL 31, PDM 1, vacant 2; note - the ruling party, SPPF, changed its name to People's Party (Party Lepep) in June 2009; the SNP and NDP boycotted the 2011 elections", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of English common law, French civil law, and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "Seychellois Creole (official) 89.1%, English (official) 5.1%, French (official) 0.7%, other 3.8%, unspecified 1.4% (2010 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :2.17%; permanent crops: :4.35%; other: :93.48% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "39,560 (2006 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Seychelles Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 4 justices; Supreme Court of Seychelles (consists of the chief justice and 5 pusine judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 3 Supreme Court judges); judge selection and term of office: :all judges appointed by the president of the republic upon the recommendation of the Constitutional Appointments Committee, a 3-member body, with 1 member appointed by the president of the republic, 1 by the opposition leader in the National Assembly, and 1 by the other 2 appointees; judges appointed until retirement at age 70; subordinate courts: :Magistrates' Courts of Seychelles; Family Tribunal for issues such as domestic violence, and child custody and maintenance", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.3% (2014 est.); 4.3% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :10.77 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :13.48 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :7.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "fishing, tourism, processing of coconuts and vanilla, coir (coconut fiber) rope, boat building, printing, furniture; beverages", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "29 June 1976 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$1.074 billion (2014 est.); $994.2 million (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :508 km; paved: :490 km; unpaved: :18 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "five oblique bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, red, white, and green (bottom) radiating from the bottom of the hoist side; the oblique bands are meant to symbolize a dynamic new country moving into the future; blue represents sky and sea, yellow the sun giving light and life, red the peoples' determination to work for the future in unity and love, white social justice and harmony, green the land and natural environment", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$2.099 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.049 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$525.1 million (2014 est.); $580.2 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President James Alix MICHEL (since 14 April 2004); Vice President Danny FAURE (since 1 July 2010); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President James Alix MICHEL (since 14 April 2004); Vice President Danny FAURE (since 1 July 2010); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for two more terms); election last held on 19-21 May 2011 (next to be held in 2016); election results: :President James MICHEL elected president; percent of vote - James MICHEL 55.5%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN 41.4%, Philippe BOULLE 1.7%, Ralph VOLCERE 1.5%; note - this was the second election in which President James MICHEL participated; he was originally sworn in as president after former president France Albert RENE stepped down in April 2004", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Seychelles rupees (SCR) per US dollar -; 12.44 (2014 est.); 12.058 (2013 est.); 13.7 (2012 est.); 12.381 (2011 est.); 12.068 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "mixed French, African, Indian, Chinese, and Arab", "DEATH_RATE": "6.9 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1970, 1979; latest drafted May 1993, approved by referendum 18 June 1993, effective 23 June 1993; amended many times, last in 2011 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Saudi Arabia 21.9%, Spain 11.8%, France 7.4%, India 4.7% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "491 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals, other manufactured goods", "CAPITAL": "name: :Victoria; geographic coordinates: :4 37 S, 55 27 E; time difference: :UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$498.4 million; expenditures: :$474.3 million (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Seychelles Defense Force: Army, Coast Guard (includes Naval Wing, Air Wing), National Guard (2005)", "BIRTH_RATE": "14.54 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "14 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava (manioc, tapioca), copra, bananas; poultry; tuna", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "25 administrative districts; Anse aux Pins, Anse Boileau, Anse Etoile, Anse Royale, Au Cap, Baie Lazare, Baie Sainte Anne, Beau Vallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cascade, Glacis, Grand Anse Mahe, Grand Anse Praslin, Inner Islands, La Riviere Anglaise, Les Mamalles, Mont Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe Larue, Port Glaud, Roche Caiman, Saint Louis, Takamaka", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "France 27%, UK 19.1%, Italy 11%, Japan 9.1%, Mauritius 7.7%, Spain 4.1% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "canned tuna, frozen fish, cinnamon bark, copra, petroleum products (reexports)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :3%; industry: :23%; services: :74% (2006)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :4.7%; highest 10%: :15.4% (2007)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.89% of GDP (2012); 0.82% of GDP (2011); 0.89% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "water supply depends on catchments to collect rainwater", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :7; 914 to 1,523 m: :2; 5 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :7; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :5; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "A lengthy struggle between France and Great Britain for the islands ended in 1814, when they were ceded to the latter. Independence came in 1976. Socialist rule was brought to a close with a new constitution and free elections in 1993. President France-Albert RENE, who had served since 1977, was re-elected in 2001, but stepped down in 2004. Vice President James Alix MICHEL took over the presidency and in July 2006 was elected to a new five-year term; he was reelected in May 2011.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :686; female: :650 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :20,231; females age 16-49: :19,891 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service (younger with parental consent); no conscription (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "2.5 times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; occasional short droughts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Indian Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Morne Seychellois 905 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.1 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.11 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.61 male(s)/female; total population: :1.04 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "2 (plus 9 repeaters) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 2 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :3%; industry: :14%; services: :83.1% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "4 35 S, 55 40 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :20.9% (male 9,808/female 9,320); 15-24 years: :14.2% (male 6,827/female 6,190); 25-54 years: :49.4% (male 23,787/female 21,456); 55-64 years: :8.2% (male 3,915/female 3,632); 65 years and over: :7.3% (male 2,592/female 4,123) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Sierra Leone", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador John HOOVER (since 2 August 2013); embassy: :Southridge-Hill Station, Freetown; mailing address: :use embassy street address; telephone: :[232; FAX: :[232", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$2,100 (2014 est.); $2,000 (2013 est.); $1,700 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "8% (2014 est.); 20.1% (2013 est.); 15.2% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.33% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$12.89 billion (2014 est.); $11.94 billion (2013 est.); $9.938 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :78.3%; youth dependency ratio: :73.5%; elderly dependency ratio: :4.8%; potential support ratio: :21% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "1.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 10.3% of GDP (2013 est.); -3.8% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :88.9%; government consumption: :7.4%; investment in fixed capital: :41.9%; investment in inventories: :0.8%; exports of goods and services: :8.8%; imports of goods and services: :-47.8%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "16.6% (2013)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "19.2; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2013 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :573,287; percentage: :48% (2005 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "1.311 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "9,373 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "9,540 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "66.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "33.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "81,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "134.9 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "145 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "lion; national colors: green, white, blue", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "6.8% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.4 beds/1,000 population (2006)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.02 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "15.1% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "18.6% (2010)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "890 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-3.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "13.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "FREETOWN (capital) 986,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free\"; lyrics/music: :Clifford Nelson FYLE/John Joseph AKA; note: :adopted 1961", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 22.5% of population; rural: 6.8% of population; total: 13% of population; urban: 77.5% of population; rural: 93.2% of population; total: 87% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 87.1% of population; rural: 42.4% of population; total: 60.1% of population; urban: 12.9% of population; rural: 57.6% of population; total: 39.9% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$960.1 million (31 December 2014 est.); $857.3 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$448.3 million (31 December 2014 est.); $370.6 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 government-owned TV station; 1 private TV station began operating in 2005; a pay-TV service began operations in late 2007; 1 government-owned national radio station; about two dozen private radio stations primarily clustered in major cities; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :39.6% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.75% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$652.7 million (31 December 2014 est.); $547.1 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$215.2 million (31 December 2008); $177.7 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$219.1 million (31 December 2008); $184.6 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "19.8% (31 December 2014 est.); 20.56% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "NA%", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.9% of GDP (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.21 cu km/yr (52%/26%/22%); per capita: :38.74 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "160 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$400,000 (31 December 2014 est.); $400,000 (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$2.704 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.319 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$5.411 billion (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; animal contact disease: :rabies; aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: :Lassa fever (2013)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$892.3 million (2014 est.); -$925.5 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "30.1% of GDP (2014 est.); 30.3% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "282 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :19 years; male: :18.5 years; female: :19.6 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "62.9 (1989)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "3,100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "57,100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "1.55% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".sl", "INTERNET_USERS": "14,900 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "2.21 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "18,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Bockari Kortu STEVENS (since 28 March 2008); chancery: :1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :71,740 sq km; land: :71,620 sq km; water: :120 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "293.6 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Sierra Leone; conventional short form: :Sierra Leone; local long form: :Republic of Sierra Leone; local short form: :Sierra Leone", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "4.83 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :marginal telephone service with poor infrastructure; domestic: :the national microwave radio relay trunk system connects Freetown to Bo and Kenema; while mobile-cellular service is growing rapidly from a small base, service area coverage remains limited; international: :country code - 232; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 60%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs 30%", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Freetown, Pepel, Sherbro Islands", "POPULATION": "5,743,725 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "All People's Congress or APC [Ernest Bai KOROMA; Peace and Liberation Party or PLP [Kandeh Baba CONTEH; People's Movement for Democratic Change or PMDC [Charles MARGAI; Sierra Leone People's Party or SLPP [Sumanu KAPEN; United Democratic Movement or UDM [Mohamed BANGURA; numerous other parties", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Sierra Leone is extremely poor and nearly half of the working-age population engages in subsistence agriculture. The country possesses substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources, but it is still recovering from a civil war that destroyed most institutions before ending in the early 2000s. In recent years economic growth has been driven by mining - particularly iron ore. The country�s principal exports are iron ore, diamonds, and rutile, and the economy is vulnerable to fluctuations in international prices. In 2014, rapid spread of Ebolavirus caused a contraction of economic activity in several areas, including transportation, health, and industrial production. Iron ore production dropped, due to low global prices and high costs, driven by the epidemic. A long-term shutdown of the industry would badly hurt the economy because it supports thousands of jobs and creates about 20% of GDP. Until 2014, the government had relied on external assistance to support its budget, but it was gradually becoming more independent. The epidemic has disrupted economic activity, deterred private investment, and forced the government to increase expenditures on health care, straining the budget and restricting other public investment projects. A rise in international donor support will partially offset these fiscal constraints.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :student unions; trade unions", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "rainfall along the coast can reach 495 cm (195 inches) a year, making it one of the wettest places along coastal, western Africa", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-3.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population; note: :refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly returning (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Sierra Leonean(s); adjective: :Sierra Leonean", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 27 April (1961)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :215; by type: :bulk carrier 22, cargo 120, carrier 2, chemical tanker 19, container 6, liquefied gas 3, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 28, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1; foreign-owned: :98 (Bangladesh 1, China 19, Cyprus 2, Egypt 3, Estonia 2, Hong Kong 7, Japan 4, Lebanon 2, North Korea 2, Romania 2, Russia 7, Singapore 9, Syria 13, Taiwan 7, Turkey 9, UAE 1, UK 1, Ukraine 5, Yemen 2) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,183,093 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic; total population: :44.5%; male: :55.5%; female: :33.7% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :57.39 years; male: :54.85 years; female: :60 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Parliament (124 seats; 112 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 12 seats filled in separate elections by non-partisan members of Parliament called \"paramount chiefs;\" members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 17 November 2012 (next to be held in 2017); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APC 69, SLPP 43", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of English common law and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :24%; permanent crops: :2.29%; other: :73.72% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,093 km; border countries: :Guinea 794 km, Liberia 299 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "2.471 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Superior Court of Judicature (consists of the Supreme Court - at the apex - with the chief justice and 4 other judges, the Court of Appeal with the chief justice and 7 other judges, and the High Court of Justice with the chief justice and 9 other judges; note � the Judicature has jurisdiction in all civil, criminal, and constitutional matters; judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court chief justice and other judges of the Judicature appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission (a 7-member independent body of judges, presidential appointees, and the Commission chairman) and subject to the approval of Parliament; all Judicature judges appointed until retirement at age 65; subordinate courts: :magistrates' courts; District Appeals Court; local courts", "WATERWAYS": "800 km (600 km navigable year round) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "8.3% (2014 est.); 10.3% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :73.29 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :81.84 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :64.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "diamond mining; iron ore, rutile and bauxite mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining, small commercial ship repair", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "88.5% (2013 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "27 April 1961 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$2.069 billion (2014 est.); $1.97 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :11,300 km; paved: :904 km; unpaved: :10,396 km (2002)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and blue; green symbolizes agriculture, mountains, and natural resources, white represents unity and justice, and blue the sea and the natural harbor in Freetown", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$1.46 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.26 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$2.241 billion (2014 est.); $1.917 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Ernest Bai KOROMA (since 17 September 2007); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Ernest Bai KOROMA (since 17 September 2007); cabinet: :Ministers of State appointed by the president with the approval of the House of Representatives; the cabinet is responsible to the president; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 17 November 2012 (next to be held in 2017); election results: :Ernest Bai KOROMA reelected president; percent of vote - Ernest Bai KOROMA 58.7%, Julius Maada BIO 37.4%, other 3.9%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "leones (SLL) per US dollar -; 4,376.1 (2014 est.); 4,332.5 (2013 est.); 4,344 (2012 est.); 4,336.1 (2011 est.); 3,978.1 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Temne 35%, Mende 31%, Limba 8%, Kono 5%, Kriole 2% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century; also known as Krio), Mandingo 2%, Loko 2%, other 15% (includes refugees from Liberia's recent civil war, and small numbers of Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians) (2008 census)", "DEATH_RATE": "11.03 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest in effect 1 October 1991; amended several times, last in 2010; note - in mid-2013 a committee was formed to review the constitution (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 11.4%, India 9.8%, South Africa 8.5%, UK 8.2%, US 6.2%, Belgium 6.1%, Netherlands 4.2% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "402 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants, chemicals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Freetown; geographic coordinates: :8 29 N, 13 14 W; time difference: :UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$730.3 million; expenditures: :$908.8 million (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF): Army (includes Maritime Wing and Air Wing) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "37.4 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "8 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "3 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western*", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 78.5%, Belgium 8.8% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :NA%; industry: :NA%; services: :NA%", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.6%; highest 10%: :33.6% (2003)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "70.2% (2004)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.72% of GDP (2012); 0.8% of GDP (2011); 0.72% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Environmental Modification", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "rapid population growth pressuring the environment; overharvesting of timber, expansion of cattle grazing, and slash-and-burn agriculture have resulted in deforestation and soil exhaustion; civil war depleted natural resources; overfishing", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :7; 914 to 1,523 m: :7 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; over 3,047 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Democracy is slowly being reestablished after the civil war from 1991 to 2002 that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people (about a third of the population). The military, which took over full responsibility for security following the departure of UN peacekeepers at the end of 2005, is increasingly developing as a guarantor of the country's stability. The armed forces remained on the sideline during the 2007 and 2012 national elections, and deployed over 850 peacekeepers to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). As of January 2014, Sierra Leone also fielded 122 staff for five UN peacekeeping missions. In March 2014, the closure of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) marked the end of more than 15 years of peacekeeping and political operations in Sierra Leone. The government's stated priorities include furthering development - including recovering from the Ebola epidemic - creating jobs, and stamping out endemic corruption.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :54,212; female: :57,154 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :731,898; females age 16-49: :838,032 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service (younger with parental consent); women are eligible to serve; no conscription; candidates must be HIV negative (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than South Carolina", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); sandstorms, dust storms", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m", "HELIPORTS": "2 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.92 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.78 male(s)/female; total population: :0.94 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "2 (1999)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 9, shortwave 1 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :42.5%; industry: :26.8%; services: :30.7% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "8 30 N, 11 30 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :41.9% (male 1,198,553/female 1,208,775); 15-24 years: :18.8% (male 524,819/female 557,142); 25-54 years: :31.6% (male 872,284/female 943,626); 55-64 years: :3.9% (male 101,856/female 123,164); 65 years and over: :3.7% (male 91,198/female 122,308) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Sint Maarten", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "the US does not have an embassy in Sint Maarten; the Consul General to Curacao is accredited to Sint Maarten", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 2010; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs", "AFFILIATION": "(part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$66,800 (2014 est.); $65,500 (2013 est.); $63,900 (2012 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.6% (2014 est.); 4.1% (2013 est.); 1.9% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.51% (2013 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$365.8 million (2014 est.); $353.5 million (2013 est.); $339.6 million (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "304.3 million kWh (2008 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "pelican; national colors: red, white, blue", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "PHILIPSBURG (capital) 46,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"O Sweet Saint Martin's Land\"; lyrics/music: :Gerard KEMPS; note: :the song, written in 1958, is used as an unofficial anthem for the entire island (both French and Dutch sides); as a collectivity of France, in addition to the local anthem, \"La Marseillaise\" is official on the French side (see France); as a constituent part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in addition to the local anthem, \"Het Wilhelmus\" is official on the Dutch side (see Netherlands)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :100% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.97% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$304.1 billion (2014 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "NA", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :39.7 years; male: :38.9 years; female: :40.4 years (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".sx; note - IANA has designated .sx for Sint Maarten, but has not yet assigned it to a sponsoring organization", "INTERNET_USERS": "NA", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)", "AREA": "total: :34 sq km; land: :34 sq km; water: :0 sq km; note: :Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Caribbean, located in the Leeward Islands (northern) group; Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean Sea; Sint Maarten lies east of the US Virgin Islands", "COUNTRY_NAME": "Dutch long form: :Land Sint Maarten; Dutch short form: :Sint Maarten; English long form: :Country of Sint Maarten; English short form: :Sint Maarten; former: :Netherlands Antilles; Curacao and Dependencies", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "12% (2012 est.); 10.6% (2008 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.09 children born/woman (2013 est.)", "TERRAIN": "low, hilly terrain, volcanic origin", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :generally adequate facilities; domestic: :extensive interisland microwave radio relay links; international: :country code - 1-721; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the Americas-2 submarine cable systems provide connectivity to Central America, parts of South America and the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 39%, Protestant 44.8% (Pentecostal 11.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.2%, other Protestant 27%), none 6.7%, other 5.4%, Jewish 3.4%, not reported 0.7% (2001 census)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Philipsburg; oil terminals: :Coles Bay oil terminal", "POPULATION": "39,689 (July 2013 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Concordia Political Alliance or CPA [Jeffery RICHARDSON; Democratic Party or DP [Sarah WESCOTT-WILLIAMS; National Alliance or NA [William MARLIN; United People's Party or UPP [Theodore HEYLIGER", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The economy of Sint Maarten centers around tourism with nearly four-fifths of the labor force engaged in this sector. Nearly 1.8 million visitors came to the island by cruise ship and roughly 500,000 visitors arrived through Princess Juliana International Airport in 2013. Cruise ships and yachts also call on Sint Maarten's numerous ports and harbors. Limited agriculture and local fishing means that almost all food must be imported. Energy resources and manufactured goods are also imported. Sint Maarten had the highest per capita income among the five islands that formerly comprised the Netherlands Antilles.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the northern border is shared with the French overseas collectivity of Saint Martin; together, these two entities make up the smallest landmass in the world shared by two self-governing states", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "6.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish, salt", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "King's Day (birthday of King WILLEM-ALEXANDER), 27 April (1967)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :12 nm", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :77.61 years; male: :75.34 years; female: :79.99 years (2013 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "elections: :last held 17 September 2010 (next to be held in 2014); election results: :percent of vote by party - National Alliance 45.9%, UPP 36.1%, Democratic Party 17.1%, other .9%; seats by party - National Alliance 7, UPP 6, Democratic Party 2", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "based on Dutch civil law system with some English common law influence", "LANGUAGES": "English (official) 67.5%, Spanish 12.9%, Creole 8.2%, Dutch (official) 4.2%, Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) 2.2%, French 1.5%, other 3.5% (2001 census)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :10%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :90% (2011 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :16 km; border countries: :Saint Martin (France) 16 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "23,200 (2008 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatitus, and Saba or \"Joint Court of Justice\" (consists of the presiding judge, other members, and their substitutes); final appeals heard by the Supreme Court, in The Hague, Netherlands; note - prior to 2010, the Joint Court of Justice was the Common Court of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba; judge selection and term of office: :Joint Court judges appointed by the monarch for life; subordinate courts: :Courts in First Instance", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "4% (2012 est.); 0.7% (2009 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :9.05 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :9.84 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :8.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, light industry", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :53 km", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and blue with a white isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; the center of the triangle displays the Sint Maarten coat of arms; the arms consist of an orange-bordered blue shield prominently displaying the white court house in Philipsburg, as well as a bouquet of yellow sage (the national flower) in the upper left, and the silhouette of a Dutch-French friendship monument in the upper right; the shield is surmounted by a yellow rising sun in front of which is a Brown Pelican in flight; a yellow scroll below the shield bears the motto: SEMPER PROGREDIENS (Always Progressing); the three main colors are identical to those on the Dutch flag; note: :the flag somewhat resembles that of the Philippines, but with the main red and blue bands reversed; the banner more closely evokes the wartime Philippine flag", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980); represented by Governor General Eugene HOLIDAY (since 10 October 2010); head of government: :Marcel GUMBS (since 19 December 2014); cabinet: :Cabinet; elections: :the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch for a six-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually elected prime minister by the legislature", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Netherlands Antillean guilders (ANG) per US dollar -; 1.79 (2012); 1.79 (2012); 1.79 (2011); 1.79 (2010); 1.79 (2009)", "DEATH_RATE": "4.51 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "Staatsregeling, 10 October 2010; revised Kingdom Charter pending previous 1947, 1955; latest adopted 21 July 2010, entered into force 10 October 2010 (regulates governance of Sint Maarten but is subordinate to the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - in October 2010, with the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles, Sint Maarten became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands (2013)", "COASTLINE": "58.9 km (for entire island)", "CLIMATE": "tropical marine climate, ameliorated by northeast trade winds, results in moderate temperatures; average rainfall of 1500 mm/year; hurricane season stretches from July to November", "CAPITAL": "name: :Philipsburg; geographic coordinates: :18 1 N, 63 2 W; time difference: :UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "13 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "sugar", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "sugar", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :1.1%; industry: :15.2%; services: :83.7% (2008 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2012)", "BACKGROUND": "Although sighted by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and claimed for Spain, it was the Dutch who occupied the island in 1631 and set about exploiting its salt deposits. The Spanish retook the island in 1633, but continued to be harassed by the Dutch. The Spanish finally relinquished the island of Saint Martin to the French and Dutch, who divided it amongst themselves in 1648. The establishment of cotton, tobacco, and sugar plantations dramatically expanded African slavery on the island in the 18th and 19th centuries; the practice was not abolished in the Dutch half until 1863. The island's economy declined until 1939 when it became a free port; the tourism industry was dramatically expanded beginning in the 1950s. In 1954, Sint Maarten and several other Dutch Caribbean possessions became part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands as the Netherlands Antilles. In a 2000 referendum, the citizens of Sint Maarten voted to become a self-governing country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The change in status became effective in October of 2010 with the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "one-fifth the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "subject to hurricanes from July to November", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Mount Flagstaff 386 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.08 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.96 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.92 male(s)/female; total population: :0.97 male(s)/female (2013 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :0.4%; industry: :18.3%; services: :81.3% (2008 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "18 4 N, 63 4 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :19.7% (male 3,986/female 3,704); 15-24 years: :16.3% (male 3,130/female 3,253); 25-54 years: :45.3% (male 8,626/female 9,077); 55-64 years: :12.9% (male 2,448/female 2,596); 65 years and over: :5.8% (male 1,087/female 1,181) (2013 est.)" }, { "country": "Slovakia", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Theodore SEDGWICK (since 4 July 2010); embassy: :Hviezdoslavovo Namestie 4, 81102 Bratislava; mailing address: :P.O. Box 309, 814 99 Bratislava; telephone: :[421; FAX: :[421", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$27,700 (2014 est.); $27,100 (2013 est.); $26,800 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.4% (2014 est.); 0.9% (2013 est.); 1.8% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.03% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$149.9 billion (2014 est.); $146.4 billion (2013 est.); $145.1 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :39.6%; youth dependency ratio: :21.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :18.5%; potential support ratio: :5.4% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "20.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 20.6% of GDP (2013 est.); 21.4% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :58.7%; government consumption: :17.8%; investment in fixed capital: :19.5%; investment in inventories: :-1.9%; exports of goods and services: :100.6%; imports of goods and services: :-94.6%; (2014 est.)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "27.8 (2010 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "32.08 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "14.16 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "5.579 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "15 million cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "5.82 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "124 million cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "25,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "70,520 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "69,830 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "126,800 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "9 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "108,400 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "262.5 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "5,200 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "9.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "24.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "22% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "43.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "8.21 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "10.67 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "10.63 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "26.17 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "26.42 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "double-barred cross (Cross of St. Cyril and St. Methodius) surmounting three peaks; national colors: white, blue, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :34%; male: :35%; female: :32.5% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "25.4% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "6 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3 physicians/1,000 population (2007)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "7.8% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "6 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "34.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "BRATISLAVA (capital) 403,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Nad Tatrou sa blyska\" (Lightning Over the Tatras); lyrics/music: :Janko MATUSKA/traditional; note: :adopted 1993, in use since 1844; music based on the Slovak folk song \"Kopala studienku\"", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 99.9% of population; rural: 99.6% of population; total: 99.7% of population; urban: 0.1% of population; rural: 0.4% of population; total: 0.3% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$60.02 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $62.69 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$40.59 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $42.37 billion (31 December 2013 est.); note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-owned public broadcaster, Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS), operates 3 national TV stations and multiple national and regional radio networks; roughly 35 privately owned TV stations operating nationally, regionally, and locally; about 40% of households are connected to multi-channel cable or satellite TV; more than 20 privately owned radio stations (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :53.8% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :-0.31% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$69.78 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $72.07 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$23.15 billion (31 December 2008); $17.16 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$847.3 million (31 December 2008); $868.8 million (31 December 2007); note: :this figure represents the US dollar value of Slovak koruny in circulation prior to Slovakia joining the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi money circulating within their own borders", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "3.2% (31 December 2014 est.); 3.34% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "1.75% (31 December 2011); 1.75% (31 December 2010); note: :this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks from the euro area; Slovakia became a member of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) on 1 January 2009", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.2% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :15 years; male: :14 years; female: :16 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.69 cu km/yr (47%/51%/3%); per capita: :126.7 cu m/yr (2010)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "50.1 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$4.611 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $4.736 billion (31 December 2011); $4.15 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$13.09 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $12.92 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$69.76 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $67.46 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$100.1 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :1,523 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$2.379 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.15 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$613.9 million (2014 est.); $2.056 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "58.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 55.4% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover general Government Gross Debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by Government entities, including sub-sectors of central government, state government, local government, and social security funds.", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "1.384 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :39.2 years; male: :37.5 years; female: :41 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "26 (2005); 26.3 (1996)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".sk", "INTERNET_USERS": "4.063 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "6.095 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "975,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Peter KMEC (since 17 September 2012); chancery: :3523 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :New York", "AREA": "total: :49,035 sq km; land: :48,105 sq km; water: :930 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1,720 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Central Europe, south of Poland", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Slovak Republic; conventional short form: :Slovakia; local long form: :Slovenska republika; local short form: :Slovensko", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "12.7% (2014 est.); 14.1% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.39 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "rugged mountains in the central and northern part and lowlands in the south", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :Slovakia has a modern telecommunications system that has expanded dramatically in recent years with the growth in cellular services; domestic: :analog system is now receiving digital equipment and is being enlarged with fiber-optic cable, especially in the larger cities; 3 companies provide nationwide cellular services; international: :country code - 421; 3 international exchanges (1 in Bratislava and 2 in Banska Bystrica) are available; Slovakia is participating in several international telecommunications projects that will increase the availability of external services (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 8.2%, Greek Catholic 3.8%, other or unspecified 12.5%, none 13.4% (2011 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :3,622 km; broad gauge: :99 km 1.520-m gauge; standard gauge: :3,473 km 1.435-m gauge (1,615 km electrified); narrow gauge: :50 km 1.000-m or 0.750-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "river port(s): :Bratislava, Komarno (Danube)", "POPULATION": "5,443,583 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Christian Democratic Movement or KDH [Jan FIGEL; Direction-Social Democracy or Smer-SD [Robert FICO; Freedom and Solidarity or SaS [Richard SULIK; Most-Hid or Bridge [Bela BUGAR; Ordinary People and Independent Personalities or OLaNO [Igor MATOVIC; Slovak Democratic and Christian Union-Democratic Party or SDKU-DS [Pavol FRESO; Civic Conservative Party or OKS [Ondrej DOSTAL; Nation and Justice - Our Party or NAS [Anna BELOUSOVOVA; Network or Siet [Radoslav PROCHAZKA; New Majority or NOVA [Daniel LIPSIC; Party of the Hungarian Coalition or SMK [Jozsef BERENYI; People's Party - Our Slovakia or LSNS [Marian KOTLEBA; Slovak National Party or SNS [Andrej DANKO", "PIPELINES": "gas 6,774 km; oil 419 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Slovakia has made significant economic reforms since its separation from the Czech Republic in 1993. After a period of relative stagnation in the early and mid-1990s, reforms to the taxation, healthcare, pension, and social welfare systems helped Slovakia consolidate its budget, get on track to join the EU in 2004, and adopt the euro in January 2009. Major privatizations are nearly complete, the banking sector is almost entirely in foreign hands, and the government has facilitated a foreign investment boom with business friendly policies. Foreign direct investment (FDI), especially in the automotive and electronic sectors, fueled much of the growth until 2008. Cheap, skilled labor, a relatively liberal labor code, low taxes, no taxes on dividends, and a favorable geographical location have been Slovakia's main advantages to foreign investors. Following an economic contraction in 2009, growth has remained sluggish, in large part due to continued weakness in external demand. Since returning to power in 2012 the government of Prime Minister Robert FICO has rolled back some of Slovakia's pro-growth reforms in order to help shore up public finances. These reversals included abolishing the flat tax system and introducing a levy on dividend payments. Corruption and slow dispute resolution remain key factors constraining economic growth.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Association of Towns and Villages or ZMOS; Confederation of Trade Unions or KOZ; Entrepreneurs Association of Slovakia or ZPS; Federation of Employers' Associations of the Slovak Republic; Medical Trade Association or LOZ; National Union of Employers or RUZ; Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry or SOPK; The Business Alliance of Slovakia or PAS", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; most of the country is rugged and mountainous; the Tatra Mountains in the north are interspersed with many scenic lakes and valleys", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "brown coal and lignite; small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore; salt; arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Slovak(s); adjective: :Slovak", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Constitution Day, 1 September (1992)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :11; by type: :cargo 9, refrigerated cargo 2; foreign-owned: :11 (Germany 3, Ireland 1, Italy 2, Montenegro 1, Slovenia 1, Turkey 1, Ukraine 2) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,405,310; females age 16-49: :1,369,897 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :76.69 years; male: :73.09 years; female: :80.52 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Council or Narodna Rada (150 seats; members directly elected in a single national constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 10 March 2012 (next to be held in 2016); election results: :percent of vote by party - Smer-SD 44.4%, KDH 8.8%, OLaNO 8.6%, Most-Hid 6.9%, SDKU-DS 6.1%, SaS 5.9%, other 19.3%; seats by party - Smer-SD 83, KDH 16, OLaNO 16, Most-Hid 13, SDKU-DS 11, SaS 11", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; note - legal code modified to comply with the obligations of Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal system", "LANGUAGES": "Slovak (official) 78.6%, Hungarian 9.4%, Roma 2.3%, Ruthenian 1%, other or unspecified 8.8% (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :28.95%; permanent crops: :0.42%; other: :70.63% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,611 km; border countries: :Austria 105 km, Czech Republic 241 km, Hungary 627 km, Poland 541 km, Ukraine 97 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "2.73 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of the Slovak Republic (consists of 78 judges - as of 2003 - organized into criminal, civil, commercial, and administrative divisions with 3- and 5-judge panels; Constitutional Court (consists of 13 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judge candidates proposed by the Judicial Council of the Slovak Republic, a 17-member independent body to include the Supreme Court chief justice and presidential and governmental appointees; judges appointed by the president for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; Constitutional Court judges nominated by the National Council of the Republic and appointed by the president; judges appointed for 12-year terms; subordinate courts: :regional and district civil courts; Higher Military Court; military district courts; Court of Audit", "WATERWAYS": "172 km (on Danube River) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.3% (2014 est.); 1.4% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :5.35 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :6 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :4.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "metal and metal products; food and beverages; electricity, gas, coke, oil, nuclear fuel; chemicals, synthetic fibers; machinery; paper and printing; earthenware and ceramics; transport vehicles; textiles; electrical and optical apparatus; rubber products", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "6.7% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia)", "IMPORTS": "$82.48 billion (2014 est.); $79.79 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :43,916 km; paved: :38,238 km (includes 417 km of expressways); unpaved: :5,678 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red derive from the Pan-Slav colors; the Slovakian coat of arms (consisting of a red shield bordered in white and bearing a white double-barred cross of St. Cyril and St. Methodius surmounting three blue hills) is centered over the bands but offset slightly to the hoist side; note: :the Pan-Slav colors were inspired by the 19th-century flag of Russia", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$68.44 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $68.61 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$86.55 billion (2014 est.); $85.48 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Andrej KISKA (since 15 June 2014); head of government: :Prime Minister Robert FICO (since 4 April 2012); Deputy Prime Ministers Robert KALINAK, Peter KAZIMIR, Miroslav LAJCAK (since 4 April 2012), Lubomir VAZNY (since 26 November 2012); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 15 and 29 March 2014 (next to be held in March 2019); following National Council elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the president; election results: :Andrej KISKA elected president in runoff; percent of vote - Andrej KISKA 59.4%, Robert FICO 40.6%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.78 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Slovak 80.7%, Hungarian 8.5%, Roma 2%, other and unspecified 8.8% (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "9.7 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous (preindependence); latest passed by legislature 1 September 1992, signed 3 September 1992, effective 1 October 1992; amended several times, last in 2011 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 18.5%, Czech Republic 16.7%, Russia 10%, Austria 9.5%, Hungary 6.2%, Poland 6.2%, South Korea 4.5%, China 4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and transport equipment 31%, mineral products 13%, vehicles 12%, base metals 9%, chemicals 8%, plastics 6% (2009 est.)", "CAPITAL": "name: :Bratislava; geographic coordinates: :48 09 N, 17 07 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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$34.89 billion; expenditures: :$37.68 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic (Ozbrojene Sily Slovenskej Republiky): Land Forces (Pozemne Sily), Air Forces (Vzdusne Sily) (2010)", "BIRTH_RATE": "10.01 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "35 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, cattle, poultry; forest products", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "8 regions (kraje, singular - kraj); Banskobystricky, Bratislavsky, Kosicky, Nitriansky, Presovsky, Trenciansky, Trnavsky, Zilinsky", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 22.3%, Czech Republic 14.5%, Poland 9%, Hungary 6.9%, Austria 6.5%, France 5.4%, UK 4.9%, Italy 4.8% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and electrical equipment 35.9%, vehicles 21%, base metals 11.3%, chemicals and minerals 8.1%, plastics 4.9% (2009 est.)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :3.5%; industry: :27%; services: :69.4% (December 2009)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :4.4%; highest 10%: :22.4% (2009 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "21% (2002)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.12% of GDP (2012); 1.1% of GDP (2011); 1.12% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air pollution from metallurgical plants presents human health risks; acid rain damaging forests", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :14; 914 to 1,523 m: :9; 5 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :21; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :3; under 914 m: :11 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Slovakia's roots can be traced to the 9th century state of Great Moravia. Subsequently, the Slovaks became part of the Hungarian Kingdom, where they remained for the next 1,000 years. Following the formation of the dual Austro-Hungarian monarchy in 1867, language and education policies favoring the use of Hungarian (Magyarization) resulted in a strengthening of Slovak nationalism and a cultivation of cultural ties with the closely related Czechs, who were under Austrian rule. After the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the close of World War I, the Slovaks joined the Czechs to form Czechoslovakia. During the interwar period, Slovak nationalist leaders pushed for autonomy within Czechoslovakia, and in 1939 Slovakia became an independent state allied with Nazi Germany. Following World War II, Czechoslovakia was reconstituted and came under communist rule within Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe. In 1968, an invasion by Warsaw Pact troops ended the efforts of the country's leaders to liberalize communist rule and create \"socialism with a human face,\" ushering in a period of repression known as \"normalization.\" The peaceful \"Velvet Revolution\" swept the Communist Party from power at the end of 1989 and inaugurated a return to democratic rule and a market economy. On 1 January 1993, the country underwent a nonviolent \"velvet divorce\" into its two national components, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Slovakia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004 and the euro zone on 1 January 2009.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :31,646; female: :30,219 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,156,113; females age 16-49: :1,139,380 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription in peacetime suspended in 2006; women are eligible to serve (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about twice the size of New Hampshire", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Bodrok River 94 m; highest point: :Gerlachovsky Stit 2,655 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.07 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.6 male(s)/female; total population: :0.94 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "37 (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 22, shortwave 1 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :2.9%; industry: :35.7%; services: :61.3% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "48 40 N, 19 30 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :15.2% (male 422,636/female 403,626); 15-24 years: :12.2% (male 341,500/female 322,287); 25-54 years: :45.2% (male 1,241,930/female 1,218,706); 55-64 years: :13.5% (male 347,438/female 388,461); 65 years and over: :13.9% (male 288,010/female 468,989) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Slovenia", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Brent Robert HARTLEY (since 9 February 2015); embassy: :Presernova 31, 1000 Ljubljana; mailing address: :American Embassy Ljubljana, US Department of State, 7140 Ljubljana Place, Washington, DC 20521-7140; telephone: :[386; FAX: :[386", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$29,400 (2014 est.); $29,000 (2013 est.); $29,300 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.4% (2014 est.); -1% (2013 est.); -2.6% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.23% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$60.54 billion (2014 est.); $59.68 billion (2013 est.); $60.29 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :46.8%; youth dependency ratio: :21.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :25.7%; potential support ratio: :3.9% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "26% of GDP (2014 est.); 26.3% of GDP (2013 est.); 22.5% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :55.1%; government consumption: :19.5%; investment in fixed capital: :18.1%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :79.3%; imports of goods and services: :-72%; (2014 est.)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "28.8 (2011 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "15.87 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "847 million cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "850 million cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "3 million cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "72,260 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "14,210 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "48,630 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "305 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "5.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "20.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "37.4% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "36.6% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "3.351 million kW (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "7.522 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "8.684 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "12.66 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "14.76 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Mount Triglav; national colors: white, blue, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :20.6%; male: :20.3%; female: :21% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "28.6% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "4.6 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.54 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "8.8% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "12 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "40.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "LJUBLJANA (capital) 279,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Zdravljica\" (A Toast); lyrics/music: :France PRESEREN/Stanko PREMRL; note: :adopted 1989; originally written in 1848; the full poem, whose seventh verse is used as the anthem, speaks of pan-Slavic nationalism", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.8% of population; rural: 99.4% of population; total: 99.6% of population; urban: 0.2% of population; rural: 0.6% of population; total: 0.4% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$26.11 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $25.92 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$12.08 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $12.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.); note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "public TV broadcaster, Radiotelevizija Slovenija (RTV), operates a system of national and regional TV stations; 35 domestic commercial TV stations operating nationally, regionally, and locally; about 60% of households are connected to multi-channel cable TV; public radio broadcaster operates 3 national and 4 regional stations; more than 75 regional and local commercial and non-commercial radio stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :49.7% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.08% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$40.86 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $43.11 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$15.9 billion (30 September 2009); $12.69 billion (31 December 2006)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$10.5 billion (30 September 2009); $9.347 billion (31 December 2006); note: :the figure for 2006 represents the US dollar value of tolars in circulation prior to Slovenia joining the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi money circulating within their own borders", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "5.2% (31 December 2014 est.); 5.68% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.75% (31 December 2013); 1.5% (31 December 2012); note: :this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.7% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :17 years; male: :16 years; female: :18 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.94 cu km/yr (18%/82%/0%); per capita: :462.9 cu m/yr (2009)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "31.87 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$6.87 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $6.31 billion (31 December 2012); $6.783 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$9.585 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $9.505 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$17.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $17 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$49.93 billion (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$921 million (31 December 2014 est.); $921.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$2.664 billion (2014 est.); $2.79 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "59.8% of GDP (2014 est.); 56.7% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :defined by the EU's Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value, outstanding at the end of the year in the following categories of government liabilities: currency and deposits, securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives, and loans; general government sector comprises the subsectors: central government, state government, local government, and social security funds", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "415,581 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :43.5 years; male: :41.7 years; female: :45.2 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "23.7 (2012); 23.8 (2005)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".si", "INTERNET_USERS": "1.298 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "2.246 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "825,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Bozo CERAR (since 6 September 2013); chancery: :2410 California Street N.W., Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Cleveland", "AREA": "total: :20,273 sq km; land: :20,151 sq km; water: :122 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "76.04 sq km (2010)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "south Central Europe, Julian Alps between Austria and Croatia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Slovenia; conventional short form: :Slovenia; local long form: :Republika Slovenija; local short form: :Slovenija; former: :People's Republic of Slovenia, Socialist Republic of Slovenia", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "13.6% (2014 est.); 13.1% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.33 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "a short coastal strip on the Adriatic, an alpine mountain region adjacent to Italy and Austria, mixed mountains and valleys with numerous rivers to the east", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :well-developed telecommunications infrastructure; domestic: :combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 150 telephones per 100 persons; international: :country code - 386 (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age, 16 if employed; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Catholic 57.8%, Muslim 2.4%, Orthodox 2.3%, other Christian 0.9%, unaffiliated 3.5%, other or unspecified 23%, none 10.1% (2002 census)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :1,228 km; standard gauge: :1,228 km 1.435-m gauge (503 km electrified) (2007)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Koper", "POPULATION": "1,988,292 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": ".Alliance of Alenka Bratusek or ZaAB [Alenka BRATUSEK; Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia or DeSUS [Karl ERJAVEC; New Slovenia or NSi [Ljudmila NOVAK; Party of Miro Cerar or SMC [Miro CERAR; Slovenian Democratic Party or SDS [Janez JANSA; Social Democrats or SD [Dejan ZIDAN; United Left or ZL (collective leadership)", "PIPELINES": "gas 844 km; oil 5 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "With excellent infrastructure, a well-educated work force, and a strategic location between the Balkans and Western Europe, Slovenia has one of the highest per capita GDPs in Central Europe. Slovenia became the first 2004 European Union entrant to adopt the euro (on 1 January 2007) and has experienced one of the most stable political transitions in Central and Southeastern Europe. In March 2004, Slovenia became the first transition country to graduate from borrower status to donor partner at the World Bank. In 2007, Slovenia was invited to begin the process for joining the OECD; it became a member in 2012. However, long-delayed privatizations, particularly within Slovenia�s largely state-owned and increasingly indebted banking sector, have fueled investor concerns since 2012 that the country would need EU-IMF financial assistance. In 2013, the European Commission granted Slovenia permission to begin recapitalizing ailing lenders and transferring their nonperforming assets into a �bad bank� established to restore bank balance sheets. Yield-seeking bond investors� strong demand for Slovenian debt helped the government in 2013-14 to continue to finance itself independently on international markets. The government has embarked on a program of state asset sales intended to bolster investor confidence in the economy, which in 2014 contracted 1.1%, its third-year of recession.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Slovenian Roma Association [Jozek Horvat MUC; other: :Catholic Church; various trade and public sector employee unions", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "despite its small size, this eastern Alpine country controls some of Europe's major transit routes", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "lignite coal, lead, zinc, building stone, hydropower, forests", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Slovene(s); adjective: :Slovenian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day/Statehood Day, 25 June (1991)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "registered in other countries: :24 (Cyprus 5, Liberia 7, Malta 4, Marshall Islands 6, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Slovakia 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Australia Group, BIS, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA (cooperating state), EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :477,592; females age 16-49: :464,301 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :NA; total population: :99.7%; male: :99.7%; female: :99.7% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :77.83 years; male: :74.21 years; female: :81.69 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament consists of the National Council or Drzavni Svet (40 seats; members indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve 5-year terms) and the National Assembly or Drzavni Zbor (90 seats; 88 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 2 directly elected in special constituencies for Italian and Hungarian minorities by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms); note - the National Council is primarily an advisory body with limited legislative powers; elections: :National Assembly - last held on 13 July 2014 (next to be held in 2018); election results: :percent of vote by party - SMC 34.6%, SDS 20.7%, DeSUS 10.2%, ZL 6%, SD 6%, NSi 5.6%, ZaAB 4.3%, other 12.6%; seats by party - SMC 36, SDS 21, DeSUS 10, ZL 6, SD 6, NSi, 5, ZaAB 4, Hungarian minority 1, Italian minority 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system", "LANGUAGES": "Slovenian (official) 91.1%, Serbo-Croatian 4.5%, other or unspecified 4.4%, Italian (official, only in municipalities where Italian national communities reside), Hungarian (official, only in municipalities where Hungarian national communities reside) (2002 census)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :8.53%; permanent crops: :1.34%; other: :90.13% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,211 km; border countries: :Austria 299 km, Croatia 600 km, Hungary 94 km, Italy 218 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "913,500 (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the court president and 37 judges organized into 7 departments - civil, criminal, commercial, labor and social security, administrative, registry, and international cooperation); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and 7 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court president and vice president appointed by the National Assembly upon the proposal of the Minister of Justice based on the opinions of the Judicial Council, an 11-member independent body elected by the National Assembly from proposals submitted by the president, attorneys, law universities, and sitting judges; other Supreme Court judges elected by the National Assembly from candidates proposed by the Judicial Council; Supreme Court judge term NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the National Assembly from nominations by the president of the republic; Constitutional Court president selected from among their own for a 3-year term; other judges elected for single 9-year terms; subordinate courts: :county, district, regional, and high courts; specialized labor-related and social courts; Court of Audit; Administrative Court", "WATERWAYS": "(there is some transport on the Drava River) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.5% (2014 est.); 1.8% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :4.04 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :4.56 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :3.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "ferrous metallurgy and aluminum products, lead and zinc smelting; electronics (including military electronics), trucks, automobiles, electric power equipment, wood products, textiles, chemicals, machine tools", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.8% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)", "IMPORTS": "$29.37 billion (2014 est.); $28.4 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "minor transit point for cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe, and for precursor chemicals", "ROADWAYS": "total: :38,985 km; paved: :38,985 km (includes 769 km of expressways) (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red, derive from the medieval coat of arms of the Duchy of Carniola; the Slovenian seal (a shield with the image of Triglav, Slovenia's highest peak, in white against a blue background at the center; beneath it are two wavy blue lines depicting seas and rivers, and above it are three six-pointed stars arranged in an inverted triangle, which are taken from the coat of arms of the Counts of Celje, the great Slovene dynastic house of the late 14th and early 15th centuries) appears in the upper hoist side of the flag centered on the white and blue bands", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$52.53 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $52.48 billion (31 December 2012)", "EXPORTS": "$30.47 billion (2014 est.); $29.25 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Borut PAHOR (since 22 December 2012); head of government: :Prime Minister Miro CERAR (since 18 September 2014); cabinet: :Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 11 November and a run-off on 2 December 2012 (next to be held in 2017); following National Assembly elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition usually nominated to become prime minister by the president and elected by the National Assembly; election results: :Borut PAHOR elected president in run-off election; percent of vote - Borut PAHOR 67.4%, Danilo TURK 32.6%; Miro CERAR elected prime minister, National Assembly vote 57 to 11", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.78 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Slovene 83.1%, Serb 2%, Croat 1.8%, Bosniak 1.1%, other or unspecified 12% (2002 census)", "DEATH_RATE": "11.25 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1974 (preindependence); latest passed by legislature 23 December 1991; amended several times, last in 2013 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 16.9%, Italy 13.8%, Austria 10%, Croatia 4.7%, Hungary 4.2%, China 4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "46.6 km", "CLIMATE": "Mediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate with mild to hot summers and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys to the east", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, chemicals, fuels and lubricants, food", "CAPITAL": "name: :Ljubljana; geographic coordinates: :46 03 N, 14 31 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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$20.03 billion; expenditures: :$22.03 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Slovenian Armed Forces (Slovenska Vojska, SV): Forces Command (with ground units, naval element, air and air defense brigade); Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief (ACPDR) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "8.54 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "16 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "potatoes, hops, wheat, sugar beets, corn, grapes; cattle, sheep, poultry", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "200 municipalities (obcine, singular - obcina) and 11 urban municipalities (mestne obcine, singular - mestna obcina); municipalities: :Ajdovscina, Apace, Beltinci, Benedikt, Bistrica ob Sotli, Bled, Bloke, Bohinj, Borovnica, Bovec, Braslovce, Brda, Brezice, Brezovica, Cankova, Cerklje na Gorenjskem, Cerknica, Cerkno, Cerkvenjak, Cirkulane, Crensovci, Crna na Koroskem, Crnomelj, Destrnik, Divaca, Dobje, Dobrepolje, Dobrna, Dobrova-Polhov Gradec, Dobrovnik/Dobronak, Dolenjske Toplice, Dol pri Ljubljani, Domzale, Dornava, Dravograd, Duplek, Gorenja Vas-Poljane, Gorisnica, Gorje, Gornja Radgona, Gornji Grad, Gornji Petrovci, Grad, Grosuplje, Hajdina, Hoce-Slivnica, Hodos, Horjul, Hrastnik, Hrpelje-Kozina, Idrija, Ig, Ilirska Bistrica, Ivancna Gorica, Izola/Isola, Jesenice, Jezersko, Jursinci, Kamnik, Kanal, Kidricevo, Kobarid, Kobilje, Kocevje, Komen, Komenda, Kosanjevica na Krki, Kostel, Kozje, Kranjska Gora, Krizevci, Krsko, Kungota, Kuzma, Lasko, Lenart, Lendava/Lendva, Litija, Ljubno, Ljutomer, Log-Dragomer, Logatec, Loska Dolina, Loski Potok, Lovrenc na Pohorju, Luce, Lukovica, Majsperk, Makole, Markovci, Medvode, Menges, Metlika, Mezica, Miklavz na Dravskem Polju, Miren-Kostanjevica, Mirna, Mirna Pec, Mislinja, Mokronog-Trebelno, Moravce, Moravske Toplice, Mozirje, Muta, Naklo, Nazarje, Odranci, Oplotnica, Ormoz, Osilnica, Pesnica, Piran/Pirano, Pivka, Podcetrtek, Podlehnik, Podvelka, Poljcane, Polzela, Postojna, Prebold, Preddvor, Prevalje, Puconci, Race-Fram, Radece, Radenci, Radlje ob Dravi, Radovljica, Ravne na Koroskem, Razkrizje, Recica ob Savinji, Rence-Vogrsko, Ribnica, Ribnica na Pohorju, Rogaska Slatina, Rogasovci, Rogatec, Ruse, Selnica ob Dravi, Semic, Sevnica, Sezana, Slovenska Bistrica, Slovenske Konjice, Sodrazica, Solcava, Sredisce ob Dravi, Starse, Straza, Sveta Ana, Sveta Trojica v Slovenskih Goricah, Sveti Andraz v Slovenskih Goricah, Sveti Jurij ob Scavnici, Sveti Jurij v Slovenskih Goricah, Sveti Tomaz, Salovci, Sempeter-Vrtojba, Sencur, Sentilj, Sentjernej, Sentjur, Sentrupert, Skocjan, Skofja Loka, Skofljica, Smarje pri Jelsah, Smarjeske Toplice, Smartno ob Paki, Smartno pri Litiji, Sostanj, Store, Tabor, Tisina, Tolmin, Trbovlje, Trebnje, Trnovska Vas, Trzic, Trzin, Turnisce, Velika Polana, Velike Lasce, Verzej, Videm, Vipava, Vitanje, Vodice, Vojnik, Vransko, Vrhnika, Vuzenica, Zagorje ob Savi, Zalec, Zavrc, Zelezniki, Zetale, Ziri, Zirovnica, Zrece, Zuzemberk; urban municipalities: :Celje, Koper-Capodistria, Kranj, Ljubljana, Maribor, Murska Sobota, Nova Gorica, Novo Mesto, Ptuj, Slovenj Gradec, Velenje", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 19.5%, Italy 11.5%, Austria 8.1%, Croatia 6%, Russia 4.6%, France 4.6%, Hungary 4.1%, Slovakia 4.1% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :2.2%; industry: :35%; services: :62.8% (2009)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.9%; highest 10%: :19.8% (2011)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "13.5% (2012)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.18% of GDP (2012); 1.32% of GDP (2011); 1.18% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "Sava River polluted with domestic and industrial waste; pollution of coastal waters with heavy metals and toxic chemicals; forest damage near Koper from air pollution (originating at metallurgical and chemical plants) and resulting acid rain", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :9; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :3; 5 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :7; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :3; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Slovene lands were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the latter's dissolution at the end of World War I. In 1918, the Slovenes joined the Serbs and Croats in forming a new multinational state, which was named Yugoslavia in 1929. After World War II, Slovenia became a republic of the renewed Yugoslavia, which though communist, distanced itself from Moscow's rule. Dissatisfied with the exercise of power by the majority Serbs, the Slovenes succeeded in establishing their independence in 1991 after a short 10-day war. Historical ties to Western Europe, a strong economy, and a stable democracy have assisted in Slovenia's transformation to a modern state. Slovenia acceded to both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004; it joined the euro zone in 2007.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :9,818; female: :9,395 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :392,075; females age 16-49: :380,077 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2003 (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than New Jersey", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "flooding; earthquakes", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Adriatic Sea 0 m; highest point: :Triglav 2,864 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.07 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.66 male(s)/female; total population: :0.95 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "31 (2006)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 10, FM 230, shortwave 0 (2006)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :2.1%; industry: :28.4%; services: :69.5% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "46 07 N, 14 49 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :13.4% (male 137,407/female 129,111); 15-24 years: :10% (male 101,754/female 96,973); 25-54 years: :43.9% (male 441,079/female 432,476); 55-64 years: :14.8% (male 145,013/female 148,704); 65 years and over: :17.9% (male 142,954/female 212,821) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Solomon Islands", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "the US does not have an embassy in the Solomon Islands; the US ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$1,800 (2014 est.); $1,900 (2013 est.); $1,800 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "0.1% (2014 est.); 3% (2013 est.); 3.8% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.07% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$1.046 billion (2014 est.); $1.045 billion (2013 est.); $1.015 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :76.3%; youth dependency ratio: :70.3%; elderly dependency ratio: :6%; potential support ratio: :16.8% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "4.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 12.9% of GDP (2013 est.); 16.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "34.6% (2006/07)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "21.6; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2006/07 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "266,000 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "1,463 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "1,870 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "36,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "79.05 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "85 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "national colors: blue, yellow, green, white", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "30% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.3 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.22 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "8% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "11.5% (2007)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "93 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "0% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "38.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "HONIARA (capital) 73,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"God Save Our Solomon Islands\"; lyrics/music: :Panapasa BALEKANA and Matila BALEKANA/Panapasa BALEKANA; note: :adopted 1978", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 81.4% of population; rural: 15% of population; total: 28.8% of population; urban: 18.6% of population; rural: 85% of population; total: 71.2% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 93.2% of population; rural: 77.2% of population; total: 80.5% of population; urban: 6.8% of population; rural: 22.8% of population; total: 19.5% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$452.1 million (31 December 2014 est.); $467.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$404.9 million (31 December 2014 est.); $366.7 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) is the sole TV broadcaster with 1 station; multi-channel pay-TV is available; SIBC operates 2 national radio stations and 2 provincial stations; 2 local commercial radio stations; Radio Australia is available via satellite feed (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :21.9% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :4.25% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$27.51 million (31 December 2014 est.); $24.46 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$96.79 million (31 December 2008); $85.47 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$86.96 million (31 December 2008); $94 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "10.9% (31 December 2014 est.); 10.77% (31 December 2013 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "7.3% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :9 years; male: :10 years; female: :9 years (2007)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "44.7 cu km (2011)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$35.8 million (31 December 2014 est.); $35.8 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$1.088 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.01 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :The Solomon Islands is a source and destination country for local adults and children and Southeast Asian men and women subjected to forced labor and forced prostitution; women from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines are recruited for legitimate work and upon arrival are forced into prostitution; men from Indonesia and Malaysia recruited to work in the Solomon Islands� mining and logging industries may be subjected to forced labor; local children are forced into prostitution near foreign logging camps, on fishing vessels, and at hotel and other entertainment venues; some local children are also sold by their parents for marriage to foreign workers or put up for �informal adoption� and then find themselves forced into domestic servitude or forced prostitution; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � The Solomon Islands does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; in 2013, the government passed but did not gazette implementing regulations for 2012 legislation prohibiting all forms of human trafficking; authorities investigated an unspecified number of labor trafficking cases in the fishing industry but did not prosecute or convict any suspected offenders or actively assist victims; the government did not allocate funding for national anti-trafficking efforts in 2013; the country lacks systematic procedures for identifying trafficking victims among high-risk groups and a formal mechanism for referring victims to care; civil society and religious organizations provide limited services to victims; no anti-trafficking awareness-raising campaigns were conducted in 2013 (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$1.159 billion (2014 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.2 million (2012 est.); -$1.2 million (2012 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "4,370 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :21.6 years; male: :21.4 years; female: :21.8 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".sb", "INTERNET_USERS": "10,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "302,100 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "8,060 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Collin David BECK (since 31 March 2004); chancery: :800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :28,896 sq km; land: :27,986 sq km; water: :910 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Solomon Islands; local long form: :none; local short form: :Solomon Islands; former: :British Solomon Islands", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "3.36 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "domestic: :mobile-cellular telephone density is about 50 per 100 persons; international: :country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "21 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 73.4% (Church of Melanesia 31.9%, South Sea Evangelical 17.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 11.7%, United Church 10.1%, Christian Fellowship Church 2.5%), Roman Catholic 19.6%, other Christian 2.9%, other 4%, none 0.03%, unspecified 0.1% (2009 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Honiara, Malloco Bay, Viru Harbor, Tulaghi", "POPULATION": "609,883 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Democratic Alliance Party or DAP [Steve ABANA; Kadere Party of Solomon Islands or KPSI [Alfred LEGUA; People's Alliance Party or PAP [Nathaniel WAENA; Solomon Islands People First Party or SIPFP [Jimmie RODGERS; Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement or SIPRA [Manasseh MAELANGA; United Democratic Party [Thomas Ko CHAN; note: :in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The bulk of the population depends on agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of its livelihood. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. Prior to the arrival of The Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), severe ethnic violence, the closing of key businesses, and an empty government treasury culminated in economic collapse. RAMSI's efforts to restore law and order and economic stability have led to modest growth as the economy rebuilds.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM); Malaita Eagle Force (MEF); other: :these rival armed ethnic factions crippled the Solomon Islands in a wave of violence from 1999 to 2003", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea; on 2 April 2007 an undersea earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale occurred 345 km WNW of the capital Honiara; the resulting tsunami devastated coastal areas of Western and Choiseul provinces with dozens of deaths and thousands dislocated; the provincial capital of Gizo was especially hard hit", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-1.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Solomon Islander(s); adjective: :Solomon Islander", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 7 July (1978)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, EITI (candidate country), ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "measured from claimed archipelagic baselines; territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :142,913 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :84.1%; male: :88.9%; female: :79.2% (2009 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :74.89 years; male: :72.27 years; female: :77.64 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 19 November 2014 (next to be held in 2018); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independents 32, DAP 7, UDP 5, PAP 3, KPSI 1, SIPFP 1, SIPRA 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of English common law and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "Melanesian pidgin (in much of the country is lingua franca), English (official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population), 120 indigenous languages", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0.68%; permanent crops: :2.86%; other: :96.46% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "202,500 (2007 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, and ex officio members to include the High Court chief justice and its puisne judges); High Court (consists of the chief justice and puisne judges as prescribed by the National Parliament); judge selection and term of office: :Court of Appeal and High Court president, chief justices, and puisne judges appointed by the governor-general upon recommendation of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, chaired by the chief justice to include 5 members, mostly judicial officials and legal professionals; all judges appointed until retirement at age 60; subordinate courts: :Magistrates' Courts; local courts; Customary Land Appeal Court", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "6.9% (2014 est.) 6.7% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :16.17 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :18.43 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :13.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "fish (tuna), mining, timber", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.4% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "7 July 1978 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$446 million (2012 est.); $462.8 million (2012 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :1,390 km; paved: :34 km; unpaved: :1,356 km; note: :includes 920 km of private plantation roads (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower triangle is green; blue represents the ocean; green the land; and yellow sunshine; the five stars stand for the five main island groups of the Solomon Islands", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$255.5 million (31 December 2011 est.); $228.1 million (31 December 2012 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$493.1 million (2012 est.); $439.8 million (2012 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Frank KABUI (since 7 July 2009); head of government: :Prime Minister Manasseh SOGAVARE (since 9 December 2014); cabinet: :Cabinet consists of 20 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of parliament; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of parliament for up to five years (eligible for a second term); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition usually elected prime minister by parliament; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of parliament; Manasseh SOGAVARE elected on 9 December 2014", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Solomon Islands dollars (SBD) per US dollar -; 7.329 (2014 est.); 7.3021 (2013 est.); 7.36 (2012 est.); 7.6413 (2011 est.); 8.0645 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Melanesian 95.3%, Polynesian 3.1%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 0.3% (2009 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "3.86 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "adopted 31 May 1978, effective 7 July 1978; amended several times, last in 2010 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Australia 27.2%, Singapore 24.1%, China 7%, Malaysia 4.2%, NZ 4.2% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "5,313 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Honiara; geographic coordinates: :9 26 S, 159 57 E; time difference: :UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$450.3 million; expenditures: :$450.3 million (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces; Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "26.33 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "36 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, fruit; cattle, pigs; fish; timber", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "9 provinces and 1 city*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira and Ulawa, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 55.5%, Australia 13.6%, Italy 4.3% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :75%; industry: :5%; services: :20% (2000 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :35; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :10; 24 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the most bitter fighting of World War II occurred on this archipelago. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. Ethnic violence, government malfeasance, endemic crime, and a narrow economic base have undermined stability and civil society. In June 2003, then Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA sought the assistance of Australia in reestablishing law and order; the following month, an Australian-led multinational force arrived to restore peace and disarm ethnic militias. The Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) has generally been effective in restoring law and order and rebuilding government institutions.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :6,483; female: :6,098 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :118,921; females age 16-49: :118,164 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Maryland", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanic activity; tsunamis; volcanism: :Tinakula (elev. 851 m) has frequent eruption activity, while an eruption of Savo (elev. 485 m) could affect the capital Honiara on nearby Guadalcanal", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mount Popomanaseu 2,310 m", "HELIPORTS": "3 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.95 male(s)/female; total population: :1.04 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2004)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :51.9%; industry: :10%; services: :38.1% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "8 00 S, 159 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :36.2% (male 113,744/female 107,193); 15-24 years: :20% (male 62,656/female 59,280); 25-54 years: :35.4% (male 109,891/female 105,760); 55-64 years: :4.4% (male 13,197/female 13,359); 65 years and over: :4.1% (male 11,952/female 12,851) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "South Africa", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Patrick Hubert GASPARD (since 16 October 2013); embassy: :877 Pretorius Street, Arcadia, Pretoria; mailing address: :P. O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001; telephone: :[27; FAX: :[27; consulate(s) general: :Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$12,700 (2014 est.); $12,700 (2013 est.); $12,600 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.4% (2014 est.); 1.9% (2013 est.); 2.5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.48% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$683.1 billion (2014 est.); $673.7 billion (2013 est.); $661.2 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :53.9%; youth dependency ratio: :45.2%; elderly dependency ratio: :8.7%; potential support ratio: :11.5% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "13.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 13.5% of GDP (2013 est.); 14.2% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :61.9%; government consumption: :22.8%; investment in fixed capital: :21.7%; investment in inventories: :-0.3%; exports of goods and services: :34%; imports of goods and services: :-40.1%; (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "473.2 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "15.01 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "3.45 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "4.637 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "1.187 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "79,010 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "80,460 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "604,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "437,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "15 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "385,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "168,700 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "4.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "1.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "93.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "44.28 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "9.428 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "13.93 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "234.2 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "257.9 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "springbok (antelope), king protea flower; national colors: red, green, blue, yellow, black, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :51.5%; male: :47.1%; female: :56.9% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "31.3% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.8 beds/1,000 population (2005)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.78 physicians/1,000 population (2013)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "8.8% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "8.7% (2008)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "300 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-4.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "25.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "Johannesburg (includes Ekurhuleni) 9.176 million; Cape Town (legislative capital) 3.624 million; Durban 2.89 million; PRETORIA (capital) 1.991 million; Port Elizabeth 1.172 million; Vereeniging 1.147 million; Bloemfontein (judicial capital) 496,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"National Anthem of South Africa\"; lyrics/music: :Enoch SONTONGA and Cornelius Jacob LANGENHOVEN/Enoch SONTONGA and Marthinus LOURENS de Villiers; note: :adopted 1994; a combination of \"N'kosi Sikelel' iAfrica\" (God Bless Africa) and \"Die Stem van Suid Afrika\" (The Call of South Africa), which were respectively the anthems of the non-white and white communities under apartheid; official lyrics contain a mixture of Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans, and English (i.e., the five most widely spoken of South Africa's 11 official languages); music incorporates the melody used in the Tanzanian and Zambian anthems", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 81.7% of population; rural: 62.4% of population; total: 74.4% of population; urban: 18.3% of population; rural: 37.6% of population; total: 25.6% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.2% of population; rural: 88.3% of population; total: 95.1% of population; urban: 0.8% of population; rural: 11.7% of population; total: 4.9% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$204.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $195.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$112.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $108 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) operates 4 TV stations, 3 are free-to-air and 1 is pay TV; e.tv, a private station, is accessible to more than half the population; multiple subscription TV services provide a mix of local and international channels; well-developed mix of public and private radio stations at the national, regional, and local levels; the SABC radio network, state-owned and controlled but nominally independent, operates 18 stations, one for each of the 11 official languages, 4 community stations, and 3 commercial stations; more than 100 community-based stations extend coverage to rural areas (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :64.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.59% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$256.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $246.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$124.1 billion (31 December 2008); $141.9 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$44.66 billion (31 December 2008); $58.49 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "9.1% (31 December 2014 est.); 8.5% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "5% (31 December 2012); 7% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "6% of GDP (2010)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :12.5 cu km/yr (36%/7%/57%); per capita: :271.7 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "51.4 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$1.038 trillion (31 December 2012); $855.7 billion (31 December 2011); $1.013 trillion (31 December 2010)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$122.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $117.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$177.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $171.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$341.2 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :20,504 (Somalia); 14,426 (Democratic Republic of Congo); 7,580 (Ethiopia) (2014)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :intermediate; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$50.55 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $49.69 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$17.56 billion (2014 est.); -$20.45 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "47.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 46.1% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "4.761 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :25.7 years; male: :25.4 years; female: :26 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "63.1 (2005); 59.3 (1994)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "195,300 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "6,274,100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "19.05% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".za", "INTERNET_USERS": "4.42 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "68.4 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "4.03 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Mninwa Johnnes MAHLANGU (since 23 February 2015); chancery: :3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Chicago, Los Angeles, New York", "AREA": "total: :1,219,090 sq km; land: :1,214,470 sq km; water: :4,620 sq km; note: :includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "16,700 sq km (2012)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of South Africa; conventional short form: :South Africa; former: :Union of South Africa; abbreviation: :RSA", "MILITARY___NOTE": "with the end of apartheid and the establishment of majority rule, former military, black homelands forces, and ex-opposition forces were integrated into the South African National Defense Force (SANDF); as of 2003 the integration process was considered complete", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "25% (2014 est.); 24.7% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.23 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :the system is the best developed and most modern in Africa; domestic: :combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 140 telephones per 100 persons; consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria; international: :country code - 27; the SAT-3/WASC and SAFE fiber-optic submarine cable systems connect South Africa to Europe and Asia; the EASSy fiber-optic cable system connects with Europe and North America; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 36.6% (Zionist Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%), Catholic 7.1%, Muslim 1.5%, other Christian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 census)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :20,192 km; narrow gauge: :19,756 km 1.065-m gauge (8,271 km electrified); 122 km 0.750-m gauge; 314 km 0.610-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha Bay; container port(s) (TEUs): :Durban (2,712,975)", "POPULATION": "48,375,645; note: :Statistics South Africa (the national statistical agency of South Africa) estimates the country's mid-year 2013 total population to be 52,981,991, which takes into account the findings of South Africa's 2011 census; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth MESHOE; African National Congress or ANC [Jacob ZUMA; Congress of the People or COPE [Mosiuoa LEKOTA; Democratic Alliance or DA [Helen ZILLE; Economic Freedom Fighters or EFF [Julius MALEMA; Freedom Front Plus or FF+ [Pieter MULDER; Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI; National Freedom Party or NFP [Zanele kaMAGWAZA-MSIBI; Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania or PAC [Alton MPHETHI; United Christian Democratic Party or UCDP [Isaac Sipho MFUNDISI; United Democratic Movement or UDM [Bantu HOLOMISA", "PIPELINES": "condensate 94 km; gas 1,293 km; oil 992 km; refined products 1,460 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "South Africa is a middle-income, emerging market with an abundant supply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors, and a stock exchange that is Africa�s largest and among the top 20 in the world. Even though the country's modern infrastructure supports a relatively efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers throughout the region, unstable electricity supplies retard growth. The global financial crisis reduced commodity prices and world demand, and GDP fell nearly 2% in 2009 but has recovered since then, albeit slowly, with 2014 growth less than 2%. Unemployment, poverty, and inequality - among the highest in the world - remain a challenge. Official unemployment is roughly 25% of the work force, and runs significantly higher among black youth. Eskom, the state-run power company, has built two new power stations and installed new power demand management programs to improve power grid reliability. Load shedding and resulting rolling blackouts gripped many parts of South Africa in late 2014 because of electricity supply constraints that resulted from technical problems at some generation units, unavoidable planned maintenance, and an accident at a power station in Mpumalanga province. The rolling black outs were the worst the country faced since 2008. Construction delays at two additional plants, however, mean South Africa will continue to operate on a razor thin margin; economists judge that growth cannot exceed 3% until those plants come on line. South Africa's economic policy has focused on controlling inflation, however, the country faces structural constraints that also limit economic growth, such as skills shortages, declining global competitiveness and frequent work stoppages. The current government faces growing pressure from special interest groups to use state-owned enterprises to deliver basic services to low-income areas and to increase job growth.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Congress of South African Trade Unions or COSATU [Zwelinzima VAVI, general secretary; South African Communist Party or SACP [Blade NZIMANDE, general secretary; South African National Civics Organization or SANCO [Richard MDAKANE, national president; note: :COSATU and SACP are in a formal alliance with the ANC", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-6.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population; note: :Zimbabweans are increasingly migrating into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, rare earth elements, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :South African(s); adjective: :South African", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :3; by type: :petroleum tanker 3; registered in other countries: :19 (Australia 1, Isle of Man 2, Mexico 1, NZ 1, Seychelles 1, Singapore 13) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, BIS, BRICS, C, CD, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, NSG, OECD (Enhanced Engagement, OPCW, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNSC (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :13,439,781; females age 16-49: :12,473,641 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :93.7%; male: :95%; female: :92.6% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :49.56 years; male: :50.52 years; female: :48.58 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament consists of the National Council of Provinces (90 seats; 10-member delegations appointed by each of the 9 provincial legislatures to serve 5-year terms; note - this council has special powers to protect regional interests, including safeguarding cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities) and the National Assembly (400 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms); elections: :National Assembly and National Council of Provinces - last held on 7 May 2014 (next to be held in 2019); election results: :National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC 62.2%, DA 22.2%, EFF 6.4%, IFP 2.4%, NFP 1.6%, other 5.2%; seats by party - ANC 249, DA 89, EFF 25, IFP 10, NFP 6, other 21", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "IsiZulu (official) 22.7%, IsiXhosa (official) 16%, Afrikaans (official) 13.5%, English (official) 9.6%, Sepedi (official) 9.1%, Setswana (official) 8%, Sesotho (official) 7.6%, Xitsonga (official) 4.5%, siSwati (official) 2.5%, Tshivenda (official) 2.4%, isiNdebele (official) 2.1%, sign language 0.5%, other 1.6% (2011 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :9.89%; permanent crops: :0.34%; other: :89.77% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :5,244 km; border countries: :Botswana 1,969 km, Lesotho 1,106 km, Mozambique 496 km, Namibia 1,005 km, Swaziland 438 km, Zimbabwe 230 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "20.23 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Appeals (consists of the court president, deputy president, and 21 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the chief and deputy chief justices and 9 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court of Appeals president and vice-president appointed by the national president after consultation with the Joint Services Commission (JSC), a 22-member body of judicial and other government officials, and a law academics; other Supreme Court judges appointed by the national president on the advice of the JSC and hold office until discharged from active service in terms of an Act of Parliament; Constitutional Court chief and deputy chief justices appointed by the national president after consultation with the JSC and with heads of the National Assembly; other Constitutional Court judges appointed by the national president after consultation with the chief justice and leaders of the National Assembly; Constitutional Court judges appointed for 12-year non-renewable terms or until age 70; subordinate courts: :High Courts; Magistrates' Courts; labor courts; land claims courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "6% (2014 est.); 5.8% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :41.61 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :45.25 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :37.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "31 May 1910 (Union of South Africa formed from four British colonies: Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange Free State); 31 May 1961 (republic declared); 27 April 1994 (majority rule)", "IMPORTS": "$102.2 billion (2014 est.); $102.8 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :747,014 km; paved: :158,952 km; unpaved: :588,062 km (2014)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band that splits into a horizontal Y, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side; the Y embraces a black isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green band and its arms by narrow white stripes; the flag colors do not have any official symbolism, but the Y stands for the \"convergence of diverse elements within South African society, taking the road ahead in unity\"; black, yellow, and green are found on the flag of the African National Congress, while red, white, and blue are the colors in the flags of the Netherlands and the UK, whose settlers ruled South Africa during the colonial era; note: :the South African flag is one of only two national flags to display six colors as part of its primary design, the other is South Sudan's", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$143 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $142.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$97.9 billion (2014 est.); $95.15 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Jacob ZUMA (since 9 May 2009); Deputy President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 26 May 2014); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Jacob ZUMA (since 9 May 2009); Deputy President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 26 May 2014); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president; elections: :president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 21 May 2014 (next to be held on May 2019); election results: :Jacob ZUMA re-elected president unopposed; he was sworn in on 24 May 2014", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "rand (ZAR) per US dollar -; 10.79 (2014 est.); 9.6442 (2013 est.); 8.2 (2012 est.); 7.2597 (2011 est.); 7.3212 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "black African 80.2%, white 8.4%, colored 8.8%, Indian/Asian 2.5%; note: :colored is a term used in South Africa, including on the national census, for persons of mixed race ancestry (2014 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "17.49 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest drafted 8 May 1996, approved 4 December 1997, effective 4 February 1997; amended many times, last in 2013 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 16.2%, Germany 9.4%, Saudi Arabia 8%, US 7%, India 4.8% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "2,798 km", "CLIMATE": "mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific instruments, foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Pretoria (administrative capital); Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial capital); geographic coordinates: :25 42 S, 28 13 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$87.1 billion; expenditures: :$102.2 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "South African National Defense Force (SANDF): South African Army, South African Navy (SAN), South African Air Force (SAAF), South African Military Health Services (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "18.94 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "566 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 32%, US 6.5%, Japan 5%, India 4.7% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :9%; industry: :26%; services: :65% (2007 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.2%; highest 10%: :51.7% (2009 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "31.3% (2009 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1% of GDP (2013); 1.16% of GDP (2012); 1.14% of GDP (2011); 1.16% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control measures; growth in water usage outpacing supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion; desertification", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :422; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :31; 914 to 1,523 m: :258; 132 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :144; over 3,047 m: :11; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :7; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :52; 914 to 1,523 m: :65; under 914 m: :9 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Dutch traders landed at the southern tip of modern day South Africa in 1652 and established a stopover point on the spice route between the Netherlands and the Far East, founding the city of Cape Town. After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments but were defeated in the Second Anglo Boer War (1899-1902); however, the British and the Afrikaners, as the Boers became known, ruled together beginning in 1910 under the Union of South Africa, which became a republic in 1961 after a whites-only referendum. In 1948, the National Party was voted into power and instituted a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races - which favored the white minority at the expense of the black majority. The African National Congress (ANC) led the opposition to apartheid and many top ANC leaders, such as Nelson MANDELA, spent decades in South Africa's prisons. Internal protests and insurgency, as well as boycotts by some Western nations and institutions, led to the regime's eventual willingness to negotiate a peaceful transition to majority rule. The first multi-racial elections in 1994 brought an end to apartheid and ushered in majority rule under an ANC-led government. South Africa since then has struggled to address apartheid-era imbalances in decent housing, education, and health care. ANC infighting came to a head in 2008 when President Thabo MBEKI resigned, and Kgalema MOTLANTHE, the party's General-Secretary, succeeded him as interim president. Jacob ZUMA became president after the ANC won general elections in 2009; he was reelected in 2014.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :482,122; female: :485,017 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :7,617,063; females age 16-49: :6,476,264 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; women are eligible to serve in noncombat roles; 2-year service obligation (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than twice the size of Texas", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "prolonged droughts; volcanism: :the volcano forming Marion Island in the Prince Edward Islands, which last erupted in 2004, is South Africa's only active volcano", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Njesuthi 3,408 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.02 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.67 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "556 (plus 144 network repeaters) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 14, FM 347 (plus 243 repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :2.4%; industry: :28.5%; services: :69.1% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "29 00 S, 24 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :28.3% (male 6,859,518/female 6,815,185); 15-24 years: :20.2% (male 4,914,394/female 4,866,121); 25-54 years: :38.2% (male 9,543,746/female 8,923,605); 55-64 years: :7.1% (male 1,470,282/female 1,950,499); 65 years and over: :6.3% (male 1,205,657/female 1,826,638) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina; administered from the Falkland Islands by a commissioner, who is concurrently governor of the Falkland Islands, representing Queen ELIZABETH II", "AFFILIATION": "(overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)", "AREA": "total: :3,903 sq km; land: :3,903 sq km; water: :0 sq km; note: :includes Shag Rocks, Black Rock, Clerke Rocks, South Georgia Island, Bird Island, and the South Sandwich Islands, which consist of 11 islands", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "0 sq km (2011)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Antarctic Region", "LOCATION": "Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; conventional short form: :South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands; abbreviation: :SGSSI", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the UK", "TERRAIN": "most of the islands, rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and mountainous; South Georgia is largely barren and has steep, glacier-covered mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some active volcanoes", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Grytviken", "POPULATION": "no indigenous inhabitants; note: :the small military garrison on South Georgia withdrew in March 2001 replaced by a permanent group of scientists of the British Antarctic Survey, which also has a biological station on Bird Island; the South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Some fishing takes place in adjacent waters. There is a potential source of income from harvesting finfish and krill. The islands receive income from postage stamps produced in the UK, sale of fishing licenses, and harbor and landing fees from tourist vessels. Tourism from specialized cruise ships is increasing rapidly.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage; reindeer, introduced early in the 20th century, live on South Georgia", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "the laws of the UK where applicable apply", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen) (2014 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a shield with a golden lion rampant, holding a torch; the shield is supported by a fur seal on the left and a Macaroni penguin on the right; a reindeer appears above the crest, and below the shield on a scroll is the motto LEO TERRAM PROPRIAM PROTEGAT (Let the Lion Protect its Own Land)); the lion with the torch represents the UK and discovery; the background of the shield, blue and white estoiles, are found in the coat of arms of James Cook, discoverer of the islands; all the outer supporting animals represented are native to the islands", "COASTLINE": "NA", "CLIMATE": "variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "BACKGROUND": "The islands, with large bird and seal populations, lie approximately 1,000 km east of the Falkland Islands and have been under British administration since 1908 - except for a brief period in 1982 when Argentina occupied them. Grytviken, on South Georgia, was a 19th and early 20th century whaling station. Famed explorer Ernest SHACKLETON stopped there in 1914 en route to his ill-fated attempt to cross Antarctica on foot. He returned some 20 months later with a few companions in a small boat and arranged a successful rescue for the rest of his crew, stranded off the Antarctic Peninsula. He died in 1922 on a subsequent expedition and is buried in Grytviken. Today, the station houses scientists from the British Antarctic Survey. Recognizing the importance of preserving the marine stocks in adjacent waters, the UK, in 1993, extended the exclusive fishing zone from 12 nm to 200 nm around each island.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than Rhode Island", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "the South Sandwich Islands have prevailing weather conditions that generally make them difficult to approach by ship; they are also subject to active volcanism", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mount Paget (South Georgia) 2,934 m", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "0 (2003)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 0, FM 0, shortwave 0 (2003)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "54 30 S, 37 00 W" }, { "country": "South Sudan", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Charles TWINNING (since 24 August 2014); embassy: :located on Kololo Road adjacent to the EU's compound, Juba; telephone: :[211", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$2,000 (2014 est.); $2,400 (2013 est.); $2,000 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "-12.3% (2014 est.); 27.1% (2013 est.); -47.6% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "4.12% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$23.31 billion (2014 est.); $26.56 billion (2013 est.); $20.9 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :82.8%; youth dependency ratio: :76.4%; elderly dependency ratio: :6.4%; potential support ratio: :15.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "7.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 14.3% of GDP (2013 est.); -15.4% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :34.9%; government consumption: :17.1%; investment in fixed capital: :10.4%; exports of goods and services: :64.9%; imports of goods and services: :-27.2%; (2011 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "4% (2010)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "2.016 million Mt (2011 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "63.71 billion cu m (1 January 2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2011 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2011 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2010 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2011 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "13,050 bbl/day", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "3.75 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "291,800 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "220,000 bbl/day (Second half, 2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "66.3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "30.7% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "255,200 kW (2010 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "694.1 million kWh (2010 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "881.3 million kWh (2010 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "African fish eagle; national colors: red, green, blue, yellow, black, white", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "2.6% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "32.5% (2006)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "2,054 deaths/100,000 live births (2006)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-15.3% of GDP (FY 2013 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "3.7% of GDP (FY 2013 est.)", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "JUBA (capital) 307,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :South Sudan Oyee! (Hooray!); lyrics/music: :collective of 49 poets/Juba University students and teachers; note: :adopted 2011; anthem selected in a national contest", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 15.7% of population; rural: 7.3% of population; total: 8.9% of population; urban: 84.3% of population; rural: 92.7% of population; total: 91.1% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 63.4% of population; rural: 55% of population; total: 56.5% of population; urban: 36.6% of population; rural: 45% of population; total: 43.5% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$2.194 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $2.23 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$1.873 billion (31 December 2013); $2.032 billion (31 December 2012)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "TV is controlled by the government; several private FM stations are operational in South Sudan; some foreign radio broadcasts are available", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :18.6% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :5.05% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :South Sudan is a source and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; South Sudanese women and girls, particularly those who are internally displaced, orphaned, or from rural areas, are vulnerable to forced labor and sexual exploitation, often in urban centers; the rising number of street children and child laborers are also exploited for forced labor and prostitution; women and girls from Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are trafficked to South Sudan with promises of legitimate jobs and are forced into the sex trade; inter-ethnic abductions continue between some communities in South Sudan, with abductees subsequently faced with domestic servitude, forced herding, or sex trafficking; government security forces and armed militia groups continue to recruit children; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List - South Sudan does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute a significant effort toward meeting the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking; implementation of a UN-backed action plan to eliminate the use of child soldiers in the country�s armed forces continued in 2013, but no officers complicit in the ongoing recruitment of children were investigated, prosecuted, or punished; efforts to address other forms of human trafficking were negligible; South Sudanese law does not prohibit all forms of human trafficking, and authorities did not investigate or prosecute any offenders; limited protection was provided to former child soldiers in 2013, while no steps were taken to identify victims of sex or labor trafficking or to refer them to care (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$11.89 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :233,968 (Sudan); 15,769 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2015); IDPs: :1,474,400 (alleged coup attempt and ethnic conflict beginning in December 2013; information is lacking on those displaced in earlier years by: fighting in Abyei between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) in May 2011; clashes between the SPLA and dissident militia groups in South Sudan; inter-ethnic conflicts over resources and cattle; attacks from the Lord's Resistance Army; floods and drought) (2015)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne disease: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever; vectorborne disease: :malaria, dengue fever, trypanosomiasis-Gambiense (African sleeping sickness); water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; respiratory disease: :meningococcal meningitis; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :16.8 years; male: :16.6 years; female: :17 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "46 (2010 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "12,600 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "153,100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "2.24% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ss", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "2 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "2,200 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Garang Diing AKUONG (since 23 February 2015); chancery: :1015 31st St., NW, Third Floor, Washington, DC, 20007; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :644,329 sq km", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "East-Central Africa; south of Sudan, north of Uganda and Kenya, west of Ethiopia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of South Sudan; conventional short form: :South Sudan", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "5.43 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "the terrain gradually rises from plains in the north and center to southern highlands along the border with Uganda and Kenya; the White Nile, flowing north out of the uplands of Central Africa, is the major geographic feature of the country supporting agriculture and extensive wild animal populations; The Sudd (a name derived from floating vegetation that hinders navigation) is a large swampy area of more than 100,000 sq km fed by the waters of the White Nile that dominates the center of the country", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "international: :country code - 211", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "animist, Christian", "RAILWAYS": "total: :248 km; note: :a narrow guage, single-track railroad between Babonosa (Sudan) and Wau, the only existing rail system, was repaired in 2010 with $250 million in United Nations funds (2014)", "POPULATION": "11,562,695 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "National Congress Party of NCP [Omar al-BASHIR; Sudan People's Liberation Movement or SPLM [Salva KIIR Mayardit; Sudan People's Liberation Movement for Democratic Change or SPLM-DC [Lam AKOL", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Following several decades of civil war with Sudan, industry and infrastructure in landlocked South Sudan are severely underdeveloped and poverty is widespread. Subsistence agriculture provides a living for the vast majority of the population. Property rights are insecure and price signals are weak, because markets are not well organized. South Sudan has little infrastructure - approximately 250 kilometers of paved roads. Electricity is produced mostly by costly diesel generators and indoor plumbing and potable water are scarce. South Sudan depends largely on imports of goods, services, and capital - mainly from Uganda, Kenya and Sudan. Nevertheless, South Sudan does have abundant natural resources. At independence in 2011, South Sudan produced nearly three-fourths of former Sudan's total oil output of nearly a half million barrels per day. The government of South Sudan derives nearly 98% of its budget revenues from oil. Oil is exported through two pipelines that run to refineries and shipping facilities at Port Sudan on the Red Sea. The economy of South Sudan will remain linked to Sudan for some time, given the long lead time and great expense required to build another pipeline, should the government decide to do so. In January 2012 South Sudan suspended production of oil because of its dispute with Sudan over transshipment fees. This suspension lasted fifteen months and had a devastating impact on GDP, which declined by 48% in 2012. With the resumption of oil flows the economy rebounded strongly during the second half of calendar year 2013. This occurred in spite of the fact that oil production, at an average level of 222,000 barrels per day, was 40% lower compared with 2011, prior to the shutdown. GDP is estimated to have grown by about 25% in 2014. However, the outbreak of conflict on December 15, 2013 combined with a further reduction of oil exports, means that GDP growth forecasts for 2014 are being revised downwards again, and poverty and food insecurity are rising. South Sudan holds one of the richest agricultural areas in Africa with fertile soils and abundant water supplies. Currently the region supports 10-20 million head of cattle. South Sudan is currently burdened by considerable debt, accrued largely in 2012, based on rapidly accumulating arrears, and increased military spending. South Sudan has received more than $4 billion in foreign aid since 2005, largely from the UK, the US, Norway, and the Netherlands. Following independence, South Sudan's central bank issued a new currency, the South Sudanese Pound, allowing a short grace period for turning in the old currency. Annual inflation peaked at 79.5% in May 2012 but declined rapidly thereafter, to 1.7% in 2013. Following the December 2013 outbreak of violence, inflation is on the rise again. Long-term challenges include diversifying the formal economy, alleviating poverty, maintaining macroeconomic stability, improving tax collection and financial management and improving the business environment.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "The Sudd is a vast swamp in South Sudan, formed by the White Nile, comprising more than 15% of the total area; it is one of the world's largest wetlands", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "11.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "hydropower, fertile agricultural land, gold, diamonds, petroleum, hardwoods, limestone, iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :South Sudanese (singular and plural); adjective: :South Sudanese", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 9 July (2011)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "AU, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOM, ITU, MIGA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :27%; male: :40%; female: :16% (2009 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral National Legislature consists of the Council of States (50 seats; the Council of States, established by presidential decree in August 2011, includes 50 members - 20 former members of the Council of States and 30 appointed representatives ) and the National Legislative Assembly (332 seats; the National Assembly, also established by presidential decree in August 2011, includes 170 members elected in April 2010, 96 members of the former National Assembly, and 66 newly appointed members); elections: :National Legislative Assembly - last held 11-15 April 2010 but did not take office until July 2011 (next to be held in 2015); Council of States - established and members appointed 1 August 2011; election results: :National Legislative Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SPLM 251, SPLM-DC 6, NCP 3, independent 6, unknown 66; Council of States - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SPLM 20, unknown 30", "LANGUAGES": "English (official), Arabic (includes Juba and Sudanese variants), regional languages include Dinka, Nuer, Bari, Zande, Shilluk", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :6,018 km; border countries: :Central African Republic 1,055 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 714 km, Ethiopia 1,299 km, Kenya 317 km, Sudan 2,158 km, Uganda 475 km; note: :South Sudan-Sudan boundary represents 1 January 1956 alignment; final alignment pending negotiations and demarcation; final sovereignty status of Abyei Area pending negotiations between South Sudan and Sudan", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of South Sudan (consists of 7 justices including the court president and deputy president and organized into panels of 3 justices except when sitting as a Constitutional panel of all 7 justices); judge selection and term of office: :judges appointed by the president upon proposal of the Judicial Service Council, a 9-member judicial and administrative body; judge tenure NA; subordinate courts: :national level: Courts of Appeal; High Courts; County Courts; state level: High Courts; County Courts; customary courts; other specialized courts and tribunals", "WATERWAYS": "see entry for Sudan", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.7% (2013 est.); 79% (May 2012 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :68.16 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :72.92 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :63.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "9 July 2011 (from Sudan)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :7,000 km; note: :little of the road network is paved and much of it is in disrepair; a 192 km paved road between the capital, Juba, and Nimule on the Ugandan border was constructed with USAID funds in 2012 (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green; the red band is edged in white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side contains a gold, five-pointed star; black represents the people of South Sudan, red the blood shed in the struggle for freedom, green the verdant land, and blue the waters of the Nile; the gold star represents the unity of the states making up South Sudan; note: :resembles the flag of Kenya; one of only two national flags to display six colors as part of its primary design, the other is South Africa's", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Salva KIIR Mayardit (since 9 July 2011); Vice President James Wani IGGA (since 23 August 2013); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Salva KIIR Mayardit (since 9 July 2011); Vice President James Wani IGGA (since 23 August 2013); cabinet: :National Council of Ministers; appointed by the president and approved by a resolution from the Legislative Assembly; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held on 11-15 April 2010 (the next election has been postponed from 2015 to 2017 or 2018 due to instability and violence); election results: :Salva KIIR Mayardit elected president; percent of vote - Salva KIIR Mayardit 93%, Lam AKOL 7%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "South Sudanese pounds (SSP) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.78 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Dinka 35.8%, Nuer 15.6%, Shilluk, Azande, Bari, Kakwa, Kuku, Murle, Mandari, Didinga, Ndogo, Bviri, Lndi, Anuak, Bongo, Lango, Dungotona, Acholi (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "8.42 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 2005 (preindependence); latest signed 7 July 2011 (Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, 2011); amended March 2015; note - in January 2013, the mandate of the South Sudan National Constitutional Review Commission to address additional constitutional amendments was extended (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "hot with seasonal rainfall influenced by the annual shift of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone; rainfall is heaviest in the upland areas of the south and diminishes to the north", "CAPITAL": "name: :Juba; geographic coordinates: :04 51 N 31 37 E; time difference: :UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$437 million; expenditures: :$2.259 billion (FY 2013 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA)", "BIRTH_RATE": "37.68 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "85 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "sorghum, maize, rice, millet, wheat, gum arabic, sugarcane, mangoes, papayas, bananas, sweet potatoes, sunflower seeds, cotton, sesame seeds, cassava (manioc, tapioca), beans, peanuts; cattle, sheep", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "10 states; Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei, Lakes, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Unity, Upper Nile, Warrap, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Western Equatoria", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "50.6% (2009 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "10.32% of GDP (2012); 5.8% of GDP (2011); 10.32% of GDP (2010)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :82; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :12; 914 to 1,523 m: :35; 34 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :3; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Egypt attempted to colonize the region of southern Sudan by establishing the province of Equatoria in the 1870s. Islamic Mahdist revolutionaries overran the region in 1885, but in 1898 a British force was able to overthrow the Mahdist regime. An Anglo-Egyptian Sudan was established the following year with Equatoria being the southernmost of its eight provinces. The isolated region was largely left to itself over the following decades, but Christian missionaries converted much of the population and facilitated the spread of English. When Sudan gained its independence in 1956, it was with the understanding that the southerners would be able to participate fully in the political system. When the Arab Khartoum government reneged on its promises, a mutiny began that led to two prolonged periods of conflict (1955-1972 and 1983-2005) in which perhaps 2.5 million people died - mostly civilians - due to starvation and drought. Ongoing peace talks finally resulted in a Comprehensive Peace Agreement, signed in January 2005. As part of this agreement the south was granted a six-year period of autonomy to be followed by a referendum on final status. The result of this referendum, held in January 2011, was a vote of 98% in favor of secession. Independence was attained on 9 July 2011. Since independence South Sudan has struggled with good governance and nation building and has attempted to control rebel militia groups operating in its territory. Economic conditions have deteriorated since January 2012 when the government decided to shut down oil production following bilateral disagreements with Sudan.", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory and voluntary military service; the Government of South Sudan signed a revised action plan with the UN in March 2012 to demobilize all child soldiers within the SPLA; UNICEF reported 250 confirmed cases of the SPLA's association with children at the end of 2012 (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Texas", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "Lowest point: :NA; highest point: :Kinyeti 3,187 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "8 00 N, 30 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :45.8% (male 2,699,556/female 2,593,241); 15-24 years: :19.9% (male 1,210,962/female 1,084,810); 25-54 years: :29.1% (male 1,622,776/female 1,742,842); 55-64 years: :3.2% (male 198,106/female 166,664); 65 years and over: :2.1% (male 136,932/female 106,806) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Spain", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador James COSTOS (since 24 September 2013); note - also accredited to Andorra; embassy: :Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid; mailing address: :PSC 61, APO AE 09642; telephone: :[34; FAX: :[34; consulate(s) general: :Barcelona", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$33,000 (2014 est.); $32,500 (2013 est.); $32,800 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.3% (2014 est.); -1.2% (2013 est.); -1.6% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.81% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$1.534 trillion (2014 est.); $1.514 trillion (2013 est.); $1.532 trillion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :50.3%; youth dependency ratio: :23.2%; elderly dependency ratio: :27.1%; potential support ratio: :3.7% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "18.1% of GDP (2014 est.); 19% of GDP (2013 est.); 18.5% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :59.1%; government consumption: :19.4%; investment in fixed capital: :18%; investment in inventories: :0.3%; exports of goods and services: :31.8%; imports of goods and services: :-28.7%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "65.7% (2006)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "29.8 (2010 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "312.4 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "2.548 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "34.99 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "5.426 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "29.98 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "56 million cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "390,200 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "404,200 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "1.205 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "1.261 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "150 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "1.061 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "7,340 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "30% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "7.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "19.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "43% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "102.3 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "10.21 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "17 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "243.9 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "276.5 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Pillars of Hercules; national colors: red, yellow", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :53.2%; male: :54.4%; female: :51.8% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "26.6% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "3.1 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3.7 physicians/1,000 population (2012)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "9.6% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "6 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-5.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "37.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "MADRID (capital) 6.133 million; Barcelona 5.207 million; Valencia 807,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Himno Nacional Espanol\" (National Anthem of Spain); lyrics/music: :none/unknown; note: :officially in use between 1770 and 1931, restored in 1939; the Spanish anthem is the first anthem to be officially adopted, but it has no lyrics; in the years prior to 1931 it became known as \"Marcha Real\" (The Royal March); it first appeared in a 1761 military bugle call book and was replaced by \"Himno de Riego\" in the years between 1931 and 1939; the long version of the anthem is used for the king, while the short version is used for the prince, prime minister, and occasions such as sporting events", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.9% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0.1% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$2.01 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.13 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$876.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $854 billion (31 December 2013 est.); note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "a mixture of both publicly operated and privately owned TV and radio stations; overall, hundreds of TV channels are available including national, regional, local, public, and international channels; satellite and cable TV systems available; multiple national radio networks, a large number of regional radio networks, and a larger number of local radio stations; overall, hundreds of radio stations (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :79.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.52% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$2.611 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.902 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$NA; note: :see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi money circulating within their own borders", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "9.4% (31 December 2014 est.); 9.34% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.05% (10 September 2014); 0.25% (13 November 2013); note: :this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :17 years; male: :17 years; female: :18 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :32.46 cu km/yr (18%/22%/61%); per capita: :698.7 cu m/yr (2008)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "111.5 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$995.1 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $1.031 trillion (31 December 2011); $1.172 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$770.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $729.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$851.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $801.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$1.4 trillion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :270 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$46.31 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $46.31 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$12.8 billion (2014 est.); $10.67 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "97.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 91.6% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "4.228 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :41.6 years; male: :40.4 years; female: :42.9 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "34 (2011); 32 (2005)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "800 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "150,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.42% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".es", "INTERNET_USERS": "28.119 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "50.663 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "19.22 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Ramon GIL-CASARES Satrustegui (since 5 June 2012); chancery: :2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)", "AREA": "total: :505,370 sq km; land: :498,980 sq km; water: :6,390 sq km; note: :there are two autonomous cities - Ceuta and Melilla - and 17 autonomous communities including Balearic Islands and Canary Islands, and three small Spanish possessions off the coast of Morocco - Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "34,700 sq km (2011)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Southwestern Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, Bay of Biscay, and Pyrenees Mountains; southwest of France", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Kingdom of Spain; conventional short form: :Spain; local long form: :Reino de Espana; local short form: :Espana", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "24.3% (2014 est.); 26.1% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary monarchy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.48 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees Mountains in north", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :well-developed, modern facilities; fixed-line teledensity exceeds 40 per 100 persons; domestic: :combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 150 telephones per 100 persons; international: :country code - 34; submarine cables provide connectivity to Europe, Middle East, Asia, and US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 94%, other 6%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :15,293 km; broad gauge: :11,919 km 1.668-m gauge (6,950 km electrified); standard gauge: :1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (1,054 km electrified); narrow gauge: :1,954 km 1.000-m gauge (815 km electrified); 28 km 0.914-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Algeciras, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cartagena, Huelva, Tarragona, Valencia (all in Spain); Las Palmas, Santa Cruz de Tenerife (in the Canary Islands); container port(s) (TEUs): :Algeciras (3,608,301), Barcelona (2,033,747), Valencia (4,327,371); Las Palmas (1,287,389); LNG terminal(s) (import): :Barcelona, Bilbao, Cartagena, Huelva, Mugardos, Sagunto", "POPULATION": "47,737,941 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Amaiur [collective leadership; Basque Nationalist Party or PNV or EAJ [Anoni ORTUZAR; Canarian Coalition or CC [Claudina MORALES Rodriquez; Ciutadans [Albert Rivera; Convergence and Union or CiU [Artur MAS i Gavarro; Entesa Catalonia de Progress [Carles BONET i Reves; Galician Nationalist Bloc or BNG [Xavier VENCE; Initiative for Catalonia Greens or ICV [Joan HERRERA i Torres and Dolors CAMATS; Popular Party or PP [Mariano RAJOY Brey; Republican Left of Catalonia or ERC [Oriol JUNQUERAS i Vies; Spanish Socialist Workers Party or PSOE [Pedro SANCHEZ; Union of People of Navarra or UPN [Yolanda BARCINA Angulo; Union, Progress and Democracy or UPyD [Rosa DIEZ Gonzalez; United Left or IU [Cayo LARA Moya; Yes to the Future or Geroa Bai [Uxue BARKOS", "PIPELINES": "gas 10,481 km; oil 616 km; refined products 3,461 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Spain experienced a prolonged recession in the wake of the global financial crisis. GDP contracted by 3.7% in 2009, ending a 16-year growth trend, and continued contracting through most of 2013. Economic growth resumed briefly in late 2013, albeit only modestly, as credit contraction in the private sector, fiscal austerity, and high unemployment continued to weigh on domestic consumption and investment. Exports, however, have been resilient throughout the economic downturn and helped to bring Spain's current account into surplus in 2013 for the first time since 1986. The unemployment rate rose from a low of about 8% in 2007 to more than 26% in 2013, straining Spain's public finances as spending on social benefits increased while tax revenues fell. Spain�s budget deficit peaked at 11.4% of GDP in 2010. Spain gradually reduced the deficit to just under 7% of GDP in 2013-14, slightly above the 6.5% target negotiated between Spain and the EU. Public debt has increased substantially � from 60.1% of GDP in 2010 to more than 97% in 2014. Rising labor productivity, moderating labor costs, and lower inflation have helped to improve foreign investor interest in the economy and to reduce government borrowing costs. The government's ongoing efforts to implement reforms - labor, pension, health, tax, and education - are aimed at supporting investor sentiment. The government also has shored up struggling banks exposed to Spain's depressed domestic construction and real estate sectors by successfully completing an EU-funded restructuring and recapitalization program in January 2014. Recently increased private consumption helped bring real GDP growth back into positive territory at 1.3% in 2014, and labor reforms prompted a modest reduction in the unemployment rate, from more than 26% in 2013 to 24% in 2014. Despite the uptic in economic activity, inflation dropped sharply, from 1.5% in 2013 to flat in 2014. Spain�s 2015 budget, published in September 2014, rolls back some recently imposed taxes in advance of national elections in November 2015 and leaves untouched the country�s value-added tax (VAT) regime, which generates significantly lower revenue than the EU average. Spain�s borrowing costs are dramatically lower since their peak in mid-2012.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Association for Victims of Terrorism or AVT (grassroots organization devoted primarily to supporting victims of the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) terrorist organization); Catholic Church; 15-M or 15 May protest movement, which is also known as the Indignados, Spanish for the \"indignant ones\" (a loose association of grassroots organizations that advocate for greater accountability and transparency in Spanish politics, increased social justice and job creation); Socialist General Union of Workers or UGT and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union or USO; Trade Union Confederation of Workers' Commissions or CC.OO.; Spanish Confederation of Employers' Organizations or CEOE; other: :business and landowning interests; free labor unions (authorized in April 1977); university students", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar; Spain controls a number of territories in northern Morocco including the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, and the islands of Penon de Velez de la Gomera, Penon de Alhucemas, and Islas Chafarinas", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "7.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Spaniard(s); adjective: :Spanish", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "National Day, 12 October (1492); year when Columbus first set foot in the Americas", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :132; by type: :bulk carrier 7, cargo 19, chemical tanker 8, container 5, liquefied gas 12, passenger/cargo 43, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 9, vehicle carrier 7; foreign-owned: :27 (Canada 4, Germany 4, Italy 1, Mexico 1, Norway 10, Russia 6, Switzerland 1); registered in other countries: :103 (Angola 1, Argentina 3, Bahamas 6, Brazil 12, Cabo Verde 1, Cyprus 6, Ireland 1, Malta 8, Morocco 9, Panama 30, Peru 1, Portugal 18, Uruguay 5, Venezuela 1, unknown 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CAN (observer), CBSS (observer), CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :11,759,557; females age 16-49: :11,204,688 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :97.9%; male: :98.6%; female: :97.2% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :81.47 years; male: :78.47 years; female: :84.67 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral General Courts or Las Cortes Generales consists of the Senate or Senado (257 seats as of 2013; 208 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 49 appointed by the regional legislatures; members serve 4-year terms) and the Congress of Deputies or Congreso de los Diputados (350 seats; 348 members directly elected in 50 multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 2 directly elected from the North African Ceuta and Melilla enclaves by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :Senate - last held on 20 November 2011 (next to be held by end of 2015); Congress of Deputies - last held on 20 November 2011 (next to be held by end of 2015); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PP 136, PSOE 48, CiU 9, Entesa (PSC-PSOE) 7, EAJ/PNV 4, other 4, members appointed by regional legislatures 49; Congress of Deputies - percent of vote by party - PP 44.6%, PSOE 28.8%, CiU 4.2%, IU 6.9%, Amaiur 1.4%, UPyD 4.7%, EAJ/PNV 1.3%, other 8.1%; seats by party - PP 186, PSOE 110, CiU 16, IU 11, Amaiur 7, UPyD 5, EAJ/PNV 5, other 10", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system with regional variations", "LANGUAGES": "Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, and Basque 2%; note: :Catalan is official in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the Valencian Community (where it is known as Valencian); in the northwest corner of Catalonia (Vall d'Aran), Aranese is official along with Catalan; Galician is official in Galicia; Basque is official in the Basque Country and in the Basque-speaking area of Navarre; Aragonese, Aranese Asturian, Basque, Calo, Catalan, Galician, and Valencian are recognized as regional languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :24.89%; permanent crops: :9.14%; other: :66% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,952.7 km; border countries: :Andorra 63 km, France 646 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km, Portugal 1,224 km, Morocco (Ceuta) 8 km, Morocco (Melilla) 10.5 km; note: :an additional 75-meter border segment exists between Morocco and the Spanish exclave of Penon de Velez de la Gomera", "LABOR_FORCE": "22.93 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo (consists of the court president and organized into the Civil Room with a president and 9 magistrates, the Penal Room with a president and 14 magistrates, the Administrative Room with a president and 32 magistrates, the Social Room with a president and 12 magistrates, and the Military Room with a president and 7 magistrates); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional de Espana (consists of 12 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges appointed by the monarch from candidates proposed by the General Council of the Judicial Power, a 20-member governing board chaired by the monarch and includes presidential appointees, and lawyers and jurists confirmed by the National Assembly; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges nominated by the General Assembly, executive branch, and the General Council of the Judiciary, and appointed by the monarch for 9-year terms; subordinate courts: :National Court; High Courts of Justice (in each of the autonomous communities); provincial courts; courts of first instance", "WATERWAYS": "1,000 km (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "-0.1% (2014 est.); 1.5% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :3.33 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :3.66 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :2.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism, clay and refractory products, footwear, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.3% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1492; the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of independent kingdoms prior to the Muslim occupation that began in the early 8th century A.D. and lasted nearly seven centuries; the small Christian redoubts of the north began the reconquest almost immediately, culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492; this event completed the unification of several kingdoms and is traditionally considered the forging of present-day Spain", "IMPORTS": "$337.9 billion (2014 est.); $326.5 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "despite rigorous law enforcement efforts, North African, Latin American, Galician, and other European traffickers take advantage of Spain's long coastline to land large shipments of cocaine and hashish for distribution to the European market; consumer for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish; destination and minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin; money-laundering site for Colombian narcotics trafficking organizations and organized crime", "ROADWAYS": "total: :683,175 km; paved: :683,175 km (includes 16,205 km of expressways) (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double width), and red with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band; the coat of arms is quartered to display the emblems of the traditional kingdoms of Spain (clockwise from upper left, Castile, Leon, Navarre, and Aragon) while Granada is represented by the stylized pomegranate at the bottom of the shield; the arms are framed by two columns representing the Pillars of Hercules, which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar; the red scroll across the two columns bears the imperial motto of \"Plus Ultra\" (further beyond) referring to Spanish lands beyond Europe; the triband arrangement with the center stripe twice the width of the outer dates to the 18th century; note: :the red and yellow colors are related to those of the oldest Spanish kingdoms: Aragon, Castile, Leon, and Navarre", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$2.278 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); $2.269 trillion (31 December 2011)", "EXPORTS": "$317.3 billion (2014 est.); $311.4 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :King FELIPE VI (since 19 June 2014); Heir Apparent Princess Leonor, daughter of the monarch, born 31 October 2005; head of government: :President of the Government (Prime Minister equivalent) Mariano RAJOY (since 20 December 2011); Vice President (and Minister of the President's Office) Soraya SAENZ DE SANTAMARIA (since 22 December 2011); cabinet: :Council of Ministers designated by the president; note: :there is also a Council of State that is the supreme consultative organ of the government, but its recommendations are non-binding; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually proposed president by the monarch and elected by the National Assembly; election last held on 20 November 2011 (next to be held in November 2015); vice president and Council of Ministers are appointed by the president; election results: :Mariano RAJOY elected President of the Government; percent of National Assembly vote - 44.62%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -; 0.7489 (2014 est.); 0.7634 (2013 est.); 0.78 (2012 est.); 0.7185 (2011 est.); 0.755 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types", "DEATH_RATE": "9 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1812; latest approved by legislature 31 October 1978, passed by referendum 6 December 1978, signed by the king 27 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978; amended 1992, 2011 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 12.2%, France 11.8%, Italy 6.3%, China 5.7%, Netherlands 5%, Portugal 4.1%, UK 4.1% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "4,964 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods, measuring and medical control instruments", "CAPITAL": "name: :Madrid; geographic coordinates: :40 24 N, 3 41 W; 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; note: :Spain has two time zones including the Canary Islands", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$529.7 billion; expenditures: :$608.8 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Spanish Armed Forces: Army (Ejercito de Tierra), Spanish Navy (Armada Espanola, AE; includes Marine Corps), Spanish Air Force (Ejercito del Aire Espanola, EdA) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "9.88 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "150 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular - comunidad autonoma) and 2 autonomous cities* (ciudades autonomas, singular - ciudad autonoma); Andalucia; Aragon; Asturias; Canarias (Canary Islands); Cantabria; Castilla-La Mancha; Castilla-Leon; Cataluna (Castilian), Catalunya (Catalan), Catalonha (Aranese) [Catalonia; note: :the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla plus three small islands of Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera, administered directly by the Spanish central government, are all along the coast of Morocco and are collectively referred to as Places of Sovereignty (Plazas de Soberania)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "France 16.7%, Germany 10.5%, Portugal 7.8%, Italy 7.3%, UK 7% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, medicines, other consumer goods", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :2.9%; industry: :15%; services: :58.4% (2014 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.5%; highest 10%: :24% (2000)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "21.1% (2012)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.86% of GDP (2012); 0.95% of GDP (2011); 0.86% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluents from the offshore production of oil and gas; water quality and quantity nationwide; air pollution; deforestation; desertification", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :51; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :13; 36 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :99; over 3,047 m: :18; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :14; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :19; 914 to 1,523 m: :24; under 914 m: :24 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World War I and II but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). A peaceful transition to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco FRANCO in 1975, and rapid economic modernization (Spain joined the EU in 1986) gave Spain a dynamic and rapidly growing economy and made it a global champion of freedom and human rights. More recently the government has had to focus on measures to reverse a severe economic recession that began in mid-2008. Austerity measures implemented to reduce a large budget deficit and reassure foreign investors have led to one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe. Spain assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2015-16 term.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :217,244; female: :205,278 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :9,603,939; females age 16-49: :9,116,928 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-26 years of age for voluntary military service by a Spanish citizen or legal immigrant, 2-3 year obligation; women allowed to serve in all SAF branches, including combat units; no conscription, but Spanish Government retains right to mobilize citizens 19-25 years of age in a national emergency; mandatory retirement of non-NCO enlisted personnel at age 45 or 58, depending on service length (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "almost five times the size of Kentucky; slightly more than twice the size of Oregon", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "periodic droughts, occasional flooding; volcanism: :volcanic activity in the Canary Islands, located off Africa's northwest coast; Teide (elev. 3,715 m) has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; La Palma (elev. 2,426 m), which last erupted in 1971, is the most active of the Canary Islands volcanoes; Lanzarote is the only other historically active volcano", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m", "HELIPORTS": "10 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.07 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.74 male(s)/female; total population: :0.97 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "379 (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 18, FM 250, shortwave 2 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :3.2%; industry: :25.4%; services: :71.4% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "40 00 N, 4 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :15.4% (male 3,791,781/female 3,575,157); 15-24 years: :9.6% (male 2,370,289/female 2,212,511); 25-54 years: :45.9% (male 11,158,451/female 10,752,197); 55-64 years: :11.4% (male 2,662,055/female 2,799,379); 65 years and over: :17.6% (male 3,582,643/female 4,833,478) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Sri Lanka", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Andrew C. MANN (since 6 December 2014) note - also accredited to Maldives; embassy: :210 Galle Road, Colombo 3; mailing address: :P. O. Box 106, Colombo; telephone: :[94; FAX: :[94", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$10,400 (2014 est.); $9,700 (2013 est.); $9,200 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "7% (2014 est.); 7.3% (2013 est.); 6.3% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.86% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$217.1 billion (2014 est.); $202.9 billion (2013 est.); $189.1 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :51.3%; youth dependency ratio: :38.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :13.2%; potential support ratio: :7.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "28.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 27.7% of GDP (2013 est.); 23.9% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :66.1%; government consumption: :12.8%; investment in fixed capital: :29.6%; investment in inventories: :0.3%; exports of goods and services: :22.5%; imports of goods and services: :-31.4%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "68.4% (2006/07)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "25.4; note: :median age at first birth among women 30-34 (2006/07 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "15.23 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "44,270 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "94,470 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "35,440 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "36,380 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "44.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "55.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "3.147 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "9.557 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "11.8 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "lion, water lily; national colors: maroon, yellow", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :17.3%; male: :14%; female: :23.5% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "5.1% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "3.6 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.68 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "3.3% of GDP (2011)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "26.3% (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "35 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-5.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "13.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "COLOMBO (capital) 704,000; Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital) 128,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Sri Lanka Matha\" (Mother Sri Lanka); lyrics/music: :Ananda SAMARKONE; note: :adopted 1951", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 82.9% of population; rural: 93.9% of population; total: 92.3% of population; urban: 17.1% of population; rural: 6.1% of population; total: 7.7% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.1% of population; rural: 92.9% of population; total: 93.8% of population; urban: 0.9% of population; rural: 7.1% of population; total: 6.2% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$27.19 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $23.39 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$4.037 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.706 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "government operates 8 TV channels and a radio network; multi-channel satellite and cable TV subscription services available; 35 private TV stations and about 50 radio stations (2012)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :18.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.72% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$36.22 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $33.04 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$11.01 billion (31 December 2008); $10.46 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$2.462 billion (31 December 2008); $2.465 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "11.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 12.5% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "6.5% (31 December 2013); 7.5% (19 December 2012)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "1.7% of GDP (2012)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :14 years; male: :13 years; female: :14 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :12.95 cu km/yr (6%/6%/87%); per capita: :638.8 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "52.8 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$18.48 billion (31 November 2013 est.); $17.05 billion (31 December 2012); $19.44 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$NA", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Sri Lanka is primarily a source and, to a lesser extent, a destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; some Sri Lankan adults and children who migrate willingly to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, and the US to work as domestic servants, construction workers, or garment factory workers subsequently face conditions of forced labor, including restrictions on movement, withholding of passports, abuse, and threats; some Sri Lankan women are forced into prostitution in Jordan, Singapore, Maldives, and other countries, while some foreign women are forced into prostitution in Sri Lanka; within Sri Lanka, women and children are also subjected to sex trafficking, and other children are forced to work in the agriculture, fireworks, and fish-drying industries; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Sri Lanka does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; modest trafficking prevention efforts in 2013 included updating a national action plan and launching awareness campaigns; law enforcement efforts were limited; no traffickers were convicted under the trafficking statute and none of those convicted under the procurement statute served prison time; labor recruitment regulations were rarely enforced; authorities did not approve guidelines developed in 2012 for the identification of victims and their referral to protective services; no government employees were investigated or prosecuted, despite allegations of complicity (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$71.57 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "IDPs: :up to 90,000 (civil war; more than half displaced prior to 2008; many of the more than 480,000 IDPs registered as returnees have not reached durable solutions) (2014)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A; vectorborne disease: :dengue fever; water contact disease: :leptospirosis; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$8.314 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $7.495 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$2.067 billion (2014 est.); -$2.665 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "78.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 78.3% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :covers central government debt, and excludes debt instruments directly owned by government entities other than the treasury (e.g. commercial bank borrowings of a government corporation); the data includes treasury debt held by foreign entities as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement; sub-national entities are usually not permitted to sell debt instruments", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "9,552 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :31.8 years; male: :30.6 years; female: :32.9 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "49 (2010); 46 (1995)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "2,900 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.02% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".lk", "INTERNET_USERS": "1.777 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "19.533 million (2013)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "2.796 million (2013)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Prasad KARIYAWASAM (since 14 July 2014); chancery: :2148 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Los Angeles", "AREA": "total: :65,610 sq km; land: :64,630 sq km; water: :980 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "5,700 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Asia", "LOCATION": "Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka; conventional short form: :Sri Lanka; local long form: :Shri Lanka Prajatantrika Samajavadi Janarajaya/Ilankai Jananayaka Choshalichak Kutiyarachu; local short form: :Shri Lanka/Ilankai; former: :Serendib, Ceylon", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "4.2% (2014 est.); 4.4% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.13 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :telephone services have improved significantly and are available in most parts of the country; domestic: :national trunk network consists mostly of digital microwave radio relay; fiber-optic links now in use in Colombo area and fixed wireless local loops have been installed; competition is strong in mobile cellular systems and mobile cellular subscribership is increasing; international: :country code - 94; the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cables provide connectivity to Asia, Australia, Middle East, Europe, US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Buddhist (official) 70.2%, Hindu 12.6%, Muslim 9.7%, Roman Catholic 6.1%, other Christian 1.3%, other 0.05% (2012 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :1,449 km; broad gauge: :1,449 km 1.676-m gauge (2007)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Colombo; container port(s) (TEUs): :Colombo (3,651,963)", "POPULATION": "21,866,445 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "All Ceylon Muslim Congress [Rishad BAITHUTHEEN; Democratic National Alliance, led by General (Retired) Sarath FONSEKA; Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP [Anura Kumara DISSANAYAKE; Jathika Hela Urumaya or JHU [Patali Champika RANAWAKA; Sri Lanka Freedom Party [Maithripala SIRISENA and Mahinda RAJAPAKSA claimed leadership as of January 2015; Sri Lanka Muslim Congress [Rauff HAKEEM; Tamil National Alliance [R. SAMPANTHAN; United National Party [Ranil WICKREMESINGHE", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Sri Lanka continues to experience strong economic growth following the end of the 26-year conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The government has been pursuing large-scale reconstruction and development projects in its efforts to spur growth in war-torn and disadvantaged areas, develop small and medium enterprises and increase agricultural productivity. The government's high debt payments and bloated civil service have contributed to historically high budget deficits, but fiscal consolidation efforts and strong GDP growth in recent years have helped bring down the government's fiscal deficit. However, low tax revenues are a major concern. The 2008-09 global financial crisis and recession exposed Sri Lanka's economic vulnerabilities and nearly caused a balance of payments crisis. Agriculture slowed due to a drought and weak global demand affected exports and trade. In early 2012, Sri Lanka floated the rupee, resulting in a sharp depreciation, and took steps to curb imports. A large trade deficit remains a concern, but strong remittances from Sri Lankan workers abroad help offset the trade deficit. Government debt of about 80% of GDP remains among the highest in emerging markets.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Buddhist clergy; Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups; other: :labor unions; hard-line nationalist Sinhalese groups such as the National Movement Against Terrorism", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-1.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Sri Lankan(s); adjective: :Sri Lankan", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 4 February (1948)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :21; by type: :bulk carrier 4, cargo 13, chemical tanker 1, container 1, petroleum tanker 2; foreign-owned: :8 (Germany 8) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ABEDA, ADB, ARF, BIMSTEC, C, CD, CP, FAO, G-11, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, SCO (dialogue member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :5,342,147; females age 16-49: :5,466,409 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :91.2%; male: :92.6%; female: :90% (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :76.35 years; male: :72.85 years; female: :79.99 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Parliament (225 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote using a preferential method in which voters select 3 candidates in order of preference; members serve 6-year terms); elections: :last held on 8 April 2010 with a repoll in two constituencies held on 20 April 2010 (next to be held by 23 April 2015); election results: :percent of vote by alliance/party - United People's Freedom Alliance 60.93%, United National Front 29.34%, Democratic National Alliance 5.49%, Tamil National Alliance 2.9%, other 1.34%; seats by alliance/party - United People's Freedom Alliance 144, United National Front 60, Tamil National Alliance 14, Democratic National Alliance 7", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, and Jaffna Tamil customary law", "LANGUAGES": "Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8%; note: :English, spoken competently by about 10% of the population, is commonly used in government and is referred to as the link language in the constitution", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :19.93%; permanent crops: :15.95%; other: :64.12% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "8.916 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of the Republic (consists of the chief justice and 10 justices); note - the court has exclusive jurisdiction to review legislation; judge selection and term of office: :the chief justice appointed by the president; the other justices appointed by the president with the advice of the chief justice; all justices hold office until age 65; subordinate courts: :Court of Appeals; High Courts; Magistrate's Courts; municipal and primary courts", "WATERWAYS": "160 km (primarily on rivers in southwest) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3.8% (2014 est.); 6.9% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :9.02 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :9.98 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :8.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, tobacco and other agricultural commodities; telecommunications, insurance, banking; tourism, shipping; clothing, textiles; cement, petroleum refining, information technology services, construction", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "9.4% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "4 February 1948 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$19.24 billion (2014 est.); $18 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :114,093 km; paved: :16,977 km; unpaved: :97,116 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other larger panel depicts a yellow lion holding a sword on a maroon rectangular field that also displays a yellow bo leaf in each corner; the yellow field appears as a border around the entire flag and extends between the two panels; the lion represents Sinhalese ethnicity, the strength of the nation, and bravery; the sword demonstrates the sovereignty of the nation; the four bo leaves - symbolizing Buddhism and its influence on the country - stand for the four virtues of kindness, friendliness, happiness, and equanimity; orange signifies Sri Lankan Tamils, green Sri Lankan Moors, and maroon the Sinhalese majority; yellow denotes other ethnic groups; also referred to as the Lion Flag", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$27.11 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $26.26 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$11.88 billion (2014 est.); $10.39 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Maithripala SIRISENA (since 9 January 2015); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; Ranil WICKREMESINGHE (since 9 January 2015) holds the title of prime minister; head of government: :President Maithripala SIRISENA (since 9 January 2015); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a 6-year term, but can call an election after 4 years; eligible for unlimited terms; election last held on 8 January 2015 (next to be held by January 2021); election results: :Maithripala SIRISENA elected president; percent of vote - Maithripala SIRISENA (National Democratic Front)) 51.3%, Mahinda Percy RAJAPAKSA (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) 47.6%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Sri Lankan rupees (LKR) per US dollar -; 130.4 (2014 est.); 129.07 (2013 est.); 127.6 (2012 est.); 110.57 (2011 est.); 113.06 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Sinhalese 74.9%, Sri Lankan Tamil 11.2%, Sri Lankan Moors 9.2%, Indian Tamil 4.2%, other 0.5% (2012 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "6.06 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted 16 August 1978, certified 31 August 1978; amended many times, last in 2010 (2010)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "India 21.5%, China 17.6%, Singapore 10.1%, UAE 6.1%, Iran 4.9% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "1,340 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum, textiles, machinery and transportation equipment, building materials, mineral products, foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Colombo; note - Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital; geographic coordinates: :6 55 N, 79 50 E; time difference: :UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$9.978 billion; expenditures: :$14.14 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy, Sri Lanka Air Force, Sri Lanka Coast Guard (2015)", "BIRTH_RATE": "16.24 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "19 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, vegetables, fruit, tea, rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "9 provinces; Central, Eastern, North Central, Northern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 21.8%, UK 8.3%, India 4.5%, Germany 4.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "textiles and apparel, tea and spices; rubber manufactures; precious stones; coconut products, fish", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :31.8%; industry: :25.8%; services: :42.4% (June 2012)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.6%; highest 10%: :39.5% (2009)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "8.9% (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "2.43% of GDP (2012); 2.89% of GDP (2011); 2.43% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Marine Life Conservation", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by poaching and urbanization; coastal degradation from mining activities and increased pollution; freshwater resources being polluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff; waste disposal; air pollution in Colombo", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :4; 914 to 1,523 m: :1; 3 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :15; over 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :6; 914 to 1,523 m: :7 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The first Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C., probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced in about the mid-third century B.C., and a great civilization developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (kingdom from circa 200 B.C. to circa A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200). In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty established a Tamil kingdom in northern Sri Lanka. The coastal areas of the island were controlled by the Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch in the 17th century. The island was ceded to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was formally united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted into war in 1983. After two decades of fighting, the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) formalized a cease-fire in February 2002 with Norway brokering peace negotiations. Violence between the LTTE and government forces intensified in 2006, but the government regained control of the Eastern Province in 2007. By May 2009, the government announced that its military had defeated the remnants of the LTTE. Since the end of the conflict, the government has enacted an ambitious program of economic development projects, many of which are financed by loans from the Government of China. In addition to efforts to reconstruct its economy, the government has resettled more than 95% of those civilians who were displaced during the final phase of the conflict and released the vast majority of former LTTE combatants captured by Government Security Forces. At the same time, there has been little progress on more contentious and politically difficult issues such as reaching a political settlement with Tamil elected representatives and holding accountable those alleged to have been involved in human rights violations and other abuses during the conflict.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :167,026; female: :162,587 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :4,177,432; females age 16-49: :4,574,833 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-22 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; 5-year service obligation (Air Force) (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than West Virginia", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "occasional cyclones and tornadoes", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Indian Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Pidurutalagala 2,524 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.04 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.96 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.96 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.75 male(s)/female; total population: :0.96 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "12 (2009)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 15, FM 52, shortwave 4 (2007)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :10.2%; industry: :33.1%; services: :56.7% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "7 00 N, 81 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :24.7% (male 2,758,360/female 2,648,073); 15-24 years: :14.9% (male 1,651,901/female 1,606,465); 25-54 years: :42.1% (male 4,504,395/female 4,708,288); 55-64 years: :9.5% (male 966,295/female 1,117,310); 65 years and over: :8.7% (male 812,669/female 1,092,689) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Sudan", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Ambassador Jerry P. LANIER; embassy: :Sharia Ali Abdul Latif Street, Khartoum; mailing address: :P.O. Box 699, Kilo 10, Soba, Khartoum; APO AE 09829; telephone: :[249; FAX: :[249", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$4,500 (2014 est.); $4,500 (2013 est.); $4,500 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3% (2014 est.); 3.3% (2013 est.); -2.7% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.78% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$159.5 billion (2014 est.); $154.8 billion (2013 est.); $149.9 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :79%; youth dependency ratio: :73.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.9%; potential support ratio: :17.1% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "11.1% of GDP (2014 est.); 11.4% of GDP (2013 est.); 9.5% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :81.1%; government consumption: :11.7%; investment in fixed capital: :21.3%; investment in inventories: :2%; exports of goods and services: :5.4%; imports of goods and services: :-21.6%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "9% (2010)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "16.45 million Mt (2011 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "21.24 billion cu m (1 January 2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2011 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2011 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2010 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2011 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "4,349 bbl/day (2008 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "14,950 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "95,450 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "124,900 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "1.25 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "97,270 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "28,830 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "66.3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "30.7% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "2.083 million kW (2010 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "5.665 billion kWh (2010 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "7.193 billion kWh (2010 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "secretary bird; national colors: red, white, black, green", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "6% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.8 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.28 physicians/1,000 population (2008)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "7.2% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "27% (2006)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "730 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "10.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; withdrew acceptance of ICCt jurisdiction in 2008", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "KHARTOUM (capital) 5 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Nahnu Djundulla Djundulwatan\" (We Are the Army of God and of Our Land); lyrics/music: :Sayed Ahmad Muhammad SALIH/Ahmad MURJAN; note: :adopted 1956; originally served as the anthem of the Sudanese military", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 43.9% of population; rural: 13.4% of population; total: 23.6% of population; urban: 56.1% of population; rural: 86.6% of population; total: 76.4% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 66% of population; rural: 50.2% of population; total: 55.5% of population; urban: 34% of population; rural: 49.8% of population; total: 44.5% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$13.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $11.65 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$8.459 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $7.055 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "the Sudanese Government directly controls TV and radio, requiring that both media reflect government policies; TV has a permanent military censor; a private radio station is in operation (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :33.6% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.54% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$15.41 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $13.29 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$4.264 billion (31 December 2008); $4.068 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$6.256 billion (31 December 2008); $5.549 billion (31 December 2007)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :7 years; male: :7 years; female: :7 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :27.59 cu km/yr (4%/1%/95%); per capita: :683.4 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "64.5 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$32.43 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $27.45 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Sudan is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children who are subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Sudanese women and girls, particularly those from rural areas or who are internally displaced, are vulnerable to forced labor as domestic workers in homes throughout the country; Sudanese women and girls are subjected to domestic servitude in Middle Eastern countries and to forced sex trafficking in Europe; some Sudanese men who voluntarily migrate to the Middle East as low-skilled laborers face conditions indicative of forced labor; Sudanese children in Darfur are forcibly conscripted, at times through abduction, and used by armed groups and government security forces, while Sudanese children in Saudi Arabia are used in forced begging and street vending; Sudan is a transit and destination country for Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Filipina women subjected to domestic servitude in Sudan and Middle Eastern countries, as well as a destination country for women sex trafficked from East African countries and possibly Thailand; tier rating: :Tier 3 - Sudan does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; in 2013, the government enacted an anti-trafficking law, raised the age of military recruitment to 18, rescued and assisted an increased number of trafficking victims, and made efforts to bring traffickers to justice; however, its law enforcement, protection, or prevention measures to address human trafficking remained ad hoc; the government did not employ a system for proactively identifying trafficking victims among vulnerable population or a referral process for transferring victims to organizations providing care; in 2013, Sudan�s armed forces and proxy militia continued to recruit child soldiers and did not conclude a proposed joint action plan with the UN to address the issue (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$70.03 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :109,594 (Eritrea); 42,062 (Chad) (2014); 127,655 (South Sudan) (2015); IDPs: :3.1 million (civil war 1983-2005; ongoing conflict in Darfur region; government and rebel fighting along South Sudan border; inter-tribal clashes) (2014)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria, dengue fever, and Rift Valley fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; respiratory disease: :meningococcal meningitis; animal contact disease: :rabies; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$1.197 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $193 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$5.762 billion (2014 est.); -$4.481 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "71.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 78.1% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "99 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :19.1 years; male: :18.9 years; female: :19.4 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "3,100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "49,300 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.24% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".sd", "INTERNET_USERS": "4.2 million (2008)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "27.659 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "425,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires FATAHELRAMAN Ali Mohamed (since mid-2014); chancery: :2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :1,861,484 sq km; land: :NA; water: :NA", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "18,900 sq km (2010)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "north-eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of the Sudan; conventional short form: :Sudan; local long form: :Jumhuriyat as-Sudan; local short form: :As-Sudan; former: :Anglo-Egyptian Sudan", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "20% (2012 est.); 18.7% (2002 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "federal republic ruled by the National Congress Party (NCP), which seized power by military coup in 1989; the CPA-mandated Government of National Unity, which between 2005 and 2011 provided a percentage of leadership posts to the southern Sudan-based Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), was disbanded following the secession of South Sudan", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "3.92 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "generally flat, featureless plain; desert dominates the north", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :well-equipped system by regional standards and being upgraded; cellular communications started in 1996 and have expanded substantially with wide coverage of most major cities; domestic: :consists of microwave radio relay, cable, fiber optic, radiotelephone communications, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations; international: :country code - 249; linked to the EASSy and FLAG fiber-optic submarine cable systems; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Arabsat (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "17 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Sunni Muslim, small Christian minority", "RAILWAYS": "total: :5,978 km; narrow gauge: :4,578 km 1.067-m gauge; 1,400 km 0.600-m gauge for cotton plantations (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Port Sudan", "POPULATION": "35,482,233 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Democratic Unionist Party or DUP [Muhammad Uthman al-MIRGHANI; Muslim Brotherhood or MB; National Congress Party or NCP [Umar Hassan al-BASHIR; National Umma Party or UP [Siddiq al-MAHDI; Popular Congress Party or PCP [Hassan al-TURABI; Reform Now Party or RNP [Dr. Ghazi Salah ADDEEN; Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) [Mohammed Moktar Al-KHATEEB; Sudanese Congress Party [Ibrahim Al Shiek ABDULRAHMAN; Unionist Movement Party or UMP [Nagla AL-AZHARI", "PIPELINES": "gas 156 km; oil 4,070 km; refined products 1,613 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Sudan is an extremely poor country that has experienced protracted social conflict, civil war, and, in July 2011, the loss of three-quarters of its oil production due to the secession of South Sudan. The oil sector had driven much of Sudan's GDP growth since 1999. For nearly a decade, the economy boomed on the back of rising oil production, high oil prices, and significant inflows of foreign direct investment. Since the economic shock of South Sudan's secession, Sudan has struggled to stabilize its economy and make up for the loss of foreign exchange earnings. The interruption of oil production in South Sudan in 2012 for over a year and the consequent loss of oil transit fees further exacerbated the fragile state of Sudan�s economy. Sudan is also subject to comprehensive US sanctions. Sudan is attempting to develop non-oil sources of revenues, such as gold mining, while carrying out an austerity program to reduce expenditures. The world�s largest exporter of gum Arabic, Sudan produces 75-80% of the world�s total output. Agriculture continues to employ 80% of the work force. Sudan introduced a new currency, still called the Sudanese pound, following South Sudan's secession, but the value of the currency has fallen since its introduction. Khartoum formally devalued the currency in June 2012, when it passed austerity measures that included gradually repealing fuel subsidies. Sudan also faces rising inflation, which reached 47% on an annual basis in November 2012, but subsided to 37% in 2014. Ongoing conflicts in Southern Kordofan, Darfur, and the Blue Nile states, lack of basic infrastructure in large areas, and reliance by much of the population on subsistence agriculture keep close to half of the population at or below the poverty line.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Darfur rebel groups including the Justice and Equality Movement or JEM [Gibril Fidail IBRAHIM; National Consensus Front (NCF) [Farouq ABU ISSA; Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) [Malik AGAR; Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) [Malik AGAR", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "dominated by the Nile and its tributaries", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-4.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold; hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Sudanese (singular and plural); adjective: :Sudanese", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 1 January (1956)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :2; by type: :cargo 2 (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :18 nm; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :10,433,973; females age 16-49: :10,411,443 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :73.4%; male: :81.7%; female: :65.3% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :63.32 years; male: :61.27 years; female: :65.46 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral National Legislature consists of the Council of States or Majlis Weleyat (50 seats; members indirectly elected - 2 each by the 25 state legislatures to serve 6-year terms) and the National Assembly or Majlis Watani (450 seats; 270 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 112 for women only directly elected by proportional representation vote, and 68 directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 6-year terms); elections: :last held on 11-15 April 2010 (next to be held on 2 April 2015); election results: :National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NCP 323, SPLM 99, PCP 4, DUP 4, UMP 3, URDP 2, DUPO 2, SPLM-DC 2, other 7, vacant 4; composition of National Assembly following South Sudan's independence - seats by party - NCP 317, SPLM 8, PCP 4, DUP 4, UFP 3, URDP 2, DUPO 1, UP 1, UNP 1, UCLP 1, MB 1, independent 3, vacant 8; note: :the mandate of the members from the south was terminated upon independence by the Republic of South Sudan effective 9 July 2011 and membership in Sudan's National Assembly was reduced to 354; it is unclear whether this total will be retained for the next election or whether the previous total of 450 will be reconstituted", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of Islamic law and English common law", "LANGUAGES": "Arabic (official), English (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, Fur; note: :program of \"Arabization\" in process", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :6.76%; permanent crops: :0.07%; other: :93.17% (2011 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :6,819 km; border countries: :Central African Republic 174 km, Chad 1,403 km, Egypt 1,276 km, Eritrea 682 km, Ethiopia 744 km, Libya 382 km, South Sudan 2,158 km; note: :Sudan-South Sudan boundary represents 1 January 1956 alignment; final alignment pending negotiations and demarcation; final sovereignty status of Abyei region pending negotiations between Sudan and South Sudan", "LABOR_FORCE": "11.92 million (2007 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :National Supreme Court (consists of 70 judges organized into panels of 3 judges; court includes 4 circuits that operate outside the capital); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 justices including the court president); note - the Constitutional Court resides outside the national judiciary; judge selection and term of office: :National Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president of the republic upon the recommendation of the National Judicial Service Commission, an independent body chaired by the chief justice of the republic and members including other judges and judicial and legal officials; Supreme Court judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed for 7 years; subordinate courts: :National Court of Appeals; other national courts (not specified in the 2005 Interim National Constitution as to national or local authority); township and rural (peoples') courts", "WATERWAYS": "4,068 km (1,723 km open year round on White and Blue Nile rivers) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "40.6% (2014 est.); 37.1% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :52.86 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :58.29 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :47.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "oil, cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, armaments, automobile/light truck assembly", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.9% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1 January 1956 (from Egypt and the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$9.247 billion (2014 est.); $8.728 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :11,900 km; paved: :4,320 km; unpaved: :7,580 km (2000)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; colors and design based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I, but the meanings of the colors are expressed as follows: red signifies the struggle for freedom, white is the color of peace, light, and love, black represents Sudan itself (in Arabic 'Sudan' means black), green is the color of Islam, agriculture, and prosperity", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$47.45 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $44.76 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$7.185 billion (2014 est.); $7.086 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993); First Vice President BAKRI Hassan Salih (since 3 December 2013), Second Vice President Hasabu Mohamed ABDEL RAHMIN (since 3 December 2013) note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993); First Vice President BAKRI Hassan Salih; Second Vice President Hasabu Mohamed ABDEL RAHMAN (both since 9 December 2013); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - the NCP (formerly the National Islamic Front or NIF) dominates al-BASHIR's cabinet; elections: :election on 11-15 April 2010 (next to be held on 2 April 2015); election results: :Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR re-elected president; percent of vote - Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR 68.2%, Yasir ARMAN 21.7%, Abdullah Deng NHIAL 3.9%, others 6.2%; note: :al-BASHIR assumed power as chairman of Sudan's Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation (RCC) in June 1989 and served concurrently as chief of state, chairman of the RCC, prime minister, and minister of defense until mid-October 1993 when he was appointed president by the RCC; he was elected president by popular vote for the first time in March 1996", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Sudanese pounds (SDG) per US dollar -; 5.79 (2014 est.); 4.76 (2013 est.); 3.57 (2012 est.); 2.68 (2011 est.); 2.31 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Sudanese Arab (approximately 70%), Fur, Beja, Nuba, Fallata", "DEATH_RATE": "7.87 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1998; latest (interim) adopted 6 July 2005, effective 9 July 2005; note - in 2011, the Government of Sudan initiated a process for drafting a new constitution (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 25.9%, India 8.5%, Saudi Arabia 7.3%, Egypt 6.6%, UAE 4.8% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "853 km", "CLIMATE": "hot and dry; arid desert; rainy season varies by region (April to November)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foodstuffs, manufactured goods, refinery and transport equipment, medicines, chemicals, textiles, wheat", "CAPITAL": "name: :Khartoum; geographic coordinates: :15 36 N, 32 32 E; time difference: :UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$7.313 billion; expenditures: :$9.119 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF): Land Forces, Navy (includes Marines), Sudanese Air Force (Sikakh al-Jawwiya as-Sudaniya), Popular Defense Forces (2011)", "BIRTH_RATE": "30.01 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "74 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cotton, groundnuts (peanuts), sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic, sugarcane, cassava (manioc, tapioca), mangoes, papaya, bananas, sweet potatoes, sesame seeds; sheep and other livestock", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "18 states (wilayat, singular - wilayah); Al Bahr al Ahmar (Red Sea), Al Jazira (Gezira), Al Khartoum (Khartoum), Al Qadarif (Gedaref), An Nil al Abyad (White Nile), An Nil al Azraq (Blue Nile), Ash Shimaliyya (Northern), Gharb Darfur (West Darfur), Gharb Kurdufan (West Korodfan), Janub Darfur (South Darfur), Janub Kurdufan (South Kordofan), Kassala, Nahr an Nil (River Nile), Sharq Darfur (East Darfur), Shimal Darfur (North Darfur), Shimal Kurdufan (North Kordofan), Sinnar, Wasat Darfur (Central Darfur)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "UAE 33.6%, China 31.5%, Japan 6.5%, Saudi Arabia 4.9%, India 4.6% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "gold; oil and petroleum products; cotton, sesame, livestock, peanuts, gum arabic, sugar", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :80%; industry: :7%; services: :13% (1998 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.7%; highest 10%: :26.7% (2009 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "46.5% (2009 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife populations threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification; periodic drought", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :58; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :17; 914 to 1,523 m: :28; 12 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :16; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :10; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2; under 914 m: :2 (2013)", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :532,030; female: :512,476 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :6,475,530; females age 16-49: :6,840,885 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-33 years of age for male and female compulsory or voluntary military service; 1-2 year service obligation; a requirement that completion of national service was mandatory before entering public or private sector employment has been cancelled (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than one-fifth the size of the US", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "dust storms and periodic persistent droughts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Red Sea 0 m; highest point: :Jabal Marrah 3,071 m", "HELIPORTS": "6 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :1.24 male(s)/female; total population: :1.02 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "3 (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :26.8%; industry: :35.6%; services: :37.7% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "15 00 N, 30 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :40.8% (male 7,356,059/female 7,131,497); 15-24 years: :20.2% (male 3,704,700/female 3,476,847); 25-54 years: :31.8% (male 5,465,816/female 5,800,619); 55-64 years: :3.9% (male 737,831/female 652,428); 65 years and over: :3.3% (male 633,083/female 523,353) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Suriname", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Jay N. ANANIA (since 1 October 2012); embassy: :Dr. Sophie Redmondstraat 129, Paramaribo; mailing address: :US Department of State, PO Box 1821, Paramaribo; telephone: :[597; FAX: :[597", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$16,700 (2014 est.); $16,400 (2013 est.); $15,900 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.3% (2014 est.); 4.1% (2013 est.); 4.8% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.12% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$9.24 billion (2014 est.); $8.949 billion (2013 est.); $8.596 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :50.7%; youth dependency ratio: :40.6%; elderly dependency ratio: :10.1%; potential support ratio: :9.9% (2014 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :55.5%; government consumption: :11.4%; investment in fixed capital: :12.1%; investment in inventories: :23%; exports of goods and services: :29.3%; imports of goods and services: :-31.3%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "47.6% (2010)", "DEMOGRAPHIC_PROFILE": "Suriname is a pluralistic society consisting primarily of Creoles (persons of mixed African and European heritage), the descendants of escaped African slaves known as Maroons, and the descendants of Indian and Javanese contract workers. The country overall is in full, post-industrial demographic transition, with a low fertility rate, a moderate mortality rate, and a rising life expectancy. However, the Maroon population of the rural interior lags behind because of lower educational attainment and contraceptive use, higher malnutrition, and significantly less access to electricity, potable water, sanitation, infrastructure, and health care.; Some 350,000 people of Surinamese descent live in the Netherlands, Suriname's former colonial ruler. In the 19th century, better-educated, largely Dutch-speaking Surinamese began emigrating to the Netherlands. World War II interrupted the outflow, but it resumed after the war when Dutch labor demands grew - emigrants included all segments of the Creole population. Suriname still is strongly influenced by the Netherlands because most Surinamese have relatives living there and it is the largest supplier of development aid. Other emigration destinations include French Guiana and the United States. Suriname's immigration rules are flexible, and the country is easy to enter illegally because rainforests obscure its borders. Since the mid-1980s, Brazilians have settled in Suriname's capital, Paramaribo, or eastern Suriname, where they mine gold. This immigration is likely to slowly re-orient Suriname toward its Latin American roots.", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :6,094; percentage: :6% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "2.268 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "6,454 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "1,015 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "15,050 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "7,462 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "76.7 million bbl (1 January 2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0.66 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "7,621 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "15,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "45.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "54.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "412,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "1.475 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "1.6 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "royal palm, Faya Lobi flower; national colors: green, white, red, yellow", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :21.5% (2004 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "25.1% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "3.1 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.91 physicians/1,000 population (2004)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.9% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "5.8% (2010)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "130 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "24.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "PARAMARIBO (capital) 234,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"God zij met ons Suriname!\" (God Be With Our Suriname); lyrics/music: :Cornelis Atses HOEKSTRA and Henry DE ZIEL/Johannes Corstianus DE PUY; note: :adopted 1959; originally adapted from a Sunday school song written in 1893 and contains lyrics in both Dutch and Sranang Tongo", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 88.4% of population; rural: 61.4% of population; total: 80.3% of population; urban: 11.6% of population; rural: 38.6% of population; total: 19.7% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 98.1% of population; rural: 88.4% of population; total: 95.2% of population; urban: 1.9% of population; rural: 11.6% of population; total: 4.8% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$3.282 million (31 December 2014 est.); $2.736 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$1.484 million (31 December 2014 est.); $1.353 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "2 state-owned TV stations; 1 state-owned radio station; multiple private radio and TV stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :66.1% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.78% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$2 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.669 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$1.018 billion (31 December 2008); $824.4 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$484.7 million (31 December 2008); $416.6 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "12.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 12% (31 December 2013 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.67 cu km/yr (6%/4%/90%); per capita: :1,396 cu m/yr (2006)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "122 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Suriname is a source and destination country for women, men, and children who are subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; women and girls from Suriname, Guyana, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic are subjected to sex trafficking in the country, sometimes in interior mining camps; Surinamese women and girls are also sexually exploited in French Guiana; migrant workers in agriculture and on fishing boats and children working in informal urban sectors and gold mines are vulnerable to forced labor; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Suriname does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute a significant effort toward meeting the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking; in 2013, the government prosecuted an increased number of sex trafficking cases but decreased investigations and prosecutions of sex trafficking offenders; authorities failed to investigate, prosecute, or convict labor traffickers; fewer sex trafficking and no forced labor victims were identified; protective services for victims were inadequate, but plans to open a government-run shelter for women and child victims were initiated in 2014; a national strategy to combat human trafficking was also adopted in 2014 (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$5.273 billion (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne disease: :dengue fever and malaria (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$775.4 million (31 December 2013 est.); $775.4 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$140.8 million (2014 est.); -$197.9 million (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "188 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :28.6 years; male: :28.3 years; female: :29 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "3,200 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.88% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".sr", "INTERNET_USERS": "163,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "977,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "83,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Subhas-Chandra MUNGRA (since 28 January 2011); chancery: :Suite 460, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Miami", "AREA": "total: :163,820 sq km; land: :156,000 sq km; water: :7,820 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "511.8 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "South America", "LOCATION": "Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Suriname; conventional short form: :Suriname; local long form: :Republiek Suriname; local short form: :Suriname; former: :Netherlands Guiana, Dutch Guiana", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "9% (2008); 12.1% (2006)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.01 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :international facilities are good; domestic: :combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity 185 telephones per 100 persons; microwave radio relay network; international: :country code - 597; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman Catholic 22.8%, Muslim 19.6%, indigenous beliefs 5%", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Paramaribo, Wageningen", "POPULATION": "573,311 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "A-Combination (a coalition that includes the General Liberation and Development Party ABOP [Ronnie BRUNSWIJK; Basic Party for Renewal and Democracy or PVF [Soede Chand JAIRAM; Democratic Union Suriname or DUS [Japhet DIEKO; Mega Combination Coalition (a coalition that joined with A-Combination and the PL to form a majority in Parliament in 2010 - includes the National Democratic Party or NDP [Desire Delano BOUTERSE; National Democratic Party or NDP [Desire Delano BOUTERSE; National Union or NU [P. VAN LEEUWAARDE; New Front for Democracy and Development or NF (a coalition made up of the National Party of Suriname or NPS [Runaldo VENETIAAN; Party for Democracy and Development in Unity or DOE [Carl BREEVELD; Party for the Permanent Prosperity Republic Suriname or PVRS [Chas MIJNALS; People's Alliance, Pertjaja Luhur's or PL [Paul SOMOHARDJO; note: :BVD and PVF participated in the election as a coalition (BVD/PVF) in the most recent elections, but separated after the election", "PIPELINES": "oil 50 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The economy is dominated by the mining industry, with exports of alumina, gold, and oil accounting for about 85% of exports and 25% of government revenues, making the economy highly vulnerable to mineral price volatility. Economic growth has declined from just under 5% in 2012 and 2013 to 4% in 2014. In January 2011, the government devalued the currency by 20% and raised taxes to reduce the budget deficit. As a result of these measures, inflation receded to less than 4% in 2014. Suriname's economic prospects for the medium term will depend on continued commitment to responsible monetary and fiscal policies and to the introduction of structural reforms to liberalize markets and promote competition. The government's reliance on revenue from extractive industries will temper Suriname's economic outlook, especially if gold prices continue their downward trend.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Association of Indigenous Village Chiefs [Ricardo PANE; Association of Saramaccan Authorities or Maroon [Head Captain WASE; Women's Parliament Forum or PVF [Iris GILLIAD", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "smallest independent country on South American continent; mostly tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna that, for the most part, is increasingly threatened by new development; relatively small population, mostly along the coast", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Surinamer(s); adjective: :Surinamese", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 25 November (1975)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AOSIS, Caricom, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :134,218; females age 16-49: :134,439 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :94.7%; male: :95.4%; female: :94% (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :71.69 years; male: :69.31 years; female: :74.18 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Nationale Assemblee (51 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 25 May 2010 (next to be held in May 2015); election results: :percent of vote by party - Mega Combination 45.1%, New Front 27.5%, A-Com 13.7%, People's Alliance 11.8%, DOE 1.9%; seats by party - Mega Combination 23, New Front 14, A-Com 7, People's Alliance 6, DOE 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system influenced by Dutch civil law; note - the Commissie Nieuw Surinaamse Burgerlijk Wetboek completed drafting a new civil code in February 2009", "LANGUAGES": "Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0.38%; permanent crops: :0.04%; other: :99.58% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,907 km; border countries: :Brazil 515 km, French Guiana 556 km, Guyana 836 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "165,600 (2007 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest resident court(s): :High Court of Justice of Suriname (consists of the court president, vice president, and 4 judges); note - Suriname can appeal beyond its High Court to the Caribbean Court of Justice, with final appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London); judge selection and term of office: :court judges appointed by the national president after consultation with the High Court; judges appointed for life; subordinate courts: :cantonal courts", "WATERWAYS": "1,200 km (most navigable by ships with drafts up to 7 m) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3.7% (2014 est.); 1.9% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :27.07 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :31.5 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :22.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "bauxite and gold mining, alumina production; oil, lumbering, food processing, fishing", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "25 November 1975 (from the Netherlands)", "IMPORTS": "$2.147 billion (2014 est.); $2.126 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "growing transshipment point for South American drugs destined for Europe via the Netherlands and Brazil; transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing", "ROADWAYS": "total: :4,304 km; paved: :1,130 km; unpaved: :3,174 km (2003)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white, red (quadruple width), white, and green (double width); a large, yellow, five-pointed star is centered in the red band; red stands for progress and love; green symbolizes hope and fertility; white signifies peace, justice, and freedom; the star represents the unity of all ethnic groups; from its yellow light the nation draws strength to bear sacrifices patiently while working toward a golden future", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$1.037 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $983 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$2.515 billion (2014 est.); $2.395 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Desire Delano BOUTERSE (since 12 August 2010); Vice President Robert AMEERALI (since 12 August 2010); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Desire Delano BOUTERSE (since 12 August 2010); Vice President Robert AMEERALI (since 12 August 2010); cabinet: :Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president; elections: :president and vice president elected by the National Assembly or, if no presidential or vice presidential candidate receives a two-thirds constitutional majority in the National Assembly after two votes, by a simple majority in the larger United People's Assembly (893 representatives from the national, local, and regional councils), for five-year terms (no term limits); election last held on 19 July 2010 (next to be held in 2015); election results: :Desire Delano BOUTERSE elected president; percent of vote - Desire Delano BOUTERSE 70.6%, Chandrikapersad SATOKHI 25.5%, other 3.9%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Surinamese dollars (SRD) per US dollar -; 3.3 (2014 est.); 3.3 (2013 est.); 3.3 (2012 est.); 3.2683 (2011 est.); 2.7454 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Hindustani (also known locally as \"East Indians\"; their ancestors emigrated from northern India in the latter part of the 19th century) 37%, Creole (mixed white and black) 31%, Javanese 15%, \"Maroons\" (their African ancestors were brought to the country in the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior) 10%, Amerindian 2%, Chinese 2%, white 1%, other 2%", "DEATH_RATE": "6.13 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1975; latest ratified 30 September 1987, effective 30 October 1987; amended 1992; note - in 2012, the president appointed a commission to revise the constitution (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 21.6%, Netherlands 13.6%, Italy 8.6%, China 8.3%, UAE 7.5%, Antigua and Barbuda 6.5%, Netherlands Antilles 4.8% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "386 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; moderated by trade winds", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods", "CAPITAL": "name: :Paramaribo; geographic coordinates: :5 50 N, 55 10 W; time difference: :UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.273 billion; expenditures: :$1.485 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Suriname Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air Forces (2010)", "BIRTH_RATE": "16.73 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "55 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "rice, bananas, palm kernels, coconuts, plantains, peanuts; beef, chickens; shrimp; forest products", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "10 districts (distrikten, singular - distrikt); Brokopondo, Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo, Saramacca, Sipaliwini, Wanica", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 25.5%, Belgium 16.7%, UAE 13%, Canada 10.6%, Guyana 6.1%, France 5.4%, Barbados 4.4% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "alumina, gold, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :8%; industry: :14%; services: :78% (2004)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "70% (2002 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation as timber is cut for export; pollution of inland waterways by small-scale mining activities", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :49; 914 to 1,523 m: :4; 45 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :6; over 3,047 m: :1; under 914 m: :5 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "First explored by the Spaniards in the 16th century and then settled by the English in the mid-17th century, Suriname became a Dutch colony in 1667. With the abolition of African slavery in 1863, workers were brought in from India and Java. Independence from the Netherlands was granted in 1975. Five years later the civilian government was replaced by a military regime that soon declared a socialist republic. It continued to exert control through a succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, when international pressure finally forced a democratic election. In 1990, the military overthrew the civilian leadership, but a democratically elected government - a four-party coalition - returned to power in 1991. The coalition expanded to eight parties in 2005 and ruled until August 2010, when voters returned former military leader Desire BOUTERSE and his opposition coalition to power.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :4,119; female: :4,106 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :109,445; females age 16-49: :112,538 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; personnel drawn almost exclusively from the Creole community (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than Georgia", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :unnamed location in the coastal plain -2 m; highest point: :Juliana Top 1,230 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.77 male(s)/female; total population: :1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "3 (plus 7 repeaters) (2000)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 4, FM 23, shortwave 3 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :8.6%; industry: :37.3%; services: :54.1% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "4 00 N, 56 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :26.2% (male 76,565/female 73,676); 15-24 years: :17.6% (male 51,322/female 49,313); 25-54 years: :44.1% (male 128,620/female 124,034); 55-64 years: :6.5% (male 18,140/female 19,158); 65 years and over: :5.7% (male 14,041/female 18,442) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Swaziland", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Makila JAMES (since 27 August 2012); embassy: :7th Floor, Central Bank Building, Mahlokohla St., Mbabane; mailing address: :P. O. Box 199, Mbabane; telephone: :[268; FAX: :[268", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$7,800 (2014 est.); $7,800 (2013 est.); $7,700 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.1% (2014 est.); 2.8% (2013 est.); 1.9% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.14% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$8.672 billion (2014 est.); $8.493 billion (2013 est.); $8.263 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :69.7%; youth dependency ratio: :63.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :6%; potential support ratio: :16.7% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "13.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 15.7% of GDP (2013 est.); 11.8% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :80.5%; government consumption: :25.3%; investment in fixed capital: :13.5%; investment in inventories: :-0.1%; exports of goods and services: :51%; imports of goods and services: :-70.2%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "65.2% (2010)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "19.8; note: :median age at first birth among women 20-24 (2006/07 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :28,043; percentage: :9% (2000 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "936,900 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "4,761 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "4,520 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "40.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "59.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "149,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "909 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "1.295 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "415 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "lion, elephant; national colors: blue, yellow, red", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "19.7% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.1 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.17 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "8.5% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "5.8% (2010)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "320 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-1.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "35.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "MBABANE (capital) 66,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Nkulunkulu Mnikati wetibusiso temaSwati\" (Oh God, Bestower of the Blessings of the Swazi); lyrics/music: :Andrease Enoke Fanyana SIMELANE/David Kenneth RYCROFT; note: :adopted 1968; uses elements of both ethnic Swazi and Western music styles", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 63.1% of population; rural: 56% of population; total: 57.5% of population; urban: 36.9% of population; rural: 44% of population; total: 42.5% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 93.6% of population; rural: 68.9% of population; total: 74.1% of population; urban: 6.4% of population; rural: 31.1% of population; total: 25.9% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$1.109 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.068 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$453.5 million (31 December 2014 est.); $419.6 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-owned TV station; satellite dishes are able to access South African providers; state-owned radio network with 3 channels; 1 private radio station (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :21.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.32% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$657 million (31 December 2014 est.); $643.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$441.5 million (31 December 2008); $529.4 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$211.8 million (31 December 2008); $244.8 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "8.8% (31 December 2014 est.); 8.5% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "6.5% (31 December 2010); 6.5% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "8.3% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :11 years; male: :12 years; female: :11 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :1.04 cu km/yr (4%/2%/94%); per capita: :962.1 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "4.51 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA; $203.1 million (31 December 2007); $199.9 million (31 December 2006)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$3.842 billion (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :intermediate; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne disease: :malaria; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$780.9 million (31 December 2014 est.); $762.5 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$47.5 million (2014 est.); $140.8 million (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "2,744 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :21 years; male: :20.7 years; female: :21.3 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "50.4 (2001)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "4,500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "204,100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "27.36% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".sz", "INTERNET_USERS": "90,100 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "805,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "48,600 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Abednigo Mandla NTSHANGASE (since 19 July 2010); chancery: :1712 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :17,364 sq km; land: :17,204 sq km; water: :160 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "498.5 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Kingdom of Swaziland; conventional short form: :Swaziland; local long form: :Umbuso weSwatini; local short form: :eSwatini", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "40% (2006 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "monarchy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.88 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :a somewhat modern but not an advanced system; domestic: :single source for mobile-cellular service with a geographic coverage of about 90% and a rising subscribership base; combined fixed-line and mobile cellular teledensity roughly 60 telephones per 100 persons in 2011; telephone system consists of carrier-equipped, open-wire lines and low-capacity, microwave radio relay; international: :country code - 268; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age", "RELIGIONS": "Zionist 40% (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship), Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, other 30% (includes Anglican, Baha'i, Methodist, Mormon, Jewish)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :301 km; narrow gauge: :301 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)", "POPULATION": "1,419,623; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "the status of political parties, previously banned, is unclear under the 2006 Constitution and currently being debated; the following are considered political associations; African United Democratic Party or AUDP [Stanley MAUNDZISA, president; Ngwane National Liberatory Congress or NNLC [Alvit DLAMINI, president; People's United Democratic Movement or PUDEMO [Mario MASUKU, president", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Surrounded by South Africa, except for a short border with Mozambique, Swaziland depends heavily on South Africa from which it receives more than 90% of its imports and to which it sends 60% of its exports. Swaziland's currency is pegged to the South African rand, effectively subsuming Swaziland's monetary policy to South Africa. The government is heavily dependent on customs duties from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), and worker remittances from South Africa supplement domestically earned income. Swaziland�s GDP per capita makes it a lower middle income country but its income distribution is highly skewed, with an estimated 20% of the population controlling 80% of the nation�s wealth. Subsistence agriculture employs approximately 70% of the population. The manufacturing sector has diversified since the mid-1980s. Sugar and wood pulp were major foreign exchange earners; however, the wood pulp producer closed in January 2010, and sugar is now the main export earner. Mining has declined in importance in recent years with only coal and quarry stone mines remaining active. With an estimated 40% unemployment rate, Swaziland's need to increase the number and size of small and medium enterprises and attract foreign direct investment is acute. Overgrazing, soil depletion, drought, and floods persist as problems for the future. On 1 January 2015, Swaziland lost its eligibility for benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), threatening the remaining 12,000 jobs in the textile and apparel sector; approximately 2,000 jobs were lost in 2014 in anticipation of the impending loss of AGOA benefits. As of 2013 more than one-quarter of the adult population was infected by HIV/AIDS; Swaziland has the world�s highest HIV prevalence rate.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Swaziland Democracy Campaign; Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions; Swaziland Solidarity Network or SSN", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Swazi(s); adjective: :Swazi", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 6 September (1968)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :344,038 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :83.1%; male: :83.9%; female: :82.4% (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :50.54 years; male: :51.04 years; female: :50.04 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament or Libandla consists of the Senate (30 seats; 20 members appointed by the monarch and 10 indirectly elected by simple majority vote by the House of Assembly; members serve 5-year terms) and the House of Assembly (65 seats; 55 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 10 members appointed by the monarch; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :House of Assembly - last held on 20 September 2013 (next scheduled for September 2018); election results: :House of Assembly - balloting is done on a nonparty basis; candidates for election nominated by the local council of each constituency and for each constituency the three candidates with the most votes in the first round of voting are narrowed to a single winner by a second round", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of civil, common, and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "English (official, used for government business), siSwati (official)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :10.17%; permanent crops: :0.87%; other: :88.95% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :546 km; border countries: :Mozambique 108 km, South Africa 438 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "435,500 (2012 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :the Supreme Court of the Judicature comprising the Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and at least 5 justices) and the High Court (consists of the chief justice - ex officio - and at least 4 justices); note - the Supreme Court has jurisdiction in all constitutional matters; judge selection and term of office: :justices of the Supreme Court of the Judicature are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission or JCS, a judicial advisory body consisting of the Supreme Court Chief Justice, 4 members appointed by the monarch, and the JCS head; justices of both courts eligible for retirement at age 65 with mandatory retirement at age 75 for Supreme Court justices and at age 70 for High Court justices; subordinate courts: :magistrates' courts; National Swazi Courts for administering customary/traditional laws (jurisdiction restricted to customary law for Swazi citizens); note: :the national constitution as amended in 2006 shifted judicial power from the monarch and vested it exclusively in the judiciary", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "5.7% (2014 est.); 5.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :54.82 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :58.8 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :50.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "coal, wood pulp, sugar, soft drink concentrates, textiles and apparel", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.1% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "6 September 1968 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$2.097 billion (2014 est.); $1.987 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :3,594 km; paved: :1,078 km; unpaved: :2,516 km (2002)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the red band is edged in yellow; centered in the red band is a large black and white shield covering two spears and a staff decorated with feather tassels, all placed horizontally; blue stands for peace and stability, red represents past struggles, and yellow the mineral resources of the country; the shield, spears, and staff symbolize protection from the country's enemies, while the black and white of the shield are meant to portray black and white people living in peaceful coexistence", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$568.3 million (31 December 2014 est.); $488.5 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$2.192 billion (2014 est.); $2.104 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986); head of government: :Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso DLAMINI (since 23 October 2008); Deputy Prime Minister Themba Nhlanganiso MASUKU (since 2008); cabinet: :Cabinet recommended by the prime minister and confirmed by the monarch; elections: :none; the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch from among the elected members of the House of Assembly", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "emalangeni per US dollar -; 10.6 (2014 est.); 9.6442 (2013 est.); 8.2 (2012 est.); 7.2597 (2011 est.); 7.3212 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "African 97%, European 3%", "DEATH_RATE": "13.75 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1968, 1978; latest signed by the king 26 July 2005, effective 8 February 2006 (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "varies from tropical to near temperate", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Mbabane; note - Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital; geographic coordinates: :26 19 S, 31 08 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.349 billion; expenditures: :$1.406 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (USDF): Ground Force (includes Air Wing (no operational aircraft)) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "25.18 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "14 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "sugarcane, cotton, corn, tobacco, rice, citrus, pineapples, sorghum, peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :70%; industry: :NA%; services: :NA%", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.7%; highest 10%: :40.1% (2010 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "69% (2006)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "3.17% of GDP (2012); 3.11% of GDP (2011); 3.17% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified: :Law of the Sea", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "limited supplies of potable water; wildlife populations being depleted because of excessive hunting; overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :12; 914 to 1,523 m: :5; 7 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed by the British in the late 19th century; independence was granted in 1968. Student and labor unrest during the 1990s pressured King MSWATI III, Africa's last absolute monarch, to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy, although he has backslid on these promises in recent years. A constitution came into effect in 2006, but the legal status of political parties remains unclear. The African United Democratic Party tried unsuccessfully to register as an official political party in mid-2006. Talks over the constitution broke down between the government and progressive groups in 2007. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :16,168; female: :15,763 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :201,853; females age 16-49: :175,477 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-30 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; compulsory HIV testing required, only HIV-negative applicants accepted (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than New Jersey", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "drought", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Great Usutu River 21 m; highest point: :Emlembe 1,862 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.69 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "12 (includes 7 relay stations) (2004)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 3, FM 2 (plus 4 repeaters), shortwave 3 (2004)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :7.2%; industry: :47.4%; services: :45.4% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "26 30 S, 31 30 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :36.5% (male 261,715/female 255,949); 15-24 years: :22.3% (male 160,283/female 156,685); 25-54 years: :33.2% (male 241,958/female 229,140); 55-64 years: :4.2% (male 23,739/female 36,469); 65 years and over: :3.8% (male 21,321/female 32,364) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Sweden", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Mark Francis BRZEZINSKI (since 14 November 2011); embassy: :Dag Hammarskjolds Vag 31, SE-11589 Stockholm; mailing address: :American Embassy Stockholm, US Department of State, 5750 Stockholm Place, Washington, DC 20521-5750; telephone: :[46; FAX: :[46", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$44,700 (2014 est.); $44,100 (2013 est.); $43,800 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.1% (2014 est.); 1.6% (2013 est.); 0.9% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.79% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$434.2 billion (2014 est.); $425.2 billion (2013 est.); $418.4 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :58.3%; youth dependency ratio: :27.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :31.1%; potential support ratio: :3.2% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "24.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 24.6% of GDP (2013 est.); 24.9% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :46.5%; government consumption: :26.4%; investment in fixed capital: :22.6%; investment in inventories: :0.1%; exports of goods and services: :44.4%; imports of goods and services: :-39.9%; (2014 est.)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "28.9 (2010 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "51.08 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "1.086 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "1.086 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "160,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "261,700 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "298,800 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "434,400 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "398,100 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "8,400 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "19.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "26.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "46.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "7.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "35.28 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "12.67 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "22.68 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "128.1 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "162.9 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "three crowns, lion; national colors: blue, yellow", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :23.7%; male: :25%; female: :22.3% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "18.6% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3.27 physicians/1,000 population (2007)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "9.6% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "4 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "52.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "STOCKHOLM (capital) 1.464 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Du Gamla, Du Fria\" (Thou Ancient, Thou Free); lyrics/music: :Richard DYBECK/traditional; note: :in use since 1844; also known as \"Sang till Norden\" (Song of the North), is based on a Swedish folk tune; it has never been officially adopted by the government; \"Kungssangen\" (The King's Song) serves as the royal anthem and is played in the presence of the royal family and during certain state ceremonies", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$336.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $371.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$256.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $287.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "publicly owned TV broadcaster operates 2 terrestrial networks plus regional stations; multiple privately owned TV broadcasters operating nationally, regionally, and locally; about 50 local TV stations; widespread access to pan-Nordic and international broadcasters through multi-channel cable and satellite TV; publicly owned radio broadcaster operates 3 national stations and a network of 25 regional channels; roughly 100 privately owned local radio stations with some consolidating into near national networks; an estimated 900 community and neighborhood radio stations broadcast intermittently (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :85.7% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.83% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$742.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $811.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$54.55 billion (31 December 2008); $48.49 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$185.4 billion (31 December 2008); $217.1 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "2.8% (31 December 2014 est.); 3.23% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "5.5% (31 December 2010); 0.5% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "7% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :16 years; male: :15 years; female: :17 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :2.62 cu km/yr (37%/59%/4%); per capita: :285.6 cu m/yr (2007)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "174 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$560.5 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $470.1 billion (31 December 2011); $581.2 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$593.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $558.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$509.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $500.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$559.1 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :24,006 (Iraq); 20,613 (Somalia); 17,984 (Syria); 10,499 (Afghanistan); 8,954 (Eritrea) (2014); stateless persons: :20,450 (2013); note - the majority of stateless people come from the Middle East and Somalia", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$65.38 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $65.38 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$32.5 billion (2014 est.); $34.54 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "40.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 38.8% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "5.978 million (2010)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :41.2 years; male: :40.2 years; female: :42.2 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "23 (2005); 25 (1992)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".se", "INTERNET_USERS": "8.398 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "11.643 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "4.321 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Bjorn O. LYRVALL (since 12 September 2013); chancery: :The House of Sweden, 2900 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :450,295 sq km; land: :410,335 sq km; water: :39,960 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1,597 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Kingdom of Sweden; conventional short form: :Sweden; local long form: :Konungariket Sverige; local short form: :Sverige", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "7.9% (2014 est.); 8% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional monarchy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.88 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :highly developed telecommunications infrastructure; ranked among leading countries for fixed-line, mobile-cellular, Internet and broadband penetration; domestic: :coaxial and multiconductor cables carry most of the voice traffic; parallel microwave radio relay systems carry some additional telephone channels; international: :country code - 46; submarine cables provide links to other Nordic countries and Europe; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Sweden shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Lutheran 87%, other (includes Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist) 13%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :11,633 km; standard gauge: :11,568 km 1.435-m gauge (7,567 km electrified); narrow gauge: :65 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified) (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Brofjorden, Goteborg, Helsingborg, Karlshamn, Lulea, Malmo, Stockholm, Trelleborg, Visby", "POPULATION": "9,723,809 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Center Party (Centerpartiet) or C [Annie LOOF; Christian Democrats (Kristdemokraterna) or KD [Goran HAGGLUND; Green Party (Miljopartiet de Grona) or MP [spokespersons Asa ROMSON and Gustav FRIDOLIN; Left Party (Vansterpartiet) (formerly Communist Party) or V [Jonas SJOSTEDT; Liberal People's Party (Folkpartiet) or FP [Jan BJORKLUND; Moderate Party (Moderaterna) or M [Fredrik REINFELDT; Social Democratic Party (Socialdemokraterna) or SAP [Stefan LOFVEN; Sweden Democrats (Sverigedemokraterna) or SD [Jimmie AKESSON (on leave); Mattias KARLSSON (acting)", "PIPELINES": "gas 1,626 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Aided by peace and neutrality for the whole of the 20th century, Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living under a mixed system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. In September 2003, Swedish voters voted against a referendum on euro zone entry because of concerns with the impact on the country�s economy, welfare system and sovereignty. Timber, hydropower, and iron ore constitute the resource base of an economy heavily oriented toward foreign trade. Privately owned firms account for vast majority of industrial output; the engineering sector accounts for about 50% of output and exports. Agriculture accounts for little more than 1% of GDP and employment. Until 2008, Sweden was in the midst of a sustained economic upswing, boosted by increased domestic demand and strong exports. Despite sound public finances, the Swedish economy slid into recession in the third quarter of 2008 and the contraction continued into 2009 as deteriorating global conditions reduced export demand and consumption. Strong exports of commodities and a return to profitability by Sweden's banking sector drove a rebound in 2010, but growth slowed in 2013, as a result of continued economic weakness in the EU - Sweden�s main export market � and remained weak in 2014.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Children's Rights in Society; Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees or TCO; Swedish Trade Union Confederation (Landsorganisationen) or LO [Wanja LUNDBY-WEDIN; other: :environmental groups; media", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "5.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten, uranium, arsenic, feldspar, timber, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Swede(s); adjective: :Swedish", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "National Day, 6 June (1983); note - from 1916 to 1982 this date was celebrated as Swedish Flag Day", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :135; by type: :bulk carrier 4, cargo 16, carrier 1, chemical tanker 15, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 36, petroleum tanker 11, roll on/roll off 30, vehicle carrier 17; foreign-owned: :35 (Denmark 4, Estonia 3, Finland 16, Germany 3, Ireland 1, Italy 5, Norway 3); registered in other countries: :189 (Bahamas 11, Barbados 4, Bermuda 14, Canada 2, Cook Islands 3, Cyprus 5, Denmark 15, Faroe Islands 11, Finland 1, France 4, Gibraltar 11, Italy 1, Liberia 12, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 1, Netherlands 12, Norway 27, Panama 2, Portugal 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 10, Singapore 11, UK 28) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EITI (implementing country), ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm (adjustments made to return a portion of straits to high seas); exclusive economic zone: :agreed boundaries or midlines; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,065,691; females age 16-49: :1,996,764 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :81.89 years; male: :80.03 years; female: :83.87 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Parliament or Riksdag (349 seats; 310 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 39 members in \"at-large\" seats directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 14 September 2014 (next to be held in September 2018); election results: :percent of vote by party - SAP 31.3%, M 23.2%, SD 12.9%, MP 6.8%, C 6.1%, V 5.7%, FP 5.4%, KD 4.6%, others 4%; seats by party - SAP 113, M 84, SD 49, MP 24, C 22, V 21, FP 19, KD 17", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system influenced by Roman-Germanic law and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "Swedish (official), small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :6.38%; permanent crops: :0.02%; other: :93.6% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,211 km; border countries: :Finland 545 km, Norway 1,666 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "5.124 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Sweden (consists of 16 justices including the court chairman; Supreme Administrative Court (consists of 18 justices including the court president); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court and Supreme Administrative Court justices nominated by the Board of Judges, a 9-member nominating body consisting of high-level judges, prosecutors, and members of Parliament; justices appointed by the Government; following a probationary period, justices' appointments are permanent; subordinate courts: :first instance and appellate general and administrative courts; specialized courts that handle cases such as land and environment, immigration, labor, markets, and patents", "WATERWAYS": "2,052 km (2010)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "-0.1% (2014 est.); -0.1% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :2.6 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :2.88 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :2.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.7% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "6 June 1523 (Gustav VASA elected king)", "IMPORTS": "$163.8 billion (2014 est.); $159.6 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :579,564 km (includes 1,913 km of expressways); paved: :135,444 km; unpaved: :444,412 km; note: :includes 104,705 km of state roads, 433,034 km of private roads, and 41,825 km of municipal roads (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "blue with a golden yellow cross extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag); the colors reflect those of the Swedish coat of arms - three gold crowns on a blue field", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$1.039 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); $992.5 billion (31 December 2011)", "EXPORTS": "$184.1 billion (2014 est.); $181.3 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September 1973); Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of the monarch (born 14 July 1977); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the prime minister; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually becomes the prime minister; note - after his coalition lost a budget vote, Stefan LOFVEN says he will call snap elections and that a new poll will be taken on 22 March 2015", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Swedish kronor (SEK) per US dollar -; 6.759 (2014 est.); 6.5118 (2013 est.); 6.77 (2012 est.); 6.4918 (2011 est.); 7.2075 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "indigenous population: Swedes with Finnish and Sami minorities; foreign-born or first-generation immigrants: Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks", "DEATH_RATE": "9.45 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted 1 January 1975; amended several times, last in 2011 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 17.6%, Norway 8.2%, Denmark 8.1%, Netherlands 7.6%, UK 6%, Finland 5.5%, China 5.1%, Russia 4.6%, France 4.1% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "3,218 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel; foodstuffs, clothing", "CAPITAL": "name: :Stockholm; geographic coordinates: :59 20 N, 18 03 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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$291.4 billion; expenditures: :$304 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Swedish Armed Forces (Forsvarsmakten): Army (Armen), Royal Swedish Navy (Marinen), Swedish Air Force (Svenska Flygvapnet) (2010)", "BIRTH_RATE": "11.92 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "231 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "barley, wheat, sugar beets; meat, milk", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "21 counties (lan, singular and plural); Blekinge, Dalarna, Gavleborg, Gotland, Halland, Jamtland, Jonkoping, Kalmar, Kronoberg, Norrbotten, Orebro, Ostergotland, Skane, Sodermanland, Stockholm, Uppsala, Varmland, Vasterbotten, Vasternorrland, Vastmanland, Vastra Gotaland", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Norway 10.6%, Germany 10.5%, Finland 7.4%, Denmark 7.1%, UK 6.9%, Netherlands 5.6%, US 5.5%, Belgium 5.3%, France 4.8% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery 35%, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals (2012 est.)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :1.1%; industry: :28.2%; services: :70.7% (2008 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.6%; highest 10%: :22.2% (2000)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.18% of GDP (2012); 1.17% of GDP (2011); 1.18% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "acid rain damage to soils and lakes; pollution of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :82; 914 to 1,523 m: :5; 77 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :149; over 3,047 m: :3; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :12; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :75; 914 to 1,523 m: :22; under 914 m: :37 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "A military power during the 17th century, Sweden has not participated in any war for two centuries. An armed neutrality was preserved in both world wars. Sweden's long-successful economic formula of a capitalist system intermixed with substantial welfare elements was challenged in the 1990s by high unemployment and in 2000-02 and 2009 by the global economic downturns, but fiscal discipline over the past several years has allowed the country to weather economic vagaries. Sweden joined the EU in 1995, but the public rejected the introduction of the euro in a 2003 referendum.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :54,960; female: :52,275 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,709,055; females age 16-49: :1,650,432 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-47 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; Swedish citizenship required; service obligation: 7.5 months (Army), 7-15 months (Navy), 8-12 months (Air Force); the Swedish Parliament has abolished compulsory military service, with exclusively voluntary recruitment as of July 2010; conscription remains an option in emergencies; after completing initial service, soldiers have a reserve commitment until age 47 (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than California", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :reclaimed bay of Lake Hammarsjon, near Kristianstad -2.4 m; highest point: :Kebnekaise 2,111 m", "HELIPORTS": "2 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.81 male(s)/female; total population: :0.98 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "252 (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 124, shortwave 0 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :1.8%; industry: :33.4%; services: :64.8% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "62 00 N, 15 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :16.9% (male 847,611/female 800,213); 15-24 years: :12.3% (male 617,054/female 582,755); 25-54 years: :39.2% (male 1,937,091/female 1,872,070); 55-64 years: :11.7% (male 571,079/female 568,093); 65 years and over: :19.8% (male 882,653/female 1,045,190) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Switzerland", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Suzan G. LEVINE (since 2 June 2014); note - also accredited to Liechtenstein; embassy: :Sulgeneckstrasse 19, CH-3007 Bern; mailing address: :use Embassy street address; telephone: :[41; FAX: :[41", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$55,200 (2014 est.); $54,900 (2013 est.); $54,200 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1.3% (2014 est.); 1.9% (2013 est.); 1% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.78% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$444.7 billion (2014 est.); $439.2 billion (2013 est.); $430.9 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :48.5%; youth dependency ratio: :21.8%; elderly dependency ratio: :26.7%; potential support ratio: :3.7% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "32.4% of GDP (2014 est.); 36.6% of GDP (2013 est.); 30% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :57.2%; government consumption: :11.4%; investment in fixed capital: :21.5%; investment in inventories: :-0.5%; exports of goods and services: :51.9%; imports of goods and services: :-41.5%; (2014 est.)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "30.4 (2012 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "42.97 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "3.764 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "3.777 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "13 million cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "176,900 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "7,585 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "263,600 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "73,160 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "258,200 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "100 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "3.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "17.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "75.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "20.04 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "29.38 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "31.8 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "58.97 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "65.54 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Swiss cross (white cross on red field, arms equal length); national colors: red, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :8.4%; male: :8.8%; female: :8.1% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "17.5% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "5 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "4.08 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "11.3% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "8 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "0.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "33.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "Zurich 1.234 million; BERN (capital) 358,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "\"Schweizerpsalm\" [German; lyrics/music: :Leonhard WIDMER [German; note: :unofficially adopted 1961, officially 1981; the anthem has been popular in a number of Swiss cantons since its composition (in German) in 1841; translated into the other three official languages of the country (French, Italian, and Romansch), it is official in each of those languages", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$1.347 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.301 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$567.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $570.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "the publicly owned radio and TV broadcaster, Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG/SSR), operates 7 national TV networks, 3 broadcasting in German, 2 in Italian, and 2 in French; private commercial TV stations broadcast regionally and locally; TV broadcasts from stations in Germany, Italy, and France are widely available via multi-channel cable and satellite TV services; SRG/SSR operates 18 radio stations that, along with private broadcasters, provide national to local coverage (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :73.8% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.08% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$1.283 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.237 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$454.2 billion (31 December 2008 est.); $450.7 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$275.5 billion (31 December 2008 est.); $213.9 billion (31 December 2007 est.)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "2.7% (31 December 2014 est.); 2.69% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.5% (31 December 2010); 0.75% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.2% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :16 years; male: :16 years; female: :16 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :2.61 cu km/yr (39%/58%/3%); per capita: :360.3 cu m/yr (2010)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "53.5 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$1.079 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); $932.2 billion (31 December 2011); $1.229 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$1.601 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.536 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$1.091 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.062 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$679 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :15,065 (Eritrea) (2014); stateless persons: :79 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$536.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $535.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$76.2 billion (2014 est.); $97.57 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "34.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 35.5% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :general government gross debt; gross debt consists of all liabilities that require payment or payments of interest and/or principal by the debtor to the creditor at a date or dates in the future; includes debt liabilities in the form of SDRs, currency and deposits, debt securities, loans, insurance, pensions and standardized guarantee schemes, and other accounts payable; all liabilities in the GFSM 2001 system are debt, except for equity and investment fund shares and financial derivatives and employee stock options", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "5.301 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :42 years; male: :41 years; female: :42.9 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "28.7 (2012 est.); 33.1 (1992)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "300 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "20,200 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.35% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ch", "INTERNET_USERS": "6.152 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "10.46 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "4.382 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Martin DAHINDEN (since 18 November 2014); chancery: :2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco; consulate(s): :Boston", "AREA": "total: :41,277 sq km; land: :39,997 sq km; water: :1,280 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "550 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Swiss Confederation; conventional short form: :Switzerland; local long form: :Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German); Confederation Suisse (French); Confederazione Svizzera (Italian); Confederaziun Svizra (Romansh); local short form: :Schweiz (German); Suisse (French); Svizzera (Italian); Svizra (Romansh)", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "3.2% (2014 est.); 3.2% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "formally a confederation but similar in structure to a federal republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.54 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :highly developed telecommunications infrastructure with excellent domestic and international services; domestic: :ranked among leading countries for fixed-line teledensity and infrastructure; mobile-cellular subscribership roughly 125 per 100 persons; extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks; international: :country code - 41; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 38.2%, Protestant 26.9%, Muslim 4.9%, other Christian 5.7%, other 1.6%, none 21.4%, unspecified 1.3% (2012 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :4,876 km; standard gauge: :3,846 km 1.435-m gauge (3,591 km electrified); narrow gauge: :1,020 km 1.000-m gauge (1,013 km electrified); 10 km 0.800-m gauge (10 km electrified) (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "river port(s): :Basel (Rhine)", "POPULATION": "8,061,516 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Christian Democratic People's Party (Christlichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz or CVP, Parti Democrate-Chretien Suisse or PDC, Partito Popolare Democratico Svizzero or PPD, Partida Cristiandemocratica dalla Svizra or PCD) [Christophe DARBELLAY; Conservative Democratic Party (Buergerlich-Demokratische Partei Schweiz or BDP, Parti Bourgeois Democratique Suisse or PBD, Partito Borghese Democratico Svizzero or PBD, Partido burgais democratica Svizera or PBD) [Martin LANDOLT; Free Democratic Party or FDP.The Liberals (FDP.Die Liberalen, PLR.Les Liberaux-Radicaux, PLR.I Liberali, Ils Liberals) [Philipp MUELLER; Green Liberal Party (Grunliberale or GLP, Parti vert liberale or PVL, Partito Verde-Liberale or PVL, Partida Verde Liberale or PVL) [Martin BAEUMLE; Green Party (Gruene Partei der Schweiz or Gruene, Parti Ecologiste Suisse or Les Verts, Partito Ecologista Svizzero or I Verdi, Partida Ecologica Svizra or La Verda) [Adele THORENS and Regula RYTZ; Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or SPS, Parti Socialiste Suisse or PSS, Partito Socialista Svizzero or PSS, Partida Socialdemocratica de la Svizra or PSS) [Christian LEVRAT; Swiss People's Party (Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP, Union Democratique du Centre or UDC, Unione Democratica di Centro or UDC, Uniun Democratica dal Center or UDC) [Toni BRUNNER; other minor parties", "PIPELINES": "gas 1,800 km; oil 94 km; refined products 7 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Switzerland is a peaceful, prosperous, and modern market economy with low unemployment, a highly skilled labor force, and a per capita GDP among the highest in the world. Switzerland's economy benefits from a highly developed service sector, led by financial services, and a manufacturing industry that specializes in high-technology, knowledge-based production. Its economic and political stability, transparent legal system, exceptional infrastructure, efficient capital markets, and low corporate tax rates also make Switzerland one of the world's most competitive economies. The Swiss have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with the EU's to enhance their international competitiveness, but some trade protectionism remains, particularly for its small agricultural sector. The fate of the Swiss economy is tightly linked to that of its neighbors in the euro zone, which purchases half of all Swiss exports. The global financial crisis of 2008 and resulting economic downturn in 2009 stalled export demand and put Switzerland in a recession. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) during this period effectively implemented a zero-interest rate policy to boost the economy as well as prevent appreciation of the franc, and Switzerland's economy began to recover in 2010. The sovereign debt crises currently unfolding in neighboring euro-zone countries pose a significant risk to Switzerland's financial stability and are driving up demand for the Swiss franc by investors seeking a safe-haven currency. The independent SNB has upheld its zero-interest rate policy and conducted major market interventions to prevent further appreciation of the Swiss franc, but parliamentarians have urged it to do more to weaken the currency. The franc's strength has made Swiss exports less competitive and weakened the country's growth outlook; GDP growth fell below 2% per year during 2011-13. Switzerland has also responded to increasing pressure from individual neighboring countries, the EU, the US, and international institutions to reform its banking secrecy laws. Consequently, the government agreed to conform to OECD regulations on administrative assistance in tax matters, including tax evasion. The government has renegotiated its double taxation agreements with numerous countries, including the US, to incorporate the OECD standard, and is considering the possibility of imposing taxes on bank deposits held by foreigners. These steps hurt Switzerland's long history of bank secrecy.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe; along with southeastern France, northern Italy, and southwestern Austria, has the highest elevations in the Alps", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "5.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "hydropower potential, timber, salt", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Swiss (singular and plural); adjective: :Swiss", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :38; by type: :bulk carrier 19, cargo 9, chemical tanker 5, container 4, petroleum tanker 1; registered in other countries: :127 (Antigua and Barbuda 7, Bahamas 1, Belize 1, Cayman Islands 1, France 5, Germany 2, Hong Kong 5, Italy 13, Liberia 25, Luxembourg 1, Malta 20, Marshall Islands 12, NZ 2, Panama 15, Portugal 3, Russia 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 7, Singapore 3, Spain 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, EITI (implementing country), ESA, FAO, FATF, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,828,043; females age 16-49: :1,786,552 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :82.39 years; male: :80.1 years; female: :84.81 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung - in German, Assemblee Federale - in French, Assemblea Federale - in Italian consists of the Council of States or Staenderat - in German, Conseil des Etats - in French, Consiglio degli Stati - in Italian (46 seats; members in multi-seat constituencies representing cantons and single-seat constituencies representing half cantons directly elected by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms) and the National Council or Nationalrat - in German, Conseil National - in French, Consiglio Nazionale - in Italian (200 seats; 195 members in cantons directly elected by proportional representation vote and 5 in half cantons directly elected by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :Council of States - last held in most cantons on 23 October 2011 (each canton determines when the next election will be held); National Council - last held on 23 October 2011 (next to be held in October 2015); election results: :Council of States - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CVP 13, FDP 11, SVP 5, SPS 11, other 6; National Council - percent of vote by party - SVP 26.6%, SPS 18.7%, FDP 15.1%, CVP 12.3%, Green Party 8.4%, GLP 5.4%, BDP 5.4%, other 8.1%; seats by party - SVP 54, SPS 46, FDP 30, CVP 28, Green Party 15, GLP 12, BDP 9, other 6", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts, except for federal decrees of a general obligatory character", "LANGUAGES": "German (official) 64.9%, French (official) 22.6%, Italian (official) 8.3%, Serbo-Croatian 2.5%, Albanian 2.6%, Portuguese 3.4%, Spanish 2.2%, English 4.6%, Romansch (official) 0.5%, other 5.1%; note: :German, French, Italian, and Romansch are all national and official languages; totals more than 100% because some respondents indicated more than one main principal language (2012 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :10.22%; permanent crops: :0.62%; other: :89.16% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,770 km; border countries: :Austria 158 km, France 525 km, Italy 698 km, Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 348 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "5.046 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Federal Supreme Court (consists of 38 judges and 31 substitutes and organized into 5 sections); judge selection and term of office: :judges elected by the Federal Assembly for 6-year terms; note - judges are affiliated with political parties and are elected according to linguistic and regional criteria in approximate proportion to the level of party representation in the Federal Assembly; subordinate courts: :Federal Criminal Court (began in 2004); Federal Administrative Court (began in 2007); note - each of Switzerland's 26 cantons has its own courts", "WATERWAYS": "1,292 km (there are 1,227 km of waterways on lakes and rivers for public transport and another 65 km on the Rhine River between Basel-Rheinfelden and Schaffhausen-Bodensee used for the transport of commercial goods) (2010)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "-0.1% (2014 est.); -0.2% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :3.73 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :4.12 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :3.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments, tourism, banking, insurance", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1 August 1291 (founding of the Swiss Confederation)", "IMPORTS": "$333.8 billion (2014 est.); $321.1 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :71,464 km; paved: :71,464 km (includes 1,415 of expressways) (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag; various medieval legends purport to describe the origin of the flag; a white cross used as identification for troops of the Swiss Confederation is first attested at the Battle of Laupen (1339)", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$1.544 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); $1.424 trillion (31 December 2011)", "EXPORTS": "$388.9 billion (2014 est.); $378.5 billion (2013 est.); note: :trade data exclude trade with Switzerland", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President of the Swiss Confederation Simonetta SOMMARUGA (since 1 January 2015); Vice President Johann N. SCHNEIDER-AMMANN (since 1 January 2015; note - the Federal Council, which is comprised of seven federal councillors, constitutes the federal government of Switzerland; council members rotate in one-year terms as federal president (chief of state and head of government); head of government: :President of the Swiss Confederation Simonetta SOMMARUGA (since 1 January 2015); Vice President Johann N. SCHNEIDER-AMMANN (since 1 January 2015; cabinet: :Federal Council or Bundesrat (in German), Conseil Federal (in French), Consiglio Federale (in Italian) is elected by the Federal Assembly usually from among its members for a four-year term; elections: :president and vice president elected by the Federal Assembly from among the members of the Federal Council for a one-year, non-consecutive term; election last held on 5 December 2012 (next to be held in early December 2013); election results: :Simonetta SOMMARUGA elected president; Federal Assembly vote - 181 of 236; Johann N. SCHNEIDER-AMMANN elected vice president", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Swiss francs (CHF) per US dollar -; 0.9121 (2014 est.); 0.9266 (2013 est.); 0.94 (2012 est.); 0.8876 (2011 est.); 1.0429 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6%", "DEATH_RATE": "8.1 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1848, 1874 (extensive revision of 1848 version); latest adopted by referendum 18 April 1999, effective 1 January 2000; amended several times, last in 2014 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 28.2%, Italy 10.1%, France 8.2%, China 6.2%, US 6.1%, Austria 4.3% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals; agricultural products, textiles", "CAPITAL": "name: :Bern; geographic coordinates: :46 55 N, 7 28 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", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$228.1 billion; expenditures: :$226 billion; note: :includes federal, cantonal, and municipal budgets (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Swiss Armed Forces: Land Forces, Swiss Air Force (Schweizer Luftwaffe) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "10.48 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "63 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "grains, fruits, vegetables; meat, eggs", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "26 cantons (cantons, singular - canton in French; cantoni, singular - cantone in Italian; Kantone, singular - Kanton in German); Aargau, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Bern/Berne, Fribourg/Freiburg, Geneve, Glarus, Graubuenden/Grischun/Grigioni, Jura, Luzern, Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais/Wallis, Vaud, Zug, Zuerich; note: :6 of the cantons - Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Nidwalden, Obwalden - are referred to as half cantons because they elect only one member to the Council of States and, in popular referendums where a majority of popular votes and a majority of cantonal votes are required, these six cantons only have a half vote", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 18.5%, US 11.7%, Italy 7.1%, France 7%, UK 5.2%, China 4.1% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery, chemicals, metals, watches, agricultural products", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :3.4%; industry: :23.4%; services: :73.2% (2010)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :7.5%; highest 10%: :19% (2007)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "7.6% (2011)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "0.76% of GDP (2012); 0.75% of GDP (2011); 0.76% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :Law of the Sea", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air pollution from vehicle emissions and open-air burning; acid rain; water pollution from increased use of agricultural fertilizers; loss of biodiversity", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :23; 23 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :40; over 3,047 m: :3; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :12; 914 to 1,523 m: :6; under 914 m: :17 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291 as a defensive alliance among three cantons. In succeeding years, other localities joined the original three. The Swiss Confederation secured its independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499. A constitution of 1848, subsequently modified in 1874, replaced the confederation with a centralized federal government. Switzerland's sovereignty and neutrality have long been honored by the major European powers, and the country was not involved in either of the two world wars. The political and economic integration of Europe over the past half century, as well as Switzerland's role in many UN and international organizations, has strengthened Switzerland's ties with its neighbors. However, the country did not officially become a UN member until 2002. Switzerland remains active in many UN and international organizations but retains a strong commitment to neutrality.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :46,562; female: :42,585 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,493,509; females age 16-49: :1,459,450 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "19-26 years of age for male compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntary male and female military service; every Swiss male has to serve at least 260 days in the armed forces; conscripts receive 18 weeks of mandatory training, followed by seven 3-week intermittent recalls for training during the next 10 years (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "avalanches, landslides; flash floods", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Lake Maggiore 195 m; highest point: :Dufourspitze 4,634 m", "HELIPORTS": "2 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.76 male(s)/female; total population: :0.97 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "106 (2007)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 3, FM 106 (plus many low-power stations), shortwave 3 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :0.8%; industry: :26.7%; services: :72.5% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "47 00 N, 8 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :15.1% (male 627,952/female 591,528); 15-24 years: :11.4% (male 469,536/female 451,547); 25-54 years: :43.9% (male 1,775,571/female 1,760,456); 55-64 years: :12% (male 484,278/female 486,220); 65 years and over: :17.5% (male 616,009/female 798,419) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Syria", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Special Envoy to Syria Daniel RUBINSTEIN (since March 2014); note - on 6 February 2012, the US closed its embassy in Damascus; embassy: :Abou Roumaneh, Al-Mansour Street, No. 2, Damascus; mailing address: :P. O. Box 29, Damascus; telephone: :[963; FAX: :[963", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$5,100 (2011 est.); $5,100 (2010 est.); $5,200 (2010 est.); note: :data are in 2011 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "NA% (2012 est.); -2.3% (2011 est.); 3.4% (2010 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-9.73% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$107.6 billion (2011 est.); $110.1 billion (2010 est.); $97.03 billion (2009 est.); note: :data are in 2011 US dollars; the war driven deterioration of the economy resulted in a disappearance of quality national level statistics in 2012-13", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :63.9%; youth dependency ratio: :57%; elderly dependency ratio: :6.9%; potential support ratio: :14.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "13.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 10.2% of GDP (2013 est.); 12.8% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :67.8%; government consumption: :19.4%; investment in fixed capital: :18.2%; investment in inventories: :9.5%; exports of goods and services: :7.5%; imports of goods and services: :-22.4%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "53.9% (2009/10)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :192,915; percentage: :4% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "50.92 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "240.7 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "250 million cu m (2011 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "6.442 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "6.442 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "104,800 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "36,210 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "257,400 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "253,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "2.5 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "152,400 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "74,820 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "10.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "89.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "8.323 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "1.192 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "35.37 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "38.78 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "hawk; national colors: red, white, black, green", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :19.2%; male: :15.3%; female: :40.2% (2010 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "27.1% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.5 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.5 physicians/1,000 population (2008)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "3.4% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "10.1% (2009)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "70 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-5.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "2.7% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "Aleppo 3.519 million; DAMASCUS (capital) 2.574 million; Hims 1.604 million; Hamah 1.188 million; Lattakia 768,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Humat ad-Diyar\" (Guardians of the Homeland); lyrics/music: :Khalil Mardam BEY/Mohammad Salim FLAYFEL and Ahmad Salim FLAYFEL; note: :adopted 1936, restored 1961; between 1958 and 1961, while Syria was a member of the United Arab Republic with Egypt, the country had a different anthem", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 96.2% of population; rural: 95.1% of population; total: 95.7% of population; urban: 3.8% of population; rural: 4.9% of population; total: 4.3% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 92.3% of population; rural: 87.2% of population; total: 90.1% of population; urban: 7.7% of population; rural: 12.8% of population; total: 9.9% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$11.05 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $12.71 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$7.001 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $8.056 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-run TV and radio broadcast networks; state operates 2 TV networks and a satellite channel; roughly two-thirds of Syrian homes have a satellite dish providing access to foreign TV broadcasts; 3 state-run radio channels; first private radio station launched in 2005; private radio broadcasters prohibited from transmitting news or political content (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :57.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.37% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$6.966 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $7.738 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$73.93 billion (31 December 2008); $12.29 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$73.54 billion (31 December 2008); $15.21 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "17% (31 December 2014 est.); 16% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.75% (31 December 2014); 5% (31 December 2013)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.1% of GDP (2009)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :12 years; male: :12 years; female: :12 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :16.76 cu km/yr (9%/4%/88%); per capita: :867.4 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "16.8 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :due to Syria�s political uprising and violent unrest, hundreds of thousands of Syrians, foreign migrant workers, and refugees have fled the country and are vulnerable to human trafficking; the lack of security and inaccessibility of the majority of the country makes it impossible to conduct a thorough analysis of the scope and magnitude of Syria�s human trafficking situation; Syria is a source and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Syrian refugee women and girls are forced into exploitive marriages or prostitution in neighboring countries, while refugee children are forced into street begging domestically and abroad; the Syrian armed forces and opposition forces are using Syrian children in combat and support roles and as human shields; tier rating: :Tier 3 - the government does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; increasing violence undercut any law enforcement efforts in 2013; the government failed to protect and prevent children from recruitment by government forces and armed opposition groups; a new law passed in 2013 criminalizing the recruitment of children under 18 by armed forces was not enforced; authorities did not make efforts to investigate and punish trafficking offenders, including complicit government employees; no trafficking victims were identified or provided with protective services; the government did not attempt to inform the public about human trafficking or to provide anti-trafficking training to officials (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$64.7 billion (2011 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :526,744 (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA)) (2014); undetermined (Iraq) (2015); note: :the ongoing civil war had created more than 3.9 million Syrian refugees - dispersed in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey - as of March 2015; IDPs: :7.6 million (ongoing civil war since 2011) (2014); stateless persons: :160,000 (2013); note - Syria's stateless population is composed of Kurds and Palestinians; stateless persons are prevented from voting, owning land, holding certain jobs, receiving food subsidies or public healthcare, enrolling in public schools, or being legally married to Syrian citizens; in 1962, some 120,000 Syrian Kurds were stripped of their Syrian citizenship, rendering them and their descendants stateless; in 2011, the Syrian Government granted citizenship to thousands of Syrian Kurds as a means of appeasement; however, resolving the question of statelessness is not a priority given Syria's ongoing civil war", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$1.725 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.895 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$4.575 billion (2014 est.); -$5.205 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "57.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 54.7% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "416 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :23.3 years; male: :22.9 years; female: :23.7 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".sy", "INTERNET_USERS": "4.469 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "12.928 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "4.425 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "note: :embassy ceased operation on 18 March 2014; chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Mounir KOUDMANI; chancery: :2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :185,180 sq km; land: :183,630 sq km; water: :1,550 sq km; note: :includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "13,410 sq km (2010)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Middle East", "LOCATION": "Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Syrian Arab Republic; conventional short form: :Syria; local long form: :Al Jumhuriyah al Arabiyah as Suriyah; local short form: :Suriyah; former: :United Arab Republic (with Egypt)", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "33% (2014 est.); 35% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic under an authoritarian regime", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.68 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :fair system currently undergoing significant improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber-optic technology and expansion of the network to rural areas; the armed insurgency that began in 2011 has led to major disruptions to the network and has caused telephone and Internet outages throughout the country; domestic: :the number of fixed-line connections has increased markedly since 2000; mobile-cellular service growing with telephone subscribership nearly 60 per 100 persons in 2011; international: :country code - 963; submarine cable connection to Egypt, Lebanon, and Cyprus; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey; participant in Medarabtel (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 87% (official; includes Sunni 74% and Alawi, Ismaili, and Shia 13%), Christian (includes Orthodox, Uniate, and Nestorian) 10% (includes Orthodox, Uniate, and Nestorian), Druze 3%, Jewish (few remaining in Damascus and Aleppo)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :2,052 km; standard gauge: :1,801 km 1.435-m gauge; narrow gauge: :251 km 1.050-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Baniyas, Latakia, Tartus", "POPULATION": "17,951,639 (July 2014 est.); note: :approximately 18,900 Israeli settlers live in the Golan Heights (2012)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "legal parties: :National Progressive Front or NPF [President Bashar al-ASAD, Dr. Suleiman QADDAH; Socialist Unionist Democratic Party [Fadlallah Nasr al-DIN; Syrian Arab Socialist Union or ASU [Safwan al-QUDSI; Syrian Communist Party (two branches) [Wissal Farha BAKDASH, Yusuf Rashid FAYSAL; Syrian Social Nationalist Party [As'ad HARDAN; Unionist Socialist Party [Fayez ISMAIL; Kurdish parties (considered illegal): :Kurdish Azadi Party; Kurdish Democratic Accord Party (al Wifaq); Kurdish Democratic Party (al Parti-Ibrahim wing); Kurdish Democratic Party (al Parti-Mustafa wing); Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria or KDP-S; Kurdish Democratic Patriotic/National Party; Kurdish Democratic Progressive Party or KDPP-Darwish; Kurdish Democratic Progressive Party or KDPP-Muhammad; Kurdish Democratic Union Party or PYD [Salih Muslim MOHAMMAD; Kurdish Democratic Unity Party; Kurdish Democratic Yekiti Party; Kurdish Future Party or KFP; Kurdish Future Party [Rezan HASSAN; Kurdish Left Party; Kurdish Yekiti (Union) Party; Syrian Kurdish Democratic Party; other: :Syrian Democratic Party [Mustafa QALAAJI", "PIPELINES": "gas 3,170 km; oil 2,029 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Despite modest economic growth and reform prior to the outbreak of unrest, Syria's economy continues to deteriorate amid the ongoing conflict that began in 2011. The economy further contracted in 2014 because of international sanctions, widespread infrastructure damage, diminished domestic consumption and production, reduced subsidies, and high inflation. The government has struggled to address the effects of economic decline, which include dwindling foreign exchange reserves, rising budget and trade deficits, and the decreasing value of the Syrian pound and household purchasing power. During 2014, the ongoing conflict and continued economic decline worsened the humanitarian crisis and elicited a greater need for international assistance, as the number of people in need inside Syria increased from 9.3 million to 12.2 million, and the number of Syrian refugees increased from 2.2 million to more than 3.3 million. Prior to the unrest, Damascus began liberalizing economic policies, including cutting lending interest rates, opening private banks, consolidating multiple exchange rates, raising prices on some subsidized items, and establishing the Damascus Stock Exchange. The economy remains highly regulated by the government. Long-run economic constraints include foreign trade barriers, declining oil production, high unemployment, rising budget deficits, increasing pressure on water supplies caused by heavy use in agriculture, rapid population growth, industrial expansion, and water pollution, and the degree of war-damaged infrastructure.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Free Syrian Army; Syrian Muslim Brotherhood or SMB [Muhammad Riyad al-SHAQFAH; Syrian Opposition Coalition or National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces [al-Asi- al-JARBAL; note: :there are also hundreds of local groups that organize protests and stage armed attacks", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the capital of Damascus - located at an oasis fed by the Barada River - is thought to be one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities; there are 41 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (2010 est.)", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-113.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Syrian(s); adjective: :Syrian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 17 April (1946)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :19; by type: :bulk carrier 4, cargo 14, carrier 1; registered in other countries: :166 (Barbados 1, Belize 4, Bolivia 4, Cambodia 22, Comoros 5, Dominica 4, Georgia 24, Lebanon 2, Liberia 1, Malta 4, Moldova 5, North Korea 4, Panama 34, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 9, Sierra Leone 13, Tanzania 23, Togo 6, unknown 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :5,889,837; females age 16-49: :5,660,751 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :85.1%; male: :90.8%; female: :79.2% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :68.41 years; male: :61.4 years; female: :75.84 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral People's Assembly or Majlis al-Shaab (250 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 7 May 2012 (next to be held in 2016); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of civil and Islamic law (for family courts)", "LANGUAGES": "Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian (widely understood); French, English (somewhat understood)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :25.4%; permanent crops: :5.81%; other: :68.79% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,363 km; border countries: :Iraq 599 km, Israel 83 km, Jordan 379 km, Lebanon 403 km, Turkey 899 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "4.022 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Court of Cassation (organized into civil, criminal, religious, and military divisions, each with 3 judges); Supreme Constitutional Court (consists of 4 members); judge selection and term of office: :Court of Cassation judges appointed by the Supreme Judicial Council or SJC, a judicial management body headed by the minister of justice with 7 members including the national president; judge tenure NA; Supreme Constitutional Court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the SJC; judges appointed for 4-year renewable terms; subordinate courts: :courts of first instance; magistrates' courts; religious and military courts; Economic Security Court", "WATERWAYS": "900 km (navigable but not economically significant) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "34.8% (2014 est.); 89.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :15.79 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :18.14 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :13.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining, cement, oil seeds crushing, automobile assembly", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "1% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)", "IMPORTS": "$7.657 billion (2014 est.); $7.552 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "a transit point for opiates, hashish, and cocaine bound for regional and Western markets; weak anti-money-laundering controls and bank privatization may leave it vulnerable to money laundering", "ROADWAYS": "total: :69,873 km; paved: :63,060 km; unpaved: :6,813 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; two small, green, five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black), overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white); identical to the former flag of the United Arab Republic (1958-1961) where the two stars represented the constituent states of Syria and Egypt; the current design dates to 1980; note: :similar to the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band, Iraq, which has an Arabic inscription centered in the white band, and that of Egypt, which has a gold Eagle of Saladin centered in the white band", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$11.64 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $9.904 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$2.031 billion (2014 est.); $1.939 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Bashar al-ASAD (since 17 July 2000); Vice President Najah al-ATTAR (since 23 March 2006); head of government: :Prime Minister Wael al-HALQI (since 9 August 2012); Deputy Prime Minister Lt. Gen. Walid al-MUALEM; cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president; elections: :president directly elected by simple majority vote for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 3 June 2014 (next to be held in June 2021); the president appoints the vice presidents, prime minister, and deputy prime ministers; election results: :Bashar al-ASAD reelected president; percent of vote - Bashar al-ASAD 88.7%, Hassan al-NOURI 4.5%, Maher HAJJER 3.3%, other/invalid 3.5%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Syrian pounds (SYP) per US dollar -; 152.9 (2014 est.); 108.426 (2013 est.); 64.39 (2012 est.); 48.371 (2011 est.); 11.225 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%", "DEATH_RATE": "6.51 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest issued 15 February 2012, passed by referendum 26 February 2012 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Saudi Arabia 24.5%, UAE 12.1%, Iran 8.9%, Iraq 7.3%, Turkey 6%, China 4.6%, Ukraine 4.1% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "193 km", "CLIMATE": "mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and mild, rainy winters (December to February) along coast; cold weather with snow or sleet periodically in Damascus", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and transport equipment, electric power machinery, food and livestock, metal and metal products, chemicals and chemical products, plastics, yarn, paper", "CAPITAL": "name: :Damascus; geographic coordinates: :33 30 N, 36 18 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins midnight on the last Friday in March; ends at midnight on the first Friday in November", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.73 billion; expenditures: :$5.5 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Syrian Armed Forces: Land Forces, Naval Forces, Air Forces (includes Air Defense Forces) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "22.76 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "90 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "14 provinces (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Hasakah, Al Ladhiqiyah (Latakia), Al Qunaytirah, Ar Raqqah, As Suwayda', Dar'a, Dayr az Zawr, Dimashq (Damascus), Halab, Hamah, Hims (Homs), Idlib, Rif Dimashq (Damascus Countryside), Tartus", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Iraq 59.9%, Saudi Arabia 10%, Kuwait 6.5%, UAE 5.6%, Libya 4.3% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "crude oil, minerals, petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton fiber, textiles, clothing, meat and live animals, wheat", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :17%; industry: :16%; services: :67% (2008 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "11.9% (2006 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Environmental Modification", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate potable water", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :61; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :12; 48 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :29; over 3,047 m: :5; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :16; 914 to 1,523 m: :3; under 914 m: :5 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French administered the area as Syria until granting it independence in 1946. The new country lacked political stability, however, and experienced a series of military coups during its first decades. Syria united with Egypt in February 1958 to form the United Arab Republic. In September 1961, the two entities separated, and the Syrian Arab Republic was reestablished. In November 1970, Hafiz al-ASAD, a member of the socialist Ba'th Party and the minority Alawi sect, seized power in a bloodless coup and brought political stability to the country. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel. During the 1990s, Syria and Israel held occasional peace talks over its return. Following the death of President al-ASAD, his son, Bashar al-ASAD, was approved as president by popular referendum in July 2000. Syrian troops - stationed in Lebanon since 1976 in an ostensible peacekeeping role - were withdrawn in April 2005. During the July-August 2006 conflict between Israel and Hizballah, Syria placed its military forces on alert but did not intervene directly on behalf of its ally Hizballah. In May 2007 Bashar al-ASAD's second term as president was approved by popular referendum. Influenced by major uprisings that began elsewhere in the region, antigovernment protests broke out in the southern province of Dar'a in March 2011 with protesters calling for the repeal of the restrictive Emergency Law allowing arrests without charge, the legalization of political parties, and the removal of corrupt local officials. Since then demonstrations and unrest have spread to nearly every city in Syria, but the size and intensity of protests have fluctuated over time. The government responded to unrest with a mix of concessions - including the repeal of the Emergency Law and approving new laws permitting new political parties and liberalizing local and national elections - and force. However, the government's response has failed to meet opposition demands for ASAD to step down, and the government's ongoing security operations to quell unrest and widespread armed opposition activity have led to extended violent clashes between government forces and oppositionists. International pressure on the ASAD regime has intensified since late 2011, as the Arab League, EU, Turkey, and the United States have expanded economic sanctions against the regime. Lakhdar BRAHIMI, current Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the League of Arab States on the Syrian crisis, in October 2012 began meeting with regional heads of state to assist in brokering a cease-fire. In December 2012, the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces was recognized by more than 130 countries as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people. Unrest persisted in 2013, and the death toll among Syrian Government forces, opposition forces, and civilians has topped 100,000. Peace talks between the Syrian Opposition Coalition and Syrian regime at the UN sponsored Geneva II conference in 2014 failed to produce progress toward a resolution of the conflict.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :256,698; female: :244,712 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :5,055,510; females age 16-49: :4,884,151 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation is 18 months; women are not conscripted but may volunteer to serve; re-enlistment obligation 5 years, with retirement after 15 years or age 40 (enlisted) or 20 years or age 45 (NCOs) (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly more than 1.5 times the size of Pennsylvania", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "dust storms, sandstorms; volcanism: :Syria's two historically active volcanoes, Es Safa and an unnamed volcano near the Turkish border have not erupted in centuries", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m; highest point: :Mount Hermon 2,814 m", "HELIPORTS": "6 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.85 male(s)/female; total population: :1.03 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "44 (plus 17 repeaters) (1995)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 14, FM 15, shortwave 26 (2010)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :16.4%; industry: :22.7%; services: :60.9% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "35 00 N, 38 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :33.1% (male 3,046,922/female 2,898,060); 15-24 years: :20.2% (male 1,833,802/female 1,789,854); 25-54 years: :37.9% (male 3,406,744/female 3,396,756); 55-64 years: :4.8% (male 429,644/female 440,980); 65 years and over: :3.9% (male 320,946/female 387,931) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Taiwan", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none; commercial and cultural relations with the people on Taiwan are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), a private nonprofit corporation that performs citizen and consular services similar to those at diplomatic posts; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; other offices: :Kaohsiung", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$43,600 (2014 est.); $42,200 (2013 est.); $41,500 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.5% (2014 est.); 2.1% (2013 est.); 1.5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.25% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$1.022 trillion (2014 est.); $987.2 billion (2013 est.); $967 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "31.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 30.7% of GDP (2013 est.); 30.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :59.3%; government consumption: :11.6%; investment in fixed capital: :18.6%; investment in inventories: :0.2%; exports of goods and services: :73.9%; imports of goods and services: :-63.5%; (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "307.1 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "6.229 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "16.67 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "17.04 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "330.2 million cu m (2011 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "304,700 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "255,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "974,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "920,200 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "2.38 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "885,900 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "1,726 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "3.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "10.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "4.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "81.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "48.7 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "224.8 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "235 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "white, 12-rayed sun on blue field; national colors: blue, white, red", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-1.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "16.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "TAIPEI (capital) 2.667 million; Kaohsiung 1.523 million; Taichung 1.209 million; Tainan 810,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Zhonghua Minguo guoge\" (National Anthem of the Republic of China); lyrics/music: :HU Han-min, TAI Chi-t'ao, and LIAO Chung-k'ai/CHENG Mao-Yun; note: :adopted 1930; also the song of the Kuomintang Party; it is informally known as \"San Min Chu I\" or \"San Min Zhu Yi\" (Three Principles of the People); because of political pressure from China, \"Guo Qi Ge\" (National Banner Song) is used at international events rather than the official anthem of Taiwan; the \"National Banner Song\" has gained popularity in Taiwan and is commonly used during flag raisings", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$1.249 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.186 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$483.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $449.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "5 nationwide television networks operating roughly 75 TV stations; about 85% of households utilize multi-channel cable TV; national and regional radio networks with about 170 radio stations (2008)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$786.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $748.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$618 billion (November 2008); $NA (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "2.9% (31 December 2014 est.); 2.88% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "1.88% (31 December 2012); 1.88% (31 December 2011)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "67 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$831.9 billion (31 December 2012); $784.1 billion (31 December 2011); $738.3 billion (31 December 2010)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$259.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $245.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$66.78 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $63.45 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$505.5 billion (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$429.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $421.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$59.81 billion (2014 est.); $57.35 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "36.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 35.8% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data for central government", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "6.272 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :39.2 years; male: :38.5 years; female: :39.9 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "34.2 (2011); 32.6 (2000)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".tw", "INTERNET_USERS": "16.147 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "29.455 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "15.998 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none; commercial and cultural relations with the people in the United States are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO), a private nonprofit corporation that performs citizen and consular services similar to those at diplomatic posts; representative: :SHEN Lyu-shin (since 1 April 2014); office: :4201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016; telephone: :[1; Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices (branch offices): :Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Guam, Houston, Honolulu, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Seattle", "AREA": "total: :35,980 sq km; land: :32,260 sq km; water: :3,720 sq km; note: :includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy islands", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Southeast Asia", "LOCATION": "Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Taiwan; local long form: :none; local short form: :Taiwan; former: :Formosa", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "3.8% (2014 est.); 4.2% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "multiparty democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.11 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :provides telecommunications service for every business and private need; domestic: :thoroughly modern; completely digitalized; international: :country code - 886; roughly 15 submarine fiber cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "20 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "mixture of Buddhist and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :1,580 km; standard gauge: :345 km 1.435-m gauge (345 km electrified); narrow gauge: :1,085 km 1.067-m gauge (685 km electrified); 150 km 0.762-m gauge; note: :the 0.762 gauge track belongs to three entities, the Forestry Bureau, Taiwan Cement, and TaiPower (2009)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Chilung (Keelung), Kaohsiung, Hualian, Taichung; container port(s) (TEUs): :Chilung (Keelung) (1,749,388), Kaohsiung (9,363,289), Taichung (1,383,578); LNG terminal (import): :Kaohsiung, Taichung", "POPULATION": "23,359,928 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [TSAI Ing-wen; Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [acting chairman WU Den-yih; New Party [YOK Mu-ming; Non-Partisan Solidarity Union or NPSU [LIN Pin-kuan; People First Party or PFP [James SOONG Chu-ye; Taiwan Solidarity Union or TSU [HUANG Kun-huei", "PIPELINES": "condensate 25 km; gas 802 km; oil 241 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with gradually decreasing government guidance of investment and foreign trade. Exports, led by electronics, machinery, and petrochemicals have provided the primary impetus for economic development. This heavy dependence on exports exposes the economy to fluctuations in world demand. Taiwan's diplomatic isolation, low birth rate, and rapidly aging population are other major long-term challenges. Free trade agreements have proliferated in East Asia over the past several years, and following the landmark Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) signed with China in June 2010, Taiwan in July 2013 signed a free trade deal with New Zealand�Taipei�s first-ever with a country with which it does not maintain diplomatic relations�and in November inked a trade pact with Singapore. However, negotiations on follow-on components of ECFA, including an agreement on trade in services, deals on trade in goods, and dispute resolution�have stalled. In early 2014, the government bowed to public demand for a new law governing the oversight of cross-Strait agreements, before any additional deals with China are implemented; the legislature has yet to vote on such legislation, leaving the future of ECFA up in the air as President MA enters his final full year in office. MA has portrayed ECFA as Taiwan�s key to greater participation in East Asia�s free trade networks. Taiwan's Total Fertility rate of just over one child per woman is among the lowest in the world, raising the prospect of future labor shortages, falling domestic demand, and declining tax revenues. Taiwan's population is aging quickly, with the number of people over 65 expected to account for 20% of the island's total population by 2025. The island runs a trade surplus, largely because of its surplus with China, and its foreign reserves are the world's fourth largest, behind those of China, Japan, and Russia. In 2006 China overtook the US to become Taiwan's second-largest source of imports after Japan. China is also the island's number one destination for foreign direct investment. Taiwan since 2009 has gradually loosened rules governing Chinese investment on the island, and has also secured greater market access for its investors in the mainland. In August 2012, the Taiwan Central Bank signed a memorandum of understanding on cross-Strait currency settlement with its Chinese counterpart. The MOU allows for the direct settlement of Chinese RMB and the New Taiwan dollar across the Strait, which has helped Taiwan develop into a local RMB hub. Closer economic links with the mainland bring greater opportunities for the Taiwan economy, but also pose new challenges as the island becomes more economically dependent on China at a time when political differences remain unresolved. During 2014, the press paid increasing attention to domestic economic issues while pushing aside the debates over trade liberalization that were a hallmark of MA�s tenure. The media focused on the divide between Taiwan�s �haves� and �have nots,� providing extensive coverage of public frustration with stagnant wages, skyrocketing housing prices, and the difficulty of finding entry-level jobs.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :environmental groups; independence movement; various business groups; note: :debate on Taiwan independence has become acceptable within the mainstream of domestic politics on Taiwan; public opinion polls consistently show a substantial majority of Taiwan people supports maintaining Taiwan's status quo for the foreseeable future; advocates of Taiwan independence oppose the stand that the island will eventually unify with mainland China; advocates of eventual unification predicate their goal on the democratic transformation of the mainland", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon Strait", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, asbestos, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Taiwan (singular and plural); note: :example - he or she is from Taiwan; they are from Taiwan; adjective: :Taiwan (or Taiwanese)", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Republic Day (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution), 10 October (1911)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :112; by type: :bulk carrier 35, cargo 20, chemical tanker 1, container 31, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 12, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 2; foreign-owned: :3 (France 2, Vietnam 1); registered in other countries: :579 (Argentina 2, Cambodia 1, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 25, Indonesia 1, Italy 10, Kiribati 2, Liberia 94, Marshall Islands 8, Panama 328, Philippines 1, Sierra Leone 7, Singapore 77, South Korea 1, Thailand 1, UK 11, Vanuatu 1, unknown 8) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, APEC, BCIE, ICC (national committees), IOC, ITUC (NGOs), WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :6,183,567; females age 16-49: :6,006,676 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :98.3%; male: :99.6%; female: :97% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :79.84 years; male: :76.72 years; female: :83.2 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Legislative Yuan (113 seats; 73 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 34 directly elected in a single islandwide constituency by proportional representation vote, and 6 directly elected in multi-seat aboriginal constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :Legislative Yuan - last held on 14 January 2012 (next to be held in January 2016); election results: :Legislative Yuan - percent of vote by party - KMT 44.6%, DPP 34.6%, TSU 9.0%, PFP 5.5%, others 6.3%; seats by party - KMT 64, DPP 40, PFP 3, TSU 3, NPSU 2, independent 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system", "LANGUAGES": "Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :16.89%; permanent crops: :5.79%; other: :77.32% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "11.5 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and approximately 100 judges organized into 8 civil and 12 criminal divisions, each with a division chief justice and 4 associate justices); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and 13 justices); judge selection and term of office: :both Supreme Court and Constitutional Court justices appointed by the president of the republic with the approval of the Legislative Yuan; Supreme Court justices appointed for life; Constitutional Court president, vice-president, and 8 grand justices serve 4-year terms and remaining justices serve 8-year terms; subordinate courts: :high courts; district courts; hierarchy of administrative courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.5% (2014 est.); 0.8% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :4.49 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :4.9 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :4.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "electronics, communications and information technology products, petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing, vehicles, consumer products, pharmaceuticals", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.3% (2014 est.)", "IMPORTS": "$277.5 billion (2014 est.); $267.4 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "regional transit point for heroin, methamphetamine, and precursor chemicals; transshipment point for drugs to Japan; major problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamine and heroin; rising problems with use of ketamine and club drugs", "ROADWAYS": "total: :41,475 km; paved: :41,033 km (includes 720 km of expressways); unpaved: :442 km (2009)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "red field with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays; the blue and white design of the canton (symbolizing the sun of progress) dates to 1895; it was later adopted as the flag of the Kuomintang Party; blue signifies liberty, justice, and democracy; red stands for fraternity, sacrifice, and nationalism, white represents equality, frankness, and the people's livelihood; the 12 rays of the sun are those of the months and the twelve traditional Chinese hours (each ray equals two hours)", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$191.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $170.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$318 billion (2014 est.); $304.6 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President MA Ying-jeou (since 20 May 2008); Vice President WU Den-yih (since 20 May 2012); head of government: :Premier MAO Chi-kuo (President of the Executive Yuan) (since 4 December 2014); Vice Premier (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) (vacant); note - Premier JIANG Yi-huah (since 18 February 2013) resigned on 29 November 2014; cabinet: :Executive Yuan - ministers appointed by president on recommendation of premier; elections: :president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held on 14 January 2012 (next to be held in January 2016); premier appointed by the president; vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the premier; election results: :MA Ying-jeou elected president; percent of vote - MA Ying-jeou 51.6%, TSAI Ing-wen 45.6%, James SOONG Chu-ye 2.8%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "New Taiwan dollars (TWD) per US dollar -; 30.16 (2014 est.); 29.771 (2013 est.); 29.62 (2012 est.); 29.47 (2011 est.); 31.648 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, indigenous 2%", "DEATH_RATE": "6.97 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1912, 1931; latest adopted 25 December 1946, promulgated 1 January 1947, effective 25 December 1947; revised several times, last in 2005 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Japan 17.6%, China 16.1%, US 9.5% (2013 est.)", "COASTLINE": "1,566.3 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "electronics, machinery, crude petroleum, precision instruments, organic chemicals, metals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Taipei; geographic coordinates: :25 02 N, 121 31 E; time difference: :UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$85.12 billion; expenditures: :$91.72 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force, Coast Guard Administration, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Combined Service Forces Command, Armed Forces Police Command", "BIRTH_RATE": "8.55 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "37 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "rice, vegetables, fruit, tea, flowers; pigs, poultry; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "includes main island of Taiwan plus smaller islands nearby and off coast of China's Fujian Province; Taiwan is divided into 14 counties (hsien, singular and plural), 3 municipalities (shih, singular and plural), and 5 special municipalities (chih-hsia-shih, singular and plural); counties: :Changhua, Chiayi, Hsinchu, Hualien, Kinmen, Lienchiang, Miaoli, Nantou, Penghu, Pingtung, Taitung, Taoyuan, Yilan, Yunlin; municipalities: :Chiayi, Hsinchu, Keelung; special municipalities: :Kaohsiung (city), New Taipei (city), Taichung (city), Tainan (city), Taipei (city); note: :Taiwan uses a variety of romanization systems; while a modified Wade-Giles system still dominates, the city of Taipei has adopted a Pinyin romanization for street and place names within its boundaries; other local authorities use different romanization systems; names for administrative divisions that follow are taken from the Taiwan Yearbook 2007 published by the Government Information Office in Taipei.", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 27.1%, Hong Kong 13.2%, US 10.3%, Japan 6.4%, Singapore 4.4% (2013 est.)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "electronics, flat panels, machinery; metals; textiles, plastics, chemicals; optical, photographic, measuring, and medical instruments", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :5%; industry: :36.2%; services: :58.8% (2012 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :6.4%; highest 10%: :40.3% (2010)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "1.5% (2012 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :none of the selected agreements because of Taiwan's international status", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air pollution; water pollution from industrial emissions, raw sewage; contamination of drinking water supplies; trade in endangered species; low-level radioactive waste disposal", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :35; over 3,047 m: :8; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :7; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :10; 914 to 1,523 m: :8; under 914 m: :2 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "In 1895, military defeat forced China's Qing Dynasty to cede Taiwan to Japan. Taiwan came under Chinese Nationalist control after World War II. Following the communist victory on the mainland in 1949, 2 million Nationalists fled to Taiwan and established a government using the 1947 constitution drawn up for all of China. Beginning in the 1950s, the ruling authorities gradually democratized and incorporated the local population within the governing structure. This process expanded rapidly in the 1980s. In 2000, Taiwan underwent its first peaceful transfer of power from the Nationalist (Kuomintang or KMT) to the Democratic Progressive Party. Throughout this period, the island prospered and became one of East Asia's economic \"Tigers.\" The dominant political issues continue to be management of sensitive relations between Taiwan and China - specifically the question of Taiwan's eventual status - as well as domestic priorities for economic reform and growth.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :166,190; female: :155,306 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :5,074,173; females age 16-49: :4,951,088 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-35 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; service obligation is 2 years; women may enlist; women in Air Force service are restricted to noncombat roles; reserve obligation to age 30 (Army); the Ministry of Defense is in the process of implementing a voluntary enlistment system over the period 2010-2015, although nonvolunteers will still be required to perform alternative service or go through 4 months of military training (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "earthquakes; typhoons; volcanism: :Kueishantao Island (elev. 401 m), east of Taiwan, is its only historically active volcano, although it has not erupted in centuries", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :South China Sea 0 m; highest point: :Yu Shan 3,952 m", "HELIPORTS": "31 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.07 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.89 male(s)/female; total population: :1 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "76 (5 television networks with 46 digital and 30 analog stations) (2007)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 21, FM 143, shortwave 1 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :1.7%; industry: :30.5%; services: :67.8% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "23 30 N, 121 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :14% (male 1,683,381/female 1,575,789); 15-24 years: :13.4% (male 1,613,197/female 1,526,344); 25-54 years: :47.4% (male 5,539,606/female 5,539,654); 55-64 years: :13.2% (male 1,506,657/female 1,571,208); 65 years and over: :12% (male 1,301,420/female 1,502,672) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Tajikistan", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Susan M. ELLIOTT (since 25 July 2012); embassy: :109-A Ismoili Somoni Avenue, Dushanbe 734019; mailing address: :7090 Dushanbe Place, Dulles, VA 20189; telephone: :[992; FAX: :[992", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$2,700 (2014 est.); $2,600 (2013 est.); $2,500 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "6% (2014 est.); 7.4% (2013 est.); 7.5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.75% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$22.22 billion (2014 est.); $20.96 billion (2013 est.); $19.52 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :64.3%; youth dependency ratio: :59.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.2%; potential support ratio: :19.2% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "8% of GDP (2014 est.); 13.7% of GDP (2013 est.); 16.4% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :107.3%; government consumption: :12%; investment in fixed capital: :12.8%; investment in inventories: :9.4%; exports of goods and services: :15.1%; imports of goods and services: :-56.6%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "27.9% (2012)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "22.8; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2012 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :164,432; percentage: :10% (2005 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "2.618 million Mt (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "188 million cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "3.928 million cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "3.928 million cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "20,090 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "500 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "15,290 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "400 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "12 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "206 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "91% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "9% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "4.476 million kW (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "300.5 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "1 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "16.09 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "17.09 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "crown surmounted by seven, five-pointed stars; national colors: red, white, green", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :16.7%; male: :19.2%; female: :13.7% (2009 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "8.6% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "5.5 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.9 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.8% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "13.3% (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "65 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-0.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "30.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "DUSHANBE (capital) 801,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Surudi milli\" (National Anthem); lyrics/music: :Gulnazar KELDI/Suleiman YUDAKOV; note: :adopted 1991; after the fall of the Soviet Union, Tajikistan kept the music of the anthem from its time as a Soviet republic but adopted new lyrics", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 93.6% of population; rural: 94.6% of population; total: 94.4% of population; urban: 6.4% of population; rural: 5.4% of population; total: 5.6% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 93% of population; rural: 64% of population; total: 71.7% of population; urban: 7% of population; rural: 36% of population; total: 28.3% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$2.085 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.778 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$1.598 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.329 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-run TV broadcaster transmits nationally on 4 stations and regionally on 4 stations; 11 independent TV stations broadcast locally and regionally; some households are able to receive Russian and other foreign stations via cable and satellite; state-run radio broadcaster operates Radio Tajikistan, Voice of Dushanbe, and several regional stations; a small number of independent radio stations (2010)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :26.7% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.62% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$1.598 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.362 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$235.3 million (31 December 2008); $278.3 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$656.1 million (31 December 2008); $643.5 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "22% (31 December 2014 est.); 6.6% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "4.8% (31 December 2013); 6.5% (31 December 2012)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.9% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :11 years; male: :12 years; female: :10 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :11.49 cu km/yr (6%/4%/91%); per capita: :1,740 cu m/yr (2006)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "21.91 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA; $NA; $NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$NA; $16.3 billion (31 December 2009 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$2.272 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$9.156 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :1,364 (2013)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne disease: :malaria (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$651.8 million (31 December 2014 est.); $660.8 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$259.1 million (2014 est.); -$330 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "6.5% of GDP (2013 est.); NA%", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "6,258 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :23.5 years; male: :23 years; female: :24 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "32.6 (2006); 34.7 (1998)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "900 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "13,800 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.31% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".tj", "INTERNET_USERS": "700,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "6.528 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "393,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Farhod SALIM (since 21 May 2014); chancery: :1005 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :143,100 sq km; land: :141,510 sq km; water: :2,590 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "7,421 sq km (2009)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Asia", "LOCATION": "Central Asia, west of China, south of Kyrgyzstan", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Tajikistan; conventional short form: :Tajikistan; local long form: :Jumhurii Tojikiston; local short form: :Tojikiston; former: :Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "2.5% (2013 est.); 2.5% (2012 est.); note: :official rates; actual unemployment is much higher", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.76 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :foreign investment in the telephone system has resulted in major improvements; conversion of the existing fixed network from analogue to digital was completed in 2012; domestic: :fixed line availability has not changed significantly since 1998 while mobile cellular subscribership, aided by competition among multiple operators, has expanded rapidly; coverage now extends to all major cities and towns; international: :country code - 992; linked by cable and microwave radio relay to other CIS republics and by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; Dushanbe linked by Intelsat to international gateway switch in Ankara (Turkey); satellite earth stations - 3 (2 Intelsat and 1 Orbita) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Sunni Muslim 85%, Shia Muslim 5%, other 10% (2003 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :680 km; broad gauge: :680 km 1.520-m gauge (2008)", "POPULATION": "8,051,512 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Agrarian Party of Tajikistan or APT [Amir QARAQULOV; Communist Party of Tajikistan or CPT [Shodi SHABDOLOV; Democratic Party of Tajikistan [Saidjafar ISMONOV; Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan or IRPT [Muhiddin KABIRI; Party of Economic Reform of Tajikistan or PERT [Olimjon BOBOEV; People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan or PDPT [Emomali RAHMON; Social Democratic Party of Tajikistan or SDPT [Rahmatullo ZOYIROV; Socialist Party of Tajikistan or SPT [Abduhalim GHAFOROV", "PIPELINES": "gas 549 km; oil 38 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "___no_ECONOMY - OVERVIEW__provided__", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "influential religious leader Akbar TURAJONZODA; New Tajikistan party, unregistered [Zayd SAIDOV; opposition group Guruhi-24 (Group-24), unregistered [Umarali QUVVATOV; presidential candidate of Union of Reformist Forces of Tajikistan Oynihol BOBONAZAROVA, unregistered; Vatandor (Patriot) Movement [Dodojon ATOVULLOEV; Youth Party of Tajikistan, unregistered [Izzat AMON", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; mountainous region dominated by the Trans-Alay Range in the north and the Pamirs in the southeast; highest point, Qullai Ismoili Somoni (formerly Communism Peak), was the tallest mountain in the former USSR", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-1.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Tajikistani(s); adjective: :Tajikistani", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day (or National Day), 9 September (1991)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, CICA, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, G-77, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,012,790; females age 16-49: :2,020,618 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :99.7%; male: :99.8%; female: :99.7% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :67.06 years; male: :63.96 years; female: :70.32 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "elections: :National Assembly - last held on 28 February 2010 (next to be held in 1 March 2015); Assembly of Representatives - last held on 28 February 2010 (next to be held in 1 March 2015); election results: :National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Assembly of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDPT 71%, IRPT 8.2%, CPT 7%, APT 5.1%, PERT 5.1%, other 3.6%; seats by party - PDPT 55, IRPT 2, CPT 2, APT 2, PERT 2", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system", "LANGUAGES": "Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business; note: :different ethnic groups speak Uzbek, Kyrgyz, and Pashto", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :6.14%; permanent crops: :1%; other: :92.86% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :4,130 km; border countries: :Afghanistan 1,357 km, China 477 km, Kyrgyzstan 984 km, Uzbekistan 1,312 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "2.209 million (2013 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the chairman, deputy chairmen, and 34 judges organized into civil, criminal, and military chambers); Constitutional Court (consists of the court chairman, vice-president, and 5 judges); High Economic Court (consists 16 judicial positions); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, and High Economic Court judges nominated by the president of the republic and approved by the National Assembly; judges of all three courts appointed for 10-year renewable terms with no limit on terms, but last appointment must occur before the age of 65; subordinate courts: :regional and district courts; Dushanbe City Court; viloyat (province level) courts; Court of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region", "WATERWAYS": "200 km (along Vakhsh River) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "6.3% (2014 est.); 5.4% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :35.03 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :39.42 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :30.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "aluminum, cement, vegetable oil", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "4% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "9 September 1991 (from the Soviet Union)", "IMPORTS": "$4.348 billion (2014 est.); $4.6 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "major transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and, to a lesser extent, Western European markets; limited illicit cultivation of opium poppy for domestic consumption; Tajikistan seizes roughly 80% of all drugs captured in Central Asia and stands third worldwide in seizures of opiates (heroin and raw opium); significant consumer of opiates", "ROADWAYS": "total: :27,767 km (2000)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three horizontal stripes of red (top), a wider stripe of white, and green; a gold crown surmounted by seven gold, five-pointed stars is located in the center of the white stripe; red represents the sun, victory, and the unity of the nation, white stands for purity, cotton, and mountain snows, while green is the color of Islam and the bounty of nature; the crown symbolizes the Tajik people; the seven stars signify the Tajik magic number \"seven\" - a symbol of perfection and the embodiment of happiness", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$3.821 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.714 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$654.8 million (2014 est.); $794.1 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Emomali RAHMON (since 6 November 1994; head of state and Supreme Assembly chairman since 19 November 1992); head of government: :Prime Minister Qohir RASULZODA (since 23 November 2013); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Supreme Assembly; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for two terms); election last held on 6 November 2013 (next to be held in November 2020); prime minister appointed by the president; election results: :Emomali RAHMON reelected president; percent of vote - Emomali RAHMON 83.9%, Ismoil TALBAKOV 5%, other 11.1%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Tajikistani somoni (TJS) per US dollar -; 4.916 (2014 est.); 4.7644 (2013 est.); 4.76 (2012 est.); 4.6103 (2011 est.); 4.379 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Tajik 84.3%, Uzbek 13.8% (includes Lakai, Kongrat, Katagan, Barlos, Yuz), other 2% (includes Kyrgyz, Russian, Turkmen, Tatar, Arab) (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "6.28 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted 6 November 1994; amended 1999, 2003 (2009)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 41.3%, Russia 15.8%, Kazakhstan 12.5%, Turkey 6% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum products, aluminum oxide, machinery and equipment, foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Dushanbe; geographic coordinates: :38 33 N, 68 46 E; time difference: :UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$2.828 billion; expenditures: :$2.868 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Mobile Forces (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "24.99 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "24 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "2 provinces (viloyatho, singular - viloyat), 1 autonomous province* (viloyati mukhtor), 1 capital region** (viloyati poytakht), and 1 area referred to as Districts Under Republic Administration***; Dushanbe**, Khatlon (Qurghonteppa), Kuhistoni Badakhshon [Gorno-Badakhshan; note: :the administrative center name follows in parentheses", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Turkey 35.3%, Iran 9%, China 8.4%, Bangladesh 6.9%, Kazakhstan 6.8%, Afghanistan 6.7%, Russia 5.9% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "aluminum, electricity, cotton, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :46.5%; industry: :10.7%; services: :42.8% (2013 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA% (2009 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "35.6% (2013 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "inadequate sanitation facilities; increasing levels of soil salinity; industrial pollution; excessive pesticides", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :7; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1; 5 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :17; over 3,047 m: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :4; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :5; 914 to 1,523 m: :3; under 914 m: :3 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Tajik people came under Russian rule in the 1860s and 1870s, but Russia's hold on Central Asia weakened following the Revolution of 1917. Bands of indigenous guerrillas (called \"basmachi\") fiercely contested Bolshevik control of the area, which was not fully reestablished until 1925. Tajikistan was first created as an autonomous republic within Uzbekistan in 1924, but the USSR designated Tajikistan a separate republic in 1929 and transferred to it much of present-day Sughd province. Ethnic Uzbeks form a substantial minority in Tajikistan. Tajikistan became independent in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union, and experienced a civil war between regional factions from 1992 to 1997. Tajikistan endured several domestic security incidents during 2010-12, including armed conflict between government forces and local strongmen in the Rasht Valley and between government forces and criminal groups in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast. The country remains the poorest in the former Soviet sphere. Tajikistan became a member of the World Trade Organization in March 2013. However, its economy continues to face major challenges, including dependence on remittances from Tajikistanis working in Russia, pervasive corruption, and the major role narcotrafficking plays in the country's informal economy.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :76,430; female: :74,038 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,490,267; females age 16-49: :1,675,083 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; 2-year conscript service obligation; males required to undergo compulsory military training between ages 16 and 55; males can enroll in military schools from at least age 15 (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Wisconsin", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "earthquakes; floods", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Syr Darya (Sirdaryo) 300 m; highest point: :Qullai Ismoili Somoni 7,495 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.73 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "24 (number of licensed stations with only about 15 active) (2009)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "16 (number of licensed stations with only about 10 broadcasting) (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :27.2%; industry: :21.6%; services: :51.2% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "39 00 N, 71 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :33% (male 1,352,150/female 1,304,615); 15-24 years: :20.1% (male 819,936/female 796,211); 25-54 years: :38.9% (male 1,547,863/female 1,586,218); 55-64 years: :4.8% (male 178,161/female 210,616); 65 years and over: :3.2% (male 107,137/female 148,605) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Thailand", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires W. Patrick MURPHY (November 2014); embassy: :120-122 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330; mailing address: :APO AP 96546; telephone: :[66; FAX: :[66; consulate(s) general: :Chiang Mai", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$14,400 (2014 est.); $14,400 (2013 est.); $14,000 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "1% (2014 est.); 2.9% (2013 est.); 6.5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.35% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$990.1 billion (2014 est.); $980.7 billion (2013 est.); $953.1 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :38.6%; youth dependency ratio: :24.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :13.9%; potential support ratio: :7.2% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "29.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 28.6% of GDP (2013 est.); 29.3% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :53.4%; government consumption: :13.7%; investment in fixed capital: :25.4%; investment in inventories: :0.9%; exports of goods and services: :76.8%; imports of goods and services: :-70.2%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "79.3% (2012)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "23.3 (2009 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :818,399; percentage: :8% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "290.7 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "255.9 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "9.574 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "50.86 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "41.29 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "41,700 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "192,400 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "1.005 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "913,600 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "448.8 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "793,900 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "32,200 bbl/day (2011 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "453,800 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "10.9% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "89% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "32.6 million kW (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "12.57 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "1.375 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "169.4 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "173.3 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "garuda (mythical half-man, half-bird figure), elephant; national colors: red, white, blue", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :2.8%; male: :2.5%; female: :3.1% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "8.8% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.1 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.39 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "3.9% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "9.2% (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "48 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "20.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "BANGKOK (capital) 9.098 million; Samut Prakan 1.652 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Phleng Chat Thai\" (National Anthem of Thailand); lyrics/music: :Luang SARANUPRAPAN/Phra JENDURIYANG; note: :music adopted 1932, lyrics adopted 1939; by law, people are required to stand for the national anthem at 0800 and 1800 every day; the anthem is played in schools, offices, theaters, and on television and radio during this time; \"Phleng Sansasoen Phra Barami\" (A Salute to the Monarch) serves as the royal anthem and is played in the presence of the royal family and during certain state ceremonies", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 88.7% of population; rural: 95.9% of population; total: 93.4% of population; urban: 11.3% of population; rural: 4.1% of population; total: 6.6% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 96.7% of population; rural: 95.3% of population; total: 95.8% of population; urban: 3.3% of population; rural: 4.7% of population; total: 4.2% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$520.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $489.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$53.71 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $50.63 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "6 terrestrial TV stations in Bangkok broadcast nationally via relay stations - 2 of the networks are owned by the military, the other 4 are government-owned or controlled, leased to private enterprise, and all are required to broadcast government-produced news programs twice a day; multi-channel satellite and cable TV subscription services are available; radio frequencies have been allotted for more than 500 government and commercial radio stations; many small community radio stations operate with low-power transmitters (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :49.2% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.97% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$515.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $484.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$283.6 billion (31 December 2009); $237.5 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$35.35 billion (31 December 2009); $28.76 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "6.8% (31 December 2014 est.); 6.96% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "2.25% (31 December 2013); 3.25% (31 December 2011)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.8% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :13 years; male: :13 years; female: :14 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :57.31 cu km/yr (5%/5%/90%); per capita: :845.3 cu m/yr (2007)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "438.6 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$348.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $383 billion (31 December 2012); $268.5 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$70.88 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $62.88 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$208.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $198.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Thailand is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; victims, who are most often from neighboring countries (especially Burma) but also China, Vietnam, Russia, Uzbekistan, India, and Fiji, migrate to Thailand in search of economic opportunities but are forced, coerced, or defrauded into labor in fishing, low-end garment production, factories, domestic work, street begging, or the sex trade; men from Burma, Cambodia, and Thailand who are forced to work on fishing boats have reportedly been kept at sea for years; migrants, members of ethnic minorities, and stateless persons are most vulnerable to forced labor and debt bondage; sex trafficking of Thai and migrant children and sex tourism remain significant problems; Thailand is a transit country for victims from North Korea, China, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Burma destined for exploitation in third countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Russia, South Korea, the US, and Western European countries; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Thailand does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; anti-trafficking efforts remain insufficient compared with the size of Thailand�s human trafficking problem, which is compounded by widespread corruption among law enforcement personnel; few efforts were made in 2013 to address frequent reports of forced labor and debt bondage among migrants in Thailand�s fishing and other commercial sectors; authorities systematically failed to investigate, prosecute, and convict owners, captains, or complicit officials for involvement in forced labor; government labor inspections did not result in the identification of any suspected cases of labor trafficking (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$380.5 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :131,665 (Burma) (2014); IDPs: :up to 35,000 (resurgence in ethno-nationalist violence in south of country since 2004) (2014); stateless persons: :506,197 (2013); note - about half of Thailand's northern hill tribe people do not have citizenship and make up the bulk of Thailand's stateless population; most lack documentation showing they or one of their parents were born in Thailand; children born to Burmese refugees are not eligible for Burmese or Thai citizenship and are stateless; most Chao Lay, maritime nomadic peoples, who travel from island to island in the Andaman Sea west of Thailand are also stateless; stateless Rohingya refugees from Burma are considered illegal migrants by Thai authorities and are detained in inhumane conditions or expelled; stateless persons are denied access to voting, property, education, employment, healthcare, and driving", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$164 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $167.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$10.17 billion (2014 est.); -$2.678 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "48.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 45.8% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are sold at public auctions", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "3.399 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :36.2 years; male: :35.3 years; female: :37.2 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "39.4 (2010); 42 (2002)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "18,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "435,300 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "1.09% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".th", "INTERNET_USERS": "17.483 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "84.075 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "6.391 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador PHISAN Manawaphat (since 23 February 2015); chancery: :1024 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 401, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Chicago, Los Angeles, New York", "AREA": "total: :513,120 sq km; land: :510,890 sq km; water: :2,230 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "64,150 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Southeast Asia", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Kingdom of Thailand; conventional short form: :Thailand; local long form: :Ratcha Anachak Thai; local short form: :Prathet Thai; former: :Siam", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "1% (2014 est.); 0.7% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional monarchy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.5 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :high quality system, especially in urban areas like Bangkok; domestic: :fixed line system provided by both a government-owned and commercial provider; wireless service expanding rapidly; international: :country code - 66; connected to major submarine cable systems providing links throughout Asia, Australia, Middle East, Europe, and US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Pacific Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal and compulsory", "RELIGIONS": "Buddhist (official) 93.6%, Muslim 4.9%, Christian 1.2%, other 0.2%, none 0.1% (2010 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :4,071 km; standard gauge: :29 km 1.435-m gauge (29 km electrified); narrow gauge: :4,042 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Map Ta Phut, Prachuap Port, Si Racha; container port(s) TEUs): :Bangkok (1,305,229), Laem Chabang (5,731,063)", "POPULATION": "67,741,401; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Chat Pattana Party or CPN (Nation Development Party) [WANNARAT Channukul; Chat Thai Phattana Party or CTP (Thai Nation Development Party) [THEERA Wongsamut; Mahachon Party or Mass Party [APHIRAT Sirinawin; Matubhum Party (Motherland Party) [ Gen. SONTHI Bunyaratkalin; Phalang Chon Party (People Chonburi Power Party) [SONTHAYA Khunpluem; Phumjai (Bhumjai) Thai Party or PJT (Thai Pride) [ANUTIN Charnvirakul; Prachathipat Party or DP (Democrat Party) [ABHISIT Wechachiwa, also spelled ABHISIT Vejjajiva; Prachathipathai Mai Party (New Democracy Party) [SURATIN Phijarn; Puea Thai Party (For Thais Party) or PTP [CHARUPHONG Rueangsuwan also spelled JARUPONG Ruangsuwan; Rak Prathet Thai Party (Love Thailand Party) [CHUWIT Kamonwisit; Rak Santi Party (Peace Conservation Party) [Pol. Lt. Gen. THAWIL Surachetphong", "PIPELINES": "condensate 2 km; gas 5,900 km; liquid petroleum gas 85 km; oil 1 km; refined products 1,097 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "With a well-developed infrastructure, a free-enterprise economy, generally pro-investment policies, and strong export industries, Thailand has had a strong economy due in part to industrial and agriculture exports - mostly electronics, agricultural commodities, automobiles and parts, and processed foods. Thailand attracts nearly 2.5 million migrant workers from neighboring countries. The Thai government in 2013 implemented a nation-wide 300 baht ($10) per day minimum wage policy and deployed new tax reforms designed to lower rates on middle-income earners. The Thai economy has weathered both internal and external economic shocks in recent years. The global economic recession severely cut Thailand's exports, with most sectors experiencing double-digit drops. In late 2011 Thailand's recovery was interrupted by historic flooding in the industrial areas in Bangkok and its five surrounding provinces, crippling the manufacturing sector. Government approved flood mitigation projects, worth $11.7 billion, were started in 2012 to prevent a repeat. Thai growth slowed in 2013 and has remained low since, as the country faced political uncertainty and a coup in May 2014. The interim government is implementing a special $11 billion short-term stimulus package and has approved a budget of more than $80 billion to aid an economic rebound.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Multicolor Group; People's Alliance for Democracy or PAD; People's Democratic Reform Committee or PDRC; Student and People Network for Thailand's Reform or STR; United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship or UDD", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Thai (singular and plural); adjective: :Thai", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Birthday of King PHUMIPHON (BHUMIBOL), 5 December (1927)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :363; by type: :bulk carrier 31, cargo 99, chemical tanker 28, container 18, liquefied gas 36, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 10, petroleum tanker 114, refrigerated cargo 24, roll on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 1; foreign-owned: :13 (China 1, Hong Kong 1, Malaysia 3, Singapore 1, Taiwan 1, UK 6); registered in other countries: :46 (Bahamas 4, Belize 1, Honduras 2, Panama 6, Singapore 33) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, BIS, CD, CICA, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :17,689,921; females age 16-49: :17,754,795 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :96.4%; male: :96.4%; female: :96.4% (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :74.18 years; male: :71 years; female: :77.54 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :in transition; following the May 2014 military coup, a National Legislative Assembly or Sapha Nitibanyat of no more than 220 members replaced the bicameral National Assembly; elections for a permanent legislative body are unscheduled and may not occur until early 2016; elections: :Senate - last held on 30 March 2014; House of Representatives - last held on 2 February 2014, but later declared invalid by the Constitutional Court; election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system with common law influences", "LANGUAGES": "Thai (official) 90.7%, Burmese 1.3%, other 8%; note: :English is a secondary language of the elite (2010 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :32.41%; permanent crops: :8.81%; other: :58.78% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :5,673 km; border countries: :Burma 2,416 km, Cambodia 817 km, Laos 1,845 km, Malaysia 595 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "39.51 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Justice (consists of court president, 6 vice-presidents, and NA judges, and organized into civil and criminal divisions); Constitutional Court (consists of court president and 8 judges); Supreme Administrative Court (number of judges determined by Judicial Commission of the Administrative Courts); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges selected by the Judicial Commission of the Courts of Justice and approved by the monarch; judges' terms NA; Constitutional Court justices - 3 judges drawn from the Supreme Court, 2 judges drawn from the Administrative Court, and 4 judge candidates selected by the Selective Committee for Judges of the Constitutional Court and confirmed by the Senate; judges appointed by the monarch to serve single 9-year terms; Supreme Administrative Court judges selected by the Judicial Commission of the Administrative Courts and appointed by the monarch; judge tenure NA; subordinate courts: :courts of first instance and appeals courts within both the judicial and administrative systems; military courts", "WATERWAYS": "4,000 km (3,701 km navigable by boats with drafts up to 0.9 m) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.1% (2014 est.); 2.2% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :9.86 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :10.82 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :8.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, textiles and garments, agricultural processing, beverages, tobacco, cement, light manufacturing such as jewelry and electric appliances, computers and parts, integrated circuits, furniture, plastics, automobiles and automotive parts; world's second-largest tungsten producer and third-largest tin producer", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized)", "IMPORTS": "$218.5 billion (2014 est.); $219 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :180,053 km (includes 450 km of expressways) (2006)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "five horizontal bands of red (top), white, blue (double width), white, and red; the red color symbolizes the nation and the blood of life; white represents religion and the purity of Buddhism; blue stands for the monarchy; note: :similar to the flag of Costa Rica but with the blue and red colors reversed", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 October - 30 September", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$150.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $143.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$232 billion (2014 est.); $225.4 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet, also spelled BHUMIBOL Adulyadej (since 9 June 1946); head of government: :Interim Prime Minister Gen. PRAYUT Chan-ocha (since 25 August 2014) Deputy Prime Ministers PRAWIT Wongsuwan, Gen., PRIDIYATHON Thewakun, YONGYUT Yutthawong, THANASAK Patimaprakon, Gen., WISSANU Krea-ngam (since 31 August 2014); note: :Prime Minister YINGLAK Chinnawat, also spelled YINGLUCK Shinawatra, was removed from office on 7 May 2014 after the Constitutional Court ruled she illegally transferred a government official; Thai army declared martial law on 20 May 2014 and led a coup on 22 May 2014; cabinet: :Council of Ministers; note: :a Privy Council advises the king; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; the prime minister is elected from among members of the House of Representatives; following national elections for the House of Representatives, the leader of the party positioned to organize a majority coalition usually becomes prime minister by appointment by the king; the prime minister is limited to two four-year terms", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "baht per US dollar -; 32.24 (2014 est.); 30.726 (2013 est.); 31.08 (2012 est.); 30.492 (2011 est.); 31.686 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Thai 95.9%, Burmese 2%, other 1.3%, unspecified 0.9% (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "7.72 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "many previous; interim constitution released 22 July 2014 (2015)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Japan 16.4%, China 15%, UAE 6.9%, US 5.9%, Malaysia 5.3% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "3,219 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "capital goods, intermediate goods and raw materials, consumer goods, fuels", "CAPITAL": "name: :Bangkok; geographic coordinates: :13 45 N, 100 31 E; time difference: :UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$76.43 billion; expenditures: :$84.75 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Royal Thai Army (Kongthap Bok Thai, RTA), Royal Thai Navy (Kongthap Ruea Thai, RTN, includes Royal Thai Marine Corps), Royal Thai Air Force (Kongthap Agard Thai, RTAF) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "11.26 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "101 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "rice, cassava (manioc, tapioca), rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts, soybeans", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "77 provinces (changwat, singular and plural); Amnat Charoen, Ang Thong, Bueng Kan, Buriram, Chachoengsao, Chai Nat, Chaiyaphum, Chanthaburi, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chon Buri, Chumphon, Kalasin, Kamphaeng Phet, Kanchanaburi, Khon Kaen, Krabi, Krung Thep Mahanakhon (Bangkok), Lampang, Lamphun, Loei, Lop Buri, Mae Hong Son, Maha Sarakham, Mukdahan, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nan, Narathiwat, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nong Khai, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Pattani, Phangnga, Phatthalung, Phayao, Phetchabun, Phetchaburi, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Phrae, Phuket, Prachin Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong, Ratchaburi, Rayong, Roi Et, Sa Kaeo, Sakon Nakhon, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Sara Buri, Satun, Sing Buri, Sisaket, Songkhla, Sukhothai, Suphan Buri, Surat Thani, Surin, Tak, Trang, Trat, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Uthai Thani, Uttaradit, Yala, Yasothon", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 11.9%, US 10.1%, Japan 9.7%, Hong Kong 5.8%, Malaysia 5.7%, Singapore 4.9%, Indonesia 4.8%, Australia 4.5% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "electronics, computer parts, automobiles and parts, electrical appliances, machinery and equipment, textiles and footwear, fishery products, rice, rubber", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :38.2%; industry: :13.6%; services: :48.2% (2011 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.8%; highest 10%: :31.5% (2009 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "13.2% (2011 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.47% of GDP (2012); 1.6% of GDP (2011); 1.47% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Law of the Sea", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :38; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :10; 26 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :63; over 3,047 m: :8; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :12; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :23; 914 to 1,523 m: :14; under 914 m: :6 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century. Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been taken over by a European power. A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy. In alliance with Japan during World War II, Thailand became a US treaty ally in 1954 after sending troops to Korea and later fighting alongside the United States in Vietnam. Thailand since 2005 has experienced several rounds of political turmoil including a military coup in 2006 that ousted then Prime Minister THAKSIN Chinnawat, followed by large-scale street protests by competing political factions in 2008, 2009, and 2010. THAKSIN's youngest sister, YINGLAK Chinnawat, in 2011 led the Puea Thai Party to an electoral win and assumed control of the government. A blanket amnesty bill for individuals involved in street protests, altered at the last minute to include all political crimes - including all convictions against THAKSIN - triggered months of large-scale anti-government protests in Bangkok beginning in November 2013. In early May 2014 YINGLAK was removed from office and in late May 2014 the Royal Thai Army staged a coup against the caretaker government. Thailand has also experienced violence associated with the ethno-nationalist insurgency in Thailand's southern Malay-Muslim majority provinces. Since January 2004, thousands have been killed and wounded in the insurgency.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :533,424; female: :509,780 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :13,308,372; females age 16-49: :14,182,567 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "21 years of age for compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntary military service; males register at 18 years of age; 2-year conscript service obligation (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of the water table; droughts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Gulf of Thailand 0 m; highest point: :Doi Inthanon 2,576 m", "HELIPORTS": "7 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.82 male(s)/female; total population: :0.98 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "111 (2006)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 238, FM 351, shortwave 6 (2007)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :12.2%; industry: :43.3%; services: :44.5% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "15 00 N, 100 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :17.6% (male 6,117,993/female 5,827,981); 15-24 years: :15% (male 5,194,332/female 4,999,669); 25-54 years: :46.9% (male 15,685,882/female 16,097,245); 55-64 years: :10.9% (male 3,468,620/female 3,893,925); 65 years and over: :9.5% (male 2,830,418/female 3,625,336) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Timor-Leste", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Scott TICKNOR (since end of 2013); embassy: :Avenida de Portugal, Praia dos Coqueiros, Dili; mailing address: :US Department of State, 8250 Dili Place, Washington, DC 20521-8250; telephone: :(670) 332-4684; FAX: :(670) 331-3206", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$6,800 (2014 est.); $6,600 (2013 est.); $6,400 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "6.6% (2014 est.); 5.4% (2013 est.); 7.8% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.44% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$8.364 billion (2014 est.); $7.849 billion (2013 est.); $7.447 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :94.3%; youth dependency ratio: :87.8%; elderly dependency ratio: :6.5%; potential support ratio: :15.4% (2014 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :21.9%; government consumption: :21.3%; investment in fixed capital: :21.8%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :81.9%; imports of goods and services: :-46.8%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "22.3% (2009/10)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "22.1; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2009/10 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :10,510; percentage: :4% (2002 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "496,300 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "200 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "1,264 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "1,980 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "87,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "79,260 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "67.59 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "131.7 million kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Mount Ramelau; national colors: red, yellow, black, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :14.8%; male: :10.4%; female: :22.7% (2010 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "2.7% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "5.9 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.07 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "4.3% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "45.3% (2010)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "300 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-31% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "8.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservation; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "DILI (capital) 228,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Patria\" (Fatherland); lyrics/music: :Fransisco Borja DA COSTA/Afonso DE ARAUJO; note: :adopted 2002; the song was first used as an anthem when Timor-Leste declared its independence from Portugal in 1975; the lyricist, Fransisco Borja DA COSTA, was killed in the Indonesian invasion just days after independence was declared", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 69% of population; rural: 26.8% of population; total: 38.9% of population; urban: 31% of population; rural: 73.2% of population; total: 61.1% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 95.2% of population; rural: 60.5% of population; total: 70.5% of population; urban: 4.8% of population; rural: 39.5% of population; total: 29.5% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$546.2 million (31 December 2014 est.); $500.2 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$241.4 million (31 December 2014 est.); $279.5 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 public TV broadcast station broadcasting nationally and 1 public radio broadcaster with stations in each of the 13 administrative districts; 1 commercial TV broadcast station, 3 commercial radio stations, and roughly 20 community radio stations (2012)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :32.1% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.75% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$-500 million (31 December 2014 est.); $-469 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$89.88 million (31 December 2008); $68.78 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$102.8 million (31 December 2008); $74.94 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "12.8% (31 December 2014 est.); 12.41% (31 December 2013 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "9.4% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :12 years; male: :12 years; female: :11 years (2010)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Timor Leste is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Timorese women and girls may be sent to India, Singapore, and Middle Eastern and other Southeast Asian countries for domestic servitude; women and girls from rural areas are also lured to the capital with promises of legitimate jobs and are then forced into prostitution or domestic servitude; Timorese family members are subject to bonded domestic or agricultural labor to repay debts; foreign migrant women are subject to sex trafficking in Timor Leste, while men and boys from Burma, Cambodia, and Thailand are forced to work on fishing boats in Timorese waters under inhumane conditions; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Timor Leste does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; legislation that would prohibit all forms of human trafficking remains pending approval, despite being submitted to the Council of Ministers in 2012; in 2013, authorities did not investigate or prosecute any trafficking cases and did not convict any offenders; the government�s efforts to protect trafficking victims were negligible; no victims were identified or referred to NGO-provided services, although funding was allocated to an NGO shelter for this purpose; increased patrolling of territorial waters in 2013 did not lead to increased identification of trafficking victims (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$4.51 billion; note: :non-oil GDP (2014 est.)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :dengue fever and malaria (2013)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$2.592 billion (2013 est.); $2.74 billion (2012 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "252 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :18.5 years; male: :17.9 years; female: :19.1 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "31.9 (2007 est.); 38 (2002 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".tl", "INTERNET_USERS": "2,100 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "621,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "3,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Domingos Sarmento ALVES (since 21 May 2014); chancery: :4201 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 504, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :14,874 sq km; land: :14,874 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "346.5 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Southeast Asia", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Asia, northwest of Australia in the Lesser Sunda Islands at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago; note - Timor-Leste includes the eastern half of the island of Timor, the Oecussi (Ambeno) region on the northwest portion of the island of Timor, and the islands of Pulau Atauro and Pulau Jaco", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste; conventional short form: :Timor-Leste; note: :pronounced TEE-mor LESS-tay; local long form: :Republika Demokratika Timor Lorosa'e [Tetum; local short form: :Timor Lorosa'e [Tetum; former: :East Timor, Portuguese Timor", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "18.4% (2010 est.); 20% (2006 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "5.11 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mountainous", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :rudimentary service in urban and some rural areas, which is expanding with the entrance of new competitors; domestic: :system suffered significant damage during the violence associated with independence; limited fixed-line services; mobile-cellular services have been expanding and are now available in urban and most rural areas; international: :country code - 670; international service is available (2012)", "SUFFRAGE": "17 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 96.9%, Protestant / Evangelical 2.2%, Muslim 0.3%, other 0.6% (2005)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Dili", "POPULATION": "1,201,542; note: :other estimates range as low as 800,000 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Democratic Party or PD [Fernando \"Lasama\" de ARAUJO; Frenti-Mudanca [Jose Luis GUTERRES; National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction or CNRT [Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO; Revolutionary Front of Independent Timor-Leste or FRETILIN [Mari ALKATIRI; (only parties in Parliament are listed)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Since its 1999 independence, Timor-Leste has faced great challenges in rebuilding its infrastructure, strengthening the civil administration, and generating jobs for young people entering the work force. The development of oil and gas resources in offshore waters has greatly supplemented government revenues. This technology-intensive industry, however, has done little to create jobs for the unemployed in part because there are no production facilities in Timor-Leste. Gas is currently piped to Australia, but Timor-Leste has expressed interest in developing the capacity for onshore processing. In June 2005, the National Parliament unanimously approved the creation of a Petroleum Fund to serve as a repository for all petroleum revenues and to preserve the value of Timor-Leste's petroleum wealth for future generations. The Fund held assets of US$16.6 billion as of September 2014. The economy continues to recover from the mid-2006 outbreak of violence and civil unrest, which disrupted both private and public sector economic activity. Government spending increased markedly from 2009 through 2012, primarily on basic infrastructure, including electricity and roads. Limited experience in procurement and infrastructure building has hampered these projects. The underlying economic policy challenge the country faces remains how best to use oil-and-gas wealth to lift the non-oil economy onto a higher growth path and to reduce poverty. On the strength of its oil-wealth, the economy has achieved real growth between 8-12% per year for the last several years, among the highest sustained growth rates in the world.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "Timor comes from the Malay word for \"East\"; the island of Timor is part of the Malay Archipelago and is the largest and easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-3.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "gold, petroleum, natural gas, manganese, marble", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Timorese; adjective: :Timorese", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Proclamation of Independence Day, 28 November (1975)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :1; by type: :passenger/cargo 1 (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, ADB, AOSIS, ARF, ASEAN (observer), CPLP, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PIF (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WMO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :305,643; females age 16-49: :293,052 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :58.3%; male: :63.6%; female: :53% (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :67.39 years; male: :65.87 years; female: :69.01 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Parliament (65 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms); elections: :elections were held on 7 July 2012 (next to be held in July 2017); election results: :percent of vote by party - CNRT 36%, FRETILIN 30%, PD 10%, Frenti-Mudanca 3%, others 21%; seats by party - CNRT 30, FRETILIN 25, PD 8, Frenti-Mudanca 2", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system based on the Portuguese model; note - penal and civil law codes to replace the Indonesian codes were passed by Parliament and promulgated in 2009 and 2011, respectively", "LANGUAGES": "Tetum (official), Portuguese (official), Indonesian, English; note: :there are about 16 indigenous languages; Tetum, Galole, Mambae, and Kemak are spoken by a significant portion of the population", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :10.76%; permanent crops: :4.98%; other: :84.26% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :253 km; border countries: :Indonesia 253 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "247,500 (2012 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Justice (consists of the court president and NA judges); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court president appointed by the president of the republic from among the other court judges to serve a 4-year term; other Supreme Court judges appointed - 1 by the Parliament, and the others by the Supreme Council for the Judiciary, a body presided by the Supreme Court president and includes mostly presidential and parliamentary appointees; other Supreme Court judge tenure NA; subordinate courts: :Court of Appeal; district courts; magistrates' courts; note: :the UN Justice System Programme, launched in 2003 and in 2008, is helping strengthen the country's justice system", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "0.5% (2014 est.); 3.3% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :38.79 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :41.84 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :35.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "printing, soap manufacturing, handicrafts, woven cloth", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-15% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "28 November 1975 (independence proclaimed from Portugal); note - 20 May 2002 is the official date of international recognition of Timor-Leste's independence", "IMPORTS": "$689 million (2011 est.); $696.2 million (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "NA", "ROADWAYS": "total: :6,040 km; paved: :2,600 km; unpaved: :3,440 km (2005)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "red with a black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) superimposed on a slightly longer yellow arrowhead that extends to the center of the flag; a white star - pointing to the upper hoist-side corner of the flag - is in the center of the black triangle; yellow denotes the colonialism in Timor-Leste's past; black represents the obscurantism that needs to be overcome; red stands for the national liberation struggle; the white star symbolizes peace and serves as a guiding light", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "EXPORTS": "$34.1 million (2011 est.); $17.7 million (2013 est.); note: :excludes oil", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Taur Matan RUAK (Jose Maria de VASCONCELOS) (since 20 May 2012); note - the president plays a largely symbolic role but is the commander in chief of the military and is able to veto legislation, dissolve parliament, and call national elections; head of government: :Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO (since 8 August 2007); note - he formerly used the name Jose Alexandre GUSMAO; Vice Prime Minister Fernando \"Lasama\" de ARAUJO (since 8 August 2012); cabinet: :Council of Ministers; elections: :the president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); last election was held on 17 March 2012 with a run-off on 16 April 2012; following parliamentary elections, the president appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as the prime minister; election results: :Taur Matan RUAK elected president; percent of second-round vote - Taur Matan RUAK 61.2%, Francisco GUTTERES 38.8%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "the US dollar is used", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian), Papuan, small Chinese minority", "DEATH_RATE": "6.18 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "drafted 2001, approved 22 March 2002, entered into force 20 May 2002 (2013)", "COASTLINE": "706 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; hot, humid; distinct rainy and dry seasons", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "food, gasoline, kerosene, machinery", "CAPITAL": "name: :Dili; geographic coordinates: :8 35 S, 125 36 E; time difference: :UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$400 million; expenditures: :$1.8 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Timor-Leste Defense Force (Falintil-Forcas de Defesa de Timor-L'este, Falintil (F-FDTL)): Army, Navy (Armada) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "34.48 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "6 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coffee, rice, corn, cassava (manioc, tapioca), sweet potatoes, soybeans, cabbage, mangoes, bananas, vanilla", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "13 administrative districts; Aileu, Ainaro, Baucau, Bobonaro (Maliana), Cova-Lima (Suai), Dili, Ermera (Gleno), Lautem (Los Palos), Liquica, Manatuto, Manufahi (Same), Oecussi (Ambeno), Viqueque; note: :administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "oil, coffee, sandalwood, marble; note: :potential for vanilla exports", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :64%; industry: :10%; services: :26% (2010)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :4%; highest 10%: :27% (2007)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "41% (2009 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "2.92% of GDP (2012); 2.6% of GDP (2011); 2.92% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "widespread use of slash and burn agriculture has led to deforestation and soil erosion", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :4; 914 to 1,523 m: :2; 2 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Portuguese began to trade with the island of Timor in the early 16th century and colonized it in mid-century. Skirmishing with the Dutch in the region eventually resulted in an 1859 treaty in which Portugal ceded the western portion of the island. Imperial Japan occupied Portuguese Timor from 1942 to 1945, but Portugal resumed colonial authority after the Japanese defeat in World War II. East Timor declared itself independent from Portugal on 28 November 1975 and was invaded and occupied by Indonesian forces nine days later. It was incorporated into Indonesia in July 1976 as the province of Timor Timur (East Timor). An unsuccessful campaign of pacification followed over the next two decades, during which an estimated 100,000 to 250,000 individuals lost their lives. On 30 August 1999, in a UN-supervised popular referendum, an overwhelming majority of the people of Timor-Leste voted for independence from Indonesia. However, in the next three weeks, anti-independence Timorese militias - organized and supported by the Indonesian military - commenced a large-scale, scorched-earth campaign of retribution. The militias killed approximately 1,400 Timorese and forcibly pushed 300,000 people into western Timor as refugees. Most of the country's infrastructure, including homes, irrigation systems, water supply systems, and schools, and nearly 100% of the country's electrical grid were destroyed. On 20 September 1999, Australian-led peacekeeping troops deployed to the country and brought the violence to an end. On 20 May 2002, Timor-Leste was internationally recognized as an independent state. In 2006, internal tensions threatened the new nation's security when a military strike led to violence and a breakdown of law and order. At Dili's request, an Australian-led International Stabilization Force (ISF) deployed to Timor-Leste, and the UN Security Council established the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT), which included an authorized police presence of over 1,600 personnel. The ISF and UNMIT restored stability, allowing for presidential and parliamentary elections in 2007 in a largely peaceful atmosphere. In February 2008, a rebel group staged an unsuccessful attack against the president and prime minister. The ringleader was killed in the attack, and most of the rebels surrendered in April 2008. Since the attack, the government has enjoyed one of its longest periods of post-independence stability, including successful 2012 elections for both the parliament and president. In late 2012, the UN Security Council voted to end its peacekeeping mission in Timor-Leste and both the ISF and UNMIT departed the country by the end of the year.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :12,737; female: :12,389 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :243,120; females age 16-49: :251,061 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for voluntary military service; 18-month service obligation; no conscription but, as of May 2013, introduction of conscription was under discussion (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than Connecticut", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "floods and landslides are common; earthquakes; tsunamis; tropical cyclones", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Timor Sea, Savu Sea, and Banda Sea 0 m; highest point: :Foho Tatamailau 2,963 m", "HELIPORTS": "8 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.07 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.93 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.96 male(s)/female; total population: :1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (Timor-Leste has one national public broadcaster)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "at least 21 (Timor-Leste has one national public broadcaster and 20 community and church radio stations - station frequency types NA) (2007)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :5.2%; industry: :72.8%; services: :22.1% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "8 50 S, 125 55 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :42.4% (male 261,794/female 247,486); 15-24 years: :19.8% (male 120,256/female 117,268); 25-54 years: :29.3% (male 170,179/female 182,278); 55-64 years: :4.8% (male 29,867/female 28,156); 65 years and over: :3.7% (male 21,214/female 23,044) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Togo", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Robert E. WHITEHEAD (since 3 May 2012); embassy: :4332 Blvd. Gnassingbe Eyadema, Cite OUA, Lome; mailing address: :B. P. 852, Lome; 2300 Lome Place, Washington, DC 20521-2300; telephone: :[228; FAX: :[228", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$1,500 (2014 est.); $1,400 (2013 est.); $1,400 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "5.6% (2014 est.); 5.1% (2013 est.); 5.9% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.71% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$10.18 billion (2014 est.); $9.638 billion (2013 est.); $9.169 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :80.1%; youth dependency ratio: :75.2%; elderly dependency ratio: :5%; potential support ratio: :20.2% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "11.8% of GDP (2014 est.); 9.9% of GDP (2013 est.); 9.5% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :87.3%; government consumption: :10.3%; investment in fixed capital: :18.7%; investment in inventories: :1.8%; exports of goods and services: :37.3%; imports of goods and services: :-55.4%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "15.2% (2010)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "21; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2013/14 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :774,801; percentage: :47% (2010 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "1.63 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "9,773 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "12,260 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "78.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "21.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "83,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "751 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "717 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "136 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "lion; national colors: green, yellow, red, white", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "4.3% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.05 physicians/1,000 population (2008)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "8.6% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "16.5% (2010)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "300 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-4.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "22.5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "LOME (capital) 930,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Salut a toi, pays de nos aieux\" (Hail to Thee, Land of Our Forefathers); lyrics/music: :Alex CASIMIR-DOSSEH; note: :adopted 1960, restored 1992; this anthem was replaced by another during one-party rule between 1979 and 1992", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 25.5% of population; rural: 2.5% of population; total: 11.3% of population; urban: 74.5% of population; rural: 97.5% of population; total: 88.7% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 91.4% of population; rural: 40.3% of population; total: 60% of population; urban: 8.6% of population; rural: 59.7% of population; total: 40% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$2.061 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.035 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$1.105 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.084 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "2 state-owned TV stations with multiple transmission sites; 5 private TV stations broadcast locally; cable TV service is available; state-owned radio network with multiple stations; several dozen private radio stations and a few community radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters available (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :39.5% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.83% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$1.642 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.621 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$414.9 million (31 December 2008); $383.9 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$712.6 million (31 December 2008); $624.9 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "NA%", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "2.5% (31 December 2010); 4.25% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.5% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :12 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.17 cu km/yr (63%/3%/34%); per capita: :33.46 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "14.7 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$4.838 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :19,088 (Ghana) (2014); IDPs: :undetermined (2012)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever; respiratory disease: :meningococcal meningitis; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; animal contact disease: :rabies; note: :highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$546 million (31 December 2014 est.); $507.1 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$595.3 million (2014 est.); -$588.3 million (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "1,168 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :19.6 years; male: :19.3 years; female: :19.8 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "6,600 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "113,200 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "2.33% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".tg", "INTERNET_USERS": "356,300 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "3.518 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "225,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Limbiye Edawa Kadangha BARIKI (since 14 July 2009); chancery: :2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :56,785 sq km; land: :54,385 sq km; water: :2,400 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "73 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Togolese Republic; conventional short form: :Togo; local long form: :Republique Togolaise; local short form: :none; former: :French Togoland", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "4.53 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :fair system based on a network of microwave radio relay routes supplemented by open-wire lines and a mobile-cellular system; domestic: :microwave radio relay and open-wire lines for conventional system; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 50 telephones per 100 persons with mobile-cellular use predominating; international: :country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Symphonie (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Christian 29%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 51%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :568 km; narrow gauge: :568 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Kpeme, Lome", "POPULATION": "7,351,374; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Action Committee for Renewal or CAR [Dodji APEVON; Democratic Convention of African Peoples or CDPA [Leopold GNININVI, Secretary-General; Movement of the Believers of Peace and Equality or MOCEP; National Alliance for Change or ANC [Jean-Pierre FABRE; Pan-African Patriotic Convergence or CPP [Edem KODJO; Rainbow Alliance (a coalition including: CAR and CDPA) [Brigitte Adjamagbo JOHNSON; Rally for the Support for Development and Democracy or RSDD [Harry OLYMPIO; Save Togo Collective or CST (a coalition including: ANC and PSR) [Ata Messan Zeus AJAVON; Socialist Pact for Renewal or PSR [Abi TCHESSA; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Gagou KOKOU; Union for the Republic or UNIR [Faure GNASSINGBE; Union of Forces for Change or UFC [Gilchrist OLYMPIO", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "This small, sub-Saharan economy depends heavily on both commercial and subsistence agriculture, which provides employment for a significant share of the labor force. Some basic foodstuffs must still be imported. Cocoa, coffee, and cotton generate about 40% of export earnings with cotton being the most important cash crop. Togo is among the world's largest producers of phosphate and Togo seeks to develop its carbonate phosphate reserves. The government's decade-long effort, supported by the World Bank and the IMF, to implement economic reform measures, encourage foreign investment, and bring revenues in line with expenditures has moved slowly. Progress depends on follow through on privatization, increased openness in government financial operations, progress toward legislative elections, and continued support from foreign donors. Foreign direct investment inflows have slowed over recent years. Togo completed its IMF Extended Credit Facility in 2011 and reached a HIPC debt relief completion point in 2010 at which 95% of the country's debt was forgiven. Togo continues to work with the IMF on structural reforms.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Togolese (singular and plural); adjective: :Togolese", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 27 April (1960)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :61; by type: :bulk carrier 6, cargo 38, carrier 3, chemical tanker 5, container 3, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1; foreign-owned: :21 (China 1, Lebanon 6, Romania 1, Syria 6, Turkey 4, UAE 1, US 1, Yemen 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, EITI (candidate country), Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :30 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,577,572; females age 16-49: :1,589,715 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :60.4%; male: :74.1%; female: :48% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :64.06 years; male: :61.49 years; female: :66.71 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (91 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 25 July 2013 (next to be held in 2018); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UNIR 62, CST 19, Rainbow Alliance 6, UFC 3, independents 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "customary law system", "LANGUAGES": "French (official, the language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (the two major African languages in the south), Kabye (sometimes spelled Kabiye) and Dagomba (the two major African languages in the north)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :48.72%; permanent crops: :3.68%; other: :47.6% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,880 km; border countries: :Benin 651 km, Burkina Faso 131 km, Ghana 1,098 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "2.595 million (2007 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (organized into the Criminal Chamber and the Administrative Chamber, each with a chamber president and advisors); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges including the court president); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court president appointed by decree of the president of the republic upon the proposal of the Supreme Council of the Magistracy, a 9-member judicial, advisory, and disciplinary body; other judge appointments and judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the National Assembly; judge tenure NA; subordinate courts: :Court of Assizes (sessions court); appeals courts; tribunals of first instance (divided into civil, commercial, and correctional chambers; Court of State Security; military tribunal", "WATERWAYS": "50 km (seasonally navigable by small craft on the Mono River depending on rainfall) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.1% (2014 est.); 1.8% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :46.73 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :53.38 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :39.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement, handicrafts, textiles, beverages", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "6.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)", "IMPORTS": "$2.284 billion (2014 est.); $2.201 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transit hub for Nigerian heroin and cocaine traffickers; money laundering not a significant problem", "ROADWAYS": "total: :11,652 km; paved: :2,447 km; unpaved: :9,205 km (2007)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom) alternating with yellow; a white five-pointed star on a red square is in the upper hoist-side corner; the five horizontal stripes stand for the five different regions of the country; the red square is meant to express the loyalty and patriotism of the people; green symbolizes hope, fertility, and agriculture; yellow represents mineral wealth and faith that hard work and strength will bring prosperity; the star symbolizes life, purity, peace, dignity, and Togo's independence; note: :uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$926.3 million (31 December 2014 est.); $840.8 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$1.381 billion (2014 est.); $1.313 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Faure GNASSINGBE (since 4 May 2005);; head of government: :Prime Minister Kwesi Seleagodji AHOOMEY-ZUNU (since 23 July 2012); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held on 4 March 2010 (next to be held in 2015); prime minister appointed by the president; election results: :Faure GNASSINGBE reelected president; percent of vote - Faure GNASSINGBE 60.9%, Jean-Pierre FABRE 33.9%, Yawovi AGBOYIBO 3%, other 2.2%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -; 491.2 (2014 est.); 494.04 (2013 est.); 510.53 (2012 est.); 471.87 (2011 est.); 495.28 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "African (37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe, Mina, and Kabre) 99%, European and Syrian-Lebanese less than 1%", "DEATH_RATE": "7.43 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted 27 September 1992, effective 14 October 1992; amended 2002, last in 2005 (2005)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 29.3%, Belgium 12.8%, US 11.5%, France 6.2%, Netherlands 6.1%, India 5.6% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "56 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products", "CAPITAL": "name: :Lome; geographic coordinates: :6 07 N, 1 13 E; time difference: :UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.086 billion; expenditures: :$1.322 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Togolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Togolaise, FAT): Togolese Army (l'Armee de Terre), Togolese Navy (Forces Naval Togolaises), Togolese Air Force (Force Aerienne Togolaise, TAF), National Gendarmerie (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "34.52 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "8 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coffee, cocoa, cotton, yams, cassava (manioc, tapioca), corn, beans, rice, millet, sorghum; livestock; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "5 regions (regions, singular - region); Centrale, Kara, Maritime, Plateaux, Savanes", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Lebanon 11.7%, India 10.7%, China 9%, Burkina Faso 8.5%, Benin 8.3%, Belgium 6.5%, Niger 6.4%, Ghana 4.9%, Nigeria 4.3% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "reexports, cotton, phosphates, coffee, cocoa", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :65%; industry: :5%; services: :30% (1998 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.3%; highest 10%: :27.1% (2006)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "32% (1989 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "NA% (2012); 1.6% of GDP (2011); NA% (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation attributable to slash-and-burn agriculture and the use of wood for fuel; water pollution presents health hazards and hinders the fishing industry; air pollution increasing in urban areas", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :6; 914 to 1,523 m: :4; 2 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "French Togoland became Togo in 1960. Gen. Gnassingbe EYADEMA, installed as military ruler in 1967, ruled Togo with a heavy hand for almost four decades. Despite the facade of multi-party elections instituted in the early 1990s, the government was largely dominated by President EYADEMA, whose Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) party has been in power almost continually since 1967 and its successor, the Union for the Republic, maintains a majority of seats in today's legislature. Upon EYADEMA's death in February 2005, the military installed the president's son, Faure GNASSINGBE, and then engineered his formal election two months later. Democratic gains since then allowed Togo to hold its first relatively free and fair legislative elections in October 2007. After years of political unrest and condemnation from international organizations for human rights abuses, Togo is finally being re-welcomed into the international community.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :74,036; female: :73,515 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,104,536; females age 16-49: :1,158,061 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; 2-year service obligation (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than West Virginia", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter; periodic droughts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mont Agou 986 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.77 male(s)/female; total population: :0.98 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "3 (plus 2 repeaters) (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :27.6%; industry: :33.9%; services: :38.5% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "8 00 N, 1 10 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :40.7% (male 1,499,011/female 1,490,513); 15-24 years: :19.7% (male 723,237/female 726,350); 25-54 years: :32.1% (male 1,173,492/female 1,188,961); 55-64 years: :4.2% (male 145,743/female 163,384); 65 years and over: :3.3% (male 104,277/female 136,406) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Tokelau", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (territory of New Zealand)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "self-administering territory of New Zealand; note - Tokelau and New Zealand have agreed to a draft constitution as Tokelau moves toward free association with New Zealand; a UN-sponsored referendum on self governance in October 2007 did not produce the two-thirds majority vote necessary for changing the political status", "AFFILIATION": "(territory of New Zealand)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$1,000 (1993 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.01% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$1.5 million (1993 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "tuluma (fishing tackle box); national colors: blue, yellow, white", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "63.4% (2007)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Te Atua\" (For the Almighty); lyrics/music: :unknown/Falani KALOLO; note: :adopted 2008; in preparation for eventual self governance, Tokelau held a national contest to choose an anthem; as a territory of New Zealand, \"God Defend New Zealand\" and \"God Save the Queen\" are official (see New Zealand)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "rural: 92.9% of population; total: 92.9% of population; rural: 7.1% of population; total: 7.1% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "rural: 97.4% of population; total: 97.4% of population; rural: 2.6% of population; total: 2.6% of population (2012 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "no TV stations; each atoll operates a radio service that provides shipping news and weather reports (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :0% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$NA", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "2,069 (2012)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".tk", "INTERNET_USERS": "800 (2008)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (territory of New Zealand)", "AREA": "total: :12 sq km; land: :12 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, group of three atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Tokelau", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of New Zealand", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "NA", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "NA", "TERRAIN": "low-lying coral atolls enclosing large lagoons", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modern satellite-based communications system; domestic: :radiotelephone service between islands; international: :country code - 690; radiotelephone service to Samoa; government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok); satellite earth stations - 3 (2009)", "SUFFRAGE": "21 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Congregational Christian Church 58.2%, Roman Catholic 36.6%, Presbyterian 1.8%, other Christian 2.8%, Spiritualism and New Age 0.1%, unspecified 0.5% (2011 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "none; offshore anchorage only", "POPULATION": "1,337 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "none", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Tokelau's small size (three villages), isolation, and lack of resources greatly restrain economic development and confine agriculture to the subsistence level. The people rely heavily on aid from New Zealand - about $10 million annually in 2008 and 2009 - to maintain public services. New Zealand's support amounts to 80% of Tokelau's recurrent government budget. An international trust fund, currently worth nearly US$32 million, was established in 2004 to provide Tokelau an independent source of revenue. The principal sources of revenue come from sales of copra, postage stamps, souvenir coins, and handicrafts. Money is also remitted to families from relatives in New Zealand.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "none", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "consists of three atolls (Atafu, Fakaofo, Nukunonu), each with a lagoon surrounded by a number of reef-bound islets of varying length and rising to over 3 m above sea level", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "NEGL", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Tokelauan(s); adjective: :Tokelauan", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "PIF (observer), SPC, UNESCO (associate), UPU", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :NA; male: :NA; female: :NA", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral General Fono (20 seats apportioned by island - Atafu 7, Fakaofo 7, Nukunonu 6; members directly elected by simple majority vote to serve 3-year terms); note - the Tokelau Amendment Act of 1996 confers limited legislative power to the General Fono; elections: :last held on 23 January 2014 (next to be held in 2017); election results: :independents 20", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "common law system of New Zealand", "LANGUAGES": "Tokelauan 93.5% (a Polynesian language), English 58.9%, Samoan 45.5%, Tuvaluan 11.6%, Kiribati 2.7%, other 2.5%, none 4.1%, unspecified 0.6%; ntoe: :shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census (2011 ests.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0% (soil is thin and infertile); permanent crops: :60%; other: :40% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "440 (2001)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Court of Appeal in New Zealand (consists of the court president and 8 judges sitting in 3- or 5-judge panels depending on the case); judge selection and term of office: :judges nominated by the Judicial Selection Committee and approved by three-quarters majority of the Parliament; judge tenure NA; subordinate courts: :High Court, in New Zealand; Council of Elders or Taupulega", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "NA%", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :NA; male: :NA; female: :NA", "INDUSTRIES": "small-scale enterprises for copra production, woodworking, plaited craft goods; stamps, coins; fishing", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (territory of New Zealand)", "IMPORTS": "$969,200 (2002)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "a yellow stylized Tokelauan canoe on a dark blue field sails toward the manu - the Southern Cross constellation of four, white, five-pointed stars at the hoist side; the Southern Cross represents the role of Christianity in Tokelauan culture and, in conjunction with the canoe, symbolizes the country navigating into the future; the color yellow indicates happiness and peace, and the blue field represents the ocean on which the community relies", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 April - 31 March", "EXPORTS": "$0 (2002)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General of New Zealand Anand SATYANAND (since 23 August 2006); New Zealand is represented by Administrator Jonathan KINGS (since February 2011); head of government: :Kuresa NASAU (since February 2014); note - position rotates annually among the 3 Faipule (village leaders); cabinet: :the Council for the Ongoing Government of Tokelau functions as a cabinet; consists of 3 Faipule (village leaders) and 3 Pulenuku (village mayors); elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; administrator appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade in New Zealand; the head of government chosen from the Council of Faipule and serves a one-year term", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar -; 1.206 (2014); 1.2187 (2013); 1.23 (2012); 1.263 (2011); 1.3874 (2010)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Tokelauan 65.3%, part Tokelauan/Samoan 8.7%, part Tokelauan/Tuvaluan 6.9%, part Tokelauan/other Pacific islander 1.9%, part Tokelauan/European 1%, Samoan 6.7%, Tuvaluan 2.8%, other Pacific islander 1.1%, other 5.1%, unspecified 0.4% (2011 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "many previous; latest effective 1 January 1949 (Tokelau Islands Act 1948); amended many times, last in 2007 (2012)", "COASTLINE": "101 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foodstuffs, building materials, fuel", "CAPITAL": "none; each atoll has its own administrative center; time difference: :UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$430,800; expenditures: :$2.8 million (1987 est.)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coconuts, copra, breadfruit, papayas, bananas; pigs, poultry, goats; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (territory of New Zealand)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "stamps, copra, handicrafts", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "limited natural resources and overcrowding are contributing to emigration to New Zealand", "BACKGROUND": "Originally settled by Polynesian emigrants from surrounding island groups, the Tokelau Islands were made a British protectorate in 1889. They were transferred to New Zealand administration in 1925. Referenda held in 2006 and 2007 to change the status of the islands from that of a New Zealand territory to one of free association with New Zealand did not meet the needed threshold for approval.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "lies in Pacific typhoon belt", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :unnamed location 5 m", "SEX_RATIO": "NA", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA (one radio station provides service to all islands) (2002)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :NA%; industry: :NA%; services: :NA%", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "9 00 S, 172 00 W" }, { "country": "Tonga", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "the US does not have an embassy in Tonga; the US ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$5,000 (2014 est.); $4,900 (2013 est.); $4,900 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.4% (2014 est.); 0.8% (2013 est.); 0.5% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.09% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$523 million (2014 est.); $510.8 million (2013 est.); $506.7 million (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :75.2%; youth dependency ratio: :64.9%; elderly dependency ratio: :10.3%; potential support ratio: :9.7% (2014 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :94.9%; government consumption: :19.4%; investment in fixed capital: :34.4%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :20%; imports of goods and services: :-68.7%; (2014 est.)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "24.9; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-49 (2012 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "188,800 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "1,202 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "1,270 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "14,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "44.64 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "48 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "red cross on white field, arms equal length; national colors: red, white", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "57.6% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.6 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.56 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.4% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "110 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "0% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "32.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "NUKU'ALOFA 25,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Ko e fasi `o e tu\"i `o e `Otu Tonga\" (Song of the King of the Tonga Islands); lyrics/music: :Uelingatoni Ngu TUPOUMALOHI/Karl Gustavus SCHMITT; note: :in use since 1875; more commonly known as \"Fasi Fakafonua\" (National Song)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 99.4% of population; rural: 88.9% of population; total: 91.3% of population; urban: 0.6% of population; rural: 11.1% of population; total: 8.7% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99% of population; rural: 99.4% of population; total: 99.3% of population; urban: 1% of population; rural: 0.6% of population; total: 0.7% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$192.6 million (31 December 2014 est.); $195.1 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$100.8 million (31 December 2014 est.); $94.1 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "2 state-owned TV stations and 2 privately owned TV stations; satellite and cable TV services are available; 2 state-owned and 3 privately owned radio stations; Radio Australia broadcasts available via satellite (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :23.6% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.71% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$102.1 million (31 December 2014 est.); $120.1 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$100.7 million (31 December 2008); $106.8 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$36.16 million (31 December 2008); $46.38 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "9.4% (31 December 2014 est.); 9.26% (31 December 2013 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.9% of GDP (2004)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$127.8 million (31 December 2014 est.); $118.6 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$494 million (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$159.2 million (31 December 2014 est.); $155.5 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$91 million (2014 est.); -$93.6 million (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "5,367 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :22 years; male: :21.6 years; female: :22.5 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".to", "INTERNET_USERS": "8,400 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "56,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "30,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Mahe'uli'uli Sandhurst TUPOUNIUA (since 10 September 2013); chancery: :250 E. 51st Street, New York, NY, 10022; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :San Francisco", "AREA": "total: :747 sq km; land: :717 sq km; water: :30 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Kingdom of Tonga; conventional short form: :Tonga; local long form: :Pule'anga Tonga; local short form: :Tonga; former: :Friendly Islands", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "13% (FY03/04 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional monarchy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "3.36 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :competition between Tonga Telecommunications Corporation (TCC) and Shoreline Communications Tonga (SCT) is accelerating expansion of telecommunications; SCT granted approval to introduce high-speed digital service for telephone, Internet, and television while TCC has exclusive rights to operate the mobile-phone network; international telecom services are provided by government-owned Tonga Telecommunications International; domestic: :combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity about 80 telephones per 100 persons; fully automatic switched network; international: :country code - 676; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "21 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 64.9% (includes Free Wesleyan Church 37.3%, Free Church of Tonga 11.4%, Church of Tonga 7.2%, Tokaikolo Christian Church 2.6%, Assembly of God 2.3% Seventh Day Adventist 2.2%, Constitutional Church of Tonga .9%, Anglican .8% and Full Gospel Church .2%), Mormon 16.8%, Roman Catholic 15.6%, other 1.1%, none 0.03%, unspecified 1.7% (2006 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Nuku'alofa, Neiafu, Pangai", "POPULATION": "106,440 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands [Samuela 'Akilisi POHIVA; People's Democratic Party or PDP [Tesina FUKO; Sustainable Nation-Building Party [Sione FONUA; Tonga Democratic Labor Party; Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement or THRDM", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Tonga has a small, open, South Pacific island economy. It has a narrow export base in agricultural goods. Squash, vanilla beans, and yams are the main crops. Agricultural exports, including fish, make up two-thirds of total exports. The country must import a high proportion of its food, mainly from New Zealand. The country remains dependent on external aid and remittances from Tongan communities overseas to offset its trade deficit. Tourism is the second-largest source of hard currency earnings following remittances. Tonga had 39,000 visitors in 2006. The government is emphasizing the development of the private sector, especially the encouragement of investment, and is committing increased funds for health and education. Tonga has a reasonably sound basic infrastructure and well developed social services. High unemployment among the young, moderate inflation, pressures for democratic reform, and rising civil service expenditures are major issues facing the government.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Human Rights and Democracy Movement Tonga or HRDMT [Rev. Simote VEA, chairman; Public Servant's Association [Finau TUTONE", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited)", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-17.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Tongan(s); adjective: :Tongan", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "National Day, 4 November (1875)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :7; by type: :cargo 4, carrier 1, passenger/cargo 2; foreign-owned: :2 (Australia 1, UK 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :24,460; females age 16-49: :24,041 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :can read and write Tongan and/or English; total population: :99.4%; male: :99.3%; female: :99.4% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :75.82 years; male: :74.35 years; female: :77.34 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (26 seats; 17 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 9 indirectly elected by hereditary leaders; members serve 3-year terms); elections: :last held on 27 November 2014 (next to be held in 2017); election results: :Peoples Representatives: percent of vote - NA; seats - Democratic Party 9, nobles representatives 9, independents 8", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "English common law", "LANGUAGES": "English and Tongan 87%, Tongan (official) 10.7%, English (official) 1.2%, other 1.1%, uspecified 0.03% (2006 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :22.22%; permanent crops: :15.28%; other: :62.5% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "39,960 (2007 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and a number of judges determined by the monarch); note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are brought before the King in Privy Council, the monarch's advisory organ that has both judicial and legislative powers; judge selection and term of office: :judge appointments and tenures made by the King in Privy Council, judge appointments subject to consent of the Legislative Assembly; subordinate courts: :Supreme Court; Magistrate's Courts; Land Courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.7% (2014 est.); 0.7% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :12.36 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :12.78 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :11.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, construction, fishing", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.6% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate)", "IMPORTS": "$204.1 million (2014 est.); $198.2 million (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :680 km; paved: :184 km; unpaved: :496 km (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner; the cross reflects the deep-rooted Christianity in Tonga; red represents the blood of Christ and his sacrifice; white signifies purity", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 July - 30 June", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$218.5 million (31 December 2014 est.); $209.1 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$23.4 million (2014 est.); $21.4 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :King TUPOU VI (since 18 March 2012); note - King George TUPOU V died on 18 March 2012 in Hong Kong; he was succeeded by his brother Crown Prince TUPOUTO'A Lavaka, who took the throne name TUPOU VI; head of government: :Prime Minister 'Akilisi POHIVA (since 30 December 2014); cabinet: :Cabinet nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch; note: :a Privy Councilt advises the monarch; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from members of parliament and appointed by the monarch; election last held on 21 December 2010 (next to be held in NA 2014); election results: :'Akilisi POHIVA elected prime minister by parliament on 29 December 2014; vote - 15 of 26 votes", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "pa'anga (TOP) per US dollar -; 1.86 (2014 est.); 1.774 (2013 est.); 1.72 (2012 est.); 1.729 (2011 est.); 1.906 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Tongan 96.6%, part-Tongan 1.7%, other 1.7%, unspecified 0.03% (2006 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "4.86 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "adopted 4 November 1875; amended many times, last in 2013 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Fiji 34%, NZ 18.9%, China 17.6%, US 8.8% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "419 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, chemicals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Nuku'alofa; geographic coordinates: :21 08 S, 175 12 W; time difference: :UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$161.3 million; expenditures: :$161.3 million (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Tonga Defense Services (TDS): Land Force (Royal Guard), Maritime Force (includes Royal Marines, Air Wing) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "23.55 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "6 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "squash, coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "5 island divisions; 'Eua, Ha'apai, Ongo Niua, Tongatapu, Vava'u", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "NZ 17.7%, South Korea 16.1%, US 12.1%, Fiji 11.3%, Samoa 9.5%, Japan 9.2%, Australia 9%, American Samoa 6%, Hong Kong 4.3% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "squash, fish, vanilla beans, root crops", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :31.8%; industry: :30.6%; services: :2,003% (2003 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "24% (FY03/04)", "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, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation results as more and more land is being cleared for agriculture and settlement; some damage to coral reefs from starfish and indiscriminate coral and shell collectors; overhunting threatens native sea turtle populations", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :5; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :3; 1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Tonga - unique among Pacific nations - never completely lost its indigenous governance. The archipelagos of \"The Friendly Islands\" were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. Tonga became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900; it withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970. Tonga remains the only monarchy in the Pacific.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :1,196; female: :1,134 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :20,956; females age 16-49: :20,577 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "16 years of age for voluntary enlistment (with parental consent); no conscription; the king retains the right to call up \"all those capable of bearing arms\" in wartime (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "four times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou; volcanism: :moderate volcanic activity; Fonualei (elev. 180 m) has shown frequent activity in recent years, while Niuafo'ou (elev. 260 m), which last erupted in 1985, has forced evacuations; other historically active volcanoes include Late and Tofua", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :unnamed elevation on Kao Island 1,033 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.86 male(s)/female; total population: :1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "3 (2004)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :18.1%; industry: :21.1%; services: :60.8% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "20 00 S, 175 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :35.6% (male 19,272/female 18,661); 15-24 years: :19.3% (male 10,514/female 10,016); 25-54 years: :33.3% (male 17,717/female 17,732); 55-64 years: :5.5% (male 2,852/female 3,013); 65 years and over: :6.3% (male 3,044/female 3,619) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Trinidad and Tobago", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Margaret B. DIOP (since October 2012); embassy: :15 Queen's Park West, Port of Spain; mailing address: :P. O. Box 752, Port of Spain; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$31,300 (2014 est.); $30,700 (2013 est.); $30,400 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.3% (2014 est.); 1.6% (2013 est.); 1.2% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.11% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$42.23 billion (2014 est.); $41.27 billion (2013 est.); $40.61 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :43.1%; youth dependency ratio: :29.8%; elderly dependency ratio: :13.3%; potential support ratio: :7.5% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "25.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 25.8% of GDP (2013 est.); 19% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :40.6%; government consumption: :12.1%; investment in fixed capital: :9.4%; investment in inventories: :0.5%; exports of goods and services: :66.9%; imports of goods and services: :-29.6%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "42.5% (2006)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :1,201; percentage: :1% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "51.27 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "371.2 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "18.14 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "22.29 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "40.43 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "1,598 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "106,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "46,680 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "132,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "728.3 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "70,260 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "75,340 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "117,800 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "99.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "2.104 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "7.929 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "8.355 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "scarlet ibis (bird of Trinidad), cocrico (bird of Tobago), Chaconia flower; national colors: red, white, black", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :10.5%; male: :8.8%; female: :12.9% (2008 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "29.3% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.7 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.18 physicians/1,000 population (2007)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.4% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "4.4% (2000)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "46 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "29.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "PORT-OF-SPAIN (capital) 34,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Forged From the Love of Liberty\"; lyrics/music: :Patrick Stanislaus CASTAGNE; note: :adopted 1962; song originally created to serve as an anthem for the West Indies Federation; adopted by Trinidad and Tobago following the Federation's dissolution in 1962", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 92.1% of population; rural: 92.1% of population; total: 92.1% of population; urban: 7.9% of population; rural: 7.9% of population; total: 7.9% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 97.4% of population; rural: 93.1% of population; total: 93.6% of population; urban: 2.6% of population; rural: 6.9% of population; total: 6.4% of population (2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$17.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $15.26 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$7.095 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $6.205 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "5 TV networks, one of which is state-owned, broadcast on multiple stations; multiple cable TV subscription service providers; multiple radio networks, one state-owned, broadcast over about 35 stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :8.5% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :-1.2% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$8.894 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $8.214 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$6.795 billion (31 December 2008); $5.707 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$3.047 billion (31 December 2008); $2.646 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "7.8% (31 December 2014 est.); 7.5% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "4.25% (31 December 2010); 7.25% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.2% of GDP (2003)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :12 years; male: :12 years; female: :13 years (2004)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.23 cu km/yr (67%/25%/8%); per capita: :177.9 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "3.84 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$15.17 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $14.73 billion (31 December 2011); $12.16 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$3.829 billion (2007)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$102 billion (31 December 2008 est.); $12.44 billion (2007)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$29.63 billion (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$10.99 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $10.67 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$1.689 billion (2014 est.); $2.006 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "50.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 52.7% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "241,690 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :34.4 years; male: :34 years; female: :34.9 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "700 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "14,000 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "1.65% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".tt", "INTERNET_USERS": "593,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "1.884 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "287,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Neil N. PARSAN (since 14 February 2011); chancery: :1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Miami, New York", "AREA": "total: :5,128 sq km; land: :5,128 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "36 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Trinidad and Tobago; conventional short form: :Trinidad and Tobago", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "5.3% (2014 est.); 5.2% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.71 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly plains with some hills and low mountains", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :excellent international service; good local service; domestic: :combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 170 telephones per 100 persons; international: :country code - 1-868; submarine cable systems provide connectivity to US and parts of the Caribbean and South America; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and Guyana (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 32.1% (Pentecostal/Evangelical/Full Gospel 12%, Baptist 6.9%, Anglican 5.7%, Seventh-Day Adventist 4.1%, Presbyterian/Congretational 2.5, other Protestant .9), Roman Catholic 21.6%, Hindu 18.2%, Muslim 5%, Jehovah's Witness 1.5%, other 8.4%, none 2.2%, unspecified 11.1% (2011 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Point Fortin, Point Lisas, Port of Spain, Scarborough; oil terminals: :Galeota Point terminal; LNG terminal(s) (export): :Port Fortin", "POPULATION": "1,223,916 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Congress of the People or COP [Prakash RAMADHAR; Democratic Action Congress or DAC [Hochoy CHARLES; Democratic National Alliance or DNA [Charles CARSON; Movement for National Development or MND [Garvin NICHOLAS; National Alliance for Reconstruction or NAR [Lennox SANKERSINGH; People's National Movement or PNM [Keith ROWLEY; Tobago Organization of the People or TOP [Ashworth JACK; United National Congress or UNC [Kamla PERSAD-BISSESSAR", "PIPELINES": "condensate 257 km; condensate/gas 11 km; gas 1,567 km; oil 587 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Trinidad and Tobago attracts considerable foreign direct investment from international businesses, particularly in energy, and has one of the highest per capita incomes in Latin America. Economic growth between 2000 and 2007 averaged slightly over 8% per year, significantly above the regional average of about 3.7% for that same period; however, GDP has slowed down since then and contracted during 2009-2012 due to depressed natural gas prices and changing markets. Growth had been fueled by investments in liquefied natural gas, petrochemicals, and steel with additional upstream and downstream investment planned. Trinidad and Tobago is the leading Caribbean producer of oil and gas, and its economy is heavily dependent upon these resources. It also supplies manufactured goods, notably food products and beverages, as well as cement to the Caribbean region. Oil and gas account for about 40% of GDP and 80% of exports, but only 5% of employment. Oil production has declined over the last decade as the country focused the majority of its efforts on natural gas. The current administration has been working to arrest this decline by opening bid rounds and providing fiscal incentives for investments in on-shore and deep water acreage to boost oil reserves and production. The government keeps a close watch on the changing global gas markets and has shown flexibility in diversifying natural gas export destinations. Although Trinidad and Tobago enjoys cheap electricity from natural gas, the renewable energy sector has recently garnered increased interest. The country is also a regional financial center with a well-regulated and stable financial system. Other sectors the Government of Trinidad and Tobago targeted for increased investment and projected growth include tourism, agriculture, information and communications technology, and shipping. The economy benefits from a growing trade surplus with the US. The US is Trinidad and Tobago's leading trade partner. The previous MANNING administration benefited from fiscal surpluses fueled by the dynamic export sector; however, declines in oil and gas prices have reduced government revenues, challenging the current government's commitment to maintaining high levels of public investment. Crime and bureaucratic hurdles continue to be the biggest deterrents for attracting more foreign direct investment and business.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Jamaat-al Muslimeen [Yasin ABU BAKR", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's largest natural reservoir of asphalt", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-6.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, natural gas, asphalt", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s); adjective: :Trinidadian, Tobagonian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 31 August (1962)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :4; by type: :passenger 1, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1; registered in other countries: :2 (unknown 2) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Paris Club (associate), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "measured from claimed archipelagic baselines; territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :341,764; females age 16-49: :317,899 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :98.8%; male: :99.2%; female: :98.5% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :72.29 years; male: :69.42 years; female: :75.24 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (31 seats; 16 members appointed by the ruling party, 9 by the president, and 6 by the opposition party; members serve 5-year terms;) and the House of Representatives (41 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms); note: :Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly (16 seats; 12 assemblymen directly elected by simple majority vote and 4 appointed councillors - 3 on the advice of the chief secretary and 1 on the advice of the minority leader; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :House of Representatives - last held on 24 May 2010 (next to be held in 2015); election results: :House of Representatives - percent of vote - NA; seats by party - UNC 21, PNM 12, COP 6, TOP 2", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court", "LANGUAGES": "English (official), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), French, Spanish, Chinese", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :4.87%; permanent crops: :4.29%; other: :90.84% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "623,500 (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest resident court(s): :Supreme Court of the Judicature (consists of a chief justice for both the Court of Appeal with 12 judges and the High Court with 24 judges); note - Trinidad and Tobago can file appeals beyond its Supreme Court to the Caribbean Court of Justice, with final appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the parliamentary leader of the opposition; other judges appointed by the Judicial Legal Services Commission, headed by the chief justice and 5 members with judicial experience; all judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement normally at age 65; subordinate courts: :Courts of Summary Criminal Jurisdiction; Petty Civil Courts; Family Court", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "5.1% (2014 est.); 5.2% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :24.82 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :26.05 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :23.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "petroleum and petroleum products, liquefied natural gas (LNG), methanol, ammonia, urea, steel products, beverages, food processing, cement, cotton textiles", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.3% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "31 August 1962 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$9.103 billion (2014 est.); $8.871 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; producer of cannabis", "ROADWAYS": "total: :8,320 km; paved: :4,252 km; unpaved: :4,068 km (2001)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side to the lower fly side; the colors represent the elements of earth, water, and fire; black stands for the wealth of the land and the dedication of the people; white symbolizes the sea surrounding the islands, the purity of the country's aspirations, and equality; red symbolizes the warmth and energy of the sun, the vitality of the land, and the courage and friendliness of its people", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 October - 30 September", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$4.924 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.676 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$12.61 billion (2014 est.); $12.77 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Anthony CARMONA (since 18 March 2013); head of government: :Prime Minister Kamla PERSAD-BISSESSAR (since 26 May 2010); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed from among the members of Parliament; elections: :president elected by an electoral college, which consists of members of the Senate and House of Representatives, for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 15 February 2013 (next to be held by February 2018); the president usually appoints the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives as prime minister; election results: :Anthony CARMONA elected president unopposed by the electoral college; sworn in on 18 March 2013; percent of electoral college vote - 100%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TTD) per US dollar -; 6.404 (2014 est.); 6.4136 (2013 est.); 6.39 (2012 est.); 6.4094 (2011 est.); 6.3755 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "East Indian 35.4%, African 34.2%, mixed - other 15.3%, mixed African/East Indian 7.7%, other 1.3%, unspecified 6.2% (2011 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "8.48 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1962; latest 1976; amended many times, last in 2007 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 31.6%, Brazil 6.3%, Colombia 5.9%, Gabon 5.3%, Russia 5%, Canada 4.4%, China 4.2% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "362 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; rainy season (June to December)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "mineral fuels, lubricants, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals, live animals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Port of Spain; geographic coordinates: :10 39 N, 61 31 W; time difference: :UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$8.669 billion; expenditures: :$9.451 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (TTDF): Trinidad and Tobago Army, Coast Guard, Air Guard, Defense Force Reserves (2010)", "BIRTH_RATE": "13.8 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "4 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cocoa, rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry; sugar", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "9 regions, 3 boroughs, 2 cities, 1 ward; regions: :Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo, Diego Martin, Mayaro/Rio Claro, Penal/Debe, Princes Town, Sangre Grande, San Juan/Laventille, Siparia, Tunapuna/Piarco; borough: :Arima, Chaguanas, Point Fortin; cities: :Port of Spain, San Fernando; ward: :Tobago", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "US 31.8%, Argentina 9.6%, Brazil 8%, Netherlands 5.1%, Chile 5%, Spain 4.4% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "petroleum and petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, methanol, ammonia, urea, steel products, beverages, cereal and cereal products, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus fruit, vegetables, flowers", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :3.8%; manufacturing, mining, and quarrying: :12.8%; construction and utilities: :20.4%; services: :62.9% (2007 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "17% (2007 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :1; 1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "First colonized by the Spanish, the islands came under British control in the early 19th century. The islands' sugar industry was hurt by the emancipation of the slaves in 1834. Manpower was replaced with the importation of contract laborers from India between 1845 and 1917, which boosted sugar production as well as the cocoa industry. The discovery of oil on Trinidad in 1910 added another important export. Independence was attained in 1962. The country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean thanks largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing. Tourism, mostly in Tobago, is targeted for expansion and is growing. The government is coping with a rise in violent crime.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :8,164; female: :7,503 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :269,824; females age 16-49: :261,735 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-25 years of age for voluntary military service (16 years of age with parental consent); no conscription; Trinidad and Tobago citizenship and completion of secondary school required (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Delaware", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: :El Cerro del Aripo 940 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.08 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.08 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.76 male(s)/female; total population: :1.03 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "6 (2005)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 2, FM 28, shortwave 0 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :0.5%; industry: :15.2%; services: :84.3% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "11 00 N, 61 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :19.4% (male 121,386/female 116,661); 15-24 years: :13% (male 82,779/female 76,785); 25-54 years: :46.9% (male 298,156/female 276,205); 55-64 years: :11.1% (male 67,738/female 68,535); 65 years and over: :9.5% (male 50,107/female 65,564) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Tunisia", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Jacob WALLES (since 24 July 2012); embassy: :Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis 1053; mailing address: :use embassy street address; telephone: :[216; FAX: :[216", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$11,400 (2014 est.); $11,200 (2013 est.); $11,000 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.8% (2014 est.); 2.3% (2013 est.); 3.7% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.92% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$125.1 billion (2014 est.); $121.7 billion (2013 est.); $119.1 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :43.9%; youth dependency ratio: :33.4%; elderly dependency ratio: :10.5%; potential support ratio: :9.5% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "13% of GDP (2014 est.); 13.6% of GDP (2013 est.); 16.1% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :64.8%; government consumption: :18.5%; investment in fixed capital: :22.2%; investment in inventories: :3.5%; exports of goods and services: :45.6%; imports of goods and services: :-55.6%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "62.5% (2011/12)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "20.27 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "65.13 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "1.819 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "3.683 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "1.863 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "80,980 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "3,391 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "90,080 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "11,170 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "425 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "3,680 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "77,980 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "64,150 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "1.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "1.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "97.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "4.076 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "175 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "172 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "12.94 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "15.23 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "encircled red star and crescent; national colors: red, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :42.3% (2011 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "22.3% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.1 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.22 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "7% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "2.3% (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "56 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-6.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "25.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "TUNIS (capital) 1.978 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Humat Al Hima\" (Defenders of the Homeland); lyrics/music: :Mustafa Sadik AL-RAFII and Aboul-Qacem ECHEBBI/Mohamad Abdel WAHAB; note: :adopted 1957, replaced 1958, restored 1987; Mohamad Abdel WAHAB also composed the music for the anthem of the United Arab Emirates", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 97.4% of population; rural: 76.6% of population; total: 90.4% of population; urban: 2.6% of population; rural: 23.4% of population; total: 9.6% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 90.5% of population; total: 96.8% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 9.5% of population; total: 3.2% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$31.32 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $30.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$13.22 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $13.21 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "broadcast media is mainly government-controlled; the state-run Tunisian Radio and Television Establishment (ERTT) operates 2 national TV networks, several national radio networks, and a number of regional radio stations; 1 TV and 3 radio stations are privately owned and report domestic news stories directly from the official Tunisian news agency; the state retains control of broadcast facilities and transmitters through L'Office National de la Telediffusion; Tunisians also have access to Egyptian, pan-Arab, and European satellite TV channels (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :66.6% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.38% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$38 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $36.94 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$16.55 billion (31 December 2009); $14.72 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$10.07 billion (31 December 2009); $9.917 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "7.31% (31 December 2014 est.); 6.76% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "5.75% (31 December 2010)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "6.2% of GDP (2012)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :15 years; male: :14 years; female: :15 years (2010)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :2.85 cu km/yr (14%/4%/82%); per capita: :295.8 cu m/yr (2001)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "4.6 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$8.887 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $9.662 billion (31 December 2011); $10.68 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$310 million (31 December 2014 est.); $295 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$35.47 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $34.49 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Tunisia is a source, destination, and possible transit country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Tunisia�s increased number of street children, children working to support their families, and migrants who have fled unrest in neighboring countries are vulnerable to human trafficking; Tunisian women have been forced into prostitution domestically and elsewhere in the region under false promises of legitimate work; East and West African women may be subjected to forced labor as domestic servants; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Tunisia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; prior commitments to enact draft anti-trafficking legislation have not been fulfilled, but a slightly increased number of trafficking offenders were prosecuted and convicted in 2013 under existing trafficking-related laws; the government instituted victim identification procedures and developed a victim referral mechanism, although it was not utilized during the reporting period; anti-trafficking awareness campaigns continued to be implemented, and the government worked with an international organization to produce a baseline study on human trafficking in Tunisia (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$49.12 billion (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$7.198 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $7.447 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$4.396 billion (2014 est.); -$3.861 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "49.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 46.2% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "576 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :31.4 years; male: :31 years; female: :31.8 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "40 (2005 est.); 41.7 (1995 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "100 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "3,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.05% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".tn", "INTERNET_USERS": "3.5 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "12.84 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "1.105 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador M'hamed Ezzine CHELAIFA (since 10 March 2014); chancery: :1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :163,610 sq km; land: :155,360 sq km; water: :8,250 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "3,970 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Tunisia; conventional short form: :Tunisia; local long form: :Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah; local short form: :Tunis", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "15.2% (2014 est.); 15.8% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :above the African average and continuing to be upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; telephone network is completely digitized; Internet access available throughout the country; domestic: :in an effort to jumpstart expansion of the fixed-line network, the government has awarded a concession to build and operate a VSAT network with international connectivity; rural areas are served by wireless local loops; competition between the two mobile-cellular service providers has resulted in lower activation and usage charges and a strong surge in subscribership; a third mobile, fixed, and ISP operator was licensed in 2009 and began offering services in 2010; expansion of mobile-cellular services to include multimedia messaging and e-mail and Internet to mobile phone services also leading to a surge in subscribership; overall fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity has reached about 125 telephones per 100 persons; international: :country code - 216; a landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable system that provides links to Europe, Middle East, and Asia; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in Medarabtel; 2 international gateway digital switches (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal except for active government security forces (including the police and the military), people with mental disabilities, people who have served more than three months in prison (criminal cases only), and people given a suspended sentence of more than six months", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim (official; Sunni) 99.1%, other (includes Christian, Jewish, Shia Muslim, and Baha'i) 1%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :2,165 km (1,991 in use); standard gauge: :471 km 1.435-m gauge; narrow gauge: :1,694 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified) (2011)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Bizerte, Gabes, Rades, Sfax, Skhira", "POPULATION": "10,937,521 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Afek Tounes [Emna MINF; Alliance for Tunisia (a coalition of Tunisia's Call [Beji CAID ESSEBSI; al-Nahda (The Renaissance) [Rachid GHANNOUCHI; Congress for the Republic or CPR [Moncef MARZOUKI; Democratic Forum for Labor and Liberties or FDTL (Ettakatol) [Mustapha Ben JAAFAR; Democratic Modernist Pole or PDM (a coalition); Democratic Socialist Movement or MDS; Et-Tajdid Movement [Ahmed IBRAHIM; Free Patriotic Union or UPL (Union patriotique libre) [Slim RIAHI; Green Party for Progress or PVP [Mongi KHAMASSI; Liberal Social Party or PSL [Mondher THABET; Movement of Socialist Democrats or MDS [Ismail BOULAHYA; Popular Front (a coalition of 9 parties including Democractic Patriots' Movement, Workers' Party, Green Tunisia, Tunisian Ba'ath Movement, and Party of the Democractic Arab Vanguard); Popular Petition (Aridha Chaabia) [Hachemi HAMDI; Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed BOUCHIHA; Progressive Democratic Party or PDP [Maya JERIBI; The Initiative [Kamel MORJANE; Tunisia's Call (Nidaa Tounes) [Beji CAID ESSEBSI; Tunisian Workers' Communist Party or PCOT [Hamma HAMMAMI; Unionist Democratic Union or UDU [Ahmed INOUBLI", "PIPELINES": "condensate 68 km; gas 3,111 km; oil 1,381 km; refined products 453 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Tunisia's diverse, market-oriented economy has long been cited as a success story in Africa and the Middle East, but it faces an array of challenges during the country's ongoing political transition. Following an ill-fated experiment with socialist economic policies in the 1960s, Tunisia embarked on a successful strategy focused on bolstering exports, foreign investment, and tourism, all of which have become central to the country's economy. Key exports now include textiles and apparel, food products, petroleum products, chemicals, and phosphates, with about 80% of exports bound for Tunisia's main economic partner, the European Union. Tunisia's liberal strategy, coupled with investments in education and infrastructure, fueled decades of 4-5% annual GDP growth and improving living standards. Former President (1987-2011) Zine el Abidine BEN ALI continued these policies, but as his reign wore on cronyism and corruption stymied economic performance and unemployment rose among the country's growing ranks of university graduates. These grievances contributed to the January 2011 overthrow of BEN ALI, sending Tunisia's economy into a tailspin as tourism and investment declined sharply. During 2012 and 2013, the Tunisian Government�s focus on the political transition led to a neglect of the economy that resulted in several downgrades of Tunisia�s credit rating. As the economy recovers, Tunisia's government faces challenges reassuring businesses and investors, bringing budget and current account deficits under control, shoring up the country's financial system, bringing down high unemployment, and reducing economic disparities between the more developed coastal region and the impoverished interior.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "18 October Group [collective leadership; Tunisian League for Human Rights or LTDH [Mokhtar TRIFI; Tunisian General Labor Union or UGTT [Hassine ABASSI", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-1.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Tunisian(s); adjective: :Tunisian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 20 March (1956); Revolution and Youth Day, 14 January (2011)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :9; by type: :bulk carrier 1, cargo 2, passenger/cargo 4, roll on/roll off 2 (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BSEC (observer), CD, EBRD, FAO, G-11, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :12 nm", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,846,572; females age 16-49: :2,952,180 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :79.7%; male: :87.8%; female: :71.7% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :75.68 years; male: :73.6 years; female: :77.9 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Chamber of the People's Deputies (217 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :initial election held on 26 October 2014 (next to be held in 2019); election results: :percent of vote by party - Tunisia's Call 39.6%, al-Nahda 31.8%, UPL 7.4%, Popular Front 6.9%, Afek Tounes 3.7%, CPR 1.8%, other 8.8%; seats by party - Tunisia's Call 86, al-Nahda 69, UPL 16, Popular Front 15, Afek Tounes 8, CPR 4, other 17, independent 2", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of civil law, based on the French civil code, and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session", "LANGUAGES": "Arabic (official, one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce), Berber (Tamazight)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :18.27%; permanent crops: :15.51%; other: :66.21% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,495 km; border countries: :Algeria 1,034 km, Libya 461 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "3.95 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation (organized into civil and criminal chambers and consists of NA judges); judge selection and term of office: :judges nominated by the Higher Magistracy Council (also called the Superior Council of the Judiciary), a 7-member body of judges and prosecutors; judges appointed by presidential decree; judge tenure NA; subordinate courts: :Administrative Court; Courts of Appeal; Housing Court; courts of first instance; lower district courts; military courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "5.7% (2014 est.); 6.1% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :23.19 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :26.63 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :19.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate, iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "1% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "20 March 1956 (from France)", "IMPORTS": "$23.4 billion (2014 est.); $22.87 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :19,418 km; paved: :14,756 km (includes 357 km of expressways); unpaved: :4,662 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; resembles the Ottoman flag (red banner with white crescent and star) and recalls Tunisia's history as part of the Ottoman Empire; red represents the blood shed by martyrs in the struggle against oppression, white stands for peace; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam; note: :the flag is based on that of Turkey, itself a successor state to the Ottoman Empire", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$29.56 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $26.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$16.61 billion (2014 est.); $17.03 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Beji CAID ESSEBSI (since 31 December 2014); head of government: :Prime Minister Habib ESSID (since 6 February 2015); cabinet: :selected by the prime minister and approved by the Chamber of the People's Deputies; elections: :president directly elected by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held in 2 rounds on 23 November and 21 December 2014 (next to be held in 2019); prime minister selected by the majority party or coalition following legislative elections and appointed by the president; election results: :Beji CAID ESSEBSI elected president; percent of vote - Beji CAID ESSEBSI (Tunisia's Call) 55.7%, Moncef MARZOUKI (CPR) 44.3%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Tunisian dinars (TND) per US dollar -; 1.704 (2014 est.); 1.6247 (2013 est.); 1.56 (2012 est.); 1.4078 (2011 est.); 1.4314 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%", "DEATH_RATE": "5.94 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest approved by Constituent Assembly 26 January 2014, signed by president on 27 January 2014 (2014)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "France 20.7%, Italy 18.1%, Germany 7.4%, China 5.4%, Spain 5.1%, Algeria 4.4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "1,148 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Tunis; geographic coordinates: :36 48 N, 10 11 E; time difference: :UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$12.43 billion; expenditures: :$15.57 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Tunisian Armed Forces (Forces Armees Tunisiens, FAT): Tunisian Army (includes Tunisian Air Defense Force), Tunisian Navy, Republic of Tunisia Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Jamahiriyah At'Tunisia) (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "16.9 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "29 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "olives, olive oil, grain, tomatoes, citrus fruit, sugar beets, dates, almonds; beef, dairy products", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "24 governorates (wilayat, singular - wilayah); Beja (Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin 'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah), Jendouba (Jundubah), Kairouan (Al Qayrawan), Kasserine (Al Qasrayn), Kebili (Qibili), Kef (Al Kaf), L'Ariana (Aryanah), Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah), Manouba (Manubah), Medenine (Madanin), Monastir (Al Munastir), Nabeul (Nabul), Sfax (Safaqis), Sidi Bouzid (Sidi Bu Zayd), Siliana (Silyanah), Sousse (Susah), Tataouine (Tatawin), Tozeur (Tawzar), Tunis, Zaghouan (Zaghwan)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "France 25.4%, Italy 16%, Germany 9.6%, Libya 8.1%, US 4.1% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "clothing, semi-finished goods and textiles, agricultural products, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, hydrocarbons, electrical equipment", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :14.8%; industry: :33.2%; services: :51.7% (2014 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.3%; highest 10%: :31.5% (2000)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "3.8% (2005 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.55% of GDP (2012); 1.34% of GDP (2011); 1.55% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Marine Life Conservation", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and poses health risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural freshwater resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :14; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :5; 8 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :15; over 3,047 m: :4; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :6; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :2; 914 to 1,523 m: :3 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Rivalry between French and Italian interests in Tunisia culminated in a French invasion in 1881 and the creation of a protectorate. Agitation for independence in the decades following World War I was finally successful in getting the French to recognize Tunisia as an independent state in 1956. The country's first president, Habib BOURGUIBA, established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. In November 1987, BOURGUIBA was removed from office and replaced by Zine el Abidine BEN ALI in a bloodless coup. Street protests that began in Tunis in December 2010 over high unemployment, corruption, widespread poverty, and high food prices escalated in January 2011, culminating in rioting that led to hundreds of deaths. On 14 January 2011, the same day BEN ALI dismissed the government, he fled the country, and by late January 2011, a \"national unity government\" was formed. Elections for the new Constituent Assembly were held in late October 2011, and in December, it elected human rights activist Moncef MARZOUKI as interim president. The Assembly began drafting a new constitution in February 2012 and, after several iterations and a months-long political crisis that stalled the transition, ratified the document in January 2014. Parliamentary and presidential elections for a permanent government were held at the end of 2014. Beji CAID ESSEBSI was elected as the first president under the country�s new constitution.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :90,436; female: :87,346 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,397,716; females age 16-49: :2,484,097 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "20-23 years of age for compulsory service, one year service obligation; 18-23 years of age for voluntary service; Tunisian nationality required (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than Georgia", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Shatt al Gharsah -17 m; highest point: :Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.07 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.96 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 7, FM 38, shortwave 2 (2007)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :8.7%; industry: :29%; services: :62.3% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "34 00 N, 9 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :23% (male 1,298,262/female 1,219,086); 15-24 years: :16% (male 879,755/female 871,954); 25-54 years: :44.6% (male 2,373,765/female 2,509,750); 55-64 years: :8.4% (male 468,278/female 454,170); 65 years and over: :7.9% (male 423,350/female 439,151) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Turkey", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador John R. BASS (since 20 October 2014); embassy: :110 Ataturk Boulevard, Kavaklidere, 06100 Ankara; mailing address: :PSC 93, Box 5000, APO AE 09823; telephone: :[90; FAX: :[90; consulate(s) general: :Istanbul; consulate(s): :Adana; note - there is a Consular Agent in Izmir", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$19,600 (2014 est.); $19,200 (2013 est.); $18,800 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3% (2014 est.); 4.1% (2013 est.); 2.1% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.12% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$1.512 trillion (2014 est.); $1.468 trillion (2013 est.); $1.411 trillion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :48.9%; youth dependency ratio: :37.7%; elderly dependency ratio: :11.2%; potential support ratio: :8.9% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "14% of GDP (2014 est.); 12.6% of GDP (2013 est.); 14% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :71.4%; government consumption: :15.7%; investment in fixed capital: :19.7%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :27.7%; imports of goods and services: :-34.6%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "73% (2008)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "22.3 (2010 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :321,866; percentage: :3%; note: :data represents children ages 6-14 (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "296.9 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "6.824 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "45.27 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "654 million cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "45.64 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "537 million cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "423,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "107,800 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "728,400 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "486,100 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "294.8 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "338,900 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "47,340 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "5.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "31.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "62.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "53.86 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "7.425 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "1.236 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "187.1 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "228.1 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "star and crescent; national colors: red, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :17.5%; male: :16.3%; female: :19.9% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "27.8% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.5 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.71 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.3% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "1.7% (2008)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "20 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "23.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "Istanbul 13.954 million; ANKARA (capital) 4.644 million; Izmir 2.989 million; Bursa 1.869 million; Adana 1.778 million; Gaziantep 1.488 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Istiklal Marsi\" (Independence March); lyrics/music: :Mehmet Akif ERSOY/Zeki UNGOR; note: :lyrics adopted 1921, music adopted 1932; the anthem's original music was adopted in 1924; a new composition was agreed upon in 1932", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 97.2% of population; rural: 75.5% of population; total: 91.2% of population; urban: 2.8% of population; rural: 24.5% of population; total: 8.8% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 98.8% of population; total: 99.7% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 1.2% of population; total: 0.3% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$474.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $425.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$118.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $107.4 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) operates multiple TV and radio networks and stations; multiple privately owned national television stations and up to 300 private regional and local television stations; multi-channel cable TV subscriptions available; more than 1,000 private radio broadcast stations (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :72.9% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.97% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$653 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $576.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$313.5 billion (31 December 2009); $311.1 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$37.1 billion (31 December 2009); $53.25 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "13.6% (31 December 2014 est.); 11.06% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "5.25% (31 December 2011); 15% (22 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.9% of GDP (2006)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :15 years; male: :15 years; female: :14 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :40.1 cu km/yr (14%/10%/76%); per capita: :572.9 cu m/yr (2008)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "211.6 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$308.8 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $201.8 billion (31 December 2011); $306.7 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$36.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $34.05 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$208.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $194.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$813.3 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :at least 103,000 (Iraq) (2014); 1,718,147 (Syria) (2015); IDPs: :954,000-1.2 million (displaced from 1984-2005 because of fighting between Kurdish PKK and Turkish military; most IDPs are Kurds from eastern and southeastern provinces; no information available on persons displaced by development projects) (2012); stateless persons: :780 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$132 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $131 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$47.46 billion (2014 est.); -$65.11 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "36.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 37.4% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover central government debt, and excludes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are sold at public auctions", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "7.093 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :29.6 years; male: :29.2 years; female: :30 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "40.2 (2010); 43.6 (2003)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".tr", "INTERNET_USERS": "27.233 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "67.68 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "13.86 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Sedar KILIC (since 21 May 2014); chancery: :2525 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York", "AREA": "total: :783,562 sq km; land: :769,632 sq km; water: :13,930 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "53,400 sq km (2012)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Middle East", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia (that portion of Turkey west of the Bosporus is geographically part of Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Turkey; conventional short form: :Turkey; local long form: :Turkiye Cumhuriyeti; local short form: :Turkiye", "MILITARY___NOTE": "the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has actively pursued the goal of asserting civilian control over the military since first taking power in 2002; the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) role in internal security has been significantly reduced; the TSK leadership continues to be an influential institution within Turkey, but plays a much smaller role in politics; the Turkish military remains focused on the threats emanating from the Syrian civil war, Russia's actions in Ukraine, and the PKK insurgency; primary domestic threats are listed as fundamentalism (with the definition in some dispute with the civilian government), separatism (Kurdish discontent), and the extreme left wing; Ankara strongly opposed establishment of an autonomous Kurdish region in Iraq; an overhaul of the Turkish Land Forces Command (TLFC) taking place under the \"Force 2014\" program is to produce 20-30% smaller, more highly trained forces characterized by greater mobility and firepower and capable of joint and combined operations; the TLFC has taken on increasing international peacekeeping responsibilities including in Afghanistan; the Turkish Navy is a regional naval power that wants to develop the capability to project power beyond Turkey's coastal waters; the Navy is heavily involved in NATO, multinational, and UN operations; its roles include control of territorial waters and security for sea lines of communications; the Turkish Air Force adopted an \"Aerospace and Missile Defense Concept\" in 2002 and has initiated project work on an integrated missile defense system; Air Force priorities include attaining a modern deployable, survivable, and sustainable force structure, and establishing a sustainable command and control system; Turkey is a NATO ally and hosts NATO's Land Forces Command in Izmir, as well as the AN/TPY-2 radar as part of NATO Missile Defense (2014)", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "9.4% (2014 est.); 9.1% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republican parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.08 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "high central plateau (Anatolia); narrow coastal plain; several mountain ranges", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :comprehensive telecommunications network undergoing rapid modernization and expansion, especially in mobile-cellular services; domestic: :additional digital exchanges are permitting a rapid increase in subscribers; the construction of a network of technologically advanced intercity trunk lines, using both fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay, is facilitating communication between urban centers; remote areas are reached by a domestic satellite system; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 100 telephones per 100 persons; international: :country code - 90; international service is provided by the SEA-ME-WE-3 submarine cable and by submarine fiber-optic cables in the Mediterranean and Black Seas that link Turkey with Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania, and Russia; satellite earth stations - 12 Intelsat; mobile satellite terminals - 328 in the Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :12,008 km; standard gauge: :12,008 km 1.435-m gauge (3,216 km electrified) (2012)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Aliaga, Ambarli, Diliskelesi, Eregli, Izmir, Kocaeli (Izmit), Mersin (Icel), Limani, Yarimca; container port(s) (TEUs): :Ambarli (2,121,549), Mersin (Icel) (1,126,866); LNG terminal (import): :Izmir Aliaga, Marmara Ereglisi", "POPULATION": "81,619,392 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Democratic Left Party or DSP [Masum TURKER; Democratic Party or DP [Gultekin UYSAL; Democratic Regions Party or DBP (Kurdish) [Emine AYNA and Kamuran YUKSEK, co-chairs; Felicity Party or SP [Mustafa KAMALAK; Freedom and Solidarity Party or ODP [Alper TAS and Blige Seckin CETINKAYA, co-chairs; Grand Unity Party or BBP [Mustafa DESTICI; Independent Turkey Party or BTP [Haydar BAS; Justice and Development Party or AKP [Ahmet DAVUTOGLU; Nationalist Movement Party or MHP [Devlet BAHCELI; People's Democratic Party or HDP (Kurdish) [Selahattin DEMIRIAS and Figen YUKSEKDAG, co-chairs; Republican People's Party or CHP [Kemal KILICDAROGLU", "PIPELINES": "gas 12,603 km; oil 3,038 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Turkey's largely free-market economy is increasingly driven by its industry and service sectors, although its traditional agriculture sector still accounts for about 25% of employment. An aggressive privatization program has reduced state involvement in basic industry, banking, transport, and communication, and an emerging cadre of middle-class entrepreneurs is adding dynamism to the economy and expanding production beyond the traditional textiles and clothing sectors. The automotive, construction, and electronics industries are rising in importance and have surpassed textiles within Turkey's export mix. Oil began to flow through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline in May 2006, marking a major milestone that will bring up to 1 million barrels per day from the Caspian region to market. Several gas pipeline projects also are moving forward to help transport Caspian gas to Europe through Turkey, which over the long term will help address Turkey's dependence on imported oil and gas which currently meets 97% of its energy needs. After Turkey experienced a severe financial crisis in 2001, Ankara adopted financial and fiscal reforms as part of an IMF program. The reforms strengthened the country's economic fundamentals and ushered in an era of strong growth averaging more than 6% annually until 2008. Global economic conditions and tighter fiscal policy caused GDP to contract in 2009, but Turkey's well-regulated financial markets and banking system helped the country weather the global financial crisis, and GDP rebounded strongly to around 9% in 2010-11, as exports returned to normal levels following the recession. Growth has dropped to roughly 2-4% in 2013-14. Turkey's public sector debt to GDP ratio has fallen below 40%, and two rating agencies upgraded Turkey's debt to investment grade in 2012 and 2013. Turkey remains dependent on often volatile, short-term investment to finance its large current account deficit. The stock value of FDI reached nearly $195 billion at year-end 2014, reflecting Turkey's robust growth even in the face of economic turmoil in Europe, the source of most of Turkey's foreign direct investment. Turkey's relatively high current account deficit, domestic political uncertainty, and turmoil within Turkey's neighborhood leave the economy vulnerable to destabilizing shifts in investor confidence.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists of Turkey or TUSKON [Rizanur MERAL; Confederation of Public Sector Unions or KESK [Lami OZGEN; Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions or DISK [Tayfun GORGUN; Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association or MUSIAD [Omer Cihad VARDAN; Moral Rights Workers Union or Hak-Is [Mahmut ARSLAN; Turkish Confederation of Employers' Unions or TISK [Tugrul KUDATGOBILIK; Turkish Confederation of Labor or Turk-Is [Mustafa KUMLU; Turkish Confederation of Tradesmen and Craftsmen or TESK [Bendevi PALANDOKEN; Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association or TUSIAD [Muharrem YILMAZ; Turkish Union of Chambers of Commerce and Commodity Exchanges or TOBB [M. Rifat HISARCIKLIOGLU", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas; Mount Ararat, the legendary landing place of Noah's ark, is in the far eastern portion of the country", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "coal, iron ore, copper, chromium, antimony, mercury, gold, barite, borate, celestite (strontium), emery, feldspar, limestone, magnesite, marble, perlite, pumice, pyrites (sulfur), clay, arable land, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Turk(s); adjective: :Turkish", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Republic Day, 29 October (1923)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :629; by type: :bulk carrier 102, cargo 281, chemical tanker 80, container 42, liquefied gas 6, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 60, petroleum tanker 25, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 29, specialized tanker 1; foreign-owned: :1 (Italy 1); registered in other countries: :645 (Albania 1, Antigua and Barbuda 7, Azerbaijan 1, Bahamas 3, Barbados 1, Belize 16, Brazil 1, Cambodia 15, Comoros 8, Cook Islands 4, Curacao 5, Cyprus 1, Dominica 1, Georgia 14, Italy 4, Kazakhstan 1, Liberia 16, Malta 233, Marshall Islands 70, Moldova 18, Panama 62, Russia 101, Saint Kitts and Nevis 18, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 13, Sierra Leone 9, Slovakia 1, Tanzania 13, Togo 4, Tuvalu 1, unknown 3) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CD, CE, CERN (observer), CICA, D-8, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, EU (candidate country), FAO, FATF, G-20, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :6 nm in the Aegean Sea; 12 nm in Black Sea and in Mediterranean Sea; exclusive economic zone: :in Black Sea only: to the maritime boundary agreed upon with the former USSR", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :21,079,077; females age 16-49: :20,558,696 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :94.9%; male: :98.3%; female: :91.6% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :73.29 years; male: :71.33 years; female: :75.35 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or Turkiye Buyuk Millet Meclisi (550 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 12 June 2011 (next likely to be held by June 2015); election results: :percent of vote by party - AKP 49.8%, CHP 25.9%, MHP 13%, independent 6.6%, other 4.7%; seats by party - AKP 326, CHP 135, MHP 53, independent 36; note - only parties surpassing the 10% threshold can win parliamentary seats", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system based on various European legal systems notably the Swiss civil code", "LANGUAGES": "Turkish (official), Kurdish, other minority languages", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :26.74%; permanent crops: :4.17%; other: :69.09% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,816 km; border countries: :Armenia 311 km, Azerbaijan 17 km, Bulgaria 223 km, Georgia 273 km, Greece 192 km, Iran 534 km, Iraq 367 km, Syria 899 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "27.56 million; note: :about 1.2 million Turks work abroad (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Constitutional Court (consists of 17 members); Supreme Court of Appeals organized into 15 divisions with 38 civil and criminal chambers and consisting of 250 high judges and 440 rapporteur judges); judge selection and term of office: :Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president from among candidates submitted by plenary assemblies of other courts, the Higher Education Council, senior government administrators, and lawyers; judges appointed for 12-year, non-renewable terms and with mandatory retirement at age 65; Supreme Court of Appeals judges appointed by the Supreme Council of Judges and Public Prosecutors; judge tenure NA; subordinate courts: :Council of State (Danistay); Court of Accounts (Sayistay); Military High Court of Appeals; Military High Administrative Court", "WATERWAYS": "1,200 km (2010)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "8.9% (2014 est.); 7.5% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :21.43 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :22.48 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :20.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "textiles, food processing, automobiles, electronics, mining (coal, chromate, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.8% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)", "IMPORTS": "$240.4 billion (2014 est.); $243.4 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "key transit route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe and, to a lesser extent, the US - via air, land, and sea routes; major Turkish and other international trafficking organizations operate out of Istanbul; laboratories to convert imported morphine base into heroin exist in remote regions of Turkey and near Istanbul; government maintains strict controls over areas of legal opium poppy cultivation and over output of poppy straw concentrate; lax enforcement of money-laundering controls", "ROADWAYS": "total: :385,748 km; paved: :352,268 km (includes 2,127 km of expressways); unpaved: :33,486 km (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "red with a vertical white crescent moon (the closed portion is toward the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered just outside the crescent opening; the flag colors and designs closely resemble those on the banner of the Ottoman Empire, which preceded modern-day Turkey; the crescent moon and star serve as insignia for the Turks, as well as being traditional symbols of Islam; according to legend, the flag represents the reflection of the moon and a star in a pool of blood of Turkish warriors", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$407.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $390 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$176.6 billion (2014 est.); $163.6 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (since 28 August 2014); head of government: :Prime Minister Ahmed DAVUTOGLU (since 29 August 2014); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president upon the nomination of the prime minister; elections: :president elected directly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president from among members of parliament; election results: :Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN elected president; percent of vote - Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN 51.8%, Ekmeleddin IHSANOGLU 38.4%, Selahattin DEMIRTAS 9.8%; note: :in October 2007 Turkish voters approved a referendum package of constitutional amendments including a provision for direct presidential elections", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Turkish liras (TRY) per US dollar -; 2.191 (2014 est.); 1.9038 (2013 est.); 1.8 (2012 est.); 1.675 (2011 est.); 1.5028 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Turkish 70-75%, Kurdish 18%, other minorities 7-12% (2008 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "6.12 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest ratified 9 November 1982; amended 2001, 2007, 2010 (2010)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Russia 10%, China 9.8%, Germany 9.6%, Italy 5.1%, US 5%, Iran 4.1% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "7,200 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery, chemicals, semi-finished goods, fuels, transport equipment", "CAPITAL": "name: :Ankara; geographic coordinates: :39 56 N, 32 52 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$189.9 billion; expenditures: :$209.7 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Turkish Armed Forces (TSK): Turkish Land Forces (Turk Kara Kuvvetleri), Turkish Naval Forces (Turk Deniz Kuvvetleri; includes naval air and naval infantry), Turkish Air Forces (Turk Hava Kuvvetleri) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "16.86 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "98 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, hazelnuts, pulses, citrus; livestock", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "81 provinces (iller, singular - ili); Adana, Adiyaman, Afyonkarahisar, Agri, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Ardahan, Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir, Bartin, Batman, Bayburt, Bilecik, Bingol, Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale, Cankiri, Corum, Denizli, Diyarbakir, Duzce, Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskisehir, Gaziantep, Giresun, Gumushane, Hakkari, Hatay, Igdir, Isparta, Istanbul, Izmir (Smyrna), Kahramanmaras, Karabuk, Karaman, Kars, Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kilis, Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kirsehir, Kocaeli, Konya, Kutahya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mersin, Mugla, Mus, Nevsehir, Nigde, Ordu, Osmaniye, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Sanliurfa, Siirt, Sinop, Sirnak, Sivas, Tekirdag, Tokat, Trabzon (Trebizond), Tunceli, Usak, Van, Yalova, Yozgat, Zonguldak", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 9%, Iraq 7.6%, UK 5.7%, Russia 4.6%, Italy 4.5%, France 4.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :25.5%; industry: :26.2%; services: :48.4% (2010)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.1%; highest 10%: :30.3% (2008)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "16.9% (2010)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "2.31% of GDP (2012); 2.28% of GDP (2011); 2.31% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Environmental Modification", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air pollution, particularly in urban areas; deforestation; concern for oil spills from increasing Bosporus ship traffic", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :7; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :4; 2 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :91; over 3,047 m: :16; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :38; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :17; 914 to 1,523 m: :16; under 914 m: :4 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Modern Turkey was founded in 1923 from the Anatolian remnants of the defeated Ottoman Empire by national hero Mustafa KEMAL, who was later honored with the title Ataturk or \"Father of the Turks.\" Under his leadership, the country adopted wide-ranging social, legal, and political reforms. After a period of one-party rule, an experiment with multi-party politics led to the 1950 election victory of the opposition Democratic Party and the peaceful transfer of power. Since then, Turkish political parties have multiplied, but democracy has been fractured by periods of instability and intermittent military coups (1960, 1971, 1980), which in each case eventually resulted in a return of political power to civilians. In 1997, the military again helped engineer the ouster - popularly dubbed a \"post-modern coup\" - of the then Islamic-oriented government. Turkey intervened militarily on Cyprus in 1974 to prevent a Greek takeover of the island and has since acted as patron state to the \"Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,\" which only Turkey recognizes. A separatist insurgency begun in 1984 by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) - now known as the Kurdistan People's Congress or Kongra-Gel (KGK) - has dominated the Turkish military's attention and claimed more than 30,000 lives. After the capture of the group's leader in 1999, the insurgents largely withdrew from Turkey mainly to northern Iraq. In 2013, KGK and the Turkish Government agreed to a ceasefire that continues despite slow progress in ongoing peace talks. Turkey joined the UN in 1945 and in 1952 it became a member of NATO. In 1964, Turkey became an associate member of the European Community. Over the past decade, it has undertaken many reforms to strengthen its democracy and economy; it began accession membership talks with the European Union in 2005.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :700,079; female: :670,328 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :17,664,510; females age 16-49: :17,340,816 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "21-41 years of age for male compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntary service; 15 months conscript obligation for non-university graduates, 6-12 months for university graduates; conscripts are called to register at age 20, for service at 21; women serve in the Turkish Armed Forces only as officers; reserve obligation to age 41; under a law passed in November 2011, men aged 30 and older, or who have worked 3 years in foreign countries, may pay $16,200 in lieu of mandatory military service (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than Texas", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van; volcanism: :limited volcanic activity; its three historically active volcanoes; Ararat, Nemrut Dagi, and Tendurek Dagi have not erupted since the 19th century or earlier", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Mediterranean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Mount Ararat 5,166 m", "HELIPORTS": "20 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.84 male(s)/female; total population: :1.02 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "251 (2009)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1,090 (station frequency types NA) (2009)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :8.2%; industry: :26.9%; services: :64.9% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "39 00 N, 35 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :25.5% (male 10,660,110/female 10,179,850); 15-24 years: :16.8% (male 6,989,099/female 6,709,480); 25-54 years: :42.9% (male 17,650,790/female 17,358,730); 55-64 years: :8.1% (male 3,289,605/female 3,291,199); 65 years and over: :6.7% (male 2,517,219/female 2,973,310) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Turkmenistan", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Allan MUSTARD (since 20 January 2015); embassy: :No. 9 1984 Street (formerly Pushkin Street), Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 744000; mailing address: :7070 Ashgabat Place, Washington, DC 20521-7070; telephone: :[993; FAX: :[993", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$14,200 (2014 est.); $13,100 (2013 est.); $12,100 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "10.1% (2014 est.); 10.2% (2013 est.); 11.1% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.14% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$82.15 billion (2014 est.); $74.6 billion (2013 est.); $67.67 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :48.2%; youth dependency ratio: :42.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :6.1%; potential support ratio: :16.4% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "19.9% of GDP (2014 est.); 11.5% of GDP (2013 est.); 13.2% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :50%; government consumption: :12.9%; investment in fixed capital: :19.3%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :44.6%; imports of goods and services: :-26.9%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "48% (2006)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "24.6 (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "64.98 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "7.504 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "46 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "24.57 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "70.57 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "2,542 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "64,360 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "132,400 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "143,200 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "600 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "67,000 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "258,700 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "2.852 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "2.885 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "17.08 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "19.97 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Akhal-Teke horse; national colors: green, white", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "13.2% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "4 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "4.18 physicians/1,000 population (2002)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "2% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "10.5% (2000)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "67 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "14.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "ASHGABAT (capital) 735,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Garassyz, Bitarap Turkmenistanyn\" (Independent, Neutral, Turkmenistan State Anthem); lyrics/music: :collective/Veli MUKHATOV; note: :adopted 1997, lyrics revised 2008; following the death of President Saparmurat NYYAZOW, the lyrics were altered to eliminate references to him", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 98.2% of population; total: 99.1% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 1.8% of population; total: 0.9% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 89.1% of population; rural: 53.7% of population; total: 71.1% of population; urban: 10.9% of population; rural: 46.3% of population; total: 28.9% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$5.67 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.284 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$1.255 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $979.3 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "broadcast media is government controlled and censored; 7 state-owned TV and 4 state-owned radio networks; satellite dishes and programming provide an alternative to the state-run media; officials sometimes limit access to satellite TV by removing satellite dishes (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :49.7% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.94% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$13.16 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $9.965 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :27.95 cu km/yr (3%/3%/94%); per capita: :5,752 cu m/yr (2004)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "24.77 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Turkmenistan is a source country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Turkmen in search of work in other countries are forced to work in textile sweatshops, construction, and domestic service, with women and rural inhabitants being the most vulnerable; some Turkmen women and girls are sex trafficked abroad; Turkey is the primary trafficking destination, followed by Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and, to a lesser extent, Iran, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Cyprus, the UK, Sweden, and the US; Turkmen also experience forced labor domestically in the informal construction industry; participation in the cotton harvest is still mandatory for some public sector employees; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Turkmenistan does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute a significant effort toward meeting the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking; the denial of an internal trafficking problem by some government officials, corruption, and a lack of institutional capacity continued to impede the government�s response to trafficking in 2013; the government reported detailed anti-trafficking law enforcement data for the first time and is making an effort to support anti-trafficking training; the government did not offer services to trafficking victims in 2013 and did not fund NGOs providing care; authorities punished some victims for crimes committed as a result of being trafficked (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$47.54 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "stateless persons: :8,320 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$27.04 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $25.85 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$208.8 million (2014 est.); -$503.2 million (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "714 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :26.6 years; male: :26.2 years; female: :27.1 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "40.8 (1998)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".tm", "INTERNET_USERS": "80,400 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "3.953 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "575,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Mered Bairamovich ORAZOW (since 14 February 2001); chancery: :2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :488,100 sq km; land: :469,930 sq km; water: :18,170 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "19,910 sq km (2006)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Asia", "LOCATION": "Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Turkmenistan; local long form: :none; local short form: :Turkmenistan; former: :Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "60% (2004 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "defines itself as a secular democracy and a presidential republic; in actuality displays authoritarian presidential rule with power concentrated within the presidential administration", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.1 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in west", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :telecommunications network remains underdeveloped and progress toward improvement is slow; strict government control and censorship inhibits liberalization and modernization; domestic: :Turkmentelekom, in cooperation with foreign partners, has installed high-speed fiber-optic lines and has upgraded most of the country's telephone exchanges and switching centers with new digital technology; combined fixed-line and mobile teledensity is about 80 per 100 persons; Russia's Mobile Telesystems, the only foreign mobile-cellular service provider in Turkmenistan, had its operating license suspended in December 2010 but was able to resume operations in September 2012; Turkmenistan's first telecommunication satellite is scheduled to be launched by the end of 2014; once in orbit, it is expected that the satellite will greatly improve connectivity in the country; international: :country code - 993; linked by fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay to other CIS republics and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; an exchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkey via Intelsat; satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat (2012)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :2,980 km; broad gauge: :2,980 km 1.520-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Turkmenbasy", "POPULATION": "5,171,943 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT [Kasymguly BABAYEW; Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs or PIE [Orazmammet MAMMEDOW; note: :a law authorizing the registration of political parties went into effect in January 2012; unofficial, small opposition movements exist abroad; the three most prominent opposition groups-in-exile are the National Democratic Movement of Turkmenistan (NDMT), the Republican Party of Turkmenistan, and the Watan (Fatherland) Party; the NDMT was led by former Foreign Minister Boris SHIKHMURADOV until his arrest and imprisonment in the wake of the 25 November 2002 attack on President NYYAZOW's motorcade", "PIPELINES": "gas 7,500 km; oil 1,501 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Turkmenistan is largely a desert country with intensive agriculture in irrigated oases and significant natural gas and some oil resources. The two largest crops are cotton, most of which is produced for export, and wheat, which is domestic ally consumed. Although agriculture accounts for roughly 14% of GDP, it continues to employ nearly half of the country's workforce. Turkmenistan's authoritarian regime has taken a cautious approach to economic reform, hoping to use gas and cotton export revenues to sustain its inefficient and highly corrupt economy. The government introduced a privatization plan in 2012, but the implementation of this initiative has been slow and privatization goals remain limited. From 1998-2005, Turkmenistan suffered from the continued lack of adequate export routes for natural gas and from obligations on extensive short-term external debt. At the same time, however, total exports rose by an average of roughly 15% per year from 2003-08, largely because of higher international oil and gas prices. Additional pipelines to China, that began operation in early 2010, and increased pipeline capacity to Iran, have expanded Turkmenistan's export routes for its gas, although two other export initiatives�a trans-Caspian pipeline that would carry gas to Europe and the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline�have faltered. Overall prospects in the near future are discouraging because of endemic corruption, a poor educational system, government misuse of oil and gas revenues, and Ashgabat's reluctance to adopt market-oriented reforms. The majority of Turkmenistan's economic statistics are state secrets. The present government established a State Agency for Statistics, but GDP numbers and other publicized figures are subject to wide margins of error. In particular, the rate of GDP growth is uncertain. Since his election, President BERDIMUHAMEDOW unified the country's dual currency exchange rate, ordered the redenomination of the manat, reduced state subsidies for gasoline and natural gas, and initiated development of a special tourism zone on the Caspian Sea. Although foreign investment is encouraged, and some improvements in macroeconomic policy have been made, numerous bureaucratic obstacles impede international business activity.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "none", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; the western and central low-lying desolate portions of the country make up the great Garagum (Kara-Kum) desert, which occupies over 80% of the country; eastern part is plateau", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-1.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Turkmen(s); adjective: :Turkmen", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 27 October (1991)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :11; by type: :cargo 4, chemical tanker 1, petroleum tanker 5, refrigerated cargo 1 (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, CIS (associate member, has not ratified the 1993 CIS charter although it participates in meetings and held the chairmanship of the CIS in 2012), EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,380,794; females age 16-49: :1,387,211 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :99.6%; male: :99.7%; female: :99.5% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :69.47 years; male: :66.48 years; female: :72.61 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Mejlis (125 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed; members serve 5-year terms); note - in September 2008, a new constitution abolished a second, 2,507-member People's Council and expanded the membership in the National Assembly to 125 from 65 ; the powers formerly held by the People's Council were divided between the president and the National Assembly; elections: :last held on 15 December 2013 (next to be held in December 2018); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 47, Organization of Trade and Unions of Turkmenistan 33, Women's Union of Turkmenistan 16, Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs 14, Magtymguly Youth Organization 8, independents 7", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system with Islamic law influences", "LANGUAGES": "Turkmen (official) 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :4.13%; permanent crops: :0.13%; other: :95.74% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :4,158 km; border countries: :Afghanistan 804 km, Iran 1,148 km, Kazakhstan 413 km, Uzbekistan 1,793 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "2.3 million (2008 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Turkmenistan (consists of the court president and 21 associate judges); judge selection and term of office: :judges appointed by the president; judge tenure NA; subordinate courts: :provincial, district, and city courts; High Commercial Court; military courts", "WATERWAYS": "1,300 km (Amu Darya and Kara Kum canal are important inland waterways) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "11% (2014 est.); 9% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :38.13 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :45.63 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :30.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "11% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)", "IMPORTS": "$16.15 billion (2014 est.); $15.4 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and Western European markets; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan", "ROADWAYS": "total: :58,592 km; paved: :47,577 km; unpaved: :11,015 km (2002)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "green field with a vertical red stripe near the hoist side, containing five tribal guls (designs used in producing carpets) stacked above two crossed olive branches; five white stars and a white crescent moon appear in the upper corner of the field just to the fly side of the red stripe; the green color and crescent moon represent Islam; the five stars symbolize the regions or welayats of Turkmenistan; the guls reflect the national identity of Turkmenistan where carpet-making has long been a part of traditional nomadic life; note: :the flag of Turkmenistan is the most intricate of all national flags", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$578.4 million (31 December 2014 est.); $534.2 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$21.78 billion (2014 est.); $19.9 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW (since 14 February 2007); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW (since 14 February 2007); cabinet: :Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term; election last held on 12 February 2012 (next to be held in February 2017); election results: :Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW reelected president; percent of vote - Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW 97.1%, Annageldi YAZMYRADOW 1.1%, other candidates 1.8%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Turkmen manat (TMM) per US dollar -; 2.85 (2014 est.); 2.85 (2013 est.); 2.85 (2012 est.); 2.85 (2011 est.); 2.85 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Turkmen 85%, Uzbek 5%, Russian 4%, other 6% (2003)", "DEATH_RATE": "6.16 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "adopted 18 May 1992; amended several times, last in 2008; note - sources disagree on whether the changes in 2008 are amendments or reflect a new constitution (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Turkey 22.3%, Russia 15.3%, China 13%, UAE 6.8%, Ukraine 6.3%, Germany 6% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km; note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)", "CLIMATE": "subtropical desert", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :Ashgabat (Ashkhabad); geographic coordinates: :37 57 N, 58 23 E; time difference: :UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$7.088 billion; expenditures: :$6.632 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Turkmen Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "19.46 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "26 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cotton, grain, melons; livestock", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "5 provinces (welayatlar, singular - welayat) and 1 independent city*: Ahal Welayaty (Anew), Ashgabat*, Balkan Welayaty (Balkanabat), Dashoguz Welayaty, Lebap Welayaty (Turkmenabat), Mary Welayaty; note: :administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 68.3%, Turkey 5% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "gas, crude oil, petrochemicals, textiles, cotton fiber", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :48.2%; industry: :14%; services: :37.8% (2004 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.6%; highest 10%: :31.7% (1998)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "30% (2004 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "contamination of soil and groundwater with agricultural chemicals, pesticides; salination, water logging of soil due to poor irrigation methods; Caspian Sea pollution; diversion of a large share of the flow of the Amu Darya into irrigation contributes to that river's inability to replenish the Aral Sea; desertification", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :5; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 4 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :21; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :9; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :9; 914 to 1,523 m: :2 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Present-day Turkmenistan covers territory that has been at the crossroads of civilizations for centuries. The area was ruled in antiquity by various Persian empires, and was conquered by Alexander the Great, Muslim crusaders, the Mongols, Turkic warriors, and eventually the Russians. In medieval times Merv (today known as Mary) was one of the great cities of the Islamic world and an important stop on the Silk Road. Annexed by Russia in the late 1800s, Turkmenistan later figured prominently in the anti-Bolshevik movement in Central Asia. In 1924, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic; it achieved independence upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. Extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves, which have yet to be fully exploited, have begun to transform the country. The Government of Turkmenistan is moving to expand its extraction and delivery projects and is actively diversifying its gas export routes beyond Russia's pipeline network. In 2010, new gas export pipelines that carry Turkmen gas to China and to northern Iran began operating, effectively ending the Russian monopoly on Turkmen gas exports. President for Life Saparmurat NYYAZOW died in December 2006, and Turkmenistan held its first multi-candidate presidential election in February 2007. Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW, a deputy cabinet chairman under NYYAZOW, emerged as the country's new president; he was chosen as president again in February 2012, in an election that the OSCE said lacked the freedoms necessary to create a competitive environment.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :53,829; female: :52,988 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,066,649; females age 16-49: :1,185,538 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-27 years of age for compulsory male military service; 2-year conscript service obligation, or 1 year for university students; 20 years of age for voluntary service; males may enroll in military schools from age 15 (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than California", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Vpadina Akchanaya -81 m; note: :Sarygamysh Koli is a lake in northern Turkmenistan with a water level that fluctuates above and below the elevation of Vpadina Akchanaya (the lake has dropped as low as -110 m); highest point: :Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.98 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.77 male(s)/female; total population: :0.98 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "4 (government-owned and programmed) (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 12, FM 9, shortwave 2 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :13.2%; industry: :49.3%; services: :37.4% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "40 00 N, 60 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :26.4% (male 691,076/female 673,310); 15-24 years: :20.2% (male 526,027/female 519,474); 25-54 years: :42.3% (male 1,082,821/female 1,102,716); 55-64 years: :6.9% (male 168,543/female 188,742); 65 years and over: :4.2% (male 95,391/female 123,843) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Turks and Caicos Islands", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "overseas territory of the UK", "AFFILIATION": "(overseas territory of the UK)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$29,100 (2007 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "11.2% (2007 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.58% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$632 million (2007 est.); $568.3 million (2006 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :23.4%; government consumption: :18.9%; investment in fixed capital: :57.6%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :76.2%; imports of goods and services: :-76.1%; (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "159,400 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "1,063 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "990 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "48,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "172.1 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "185 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "conch shell, Turks Head cactus", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "GRAND TURK (capital) 5,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"This Land of Ours\"; lyrics/music: :Conrad HOWELL; note: :serves as a local anthem; as a territory of the United Kingdom, \"God Save the Queen\" is the official anthem (see United Kingdom)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 81.4% of population; rural: 81.4% of population; total: 81.4% of population; urban: 18.6% of population; rural: 18.6% of population; total: 18.6% of population (2007 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 87% of population; rural: 87% of population; total: 87.1% of population; urban: 13% of population; rural: 13% of population; total: 12.9% of population (2007 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "no local terrestrial TV stations, broadcasts from the Bahamas can be received and multi-channel cable and satellite TV services are available; government-run radio network operates alongside private broadcasters with a total of about 15 stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :91.8% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.48% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$NA", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "73,217 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :31.9 years; male: :32.2 years; female: :31.5 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".tc", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "AREA": "total: :948 sq km; land: :948 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Turks and Caicos Islands; abbreviation: :TCI", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the UK", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "10% (1997 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "NA", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.7 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :fully digital system with international direct dialing; domestic: :full range of services available; GSM wireless service available; international: :country code - 1-649; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic telecommunications submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 72.8% (Baptist 35.8%, Church of God 11.7%, Anglican 10%, Methodist 9.3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%), Roman Catholic 11.4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.8%, other 14%", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Cockburn Harbour, Grand Turk, Providenciales", "POPULATION": "49,070 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Oswald SKIPPINGS; People's Progressive Party; Progressive National Party or PNP [Rufus EWING", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, offshore financial services, and fishing. Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported. The US is the leading source of tourists, accounting for more than three-quarters of the 175,000 visitors that arrived in 2004. Major sources of government revenue also include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "about 40 islands (eight inhabited)", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "12.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "spiny lobster, conch", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :none; adjective: :none", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), UPU", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :79.55 years; male: :76.8 years; female: :82.42 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral House of Assembly (19 seats; 15 members in multi-seat constituencies and a single all-islands constituency directly elected by simple majority vote and 4 appointed by the governor on the advice of the premier and opposition party; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 9 November 2012 (next to be held in 2016); election results: :percent of vote - NA; seats by party - PNP 8, PDM 7", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of English common law and civil law", "LANGUAGES": "English (official)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :1.05%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :98.95% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "4,848 (1990 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest resident court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and such number of other judges as determined by the governor); Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 2 justices); note - appeals beyond the Supreme Court are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, in London; judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court and Appeals Court judges appointed by the governor in accordance with the Judicial Service Commission, a 3-member body of high level judicial officials; Supreme Court judges appointed until mandatory retirement at age 65, but can be extended to age 70; Appeals Court judge tenure determined by individual terms of appointment; subordinate courts: :magistrates' courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.5% (2014 est.); 2.5% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :10.97 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :13.7 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :8.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, offshore financial services", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$591.3 million (2008 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe", "ROADWAYS": "total: :121 km; paved: :24 km; unpaved: :97 km (2003)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield is yellow and displays a conch shell, a spiny lobster, and Turks Head cactus - three common elements of the islands' biota", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$NA", "EXPORTS": "$24.77 million (2008 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Peter BECKINGHAM (since 9 October 2013); head of government: :Premier Rufus EWING (since 13 November 2012); cabinet: :Cabinet consists of the governor, deputy governor, the premier, no more than six other ministers appointed by the governor from among the members of the House of Assembly, and the attorney general; elections: :the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is appointed premier by the governor; note: :the UK foreign minister determined that sufficient progress had been made to reinstate local government under a new constitution (effective October 2012)", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "the US dollar is used", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "black 87.6%, white 7.9%, mixed 2.5%, East Indian 1.3%, other 0.7% (2006)", "DEATH_RATE": "3.08 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest signed 7 August 2012, effective 15 October 2012 (Turks and Caicos Constitution Order 2011) (2012)", "COASTLINE": "389 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials", "CAPITAL": "name: :Grand Turk (Cockburn Town); geographic coordinates: :21 28 N, 71 08 W; time difference: :UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$451.5 million; expenditures: :$468.2 million (2014 est.)", "BIRTH_RATE": "16.61 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "8 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "corn, beans, cassava (manioc, tapioca), citrus fruits; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (overseas territory of the UK)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "note: :about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "limited natural freshwater resources, private cisterns collect rainwater", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 2 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :6; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :1; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when they assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica's independence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965 to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982, the policy was reversed and the islands remain a British overseas territory.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :338; female: :342 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :11,842; females age 16-49: :11,755 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "2.5 times the size of Washington, DC", "PEOPLE___NOTE": "destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, The Bahamas, and the US", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "frequent hurricanes", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Flamingo Hill 48 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.96 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.8 male(s)/female; total population: :1.02 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "0 (broadcasts received from The Bahamas; 2 cable television networks) (2003)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2003)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :1.1%; industry: :23.3%; services: :75.7% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "21 45 N, 71 35 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :22.1% (male 5,536/female 5,332); 15-24 years: :14.8% (male 3,552/female 3,715); 25-54 years: :53.5% (male 13,333/female 12,931); 55-64 years: :5.3% (male 1,434/female 1,188); 65 years and over: :4.2% (male 910/female 1,139) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Tuvalu", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tuvalu", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$3,200 (2014 est.); $3,100 (2013 est.); $3,100 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.2% (2014 est.); 1.3% (2013 est.); 0.2% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.8% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$35 million (2014 est.); $34.23 million (2013 est.); $33.8 million (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "30.5% (2007)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "23.5; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2007 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "maneapa (native meeting house); national colors: light blue, yellow", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "5.6 beds/1,000 population (2001)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.09 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "15.4% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "1.6% (2007)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-3.9% of GDP (2006)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "55.2% of GDP (2006)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "FUNAFUTI (capital) 6,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Tuvalu mo te Atua\" (Tuvalu for the Almighty); lyrics/music: :Afaese MANOA; note: :adopted 1978; the anthem's name is also the nation's motto", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 86.3% of population; rural: 80.2% of population; total: 83.3% of population; urban: 13.7% of population; rural: 19.8% of population; total: 16.7% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 98.3% of population; rural: 97% of population; total: 97.7% of population; urban: 1.7% of population; rural: 3% of population; total: 2.3% of population (2012 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "no TV stations; many households use satellite dishes to watch foreign TV stations; 1 government-owned radio station, Radio Tuvalu, includes relays of programming from international broadcasters (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :58.8% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.9% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$39 million (2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$7.7 million (2010 est.); -$11.68 million (2003)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "145,158 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :24.9 years; male: :23.7 years; female: :26.4 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".tv", "INTERNET_USERS": "4,200 (2008)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "2,800 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "1,450 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Aunese Makoi SIMATI (since 11 January 2013); chancery: :Note - Tuvalu does not have an embassy in Washington, D.C.; UN office located at 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10017; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :26 sq km; land: :26 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Tuvalu; local long form: :none; local short form: :Tuvalu; former: :Ellice Islands; note: :\"Tuvalu\" means \"group of eight\" referring to the country's eight traditionally inhabited islands", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "3.03 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "low-lying and narrow coral atolls", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :serves particular needs for internal communications; domestic: :radiotelephone communications between islands; international: :country code - 688; international calls can be made by satellite (2007)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 98.4% (Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%), Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Funafuti", "POPULATION": "10,782 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "there are no political parties but members of parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil. Only eight of the atolls are inhabited. The country has no known mineral resources and few exports and is almost entirely dependent upon imported food and fuel. Subsistence farming and fishing are the primary economic activities. Fewer than 1,000 tourists, on average, visit Tuvalu annually. Job opportunities are scarce and public sector workers make up most of those employed. About 15% of the adult male population work as seamen on merchant ships abroad, and remittances are a vital source of income contributing around $2 million in 2007. Substantial income is received annually from the Tuvalu Trust Fund (TTF) an international trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, NZ, and the UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea. Thanks to wise investments and conservative withdrawals, this fund grew from an initial $17 million to an estimated value of $77 million in 2006. The TTF contributed nearly $9 million towards the government budget in 2006 and is an important cushion for meeting shortfalls in the government's budget. The US Government is also a major revenue source for Tuvalu because of payments from a 1988 treaty on fisheries. In an effort to ensure financial stability and sustainability, the government is pursuing public sector reforms, including privatization of some government functions and personnel cuts. Tuvalu also derives royalties from the lease of its \".tv\" Internet domain name with revenue of more than $2 million in 2006. A minor source of government revenue comes from the sale of stamps and coins. With merchandise exports only a fraction of merchandise imports, continued reliance must be placed on fishing and telecommunications license fees, remittances from overseas workers, official transfers, and income from overseas investments. Growing income disparities and the vulnerability of the country to climatic change are among leading concerns for the nation.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "none", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six of the nine coral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-6.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish, coconut (copra)", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Tuvaluan(s); adjective: :Tuvaluan", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 1 October (1978)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :58; by type: :bulk carrier 4, cargo 24, chemical tanker 15, container 1, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 10, refrigerated cargo 1; foreign-owned: :33 (China 4, Indonesia 1, Maldives 1, Singapore 19, South Korea 1, Turkey 1, Vietnam 6) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, IBRD, IDA, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :65.81 years; male: :63.69 years; female: :68.05 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral House of Assembly or Fale I Fono (15 seats; members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 16 September 2010 (next to be held in 2014); election results: :percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 15; 10 members reelected", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of English common law and local customary law", "LANGUAGES": "Tuvaluan (official), English (official), Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :60%; other: :40% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "3,615 (2004 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Court of Appeal is the Fiji Court of Appeal on Fiji Island (consists of the chief justice who visits twice a year); High Court, located on Fiji, consists of the chief justice of Fiji who presides over its sessions; judge selection and term of office: :chief justice appointed by the president of Fiji on the advice of the prime minister following consultation with the parliamentary leader of the opposition; justices of the Court of Appeal, and puisne judges of the High Court are appointed by the president of Fiji, upon the nomination of the Judicial Service Commission, after consulting with the Cabinet Minister and the committee of the House of Representatives responsible for the administration of justice; the chief justice and justices of Appeal generally required to retire at age 70; puisine judges appointed for not less than 4 years nor more than 7 years with mandatory retirement at age 65; subordinate courts: :magistrates' courts; island courts; lands courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "3.8% (2006 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :31.69 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :34.44 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :28.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "fishing, tourism, copra", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "INDEPENDENCE": "1 October 1978 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$16.5 million (2010 est.); $12.91 million (2005 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :8 km; paved: :8 km (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the outer half of the flag represents a map of the country with nine yellow, five-pointed stars on a blue field symbolizing the nine atolls in the ocean", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$NA", "EXPORTS": "$600,000 (2010 est.); $1 million (2004 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Iakoba TAEIA Italeli (since May 2010); head of government: :Prime Minister Enele SOPOAGA (since 5 August 2013); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the governor general on recommendation of the prime minister; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on recommendation of the prime minister; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from members of parliament following parliamentary elections; election results: :Willie TELAVI removed as prime minister by the governor-general on 1 August 2013; Enele SOPOAGA elected 4 August 2013 in a 8 to 5 vote by the House of Assembly", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar -; 1.098 (2013); 1.67 (2013 est.); 1.2822 (2009 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Polynesian 96%, Micronesian 4%", "DEATH_RATE": "8.9 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1978 (at independence); latest effective 1 October 1986; amended 2007, 2010 (2010)", "COASTLINE": "24 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods", "CAPITAL": "name: :Funafuti; note - administrative offices are in Vaiaku Village on Fongafale Islet; geographic coordinates: :8 31 S, 179 13 E; time difference: :UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$21.54 million; expenditures: :$23.05 million (2006)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces; Tuvalu Police Force (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "23.74 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coconuts; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "7 island councils and 1 town council*; Funafuti*, Nanumaga, Nanumea, Niutao, Nui, Nukufetau, Nukulaelae, Vaitupu", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "copra, fish", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "note: :people make a living mainly through exploitation of the sea, reefs, and atolls and through overseas remittances (mostly from workers in the phosphate industry and sailors)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not potable, most water needs must be met by catchment systems with storage facilities (the Japanese Government has built one desalination plant and plans to build one other); beachhead erosion because of the use of sand for building materials; excessive clearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral reefs from the spread of the Crown of Thorns starfish; Tuvalu is concerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on rising sea levels, which threaten the country's underground water table; in 2000, the government appealed to Australia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels should make evacuation necessary", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert Islands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separate British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name \".tv\" for $50 million in royalties over a 12-year period.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :119; female: :111 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,021; females age 16-49: :2,026 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "0.1 times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "severe tropical storms are usually rare, but in 1997 there were three cyclones; low levels of islands make them sensitive to changes in sea level", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :unnamed location 5 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.12 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.95 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.73 male(s)/female; total population: :0.97 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "0 (2004)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :16.6%; industry: :27.2%; services: :56.2% (2002)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "8 00 S, 178 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :29.6% (male 1,636/female 1,553); 15-24 years: :20.6% (male 1,176/female 1,048); 25-54 years: :36.2% (male 1,901/female 1,999); 55-64 years: :8.2% (male 360/female 525); 65 years and over: :5.4% (male 242/female 342) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Uganda", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Scott H. DELISI (since 18 July 2012); embassy: :1577 Ggaba Road, Kampala; mailing address: :P. O. Box 7007, Kampala; telephone: :[256; FAX: :[256", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$1,800 (2014 est.); $1,700 (2013 est.); $1,700 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "5.9% (2014 est.); 5.8% (2013 est.); 2.8% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.24% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$66.65 billion (2014 est.); $62.93 billion (2013 est.); $59.51 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :102.4%; youth dependency ratio: :97.5%; elderly dependency ratio: :4.9%; potential support ratio: :20.5% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "15.1% of GDP (2014 est.); 15.5% of GDP (2013 est.); 15.8% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :78.9%; government consumption: :8.8%; investment in fixed capital: :24.2%; investment in inventories: :0.2%; exports of goods and services: :21%; imports of goods and services: :-33.2%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "30% (2011)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "19.3; note: :median age at first birth among women 20-24 (2011 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :117,266; percentage: :25%; note: :data represents children ages 5-17 (2010 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "2.548 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "14.16 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "22,990 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "18,180 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "2.5 billion bbl (1 January 2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "3.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "75.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "21% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "571,700 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "36 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "70 million kWh (2011)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "2.284 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "2.493 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "grey crowned crane; national colors: black, yellow, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :5.4% (2009 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "4.3% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "0.5 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.12 physicians/1,000 population (2005)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "8% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "14.1% (2011)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "310 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-3.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "13.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "KAMPALA (capital) 1.863 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Oh Uganda, Land of Beauty!\"; lyrics/music: :George Wilberforce KAKOMOA; note: :adopted 1962", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 32.8% of population; rural: 34.1% of population; total: 33.9% of population; urban: 67.2% of population; rural: 65.9% of population; total: 66.1% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 94.8% of population; rural: 71% of population; total: 74.8% of population; urban: 5.2% of population; rural: 29% of population; total: 25.2% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$4.075 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.791 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$2.451 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.269 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "public broadcaster, Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), operates radio and TV networks; Uganda first began licensing privately owned stations in the 1990s; by 2007 there were nearly 150 radio and 35 TV stations, mostly based in and around Kampala; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available in Kampala (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :15.8% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :5.43% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$3.908 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.583 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$1.485 billion (31 December 2008); $1.258 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$1.483 billion (31 December 2008); $1.347 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "21.7% (31 December 2014 est.); 23.3% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "14% (31 December 2010); 9.65% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "3.3% of GDP (2012)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :11 years; male: :11 years; female: :11 years (2009)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :0.32 cu km/yr (41%/16%/43%); per capita: :12.31 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "66 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$7.294 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $7.727 billion (31 December 2011); $1.788 billion (31 December 2011 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$26.09 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :187,838 (Democratic Republic of Congo); 167,264 (South Sudan); 28,005 (Somalia); 16,601 (Rwanda); 14,367 (Burundi) (2015); IDPs: :30,136 (displaced in northern Uganda because of fighting between government forces and the Lord's Resistance Army; as of 2011, most of the 1.8 million people displaced to IDP camps at the height of the conflict had returned home or resettled, but many had not found durable solutions; intercommunal violence and cattle raids) (2014)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria, dengue fever, and trypanosomiasis-Gambiense (African sleeping sickness); water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$3.711 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.338 billion (31 December 2013 est.); note: :excludes gold", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$2.224 billion (2014 est.); -$1.999 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "35.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 34.2% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "32,683 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :15.5 years; male: :15.5 years; female: :15.6 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "44.3 (2009); 45.7 (2002)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "63,000 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "1,561,900 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "7.44% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ug", "INTERNET_USERS": "3.2 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "16.355 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "315,000 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Oliver WONEKHA (since 6 June 2013); chancery: :5911 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :241,038 sq km; land: :197,100 sq km; water: :43,938 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "144.2 sq km (2010)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "East-Central Africa, west of Kenya, east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Uganda; conventional short form: :Uganda", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "5.97 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly plateau with rim of mountains", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :mobile cellular service is increasing rapidly, but the number of main lines is still deficient; work underway on a national backbone information and communications technology infrastructure; international phone networks and Internet connectivity provided through satellite and VSAT applications; domestic: :intercity traffic by wire, microwave radio relay, and radiotelephone communication stations, fixed and mobile-cellular systems for short-range traffic; mobile-cellular teledensity about 50 per 100 persons in 2010; international: :country code - 256; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat; analog links to Kenya and Tanzania (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 41.9%, Protestant 42% (Anglican 35.9%, Pentecostal 4.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.5%), Muslim 12.1%, other 3.1%, none 0.9% (2002 census)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :1,244 km; narrow gauge: :1,244 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "lake port(s): :Entebbe, Jinja, Port Bell (Lake Victoria)", "POPULATION": "35,918,915; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Conservative Party or CP [Ken LUKYAMUZI; Democratic Party or DP [Norbert MAO; Forum for Democratic Change or FDC [Muntu MUGISHA; Justice Forum or JEEMA [Asuman BASALIRWA; National Resistance Movement or NRM [Yoweri MUSEVENI; Peoples Progressive Party or PPP [Bidandi SSALI; Ugandan People's Congress or UPC [Olara OTUNNU", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regular rainfall, small deposits of copper, gold, and other minerals, and recently discovered oil. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, employing over 80% of the work force. Coffee accounts for the bulk of export revenues. Since 1986, the government - with the support of foreign countries and international agencies - has acted to rehabilitate and stabilize the economy by undertaking currency reform, raising producer prices on export crops, increasing prices of petroleum products, and improving civil service wages. The policy changes are especially aimed at dampening inflation and boosting production and export earnings. Since 1990 economic reforms ushered in an era of solid economic growth based on continued investment in infrastructure, improved incentives for production and exports, lower inflation, better domestic security, and the return of exiled Indian-Ugandan entrepreneurs. The global economic downturn hurt Uganda's exports; however, Uganda's GDP growth has largely recovered due to past reforms and sound management of the downturn. Oil revenues and taxes will become a larger source of government funding as oil comes on line in the next few years, although lower oil prices since 2014 may prove a stumbling block to further exploration and development. Instability in South Sudan is a risk for the Ugandan economy because Uganda's main export partner is Sudan, and Uganda is a key destination for Sudanese refugees. Unreliable power, high energy costs, inadequate transportation infrastructure, and corruption inhibit economic development and investor confidence.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Lord's Resistance Army or LRA [Joseph KONY; National Association of Women Organizations in Uganda or NAWOU [Florence NEKYON; Parliamentary Advocacy Forum or PAFO; The Ugandan Coalition for Political Accountability to Women or COPAW", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; fertile, well-watered country with many lakes and rivers", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "copper, cobalt, hydropower, limestone, salt, arable land, gold", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Ugandan(s); adjective: :Ugandan", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 9 October (1962)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, EAC, EADB, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :7,249,271; females age 16-49: :7,025,439 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :73.2%; male: :82.6%; female: :64.6% (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :54.46 years; male: :53.1 years; female: :55.86 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly or Parliament (338 seats; 238 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 112 for women - directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, and 25 \"representatives\" reserved for special interest groups - army 10, disabled 5, youth 5, labor 5; there are 13 ex-officio members appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 18 February 2011 (next to be held in 2016); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NRM 263, FDC 34, DP 12, UPC 10, UPDF 10, CP 1, JEEMA 1, independent 43, vacant 1; note - UPDF is the Uganda People's Defense Force", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of English common law and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "English (official national language, taught in grade schools, used in courts of law and by most newspapers and some radio broadcasts), Ganda or Luganda (most widely used of the Niger-Congo languages, preferred for native language publications in the capital and may be taught in school), other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Swahili, Arabic", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :34.53%; permanent crops: :11.26%; other: :54.21% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,729 km; border countries: :Democratic Republic of the Congo 877 km, Kenya 814 km, Rwanda 172 km, South Sudan 475 km, Tanzania 391 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "18 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Uganda (consists of the chief justice and 5 justices); judge selection and term of office: :justices appointed by the president in consultation with the Judicial Service Commission (a 9-member independent advisory body) and with approval of the National Assembly; justices serve until mandatory retirement at age 70; subordinate courts: :Court of Appeal (also sits as the Constitutional Court); High Court (includes 10 High Court Circuits and 7 High Court Divisions); Chief Magistrate Grade One and Grade Two Courts", "WATERWAYS": "(there are no long navigable stretches of river in Uganda; parts of the Albert Nile that flow out of Lake Albert in the northwestern part of the country are navigable; several lakes including Lake Victoria and Lake Kyoga have substantial traffic; Lake Albert is navigable along a 200-km stretch from its northern tip to its southern shores) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "4.3% (2014 est.); 5.5% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :60.82 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :70.17 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :51.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "sugar, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles; cement, steel production", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "9 October 1962 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$5.116 billion (2014 est.); $4.974 billion (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :20,000 km (does not include local roads); paved: :3,264 km; unpaved: :16,736 km (2011)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "six equal horizontal bands of black (top), yellow, red, black, yellow, and red; a white disk is superimposed at the center and depicts a grey crowned crane (the national symbol) facing the hoist side; black symbolizes the African people, yellow sunshine and vitality, red African brotherhood; the crane was the military badge of Ugandan soldiers under the UK", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 July - 30 June", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$5.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.445 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$2.776 billion (2014 est.); $2.829 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power on 26 January 1986); Vice President Edward SSEKANDI (since 24 May 2011); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power on 26 January 1986); Prime Minister Ruhakana RUGUNDA (since 18 September 2014); note - the prime minister assists the president in supervising the cabinet; cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president from among elected legislators; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held on 18 February 2011 (next to be held in 2016); election results: :Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI re-elected president; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI 68.4%, Kizza BESIGYE 26.0%, other 5.6%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Ugandan shillings (UGX) per US dollar -; 2,585.2 (2014 est.); 2,586.9 (2013 est.); 2,505.6 (2012 est.); 2,522.8 (2011 est.); 2,177.6 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Baganda 16.9%, Banyankole 9.5%, Basoga 8.4%, Bakiga 6.9%, Iteso 6.4%, Langi 6.1%, Acholi 4.7%, Bagisu 4.6%, Lugbara 4.2%, Bunyoro 2.7%, other 29.6% (2002 census)", "DEATH_RATE": "10.97 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted 27 September 1995, promulgated 8 October 1995; amended many times, last in 2005 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Kenya 19.4%, UAE 14.1%, India 12.2%, China 10.7% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semiarid in northeast", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "capital equipment, vehicles, petroleum, medical supplies; cereals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Kampala; geographic coordinates: :0 19 N, 32 33 E; time difference: :UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$3.434 billion; expenditures: :$4.431 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Uganda People's Defense Force (UPDF): Land Forces (includes Marine Unit), Uganda Air Force (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "44.17 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "47 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco, cassava (manioc, tapioca), potatoes, corn, millet, pulses, cut flowers; beef, goat meat, milk, poultry", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "111 districts and 1 capital city*; Abim, Adjumani, Agago, Alebtong, Amolatar, Amudat, Amuria, Amuru, Apac, Arua, Budaka, Bududa, Bugiri, Buhweju, Buikwe, Bukedea, Bukomansimbi, Bukwa, Bulambuli, Buliisa, Bundibugyo, Bushenyi, Busia, Butaleja, Butambala, Buvuma, Buyende, Dokolo, Gomba, Gulu, Hoima, Ibanda, Iganga, Isingiro, Jinja, Kaabong, Kabale, Kabarole, Kaberamaido, Kalangala, Kaliro, Kalungu, Kampala*, Kamuli, Kamwenge, Kanungu, Kapchorwa, Kasese, Katakwi, Kayunga, Kibaale, Kiboga, Kibuku, Kiruhura, Kiryandongo, Kisoro, Kitgum, Koboko, Kole, Kotido, Kumi, Kween, Kyankwanzi, Kyegegwa, Kyenjojo, Lamwo, Lira, Luuka, Luwero, Lwengo, Lyantonde, Manafwa, Maracha, Masaka, Masindi, Mayuge, Mbale, Mbarara, Mitooma, Mityana, Moroto, Moyo, Mpigi, Mubende, Mukono, Nakapiripirit, Nakaseke, Nakasongola, Namayingo, Namutumba, Napak, Nebbi, Ngora, Ntoroko, Ntungamo, Nwoya, Otuke, Oyam, Pader, Pallisa, Rakai, Rubirizi, Rukungiri, Sembabule, Serere, Sheema, Sironko, Soroti, Tororo, Wakiso, Yumbe, Zombo", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "UAE 10.9%, Rwanda 10.3%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 9.4%, Kenya 9.4%, Germany 6.1%, Netherlands 5.4%, Italy 4.4%, Belgium 4.3% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "coffee, fish and fish products, tea, cotton, flowers, horticultural products; gold", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :82%; industry: :5%; services: :13% (1999 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.4%; highest 10%: :36.1% (2009 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "24.5% (2009 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.45% of GDP (2012); 3.73% of GDP (2011); 1.45% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Environmental Modification", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; widespread poaching", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :42; over 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :8; 914 to 1,523 m: :26; 7 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :5; over 3,047 m: :3; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The colonial boundaries created by Britain to delimit Uganda grouped together a wide range of ethnic groups with different political systems and cultures. These differences prevented the establishment of a working political community after independence was achieved in 1962. The dictatorial regime of Idi AMIN (1971-79) was responsible for the deaths of some 300,000 opponents; guerrilla war and human rights abuses under Milton OBOTE (1980-85) claimed at least another 100,000 lives. The rule of Yoweri MUSEVENI since 1986 has brought relative stability and economic growth to Uganda. A constitutional referendum in 2005 cancelled a 19-year ban on multi-party politics.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :423,923; female: :420,236 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :4,313,068; females age 16-49: :4,200,901 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-26 years of age for voluntary military duty; 18-30 years of age for professionals; no conscription; 9-year service obligation; the government has stated that while recruitment under 18 years of age could occur with proper consent, \"no person under the apparent age of 18 years shall be enrolled in the armed forces\"; Ugandan citizenship and secondary education required (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Oregon", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Lake Albert 621 m; highest point: :Margherita Peak on Mount Stanley 5,110 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.8 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "8 (plus 1 repeater) (2001)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 7, FM 33, shortwave 2 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :21.9%; industry: :26.7%; services: :51.3% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "1 00 N, 32 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :48.7% (male 8,714,354/female 8,765,900); 15-24 years: :21.2% (male 3,775,679/female 3,833,574); 25-54 years: :25.7% (male 4,618,088/female 4,615,616); 55-64 years: :2.4% (male 405,740/female 447,118); 65 years and over: :2.1% (male 327,771/female 415,075) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Ukraine", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Geoffrey R. PYATT (since 7 August 2013); embassy: :4 Igor Sikorsky Street, 04112 Kyiv; mailing address: :5850 Kyiv Place, Washington, DC 20521-5850; telephone: :[380; FAX: :[380", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$8,200 (2014 est.); $8,800 (2013 est.); $8,800 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "-6.5% (2014 est.); 0% (2013 est.); 0.3% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.64% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$373.1 billion (2014 est.); $399.1 billion (2013 est.); $399.3 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :42%; youth dependency ratio: :20.8%; elderly dependency ratio: :21.2%; potential support ratio: :4.7% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "5.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 6.5% of GDP (2013 est.); 10.3% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :81.8%; government consumption: :21.1%; investment in fixed capital: :15.6%; investment in inventories: :-0.3%; exports of goods and services: :51.4%; imports of goods and services: :-69.6%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "65.4% (2012)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "25.8 (2010 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :356,213; percentage: :7% (2005 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "290.4 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "1.104 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "32.9 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "52.55 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "19.65 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "126,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "80,980 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "317,700 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "262,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "395 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "155,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "68,520 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "24.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "10.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "64.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "54.89 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "1.5 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "6 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "175.3 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "198.1 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "tryzub (trident); national colors: blue, yellow", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :17.3%; male: :18.1%; female: :16.1% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "21.3% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "9 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3.52 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "7.6% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "0.9% (2002)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "32 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-5% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "29% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "KYIV (capital) 2.917 million; Kharkiv 1.444 million; Odesa 1.011 million; Dnipropetrovsk 966,000; Donetsk 941,000; Zaporizhzhya 758,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Shche ne vmerla Ukraina\" (Ukraine Has Not Yet Perished); lyrics/music: :Paul CHUBYNSKYI/Mikhail VERBYTSKYI; note: :music adopted 1991, lyrics adopted 2003; song first performed in 1864 at the Ukraine Theatre in Lviv; the lyrics, originally written in 1862, were revised in 2003", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 96.5% of population; rural: 89.4% of population; total: 94.3% of population; urban: 3.5% of population; rural: 10.6% of population; total: 5.7% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 98.1% of population; rural: 97.7% of population; total: 98% of population; urban: 1.9% of population; rural: 2.3% of population; total: 2% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$78.02 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $113.4 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$33.97 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $48.02 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "Ukraine's state-controlled nationwide TV broadcast channel (UT1) and a number of privately owned TV networks provide basic TV coverage; multi-channel cable and satellite TV services are available; Russian television broadcasts have a small audience nationwide, but larger audiences in the eastern and southern regions; Ukraine's radio broadcast market, a mix of independent and state-owned networks, is comprised of some 300 stations (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :69.5% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :-0.33% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$111.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $150.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$41.5 billion (31 December 2009); $45.3 billion (31 December 2008)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$24.7 billion (31 December 2009); $29.24 billion (31 December 2008)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "18% (31 December 2014 est.); 16.65% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "7.5% (31 January 2012); 11.97% (31 December 2010)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "6.2% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :15 years; male: :15 years; female: :15 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :19.24 cu km/yr (24%/69%/7%); per capita: :415.7 cu m/yr (2010)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "139.6 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$20.71 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $25.56 billion (31 December 2011); $39.46 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$8.908 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $8.308 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$61.97 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $58.97 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Ukraine is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Ukrainian victims are sex trafficked within Ukraine as well as in Russia, Poland, Iraq, Spain, Turkey, Cyprus, Greece, Seychelles, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Israel, Italy, South Korea, Moldova, China, the United Arab Emirates, Montenegro, UK, Kazakhstan, Tunisia, and other countries; small numbers of foreigners from Moldova, Russia, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Cameroon, and Azerbaijan were victims of labor trafficking in Ukraine; Ukrainian recruiters most often target Ukrainians from rural areas with limited job prospects using fraud, coercion, and debt bondage; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Ukraine does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the former Yanukovych government adopted standards of social services for victims, re-established its anti-trafficking unit, and increased the unit�s number of officers; the number of human trafficking cases investigated and prosecuted continued to decline in 2013, but significantly fewer victims were identified and referred to care; the government continued to rely on international donors to fund protective services and to provide inadequate funding to NGOs for assisting trafficking victims (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$134.9 billion (2013 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "IDPs: :1,151,581 (Russian-sponsored separatist violence in Crimea and eastern Ukraine) (2015); stateless persons: :33,271 (2013); note - citizens of the former USSR who were permanently resident in Ukraine were granted citizenship upon Ukraine's independence in 1991, but some missed this window of opportunity; people arriving after 1991, Crimean Tatars, ethnic Koreans, people with expired Soviet passports, and people with no documents have difficulty acquiring Ukrainian citizenship; following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989, thousands of Crimean Tatars and their descendants deported from Ukraine under the STALIN regime returned to their homeland, some being stateless and others holding the citizenship of Uzbekistan or other former Soviet republics; a 1998 bilateral agreement between Ukraine and Uzbekistan simplified the process of renouncing Uzbek citizenship and obtaining Ukrainian citizenship", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$18.37 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $20.42 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$6.062 billion (2014 est.); -$16.4 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "66.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 40.3% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :the total public debt of $64.5 billion consists of: domestic public debt ($23.8 billion); external public debt ($26.1 billion); and sovereign guarantees ($14.6 billion)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "2.173 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :40.6 years; male: :37.3 years; female: :43.7 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "28.2 (2009); 29 (1999)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "13,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "210,700 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.83% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ua", "INTERNET_USERS": "7.77 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "59.344 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "12.182 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Oleksandr MOTSYK (since 24 June 2010); chancery: :3350 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Chicago, New York, San Francisco", "AREA": "total: :603,550 sq km; land: :579,330 sq km; water: :24,220 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "21,750 sq km (2010)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Asia, Europe", "LOCATION": "Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland, Romania, and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Ukraine; local long form: :none; local short form: :Ukrayina; former: :Ukrainian National Republic, Ukrainian State, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic; note: :name derives from the Old East Slavic word \"ukraina\" meaning borderland or march (militarized border region)", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "8.8% (2014 est.); 7.2% (2013 est.); note: :officially registered; large number of unregistered or underemployed workers", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.3 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (steppes) and plateaus, mountains being found only in the west (the Carpathians), and in the Crimean Peninsula in the extreme south", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :Ukraine's telecommunication development plan emphasizes improving domestic trunk lines, international connections, and the mobile-cellular system; domestic: :at independence in December 1991, Ukraine inherited a telephone system that was antiquated, inefficient, and in disrepair; more than 3.5 million applications for telephones could not be satisfied; telephone density is rising and the domestic trunk system is being improved; about one-third of Ukraine's networks are digital and a majority of regional centers now have digital switching stations; improvements in local networks and local exchanges continue to lag; the mobile-cellular telephone system's expansion has slowed, largely due to saturation of the market which has reached 125 mobile phones per 100 people; international: :country code - 380; 2 new domestic trunk lines are a part of the fiber-optic Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) system and 3 Ukrainian links have been installed in the fiber-optic Trans-European Lines (TEL) project that connects 18 countries; additional international service is provided by the Italy-Turkey-Ukraine-Russia (ITUR) fiber-optic submarine cable and by an unknown number of earth stations in the Intelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik satellite systems (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Orthodox (includes Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox (UAOC), Ukrainian Orthodox - Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP), Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), Ukrainian Greek Catholic, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish; note: :Ukraine's population is overwhelmingly Christian; the vast majority - up to two-thirds - identify themselves as Orthodox, but many do not specify a particular branch; the UOC-KP and the UOC-MP each represent less than a quarter of the country's population, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church accounts for 8-10%, and the UAOC accounts for 1-2%; Muslim and Jewish adherents each compose less than 1% of the total population (2013 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :21,619 km; broad gauge: :21,619 km 1.524-m gauge (10,242 km electrified) (2012)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Feodosiya (Theodosia), Illichivsk, Mariupol', Mykolayiv, Odesa, Yuzhnyy", "POPULATION": "44,291,413 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Batkivshchyna (\"Fatherland\") [Yuliya TYMOSHENKO; Communist Party of Ukraine or CPU [Petro SYMONENKO; Economic Development or ER [Vitaliy KHOMUTYNNIK; Opposition Bloc or OB [Yuriy BOIKO; People's Front or NF [Arseniy YATSENIUK; People's Will or VN [Ihor YEREMEYEV; Petro Poroshenko Bloc or BPP [Yuriy LUTSENKO; Radical Party [Oleh LYASHKO; Samopomich (\"Selfreliance\") [Andriy SADOVYI; Svoboda (\"Freedom\") [Oleh TYAHNYBOK", "PIPELINES": "gas 36,720 km; oil 4,514 km; refined products 4,363 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "After Russia, the Ukrainian republic was the most important economic component of the former Soviet Union, producing about four times the output of the next-ranking republic. Its fertile black soil generated more than one-fourth of Soviet agricultural output, and its farms provided substantial quantities of meat, milk, grain, and vegetables to other republics. Likewise, its diversified heavy industry supplied the unique equipment (for example, large diameter pipes) and raw materials to industrial and mining sites (vertical drilling apparatus) in other regions of the former USSR. Shortly after independence in August 1991, the Ukrainian Government liberalized most prices and erected a legal framework for privatization, but widespread resistance to reform within the government and the legislature soon stalled reform efforts and led to some backtracking. Output by 1999 had fallen to less than 40% of the 1991 level. Ukraine's dependence on Russia for energy supplies and the lack of significant structural reform have made the Ukrainian economy vulnerable to external shocks. Ukraine depends on imports to meet about three-fourths of its annual oil and natural gas requirements and 100% of its nuclear fuel needs. After a two-week dispute that saw gas supplies cutoff to Europe, Ukraine agreed to 10-year gas supply and transit contracts with Russia in January 2009 that brought gas prices to \"world\" levels. The strict terms of the contracts have further hobbled Ukraine's cash-strapped state gas company, Naftohaz. Outside institutions - particularly the IMF - have encouraged Ukraine to quicken the pace and scope of reforms to foster economic growth. Ukrainian Government officials eliminated most tax and customs privileges in a March 2005 budget law, bringing more economic activity out of Ukraine's large shadow economy, but more improvements are needed, including fighting corruption, developing capital markets, and improving the legislative framework. Ukraine's economy was buoyant despite political turmoil between the prime minister and president until mid-2008. The economy contracted nearly 15% in 2009, among the worst economic performances in the world. In April 2010, Ukraine negotiated a price discount on Russian gas imports in exchange for extending Russia's lease on its naval base in Crimea. Movement toward an Association Agreement with the European Union, which would commit Ukraine to economic and financial reforms in exchange for preferential access to EU markets, was curtailed by the November 2013 decision of President YANUKOVYCH against signing this treaty. In response, on 17 December 2013 President YANUKOVYCH and President PUTIN concluded a financial assistance package containing $15 billion in loans and lower gas prices. However, the end of the YANUKOVYCH government in February 2014 caused Russia to halt further funding. With the formation of an interim government in late February 2014, the international community began efforts to stabilize the Ukrainian economy, including a 27 March 2014 IMF assistance package of $14-18 billion. Russia�s seizure of the Crimean Peninsula has created uncertainty as to the annual rate of growth of the Ukrainian economy in 2014.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Committee of Voters of Ukraine [Oleksandr CHERNENKO; OPORA [Olha AIVAZOVSKA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and Asia; second-largest country in Europe", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Ukrainian(s); adjective: :Ukrainian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 24 August (1991); note - 22 January 1918, the day Ukraine first declared its independence (from Soviet Russia) and the day the short-lived Western and Greater (Eastern) Ukrainian republics united (1919), is now celebrated as Unity Day", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :134; by type: :bulk carrier 3, cargo 98, chemical tanker 1, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 8, refrigerated cargo 11, specialized tanker 2; registered in other countries: :172 (Belize 6, Cambodia 35, Comoros 10, Cyprus 3, Dominica 1, Georgia 10, Liberia 10, Malta 29, Marshall Islands 1, Moldova 14, Mongolia 1, Panama 8, Russia 12, Saint Kitts and Nevis 8, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 12, Sierra Leone 5, Slovakia 2, unknown 5) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "Australia Group, BSEC, CBSS (observer), CD, CE, CEI, CICA (observer), CIS (participating member, has not signed the 1993 CIS charter), EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 m or to the depth of exploitation", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :10,984,394; females age 16-49: :11.26 million (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :99.7%; male: :99.8%; female: :99.7% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :69.14 years; male: :63.78 years; female: :74.86 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Supreme Council or Verkhovna Rada (450 seats; 225 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 225 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - because of the Russian annexation of Crimea and the partial occupation of two eastern provinces, 27 of the 450 seats remain unfilled; elections: :last held on 26 October 2014 (next to be held fall 2019); election results: :percent of vote by party - NF 22.2%, BPP 21.8%, Samopomich 11%, OB 9.4%, Radical 7.4%, Batkivshchyna 5.7%, Svoboda 4.7%, CPU 3.9%, other 13.9%; seats won by party - BPP 132, NF 82, Samopomich 33, OB 29, Radical 22, Batkivshchyna 19, Svoboda 6, minor parties 4, independents 96, vacant 27; note - voting not held in Crimea and parts of two Russian-occupied eastern oblasts leaving 27 seats vacant; seats of first parliamentary session (27 November 2014) following weeks of negotiations - BPP 145, NF 83, Samopomich 32, OB 40, Radical 22, VN 20, Batkivshchyna 19, ER 19, independents 38, vacant 32", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts", "LANGUAGES": "Ukrainian (official) 67.5%, Russian (regional language) 29.6%, other (includes small Crimean Tatar-, Moldavian-, and Hungarian-speaking minorities) 2.9% (2001 est.); note: :2012 legislation enables a language spoken by at least 10% of an oblast's population to be given the status of \"regional language,\" allowing for its use in courts, schools, and other government institutions; Ukrainian remains the country's only official nationwide language", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :56.13%; permanent crops: :1.54%; other: :42.33% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :5,618 km; border countries: :Belarus 1,111 km, Hungary 128 km, Moldova 1,202 km, Poland 535 km, Romania 601 km, Russia 1,944 km, Slovakia 97 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "22.11 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Ukraine (consists of 95 judges organized into civil, criminal, commercial, and administrative chambers, and a military panel); Constitutional Court (consists of 18 justices); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges proposed by the Supreme Council of Justice or SCJ (a 20-member independent body of judicial officials and other appointees) and appointed by presidential decree; judges initially appointed for 5 years and, if approved by the SCJ, serve until mandatory retirement at age 65; Constitutional Court justices appointed - 6 each by the president, by the SCU, and by the Verkhovna Rada; justices appointed for 9-year non-renewable terms; subordinate courts: :specialized high courts; Courts of Cassation; Courts of Appeal; regional, district, city, and town courts", "WATERWAYS": "1,672 km (most on Dnieper River) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "11.3% (2014 est.); -0.3% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :8.1 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :10.13 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :5.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food processing", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "-9% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "24 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union); notable earlier dates: ca. 982 (VOLODYMYR I consolidates Kyivan Rus), 1648 (establishment of Cossack Hetmanate)", "IMPORTS": "$60.4 billion (2014 est.); $80.85 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; some synthetic drug production for export to the West; limited government eradication program; used as transshipment point for opiates and other illicit drugs from Africa, Latin America, and Turkey to Europe and Russia; Ukraine has improved anti-money-laundering controls, resulting in its removal from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF's) Noncooperative Countries and Territories List in February 2004; Ukraine's anti-money-laundering regime continues to be monitored by FATF", "ROADWAYS": "total: :169,694 km; paved: :166,095 km (includes 17 km of expressways); unpaved: :3,599 km (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "two equal horizontal bands of azure (top) and golden yellow represent grain fields under a blue sky", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$153.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $136 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$52.46 billion (2014 est.); $59.1 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Petro POROSHENKO (since 7 June 2014); head of government: :Prime Minister Arseniy YATSENYUK (since 27 February 2014); cabinet: :Cabinet of Ministers nominated by the president; note: :there is also a National Security and Defense Council or NSDC originally created in 1992 as the National Security Council; the NSDC staff is tasked with developing national security policy on domestic and international matters and advising the president; a Presidential Administration helps draft presidential edicts and provides policy support to the president; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 25 May 2014 (next to be held in 2019); election results: :Petro POROSHENKO elected president; percent of vote - Petro POROSHENKO 54.5%, Yuliya TYMOSHENKO 12.9%, Oleh LYASHKO 8.4%, others 24.2%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "hryvnia (UAH) per US dollar -; 11.58 (2014 est.); 7.993 (2013 est.); 7.99 (2012 est.); 7.9676 (2011 est.); 7.9356 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Ukrainian 77.8%, Russian 17.3%, Belarusian 0.6%, Moldovan 0.5%, Crimean Tatar 0.5%, Bulgarian 0.4%, Hungarian 0.3%, Romanian 0.3%, Polish 0.3%, Jewish 0.2%, other 1.8% (2001 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "15.72 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted and ratified 28 June 1996; amended 2004, 2010; note - to revert to the 2004 version pending additional constitutional reforms (2014)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Russia 29.6%, China 9.8%, Germany 8.4%, Poland 6.9%, Belarus 5.3% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "2,782 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; summers are warm across the greater part of the country, hot in the south", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "energy, machinery and equipment, chemicals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Kyiv (Kiev); note: :pronounced KAY-yiv; geographic coordinates: :50 26 N, 30 31 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$39.14 billion; expenditures: :$45.85 billion; note: :this is the planned, consolidated budget (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air Forces (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "9.41 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "187 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, vegetables; beef, milk", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "24 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast'), 1 autonomous republic* (avtonomna respublika), and 2 municipalities (mista, singular - misto) with oblast status**; Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Chernivtsi, Crimea or Avtonomna Respublika Krym* (Simferopol'), Dnipropetrovs'k, Donets'k, Ivano-Frankivs'k, Kharkiv, Kherson, Khmel'nyts'kyy, Kirovohrad, Kyiv**, Kyiv, Luhans'k, L'viv, Mykolayiv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Sevastopol'**, Sumy, Ternopil', Vinnytsya, Volyn' (Luts'k), Zakarpattya (Uzhhorod), Zaporizhzhya, Zhytomyr; note 1: :administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses); note 2: :the United States does not recognize Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the municipality of Sevastopol, nor their redesignation as the Republic of Crimea and the Federal City of Sevastopol", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Russia 24.2%, Turkey 6%, Egypt 4.4%, China 4.3% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "ferrous and nonferrous metals, fuel and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, foodstuffs", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :5.6%; industry: :26%; services: :68.4%; (2012)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.8%; highest 10%: :22.5% (2011 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "24.1% (2010)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "2.77% of GDP (2012); 2.4% of GDP (2011); 2.77% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "inadequate supplies of potable water; air and water pollution; deforestation; radiation contamination in the northeast from 1986 accident at Chornobyl' Nuclear Power Plant", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :79; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :5; 914 to 1,523 m: :5; 69 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :108; over 3,047 m: :13; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :42; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :22; 914 to 1,523 m: :3; under 914 m: :28 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, Kyivan Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kyivan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kyivan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism through subsequent centuries. A new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the 18th century, most Ukrainian ethnographic territory was absorbed by the Russian Empire. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in 1917, Ukraine was able to achieve a short-lived period of independence (1917-20), but was reconquered and forced to endure a brutal Soviet rule that engineered two forced famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died. In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for some 7 to 8 million more deaths. Although final independence for Ukraine was achieved in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR, democracy and prosperity remained elusive as the legacy of state control and endemic corruption stalled efforts at economic reform, privatization, and civil liberties. A peaceful mass protest \"Orange Revolution\" in the closing months of 2004 forced the authorities to overturn a rigged presidential election and to allow a new internationally monitored vote that swept into power a reformist slate under Viktor YUSHCHENKO. Subsequent internal squabbles in the YUSHCHENKO camp allowed his rival Viktor YANUKOVYCH to stage a comeback in parliamentary (Rada) elections and to become prime minister in August of 2006, and to be elected president in February 2010. In October 2012, Ukraine held Rada elections, widely criticized by Western observers as flawed due to use of government resources to favor ruling party candidates, interference with media access, and harassment of opposition candidates. President YANUKOVYCH's backtracking on a trade and cooperation agreement with the EU in November 2013 - in favor of closer economic ties with Russia - led to a three-month protest occupation of Kyiv's central square. The government's eventual use of force to break up the protest camp in February 2014 led to all out pitched battles, scores of deaths, international condemnation, and the president's abrupt departure to Russia. New elections in the spring allowed pro-West president Petro POROSHENKO to assume office on 7 June 2014. In March 2014, shortly after the YANUKOVYCH overthrow, Russian President PUTIN ordered the invasion of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula claiming the action was to protect ethnic Russians living there. Two weeks later, a \"referendum\" was held regarding the integration of Crimea into the Russian Federation. The \"referendum\" was condemned as illegitimate by the Ukrainian Government, the EU, the US, and the UN General Assembly. Although Russia formally annexed Crimea after the \"referendum,\" the Ukrainian Government asserts that Crimea remains part of Ukraine. Russia also continues to supply separatists in two of Ukraine's eastern provinces with manpower and materiel resulting in an armed conflict with the Ukrainian Government.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :246,397; female: :234,916 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :6,893,551; females age 16-49: :8,792,504 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation is 12 months for Army and Air Force, 18 months for Navy (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "almost four times the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than Texas", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Black Sea 0 m; highest point: :Hora Hoverla 2,061 m", "HELIPORTS": "9 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.07 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.94 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.85 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.49 male(s)/female; total population: :0.85 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "647 (2006)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "524 (station frequency types NA) (2006)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :12.1%; industry: :29%; services: :58.8%; (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "49 00 N, 32 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :14% (male 3,191,247/female 3,013,575); 15-24 years: :11.5% (male 2,610,172/female 2,501,795); 25-54 years: :45% (male 9,639,882/female 10,274,240); 55-64 years: :13.6% (male 2,581,380/female 3,433,568); 65 years and over: :15.9% (male 2,310,652/female 4,734,902) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "United Arab Emirates", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Barbara A. LEAF (since 30 December 2014); embassy: :Embassies District, Plot 38 Sector W59-02, Street No. 4, Abu Dhabi; mailing address: :P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi; telephone: :[971; FAX: :[971; consulate(s) general: :Dubai", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$65,000 (2014 est.); $64,200 (2013 est.); $62,900 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "4.3% (2014 est.); 5.2% (2013 est.); 4.7% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.71% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$605 billion (2014 est.); $580.1 billion (2013 est.); $551.5 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :19.3%; youth dependency ratio: :18.8%; elderly dependency ratio: :0.5%; potential support ratio: :182.8% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "33.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 36.3% of GDP (2013 est.); 37.6% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :52.4%; government consumption: :6.9%; investment in fixed capital: :22.9%; investment in inventories: :0.7%; exports of goods and services: :99.9%; imports of goods and services: :-82.8%; (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "234.1 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "6.089 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "18.75 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "7.955 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "63.29 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "52.5 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "351,400 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "382,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "698,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "371,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "97.8 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "2.142 million bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "2.8 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "26.14 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "8.147 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "82.52 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "97.91 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "golden falcon; national colors: green, white, black, red", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :12.1%; male: :7.9%; female: :21.8% (2008 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "32.7% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.1 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "1.93 physicians/1,000 population (2007)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "2.8% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "12 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "5.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "33.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "Dubai 2.33 million; Sharjah 1.229 million; ABU DHABI (capital) 1.114 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Nashid al-watani al-imarati\" (National Anthem of the UAE); lyrics/music: :AREF Al Sheikh Abdullah Al Hassan/Mohamad Abdel WAHAB; note: :music adopted 1971, lyrics adopted 1996; Mohamad Abdel WAHAB also composed the music for the anthem of Tunisia", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 98% of population; rural: 95.2% of population; total: 97.5% of population; urban: 2% of population; rural: 4.8% of population; total: 2.5% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.6% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 99.6% of population; urban: 0.4% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0.4% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$343.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $287.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$126.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $103.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "except for the many organizations now operating in Dubai's Media Free Zone, most TV and radio stations remain government-owned; widespread use of satellite dishes provides access to pan-Arab and other international broadcasts (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :85.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.87% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$369.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $329.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$127 billion (31 December 2008); $104.6 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$56.71 billion (31 December 2008); $49.5 billion (31 December 2007)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "NA%", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :3.99 cu km/yr (15%/2%/83%); per capita: :739.5 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "0.15 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$67.95 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $71.33 billion (31 December 2011); $77.08 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$65.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $61.95 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$114.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $103.4 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$416.4 billion (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$74.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $68.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$53.9 billion (2014 est.); $64.64 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "44.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 44.5% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "337,804 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :30.3 years; male: :32 years; female: :25 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ae", "INTERNET_USERS": "3.449 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "13.775 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "1.967 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Yusif bin Mani bin Said al-UTAYBA (since 25 July 2008); chancery: :3522 International Court NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :83,600 sq km; land: :83,600 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "920 sq km (2010)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Middle East", "LOCATION": "Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :United Arab Emirates; conventional short form: :none; local long form: :Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah; local short form: :none; former: :Trucial Oman, Trucial States; abbreviation: :UAE", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "2.4% (2001)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE federal government and other powers reserved to member emirates", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.36 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of mobile-cellular telephones; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai; domestic: :microwave radio relay, fiber optic and coaxial cable; international: :country code - 971; linked to the international submarine cable FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe); landing point for both the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable networks; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "limited; note - rulers of the seven emirates each select a proportion of voters for the Federal National Council (FNC) that together account for about 12 percent of Emirati citizens", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim (Islam; official) 76%, Christian 9%, other (primarily Hindu and Buddhist, less than 5% of the population consists of Parsi, Baha'i, Druze, Sikh, Ahmadi, Ismaili, Dawoodi Bohra Muslim, and Jewish) 15%; note: :represents the total population; about 85% of the population consists of noncitizens (2005 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Al Fujayrah, Mina' Jabal 'Ali (Dubai), Khor Fakkan (Khawr Fakkan), Mubarraz Island, Mina' Rashid (Dubai), Mina' Saqr (Ra's al Khaymah); container port(s) (TEUs): :Dubai Port (12,617,595), Khor Fakkan (Khawr Fakkan) (3,234,101); LNG terminal(s) (export): :Das Island", "POPULATION": "5,628,805; note: :the UN estimates the country's total population to be 9,445,624 as of mid-year 2014; immigrants make up more than 80% of the total population, according to 2013 UN data (2014) (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "none; political parties are not allowed", "PIPELINES": "condensate 533 km; gas 3,277 km; liquid petroleum gas 300 km; oil 3,287 km; oil/gas/water 24 km; refined products 218 km; water 99 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The UAE has an open economy with a high per capita income and a sizable annual trade surplus. Successful efforts at economic diversification have reduced the portion of GDP based on oil and gas output to 25%. Since the discovery of oil in the UAE more than 30 years ago, the country has undergone a profound transformation from an impoverished region of small desert principalities to a modern state with a high standard of living. The government has increased spending on job creation and infrastructure expansion and is opening up utilities to greater private sector involvement. The country's free trade zones - offering 100% foreign ownership and zero taxes - are helping to attract foreign investors. The global financial crisis, tight international credit, and deflated asset prices constricted the economy in 2009. UAE authorities tried to blunt the crisis by increasing spending and boosting liquidity in the banking sector. The crisis hit Dubai hardest, as it was heavily exposed to depressed real estate prices. Dubai lacked sufficient cash to meet its debt obligations, prompting global concern about its solvency and ultimately a $20 billion bailout from the UAE Central Bank and Abu Dhabi-emirate government that was refinanced in March 2014. Dependence on oil, a large expatriate workforce, and growing inflation pressures are significant long-term challenges. The UAE's strategic plan for the next few years focuses on diversification and creating more opportunities for nationals through improved education and increased private sector employment.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "13.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "petroleum, natural gas", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Emirati(s); adjective: :Emirati", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 2 December (1971)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :61; by type: :bulk carrier 3, cargo 13, chemical tanker 8, container 7, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 24, roll on/roll off 4; foreign-owned: :13 (Greece 3, Kuwait 10); registered in other countries: :253 (Bahamas 23, Barbados 1, Belize 3, Cambodia 2, Comoros 8, Cyprus 3, Georgia 2, Gibraltar 5, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 1, India 4, Iran 2, Jordan 2, Liberia 37, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 12, Mexico 1, Netherlands 4, North Korea 2, Panama 83, Papua New Guinea 6, Philippines 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 8, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, Saudi Arabia 6, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 10, Tanzania 3, Togo 1, UK 8, Vanuatu 1, unknown 8) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ABEDA, AfDB (nonregional member), AFESD, AMF, BIS, CAEU, CICA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OIF (observer), OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,676,928 (includes non-nationals); females age 16-49: :981,649 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :90%; male: :89.5%; female: :91.5% (2005 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :77.09 years; male: :74.49 years; female: :79.83 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Federal National Council or Majlis al-Ittihad al-Watani (40 seats; 20 members appointed by the rulers of the 7 constituent states and 20 indirectly elected by an electoral college of the constituent state councils; members serve 4-year terms); elections: :last held on 24 September 2011 (next to be held in 2015); note - the electoral college was expanded from 6,689 voters in the December 2006 election to 129,274 in the September 2011 election; elections for candidates rather than party lists; 469 candidates including 85 women ran for 20 contested FNC seats; election results: :elected seats by emirate - Abu Dhabi 4, Dubai 4, Sharjah 3, Ras al-Khaimah 3, Ajman 2, Fujairah 2, Umm al-Quwain 2; note - number of appointed seats for each emirate are same as elected seats", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of Islamic law and civil law", "LANGUAGES": "Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0.56%; permanent crops: :0.54%; other: :98.9% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,066 km; border countries: :Oman 609 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "4.891 million; note: :expatriates account for about 85% of the work force (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Federal Supreme Court (consists of the court president and 4 judges); judge selection and term of office: :judges appointed by the federal president following approval by the Federal Supreme Council, which includes the rulers of the 7 emirates; judge term NA; subordinate courts: :Federal Court of Cassation (determines the constitutionality of laws promulgated at the federal and local (emirate) levels; federal level courts of first instance and appeals courts; each emirate has its own court system", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.2% (2014 est.); 1.1% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :10.92 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :12.73 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :9.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "petroleum and petrochemicals; fishing, aluminum, cement, fertilizers, commercial ship repair, construction materials, handicrafts, textiles", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.5% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "2 December 1971 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$271.7 billion (2014 est.); $241.5 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "the UAE is a drug transshipment point for traffickers given its proximity to Southwest Asian drug-producing countries; the UAE's position as a major financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering; anti-money-laundering controls improving, but informal banking remains unregulated", "ROADWAYS": "total: :4,080 km; paved: :4,080 km (includes 253 km of expressways) (2008)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a wider vertical red band on the hoist side; the flag incorporates all four Pan-Arab colors, which in this case represent fertility (green), neutrality (white), petroleum resources (black), and unity (red); red was the traditional color incorporated into all flags of the emirates before their unification", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$173.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $168.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$404.7 billion (2014 est.); $378.6 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan (since 3 November 2004), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) (since 4 November 2004); Vice President and Prime Minister MUHAMMAD BIN RASHID Al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006); head of government: :Prime Minister Vice President MUHAMMAD BIN RASHID Al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers SAIF bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan (since 11 May 2009) and MANSUR bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan (since 11 May 2009); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note: :there is also a Federal Supreme Council (FSC) composed of the seven emirate rulers; the FSC is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation; meets four times a year; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power; elections: :president and vice president elected by the FSC for five-year terms (no term limits) from among the seven FSC members; election last held 3 November 2004 upon the death of the UAE's Founding Father and first President ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan (next election NA); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president; election results: :KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan elected president by a unanimous vote of the FSC; MUHAMMAD bin Rashid Al-Maktum unanimously affirmed vice president after the 2006 death of his brother Sheikh MAKTUM bin Rashid Al-Maktum", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Emirati dirhams (AED) per US dollar -; 3.673 (2014 est.); 3.673 (2013 est.); 3.67 (2012 est.); 3.673 (2011 est.); 3.6725 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Emirati 19%, other Arab and Iranian 23%, South Asian 50%, other expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8% (1982); note: :less than 20% are UAE citizens (1982)", "DEATH_RATE": "1.99 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1971 (provisional); latest drafted in 1979, became permanent May 1996; amended 2009 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 14.7%, India 14%, US 10.8%, UK 6%, Germany 5.1% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "1,318 km", "CLIMATE": "desert; cooler in eastern mountains", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food", "CAPITAL": "name: :Abu Dhabi; geographic coordinates: :24 28 N, 54 22 E; time difference: :UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$140.6 billion; expenditures: :$116 billion; note: :the UAE federal budget does not account for emirate-level spending in Abu Dhabi and Dubai (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "United Arab Emirates Armed Forces: Critical Infrastructure Coastal Patrol Agency (CICPA), Land Forces, Navy, Air Force and Air Defense, Presidential Guard (2015)", "BIRTH_RATE": "15.54 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "43 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "dates, vegetables, watermelons; poultry, eggs, dairy products; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah), Dubayy (Dubai), Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Japan 14.6%, India 11.4%, Iran 10.5%, South Korea 6.2%, Thailand 5.9%, Singapore 5.7%, China 4.4% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "crude oil 45%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates (2012 est.)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :7%; industry: :15%; services: :78% (2000 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "19.5% (2003)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "NA% (2012); 5.5% of GDP (2011); NA% (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified: :Law of the Sea", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "lack of natural freshwater resources compensated by desalination plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :18; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :4; 914 to 1,523 m: :6; 6 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :25; over 3,047 m: :12; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :3; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :5; 914 to 1,523 m: :3; under 914 m: :2 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th century treaties. In 1971, six of these states - Abu Dhabi, 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn - merged to form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They were joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah. The UAE's per capita GDP is on par with those of leading West European nations. Its high oil revenues and its moderate foreign policy stance have allowed the UAE to play a vital role in the affairs of the region. For more than three decades, oil and global finance drove the UAE's economy. However, in 2008-09, the confluence of falling oil prices, collapsing real estate prices, and the international banking crisis hit the UAE especially hard. The UAE has essentially avoided the \"Arab Spring\" unrest seen elsewhere in the Middle East, though in March 2011, political activists and intellectuals signed a petition calling for greater public participation in governance that was widely circulated on the Internet. In an effort to stem potential further unrest, the government announced a multi-year, $1.6-billion infrastructure investment plan for the poorer northern emirates and aggressively pursued advocates of political reform.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :27,439; female: :24,419 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,229,366; females age 16-49: :842,759 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-30 years of age for compulsory military service for men, optional service for women; 17 years of age for male volunteers with parental approval; 2 year general obligation, 9 months for secondary school graduates; women may train for 9 months regardless of education (2014)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Maine", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "frequent sand and dust storms", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Persian Gulf 0 m; highest point: :Jabal Yibir 1,527 m", "HELIPORTS": "5 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.47 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :3.22 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :2.19 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :1.77 male(s)/female; total population: :2.19 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "15 (2004)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 13, FM 8, shortwave 2 (2004)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :0.6%; industry: :58.9%; services: :40.5% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "24 00 N, 54 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :20.7% (male 597,476/female 570,275); 15-24 years: :13.7% (male 457,647/female 311,673); 25-54 years: :61.5% (male 2,639,018/female 820,915); 55-64 years: :3.1% (male 132,718/female 43,624); 65 years and over: :1% (male 35,071/female 20,388) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "United Kingdom", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Matthew Winthrop BARZUN (since 27 November 2013); embassy: :24 Grosvenor Square, London, W1K 6AH; note - a new embassy is scheduled to open by the end of 2017 in the Nine Elms area of Wandsworth; mailing address: :PSC 801, Box 40, FPO AE 09498-4040; telephone: :[44; FAX: :[44; consulate(s) general: :Belfast, Edinburgh", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$37,700 (2014 est.); $36,800 (2013 est.); $36,400 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.2% (2014 est.); 1.7% (2013 est.); 0.3% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.54% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$2.435 trillion (2014 est.); $2.359 trillion (2013 est.); $2.319 trillion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :54.8%; youth dependency ratio: :27.2%; elderly dependency ratio: :27.6%; potential support ratio: :3.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "10.8% of GDP (2014 est.); 10% of GDP (2013 est.); 10.9% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :64.8%; government consumption: :19.5%; investment in fixed capital: :17.1%; investment in inventories: :0.6%; exports of goods and services: :28.4%; imports of goods and services: :-30.3%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "84%; note: :percent of women aged 16-49 (2008/09)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "28.1; note: :data refer to England and Wales (2012 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "498.9 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "244 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "48.99 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "9.9 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "77.44 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "38.47 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "678,600 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "526,400 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "1.508 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "1.343 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "2.979 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "1.053 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "637,800 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "857,200 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "11.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "4.8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "76% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "89.24 million kW (31 December 2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "17.53 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "3.103 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "320.8 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "365.7 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "lion (Britain in general); lion, Tudor rose, oak (England); lion, unicorn, thistle (Scotland); dragon, daffodil, leek (Wales); shamrock, flax (Northern Ireland); national colors: red, white, blue (Britain in general); red, white (England); blue, white (Scotland); red, white, green (Wales)", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :21%; male: :23.8%; female: :17.9% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "26.9% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.9 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.78 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "9.4% of GDP (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "12 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-4.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "40.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "LONDON (capital) 10.189 million; Manchester 2.624 million; Birmingham 2.497 million; Glasgow 1.219 million; Southampton/Portsmouth 876,000; Liverpool 869,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"God Save the Queen\"; lyrics/music: :unknown; note: :in use since 1745; by tradition, the song serves as both the national and royal anthem of the United Kingdom; it is known as either \"God Save the Queen\" or \"God Save the King,\" depending on the gender of the reigning monarch; it also serves as the royal anthem of many Commonwealth nations", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$3.567 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.491 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$114.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $108.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "public service broadcaster, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world; BBC operates multiple TV networks with regional and local TV service; a mixed system of public and commercial TV broadcasters along with satellite and cable systems provide access to hundreds of TV stations throughout the world; BBC operates multiple national, regional, and local radio networks with multiple transmission sites; a large number of commercial radio stations as well as satellite radio services are available (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :82.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.88% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$3.812 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $3.699 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$NA", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "4.4% (31 December 2014 est.); 4.37% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.5% (31 December 2013); 0.5% (31 December 2012)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "6.2% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :16 years; male: :16 years; female: :17 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :13.03 cu km/yr (58%/33%/9%); per capita: :213.2 cu m/yr (2008)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "147 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$3.019 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); $2.903 trillion (31 December 2011); $3.107 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$1.884 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.815 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$1.446 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.37 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$2.848 trillion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :11,368 (Iran); 11,249 (Somalia); 10,302 (Zimbabwe); 10,010 (Eritrea); 9,166 (Afghanistan); 5,297 (Pakistan) (2014); stateless persons: :205 (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$87.48 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $104.4 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$117.9 billion (2014 est.); -$114.1 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "86.6% of GDP (2014 est.); 85.3% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover general government debt, and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "8.107 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :40.4 years; male: :39.2 years; female: :41.6 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "32.3 (2012); 34 (2005)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "fewer than 600 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "126,700 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.33% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".uk", "INTERNET_USERS": "51.444 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "82.109 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "33.01 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Peter John WESTMACOTT (since 17 January 2012); chancery: :3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco; consulate(s): :Orlando (FL)", "AREA": "total: :243,610 sq km; land: :241,930 sq km; water: :1,680 sq km; note: :includes Rockall and Shetland Islands", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "2,280 sq km (2005)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Europe", "LOCATION": "Western Europe, islands - including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland - between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea; northwest of France", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; note - Great Britain includes England, Scotland, and Wales; conventional short form: :United Kingdom; abbreviation: :UK", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "5.7% (2014 est.); 7.6% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional monarchy and Commonwealth realm", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.9 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :technologically advanced domestic and international system; domestic: :equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, and fiber-optic systems; international: :country code - 44; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and US; satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Eutelsat; at least 8 large international switching centers (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Christian (includes Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist) 59.5%, Muslim 4.4%, Hindu 1.3%, other 2%, unspecified 7.2%, none 25.7% (2011 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :16,454 km; broad gauge: :303 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland); standard gauge: :16,151 km 1.435-m gauge (5,248 km electrified) (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Dover, Felixstowe, Immingham, Liverpool, London, Southampton, Teesport (England); Forth Ports (Scotland); Milford Haven (Wales); oil terminals: :Fawley Marine terminal, Liverpool Bay terminal (England); Braefoot Bay terminal, Finnart oil terminal, Hound Point terminal (Scotland); container port(s) (TEUs): :Felixstowe (3,248,592), London (1,932,000), Southampton (1,324,581); LNG terminal(s) (import): :Isle of Grain, Milford Haven, Teesside", "POPULATION": "63,742,977 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Conservative [David CAMERON; Alliance Party (Northerm Ireland) [David FORD; Democratic Unionist Party or DUP (Northern Ireland) [Peter ROBINSON; Green Party of England and Wales or Greens [Natalie BENNETT; Labor Party [Ed MILIBAND; Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems) [Nick CLEGG; Party of Wales (Plaid Cymru) [Leanne WOOD; Respect Party [George GALLOWAY; Scottish National Party or SNP [Nicola STURGEON; Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland) [Gerry ADAMS; Social Democratic and Labor Party or SDLP (Northern Ireland) [Alasdair MCDONNELL; Ulster Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [Mike NESBITT; UK Independence Party or UKIP [Nigel FARAGE", "PIPELINES": "condensate 502 km; condensate/gas 9 km; gas 28,603 km; liquid petroleum gas 59 km; oil 5,256 km; oil/gas/water 175 km; refined products 4,919 km; water 255 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The UK, a leading trading power and financial center, is the third largest economy in Europe after Germany and France. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with less than 2% of the labor force. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil resources, but its oil and natural gas reserves are declining and the UK became a net importer of energy in 2005. Services, particularly banking, insurance, and business services, are key drivers of British GDP growth. Manufacturing, meanwhile, has declined in importance but still accounts for about 10% of economic output. In 2008, the global financial crisis hit the economy particularly hard, due to the importance of its financial sector. Falling home prices, high consumer debt, and the global economic slowdown compounded Britain's economic problems, pushing the economy into recession in the latter half of 2008 and prompting the then BROWN (Labour) government to implement a number of measures to stimulate the economy and stabilize the financial markets. Facing burgeoning public deficits and debt levels, in 2010 the CAMERON-led coalition government (between Conservatives and Liberal Democrats) initiated an austerity program, which aimed to lower London's budget deficit from about 11% of GDP in 2010 to nearly 1% by 2015. The CAMERON government raised the value added tax from 17.5% to 20% in 2011. It has pledged to reduce the corporation tax rate to 20% by 2015. However, the deficit still remains one of the highest in the G7, standing at 5.8% in 2013. The Bank of England (BoE) implemented an asset purchase program of �375 billion (approximately $586 billion) as of December 2014. During times of economic crisis, the BoE coordinates interest rate moves with the European Central Bank, but Britain remains outside the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). In 2012, weak consumer spending and subdued business investment weighed on the economy, however, in 2013 GDP grew 1.8%, accelerating unexpectedly because of greater consumer spending and a recovering housing market.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; Confederation of British Industry; National Farmers' Union; Trades Union Congress", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and linked by tunnel under the English Channel; because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "2.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Briton(s), British (collective plural); adjective: :British", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "the UK does not celebrate one particular national holiday", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :504; by type: :bulk carrier 33, cargo 76, carrier 4, chemical tanker 58, container 178, liquefied gas 6, passenger 7, passenger/cargo 66, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 31, vehicle carrier 25; foreign-owned: :271 (Australia 1, Bermuda 6, China 7, Denmark 43, France 39, Germany 59, Hong Kong 12, Ireland 1, Italy 3, Japan 5, Netherlands 1, Norway 32, Sweden 28, Taiwan 11, Tanzania 1, UAE 8, US 14); registered in other countries: :308 (Algeria 15, Antigua and Barbuda 1, Argentina 2, Australia 5, Bahamas 18, Barbados 6, Belgium 2, Belize 4, Bermuda 14, Bolivia 1, Brunei 2, Cabo Verde 1, Cambodia 1, Cayman Islands 2, Comoros 1, Cook Islands 2, Cyprus 7, Georgia 5, Gibraltar 6, Greece 6, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 33, Indonesia 2, Italy 2, Liberia 22, Liberia 32, Luxembourg 5, Malta 21, Marshall Islands 12, Marshall Islands 3, Moldova 3, Nigeria 2, NZ 1, Panama 37, Panama 5, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 6, Thailand 6, Tonga 1, US 4, unknown 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, C, CBSS (observer), CD, CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EITI (implementing country), ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNSC (permanent), UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :14,856,917; females age 16-49: :14,307,316 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :80.42 years; male: :78.26 years; female: :82.69 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Lords (779 seats - membership not fixed; consists of 666 life peers, 87 hereditary peers, and 26 clergy - as of March 2014; members appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister and non-party political members recommended by the House of Lords Appointments Commission) and the House of Commons (650 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by first-past-the-post vote to serve 5-year terms unless the House is dissolved earlier); elections: :House of Lords - no elections (note - in 1999, as provided by the House of Lords Act, elections were held in the House of Lords to determine the 92 hereditary peers who would remain there; elections are held only as vacancies in the hereditary peerage arise); House of Commons - last held on 6 May 2010 (next to be held by June 2015); election results: :House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Conservative 36.1%, Labor 29%, Liberal Democrats 23%, other 11.9%; seats by party - Conservative 305, Labor 258, Liberal Democrat 57, other 30", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "common law system; has nonbinding judicial review of Acts of Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998", "LANGUAGES": "English; note: :the following are recognized regional languages: Scots (about 30% of the population of Scotland), Scottish Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland), Welsh (about 20% of the population of Wales), Irish (about 10% of the population of Northern Ireland), Cornish (some 2,000 to 3,000 in Cornwall) (2012 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :25.68%; permanent crops: :0.19%; other: :74.13% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :443 km; border countries: :Ireland 443 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "32.59 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of 12 justices including the court president and deputy president); note - the Supreme Court was established by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and implemented in October 2009, replacing the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords as the highest court in the United Kingdom; judge selection and term of office: :judge candidates selected by an independent committee of several judicial commissions, followed by their recommendations to the prime minister, and appointed by Her Majesty The Queen; justices appointed during period of good behavior; subordinate courts: :England and Wales - Court of Appeal (civil and criminal divisions); High Court; Crown Court; County Courts; Magistrates' Courts; Scotland - Court of Sessions; Sherrif Courts; High Court of Justiciary; tribunals; Northern Ireland - Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland; High Court; county courts; magistrates' courts; specialized tribunals", "WATERWAYS": "3,200 km (620 km used for commerce) (2009)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.6% (2014 est.); 2.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :4.44 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :4.86 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :4 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing, textiles, clothing, other consumer goods", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.4% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "12 April 1927 (Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act establishes current name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland); notable earlier dates: 927 (minor English kingdoms united); 3 March 1284 (enactment of the Statute of Rhuddlan uniting England and Wales); 1536 (Act of Union formally incorporates England and Wales); 1 May 1707 (Acts of Union formally unite England and Scotland as Great Britain); 1 January 1801 (Acts of Union formally unite Great Britain and Ireland as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland); 6 December 1921 (Anglo-Irish Treaty formalizes partition of Ireland; six counties remain part of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland)", "IMPORTS": "$686 billion (2014 est.); $645.4 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :394,428 km; paved: :394,428 km (includes 3,519 km of expressways) (2009)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "blue field with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland); properly known as the Union Flag, but commonly called the Union Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been the basis for a number of other flags including other Commonwealth countries and their constituent states or provinces, and British overseas territories", "FISCAL_YEAR": "6 April - 5 April", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$9.577 trillion (31 December 2013 est.); $9.457 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$503.4 billion (2014 est.); $476.6 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Heir Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the queen, born 14 November 1948); head of government: :Prime Minister David CAMERON (since 11 May 2010); cabinet: :Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister; elections: :the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually becomes the prime minister", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "British pounds (GBP) per US dollar -; 0.6003 (2014 est.); 0.6391 (2013 est.); 0.63 (2012 est.); 0.624 (2011 est.); 0.6472 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "white 87.2%, black/African/Caribbean/black British 3%, Asian/Asian British: Indian 2.3%, Asian/Asian British: Pakistani 1.9%, mixed 2%, other 3.7% (2011 est.)", "DEPENDENT_AREAS": "Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands", "DEATH_RATE": "9.34 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice; note - recent additions include the Human Rights Act of 1998, the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011, and the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 (2011)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "Germany 13.9%, China 8.5%, Netherlands 8.5%, France 6%, US 5.6%, Belgium 5% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "12,429 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "name: :London; geographic coordinates: :51 30 N, 0 05 W; time difference: :UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October; note: :applies to the United Kingdom proper, not to its overseas dependencies or territories", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$1.15 trillion; expenditures: :$1.286 trillion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Army, Royal Navy (includes Royal Marines), Royal Air Force (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "12.22 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "460 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, poultry; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "England: :27 two-tier counties, 32 London boroughs and 1 City of London or Greater London, 36 metropolitan districts, 56 unitary authorities (including 4 single-tier counties*); two-tier counties: :Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Sussex, Worcestershire; London boroughs and City of London or Greater London: :Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames, Lambeth, Lewisham, City of London, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Westminster; unitary authorities: :Bath and North East Somerset, Blackburn with Darwen, Bedford, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Bracknell Forest, Brighton and Hove, City of Bristol, Central Bedfordshire, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Cornwall, Darlington, Derby, Durham County*, East Riding of Yorkshire, Halton, Hartlepool, Herefordshire*, Isle of Wight*, Isles of Scilly, City of Kingston upon Hull, Leicester, Luton, Medway, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North Somerset, Northumberland*, Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth, Poole, Portsmouth, Reading, Redcar and Cleveland, Rutland, Shropshire, Slough, South Gloucestershire, Southampton, Southend-on-Sea, Stockton-on-Tees, Stoke-on-Trent, Swindon, Telford and Wrekin, Thurrock, Torbay, Warrington, West Berkshire, Wiltshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham, York; Northern Ireland: :13 borough councils, 11 district council areas, 1 city and district council, 1 city council; borough councils: :Antrim, Ards, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Carrickfergus, Castlereagh, Coleraine, Craigavon, Dungannon and South Tyrone, Larne, Limavady, Newtownabbey, North Down; city and district councils: :Armagh; city councils: :Lisburn; district council areas: :Belfast, Banbridge, Cookstown, Derry, Down, Fermanagh, Magherafelt, Moyle, Newry and Mourne, Omagh, Strabane; Scotland: :32 council areas; council areas: :Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, City of Edinburgh, Eilean Siar (Western Isles), Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow City, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Moray, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney Islands, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Shetland Islands, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, The Scottish Borders, West Dunbartonshire, West Lothian; Wales: :22 unitary authorities; unitary authorities: :Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Swansea, The Vale of Glamorgan, Torfaen, Wrexham", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Switzerland 13.8%, Germany 9%, US 8.8%, Netherlands 7.6%, France 6.4%, Ireland 5.7%, Belgium 4.3% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :1.4%; industry: :18.2%; services: :80.4% (2006 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.7%; highest 10%: :31.1% (2012)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "16.2% (2011 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "2.49% of GDP (2012); 2.48% of GDP (2011); 2.49% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (has met Kyoto Protocol target of a 12.5% reduction from 1990 levels and intends to meet the legally binding target and move toward a domestic goal of a 20% cut in emissions by 2010); by 2005 the government reduced the amount of industrial and commercial waste disposed of in landfill sites to 85% of 1998 levels and recycled or composted at least 25% of household waste, increasing to 33% by 2015", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :189; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :26; 160 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :271; over 3,047 m: :7; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :29; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :89; 914 to 1,523 m: :80; under 914 m: :66 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The United Kingdom has historically played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith in the 19th century, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two world wars and the Irish Republic's withdrawal from the union. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council and a founding member of NATO and the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy. The UK is also an active member of the EU, although it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999. The latter was suspended until May 2007 due to wrangling over the peace process, but devolution was fully completed in March 2010.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :383,989; female: :365,491 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :12,255,452; females age 16-49: :11,779,679 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "16-33 years of age (officers 17-28) for voluntary military service (with parental consent under 18); no conscription; women serve in military services, but are excluded from ground combat positions and some naval postings; as of October 2009, women comprised 12.1% of officers and 9% of enlisted personnel in the regular forces; must be citizen of the UK, Commonwealth, or Republic of Ireland; reservists serve a minimum of 3 years, to age 45 or 55; 17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service by Nepalese citizens in the Brigade of Gurkhas; 16-34 years of age for voluntary military service by Papua New Guinean citizens (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "twice the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Oregon", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "winter windstorms; floods", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :The Fens -4 m; highest point: :Ben Nevis 1,343 m", "HELIPORTS": "9 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.8 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "940 (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 206, FM 696, shortwave 3 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :0.6%; industry: :20.6%; services: :78.8%; (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "54 00 N, 2 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :17.3% (male 5,660,891/female 5,380,448); 15-24 years: :12.6% (male 4,116,859/female 3,945,146); 25-54 years: :41% (male 13,299,731/female 12,843,937); 55-64 years: :11.5% (male 3,621,110/female 3,702,717); 65 years and over: :17.5% (male 4,990,024/female 6,182,114) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (territories of the US)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "unincorporated territories of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system; note on Palmyra Atoll: :incorporated Territory of the US; partly privately owned and partly federally owned; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior; the Office of Insular Affairs of the US Department of the Interior continues to administer nine excluded areas comprising certain tidal and submerged lands within the 12 nm territorial sea or within the lagoon", "AFFILIATION": "(territories of the US)", "AREA": "total - 6,959.41 sq km; emergent land - 22.41 sq km; submerged - 6,937 sq km; Baker Island: :total - 129.1 sq km; emergent land - 2.1 sq km; submerged - 127 sq km; Howland Island: :total - 138.6 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km; submerged - 136 sq km; Jarvis Island: :total - 152 sq km; emergent land - 5 sq km; submerged - 147 sq km; Johnston Atoll: :total - 276.6 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km; submerged - 274 sq km; Kingman Reef: :total - 1,958.01 sq km; emergent land - 0.01 sq km; submerged - 1,958 sq km; Midway Islands: :total - 2,355.2 sq km; emergent land - 6.2 sq km; submerged - 2,349 sq km; Palmyra Atoll: :total - 1,949.9 sq km; emergent land - 3.9 sq km; submerged - 1,946 sq km", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania; Baker Island: :atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,830 nm (3,389 km) southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and Australia; Howland Island: :island in the North Pacific Ocean 1,815 nm (3,361 km) southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and Australia; Jarvis Island: :island in the South Pacific Ocean 1,305 nm (2,417 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and Cook Islands; Johnston Atoll: :atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 717 nm (1,328 km) southwest of Honolulu, about one-third of the way from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands; Kingman Reef: :reef in the North Pacific Ocean 930 nm (1,722 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa; Midway Islands: :atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,260 nm (2,334 km) northwest of Honolulu near the end of the Hawaiian Archipelago, about one-third of the way from Honolulu to Tokyo; Palmyra Atoll: :atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 960 nm (1,778 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Baker Island; Howland Island; Jarvis Island; Johnston Atoll; Kingman Reef; Midway Islands; Palmyra Atoll", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the US", "TERRAIN": "low and nearly level sandy coral islands with narrow fringing reefs that have developed at the top of submerged volcanic mountains, which in most cases rise steeply from the ocean floor", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands, and Kingman Reef: :none; offshore anchorage only; Johnston Atoll: :Johnston Island; Midway Islands: :Sand Island; Palmyra Atoll: :West Lagoon", "POPULATION": "no indigenous inhabitants; note: :public entry is only by special-use permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service and generally restricted to scientists and educators; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service; Johnston Atoll: :in previous years, an average of 1,100 US military and civilian contractor personnel were present; as of May 2005, all US Government personnel had left the island; Midway Islands: :approximately 40 people make up the staff of US Fish and Wildlife Service and their services contractor living at the atoll; Palmyra Atoll: :four to 20 Nature Conservancy, US Fish and Wildlife staff, and researchers", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "no economic activity", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: :scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife; closed to the public; Johnston Atoll: :Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands, which have been expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging; the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference; closed to the public; Kingman Reef: :barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed to the public; Midway Islands: :a coral atoll managed as a NWR and open to the public for wildlife-related recreation in the form of wildlife observation and photography; Palmyra Atoll: :the high rainfall and resulting lush vegetation make the environment of this atoll unique among the US Pacific Island territories; supports a large undisturbed stand of Pisonia beach forest", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "terrestrial and aquatic wildlife", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "the laws of the US where applicable apply", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (2014 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "none", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "the flag of the US is used", "COASTLINE": "Baker Island: :4.8 km; Howland Island: :6.4 km; Jarvis Island: :8 km; Johnston Atoll: :34 km; Kingman Reef: :3 km; Midway Islands: :15 km; Palmyra Atoll: :14.5 km", "CLIMATE": "Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: :equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun; Johnston Atoll and Kingman Reef: :tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature variation; Midway Islands: :subtropical with cool, moist winters (December to February) and warm, dry summers (May to October); moderated by prevailing easterly winds; most of the 1,067 mm (42 in) of annual rainfall occurs during the winter; Palmyra Atoll: :equatorial, hot; located within the low pressure area of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) where the northeast and southeast trade winds meet, it is extremely wet with between 4,000-5,000 mm (160-200 in) of rainfall each year", "AIRPORTS": "Baker Island: :one abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m covered with vegetation and unusable; Howland Island: :airstrip constructed in 1937 for scheduled refueling stop on the round-the-world flight of Amelia EARHART and Fred NOONAN; the aviators left Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island but were never seen again; the airstrip is no longer serviceable; Johnston Atoll: :one closed and not maintained; Kingman Reef: :lagoon was used as a halfway station between Hawaii and American Samoa by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937 and 1938; Midway Islands: :3 - one operational (2,377 m paved); no fuel for sale except emergencies; Palmyra Atoll: :1 - 1,846 m unpaved runway; privately owned (2013)", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands, and Johnston Atoll: :no natural freshwater resources; Kingman Reef: :none; Midway Islands and Palmyra Atoll: :NA", "BACKGROUND": "All of the following US Pacific island territories except Midway Atoll constitute the Pacific Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) Complex and as such are managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior. Midway Atoll NWR has been included in a Refuge Complex with the Hawaiian Islands NWR and also designated as part of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. These remote refuges are the most widespread collection of marine- and terrestrial-life protected areas on the planet under a single country's jurisdiction. They sustain many endemic species including corals, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, seabirds, water birds, land birds, insects, and vegetation not found elsewhere.; Baker Island: :The US took possession of the island in 1857. Its guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The island was established as a NWR in 1974.; Howland Island: :Discovered by the US early in the 19th century, the uninhabited atoll was officially claimed by the US in 1857. Both US and British companies mined for guano deposits until about 1890. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island, similar to the effort on nearby Baker Island, but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The famed American aviatrix Amelia EARHART disappeared while seeking out Howland Island as a refueling stop during her 1937 round-the-world flight; Earhart Light, a day beacon near the middle of the west coast, was named in her memory. The island was established as a NWR in 1974.; Jarvis Island: :First discovered by the British in 1821, the uninhabited island was annexed by the US in 1858 but abandoned in 1879 after tons of guano had been removed. The UK annexed the island in 1889 but never carried out plans for further exploitation. The US occupied and reclaimed the island in 1935. It was abandoned in 1942 during World War II. The island was established as a NWR in 1974.; Johnston Atoll: :Both the US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed Johnston Atoll in 1858, but it was the US that mined the guano deposits until the late 1880s. Johnston and Sand Islands were designated wildlife refuges in 1926. The US Navy took over the atoll in 1934. Subsequently, the US Air Force assumed control in 1948. The site was used for high-altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s. Until late in 2000 the atoll was maintained as a storage and disposal site for chemical weapons. Munitions destruction, cleanup, and closure of the facility were completed by May 2005. The Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Air Force are currently discussing future management options; in the interim, Johnston Atoll and the three-mile Naval Defensive Sea around it remain under the jurisdiction and administrative control of the US Air Force.; Kingman Reef: :The US annexed the reef in 1922. Its sheltered lagoon served as a way station for flying boats on Hawaii-to-American Samoa flights during the late 1930s. There are no terrestrial plants on the reef, which is frequently awash, but it does support abundant and diverse marine fauna and flora. In 2001, the waters surrounding the reef out to 12 nm were designated a US NWR.; Midway Islands: :The US took formal possession of the islands in 1867. The laying of the trans-Pacific cable, which passed through the islands, brought the first residents in 1903. Between 1935 and 1947, Midway was used as a refueling stop for transpacific flights. The US naval victory over a Japanese fleet off Midway in 1942 was one of the turning points of World War II. The islands continued to serve as a naval station until closed in 1993. Today the islands are a NWR and are the site of the world's largest Laysan albatross colony.; Palmyra Atoll: :The Kingdom of Hawaii claimed the atoll in 1862, and the US included it among the Hawaiian Islands when it annexed the archipelago in 1898. The Hawaii Statehood Act of 1959 did not include Palmyra Atoll, which is now partly privately owned by the Nature Conservancy with the rest owned by the Federal government and managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. These organizations are managing the atoll as a wildlife refuge. The lagoons and surrounding waters within the 12 nm US territorial seas were transferred to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and designated as a NWR in January 2001.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "Baker Island: :about two and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC; Howland Island: :about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC; Jarvis Island: :about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC; Johnston Atoll: :about four and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC; Kingman Reef: :a little more than one and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC; Midway Islands: :about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC; Palmyra Atoll: :about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: :the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island poses a maritime hazard; Kingman Reef: :wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of less than 2 m makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard; Midway Islands, Johnston, and Palmyra Atolls: :NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Baker Island, unnamed location - 8 m; Howland Island, unnamed location - 3 m; Jarvis Island, unnamed location - 7 m; Johnston Atoll, Sand Island - 10 m; Kingman Reef, unnamed location - less than 2 m; Midway Islands, unnamed location - 13 m; Palmyra Atoll, unnamed location - 3 m", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "Baker Island: :0 13 N, 176 28 W; Howland Island: :0 48 N, 176 38 W; Jarvis Island: :0 23 S, 160 01 W; Johnston Atoll: :16 45 N, 169 31 W; Kingman Reef: :6 23 N, 162 25 W; Midway Islands: :28 12 N, 177 22 W; Palmyra Atoll: :5 53 N, 162 05 W" }, { "country": "Uruguay", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Julissa REYNOSO (since 30 March 2012); embassy: :Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo 11200; mailing address: :APO AA 34035; telephone: :[598; FAX: :[598", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$20,500 (2014 est.); $20,000 (2013 est.); $19,200 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.8% (2014 est.); 4.4% (2013 est.); 3.7% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.26% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$69.78 billion (2014 est.); $67.88 billion (2013 est.); $65.02 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :55.9%; youth dependency ratio: :33.8%; elderly dependency ratio: :22.1%; potential support ratio: :4.5% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "16.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 18% of GDP (2013 est.); 18.2% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :66.1%; government consumption: :14%; investment in fixed capital: :22.9%; investment in inventories: :0.7%; exports of goods and services: :24.2%; imports of goods and services: :-28%; (2014 est.)", "DEMOGRAPHIC_PROFILE": "Uruguay rates high for most development indicators and is known for its secularism, liberal social laws, and well-developed social security, health, and educational systems. It is one of the few countries in Latin America and the Caribbean where the entire population has access to clean water. Uruguay's provision of free primary through university education has contributed to the country's high levels of literacy and educational attainment. However, the emigration of human capital has diminished the state's return on its investment in education. Remittances from the roughly 18% of Uruguayans abroad amount to less than 1 percent of national GDP. The emigration of young adults and a low birth rate are causing Uruguay's population to age rapidly.; In the 1960s, Uruguayans for the first time emigrated en masse - primarily to Argentina and Brazil - because of economic decline and the onset of more than a decade of military dictatorship. Economic crises in the early 1980s and 2002 also triggered waves of emigration, but since 2002 more than 70% of Uruguayan emigrants have selected the US and Spain as destinations because of better job prospects. Uruguay had a tiny population upon its independence in 1828 and welcomed thousands of predominantly Italian and Spanish immigrants, but the country has not experienced large influxes of new arrivals since the aftermath of World War II. More recent immigrants include Peruvians and Arabs.", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :51,879; percentage: :7% (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "7.591 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "60 million cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "60 million cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "16,420 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "4,656 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "49,140 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "43,440 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2013 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "38,680 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "400 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "1.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "56.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "41.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "2.707 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "742 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "194 million kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "9.333 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "10.16 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Sun of May (a sun-with-face symbol); national colors: blue, white, yellow", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :18.5%; male: :14.7%; female: :23.6% (2012 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "24.8% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.5 beds/1,000 population (2012)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "3.74 physicians/1,000 population (2008)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "8.9% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "4.5% (2011)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "29 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-3.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "30.2% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "MONTEVIDEO (capital) 1.698 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Himno Nacional\" (National Anthem of Uruguay); lyrics/music: :Francisco Esteban ACUNA de Figueroa/Francisco Jose DEBALI; note: :adopted 1848; the anthem is also known as \"Orientales, la Patria o la tumba!\" (\"Uruguayans, the Fatherland or Death!\"); it is the world's longest national anthem in terms of music (105 bars; almost five minutes); generally only the first verse and chorus are sung", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 96.5% of population; rural: 95.8% of population; total: 96.4% of population; urban: 3.5% of population; rural: 4.2% of population; total: 3.6% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.9% of population; rural: 94.9% of population; total: 99.5% of population; urban: 0.1% of population; rural: 5.1% of population; total: 0.5% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$8.568 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $8.919 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$5.201 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.455 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "mixture of privately owned and state-run broadcast media; more than 100 commercial radio stations and about 20 TV channels; cable TV is available; many community radio and TV stations; adopted the hybrid Japanese/Brazilian HDTV standard (ISDB-T) in December 2010 (2010)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :95.2% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.53% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$19.82 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $19.48 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$9.409 billion (31 December 2008); $7.919 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$2.247 billion (31 December 2008); $2.145 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "15.7% (31 December 2014 est.); 12.44% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "9% (31 December 2012); 8.75% (31 December 2011); note: :Uruguay's central bank uses the benchmark interest rate, rather than the discount rate, to conduct monetary policy; the rates shown here are the benchmark rates", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "4.5% of GDP (2011)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :16 years; male: :14 years; female: :17 years (2010)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :3.66 cu km/yr (11%/2%/87%); per capita: :1,101 cu m/yr (2000)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "139 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$175.4 million (31 December 2012 est.); $174.6 million (31 December 2011); $156.9 million (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$411.7 million (31 December 2014 est.); $376.6 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$23.41 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $20.59 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Uruguay is a source country for women and children subjected to sex trafficking and, to a lesser extent, a transit and destination country for men, women, and children exploited in forced labor and sex trafficking; most victims are women and girls exploited in sex trafficking domestically; some Uruguayan women lured by fraudulent job employment offers in Spain, Italy, and Argentina are forced into prostitution; foreign workers in domestic service, agriculture, and lumber processing are vulnerable to forced labor in Uruguay; some human trafficking cases are reportedly linked to international crime rings; tier rating: :Tier 2 Watch List � Uruguay does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; authorities investigated and prosecuted several trafficking cases in 2013 but reported no convictions; limited anti-trafficking data makes it difficult to assess law enforcement efforts; the government provides limited services to human trafficking victims outside the capital and to forced labor victims; two public awareness campaigns were launched with foreign funding in 2013 (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$55.6 billion (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$17.96 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $16.28 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$3.067 billion (2014 est.); -$3.144 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "64.7% of GDP (2014 est.); 62.1% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover general government debt, and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions.", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "1.036 million (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :34.3 years; male: :32.6 years; female: :35.9 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "45.3 (2010); 44.8 (1999)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "500 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "14,000 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.71% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".uy", "INTERNET_USERS": "1.405 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "5 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "1.01 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Carlos Alberto GIANELLI Derois (since 11 September 2012); chancery: :1913 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20006; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York", "AREA": "total: :176,215 sq km; land: :175,015 sq km; water: :1,200 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1,810 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "South America", "LOCATION": "Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Oriental Republic of Uruguay; conventional short form: :Uruguay; local long form: :Republica Oriental del Uruguay; local short form: :Uruguay; former: :Banda Oriental, Cisplatine Province", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "6.7% (2014 est.); 6.6% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitutional republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.84 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :fully digitalized; domestic: :most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; nationwide microwave radio relay network; overall fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity has reached 170 telephones per 100 persons; international: :country code - 598; the UNISOR submarine cable system provides direct connectivity to Brazil and Argentina; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal and compulsory", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 47.1%, non-Catholic Christians 11.1%, nondenominational 23.2%, Jewish 0.3%, atheist or agnostic 17.2%, other 1.1% (2006)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :1,641 km; standard gauge: :1,641 km 1.435-m gauge (1,200 km operational) (2010)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Montevideo", "POPULATION": "3,332,972 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Broad Front (Frente Amplio) - formerly known as the Progressive Encounter/Broad Front Coalition or EP-FA [Monica XAVIER; Colorado Party (Vamos Uruguay) [Martha MONTANER; Independent Party [Pablo MIERES; National Party or Blanco [Luis Alberto HEBER", "PIPELINES": "gas 257 km; oil 160 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Uruguay has a free market economy characterized by an export-oriented agricultural sector, a well-educated work force, and high levels of social spending. Following financial difficulties in the late 1990s and early 2000s, economic growth for Uruguay averaged 8% annually during the period 2004-08. The 2008-09 global financial crisis put a brake on Uruguay's vigorous growth, which decelerated to 2.6% in 2009. Nevertheless, the country managed to avoid a recession and keep positive growth rates, mainly through higher public expenditure and investment, and GDP growth reached 8.9% in 2010 but slowed in 2012-13, the result of a renewed slowdown in the global economy and in Uruguay's main trade partners and Common Market of the South (Mercosur) counterparts, Argentina and Brazil. Uruguay has sought to expand trade within Mercosur and with non-Mercosur members, and President-elect Tabare VAZQUEZ has said he will maintain his predecessor�s mix of pro-market policies and a strong social safety net.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "B'nai Brith; Catholic Church; Chamber of Commerce and Export of Agriproducts; Chamber of Industries (manufacturer's association); Exporters Union of Uruguay; National Chamber of Commerce and Services; PIT/CNT (powerful federation of Uruguayan Unions - umbrella labor organization); Rural Association of Uruguay (rancher's association); Uruguayan Network of Political Women; other: :students", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "second-smallest South American country (after Suriname); most of the low-lying landscape (three-quarters of the country) is grassland, ideal for cattle and sheep raising", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-1.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fish", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Uruguayan(s); adjective: :Uruguayan", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 25 August (1825)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :16; by type: :bulk carrier 1, cargo 2, chemical tanker 3, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 1; foreign-owned: :8 (Argentina 1, Denmark 1, Greece 1, Spain 5); registered in other countries: :1 (Liberia 1) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "CAN (associate), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or edge of continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :771,159; females age 16-49: :780,932 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :98.4%; male: :98.1%; female: :98.7% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :76.81 years; male: :73.67 years; female: :80.06 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General consists of the Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (31 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; the vice-president serves as the presiding ex-officio member; elected members serve 5-year terms) and the Chamber of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (99 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms); elections: :Chamber of Senators - last held on 25 October 2009 (next to be held in October 2014); Chamber of Representatives - last held on 25 October 2009 (next to be held in October 2014); election results: :Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Frente Amplio 16, Blanco 9, Colorado Party 5; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Frente Amplio 50, Blanco 30, Colorado Party 17, Independent Party 2", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system based on the Spanish civil code", "LANGUAGES": "Spanish (official), Portunol, Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :10.03%; permanent crops: :0.22%; other: :89.74% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :1,591 km; border countries: :Argentina 541 km, Brazil 1,050 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "1.712 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of Justice (consists of 5 judges); judge selection and term of office: :judges nominated by the president and appointed in joint conference of the General Assembly; judges appointed for 10-year terms, with re-election after a lapse of 5 years following the previous term; subordinate courts: :Courts of Appeal; District Courts (Juzagados Letrados); Peace Courts (Juzagados de Paz); Rural Courts (Juzgados Rurales)", "WATERWAYS": "1,600 km (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "8.8% (2014 est.); 8.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :8.97 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :9.95 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :7.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.8% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "25 August 1825 (from Brazil)", "IMPORTS": "$12.05 billion (2014 est.); $11.6 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "small-scale transit country for drugs mainly bound for Europe, often through sea-borne containers; law enforcement corruption; money laundering because of strict banking secrecy laws; weak border control along Brazilian frontier; increasing consumption of cocaine base and synthetic drugs", "ROADWAYS": "total: :77,732 km; paved: :7,743 km; unpaved: :69,989 km (2010)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating with blue; a white square in the upper hoist-side corner with a yellow sun bearing a human face known as the Sun of May with 16 rays that alternate between triangular and wavy; the stripes represent the nine original departments of Uruguay; the sun symbol evokes the legend of the sun breaking through the clouds on 25 May 1810 as independence was first declared from Spain (Uruguay subsequently won its independence from Brazil); the sun features are said to represent those of Inti, the Inca god of the sun; note: :the banner was inspired by the national colors of Argentina and by the design of the US flag", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$17.54 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $16.27 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$11 billion (2014 est.); $10.29 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Jose \"Pepe\" MUJICA Cordano; Vice President Danilo ASTORI Saragoza (both since 1 March 2010); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Jose \"Pepe\" MUJICA Cordano; Vice President Danilo ASTORI Saragoza (both since 1 March 2010); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the president with parliamentary approval; elections: :president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held on 29 November 2009 (next to be held in October 2014); election results: :Jose \"Pepe\" MUJICA Cordano elected president; percent of vote - Jose \"Pepe\" MUJICA Cordano 54.8%, Luis Alberto LACALLE 45.2%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Uruguayan pesos (UYU) per US dollar -; 23.18 (2014 est.); 20.482 (2013 est.); 20.31 (2012 est.); 19.314 (2011 est.); 20.059 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian (practically nonexistent)", "DEATH_RATE": "9.48 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest approved by plebiscite 27 November 1966, effective 15 February 1967; amended several times, last in 2004 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 16.4%, Brazil 14.6%, Argentina 14%, US 12.4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "660 km", "CLIMATE": "warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "refined oil, crude oil, passenger and other transportation vehicles, vehicle parts, cellular phones", "CAPITAL": "name: :Montevideo; geographic coordinates: :34 51 S, 56 10 W; time difference: :UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends second Sunday in March", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$16.8 billion; expenditures: :$18.71 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Uruguayan Armed Forces: Uruguayan National Army (Ejercito Nacional Uruguaya, ENU), Uruguayan National Navy (Armada Nacional del Uruguay; includes naval air arm, Naval Rifle Corps (Cuerpo de Fusileros Navales, Fusna), Maritime Prefecture in wartime), Uruguayan Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Uruguaya, FAU) (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "13.18 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "133 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "soybeans, rice, wheat; beef, dairy products; fish; lumber, cellulose", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "19 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Artigas, Canelones, Cerro Largo, Colonia, Durazno, Flores, Florida, Lavalleja, Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandu, Rio Negro, Rivera, Rocha, Salto, San Jose, Soriano, Tacuarembo, Treinta y Tres", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 21.9%, Brazil 17.3%, Argentina 4.8%, Germany 4.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "beef, soybeans, cellulose, rice, wheat, wood, dairy products; wool", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :13%; industry: :14%; services: :73% (2010 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.9%; highest 10%: :34.4% (2010 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "18.6% (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.95% of GDP (2012); 1.94% of GDP (2011); 1.95% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :122; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :40; 79 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :11; over 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :4; 914 to 1,523 m: :4; under 914 m: :2 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to become an important commercial center. Claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century launched widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established a statist tradition. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control previously held by the Colorado and Blanco parties. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :27,564; female: :26,811 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :649,025; females age 16-49: :654,903 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-30 years of age (18-22 years of age for navy) for male or female voluntary military service; up to 40 years of age for specialists; enlistment is voluntary in peacetime, but the government has the authority to conscript in emergencies; minimum 6-year education (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than the state of Washington", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind that blows north from the Argentine pampas), droughts, floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act as weather barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes from weather fronts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Cerro Catedral 514 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.04 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.93 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.66 male(s)/female; total population: :0.93 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "62 (2005)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 93, FM 191, shortwave 7 (2005)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :7.5%; industry: :20.4%; services: :72.1% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "33 00 S, 56 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :21% (male 356,851/female 344,576); 15-24 years: :16% (male 269,820/female 262,830); 25-54 years: :38.9% (male 639,766/female 658,257); 55-64 years: :10.1% (male 158,170/female 178,194); 65 years and over: :13.9% (male 185,132/female 279,376) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Uzbekistan", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Pamela SPRATLEN (since 21 January 2015); embassy: :3 Moyqo'rq'on, 5th Block, Yunusobod District, Tashkent 100093; mailing address: :use embassy street address; telephone: :[998; FAX: :[998", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$5,600 (2014 est.); $5,300 (2013 est.); $5,000 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "7% (2014 est.); 8% (2013 est.); 8.2% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.93% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$170.3 billion (2014 est.); $159.1 billion (2013 est.); $147.4 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :48.3%; youth dependency ratio: :42%; elderly dependency ratio: :6.3%; potential support ratio: :15.8% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "31% of GDP (2014 est.); 30.9% of GDP (2013 est.); 32% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :55.6%; government consumption: :22.7%; investment in fixed capital: :24.4%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :26.9%; imports of goods and services: :-29.6%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "64.9% (2006)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "23.8 (2006 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "123.2 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "1.841 trillion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "10.2 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "52.7 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "62.9 billion cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "656 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "4,968 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "105,600 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "92,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "594 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "100,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "14% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "86% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "12.35 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "12.16 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "12.25 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "45.07 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "52.53 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "khumo (mythical bird); national colors: blue, white, red, green", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "15.1% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "4.4 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.38 physicians/1,000 population (2012)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "5.9% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "4.4% (2006)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "28 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "29.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "TASHKENT (capital) 2.241 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"O'zbekiston Respublikasining Davlat Madhiyasi\" (National Anthem of the Republic of Uzbekistan); lyrics/music: :Abdulla ARIPOV/Mutal BURHANOV; note: :adopted 1992; after the fall of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan kept the music of the anthem from its time as a Soviet Republic but adopted new lyrics", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 98.5% of population; rural: 80.9% of population; total: 87.3% of population; urban: 1.5% of population; rural: 19.1% of population; total: 12.7% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$15.58 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $13.57 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$7.605 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $6.154 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "government controls media; 14 state-owned broadcasters - 10 TV and 4 radio - provide service to virtually the entire country; about 20 privately owned TV stations, overseen by local officials, broadcast to local markets; privately owned TV stations are required to lease transmitters from the government-owned Republic TV and Radio Industry Corporation; in 2013, the government closed TV and radio broadcasters affiliated with the National Association of Electronic Mass Media of Uzbekistan, a government-sponsored NGO for private broadcast media", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :36.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.45% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$12.76 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $12.07 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "12.44% (31 December 2013 est.); 11.2% (31 December 2012 est.)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "NA", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :12 years; male: :12 years; female: :11 years (2011)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :56 cu km/yr (7%/3%/90%); per capita: :2,113 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "48.87 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA (31 December 2012); $715.3 million (31 December 2006)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$NA", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Uzbekistan is a source country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; adults and children are victims of government-compelled forced labor during Uzbekistan�s annual cotton harvest, as well as for the construction and cleaning of parks; the government in 2013 for the first time cooperated with the ILO to monitor the cotton harvest for compliance with the Worst Forms of Child Labor Convention; the ILO recorded 53 violations but concluded that forced child labor was not used on a systematic basis during the 2013 cotton harvest; Uzbekistani women and children are sex trafficked domestically and in countries in Central Asia, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe; Uzbekistani men and women are subjected to forced labor in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Russia, the UAE, Malaysia, and, to a lesser extent, Ukraine in domestic service, agriculture, construction, and the oil industry; tier rating: :Tier 3 � Uzbekistan does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government in 2013 did not openly acknowledge forced labor in the cotton sector, which remained prevalent, but it took an encouraging step in allowing the ILO to monitor the cotton harvest for forced child labor; authorities continued to address transnational sex and labor trafficking, implementing anti-trafficking awareness campaigns; the government operated a shelter to help sex and labor trafficking victims and strengthened its ties with NGOs to repatriate victims and provide services, although no systematic procedures for assisting trafficking victims were in place; NGOs unaffiliated with the government faced additional scrutiny in 2013, hampering their efforts to protect victims (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$63.08 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "IDPs: :undetermined (government forcibly relocated an estimated 3,400 people from villages near the Tajikistan border in 2000-2001; no new data is available) (2014)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$18 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $17 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "$1.311 billion (2014 est.); $1.339 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "7.5% of GDP (2014 est.); 6.3% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "56,075 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :27.1 years; male: :26.6 years; female: :27.7 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "36.8 (2003); 44.7 (1998)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "2,700 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "34,700 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "0.18% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".uz", "INTERNET_USERS": "4.689 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "20.274 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "1.963 million (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Baxtiyor GULOMOV (since 18 July 2013); chancery: :1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1; consulate(s) general: :New York", "AREA": "total: :447,400 sq km; land: :425,400 sq km; water: :22,000 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "41,980 sq km (2005)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Asia", "LOCATION": "Central Asia, north of Turkmenistan, south of Kazakhstan", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Uzbekistan; conventional short form: :Uzbekistan; local long form: :O'zbekiston Respublikasi; local short form: :O'zbekiston; former: :Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "4.9% (2014 est.); 4.9% (2013 est.); note: :official data, another 20% are underemployed", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic; authoritarian presidential rule with little power outside the executive branch", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.8 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes; broad, flat intensely irrigated river valleys along course of Amu Darya, Syr Darya (Sirdaryo), and Zarafshon; Fergana Valley in east surrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan; shrinking Aral Sea in west", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :digital exchanges in large cities and in rural areas; domestic: :the state-owned telecommunications company, Uzbektelecom, owner of the fixed line telecommunications system, has used loans from the Japanese government and the China Development Bank to upgrade fixed-line services including conversion to digital exchanges; mobile-cellular services are provided by 3 private and 1 state-owned operator with a total subscriber base of 19 million as of January 2014; international: :country code - 998; linked by fiber-optic cable or microwave radio relay with CIS member states and to other countries by leased connection via the Moscow international gateway switch; the country also has a link to the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable; Uzbekistan has supported the national fiber optic backbone project of Afghanistan since 2008 (2009)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim 88% (mostly Sunni), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%", "RAILWAYS": "total: :4,230 km; broad gauge: :4,200 km 1.520-m gauge (930 km electrified) (2012)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "river port(s): :Termiz (Amu Darya)", "POPULATION": "28,929,716 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan (O'zbekiston Ekologik Harakati) [Boriy ALIXONOV; Justice (Adolat) Social Democratic Party of Uzbekistan [Narimon UMAROV; Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (O'zbekiston Liberal-Demokratik Partiyasi) or LDPU [Sodiqjon TURDIYEV; National Rebirth Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (Milliy Tiklanish) [Sarvar OTAMURODOV; People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (Xalq Demokratik Partiyas) or NDP [Hotamjon KETMONOV", "PIPELINES": "gas 10,401 km; oil 944 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country; more than 60% of the population lives in densely populated rural communities. Export of natural gas, gold and cotton provides a significant share of foreign exchange earnings. Despite ongoing efforts to diversify crops, Uzbekistani agriculture remains largely centered around cotton; Uzbekistan is now the world's fifth largest cotton exporter and sixth largest producer. The country is beginning to enforce a ban on the use of child labor in its cotton harvest and is trying to address international criticism for its previous use of this practice. Following independence in September 1991, the government sought to prop up its Soviet-style command economy with subsidies and tight controls on production and prices. A sharp increase in the inequality of income distribution has hurt the lower ranks of society since independence. While aware of the need to improve the investment climate, the government continues to intervene in the business sector and has not addressed the impediments to foreign investment in the country. In 2003, the government accepted Article VIII obligations under the IMF, providing for full currency convertibility. However, strict currency controls and tightening of borders have lessened the effects of convertibility and have also led to some shortages that have further stifled economic activity. The Central Bank often delays or restricts convertibility, especially for consumer goods. Uzbekistan's growth has been driven primarily by state-led investments and a favorable export environment. In the past Uzbekistani authorities have accused US and other foreign companies operating in Uzbekistan of violating Uzbekistani laws and have frozen and even seized their assets. At the same time, the Uzbekistani Government has actively courted several major US and international corporations, offering financing and tax advantages. Diminishing foreign investment and difficulties transporting goods across borders further challenge Uzbekistan�s economy though it recently has intensified economic ties to Beijing. Tashkent began exporting natural gas to China and Chinese investments in the country have substantially increased.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "there are no significant opposition political parties or pressure groups operating in Uzbekistan", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "along with Liechtenstein, one of the only two doubly landlocked countries in the world", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-2.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver, copper, lead and zinc, tungsten, molybdenum", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Uzbekistani; adjective: :Uzbekistani", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 1 September (1991)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB, CICA, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (doubly landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :7,887,292; females age 16-49: :7,886,459 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :99.5%; male: :99.7%; female: :99.3% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :73.29 years; male: :70.25 years; female: :76.52 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Supreme Assembly or Oliy Majlis consists of the Senate (100 seats; 84 members indirectly elected by regional governing councils and 16 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms) and the Legislative Chamber or Qonunchilik Palatasi (150 seats; 135 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote with a second round if needed and 15 indirectly elected by the Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan; members serve 4-year terms); note: :all parties in the Supreme Assembly support President Islom KARIMOV; elections: :last held on 21 December 2014 and 4 January 2015 (next to be held in December 2019); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Legislative Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LDPU 52, National Rebirth Party 36, NDP 27, Adolat 20, Ecological Movement 15", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "civil law system", "LANGUAGES": "Uzbek (official) 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :10.23%; permanent crops: :0.8%; other: :88.98% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :6,893 km; border countries: :Afghanistan 144 km, Kazakhstan 2,330 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,314 km, Tajikistan 1,312 km, Turkmenistan 1,793 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "17.24 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of 34 judges organized in civil, criminal, and military sections); Constitutional Court (consists of 7 judges); Higher Economic Court (consists of 19 judges); judge selection and term of office: :judges of the 3 highest courts nominated by the president and confirmed by the Oliy Majlis; judges appointed for 5-year terms subject to reappointment; subordinate courts: :regional, district, city, and town courts", "WATERWAYS": "1,100 km (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "12.1% (2014 est.); 12% (2013 est.); note: :official data; based on independent analysis of consumer prices, inflation reached 22% in 2012", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :19.84 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :23.54 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :15.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "textiles, food processing, machine building, metallurgy, mining, hydrocarbon extraction, chemicals", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "6.2% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "1 September 1991 (from the Soviet Union)", "IMPORTS": "$12.5 billion (2014 est.); $11.43 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and, to a lesser extent, Western European markets; limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and small amounts of opium poppy for domestic consumption; poppy cultivation almost wiped out by government crop eradication program; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan", "ROADWAYS": "total: :86,496 km; paved: :75,511 km; unpaved: :10,985 km (2000)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and green separated by red fimbriations with a white crescent moon (closed side to the hoist) and 12 white stars shifted to the hoist on the top band; blue is the color of the Turkic peoples and of the sky, white signifies peace and the striving for purity in thoughts and deeds, while green represents nature and is the color of Islam; the red stripes are the vital force of all living organisms that links good and pure ideas with the eternal sky and with deeds on earth; the crescent represents Islam and the 12 stars the months and constellations of the Uzbek calendar", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$8.751 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $8.517 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$13.32 billion (2014 est.); $12.83 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Islom KARIMOV (since 24 March 1990, when he was elected president by the then Supreme Soviet; first elected president of independent Uzbekistan in 1991); head of government: :Prime Minister Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV (since 11 December 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Rustam AZIMOV (since 2 January 2008); cabinet: :Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president with approval of both chambers of the Supreme Assembly (Oliy Majlis); elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term; previously was a five-year term, extended by a 2002 constitutional amendment to seven years and changed back to five years in 2011); election last held on 23 December 2007 (next to be held 29 March 2015); prime minister, ministers, and deputy ministers appointed by the president; note - to present a facade of democracy, the president nominates a candidate for prime minister, who then must be approved by a majority vote in both chambers of parliament; election results: :Islom KARIMOV reelected president; percent of vote - Islom KARIMOV 88.1%, Asliddin RUSTAMOV 3.2%, Dilorom TOSHMUHAMEDOVA 2.9%, Akmal SAIDOV 2.6%, other 3.2%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Uzbekistani soum (UZS) per US dollar -; 2,313.6 (2014 est.); 2,095.6 (2013 est.); 1,890.1 (2012 est.); 1,715.8 (2011 est.); 1,587.2 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "5.29 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted 8 December 1992; amended several times, last in 2012 (2012)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 20.5%, Russia 19.9%, South Korea 15.4%, Kazakhstan 11.1%, Germany 4.3%, Turkey 4% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (doubly landlocked); note - Uzbekistan includes the southern portion of the Aral Sea with a 420 km shoreline", "CLIMATE": "mostly midlatitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid grassland in east", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, ferrous and nonferrous metals", "CAPITAL": "name: :Tashkent (Toshkent); geographic coordinates: :41 19 N, 69 15 E; time difference: :UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$18.67 billion; expenditures: :$19.27 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Uzbek Armed Forces: Army, Air and Air Defense Forces (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "17.02 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "53 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "cotton, vegetables, fruits, grain; livestock", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "12 provinces (viloyatlar, singular - viloyat), 1 autonomous republic* (avtonom respublikasi), and 1 city** (shahar); Andijon Viloyati, Buxoro Viloyati, Farg'ona Viloyati, Jizzax Viloyati, Namangan Viloyati, Navoiy Viloyati, Qashqadaryo Viloyati (Qarshi), Qoraqalpog'iston Respublikasi [Karakalpakstan Republic; note: :administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 28%, Russia 19.3%, Kazakhstan 12.6%, Turkey 11.9%, Bangladesh 8.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "energy products, cotton, gold, mineral fertilizers, ferrous and nonferrous metals, textiles, foodstuffs, machinery, automobiles", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :25.9%; industry: :13.2%; services: :60.9% (2012 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2.8%; highest 10%: :29.6% (2003)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "17% (2011 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "shrinkage of the Aral Sea has resulted in growing concentrations of chemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then blown from the increasingly exposed lake bed and contribute to desertification and respiratory health problems; water pollution from industrial wastes and the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides is the cause of many human health disorders; increasing soil salination; soil contamination from buried nuclear processing and agricultural chemicals, including DDT", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :20; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 18 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :33; over 3,047 m: :6; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :13; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :6; 914 to 1,523 m: :4; under 914 m: :4 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Russia conquered the territory of present-day Uzbekistan in the late 19th century. Stiff resistance to the Red Army after the Bolshevik Revolution was eventually suppressed and a socialist republic established in 1924. During the Soviet era, intensive production of \"white gold\" (cotton) and grain led to overuse of agrochemicals and the depletion of water supplies, which have left the land degraded and the Aral Sea and certain rivers half dry. Independent since 1991, the country has lessened its dependence on the cotton monoculture by diversifying agricultural production while developing its mineral and petroleum export capacity and increasing its manufacturing base. However, long-serving septuagenarian President Islom KARIMOV, who rose through the ranks of the Soviet-era State Planning Committee (Gosplan), remains wedded to the concepts of a command economy, creating a challenging environment for foreign investment. Current concerns include post-KARIMOV succession, terrorism by Islamic militants, economic stagnation, and the curtailment of human rights and democratization.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :306,404; female: :295,456 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :6,566,118; females age 16-49: :6,745,818 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age for compulsory military service; 1-month or 1-year conscript service obligation for males; moving toward a professional military, but conscription in some form will continue; the military cannot accommodate everyone who wishes to enlist, and competition for entrance into the military is similar to the competition for admission to universities (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than California", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Sariqamish Kuli -12 m; highest point: :Adelunga Toghi 4,301 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.75 male(s)/female; total population: :0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "28 (includes 1 cable rebroadcaster in Tashkent and approximately 20 stations in regional capitals) (2006)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 20, FM 24, shortwave 3 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :18.5%; industry: :32%; services: :49.5% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "41 00 N, 64 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :24.9% (male 3,693,838/female 3,514,734); 15-24 years: :20.5% (male 3,008,779/female 2,934,534); 25-54 years: :43% (male 6,178,921/female 6,255,715); 55-64 years: :6.8% (male 926,129/female 1,036,576); 65 years and over: :4.8% (male 588,881/female 791,609) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Vanuatu", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "the US does not have an embassy in Vanuatu; the US ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$2,500 (2014 est.); $2,500 (2013 est.); $2,600 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.5% (2014 est.); 2.2% (2013 est.); 1.8% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.01% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$687 million (2014 est.); $663.8 million (2013 est.); $649.5 million (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :67.9%; youth dependency ratio: :61.3%; elderly dependency ratio: :6.6%; potential support ratio: :15.1% (2014 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :61.1%; government consumption: :17.1%; investment in fixed capital: :28.1%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :44.8%; imports of goods and services: :-51%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "38.4% (2007)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "166,100 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "838 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "1,140 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "10.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "89.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "28,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "51.15 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "55 million kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "boar's tusk with crossed fern fronds; national colors: red, black, green, yellow", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "27.5% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.8 beds/1,000 population (2008)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.12 physicians/1,000 population (2008)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "3.6% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "11.7% (2007)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "110 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-1.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "19.6% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "PORT-VILA (capital) 53,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Yumi, Yumi, Yumi\" (We, We, We); lyrics/music: :Francois Vincent AYSSAV; note: :adopted 1980; the anthem is written in Bislama, a Creole language that mixes Pidgin English and French", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 65.1% of population; rural: 55.4% of population; total: 57.9% of population; urban: 34.9% of population; rural: 44.6% of population; total: 42.1% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 97.8% of population; rural: 88.3% of population; total: 90.7% of population; urban: 2.2% of population; rural: 11.7% of population; total: 9.3% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$544.9 million (31 December 2014 est.); $552.6 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$283.7 million (31 December 2014 est.); $272.1 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 state-owned TV station; multi-channel pay TV is available; state-owned Radio Vanuatu operates 2 radio stations; 2 privately owned radio broadcasters; programming from multiple international broadcasters is available (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :25.8% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.42% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$537.7 million (31 December 2014 est.); $535.3 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$430 million (31 December 2008); $421.8 million (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$101.6 million (31 December 2008); $107.1 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "5.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 5% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "20% (31 December 2010); 6% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5% of GDP (2009)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :11 years; male: :11 years; female: :10 years (2004)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$26.3 million (31 December 2014 est.); $25.3 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$694.1 million (31 December 2014 est.); $630.1 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$816 million (2014 est.)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$207 million (31 December 2014 est.); $195 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$66.1 million (2014 est.); -$54.2 million (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "5,655 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :21.1 years; male: :20.7 years; female: :21.4 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".vu", "INTERNET_USERS": "17,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "137,000 (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "5,800 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "Vanuatu does not have an embassy in the US; it does, however, have a Permanent Mission to the UN", "AREA": "total: :12,189 sq km; land: :12,189 sq km; water: :0 sq km; note: :includes more than 80 islands, about 65 of which are inhabited", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Vanuatu; conventional short form: :Vanuatu; local long form: :Ripablik blong Vanuatu; local short form: :Vanuatu; former: :New Hebrides", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "1.7% (1999)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "3.36 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly mountainous islands of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "international: :country code - 678; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 70% (includes Presbyterian 27.9%, Anglican 15.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 12.5%, Assemblies of God 4.7%, Church of Christ 4.5%, Neil Thomas Ministry 3.1%, and Apostolic 2.2%), Roman Catholic 12.4%, customary beliefs 3.7% (including Jon Frum cargo cult), other 12.6%, none 1.1%, unspecified 0.2% (2009 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Forari Bay, Luganville (Santo, Espiritu Santo), Port-Vila", "POPULATION": "266,937 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Greens Confederation or GC [Moana CARCASSES Kalosil; Iauko Group or IG [Tony NARI; Land and Justice Party (Graon mo Jastis Pati) or GJP [Ralph REGENVANU; Melanesian Progressive Party or MPP [Barak SOPE; Nagriamel movement or NAG [Frankie STEVENS; Natatok Indigenous People's Democratic Party or (NATATOK) or NIPDP [Alfred Roland CARLOT; National United Party or NUP [Ham LINI; People's Progressive Party or PPP [Sato KILMAN; People's Service Party or PSP [Don KEN; Reunification of Movement for Change or RMC [Charlot SALWAI; Union of Moderate Parties or UMP [Serge VOHOR; Vanua'aku Pati (Our Land Party) or VP [Edward NATAPEI; Vanuatu Democratic Party [Maxime Carlot KORMAN; Vanuatu Liberal Democratic Party or VLDP [Tapangararua WILLIE; Vanuatu National Party or VNP [Issac HAMARILIU; Vanuatu Progressive Development Party or VPDP [Robert Bohn SIKOL; Vanuatu Republican Party or VRP [Marcellino PIPITE", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "This South Pacific island economy is based primarily on small-scale agriculture, which provides a living for about two-thirds of the population. Fishing, offshore financial services, and tourism, with nearly 197,000 visitors in 2008, are other mainstays of the economy. Mineral deposits are negligible; the country has no known petroleum deposits. A small light industry sector caters to the local market. Tax revenues come mainly from import duties. Economic development is hindered by dependence on relatively few commodity exports, vulnerability to natural disasters, and long distances from main markets and between constituent islands. In response to foreign concerns, the government has promised to tighten regulation of its offshore financial center. In mid-2002, the government stepped up efforts to boost tourism through improved air connections, resort development, and cruise ship facilities. Agriculture, especially livestock farming, is a second target for growth. Australia and New Zealand are the main suppliers of tourists and foreign aid.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "a Y-shaped chain of four main islands and 80 smaller islands; several of the islands have active volcanoes and there are several underwater volcanoes as well", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-1.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "manganese, hardwood forests, fish", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural); adjective: :Ni-Vanuatu", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 30 July (1980)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :77; by type: :bulk carrier 38, cargo 8, chemical tanker 2, container 1, liquefied gas 2, passenger 1, refrigerated cargo 24, vehicle carrier 1; foreign-owned: :72 (Belgium 1, Canada 5, China 1, Greece 3, Japan 39, Norway 1, Poland 9, Russia 7, Singapore 2, Taiwan 1, UAE 1, US 2) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, IOC, IOM, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "measured from claimed archipelagic baselines; territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :62,216 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :83.4%; male: :84.9%; female: :81.9% (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :72.72 years; male: :71.16 years; female: :74.36 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Parliament (52 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms); note: :the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of culture and language; elections: :last held on 30 October 2012 (next to be held in 2016); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - VP 8, PPP 6, UMP 5, GJP 4, NUP 4, IG 3, GC 3, NAG 3, RMC 3, MPP 2, NIPDP 2, PSP 1, VLDP 1, VNP 1, VPDP 1, VRP 1, and independent 4; note - political party associations are fluid", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of English common law, French law, and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "local languages (more than 100) 63.2%, Bislama (official; creole) 33.7%, English (official) 2%, French (official) 0.6%, other 0.5% (2009 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :1.64%; permanent crops: :10.25%; other: :88.11% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "115,900 (2007 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of a chief justice and 3 judges); note - appeals from the Supreme Court are considered by the Court of Appeal, constituted by 2 or more judges of the Supreme Court sitting together; judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the opposition; other judges are appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission, a 4-member advisory body; judges appointed until age of retirement; subordinate courts: :magistrates' courts; island courts", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.7% (2014 est.); 1.4% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :16.41 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :17.53 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :15.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.1% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "30 July 1980 (from France and the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$290 million (2014 est.); $268.5 million (2013 est.)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :1,070 km; paved: :256 km; unpaved: :814 km (2000)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) all separated by a black-edged yellow stripe in the shape of a horizontal Y (the two points of the Y face the hoist side and enclose the triangle); centered in the triangle is a boar's tusk encircling two crossed namele fern fronds, all in yellow; red represents the blood of boars and men, green the richness of the islands, and black the ni-Vanuatu people; the yellow Y-shape - which reflects the pattern of the islands in the Pacific Ocean - symbolizes the light of the Gospel spreading through the islands; the boar's tusk is a symbol of prosperity frequently worn as a pendant on the islands; the fern fronds represent peace", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$307.7 million (31 December 2011 est.); $369.2 million (31 December 2012 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$44 million (2014 est.); $38.3 million (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Baldwin LONSDALE (since 22 September 2014); head of government: :Prime Minister Joe NATUMAN (since 15 May 2014); cabinet: :Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, responsible to parliament; elections: :president elected for a five-year term by an electoral college consisting of parliament and the presidents of the regional councils; election for president last held on 2 September 2009 (next to be held in 2014); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually elected prime minister by parliament from among its members; election for prime minister last held on 22 September 2014 (next to be held following general elections in 2016); election results: :Baldwin LONSDALE elected president, with 46 votes out of 50, on the eighth ballot on 22 September 2014; Joe NATUMAN elected prime minister following a no confidence vote against the government of Moana CARCASSES Kalosil on 15 May 2014", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "vatu (VUV) per US dollar -; 98.19 (2014 est.); 94.48 (2013 est.); 92.64 (2012 est.); 89.47 (2011 est.); 96.91 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Ni-Vanuatu 97.6%, part Ni-Vanuatu 1.1%, other 1.3% (2009 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "4.14 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "effective 30 July 1980; amended 1981, 1983, 1988 (2006)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 43.5%, Japan 17%, Singapore 7.9%, Australia 7.4%, Fiji 4.2% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "2,528 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds from May to October; moderate rainfall from November to April; may be affected by cyclones from December to April", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, fuels", "CAPITAL": "name: :Port-Vila (on Efate); geographic coordinates: :17 44 S, 168 19 E; time difference: :UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$159.9 million; expenditures: :$175.2 million (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces; Vanuatu Police Force (VPF), Vanuatu Mobile Force (VMF; includes Police Maritime Wing (PMW)) (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "25.69 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "31 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "copra, coconuts, cocoa, coffee, taro, yams, fruits, vegetables; beef; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "6 provinces; Malampa, Penama, Sanma, Shefa, Tafea, Torba", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Thailand 68.2%, Japan 15.7% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "copra, beef, cocoa, timber, kava, coffee", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :65%; industry: :5%; services: :30% (2000 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "most of the population does not have access to a reliable supply of potable water; deforestation", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :28; 914 to 1,523 m: :7; 21 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :3; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Multiple waves of colonizers, each speaking a distinct language, migrated to the New Hebrides in the millennia preceding European exploration in the 18th century. This settlement pattern accounts for the complex linguistic diversity found on the archipelago to this day. The British and French, who settled the New Hebrides in the 19th century, agreed in 1906 to an Anglo-French Condominium, which administered the islands until independence in 1980, when the new name of Vanuatu was adopted.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :2,323; female: :2,230 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :43,331; females age 16-49: :44,927 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than Connecticut", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanic eruption on Aoba (Ambae) island began on 27 November 2005, volcanism also causes minor earthquakes; tsunamis; volcanism: :significant volcanic activity with multiple eruptions in recent years; Yasur (elev. 361 m), one of the world's most active volcanoes, has experienced continuous activity in recent centuries; other historically active volcanoes include, Aoba, Ambrym, Epi, Gaua, Kuwae, Lopevi, Suretamatai, and Traitor's Head", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Tabwemasana 1,877 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.96 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :1.07 male(s)/female; total population: :1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (2004)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :25.1%; industry: :10.8%; services: :64.1% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "16 00 S, 167 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :37.3% (male 50,810/female 48,753); 15-24 years: :19.8% (male 26,341/female 26,620); 25-54 years: :34.2% (male 44,732/female 46,545); 55-64 years: :5% (male 6,751/female 6,599); 65 years and over: :3.7% (male 5,020/female 4,766) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Virgin Islands", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (territory of the US)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between the Virgin Islands and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior", "AFFILIATION": "(territory of the US)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$14,500 (2004 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2% (2002 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.56% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$1.577 billion (2004 est.)", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :60.2%; youth dependency ratio: :33.3%; elderly dependency ratio: :26.9%; potential support ratio: :3.7% (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "12.41 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "5,732 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "316,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "62,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "423,900 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "402,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "323,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "738.4 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "794 million kWh (2011 est.)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "NA%", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "NA%", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "CHARLOTTE AMALIE (capital) 52,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Virgin Islands March\"; lyrics/music: :multiple/Alton Augustus ADAMS, Sr.; note: :adopted 1963; serves as a local anthem; as a territory of the United States, \"The Star-Spangled Banner\" is official (see United States)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 96.4% of population; rural: 96.4% of population; total: 96.4% of population; urban: 3.6% of population; rural: 3.6% of population; total: 3.6% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "about a dozen TV broadcast stations including 1 public TV station; multi-channel cable and satellite TV services are available; 24 radio stations (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :95.2% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.25% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$NA", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "4,790 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :44.2 years; male: :44.5 years; female: :44 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".vi", "INTERNET_USERS": "30,000 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "80,300 (2005)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "75,800 (2010)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (territory of the US)", "AREA": "total: :1,910 sq km; land: :346 sq km; water: :1,564 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1 sq km (2011)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Central America and the Caribbean", "LOCATION": "Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :United States Virgin Islands; conventional short form: :Virgin Islands; former: :Danish West Indies; abbreviation: :USVI", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the US", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "6.2% (2004)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "NA", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.75 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :modern system with total digital switching, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay; domestic: :full range of services available; international: :country code - 1-340; submarine cable connections to US, the Caribbean, Central and South America; satellite earth stations - NA (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal; note - island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 59% (Baptist 42%, Episcopalian 17%), Roman Catholic 34%, other 7%", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Frederiksted, Limetree Bay", "POPULATION": "104,170 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Tourism, trade, and other services are the primary economic activities, accounting for roughly 57% of GDP and about half of total civilian employment in 2010. The islands hosted nearly 2.74 million visitors - 2.2 million cruise ship and 536,000 air passengers - in 2011. Industry and government each account for about one-fifth of GDP. The manufacturing sector consists of rum distilling, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and watch assembly. The agriculture sector is small, with most food being imported. The islands are vulnerable to damage from storms. The government is working to improve fiscal discipline, to support construction projects in the private sector, to expand tourist facilities, to reduce crime, and to protect the environment.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the Caribbean", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-7.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "sun, sand, sea, surf", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Virgin Islander(s) (US citizens); adjective: :Virgin Islander", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 31 March (1917)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "AOSIS (observer), IOC, UPU, WFTU (NGOs)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :79.75 years; male: :76.7 years; female: :82.97 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Senate (15 seats; members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 2-year terms); elections: :last held on 4 November 2014 (next to be held on November 2016); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; note: :the Virgin Islands directly elects 1 member by simple majority vote to serve a 2-year term as a delegate to the US House of Representatives; the delegate can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House, but not when legislation is submitted for a �full floor� House vote; election of delegate last held on 4 November 2014 (next to be held on November 2016)", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "US common law", "LANGUAGES": "English 71.6%, Spanish or Spanish Creole 17.2%, French or French Creole 8.6%, other 2.5% (2010 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :2.86%; permanent crops: :2.86%; other: :94.29% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "49,820 (2007 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands (consists of the chief justice and 2 associate justices); note - court established by US Congress in 2004 and assumed appellate jurisdiction in 2007; judge selection and term of office: :justices appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Virgin Islands Senate; justices initially serve renewable 10-year terms; chief justice elected to position by peers for a 3-year term; subordinate courts: :Superior Court (renamed in 2004 vice the Territorial Court); US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (has appellate jurisdiction over the District Court of the Virgin Islands; it is a territorial court and is not associated with a US federal judicial district); District Court of the Virgin Islands", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.2% (2003)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :6.79 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :7.5 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :6.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, electronics", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (territory of the US)", "IMPORTS": "$4.609 billion (2001)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :1,260 km (2008)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "white field with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows a yellow eagle holding an olive branch in its right talon and three arrows in the left with a superimposed shield of seven red and six white vertical stripes below a blue panel; white is a symbol of purity, the letters stand for the Virgin Islands", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 October - 30 September", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$NA", "EXPORTS": "$4.234 billion (2001)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Barack H. OBAMA (since 20 January 2009); Vice President Joseph R. BIDEN (since 20 January 2009); head of government: :Governor Kenneth MAPP (since 5 January 2015); cabinet: :NA; elections: :under the US Constitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such as the Virgin Islands, do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; however, they may vote in the Democratic and Republican presidential primary elections; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held on 4 November 2014, runoff election to be held 18 November 2014 (next to be held in November 2018); election results: :percent of vote - Kenneth MAPP 62.7%, Donna CHRISTENSEN 37%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "the US dollar is used", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "black 76%, white 15.6%, Asian 1.4%, other 4.9%, mixed 2.1%; note: :17.4% self-identify as latino (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "8.24 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "22 July 1954 - the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands functions as a constitution for this territory of the US (2013)", "COASTLINE": "188 km", "CLIMATE": "subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season September to November", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials", "CAPITAL": "name: :Charlotte Amalie; geographic coordinates: :18 21 N, 64 56 W; time difference: :UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$837 million; expenditures: :$837 million (FY08/09)", "BIRTH_RATE": "10.49 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "2 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three islands at the second order; Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "refined petroleum products", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :1%; industry: :19%; services: :80% (2003 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "28.9% (2002)", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "lack of natural freshwater resources", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; over 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Danes secured control over the southern Virgin Islands of Saint Thomas, Saint John, and Saint Croix during the 17th and early 18th centuries. Sugarcane, produced by African slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish holdings, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :744; female: :788 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :17,542; females age 16-49: :20,946 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "twice the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Crown Mountain 474 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :0.85 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.83 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.87 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.83 male(s)/female; total population: :0.88 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "5 (2006)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 6, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2005)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :1%; industry: :19%; services: :80% (2003 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "18 20 N, 64 50 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :17.8% (male 9,386/female 9,207); 15-24 years: :10.3% (male 4,931/female 5,801); 25-54 years: :39% (male 18,350/female 22,231); 55-64 years: :14.3% (male 7,123/female 7,796); 65 years and over: :18.6% (male 8,758/female 10,587) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Wallis and Futuna", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of France)", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "overseas territory of France", "AFFILIATION": "(overseas collectivity of France)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$3,800 (2004 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.33% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$60 million (2004 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "red saltire (Saint Andrew's Cross) on a white square on a red field; national colors: red, white", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "NA%", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "NA%", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "MATA-UTU (capital) 1,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "note: :as a territory of France, \"La Marseillaise\" is official (see France)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "rural: 96% of population; total: 96% of population; rural: 4% of population; total: 4% of population (2008 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "the publicly owned French Overseas Network (RFO), which broadcasts to France's overseas departments and territories, is carried on the RFO Wallis and Fortuna TV and radio stations (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :0% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$NA", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "5.6% of GDP (2004 est.); note: :offical data; data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "2,760 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :30.3 years; male: :29.3 years; female: :31.5 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".wf", "INTERNET_USERS": "1,300 (2009)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none (overseas territory of France)", "AREA": "total: :142 sq km; land: :142 sq km; water: :0 sq km; note: :includes Ile Uvea (Wallis Island), Ile Futuna (Futuna Island), Ile Alofi, and 20 islets", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands; conventional short form: :Wallis and Futuna; local long form: :Territoire des Iles Wallis et Futuna; local short form: :Wallis et Futuna", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of France", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "12.2% (2008)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary representive democratic French overseas collectivity", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "1.76 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "volcanic origin; low hills", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "international: :country code - 681", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Leava, Mata-Utu", "POPULATION": "15,561 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Lua Kae Tahi (Giscardians); Mouvement des Radicaux de Gauche or MRG; Rally for the Republic or RPR (UMP) [Clovis LOGOLOGOFOLAU; Socialist Party or PS; Taumu'a Lelei [Soane Muni UHILA; Union Populaire Locale or UPL [Falakiko GATA; Union Pour la Democratie Francaise or UDF", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The economy is limited to traditional subsistence agriculture, with 80% of labor force earnings from agriculture (coconuts and vegetables), livestock (mostly pigs), and fishing. Revenues come from French Government subsidies, licensing of fishing rights to Japan and South Korea, import taxes, and remittances from expatriate workers in New Caledonia. France directly finances the public sector, health and education services. It also provides funding for key development projects in a range of areas, including infrastructure, economic development, environmental management, and health facilities. 70% of employment is in the public sector - although only about 20% of the population is in salaried employment. A key concern for Wallis and Futuna is an ageing population with consequent economic development issues. Very few of the age group 18-30 live in the islands due to the limited formal employment opportunities. Improving this is a current priority for the territorial government.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "both island groups have fringing reefs", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-5.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population; note: :there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "NEGL", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Wallisian(s), Futunan(s), or Wallis and Futuna Islanders; adjective: :Wallisian, Futunan, or Wallis and Futuna Islander", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "PIF (observer), SPC, UPU", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :79.42 years; male: :76.43 years; female: :82.55 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (20 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation to serve 5-year terms); note: :Wallis and Futuna elects one senator to the French Senate and one deputy to the French National Assembly; French Senate - elections last held on 21 September 2008 (next to be held by September 2014); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats - UMP 1; French National Assembly - elections last held on 17 June 2012 (next to be held by 2017); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats - UMP 1; elections: :last held on 22 March 2012 (next to be held in March 2017); election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PS 4, UMP 4, centrist, 3, other 9", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "French civil law", "LANGUAGES": "Wallisian (indigenous Polynesian language) 58.9%, Futunian 30.1%, French (official) 10.8%, other 0.2% (2003 census)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :7.14%; permanent crops: :35.71%; other: :57.14% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "3,104 (2003)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel, located in Noumea, New Caledonia; judge selection and term of office: :NA; subordinate courts: :note - justice generally administered under French law by the high administrator, but the three traditional kings administer customary law and there is a magistrate in Mata-Utu", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2.8% (2005)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :4.49 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :4.72 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :4.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "copra, handicrafts, fishing, lumber", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (overseas territory of France)", "IMPORTS": "$61.17 million (2004)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "unofficial, local flag has a red field with four white isosceles triangles in the middle, representing the three native kings of the islands and the French administrator; the apexes of the triangles are oriented inward and at right angles to each other; the flag of France, outlined in white on two sides, is in the upper hoist quadrant; note: :the design is derived from an original red banner with a white cross pattee that was introduced in the 19th century by French missionaries; the flag of France is used for official occasions", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$3.67 million (2004)", "EXPORTS": "$47,450 (2004)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012); represented by High Administrator Michel JEANJEAN (since 10 June 2010); head of government: :President of the Territorial Assembly Vetelino NAU (since 4 April 2012); cabinet: :Council of the Territory consists of 3 kings and 3 members appointed by the high administrator on the advice of the Territorial Assembly; note: :there are 3 traditional kings with limited powers; elections: :French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; high administrator appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of the Interior; the presidents of the Territorial Government and the Territorial Assembly elected by assembly members", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar -; 89.85 (2013 est.); 90.56 (February 2012); 85.74 (2011 est.); 90.01 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Polynesian", "DEATH_RATE": "4.95 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "4 October 1958 (French Constitution) (2013)", "COASTLINE": "129 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; hot, rainy season (November to April); cool, dry season (May to October); rains 2,500-3,000 mm per year (80% humidity); average temperature 26.6 degrees C", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "chemicals, machinery, consumer goods", "CAPITAL": "name: :Mata-Utu (on Ile Uvea); geographic coordinates: :13 57 S, 171 56 W; time difference: :UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$29,730; expenditures: :$31,330 (2004 est.)", "BIRTH_RATE": "13.56 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "2 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "coconuts, breadfruit, yams, taro, bananas; pigs, goats; fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three kingdoms at the second order named Alo, Sigave, Wallis", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "copra, chemicals, construction materials", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :80%; industry: :4%; services: :16% (2001 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation (only small portions of the original forests remain) largely as a result of the continued use of wood as the main fuel source; as a consequence of cutting down the forests, the mountainous terrain of Futuna is particularly prone to erosion; there are no permanent settlements on Alofi because of the lack of natural freshwater resources", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Futuna island group was discovered by the Dutch in 1616 and Wallis by the British in 1767, but it was the French who declared a protectorate over the islands in 1842, and took official control of them between 1886 and 1888. Notably, Wallis and Futuna was the only French colony to side with the Vichy regime during World War II, a phase that ended in May of 1942 with the arrival of 2,000 American troops. In 1959, the inhabitants of the islands voted to become a French overseas territory and officially assumed this status in July 1961.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :168; female: :139 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :3,376; females age 16-49: :3,314 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "1.5 times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Mont Singavi (on Futuna) 765 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.09 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.1 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.03 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.89 male(s)/female; total population: :1.02 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "2 (2000)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (2000)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :NA%; industry: :NA%; services: :NA%", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "13 18 S, 176 12 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :23.4% (male 1,902/female 1,741); 15-24 years: :17.8% (male 1,449/female 1,320); 25-54 years: :40.7% (male 3,147/female 3,183); 55-64 years: :9.2% (male 719/female 709); 65 years and over: :8.9% (male 663/female 728) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Western Sahara", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "none", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$2,500 (2007 est.)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.89% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$906.5 million (2007 est.)", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :41%; youth dependency ratio: :37.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :3.8%; potential support ratio: :26.1% (2014 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "316,100 Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "1,702 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "2,040 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "58,000 kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "83.7 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "90 million kWh (2011 est.)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "NA%", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "NA%", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "Laayoune 262,000 (2014)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "Morocco's state-owned broadcaster, Radio-Television Marocaine (RTM), operates a radio service from Laayoune and relays TV service; a Polisario-backed radio station also broadcasts (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :80.9% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :3.27% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$NA", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :20.8 years; male: :20.3 years; female: :21.3 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".eh", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "none", "AREA": "total: :266,000 sq km; land: :266,000 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Western Sahara; former: :Rio de Oro, Saguia el Hamra, Spanish Sahara", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "NA%", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "legal status of territory and issue of sovereignty unresolved; territory contested by Morocco and Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro), which in February 1976 formally proclaimed a government-in-exile, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), based out of refugee camps near Tindouf, Algeria, led by President Mohamed ABDELAZIZ", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "4.07 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :sparse and limited system; domestic: :NA; international: :country code - 212; tied into Morocco's system by microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to Rabat, Morocco (2008)", "SUFFRAGE": "none; (residents of Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara participate in Moroccan elections)", "RELIGIONS": "Muslim", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Ad Dakhla, Laayoune (El Aaiun)", "POPULATION": "554,795 (July 2013 est.); note: :estimate is based on projections by age, sex, fertility, mortality, and migration; fertility and mortality are based on data from neighboring countries (July 2014 est.)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Western Sahara has a small market-based economy whose main industries are fishing, phosphate mining, and pastoral nomadism. The territory's arid desert climate makes sedentary agriculture difficult, and Western Sahara imports much of its food. The Moroccan Government administers Western Sahara's economy and is a key source of employment, infrastructure development, and social spending in the territory. Western Sahara's unresolved legal status makes the exploitation of its natural resources a contentious issue between Morocco and the Polisario. Morocco and the EU in December 2013 finalized a four-year agreement allowing European vessels to fish off the coast of Morocco, including disputed waters off the coast of Western Sahara. Oil has never been found in Western Sahara in commercially significant quantities, but Morocco and the Polisario have quarreled over who has the right to authorize and benefit from oil exploration in the territory. Western Sahara's main long-term economic challenge is the development of a more diverse set of industries capable of providing greater employment and income to the territory.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "none", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "phosphates, iron ore", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s); adjective: :Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "AU, CAN (observer), WFTU (NGOs)", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :62.27 years; male: :60 years; female: :64.63 years (2014 est.)", "LANGUAGES": "Standard Arabic (national), Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0.02%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :99.98% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :2,049 km; border countries: :Algeria 41 km, Mauritania 1,564 km, Morocco 444 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "144,000 (2010 est.)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "NA%", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :56.09 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :61.04 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :50.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "phosphate mining, handicrafts", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "IMPORTS": "$NA", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$NA", "EXPORTS": "$NA", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "none", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Moroccan dirhams (MAD) per US dollar -; 8.24 (2014); 8.3803 (2013); 8.6 (2012); 8.0899 (2011); 8.4172 (2010)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Arab, Berber", "DEATH_RATE": "8.49 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "COASTLINE": "1,110 km", "CLIMATE": "hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs", "CAPITAL": "Laayoune (administrative center); time difference: :UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in April; ends last Sunday in September", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$NA; expenditures: :$NA", "BIRTH_RATE": "30.71 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "6 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads); fish", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (territory west of the berm under de facto Moroccan control)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "phosphates 62% (2012 est.)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :50%; industry and services: :50% (2005 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "sparse water and lack of arable land", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :3; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1; 1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :3; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :3 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Western Sahara is a disputed territory on the northwest coast of Africa bordered by Morocco, Mauritania, and Algeria. After Spain withdrew from its former colony of Spanish Sahara in 1976, Morocco annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara and claimed the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Morocco's sovereignty ended in a 1991 cease-fire and the establishment of a UN peacekeeping operation. As part of this effort, the UN sought to offer a choice to the peoples of the Western Sahara between independence (favored by the Polisario Front) or integration into Morocco. A proposed referendum never took place due to lack of agreement on voter eligibility. The 2,700 km- (1,700 mi-) long defensive sand berm, built by the Moroccans from 1980 to 1987 and running the length of the territory, continues to separate the opposing forces with Morocco controlling the roughly 80 percent of the territory west of the berm. Local demonstrations criticizing the Moroccan authorities occur regularly, and there are periodic ethnic tensions between the native Sahrawi population and Moroccan immigrants. Morocco maintains a heavy security presence in the territory.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :5,523; female: :5,429 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :79,489; females age 16-49: :87,362 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about the size of Colorado", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Sebjet Tah -55 m; highest point: :unnamed elevation 805 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.04 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.78 male(s)/female; total population: :0.98 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "NA", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :NA%; industry: :NA%; services: :40% (2007 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "24 30 N, 13 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :38.1% (male 106,868/female 104,574); 15-24 years: :19.7% (male 54,970/female 54,217); 25-54 years: :33.7% (male 91,986/female 95,114); 55-64 years: :4.8% (male 12,408/female 14,159); 65 years and over: :3.7% (male 9,002/female 11,497) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Zambia", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Eric T. SCHULTZ (since 20 October 2014); embassy: :Ibex Hill, Lusaka; mailing address: :P. O. Box 31617, Lusaka; telephone: :[260; FAX: :[260", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$4,100 (2014 est.); $4,000 (2013 est.); $3,900 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "6.5% (2014 est.); 6.7% (2013 est.); 6.8% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.88% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$61.79 billion (2014 est.); $58.03 billion (2013 est.); $54.39 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :96.4%; youth dependency ratio: :91.3%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.1%; potential support ratio: :19.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "33.8% of GDP (2014 est.); 34.3% of GDP (2013 est.); 37.3% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :51.7%; government consumption: :21.2%; investment in fixed capital: :26.1%; investment in inventories: :0.3%; exports of goods and services: :44.3%; imports of goods and services: :-43.6%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "40.8% (2007)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "19.1; note: :median age at first birth among women 20-24 (2007 est.)", "CHILD_LABOR___CHILDREN_AGES_5_14": "total number: :1,000,850; percentage: :41%; note: :data represents children ages 7-14 (2005 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "3.054 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "1,272 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "254 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "21,260 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "12,900 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "12,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "99.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "0.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "1.819 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "23 million kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "586 million kWh (2011)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "8.06 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "11.34 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "African fish eagle; national colors: green, red, black, orange", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :23.4% (2005 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "3.6% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2 beds/1,000 population (2010)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.07 physicians/1,000 population (2010)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "6.5% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "14.9% (2007)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "440 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-5.9% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "20.4% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "LUSAKA (capital) 2.078 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Lumbanyeni Zambia\" (Stand and Sing of Zambia, Proud and Free); lyrics/music: :multiple/Enoch Mankayi SONTONGA; note: :adopted 1964; the melody, from the popular song \"God Bless Africa,\" is the same as that of Tanzania but with different lyrics; the melody is also incorporated into South Africa's anthem", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 56.4% of population; rural: 33.9% of population; total: 42.8% of population; urban: 43.6% of population; rural: 66.1% of population; total: 57.2% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 84.8% of population; rural: 49.2% of population; total: 63.3% of population; urban: 15.2% of population; rural: 50.8% of population; total: 36.7% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$5.682 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.437 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$2.466 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.369 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "state-owned Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) operates 1 TV station and is the principal local-content provider; several private TV stations; multi-channel subscription TV services are available; ZNBC operates 3 radio networks; about 2 dozen private radio stations; relays of at least 2 international broadcasters are accessible in Lusaka and Kitwe (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :40.5% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :4.32% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$5.325 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.155 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$1.618 billion (31 December 2008); $1.709 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$1.034 billion (31 December 2008); $995.8 million (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "14% (31 December 2014 est.); 9.52% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "8.39% (31 December 2009); 14.49% (31 December 2008)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "1.3% of GDP (2008)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :1.57 cu km/yr (18%/8%/73%); per capita: :147 cu m/yr (2002)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "105.2 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$3.004 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $4.009 billion (31 December 2011); $2.817 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$NA", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$25.61 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :17,652 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2014)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria and dengue fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$3 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.684 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.7 million (2014 est.); -$224.6 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "37.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 31.6% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "16,571 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :16.7 years; male: :16.6 years; female: :16.8 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "57.5 (2010); 50.8 (2004)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "27,000 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "1,110,400 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "12.5% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".zm", "INTERNET_USERS": "816,200 (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "10.525 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "82,500 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Palan MULONDA (since 8 January 2013); chancery: :2419 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :752,618 sq km; land: :743,398 sq km; water: :9,220 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1,559 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Southern Africa, east of Angola, south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Zambia; conventional short form: :Zambia; former: :Northern Rhodesia", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "15% (2008 est.); 50% (2000 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "republic", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "5.76 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :among the best in sub-Saharan Africa; domestic: :high-capacity microwave radio relay connects most larger towns and cities; several cellular telephone services in operation and network coverage is improving; domestic satellite system being installed to improve telephone service in rural areas; Internet service is widely available; very small aperture terminal (VSAT) networks are operated by private firms; international: :country code - 260; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean), 3 owned by Zamtel (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 75.3%, Roman Catholic 20.2%, other 2.7% (includes Muslim Buddhist, Hindu, and Baha'i), none 1.8% (2010 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :2,922 km; narrow gauge: :2,157 km 1.067-m gauge; note: :includes 1,860 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) (2013)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "river port(s): :Mpulungu (Zambezi)", "POPULATION": "14,638,505; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Alliance for a Better Zambia or ABZ [Frank BWALYA; Alliance for Democracy and Development or ADD [Charles MILUPI; Christian Democratic Party or CDP [Daniel PULE; Forum for Democracy and Development or FDD [Edith NAWAKWI; Heritage Party or HP [Godfrey MIYANDA; Movement for Multiparty Democracy or MMD [Nevers MUMBA; National Restoration Party or NAREP [Elias CHIPIMO; National Revolution Party or NRP [Cosmo MUMBA; Party of Unity for Democracy and Development or PUDD [Dan PULE; Patriotic Front or PF; Republican Progressive Party or RPP [James LUKUKU; United National Independence Party or UNIP [Tilyenji KAUNDA; United Party for National Development or UPND [Hakainde HICHILEMA", "PIPELINES": "oil 771 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Zambia has had one of the world�s fastest growing economies for the past ten years, with real GDP growth averaging roughly 5.5% per annum. Privatization of government-owned copper mines in the 1990s relieved the government from covering mammoth losses generated by the industry and greatly increased copper mining output and profitability, spurring economic growth. Copper output has increased steadily since 2004, due to higher copper prices and foreign investment. Zambia's dependency on copper makes it vulnerable to depressed commodity prices, but record high copper prices and a bumper maize crop in 2010 helped Zambia rebound quickly from the world economic slowdown that began in 2008. Despite strong economic growth and its status as a lower middle-income country, widespread and extreme rural poverty and high unemployment levels remain significant problems, made worse by a high birth rate, a relatively high HIV/AIDS burden, and by market distorting agricultural policies. Economic policy inconsistency and poor budget execution in recent years has hindered the economy. Zambia has raised $1.75 billion from international investors by issuing separate sovereign bonds in September 2012 and April 2014, significantly increasing the country�s public debt as a share of GDP. On January 1, 2015, a new mining tax regime dramatically increased taxes, and may result in the loss of thousands of jobs and stifle Zambia�s ability to attract additional foreign investment.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with Zimbabwe; Lake Kariba on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border forms the world's largest reservoir by volume (180 cu km; 43 cu mi)", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-0.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Zambian(s); adjective: :Zambian", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 24 October (1964)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :3,041,069; females age 16-49: :2,948,291 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write English; total population: :61.4%; male: :71.9%; female: :51.8% (2007 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :51.83 years; male: :50.24 years; female: :53.48 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :unicameral National Assembly (158 seats; 150 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, and 8 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 20 September 2011 (next to be held in 2016); note - over 25 by-elections, prompted by resignation, death, change of party or legal nullification have taken place since September 2011; election results: :percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PF 60, MMD 55, UPND 28, ADD 1, FDD 1, independent 3; seats not determined 2; note - seats as of 4 March 2014 - PF 69, MMD 41, UPND 31, ADD 1, FDD 1, independent 2, other 5", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in an ad hoc constitutional council", "LANGUAGES": "Bembe 33.4%, Nyanja 14.7%, Tonga 11.4%, Lozi 5.5%, Chewa 4.5%, Nsenga 2.9%, Tumbuka 2.5%, Lunda (North Western) 1.9%, Kaonde 1.8%, Lala 1.8%, Lamba 1.8%, English (official) 1.7%, Luvale 1.5%, Mambwe 1.3%, Namwanga 1.2%, Lenje 1.1%, Bisa 1%, other 9.2%, unspecified 0.4%; note: :Zambia is said to have over 70 languages, although many of these may be considered dialects; all of Zambia's major languages are members of the Bantu family (2010 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :5.11%; permanent crops: :0.05%; other: :94.84% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :6,043.15 km; border countries: :Angola 1,065 km, Botswana 0.15 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,332 km, Malawi 847 km, Mozambique 439 km, Namibia 244 km, Tanzania 353 km, Zimbabwe 763 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "6.338 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of 9 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges appointed by the president and ratified by the National Assembly; judge tenure NA; subordinate courts: :High Court; magistrate's courts and local courts", "WATERWAYS": "2,250 km (includes Lake Tanganyika and the Zambezi and Luapula rivers) (2010)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "7.8% (2014 est.); 7% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :66.62 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :72.15 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :60.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "copper mining and processing, emerald mining, construction, foodstuffs, beverages, chemicals, textiles, fertilizer, horticulture", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "3.6% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "24 October 1964 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$8.081 billion (2014 est.); $7.762 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :40,454 km; paved: :9,403 km; unpaved: :31,051 km", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "green field with a panel of three vertical bands of red (hoist side), black, and orange below a soaring orange eagle, on the outer edge of the flag; green stands for the country's natural resources and vegetation, red symbolizes the struggle for freedom, black the people of Zambia, and orange the country's mineral wealth; the eagle represents the people's ability to rise above the nation's problems", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$7.384 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $5.943 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$9.214 billion (2014 est.); $8.908 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Edgar LUNGU (since 25 January 2015); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Edgar LUNGU (since 25 January 2015); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president from among members of the National Assembly, along with eight unelected members; elections: :president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); a special election was held on 20 January 2015 to elect a president to complete SATA's term in office; SATA died 28 October 2014 (next to be held on September 2016); vice president appointed by the president; election results: :Edgar LUNGU elected president; percent of vote - Edgar LUNGU 48.8%, Hakainde HICHILEMA 47.2%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Zambian kwacha (ZMK) per US dollar -; 6.1 (2014 est.); 5.4 (2013 est.); 5.1 (2012 est.); 4,860.7 (2011 est.); 4,797.1 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Bemba 21%, Tonga 13.6%, Chewa 7.4%, Lozi 5.7%, Nsenga 5.3%, Tumbuka 4.4%, Ngoni 4%, Lala 3.1%, Kaonde 2.9%, Namwanga 2.8%, Lunda (north Western) 2.6%, Mambwe 2.5%, Luvale 2.2%, Lamba 2.1%, Ushi 1.9%, Lenje 1.6%, Bisa 1.6%, Mbunda 1.2%, other 13.8%, unspecified 0.4% (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "12.92 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "several previous; latest adopted 24 August 1991, promulgated 30 August 1991; amended 1996; note - in late 2013, a constitution committee submitted a draft constitution to the government, but in April 2014 the government rejected it (2014)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "South Africa 36%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 15.7%, China 9.5%, Kuwait 6.5%, India 4.5% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, electricity, fertilizer, foodstuffs, clothing", "CAPITAL": "name: :Lusaka; geographic coordinates: :15 25 S, 28 17 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$5.233 billion; expenditures: :$6.751 billion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Zambian National Defense Force (ZNDF): Zambia Army, Zambia Air Force, National Service (paramilitary youth organization) (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "42.46 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "88 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "corn, sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower seeds, vegetables, flowers, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava (manioc, tapioca), coffee; cattle, goats, pigs, poultry, milk, eggs, hides", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "10 provinces; Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, Lusaka, Muchinga, Northern, North-Western, Southern, Western", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 38.7%, South Africa 11.6%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 10.5%, Zimbabwe 6.2% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "copper/cobalt, cobalt, electricity; tobacco, flowers, cotton", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :85%; industry: :6%; services: :9% (2004)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :1.5%; highest 10%: :47.4% (2010)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "60.5% (2010)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "1.55% of GDP (2012); 1.59% of GDP (2011); 1.55% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "air pollution and resulting acid rain in the mineral extraction and refining region; chemical runoff into watersheds; poaching seriously threatens rhinoceros, elephant, antelope, and large cat populations; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; lack of adequate water treatment presents human health risks", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :80; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :5; 914 to 1,523 m: :53; 21 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :8; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :3; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by the [British] South Africa Company from 1891 until it was taken over by the UK in 1923. During the 1920s and 1930s, advances in mining spurred development and immigration. The name was changed to Zambia upon independence in 1964. In the 1980s and 1990s, declining copper prices, economic mismanagement and a prolonged drought hurt the economy. Elections in 1991 brought an end to one-party rule, but the subsequent vote in 1996 saw blatant harassment of opposition parties. The election in 2001 was marked by administrative problems with three parties filing a legal petition challenging the election of ruling party candidate Levy MWANAWASA. MWANAWASA was reelected in 2006 in an election that was deemed free and fair. Upon his abrupt death in August 2008, he was succeeded by his vice president, Rupiah BANDA, who subsequently won a special presidential by-election in October 2008. Michael SATA was elected president in September 2011 but died in October 2014 and was succeeded by his vice president, who served as interim president, until special elections were held in January 2015. Edgar LUNGU won the election and will complete SATA�s term, which expires in September 2016.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :158,592; female: :158,805 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,745,656; females age 16-49: :1,688,670 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "national registration required at age 16; 18-25 years of age for male and female voluntary military service (16 years of age with parental consent); no conscription; Zambian citizenship required; grade 12 certification required; mandatory HIV testing on enlistment; mandatory retirement for officers at age 65 (Army, Air Force) (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than Texas", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "periodic drought; tropical storms (November to April)", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Zambezi river 329 m; highest point: :unnamed elevation in Mafinga Hills 2,301 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.75 male(s)/female; total population: :1 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "9 (2001)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 19, FM 5, shortwave 4 (2001)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :10.8%; industry: :32.9%; services: :56.3% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "15 00 S, 30 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :46.2% (male 3,393,388/female 3,362,850); 15-24 years: :20% (male 1,465,009/female 1,467,555); 25-54 years: :28.5% (male 2,105,768/female 2,072,314); 55-64 years: :2.9% (male 199,098/female 222,214); 65 years and over: :2.4% (male 151,471/female 198,838) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Zimbabwe", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_FROM_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador David Bruce WHARTON (since 15 November 2012); embassy: :172 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, Harare; mailing address: :P. O. Box 3340, Harare; telephone: :[263; FAX: :[263", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$2,000 (2014 est.); $2,000 (2013 est.); $1,900 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "3.1% (2014 est.); 3.3% (2013 est.); 10.6% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "4.36% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$26.88 billion (2014 est.); $26.06 billion (2013 est.); $25.23 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :74.8%; youth dependency ratio: :68.1%; elderly dependency ratio: :6.7%; potential support ratio: :14.9% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "-14.4% of GDP (2014 est.); -13% of GDP (2013 est.); -10.3% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :68.7%; government consumption: :31.4%; investment in fixed capital: :22.4%; investment in inventories: :0%; exports of goods and services: :68.5%; imports of goods and services: :-90.9%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "58.5% (2010/11)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "20.5; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2010/11 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "10.12 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "13,290 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "19,010 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "120 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "37.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "62.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "1.966 million kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "2.616 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "1.085 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "8.49 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "7.297 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "Zimbabwe bird symbol, African fish eagle, flame lily; national colors: green, yellow, red, black, white", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :7.6%; male: :7.6%; female: :7.6% (2004 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "7% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "1.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "0.06 physicians/1,000 population (2009)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "10.1% (2011)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "570 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "NA% of GDP", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "NA% of GDP", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "HARARE (capital) 1.495 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Kalibusiswe Ilizwe leZimbabwe\" [Northern Ndebele language; lyrics/music: :Solomon MUTSWAIRO/Fred Lecture CHANGUNDEGA; note: :adopted 1994", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 51.6% of population; rural: 32.4% of population; total: 39.9% of population; urban: 48.4% of population; rural: 67.6% of population; total: 60.1% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 97.3% of population; rural: 68.7% of population; total: 79.9% of population; urban: 2.7% of population; rural: 31.3% of population; total: 20.1% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$47.64 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $101.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$43.43 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $23.04 billion (31 December 2013 est.); note: :Zimbabwe's central bank no longer publishes data on monetary aggregates, except for bank deposits, which amounted to $2.1 billion in November 2010; the Zimbabwe dollar stopped circulating in early 2009; since then, the US dollar and South African rand have been the most frequently used currencies; there are no reliable estimates of the amount of foreign currency circulating in Zimbabwe", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "government owns all local radio and TV stations; foreign shortwave broadcasts and satellite TV are available to those who can afford antennas and receivers; in rural areas, access to TV broadcasts is extremely limited (2007)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :32.5% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.3% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$14.07 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $9.844 billion (31 December 2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$NA (31 December 2008); $4.11 trillion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$NA (31 December 2008); $14.18 trillion (31 December 2007); note: :this number reflects the vastly overvalued official exchange rate of 30,000 Zimbabwe dollars per US dollar; at an unofficial rate of 800,000 Zimbabwe dollars per US dollar, the stock of Zimbabwe dollars would equal only about US$500 million and Zimbabwe's velocity of money (the number of times money turns over in the course of a year) would be nine, in line with the velocity of money for other countries in the region", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "22% (31 December 2014 est.); 28% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "7.17% (31 December 2010); 975% (31 December 2007)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "2.5% of GDP (2010)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :4.21 cu km/yr (14%/7%/79%); per capita: :333.5 cu m/yr (2002)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "20 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$11.82 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $10.9 billion (31 December 2011); $11.48 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$NA", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$NA", "TRAFFICKING_IN_PERSONS": "current situation: :Zimbabwe is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Zimbabwean women and girls from towns bordering South Africa, Mozambique, and Zambia are subjected to prostitution, sometimes being sold by their parents; Zimbabwean men, women, and children experience forced labor in agriculture and domestic service in rural areas, as well as domestic servitude and sex trafficking in cities and towns; Zimbabwean women and men are lured into exploitative labor situations in Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Nigeria, South Korea, and South Africa with false job offers, while women and girls are lured to Zambia, China, Egypt, the UK, and Canada and forced into prostitution; adults and children from Bangladesh, Somalia, India, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia are trafficked through Zimbabwe en route to South Africa; tier rating: :Tier 3 - Zimbabwe does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; corruption in law enforcement and the judiciary continued to impair anti-trafficking efforts in 2013; the investigation and prosecution of trafficking offenses and conviction of offenders remained weak, with only two prosecutions being initiated; law enforcement did not employ formal procedures to identify and refer trafficking victims to care and continued to rely on NGOs to identify and assist victims; temporary regulations in 2014 mandated the creation of an anti-trafficking national action plan and the establishment of centers for trafficking victims, but neither have been implemented; Zimbabwe acceded to the UN TIP Protocol in 2013 (2014)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$13.74 billion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "IDPs: :undetermined (political violence, human rights violations, land reform, and economic collapse) (2013)", "MAJOR_INFECTIOUS_DISEASES": "degree of risk: :very high; food or waterborne diseases: :bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vectorborne diseases: :malaria and dengue fever; water contact disease: :schistosomiasis; animal contact disease: :rabies (2013)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$448 million (31 December 2014 est.); $475 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$1.045 billion (2014 est.); -$576 million (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "181% of GDP (2014 est.); 181.2% of GDP (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "30,615 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :20.2 years; male: :19.9 years; female: :20.4 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "50.1 (2006); 50.1 (1995)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "63,900 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "1,390,300 (2013 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "14.99% (2013 est.)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".zw", "INTERNET_USERS": "1.423 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "12.614 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "301,600 (2012)", "DIPLOMATIC_REPRESENTATION_IN_THE_US": "chief of mission: :Ambassador Ammon MUTEMBWA (since 18 November 2014); chancery: :1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: :[1; FAX: :[1", "AREA": "total: :390,757 sq km; land: :386,847 sq km; water: :3,910 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1,735 sq km (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Africa", "LOCATION": "Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Republic of Zimbabwe; conventional short form: :Zimbabwe; former: :Southern Rhodesia, Rhodesia", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "95% (2009 est.); 80% (2005 est.); note: :figures include unemployment and underemployment; true unemployment is unknown and, under current economic conditions, unknowable", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "parliamentary democracy", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "3.56 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains in east", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance; domestic: :consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, and a substantial mobile-cellular network; Internet connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns and for some of the smaller ones; international: :country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; 2 international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru) (2010)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 75.9% (includes Apostolic 38%, Pentecostal 21.1%, other 16.8%), Roman Catholic 8.4%, other Christian 8.4%, other 1.2% (includes traditional, Muslim), none 6.1% (2011 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :3,427 km; narrow gauge: :3,427 km 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified) (2008)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "river port(s): :Binga, Kariba (Zambezi)", "POPULATION": "13,771,721; 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 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "African National Party or ANP [Egypt DZINEMUNHENZVA; Movement for Democratic Change - Ncube or MDC-N [Welshman NCUBE; Movement for Democratic Change - Tsvangirai or MDC-T [Morgan TSVANGIRAI; Peace Action is Freedom for All or PAFA [Abel NDLOVU; United Parties [Abel MUZOREWA; United People's Party or UPP [Daniel SHUMBA; Zimbabwe African National Union-Ndonga or ZANU-Ndonga [Wilson KUMBULA; Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front or ZANU-PF [Robert Gabriel MUGABE; Zimbabwe African Peoples Union or ZAPU [Dumiso DABENGWA; Zimbabwe Youth in Alliance or ZIYA [Moses MUTYASIRA", "PIPELINES": "refined products 270 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Zimbabwe's economy depends heavily on its mining and agriculture sectors. Following a decade of contraction from 1998 to 2008, the economy recorded real growth of more than 10% per year in 2010-13, before slowing to roughly 3% in 2014 due to poor harvests, low diamond revenues, and decreased investment. Infrastructure and regulatory deficiencies, a poor investment climate, a large public and external debt burden, and extremely high government wage expenses impede the country�s economic performance. Until early 2009, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) routinely printed money to fund the budget deficit, causing hyperinflation. Dollarization in early 2009 - which allowed currencies such as the Botswana pula, the South Africa rand, and the US dollar to be used locally - ended hyperinflation and reduced inflation below 10% per year, but exposed structural weaknesses that inhibit broad-based growth. The RBZ reintroduced coins denominated in local currency in December 2014, more than five years after the Zimbabwe dollar was taken out of circulation. In January 2015, as part of the government�s effort to boost trade and attract foreign investment, the RBZ announced that the Chinese renmimbi, Indian rupee, Australian dollar, and Japanese yen would be accepted as legal tender in Zimbabwe.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition; National Constitutional Assembly or NCA [Lovemore MADHUKU; Women of Zimbabwe Arise or WOZA [Jenni WILLIAMS; Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions or ZCTU [Wellington CHIBEBE", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with Zambia; in full flood (February-April) the massive Victoria Falls on the river forms the world's largest curtain of falling water; Lake Kariba on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border forms the world's largest reservoir by volume (180 cu km; 43 cu mi)", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "21.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population; note: :there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :Zimbabwean(s); adjective: :Zimbabwean", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 18 April (1980)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :2,616,051; females age 16-49: :2,868,376 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write English; total population: :83.6%; male: :87.8%; female: :80.1% (2011 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :55.68 years; male: :55.4 years; female: :55.97 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (80 seats; 60 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies - 6 seats in each of the 10 provinces - by proportional representation vote, 16 indirectly elected by the regional governing councils, 2 reserved for the National Council Chiefs, and 2 reserved for members with disabilities; members serve 5-year terms) and the House of Assembly (270 seats; 210 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 60 seats reserved for women directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); elections: :last held on 31 July 2013 (next to be held in 2018); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ZANU-PF 37 MDC-T 21, MDC-N 2, chiefs 18, people with disabilities 2; House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ZANU-PF 197, MDC-T 70, MDC-N 2, independent 1", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "mixed legal system of English common law, Roman-Dutch civil law, and customary law", "LANGUAGES": "Shona (official; most widely spoken), Ndebele (official, second most widely spoken), English (official; traditionally used for official business), 13 minority languages (official; includes Chewa, Chibarwe, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Shangani, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda, and Xhosa)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :10.34%; permanent crops: :0.26%; other: :89.4% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :3,229 km; border countries: :Botswana 834 km, Mozambique 1,402 km, South Africa 230 km, Zambia 763 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "5.634 million (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 4 judges); judge selection and term of office: :Supreme Court judges appointed by the president upon recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission, an independent body consisting of the chief justice, Public Service Commission chairman, attorney general, and 2-3 members appointed by the president; judges normally serve until age 65, but can elect to serve until age 70; subordinate courts: :High Court, regional magistrate courts, and special courts", "WATERWAYS": "(some navigation possible on Lake Kariba) (2011)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "6.5% (2014 est.); 8.6% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :26.55 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :28.88 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :24.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "mining (coal, gold, platinum, copper, nickel, tin, diamonds, clay, numerous metallic and nonmetallic ores), steel; wood products, cement, chemicals, fertilizer, clothing and footwear, foodstuffs, beverages", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "4.1% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "18 April 1980 (from the UK)", "IMPORTS": "$5.135 billion (2014 est.); $4.571 billion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "___no_ILLICIT DRUGS__provided__", "ROADWAYS": "total: :97,267 km; paved: :18,481 km; unpaved: :78,786 km (2002)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "seven equal horizontal bands of green, yellow, red, black, red, yellow, and green with a white isosceles triangle edged in black with its base on the hoist side; a yellow Zimbabwe bird representing the long history of the country is superimposed on a red five-pointed star in the center of the triangle, which symbolizes peace; green represents agriculture, yellow mineral wealth, red the blood shed to achieve independence, and black stands for the native people", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$9.361 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $8.71 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "EXPORTS": "$3.263 billion (2014 est.); $3.144 billion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987); Vice Presidents Emmerson Dambudzo MNANGAGWA and Phelekezela MPHOKO (since 12 December 2014); note - Vice President Joice MUJURU (since 6 December 2004) was dismissed 9 December 2014; head of government: :Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987); note - following the 31 July 2013 presidential election, the position of prime minister was abolished; cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president, responsible to the House of Assembly; elections: :presidential candidates nominated with a nomination paper signed by at least 10 registered voters (at least one from each province) and elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held on 31 July 2013 (next to be held in 2018); co-vice presidents drawn from party leadership; election results: :Robert Gabriel MUGABE reelected president; percent of vote - Robert Gabriel MUGABE 61.1%, Morgan TSVANGIRAI 34.4%, Welshman NCUBE 2.7%, other 1.8%; note - the election process was considered flawed and roundly criticised by election monitors and international bodies; both the AU and the SADC endorsed the results of the election with some concerns", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Zimbabwean dollars (ZWD) per US dollar -; NA (2013); 234.25 (2010); 234.25 (2009); 9,686.8 (2007); note: :the dollar was adopted as a legal currency in 2009; since then the Zimbabwean dollar has experienced hyperinflation and is essentially worthless", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "African 99.4% (predominantly Shona; Ndebele is the second largest ethnic group), other 0.4%, unspecified 0.2% (2012 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "10.62 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1979; latest approved by referendum 16 March 2013, approved by Parliament 9 May 2013 (2013)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "South Africa 49.1%, Zambia 9.6%, China 8.7% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March)", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "machinery and transport equipment, other manufactures, chemicals, fuels, food products", "CAPITAL": "name: :Harare; geographic coordinates: :17 49 S, 31 02 E; time difference: :UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$NA; expenditures: :$NA (2013 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF): Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) (2012)", "BIRTH_RATE": "32.47 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "196 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "tobacco, corn, cotton, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, peanuts; sheep, goats, pigs", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "8 provinces and 2 cities* with provincial status; Bulawayo*, Harare*, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 23.4%, South Africa 14.4%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 12%, Botswana 10.7% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "platinum, cotton, tobacco, gold, ferroalloys, textiles/clothing", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :66%; industry: :10%; services: :24% (1996)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2%; highest 10%: :40.4% (1995)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "68% (2004)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "2.94% of GDP (2012); 2.05% of GDP (2011); 2.94% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified: :none of the selected agreements", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "deforestation; soil erosion; land degradation; air and water pollution; the black rhinoceros herd - once the largest concentration of the species in the world - has been significantly reduced by poaching; poor mining practices have led to toxic waste and heavy metal pollution", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :179; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :104; 72 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :17; over 3,047 m: :3; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :5; 914 to 1,523 m: :7 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The UK annexed Southern Rhodesia from the [British", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :154,870; female: :152,550 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :1,528,166; females age 16-49: :1,646,041 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women are eligible to serve (2012)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly larger than Montana", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :junction of the Runde and Save Rivers 162 m; highest point: :Inyangani 2,592 m", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.03 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.02 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.01 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.07 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.7 male(s)/female; total population: :0.95 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "16 (1997)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 7, FM 20 (plus 17 repeater stations), shortwave 1 (1998)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :20.1%; industry: :25.7%; services: :54.2% (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "20 00 S, 30 00 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :38.4% (male 2,670,642/female 2,615,440); 15-24 years: :22.1% (male 1,527,964/female 1,520,255); 25-54 years: :32.3% (male 2,298,355/female 2,153,659); 55-64 years: :3.6% (male 180,554/female 318,410); 65 years and over: :3.5% (male 193,385/female 293,057) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Bouvet Island", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice and Oslo Police", "AFFILIATION": "(territory of Norway)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "6 (2012)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".bv", "AREA": "total: :49 sq km; land: :49 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Antarctic Region", "LOCATION": "island in the South Atlantic Ocean, southwest of the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa)", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Bouvet Island", "COMMUNICATIONS___NOTE": "has an automatic meteorological station", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of Norway", "TERRAIN": "volcanic; coast is mostly inaccessible", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "none; offshore anchorage only", "POPULATION": "uninhabited", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "no economic activity; declared a nature reserve", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "covered by glacial ice; declared a nature reserve by Norway", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "none", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :4 nm", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (93% ice) (2014 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "the flag of Norway is used", "COASTLINE": "29.6 km", "CLIMATE": "antarctic", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "BACKGROUND": "This uninhabited, volcanic, Antarctic island is almost entirely covered by glaciers making it difficult to approach; it is recognized as the most remote island on Earth. Bouvet Island was discovered in 1739 by a French naval officer after whom it is named. No claim was made until 1825, when the British flag was raised. In 1928, the UK waived its claim in favor of Norway, which had occupied the island the previous year. In 1971, Norway designated Bouvet Island and the adjacent territorial waters a nature reserve. Since 1977, Norway has run an automated meteorological station and studied foraging strategies and distribution of fur seals and penguins on the island. In February 2006 an earthquake weakened the station's foundation causing it to be blown out to sea in a winter storm. Norway sent a new research station to Bouvet Island in 2014. I can hold six people for periods up to four months.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :South Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Olav Peak 935 m", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "54 26 S, 3 24 E" }, { "country": "Clipperton Island", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "possession of France; administered directly by the Minister of Overseas France", "AFFILIATION": "(possession of France)", "AREA": "total: :6 sq km; land: :6 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Political Map of the World", "LOCATION": "Middle America, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, 1,120 km southwest of Mexico", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Clipperton Island; local long form: :none; local short form: :Ile Clipperton; former: :sometimes called Ile de la Passion", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of France", "TERRAIN": "coral atoll", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "none; offshore anchorage only", "POPULATION": "uninhabited", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Although 115 species of fish have been identified in the territorial waters of Clipperton Island, the only economic activity is tuna fishing.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "the atoll reef is approximately 12 km (7.5 mi) in circumference; an effort to colonize the atoll in the early 20th century ended in disaster and was abandoned in 1917", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "the laws of France apply", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (all coral) (2014 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "the flag of France is used", "COASTLINE": "11.1 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; humid, average temperature 20-32 degrees C, wet season (May to October)", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "BACKGROUND": "This isolated atoll was named for John CLIPPERTON, a pirate who was rumored to have made it his hideout early in the 18th century. Annexed by France in 1855 and claimed by the United States, it was seized by Mexico in 1897. Arbitration eventually awarded the island to France in 1931, which took possession in 1935.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about 12 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Rocher Clipperton 29 m", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "10 17 N, 109 13 W" }, { "country": "Jan Mayen", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "territory of Norway; since August 1994, administered from Oslo through the county governor (fylkesmann) of Nordland; however, authority has been delegated to a station commander of the Norwegian Defense Communication Service", "AFFILIATION": "(territory of Norway)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "a coastal radio station has been remotely operated since 1994 (2008)", "AREA": "total: :377 sq km; land: :377 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "0 sq km (2011)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Arctic Region", "LOCATION": "Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea, northeast of Iceland", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Jan Mayen", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of Norway", "TERRAIN": "volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "none; offshore anchorage only", "POPULATION": "no indigenous inhabitants; note: :personnel operate the Long Range Navigation (Loran-C) base and the weather and coastal services radio station", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural resources, although surrounding waters contain substantial fish stocks and potential untapped petroleum resources. Economic activity is limited to providing services for employees of Norway's radio and meteorological stations on the island.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "barren volcanic island with some moss and grass", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "none", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :4 nm; contiguous zone: :10 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (2014 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "the flag of Norway is used", "COASTLINE": "124.1 km", "CLIMATE": "arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "This desolate, arctic, mountainous island was named after a Dutch whaling captain who indisputably discovered it in 1614 (earlier claims are inconclusive). Visited only occasionally by seal hunters and trappers over the following centuries, the island came under Norwegian sovereignty in 1929. The long dormant Beerenberg volcano, the northernmost active volcano on earth, resumed activity in 1970 and the most recent eruption occurred in 1985.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "dominated by the volcano Beerenberg; volcanism: :Beerenberg (elev. 2,227 m) is Norway's only active volcano; volcanic activity resumed in 1970; the most recent eruption occurred in 1985", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Norwegian Sea 0 m; highest point: :Haakon VII Toppen on Beerenberg 2,277 m; note: :Beerenberg volcano has numerous peaks; the highest point on the volcano rim is named Haakon VII Toppen, after Norway's first king following the reestablishment of Norwegian independence in 1905", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "NA; note - there is one radio and meteorological station (1998)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "71 00 N, 8 00 W" }, { "country": "Johnston Atoll", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Honolulu, Hawaii, by Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, and the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system", "AFFILIATION": "(territory of the US)", "AREA": "total: :2.63 sq km; land: :2.63 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "0 sq km (2011)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 717 nm (1328 km) southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii, about one-third of the way from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Johnston Atoll", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the US", "TERRAIN": "mostly flat", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "Johnston Island", "POPULATION": "uninhabited; note: :in previous years, there was an average of 1,100 US military and civilian contractor personnel present; as of September 2001, population had decreased significantly when US Army Chemical Activity Pacific (USACAP) departed; as of May 2005 all US Government personnel had left the island", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands, which have been expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging; the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference; closed to the public; a former US nuclear weapons test site; site of now-closed Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System (JACADS); most facilities dismantled and cleanup complete in 2004; some low-growing vegetation", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "guano deposits (worked until depletion about 1890), terrestrial and aquatic wildlife", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "the laws of the US, where applicable, apply", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (2014 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "the flag of the US is used", "COASTLINE": "34 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature variation", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "no natural fresh water resources", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Both the US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed Johnston Atoll in 1858, but it was the US that mined the guano deposits until the late 1880s. Johnston Island and Sand Island were designated wildlife refuges in 1926. The US Navy took over the atoll in 1934, and subsequently the US Air Force assumed control in 1948. The site was used for high-altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s, and until late in 2000 the atoll was maintained as a storage and disposal site for chemical weapons. Cleanup and closure of the weapons facility ended in May 2005.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about 4.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Summit Peak 5 m", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "16 45 N, 169 31 W" }, { "country": "Kingman Reef", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the US Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior; note: :on 1 September 2000, the Department of the Interior accepted restoration of its administrative jurisdiction over Kingman Reef from the Department of the Navy; Executive Order 3223 signed 18 January 2001 established Kingman Reef National Wildlife Refuge to be administered by the Director, US Fish and Wildlife Service; this refuge is managed to protect the terrestrial and aquatic wildlife of Kingman Reef out to the 12 nm territorial sea limit", "AFFILIATION": "(territory of the US)", "AREA": "total: :1 sq km; land: :1 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, reef in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Kingman Reef", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the US", "TERRAIN": "low and nearly level", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "none; offshore anchorage only", "POPULATION": "uninhabited (July 2007 est.)", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed to the public", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "terrestrial and aquatic wildlife", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "the laws of the US, where applicable, apply", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (2014 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "the flag of the US is used", "COASTLINE": "3 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical; moderated by prevailing winds", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "none", "BACKGROUND": "The US annexed the reef in 1922. Its sheltered lagoon served as a way station for flying boats on Hawaii-to-American Samoa flights during the late 1930s. There are no terrestrial plants on the reef, which is frequently awash, but it does support abundant and diverse marine fauna and flora. In 2001, the waters surrounding the reef out to 12 nm were designated a US National Wildlife Refuge.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of about 1 meter makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :unnamed location 1 m", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "6 24 N, 162 22 W" }, { "country": "Northern Mariana Islands", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "commonwealth in political union with the US; federal funds to the Commonwealth administered by the US Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs", "AFFILIATION": "(commonwealth in political union with the US)", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$13,600 (2010 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.13% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$733 million (2010 est.); note: :GDP estimate includes US subsidy", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "0 kWh (January 2009 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (January 2009 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "48,300 kWh (January 2009)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "60,600 kWh (January 2009)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "latte stone; national colors: blue, white", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-7.9% of GDP (FY10/11 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "35.5% of GDP (FY10/11 est.)", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "SAIPAN (capital) 49,000 (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"Gi Talo Gi Halom Tasi\" (In the Middle of the Sea); lyrics/music: :Jose S. PANGELINAN [Chamoru; note: :adopted 1996; the Carolinian version of the song is known as \"Satil Matawal Pacifico;\" as a commonwealth of the United States, in addition to the local anthem, \"The Star-Spangled Banner\" is official (see United States)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 79.7% of population; rural: 79.7% of population; total: 79.7% of population; urban: 20.3% of population; rural: 20.3% of population; total: 20.3% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 97.5% of population; rural: 97.5% of population; total: 97.5% of population; urban: 2.5% of population; rural: 2.5% of population; total: 2.5% of population (2012 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 TV broadcast station on Saipan; multi-channel cable TV services are available on Saipan; 9 licensed radio broadcast stations (2009)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :89.3% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :0.39% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$733 million (2010 est.)", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "17 (2012)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :31.6 years; male: :29.4 years; female: :32.2 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".mp", "AREA": "total: :464 sq km; land: :464 sq km; water: :0 sq km; note: :consists of 14 islands including Saipan, Rota, and Tinian", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "1 sq km (2011)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; conventional short form: :Northern Mariana Islands; abbreviation: :CNMI; former: :Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Mariana Islands District", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the US", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "11.2% (2010 est.); 8% (2005 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "commonwealth; self-governing with locally elected governor, lieutenant governor, and legislature", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.01 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "southern islands are limestone with level terraces and fringing coral reefs; northern islands are volcanic", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "international: :country code - 1-670; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal; note - indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections", "RELIGIONS": "Christian (Roman Catholic majority, although traditional beliefs and taboos may still be found)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Saipan, Tinian, Rota", "POPULATION": "51,483 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Covenant Party [Benigno R. FITIAL; Democratic Party [Dr. Carlos S. CAMACHO; Republican Party [Juan S. REYES", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The Northern Mariana Islands' economy benefits substantially from financial assistance from the US. The tourist industry employs approximately a quarter of the work force and accounts for roughly one-fourth of GDP. As a share of total arrivals, the number of Japanese tourists has dropped recently to less than half, while Korean visitors account for roughly one-third. Annual tourist arrivals have remained below 400,000 since 2007. Other services such as trade are also important to the local economy. The small agriculture sector is made up of cattle ranches and small farms producing coconuts, breadfruit, tomatoes, and melons.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "-4.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "arable land, fish", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :NA (US citizens); adjective: :NA", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Commonwealth Day, 8 January (1978)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "PIF (observer), SPC, UPU", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :77.64 years; male: :74.98 years; female: :80.46 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Northern Mariana Commonwealth Legislature consists of the Senate (9 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms) and the House of Representatives (20 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 2-year terms); elections: :Senate - last held on 4 November 2014 (next to be held in November 2018); House of Representatives - last held on 4 November 2014 (next to be held in November 2016); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Covenant Party 3, Republican Party 3, Democratic Party 1, independent 2; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independents 13, Republican Party 7; note: :the Northern Mariana Islands directly elects 1 member by simple majority vote to serve a 2-year term as a delegate to the US House of Representatives; the delegate can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House, but not when legislation is submitted for a �full floor� House vote; election of delegate last held on 4 November 2014 (next to be held on November 2016)", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "US system applies, except for customs, wages, immigration laws, and taxation", "LANGUAGES": "Philippine languages 32.8%, Chamorro (official) 24.1%, English (official) 17%, other Pacific island languages 10.1%, Chinese 6.8%, other Asian languages 7.3%, other 1.9% (2010 est.)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :2.17%; permanent crops: :2.17%; other: :95.65% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "38,450; note: :includes nearly 29,000 foreign workers (2005 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianna Islands or CNMI (consists of the chief justice and 2 associate justices); US Federal District Court (consists of 1 judge); note - US Federal District Court jurisdiction limited to US federal laws; appeals beyond the Northern Mariannas Islands Supreme Court are referred to the US Supreme Court; judge selection and term of office: :judges of the Supreme Court of the CNMI appointed by the governor and confirmed by the CNMI Senate; judges appointed for 8-year terms and can serve another term if approved through voter election; US Federal District Court judges appointed by the US president and confirmed by the US Senate; judges appointed for renewable 10-year terms; subordinate courts: :Superior Court", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "-2.7% (2012 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :5.5 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :5.88 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :5.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "tourism, banking, construction, fishing, handicrafts, other services", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (commonwealth in political union with the US)", "IMPORTS": "$214.4 million (2001)", "ROADWAYS": "total: :536 km (2008)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "blue with a white, five-pointed star superimposed on a gray latte stone (the traditional foundation stone used in building) in the center, surrounded by a wreath; blue symbolizes the Pacific Ocean, the star represents the Commonwealth; the latte stone and the floral head wreath display elements of the native Chamorro culture", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 October - 30 September", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$NA", "EXPORTS": "$98.2 million (2008)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Barack H. OBAMA (since 20 January 2009); Vice President Joseph R. BIDEN (since 20 January 2009); head of government: :Governor Eloy S. INOS (since 20 February 2013); Lieutenant Governor Jude U. HOFSCHNEIDER (since 20 February 2013); cabinet: :the cabinet consists of the heads of the 10 principal departments under the executive branch who are appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate; other members include special assistants to the governor and office heads appointed by and reporting directly to the governor; elections: :under the US Constitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; however, they may vote in the Democratic and Republican party presidential primary elections; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held on 4 November 2014 with a run-off election to be held on 21 November 2014 (next to be held in 2018); election results: :percent of vote - in runoff Eloy S. INOS reelected with 57% to Heinz HOFSCHNEIDER 43%; Ralph TORRES elected Lieutenant Governor", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "the US dollar is used", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Asian 50% (includes Filipino 35.3%, Chinese 6.8%, Korean 4.2%, and other Asian 3.7%), Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 34.9% (includes Chamorro 23.9%, Carolinian 4.6%, and other Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 6.4%), other 2.5%, two or more ethnicities or races 12.7% (2010 est.)", "DEATH_RATE": "3.61 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "partially effective 1 January 1978 (Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands); fully effective 4 November 1986 (Covenant Agreement); amended several times, last in 2012 (2012)", "COASTLINE": "1,482 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical marine; moderated by northeast trade winds, little seasonal temperature variation; dry season December to June, rainy season July to October", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "food, construction equipment and materials, petroleum products", "CAPITAL": "name: :Saipan; geographic coordinates: :15 12 N, 145 45 E; time difference: :UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$260 million; expenditures: :$318.2 million (FY10/11)", "BIRTH_RATE": "18.94 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "5 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "vegetables and melons, fruits and nuts; ornamental plants; livestock, poultry, eggs; fish and aquaculture products", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "none (commonwealth in political union with the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are four municipalities at the second order: Northern Islands, Rota, Saipan, Tinian", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "garments", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :1.9%; industry: :10%; services: :88.1% (2010 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :NA%; highest 10%: :NA%", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "NA%", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "contamination of groundwater on Saipan may contribute to disease; clean-up of landfill; protection of endangered species conflicts with development", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1; 1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :3; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Under US administration as part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific, the people of the Northern Mariana Islands decided in the 1970s not to seek independence but instead to forge closer links with the US. Negotiations for territorial status began in 1972. A covenant to establish a commonwealth in political union with the US was approved in 1975, and came into force on 24 March 1976. A new government and constitution went into effect in 1978.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :410; female: :306 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :8,793; females age 16-49: :11,569 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "2.5 times the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "active volcanoes on Pagan and Agrihan; typhoons (especially August to November)", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :unnamed elevation on Agrihan 965 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.09 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.23 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :0.73 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.93 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.91 male(s)/female; total population: :0.93 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (on Saipan; in addition, 2 cable services on Saipan provide varied programming from satellite networks) (2006)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 6, shortwave 1 (2005)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :1.7%; industry: :3.3%; services: :95% (2010)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "15 12 N, 145 45 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :25.9% (male 6,944/female 6,393); 15-24 years: :14.5% (male 4,133/female 3,348); 25-54 years: :44.9% (male 9,793/female 13,340); 55-64 years: :10% (male 2,798/female 2,372); 65 years and over: :4.6% (male 1,122/female 1,240) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Palmyra Atoll", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "incorporated territory of the US; privately owned, but administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior; the Office of Insular Affairs of the US Department of the Interior continues to administer nine excluded areas comprising certain tidal and submerged lands within the 12 nm territorial sea or within the lagoon", "AFFILIATION": "(territory of the US)", "AREA": "total: :11.9 sq km; land: :11.9 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Oceania", "LOCATION": "Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Palmyra Atoll", "MILITARY___NOTE": "defense is the responsibility of the US", "TERRAIN": "very low", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "West Lagoon", "POPULATION": "no indigenous inhabitants; note: :variable temporary population of 4 to 20 staff and scientists of the the Nature Conservancy and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (July 2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "about 50 islets covered with dense vegetation, coconut trees, and balsa-like trees up to 30 meters tall", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "terrestrial and aquatic wildlife", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "the laws of the US, where applicable, apply", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (forests and woodlands) (2014 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "the flag of the US is used", "COASTLINE": "14.5 km", "CLIMATE": "equatorial, hot, and very rainy", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Kingdom of Hawaii claimed the atoll in 1862, and the US included it among the Hawaiian Islands when it annexed the archipelago in 1898. The Hawaii Statehood Act of 1959 did not include Palmyra Atoll, which is now part privately owned by the Nature Conservancy and part US Government-owned and administered as a nature preserve. The lagoons and surrounding waters within the 12-nautical-mile US territorial seas were transferred to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and were designated a National Wildlife Refuge in January 2001.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "NA", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: :unnamed location 2 m", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "5 52 N, 162 04 W" }, { "country": "Svalbard", "DEPENDENCY_STATUS": "territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty was awarded to Norway", "AFFILIATION": "(territory of Norway)", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "NA%", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "-0.03% (2014 est.)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "NA% of GDP", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "NA% of GDP", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "note: :as a territory of Norway, \"Ja, vi elsker dette landet\" is official (see Norway)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) began direct TV transmission to Svalbard via satellite in 1984; Longyearbyen households have access to 3 NRK radio and 2 TV stations (2008)", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".sj", "AREA": "total: :62,045 sq km; land: :62,045 sq km; water: :0 sq km; note: :includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "NA", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Arctic Region", "LOCATION": "Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitsbergen)", "MILITARY___NOTE": "Svalbard is a territory of Norway, demilitarized by treaty on 9 February 1920; Norwegian military activity is limited to fisheries surveillance by the Norwegian Coast Guard", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "NA", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "NA", "TERRAIN": "wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west and north coasts", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :adequate; domestic: :local telephone service; international: :country code - 47-790; satellite earth station - 1 of unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only) (2005)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden", "POPULATION": "1,872 (July 2014 est.)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Coal mining, tourism, and international research are the major revenue sources on Svalbard. Coal mining is the dominant economic activity and a treaty of 9 February 1920 gave the 41 signatories equal rights to exploit mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK, Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past, the only companies still engaging in this are Norwegian and Russian. The settlements on Svalbard are essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned coal company employs nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the island, runs many of the local services, and provides most of the local infrastructure. There is also some hunting of seal, reindeer, and fox. Goods such as alcohol, tobacco, and vehicles, normally highly taxed on mainland Norway, are considerably cheaper in Svalbard in an effort by the Norwegian government to entice more people to live on the Arctic archipelago. By law, the Norwegians collect only enough taxes to pay for the needs of the local government; none of tax proceeds go to Norway.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "NA", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area; Spitsbergen Island is the site of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a seed repository established by the Global Crop Diversity Trust and the Norwegian Government", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, phosphate, wildlife, fish", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "none", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :4 nm; exclusive fishing zone: :200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :NA; male: :NA; female: :NA", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "the laws of Norway where applicable apply", "LANGUAGES": "Norwegian, Russian", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (no trees; the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry) (2014 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "1,234 (2003)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :none; note - Svalbard is subordinate to Norway's Nord-Troms District Court and Halogaland Court of Appeal, both located in Tromso", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :NA; male: :NA; female: :NA", "INDEPENDENCE": "none (territory of Norway)", "IMPORTS": "$NA", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "the flag of Norway is used", "EXPORTS": "$NA", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991); head of government: :Governor Odd Olsen INGERO (since September 2009); Assistant Governor Lars Erik ALHEIM; elections: :none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor and assistant governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "Norwegian kroner (NOK) per US dollar -; 6.163 (2014); 5.876 (2013); 5.82 (2012); 5.6065 (2011); 6.0442 (2010)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998)", "COASTLINE": "3,587 km", "CLIMATE": "arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most of the year", "CAPITAL": "name: :Longyearbyen; geographic coordinates: :78 13 N, 15 38 E; time difference: :UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$NA; expenditures: :$NA", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "no regular military forces", "AIRPORTS": "4 (2013)", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :3; 3 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "First discovered by the Norwegians in the 12th century, the islands served as an international whaling base during the 17th and 18th centuries. Norway's sovereignty was recognized in 1920; five years later it officially took over the territory. In the 20th century coal mining started and today a Norwegian and a Russian company are still functioning. Travel between the settlements is accomplished with snowmobiles, aircraft and boats.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than West Virginia", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "ice floes often block the entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Arctic Ocean 0 m; highest point: :Newtontoppen 1,717 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "NA", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "NA", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 1, FM 1 (plus 2 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "78 00 N, 20 00 E" }, { "country": "Gaza Strip", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "see entry for West Bank", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "-15% (2014 est.); 6% (2013 est.); 7% (2012 est.); note: :data exclude West Bank", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.91% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "see entry for West Bank", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :74.1%; youth dependency ratio: :68.8%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.3%; potential support ratio: :19%; note: :data represents the Palestinian Territories (2014 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "data exclude West Bank (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "52.5% (includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank) (2010)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "19; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2004 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "193,000 kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "202,000 kWh (2009)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "51,000 kWh (2011 est.)", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :38.8%; male: :34.5%; female: :62.2%; note: :includes West Bank (2012 est.)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "64 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 94.8% of population; rural: 92.8% of population; total: 94.3% of population; urban: 5.2% of population; rural: 7.2% of population; total: 5.7% of population; note: :includes Gaza and the West Bank (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 81.6% of population; rural: 82.3% of population; total: 81.8% of population; urban: 18.4% of population; rural: 17.7% of population; total: 18.2% of population; note: :includes Gaza and the West Bank (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$2.356 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.16 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "see entry for West Bank", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "1 TV station and about 10 radio stations; satellite TV accessible (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :75% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.81% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.); note: :data is for the Palestinian Territories", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$1.317 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.168 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "see entry for West Bank", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "see entry for West Bank", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :13 years; male: :13 years; female: :14 years; note: :data is for the Palestinian Territories (2012)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :1,258,559 (Palestinian refugees (UNRWA)) (2014); IDPs: :at least 232,000 (includes nearly 74,000 persons displaced within the Gaza strip as of November 2014 due to the intensification of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since June 2014 and other Palestinian IDPs in the Gaza Strip and West Bank who fled as long ago as 1967, although confirmed cumulative figures do not go back beyond 2006) (2014)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "see entry for West Bank", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :18.2 years; male: :18 years; female: :18.4 years (2014 est.)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ps; note - same as West Bank", "INTERNET_USERS": "1.379 million (includes West Bank) (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "3.041 million (includes West Bank) (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "406,000 (includes West Bank) (2012)", "AREA": "total: :360 sq km; land: :360 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "240 sq km; note - includes West Bank (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Middle East", "LOCATION": "Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Israel", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Gaza Strip; local long form: :none; local short form: :Qita' Ghazzah", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "45.1% (2014 est.); 29.5% (2013 est.); note: :data exclude West Bank", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "4.24 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :Gaza continues to repair the damage to its telecommunications infrastructure caused by fighting in 2009; domestic: :Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed-line services; the Palestinian JAWWAL company provides cellular services; international: :country code - 970 (2009)", "RELIGIONS": "1.0%; note: :dismantlement of Israeli settlements was completed in September 2005; Gaza has had no Jewish population since then (2012 est.)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "major seaport(s): :Gaza", "POPULATION": "1,816,379 (July 2014 est.)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Israeli security controls imposed since the end of the second intifada have degraded economic conditions in the Gaza Strip, the smaller of the two areas comprising the Palestinian territories. Israeli-imposed border closures, which became more restrictive after HAMAS seized control of the territory in June 2007, have resulted in high unemployment, elevated poverty rates, and a sharp contraction of the private sector that had relied primarily on export markets. Egyptian authorities began a crackdown on Gaza�s extensive tunnel-based smuggling network in 2013, creating fuel, construction material, and consumer goods shortages in the territory. Israel�s military operation in Gaza from July to August 2014�the latest in a series of periodic conflicts between Israel and Gaza-based Palestinian militants�destroyed one-fifth of the territory�s industrial infrastructure, displaced more than 100,000 people, and left 30% of households without access to potable water. Since the conflict, Israel has allowed limited Gaza exports and relaxed some restrictions on construction material imports to assist reconstruction efforts, but the Palestinian Authority will depend on donor and humanitarian aid to finance the $4billion needed to rebuild.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategic strip of land along Mideast-North African trade routes has experienced an incredibly turbulent history; the town of Gaza itself has been besieged countless times in its history", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "arable land, natural gas", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :NA; adjective: :NA", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "see entry for Israel; note: :effective 3 January 2009 the Gaza maritime area is closed to all maritime traffic and is under blockade imposed by Israeli Navy until further notice", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :385,961 (2010 est.)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :95.9%; male: :98.2%; female: :93.6%; note: :estimates are for the Palestinian Territories (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :74.64 years; male: :72.9 years; female: :76.48 years (2014 est.)", "LANGUAGES": "Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by many Palestinians), English (widely understood)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :7.48%; permanent crops: :10.96%; other: :81.56%; note: :includes West Bank (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :72 km; border countries: :Egypt 13 km, Israel 59 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "1.066 million (2014 est.)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "see entry for West Bank", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :15.46 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :16.51 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :14.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "textiles, food processing, furniture", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "see entry for West Bank", "IMPORTS": "see entry for West Bank", "ROADWAYS": "note: :see entry for West Bank", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "see entry for West Bank", "EXPORTS": "see entry for West Bank", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "see entry for West Bank", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Palestinian Arab", "DEATH_RATE": "3.09 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "COASTLINE": "40 km", "CLIMATE": "temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "food, consumer goods, fuel", "BUDGET": "see entry for West Bank", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "Hamas does not have a conventional military in the Gaza Strip, but maintains security forces in addition to its military wing, the 'Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades; the military wing reports to the external Hamas Political Bureau leadership, which has been in exile in Cairo and Doha since closing its Damascus headquarters in late 2011 (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "32.2 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "olives, fruit, vegetables, flowers; beef, dairy products", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "strawberries, carnations, vegetables, fish (small and irregular shipments, as permitted to transit the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :8.4%; industry: :12.3%; services: :79.3%; note: :data exclude West Bank (2013 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "39%; note: :data exclude West Bank (2010 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "desertification; salination of fresh water; sewage treatment; water-borne disease; soil degradation; depletion and contamination of underground water resources", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; over 3,047 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Inhabited since at least the 15th century B.C., Gaza has been dominated by many different peoples and empires throughout its history; it was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in the early 16th century. Gaza fell to British forces during World War I, becoming a part of the British Mandate of Palestine. Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Egypt administered the newly formed Gaza Strip; it was captured by Israel in the Six-Day War in 1967. Under a series of agreements signed between 1994 and 1999, Israel transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for many Palestinian-populated areas of the Gaza Strip as well as the West Bank. Negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip stalled after the outbreak of an intifada in mid- 2000. In early 2003, the \"Quartet\" of the US, EU, UN, and Russia, presented a roadmap to a final peace settlement by 2005, calling for two states - Israel and a democratic Palestine. Following Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT's death in late 2004 and the subsequent election of Mahmud ABBAS (head of the Fatah political party) as the PA president, Israel and the PA agreed to move the peace process forward. Israel in late 2005 unilaterally withdrew all of its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip, but continues to control maritime, airspace, and other access. In early 2006, the Islamic Resistance Movement, HAMAS, won the Palestinian Legislative Council election and took control of the PA government. Attempts to form a unity government between Fatah and HAMAS failed, and violent clashes between Fatah and HAMAS supporters ensued, culminating in HAMAS's violent seizure of all military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip in June 2007. Fatah and HAMAS in early 2011 agreed to reunify the Gaza Strip and West Bank, but the factions have struggled to implement details on governance and security. Brief periods of increased violence between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip in 2007-08 and again in 2012, both led to Egyptian-brokered truces. The status quo remains with HAMAS in control of the Gaza Strip and the PA governing the West Bank.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :18,805; female: :17,903 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :335,820; females age 16-49: :319,847 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "droughts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Mediterranean Sea 0 m; highest point: :Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Awdah) 105 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.68 male(s)/female; total population: :1.04 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "1 (2008)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 0, FM 10, shortwave 0 (2008)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "5.7%; 16.9%; 77.4%; note: :data exclude West Bank (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "31 25 N, 34 20 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :43.2% (male 402,848/female 381,155); 15-24 years: :20.6% (male 191,710/female 182,405); 25-54 years: :30.1% (male 280,551/female 266,756); 55-64 years: :3.5% (male 31,711/female 31,515); 65 years and over: :2.6% (male 19,617/female 28,111) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "United States", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$54,800 (2014 est.); $53,900 (2013 est.); $53,100 (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2013 US dollars", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "2.4% (2014 est.); 2.2% (2013 est.); 2.3% (2012 est.)", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "0.77% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$17.46 trillion (2014 est.); $17.05 trillion (2013 est.); $16.68 trillion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2014 US dollars", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :51%; youth dependency ratio: :29.4%; elderly dependency ratio: :21.6%; potential support ratio: :4.6% (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "17.3% of GDP (2014 est.); 17% of GDP (2013 est.); 16.3% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :68.7%; government consumption: :18.1%; investment in fixed capital: :15.9%; investment in inventories: :0.4%; exports of goods and services: :13.4%; imports of goods and services: :-16.4%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "76.4%; note: :percent of women aged 15-44 (2006/10)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "25.6 (2011 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "5.27 billion Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "8.734 trillion cu m (1 January 2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "81.63 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "44.51 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "737.3 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "687.6 billion cu m (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "2.071 million bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "2.311 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "18.89 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "18.56 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "30.53 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "9.213 million bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "41,640 bbl/day (2012 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "11.27 million bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "6.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "9.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "7.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "76.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "1.053 billion kW (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "63.61 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "11.28 billion kWh (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "3.883 trillion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "4.048 trillion kWh (2012 est.)", "NATIONAL_SYMBOL_S_": "bald eagle; national colors: red, white, blue", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :17.3%; male: :18.7%; female: :15.7% (2011 est.)", "OBESITY___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "33% (2008)", "HOSPITAL_BED_DENSITY": "2.9 beds/1,000 population (2011)", "PHYSICIANS_DENSITY": "2.45 physicians/1,000 population (2011)", "HEALTH_EXPENDITURES": "17.9% of GDP (2012)", "CHILDREN_UNDER_THE_AGE_OF_5_YEARS_UNDERWEIGHT": "0.5% (2012)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "21 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-2.8% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "17.4% of GDP; note: :excludes contributions for social security and other programs; if social contributions were added, taxes and other revenues would amount to approximately 22% of GDP (2014 est.)", "INTERNATIONAL_LAW_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "withdrew acceptance of compulsory ICJ jurisdiction in 2005; withdrew acceptance of ICCt jurisdiction in 2002", "MAJOR_URBAN_AREAS___POPULATION": "New York-Newark 18.591 million; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana 12.308 million; Dallas-Fort Worth 5.603 million; Chicago 8.739 million; Miami 5.771 million; Philadelphia 5.571 million; WASHINGTON, D.C. (capital) 4.896 million (2014)", "NATIONAL_ANTHEM": "name: :\"The Star-Spangled Banner\"; lyrics/music: :Francis Scott KEY/John Stafford SMITH; note: :adopted 1931; during the War of 1812, after witnessing the successful American defense of Fort McHenry in Baltimore following British naval bombardment, Francis Scott KEY wrote the lyrics to what would become the national anthem; the lyrics were set to the tune of \"The Anacreontic Song\"; only the first verse is sung", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 100% of population; rural: 100% of population; total: 100% of population; urban: 0% of population; rural: 0% of population; total: 0% of population (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 99.4% of population; rural: 98% of population; total: 99.2% of population; urban: 0.6% of population; rural: 2% of population; total: 0.8% of population (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$11.79 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $10.69 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$2.943 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.546 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "4 major terrestrial TV networks with affiliate stations throughout the country, plus cable and satellite networks, independent stations, and a limited public broadcasting sector that is largely supported by private grants; overall, thousands of TV stations broadcasting; multiple national radio networks with many affiliate stations; while most stations are commercial, National Public Radio (NPR) has a network of some 600 member stations; satellite radio available; overall, nearly 15,000 radio stations operating (2008)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :81.4% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :1.02% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$18.73 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $17.58 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$10.99 trillion (31 December 2008); $10.12 trillion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$1.436 trillion (31 December 2008); $1.383 trillion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "3.3% (31 December 2014 est.); 3.25% (31 December 2013 est.)", "CENTRAL_BANK_DISCOUNT_RATE": "0.5% (31 December 2010); 0.5% (31 December 2009)", "EDUCATION_EXPENDITURES": "5.4% of GDP (2010)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :16 years; male: :16 years; female: :17 years (2012)", "FRESHWATER_WITHDRAWAL__DOMESTIC_INDUSTRIAL_AGRICULTURAL_": "total: :478.4 cu km/yr (14%/46%/40%); per capita: :1,583 cu m/yr (2005)", "TOTAL_RENEWABLE_WATER_RESOURCES": "3,069 cu km (2011)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$18.67 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); $15.64 trillion (31 December 2011); $17.14 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___ABROAD": "$5.266 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $4.862 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_DIRECT_FOREIGN_INVESTMENT___AT_HOME": "$3.258 trillion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.946 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$17.42 trillion (2014 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :the US admitted 69,926 refugees during FY2013 including: 19,488 (Iraq); 16,299 (Burma); 9,134 (Bhutan); 7,608 (Somalia); 4,205 (Cuba); 2,578 (Iran); 1,824 (Eritrea)", "RESERVES_OF_FOREIGN_EXCHANGE_AND_GOLD": "$144.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.); $144.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$385.8 billion (2014 est.); -$400.3 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "71.2% of GDP (2014 est.); 72.3% of GDP (2013 est.); note: :data cover only what the United States Treasury denotes as \"Debt Held by the Public,\" which includes all debt instruments issued by the Treasury that are owned by non-US Government entities; the data include Treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by individual US states, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of Treasury borrowings from surpluses in the trusts for Federal Social Security, Federal Employees, Hospital Insurance (Medicare and Medicaid), Disability and Unemployment, and several other smaller trusts; if data for intra-government debt were added, \"Gross Debt\" would increase by about one-third of GDP", "INTERNET_HOSTS": "505 million (2012); note - the US Internet total host count includes the following top level domain host addresses: .us, .com, .edu, .gov, .mil, .net, and .org", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :37.6 years; male: :36.3 years; female: :39 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "45 (2007); 40.8 (1997)", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".us", "INTERNET_USERS": "245 million (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "310 million (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "139 million (2012)", "AREA": "total: :9,826,675 sq km; land: :9,161,966 sq km; water: :664,709 sq km; note: :includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia, no overseas territories", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "266,440 sq km (2007)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "North America", "LOCATION": "North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :United States of America; conventional short form: :United States; abbreviation: :US or USA; note: :the name America is derived from that of Amerigo VESPUCCI (1454-1512), Italian explorer, navigator, and cartographer", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "6.2% (2014 est.); 7.4% (2013 est.)", "GOVERNMENT_TYPE": "constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.01 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :a large, technologically advanced, multipurpose communications system; domestic: :a large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites carries every form of telephone traffic; a rapidly growing cellular system carries mobile telephone traffic throughout the country; international: :country code - 1; multiple ocean cable systems provide international connectivity; satellite earth stations - 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16 Pacific Ocean), 5 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4 Inmarsat (Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions) (2011)", "SUFFRAGE": "18 years of age; universal", "RELIGIONS": "Protestant 51.3%, Roman Catholic 23.9%, Mormon 1.7%, other Christian 1.6%, Jewish 1.7%, Buddhist 0.7%, Muslim 0.6%, other or unspecified 2.5%, unaffiliated 12.1%, none 4% (2007 est.)", "RAILWAYS": "total: :224,792 km; standard gauge: :224,792 km 1.435-m gauge (2007)", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "cargo ports (tonnage): :Baton Rouge, Corpus Christi, Hampton Roads, Houston, Long Beach, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Plaquemines, Tampa, Texas City; container port(s) (TEUs): :Hampton Roads (1,918,029), Houston (1,866,450), Long Beach (6,061,091), Los Angeles (7,940,511), New York/New Jersey (5,503,485), Oakland (2,342,504), Savannah (2,944,678), Seattle (2,033,535)(2011); cruise departure ports (passengers): :Miami (2,032,000), Port Everglades (1,277,000), Port Canaveral (1,189,000), Seattle (430,000), Long Beach (415,000) (2009); oil terminals: :LOOP terminal, Haymark terminal; LNG terminal(s) (import): :Cove Point (MD), Elba Island (GA), Everett (MA), Freeport (TX), Golden Pass (TX), Hackberry (LA), Lake Charles (LA), Neptune (offshore), Northeast Gateway (offshore), Pascagoula (MS), Sabine Pass (TX); LNG terminal(s) (export): :Kenai (AK)", "POPULATION": "318,892,103 (July 2014 est.)", "POLITICAL_PARTIES_AND_LEADERS": "Democratic Party [Debbie Wasserman SCHULTZ; Green Party [Brian Bittner; Libertarian Party [Nicholas SARWARK; Republican Party [Reince PRIEBUS", "PIPELINES": "natural gas 1,984,321 km; petroleum products 240,711 km (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The US has the largest and most technologically powerful economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $49,800. In this market-oriented economy, private individuals and business firms make most of the decisions, and the federal and state governments buy needed goods and services predominantly in the private marketplace. US business firms enjoy greater flexibility than their counterparts in Western Europe and Japan in decisions to expand capital plant, to lay off surplus workers, and to develop new products. At the same time, they face higher barriers to enter their rivals' home markets than foreign firms face entering US markets. US firms are at or near the forefront in technological advances, especially in computers and in medical, aerospace, and military equipment; their advantage has narrowed since the end of World War II. The onrush of technology largely explains the gradual development of a \"two-tier labor market\" in which those at the bottom lack the education and the professional/technical skills of those at the top and, more and more, fail to get comparable pay raises, health insurance coverage, and other benefits. Since 1975, practically all the gains in household income have gone to the top 20% of households. Since 1996, dividends and capital gains have grown faster than wages or any other category of after-tax income. Imported oil accounts for nearly 55% of US consumption. Crude oil prices doubled between 2001 and 2006, the year home prices peaked; higher gasoline prices ate into consumers' budgets and many individuals fell behind in their mortgage payments. Oil prices climbed another 50% between 2006 and 2008, and bank foreclosures more than doubled in the same period. Besides dampening the housing market, soaring oil prices caused a drop in the value of the dollar and a deterioration in the US merchandise trade deficit, which peaked at $840 billion in 2008. The sub-prime mortgage crisis, falling home prices, investment bank failures, tight credit, and the global economic downturn pushed the United States into a recession by mid-2008. GDP contracted until the third quarter of 2009, making this the deepest and longest downturn since the Great Depression. To help stabilize financial markets, in October 2008 the US Congress established a $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). The government used some of these funds to purchase equity in US banks and industrial corporations, much of which had been returned to the government by early 2011. In January 2009 the US Congress passed and President Barack OBAMA signed a bill providing an additional $787 billion fiscal stimulus to be used over 10 years - two-thirds on additional spending and one-third on tax cuts - to create jobs and to help the economy recover. In 2010 and 2011, the federal budget deficit reached nearly 9% of GDP. In 2012 the federal government reduced the growth of spending and the deficit shrank to 7.6% of GDP. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan required major shifts in national resources from civilian to military purposes and contributed to the growth of the budget deficit and public debt. Through 2011, the direct costs of the wars totaled nearly $900 billion, according to US government figures. US revenues from taxes and other sources are lower, as a percentage of GDP, than those of most other countries. In March 2010, President OBAMA signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a health insurance reform that was designed to extend coverage to an additional 32 million American citizens by 2016, through private health insurance for the general population and Medicaid for the impoverished. Total spending on health care - public plus private - rose from 9.0% of GDP in 1980 to 17.9% in 2010. In July 2010, the president signed the DODD-FRANK Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, a law designed to promote financial stability by protecting consumers from financial abuses, ending taxpayer bailouts of financial firms, dealing with troubled banks that are \"too big to fail,\" and improving accountability and transparency in the financial system - in particular, by requiring certain financial derivatives to be traded in markets that are subject to government regulation and oversight. In December 2012, the Federal Reserve Board (Fed) announced plans to purchase $85 billion per month of mortgage-backed and Treasury securities in an effort to hold down long-term interest rates, and to keep short term rates near zero until unemployment drops below 6.5% or inflation rises above 2.5%. In late 2013, the Fed announced that it would begin scaling back long-term bond purchases to $75 billion per month in January 2014 and reduce them further as conditions warranted; the Fed, however, would keep short-term rates near zero so long as unemployment and inflation had not crossed the previously stated thresholds. Long-term problems include stagnation of wages for lower-income families, inadequate investment in deteriorating infrastructure, rapidly rising medical and pension costs of an aging population, energy shortages, and sizable current account and budget deficits.", "POLITICAL_PRESSURE_GROUPS_AND_LEADERS": "other: :environmentalists; business groups; labor unions; churches; ethnic groups; political action committees or PACs; health groups; education groups; civic groups; youth groups; transportation groups; agricultural groups; veterans groups; women's groups; reform lobbies", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "world's third-largest country by size (after Russia and Canada) and by population (after China and India); Mt. McKinley is highest point in North America and Death Valley the lowest point on the continent", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "2.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, rare earth elements, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber, arable land; note: :the US has the world's largest coal reserves with 491 billion short tons accounting for 27% of the world's total", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :American(s); adjective: :American", "NATIONAL_HOLIDAY": "Independence Day, 4 July (1776)", "MERCHANT_MARINE": "total: :393; by type: :barge carrier 6, bulk carrier 55, cargo 51, carrier 2, chemical tanker 30, container 84, passenger 18, passenger/cargo 56, petroleum tanker 35, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 27, vehicle carrier 26; foreign-owned: :85 (Australia 1, Bermuda 5, Denmark 31, France 4, Germany 5, Malaysia 2, Norway 17, Singapore 16, UK 4); registered in other countries: :794 (Antigua and Barbuda 7, Australia 2, Bahamas 109, Belgium 1, Bermuda 26, Canada 10, Cayman Islands 57, Comoros 2, Cyprus 5, Georgia 1, Greece 8, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 44, Indonesia 2, Ireland 2, Isle of Man 1, Italy 23, Liberia 53, Malta 34, Marshall Islands 200, Netherlands 16, Norway 10, Panama 90, Portugal 4, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 18, Singapore 36, South Korea 8, Togo 1, UK 14, Vanuatu 2, unknown 6) (2010)", "INTERNATIONAL_ORGANIZATION_PARTICIPATION": "ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), ANZUS, APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CD, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CICA (observer), CP, EAPC, EAS, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAFTA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNSC (permanent), UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "territorial sea: :12 nm; contiguous zone: :24 nm; exclusive economic zone: :200 nm; continental shelf: :not specified", "MANPOWER_AVAILABLE_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :73,270,043; females age 16-49: :71,941,969 (2010 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :79.56 years; male: :77.11 years; female: :81.94 years (2014 est.)", "LEGISLATIVE_BRANCH": "description: :bicameral Congress consists of the Senate (100 seats; 2 members directly elected in each of the 50 state constituencies by simple majority vote except in Georgia and Louisiana which require an absolute majority vote with a second round if needed; members serve 6-year terms with one-third of membership renewed every 2 years) and the House of Representatives (435 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote except in Georgia which requires an absolute majority vote with a second round if needed; members serve 2-year terms); elections: :Senate - last held on 4 November 2014 (next to be held on 1 November 2016); House of Representatives - last held on 4 November 2014 (next to be held on 1 November 2016); election results: :Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 44, Republican Party 53, independent 2; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 186, Republican Party 247; note - one Senate seat and two House seats will go to a December 2014 runoff; note: :in addition to the regular members of the House of Representatives there are 6 non-voting delegates elected from the District of Columbia and the US territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands; these are single seat constituencies directly elected by simple majority vote to serve a 2-year term; the delegate can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House, but not when legislation is submitted for a �full floor� House vote; election of delegates last held on 4 November 2014 (next to be held on 1 November 2016)", "LEGAL_SYSTEM": "common law system based on English common law at the federal level; state legal systems based on common law except Louisiana, which is based on Napoleonic civil code; judicial review of legislative acts", "LANGUAGES": "English 79.2%, Spanish 12.9%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and Pacific island 3.3%, other 0.9% (2011 est.); note: :data represents the language spoken at home; the US has no official national language, but English has acquired official status in 31 of the 50 states; Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :16.96%; permanent crops: :0.28%; other: :82.76% (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :12,048 km; border countries: :Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Mexico 3,155 km; note: :US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is leased by the US and is part of Cuba; the base boundary is 28.5 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "156 million; note: :includes unemployed (2014 est.)", "JUDICIAL_BRANCH": "highest court(s): :US Supreme Court (consists of 9 justices - the chief justice and 8 associate justices); judge selection and term of office: :president nominates, and with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoints Supreme Court justices; justices appointed for life; subordinate courts: :Courts of Appeal (includes the US Court of Appeal for the Federal District and 12 regional appeals courts); 94 federal district courts in 50 states and territories; note: :the US court system consists of the federal court system and the state court systems; although each court system is responsible for hearing certain types of cases, neither is completely independent of the other, and the systems often interact", "WATERWAYS": "41,009 km (19,312 km used for commerce; Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, is shared with Canada) (2012)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "2% (2014 est.); 1.5% (2013 est.)", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :6.17 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :6.75 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :5.56 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "highly diversified, world leading, high-technology innovator, second-largest industrial output in world; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "2.8% (2014 est.)", "INDEPENDENCE": "4 July 1776 (declared); 3 September 1783 (recognized by Great Britain)", "IMPORTS": "$2.334 trillion (2014 est.); $2.295 trillion (2013 est.)", "ILLICIT_DRUGS": "world's largest consumer of cocaine (shipped from Colombia through Mexico and the Caribbean), Colombian heroin, and Mexican heroin and marijuana; major consumer of ecstasy and Mexican methamphetamine; minor consumer of high-quality Southeast Asian heroin; illicit producer of cannabis, marijuana, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and methamphetamine; money-laundering center", "ROADWAYS": "total: :6,586,610 km; paved: :4,304,715 km (includes 76,334 km of expressways); unpaved: :2,281,895 km (2012)", "FLAG_DESCRIPTION": "13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies; the blue stands for loyalty, devotion, truth, justice, and friendship; red symbolizes courage, zeal, and fervency, while white denotes purity and rectitude of conduct; commonly referred to by its nickname of Old Glory; note: :the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags, including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico", "FISCAL_YEAR": "1 October - 30 September", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$15.68 trillion (31 December 2012 est.); $15.51 trillion (31 December 2011 est.); note: :approximately 4/5ths of US external debt is denominated in US dollars; foreign lenders have been willing to hold US dollar denominated debt instruments because they view the dollar as the world's reserve currency", "EXPORTS": "$1.61 trillion (2014 est.); $1.592 trillion (2013 est.)", "EXECUTIVE_BRANCH": "chief of state: :President Barack H. OBAMA (since 20 January 2009); Vice President Joseph R. BIDEN (since 20 January 2009); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; head of government: :President Barack H. OBAMA (since 20 January 2009); Vice President Joseph R. BIDEN (since 20 January 2009); cabinet: :Cabinet appointed by the president with Senate approval; elections: :president and vice president elected on the same ticket by an electoral college of representatives who are elected directly from each state; president and vice president serve 4-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 6 November 2012 (next to be held on 8 November 2016); election results: :Barack H. OBAMA reelected president; electoral votes - Barack H. OBAMA 332, ROMNEY 206; percent of popular vote - Barack H. OBAMA 50.6%, Mitt ROMNEY 47.9%, other 1.5%", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "British pounds per US dollar: :0.6003 (2014 est), 0.6391 (2013 est.), 0.6324 (2012 est.), 0.624 (2011 est.), 0.6472 (2010; Canadian dollars per US dollar: :(2014 est.), 1.099 (2014 est.), 1.0298 (2013 est.), 0.9992 (2012 est.), 0.9895 (2011 est), 1.0302 (2010 est.); Chinese yuan per US dollar: :(2013 est.), 6.12 (2014 est.), 6.1958(2013 est.), 6.3123 (2012 est.), 6.4615 (20111 est.), 6.7703 (2010 est.); euros per US dollar: :(2012 est.), 0.7489 (2014 est.), 0.7634 (2013 est.), 0.7752 (2012 est.), 0.7185 (2011 est.), 0.755 (2010 est.); Japanese yen per US dollar: :104.50 (2014 est.), 97.44 (2013 est.), 79.79 (2012 est.), 79.81 (2011 est.), 87.78 (2010)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "white 79.96%, black 12.85%, Asian 4.43%, Amerindian and Alaska native 0.97%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.18%, two or more races 1.61% (July 2007 estimate); note: :a separate listing for Hispanic is not included because the US Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean persons of Spanish/Hispanic/Latino origin including those of Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican Republic, Spanish, and Central or South American origin living in the US who may be of any race or ethnic group (white, black, Asian, etc.); about 15.1% of the total US population is Hispanic", "DEPENDENT_AREAS": "American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake Island; note: :from 18 July 1947 until 1 October 1994, the US administered the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; it entered into a political relationship with all four political entities: the Northern Mariana Islands is a commonwealth in political union with the US (effective 3 November 1986); the Republic of the Marshall Islands signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 21 October 1986); the Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 3 November 1986); Palau concluded a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 1 October 1994)", "DEATH_RATE": "8.15 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "CONSTITUTION": "previous 1781 (Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union); latest drafted July - September 1787, submitted to the Congress of the Confederation 20 September 1787, submitted for states' ratification 28 September 1787, ratification completed by nine states 21 June 1788, effective 4 March 1789; amended many times, last in 1992 (2014)", "IMPORTS___PARTNERS": "China 19.6%, Canada 14.6%, Mexico 12.3%, Japan 6.1%, Germany 5% (2013)", "COASTLINE": "19,924 km", "CLIMATE": "mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "agricultural products 4.9%, industrial supplies 32.9% (crude oil 8.2%), capital goods 30.4% (computers, telecommunications equipment, motor vehicle parts, office machines, electric power machinery), consumer goods 31.8% (automobiles, clothing, medicines, furniture, toys) (2008 est.)", "CAPITAL": "name: :Washington, DC; geographic coordinates: :38 53 N, 77 02 W; time difference: :UTC-5 (during Standard Time); daylight saving time: :+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November; note: :the 50 United States cover six time zones", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$3.029 trillion; expenditures: :$3.52 trillion; note: :for the US, revenues exclude social contributions of approximately $1.0 trillion; expenditures exclude social benefits of approximately $2.3 trillion (2014 est.)", "MILITARY_BRANCHES": "United States Armed Forces: US Army, US Navy (includes Marine Corps), US Air Force, US Coast Guard; note - Coast Guard administered in peacetime by the Department of Homeland Security, but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navy (2013)", "BIRTH_RATE": "13.42 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "13,513 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "wheat, corn, other grains, fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish; forest products", "ADMINISTRATIVE_DIVISIONS": "50 states and 1 district*; Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia*, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming", "EXPORTS___PARTNERS": "Canada 19%, Mexico 14.3%, China 7.7%, Japan 4.1% (2013)", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "agricultural products (soybeans, fruit, corn) 9.2%, industrial supplies (organic chemicals) 26.8%, capital goods (transistors, aircraft, motor vehicle parts, computers, telecommunications equipment) 49.0%, consumer goods (automobiles, medicines) 15.0% (2008 est.)", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "farming, forestry, and fishing: :0.7%; manufacturing, extraction, transportation, and crafts: :20.3%; managerial, professional, and technical: :37.3%; sales and office: :24.2%; other services: :17.6%; note: :figures exclude the unemployed; (2009)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :2%; highest 10%: :30% (2007 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "15.1% (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_EXPENDITURES": "4.35% of GDP (2012); 4.75% of GDP (2011); 4.35% of GDP (2010)", "ENVIRONMENT___INTERNATIONAL_AGREEMENTS": "party to: :Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: :Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Hazardous Wastes", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "large emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels; air pollution resulting in acid rain in both the US and Canada; water pollution from runoff of pesticides and fertilizers; limited natural freshwater resources in much of the western part of the country require careful management; desertification", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :8,459; over 3,047 m: :1; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :6; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :140; 914 to 1,523 m: :1,552; 6,760 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :5,054; over 3,047 m: :189; 2,438 to 3,047 m: :235; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1,478; 914 to 1,523 m: :2,249; under 914 m: :903 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. The two most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65), in which a northern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11 southern slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an economic downturn during which about a quarter of the labor force lost its jobs. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation state. Since the end of World War II, the economy has achieved relatively steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :2,161,727; female: :2,055,685 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :60,620,143; females age 16-49: :59,401,941 (2010 est.)", "MILITARY_SERVICE_AGE_AND_OBLIGATION": "18 years of age (17 years of age with parental consent) for male and female voluntary service; no conscription; maximum enlistment age 42 (Army), 27 (Air Force), 34 (Navy), 28 (Marines); service obligation 8 years, including 2-5 years active duty (Army), 2 years active (Navy), 4 years active (Air Force, Marines); DoD is eliminating prohibitions restricting women from assignments in units smaller than brigades or near combat units (2013)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly larger than China; more than twice the size of the European Union", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "tsunamis; volcanoes; earthquake activity around Pacific Basin; hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts; tornadoes in the Midwest and Southeast; mud slides in California; forest fires in the west; flooding; permafrost in northern Alaska, a major impediment to development; volcanism: :volcanic activity in the Hawaiian Islands, Western Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and in the Northern Mariana Islands; both Mauna Loa (elev. 4,170 m) in Hawaii and Mount Rainier (elev. 4,392 m) in Washington have been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Pavlof (elev. 2,519 m) is the most active volcano in Alaska's Aleutian Arc and poses a significant threat to air travel since the area constitutes a major flight path between North America and East Asia; St. Helens (elev. 2,549 m), famous for the devastating 1980 eruption, remains active today; numerous other historically active volcanoes exist, mostly concentrated in the Aleutian arc and Hawaii; they include: in Alaska: Aniakchak, Augustine, Chiginagak, Fourpeaked, Iliamna, Katmai, Kupreanof, Martin, Novarupta, Redoubt, Spurr, Wrangell; in Hawaii: Trident, Ugashik-Peulik, Ukinrek Maars, Veniaminof; in the Northern Mariana Islands: Anatahan; and in the Pacific Northwest: Mount Baker, Mount Hood", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Death Valley -86 m; highest point: :Mount McKinley (Denali) 6,194 m (highest point in North America); note: :the peak of Mauna Kea (4,205 m above sea level) on the island of Hawaii rises about 10,200 m above the Pacific Ocean floor; by this measurement, it is the world's tallest mountain - higher than Mount Everest (8,850 m), which is recognized as the tallest mountain above sea level", "HELIPORTS": "5,287 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.05 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :0.97 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.77 male(s)/female; total population: :0.97 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "2,218 (2006)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 4,789, FM 8,961, shortwave 19 (2006)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :1.6%; industry: :20.7%; services: :77.7%; (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "38 00 N, 97 00 W", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :19.4% (male 31,580,349/female 30,221,106); 15-24 years: :13.7% (male 22,436,057/female 21,321,861); 25-54 years: :39.9% (male 63,452,792/female 63,671,631); 55-64 years: :12.6% (male 19,309,019/female 20,720,284); 65 years and over: :14.5% (male 20,304,644/female 25,874,360) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "West Bank", "GDP___PER_CAPITA__PPP_": "$4,900 (2012 est.); $4,400 (2011 est.); $4,100 (2010 est.); note: :includes Gaza Strip", "GDP___REAL_GROWTH_RATE": "0.5% (2014 est.); 0.5% (2013 est.); 6.1% (2012 est.); note: :includes Gaza Strip", "POPULATION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.99% (2014 est.)", "GDP__PURCHASING_POWER_PARITY_": "$20.12 billion (2014 est.); $20.02 billion (2013 est.); $19.92 billion (2012 est.); note: :data are in 2011 US dollars; includes Gaza Strip", "DEPENDENCY_RATIOS": "total dependency ratio: :74.1%; youth dependency ratio: :68.8%; elderly dependency ratio: :5.3%; potential support ratio: :19%; note: :data represents the Palestinian Territories (2014 est.)", "GROSS_NATIONAL_SAVING": "-12.3% of GDP (2014 est.); -5.6% of GDP (2013 est.); -15.2% of GDP (2012 est.)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_END_USE": "household consumption: :86.6%; government consumption: :26.6%; investment in fixed capital: :25.3%; investment in inventories: :1.8%; exports of goods and services: :20.4%; imports of goods and services: :-60.7%; (2014 est.)", "CONTRACEPTIVE_PREVALENCE_RATE": "52.5% (includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank) (2010)", "MOTHER_S_MEAN_AGE_AT_FIRST_BIRTH": "20; note: :median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2004 est.)", "CARBON_DIOXIDE_EMISSIONS_FROM_CONSUMPTION_OF_ENERGY": "3.008 million Mt (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___IMPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___EXPORTS": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___CONSUMPTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "NATURAL_GAS___PRODUCTION": "0 cu m (2012 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___IMPORTS": "16,330 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___EXPORTS": "515 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___CONSUMPTION": "23,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "REFINED_PETROLEUM_PRODUCTS___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PROVED_RESERVES": "0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___IMPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___EXPORTS": "0 bbl/day (2010 est.)", "CRUDE_OIL___PRODUCTION": "0 bbl/day (2013 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_OTHER_RENEWABLE_SOURCES": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_NUCLEAR_FUELS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_HYDROELECTRIC_PLANTS": "0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___FROM_FOSSIL_FUELS": "100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___INSTALLED_GENERATING_CAPACITY": "140,000 kW; note: :includes Gaza Strip (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___IMPORTS": "4.909 billion kWh (2012 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___EXPORTS": "0 kWh (2013)", "ELECTRICITY___CONSUMPTION": "5.12 billion kWh (2011 est.)", "ELECTRICITY___PRODUCTION": "535 million kWh (2011 est.)", "UNEMPLOYMENT__YOUTH_AGES_15_24": "total: :38.8%; male: :34.5%; female: :62.2%; note: :includes Gaza Strip (2012 est.)", "MATERNAL_MORTALITY_RATE": "64 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)", "BUDGET_SURPLUS_____OR_DEFICIT____": "-23.1% of GDP (2014 est.)", "TAXES_AND_OTHER_REVENUES": "41.3% of GDP (2014 est.)", "SANITATION_FACILITY_ACCESS": "urban: 94.8% of population; rural: 92.8% of population; total: 94.3% of population; urban: 5.2% of population; rural: 7.2% of population; total: 5.7% of population; note: :includes Gaza and the West Bank (2012 est.)", "DRINKING_WATER_SOURCE": "urban: 81.6% of population; rural: 82.3% of population; total: 81.8% of population; urban: 18.4% of population; rural: 17.7% of population; total: 18.2% of population; note: :includes Gaza and the West Bank (2012 est.)", "STOCK_OF_BROAD_MONEY": "$2.399 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $2.16 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_NARROW_MONEY": "$269.2 million (31 December 2014 est.); $220.5 million (31 December 2013 est.)", "BROADCAST_MEDIA": "the Palestinian Authority operates 1 TV and 1 radio station; about 20 private TV and 40 radio stations; both Jordanian TV and satellite TV are accessible (2013)", "URBANIZATION": "urban population: :75% of total population (2014); rate of urbanization: :2.81% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.); note: :data is for the Palestinian Territories", "STOCK_OF_DOMESTIC_CREDIT": "$1.341 billion (31 December 2014 est.); $1.168 billion (31 December 2013 est.)", "STOCK_OF_QUASI_MONEY": "$5.251 billion (31 December 2008); $3.048 billion (31 December 2007)", "STOCK_OF_MONEY": "$NA (31 December 2008); $1.574 billion (31 December 2007)", "COMMERCIAL_BANK_PRIME_LENDING_RATE": "7.5% (31 December 2014 est.); 7.5% (31 December 2013 est.)", "SCHOOL_LIFE_EXPECTANCY__PRIMARY_TO_TERTIARY_EDUCATION_": "total: :13 years; male: :13 years; female: :14 years; note: :data is for the Palestinian Territories (2012)", "MARKET_VALUE_OF_PUBLICLY_TRADED_SHARES": "$2.634 billion (31 December 2012 est.); $2.532 billion (31 December 2011); $2.45 billion (31 December 2010 est.)", "GDP__OFFICIAL_EXCHANGE_RATE_": "$6.641 billion; note: :includes Gaza Strip (2008 est.)", "REFUGEES_AND_INTERNALLY_DISPLACED_PERSONS": "refugees (country of origin): :762,288 (Palestinian refugees (UNRWA)) (2014); IDPs: :at least 232,000 (includes nearly 74,000 persons displaced within the Gaza strip as of November 2014 due to the intensification of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since June 2014 and other Palestinian IDPs in the Gaza Strip and West Bank who fled as long ago as 1967, although confirmed cumulative figures do not go back beyond 2006) (2014)", "CURRENT_ACCOUNT_BALANCE": "-$2.894 billion (2014 est.); -$2.034 billion (2013 est.)", "PUBLIC_DEBT": "41% of GDP (2013 est.); 39% of GDP (2012 est.)", "MEDIAN_AGE": "total: :22.4 years; male: :22.2 years; female: :22.5 years (2014 est.)", "DISTRIBUTION_OF_FAMILY_INCOME___GINI_INDEX": "note: :includes Gaza Strip", "HIV_AIDS___DEATHS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___PEOPLE_LIVING_WITH_HIV_AIDS": "NA", "HIV_AIDS___ADULT_PREVALENCE_RATE": "NA", "INTERNET_COUNTRY_CODE": ".ps; note - same as Gaza Strip", "INTERNET_USERS": "1.379 million (includes Gaza Strip) (2009)", "TELEPHONES___MOBILE_CELLULAR": "3.041 million (includes Gaza Strip) (2012)", "TELEPHONES___MAIN_LINES_IN_USE": "406,000 (includes Gaza Strip) (2012)", "AREA": "total: :5,860 sq km; land: :5,640 sq km; water: :220 sq km; note: :includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "240 sq km; note - includes Gaza Strip (2003)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Middle East", "LOCATION": "Middle East, west of Jordan, east of Israel", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :West Bank", "UNEMPLOYMENT_RATE": "16% (2014 est.); 18.6% (2013 est.)", "TOTAL_FERTILITY_RATE": "2.83 children born/woman (2014 est.)", "TERRAIN": "mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east", "TELEPHONE_SYSTEM": "general assessment: :continuing political and economic instability has impeded significant liberalization of the telecommunications industry; domestic: :Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed line services; PALTEL plans to establish a fiber-optic connection to Jordan to route domestic mobile calls; the Palestinian JAWWAL company and WATANIYA PALESTINE provide cellular services; international: :country code - 970; 1 international switch in Ramallah (2009)", "RELIGIONS": "1.0%; note: :the proportion of Christians continues to fall mainly as a result of the growth of the Muslim population but also because of the migration and the declining birth rate of the Christian population (2012 est.)", "POPULATION": "2,731,052 (represents Palestinian population only) (July 2014 est.); note: :approximately 356,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank; approximately 200,000 Israeli settlers live in East Jerusalem (2013)", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Economic growth in the West Bank - the larger of the two areas comprising the Palestinian territories - has slowed since 2013, in part because of a decline in donor aid and government spending . Private sector development has been weak. Despite the Palestinian Authority's (PA) successful implementation of economic and security reforms and the easing of some movement and access restrictions by the Israeli government, Israeli closure policies continue to disrupt labor and trade flows, industrial capacity, and basic commerce, constraining the productive capacity of the West Bank economy. The biggest impediments to economic improvements in the West Bank remain Palestinians' inability to access land and resources in Israeli-controlled areas, import and export restrictions, and a high-cost capital structure. The PA for the foreseeable future will continue to rely heavily on donor aid for its budgetary needs, and West Bank economic activity will depend largely on the PA's ability to attract such aid.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are about 355 Israeli civilian sites including about 145 small outpost communities in the West Bank and 32 sites in East Jerusalem (2010 est.)", "NET_MIGRATION_RATE": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "arable land", "NATIONALITY": "noun: :NA; adjective: :NA", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "none (landlocked)", "LITERACY": "definition: :age 15 and over can read and write; total population: :95.9%; male: :98.2%; female: :93.6%; notes: :estimates are for the Palestinian Territories (2012 est.)", "LIFE_EXPECTANCY_AT_BIRTH": "total population: :75.69 years; male: :73.58 years; female: :77.92 years (2014 est.)", "LANGUAGES": "Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood)", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :7.48%; permanent crops: :10.96%; other: :81.56%; note: :includes Gaza Strip (2012 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "total: :478 km; border countries: :Israel 330 km, Jordan 148 km", "LABOR_FORCE": "1.066 million (2014 est.)", "INFLATION_RATE__CONSUMER_PRICES_": "1.7% (2014 est.); 1.7% (2013 est.); note: :includes Gaza Strip", "INFANT_MORTALITY_RATE": "total: :13.49 deaths/1,000 live births; male: :15.13 deaths/1,000 live births; female: :11.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)", "INDUSTRIES": "small-scale manufacturing, quarrying, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs", "INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION_GROWTH_RATE": "1.5% (2014 est.)", "IMPORTS": "$7.674 billion (2014 est.); $6.645 billion (2013 est.); note: :data include the Gaza Strip", "ROADWAYS": "total: :4,686 km; paved: :4,686 km; note: :includes Gaza Strip (2010)", "FISCAL_YEAR": "calendar year", "DEBT___EXTERNAL": "$1.04 billion (2010 est.); $1.3 billion (2007 est.); note: :data include the Gaza Strip", "EXPORTS": "$2.107 billion (2014 est.); $2.102 billion (2013 est.); note: :includes Gaza Strip", "EXCHANGE_RATES": "new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar -; 3.908 (2013 est.); 3.611 (2013 est.); 3.86 (2012 est.); 3.5781 (2011 est.); 3.739 (2010 est.)", "ETHNIC_GROUPS": "Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17%", "DEATH_RATE": "3.51 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "COASTLINE": "0 km (landlocked)", "CLIMATE": "temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters", "IMPORTS___COMMODITIES": "food, consumer goods, construction materials, petroleum, chemicals", "BUDGET": "revenues: :$2.742 billion; expenditures: :$4.279 billion; note: :includes Palestinian Authority expenditures in the Gaza Strip (2011 est.)", "BIRTH_RATE": "23.41 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)", "AIRPORTS": "2 (2013)", "AGRICULTURE___PRODUCTS": "olives, citrus fruit, vegetables; beef, dairy products", "EXPORTS___COMMODITIES": "stone, olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone", "LABOR_FORCE___BY_OCCUPATION": "agriculture: :11.5%; industry: :34.4%; services: :54.1%; note: :includes Gaza Strip (2013 est.)", "HOUSEHOLD_INCOME_OR_CONSUMPTION_BY_PERCENTAGE_SHARE": "lowest 10%: :3.2%; highest 10%: :28.2%; note: :includes Gaza Strip (2009 est.)", "POPULATION_BELOW_POVERTY_LINE": "18% (2010 est.)", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "adequacy of freshwater supply; sewage treatment", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "From the early 16th century through 1917, the area now known as the West Bank fell under Ottoman rule. Following World War I, the Allied powers (France, UK, Russia) allocated the area to the British Mandate of Palestine. After World War II, the UN passed a resolution to establish two states within the Mandate, and designated a territory including what is now known as the West Bank as part of the proposed Arab state. Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War the area was captured by Transjordan (later renamed Jordan). Jordan annexed the West Bank in 1950. In June 1967, Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War. With the exception of East Jerusalem and the former Israeli-Jordanian border zone, the West Bank remained under Israeli military control until Israel transferred security and civilian responsibility for many Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Authority (PA) under a series of agreements signed between 1994 and 1999. Negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip stalled after the outbreak of an intifada in mid-2000. In early 2003, the \"Quartet\" of the US, EU, UN, and Russia, presented a roadmap to a final peace settlement by 2005, calling for two states - Israel and a democratic Palestine. Following Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT's death in late 2004 and the subsequent election of Mahmud ABBAS (head of the Fatah political faction) as PA president, Israel and the Palestinians agreed to move the peace process forward. Israel in late 2005 unilaterally withdrew all of its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip and redeployed its military from several West Bank settlements but continues to control maritime, airspace, and other access. In early 2006, the Islamic Resistance Movement, HAMAS, won the Palestinian Legislative Council election and took control of the PA government. Attempts to form a unity government failed, and violent clashes between Fatah and HAMAS supporters ensued, culminating in HAMAS's violent seizure of all military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip. Fatah and HAMAS have made several attempts at reconciliation, most recently signing an agreement in April 2014 following the collapse of US-brokered peace talks with Israel. The factions, however, have been unable to implement details on governance and security, and the status quo remains with HAMAS in de facto control of the Gaza Strip and the PA governing the West Bank.", "MANPOWER_REACHING_MILITARILY_SIGNIFICANT_AGE_ANNUALLY": "male: :30,925; female: :29,440 (2010 est.)", "MANPOWER_FIT_FOR_MILITARY_SERVICE": "males age 16-49: :579,248; females age 16-49: :547,782 (2010 est.)", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "slightly smaller than Delaware", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "droughts", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :Dead Sea -408 m; highest point: :Tall Asur 1,022 m", "HELIPORTS": "1 (2013)", "SEX_RATIO": "at birth: :1.06 male(s)/female; 0-14 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 15-24 years: :1.05 male(s)/female; 25-54 years: :1.06 male(s)/female; 55-64 years: :1.04 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: :0.71 male(s)/female; total population: :1.04 male(s)/female (2014 est.)", "TELEVISION_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "31 (2010)", "RADIO_BROADCAST_STATIONS": "AM 0, FM 27, shortwave 0 (2010)", "GDP___COMPOSITION__BY_SECTOR_OF_ORIGIN": "agriculture: :2.9%; industry: :23.6%; services: :73.5%; note: :includes Gaza Strip (2014 est.)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "32 00 N, 35 15 E", "AGE_STRUCTURE": "0-14 years: :33.7% (male 472,480/female 448,078); 15-24 years: :21.7% (male 303,578/female 289,119); 25-54 years: :36.4% (male 511,443/female 483,276); 55-64 years: :4.4% (male 59,762/female 59,372); 65 years and over: :3.8% (male 43,629/female 60,315) (2014 est.)" }, { "country": "Paracel Islands", "AREA": "total: :ca. 7.75 sq km; land: :ca. 7.75 sq km; water: :0 sq km", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "0 sq km (2011)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Southeast Asia", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Paracel Islands", "MILITARY___NOTE": "occupied by China", "TERRAIN": "mostly low and flat", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island", "POPULATION": "no indigenous inhabitants; note: :there are scattered Chinese garrisons", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "The islands have the potential for oil and gas development. Waters around the islands support commercial fishing, but the islands themselves are not populated on a permanent basis.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "none", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "NA", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (2014 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "COASTLINE": "518 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical", "AIRPORTS": "1 (2013)", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor, Vietnam. China has occupied all the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. China built a military installation on Woody Island with an airfield and artificial harbor. The islands also are claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "NA", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "typhoons", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :South China Sea 0 m; highest point: :unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "16 30 N, 112 00 E" }, { "country": "Spratly Islands", "AREA": "total: :less than 5 sq km; land: :less than 5 sq km; water: :0 sq km; note: :includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km (158,000 sq mi) of the central South China Sea", "IRRIGATED_LAND": "5,700 sq km (2006)", "MAP_REFERENCES": "Southeast Asia", "LOCATION": "Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines", "COUNTRY_NAME": "conventional long form: :none; conventional short form: :Spratly Islands", "MILITARY___NOTE": "Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam", "TERRAIN": "flat", "PORTS_AND_TERMINALS": "none; offshore anchorage only", "POPULATION": "no indigenous inhabitants; note: :there are scattered garrisons occupied by military personnel of several claimant states", "ECONOMY___OVERVIEW": "Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing. The proximity to nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests the potential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is largely unexplored. There are no reliable estimates of potential reserves. Commercial exploitation has yet to be developed.", "GEOGRAPHY___NOTE": "strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs", "NATURAL_RESOURCES": "fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential", "MARITIME_CLAIMS": "NA", "LAND_USE": "arable land: :0%; permanent crops: :0%; other: :100% (2014 est.)", "LAND_BOUNDARIES": "0 km", "COASTLINE": "926 km", "CLIMATE": "tropical", "AIRPORTS": "4 (2013)", "ENVIRONMENT___CURRENT_ISSUES": "NA", "AIRPORTS___WITH_UNPAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :1; 914 to 1,523 m: :1 (2013)", "AIRPORTS___WITH_PAVED_RUNWAYS": "total: :3; 914 to 1,523 m: :2; under 914 m: :1 (2013)", "BACKGROUND": "The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs. They are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and potentially by gas and oil deposits. They are claimed in their entirety by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines. About 45 islands are occupied by relatively small numbers of military forces from China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Since 1985 Brunei has claimed a continental shelf that overlaps a southern reef but has not made any formal claim to the reef. Brunei claims an exclusive economic zone over this area.", "AREA___COMPARATIVE": "NA", "NATURAL_HAZARDS": "typhoons; numerous reefs and shoals pose a serious maritime hazard", "ELEVATION_EXTREMES": "lowest point: :South China Sea 0 m; highest point: :unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m", "HELIPORTS": "3 (2013)", "GEOGRAPHIC_COORDINATES": "8 38 N, 111 55 E" }, { "country": "Binary file 2070.xml matches", "DISPUTES___INTERNATIONAL": "___no_DISPUTES - INTERNATIONAL__provided__" } ]