Labor force - by occupation: services 60%, industry 32%, agriculture 8% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues: $6.5 billion

expenditures: $7.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

Industries: petroleum, fishing, petrochemicals, construction materials, some boat building, handicrafts, pearling

Industrial production growth rate: 4% (2000)

Electricity - production: 36.7 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%

hydro: 0%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: 34.131 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: dates, vegetables, watermelons; poultry, eggs, dairy products; fish

Exports: $46 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities: crude oil 45%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates

Exports - partners: Japan 30%, India 7%, Singapore 6%, South Korea 4%, Oman, Iran (1999)

Imports: $34 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food

Imports - partners: Japan 9%, US 8%, UK 8%, Italy 6%, Germany, South Korea (1999)

Debt - external: $12.6 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $NA

Currency: Emirati dirham (AED)

Currency code: AED

Exchange rates: Emirati dirhams per US dollar - central bank mid-point rate: 3.6725 (since 1998); 3.6711 (1997), 3.6710 (1995-96)

Fiscal year: calendar year



United Arab Emirates Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 915,223 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 1 million (1999)

Telephone system: general assessment: modern system consisting of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai

domestic: microwave radio relay and coaxial cable

international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; submarine cables to Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia

Radio broadcast stations: AM 13, FM 7, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios: 820,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 15 (1997)

Televisions: 310,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .ae

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)

Internet users: 400,000 (2000)



United Arab Emirates Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways: total: 4,835 km

paved: 4,835 km

unpaved: 0 km (1998 est.)

Waterways: none

Pipelines: crude oil 830 km; natural gas, including natural gas liquids, 870 km

Ports and harbors: 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Das Island, Khawr Fakkan, Mina' Jabal 'Ali, Mina' Khalid, Mina' Rashid, Mina' Saqr, Mina' Zayid, Umm al Qaywayn

Merchant marine: total: 70 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,094,256 GRT/1,421,333 DWT

ships by type: cargo 16, chemical tanker 3, container 17, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 24, roll on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 1 (2000 est.)

Airports: 40 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 22

over 3,047 m: 8

2,438 to 3,047 m: 3

1,524 to 2,437 m: 4

914 to 1,523 m: 3

under 914 m: 4 (2000 est.)

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: 9

under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.)

Heliports: 2 (2000 est.)



United Arab Emirates Military

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, paramilitary (includes Federal Police Force)

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 778,842

note: includes non-nationals (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 420,484 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 25,482 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.6 billion (FY00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.1% (FY00)



United Arab Emirates Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: location and status of boundary with Saudi Arabia is not final, de facto boundary reflects 1974 agreement; boundary with Oman has not been bilaterally defined; northern section in the Musandam Peninsula is an administrative boundary; claims two islands in the Persian Gulf occupied by Iran: Lesser Tunb (called Tunb as Sughra in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek in Persian by Iran) and Greater Tunb (called Tunb al Kubra in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg in Persian by Iran); claims island in the Persian Gulf jointly administered with Iran (called Abu Musa in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Abu Musa in Persian by Iran) - over which Iran has taken steps to exert unilateral control since 1992, including access restrictions and a military build-up on the island; the UAE has garnered significant diplomatic support in the region in protesting these Iranian actions

Illicit drugs: growing role as heroin transshipment and money-laundering center due to its proximity to southwest Asian producing countries and the bustling free trade zone in Dubai

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@United Kingdom



United Kingdom Introduction

Background: Great Britain, the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith, 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. 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, a founding member of NATO, and of the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy; it currently is weighing the degree of its integration with continental Europe. A member of the EU, it chose to remain outside of the European Monetary Union for the time being. Constitutional reform is also a significant issue in the UK. Regional assemblies with varying degrees of power opened in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland in 1999.



United Kingdom Geography

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

Geographic coordinates: 54 00 N, 2 00 W

Map references: Europe

Area: total: 244,820 sq km

land: 241,590 sq km

water: 3,230 sq km

note: includes Rockall and Shetland Islands

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries: total: 360 km

border countries: Ireland 360 km

Coastline: 12,429 km

Maritime claims: continental shelf: as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries

exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM

territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast

Terrain: mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Fenland -4 m

highest point: Ben Nevis 1,343 m

Natural resources: coal, petroleum, natural gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, lead, silica, arable land

Land use: arable land: 25%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 46%

forests and woodland: 10%

other: 19% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 1,080 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (has meet Kyoto Protocol target of a 12.5% reduction from 1990 levels and hopes to reduce even more); small particulate emissions, largely from vehicular traffic, remain a problem; solid waste continues to rise and recycling is very limited

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, 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, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note: lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and now linked by tunnel under the English Channel; because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters



United Kingdom People

Population: 59,647,790 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.89% (male 5,778,415; female 5,486,114)

15-64 years: 65.41% (male 19,712,932; female 19,304,771)

65 years and over: 15.7% (male 3,895,921; female 5,469,637) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.23% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 11.54 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 10.35 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 5.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.82 years

male: 75.13 years

female: 80.66 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.73 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.11% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 31,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 450 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Briton(s), British (collective plural)

adjective: British

Ethnic groups: English 81.5%, Scottish 9.6%, Irish 2.4%, Welsh 1.9%, Ulster 1.8%, West Indian, Indian, Pakistani, and other 2.8%

Religions: Anglican 27 million, Roman Catholic 9 million, Muslim 1 million, Presbyterian 800,000, Methodist 760,000, Sikh 400,000, Hindu 350,000, Jewish 300,000 (1991 est.)

Languages: English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling

total population: 99% (1978 est.)

male: NA%

female: NA%



United Kingdom Government

Country name: conventional long form: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

conventional short form: United Kingdom

abbreviation: UK

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: London

Administrative divisions: England - 47 boroughs, 36 counties*, 29 London boroughs**, 12 cities and boroughs***, 10 districts****, 12 cities*****, 3 royal boroughs******; Barking and Dagenham**, Barnet**, Barnsley, Bath and North East Somerset****, Bedfordshire*, Bexley**, Birmingham***, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Bolton, Bournemouth, Bracknell Forest, Bradford***, Brent**, Brighton and Hove, City of Bristol*****, Bromley**, Buckinghamshire*, Bury, Calderdale, Cambridgeshire*, Camden**, Cheshire*, Cornwall*, Coventry***, Croydon**, Cumbria*, Darlington, Derby*****, Derbyshire*, Devon*, Doncaster, Dorset*, Dudley, Durham*, Ealing**, East Riding of Yorkshire****, East Sussex*, Enfield**, Essex*, Gateshead, Gloucestershire*, Greenwich**, Hackney**, Halton, Hammersmith and Fulham**, Hampshire*, Haringey**, Harrow**, Hartlepool, Havering**, Herefordshire*, Hertfordshire*, Hillingdon**, Hounslow**, Isle of Wight*, Islington**, Kensington and Chelsea******, Kent*, City of Kingston upon Hull*****, Kingston upon Thames******, Kirklees, Knowsley, Lambeth**, Lancashire*, Leeds***, Leicester*****, Leicestershire*, Lewisham**, Lincolnshire*, Liverpool***, City of London*****, Luton, Manchester***, Medway, Merton**, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Newcastle upon Tyne***, Newham**, Norfolk*, Northamptonshire*, North East Lincolnshire****, North Lincolnshire****, North Somerset****, North Tyneside, Northumberland*, North Yorkshire*, Nottingham*****, Nottinghamshire*, Oldham, Oxfordshire*, Peterborough*****, Plymouth*****, Poole, Portsmouth*****, Reading, Redbridge**, Redcar and Cleveland, Richmond upon Thames**, Rochdale, Rotherham, Rutland****, Salford***, Shropshire*, Sandwell, Sefton, Sheffield***, Slough, Solihull, Somerset*, Southampton*****, Southend-on-Sea, South Gloucestershire****, South Tyneside, Southwark**, Staffordshire*, St. Helens, Stockport, Stockton-on-Tees, Stoke-on-Trent*****, Suffolk*, Sunderland***, Surrey*, Sutton**, Swindon, Tameside, Telford and Wrekin****, Thurrock, Torbay, Tower Hamlets**, Trafford, Wakefield***, Walsall, Waltham Forest**, Wandsworth**, Warrington, Warwickshire*, West Berkshire****, Westminster***, West Sussex*, Wigan, Wiltshire*, Windsor and Maidenhead******, Wirral, Wokingham****, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire*, York*****; Northern Ireland - 24 districts, 2 cities*; Antrim, Ards, Armagh, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Banbridge, Belfast*, Carrickfergus, Castlereagh, Coleraine, Cookstown, Craigavon, Down, Dungannon, Fermanagh, Larne, Limavady, Lisburn, Derry*, Magherafelt, Moyle, Newry and Mourne, Newtownabbey, North Down, Omagh, Strabane; Scotland - 32 council areas; Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, The Scottish Borders, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, City of Edinburgh, 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, West Dunbartonshire, Eilean Siar (Western Isles), West Lothian; Wales - 11 county boroughs, 9 counties*, 2 cities and counties**; Isle of Anglesey*, Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff**, Ceredigion*, Carmarthenshire*, Conwy, Denbighshire*, Flintshire*, Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire*, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire*, Powys*, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Swansea**, Torfaen, The Vale of Glamorgan*, Wrexham

Dependent areas: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands

Independence: England has existed as a unified entity since the 10th century; the union between England and Wales was enacted under the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284; in the Act of Union of 1707, England and Scotland agreed to permanent union as Great Britain; the legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland was implemented in 1801, with the adoption of the name the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; the Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921 formalized a partition of Ireland; six northern Irish counties remained part of the United Kingdom as Northern Ireland and the current name of the country, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was adopted in 1927

National holiday: Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, celebrated on the second Saturday in June (1926)

Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

Legal system: common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental influences; no judicial review of Acts of Parliament; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; British courts and legislation are increasingly subject to review by European Union courts

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

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 Anthony C. L. (Tony) BLAIR (since 2 May 1997)

cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister

elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the prime minister is the leader of the majority party in the House of Commons (assuming there is no majority party, a prime minister would have a majority coalition or at least a coalition that was not rejected by the majority)

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament comprised of House of Lords (consists of approximately 500 life peers, 92 hereditary peers and 26 clergy) and House of Commons (659 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms unless the House is dissolved earlier)

elections: House of Lords - no elections (some proposals for further reform include elections); House of Commons - last held 7 June 2001 (next to be held by NA May 2006)

election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Labor 412, Conservative and Unionist 166, Liberal Democrat 52, other 29

note: in 1998 elections were held for a Northern Ireland Parliament (because of unresolved disputes among existing parties, the transfer of power from London to Northern Ireland came only at the end of 1999 and was rescinded in February 2000); in 1999 there were elections for a new Scottish Parliament and a new Welsh Assembly

Judicial branch: House of Lords (highest court of appeal; several Lords of Appeal in Ordinary are appointed by the monarch for life); Supreme Courts of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (comprising the Courts of Appeal, the High Courts of Justice, and the Crown Courts); Scotland's Court of Session and Court of the Justiciary

Political parties and leaders: Conservative and Unionist Party [William HAGUE]; Democratic Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [Rev. Ian PAISLEY]; Labor Party [Anthony (Tony) Blair]; Liberal Democrats [Charles KENNEDY]; Party of Wales (Plaid Cymru) [Ieuan Wyn JONES]; Scottish National Party or SNP [John SWINNEY]; Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland) [Gerry ADAMS]; Social Democratic and Labor Party or SDLP (Northern Ireland) [John HUME]; Ulster Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [David TRIMBLE]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; Confederation of British Industry; National Farmers' Union; Trades Union Congress

International organization participation: AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Sir Christopher J. R. MEYER

chancery: 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 588-6500

FAX: [1] (202) 588-7870

consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco

consulate(s): Dallas, Denver, Miami, Orlando (reports to Atlanta), San Juan, and Seattle

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Philip LADER

embassy: 24/31 Grosvenor Square, London, W1A1AE

mailing address: PSC 801, Box 40, FPO AE 09498-4040

telephone: [44] (0) 207499-9000 (switchboard)

FAX: [44] (171) 409-1637

consulate(s) general: Belfast, Edinburgh

Flag description: blue 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) and which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland); known as the Union Flag or 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, as well as British overseas territories



United Kingdom Economy

Economy - overview: The UK, a leading trading power and financial center, deploys an essentially capitalistic economy, one of the quartet of trillion dollar economies of Western Europe. Over the past two decades the government has greatly reduced public ownership and contained the growth of social welfare programs. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with only 1% of the labor force. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves; primary energy production accounts for 10% of GDP, one of the highest shares of any industrial nation. Services, particularly banking, insurance, and business services, account by far for the largest proportion of GDP while industry continues to decline in importance. The economy has grown steadily, at just above or below 3%, for the last several years. The BLAIR government has put off the question of participation in the euro system until after the next election, in June of 2001; Chancellor of the Exchequer BROWN has identified some key economic tests to determine whether the UK should join the common currency system, but it will largely be a political decision. A serious short-term problem is foot-and-mouth disease, which by early 2001 had broken out in nearly 600 farms and slaughterhouses and had resulted in the killing of 400,000 animals.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.36 trillion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 3% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $22,800 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.7%

industry: 24.9%

services: 73.4% (1999)

Population below poverty line: 17%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.6%

highest 10%: 27.3% (1991)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.4% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 29.2 million (1999)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 1%, industry 19%, services 80% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate: 5.5% (2000 est.)

Budget: revenues: $555.2 billion

expenditures: $510.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $37.7 billion (FY00)

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, and other consumer goods

Industrial production growth rate: 2% (2000)

Electricity - production: 342.771 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 69.38%

hydro: 1.55%

nuclear: 26.68%

other: 2.39% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: 333.012 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 265 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 14.5 billion kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, poultry; fish

Exports: $282 billion (f.o.b., 2000)

Exports - commodities: manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco

Exports - partners: EU 58% (Germany 12%, France 10%, Netherlands 8%), US 15% (1999)

Imports: $324 billion (f.o.b., 2000)

Imports - commodities: manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs

Imports - partners: EU 53% (Germany 14%, France 9%, Netherlands 7%), US 13%, Japan 5% (1999)

Debt - external: $NA

Economic aid - donor: ODA, $3.4 billion (1997)

Currency: British pound (GBP)

Currency code: GBP

Exchange rates: British pounds per US dollar - 0.6764 (January 2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March



United Kingdom Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 34.878 million (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 13 million (yearend 1998)

Telephone system: general assessment: technologically advanced domestic and international system

domestic: equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, and fiber-optic systems

international: 40 coaxial submarine cables; 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

Radio broadcast stations: AM 219, FM 431, shortwave 3 (1998)

Radios: 84.5 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 228 (plus 3,523 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions: 30.5 million (1997)

Internet country code: .uk

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 245 (2000)

Internet users: 19.47 million (2000)



United Kingdom Transportation

Railways: total: 16,878 km

broad gauge: 342 km 1.600-m gauge (190 km double track); note - all 1.600-m gauge track, of which 342 km is in common carrier use, and is in Northern Ireland

standard gauge: 16,536 km 1.435-m gauge (4,928 km electrified; 12,591 km double or multiple track) (1996)

Highways: total: 371,603 km

paved: 371,603 km (including 3,303 km of expressways)

unpaved: 0 km (1998 est.)

Waterways: 3,200 km

Pipelines: crude oil (almost all insignificant) 933 km; petroleum products 2,993 km; natural gas 12,800 km

Ports and harbors: Aberdeen, Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Dover, Falmouth, Felixstowe, Glasgow, Grangemouth, Hull, Leith, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Peterhead, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Scapa Flow, Southampton, Sullom Voe, Tees, Tyne

Merchant marine: total: 200 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,934,776 GRT/3,760,240 DWT

ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 31, chemical tanker 11, combination ore/oil 1, container 47, liquefied gas 3, passenger 14, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 52, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 19, short-sea passenger 10, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 2

note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Denmark 1 (2000 est.)

Airports: 489 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 349

over 3,047 m: 10

2,438 to 3,047 m: 33

1,524 to 2,437 m: 162

914 to 1,523 m: 89

under 914 m: 55 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 140

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 23

under 914 m: 116 (2000 est.)

Heliports: 11 (2000 est.)



United Kingdom Military

Military branches: Army, Royal Navy (includes Royal Marines), Royal Air Force

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 14,599,199 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 12,139,930 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $36.884 billion (FY97)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.7% (FY97)



United Kingdom Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: Northern Ireland issue with Ireland (historic peace agreement signed 10 April 1998); Gibraltar issue with Spain; Argentina claims Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas); Argentina claims South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; Mauritius and the Seychelles claim Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory); Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark and Iceland; territorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory) overlaps Argentine claim and partially overlaps Chilean claim; disputes with Iceland, Denmark, and Ireland over the Faroe Islands continental shelf boundary outside 200 NM

Illicit drugs: gateway country for Latin American cocaine entering the European market; major consumer of synthetic drugs, producer of limited amounts of synthetic drugs and synthetic precursor chemicals; major consumer of Southwest Asian heroin; money-laundering center

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@United States



United States Introduction

Background: The United States became the world's first modern democracy after its break with Great Britain (1776) and the adoption of a constitution (1789). During the 19th century, many 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) and the Great Depression of the 1930s. 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. The economy is marked by steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology.



United States Geography

Location: North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico

Geographic coordinates: 38 00 N, 97 00 W

Map references: North America

Area: total: 9,629,091 sq km

land: 9,158,960 sq km

water: 470,131 sq km

note: includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia

Area - comparative: about one-half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa; about one-half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly larger than China; about two and one-half times the size of Western Europe

Land boundaries: total: 12,248 km

border countries: Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Cuba 29 km (US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay), Mexico 3,326 km

note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and thus remains part of Cuba

Coastline: 19,924 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM

continental shelf: not specified

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

territorial sea: 12 NM

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

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

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Death Valley -86 m

highest point: Mount McKinley 6,194 m

Natural resources: coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber

Land use: arable land: 19%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 25%

forests and woodland: 30%

other: 26% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 207,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: tsunamis, volcanoes, and 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

Environment - current issues: air pollution resulting in acid rain in both the US and Canada; the US is the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels; water pollution from runoff of pesticides and fertilizers; very limited natural fresh water resources in much of the western part of the country require careful management; desertification

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, Nuclear Test Ban, 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

Geography - note: world's third-largest country (after Russia and Canada)



United States People

Population: 278,058,881 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 21.12% (male 30,034,674; female 28,681,253)

15-64 years: 66.27% (male 91,371,753; female 92,907,199)

65 years and over: 12.61% (male 14,608,948; female 20,455,054) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.9% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 14.2 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 8.7 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 3.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female

total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 6.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.26 years

male: 74.37 years

female: 80.05 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.06 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.61% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 850,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 20,000 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: American(s)

adjective: American

Ethnic groups: white 83.5%, black 12.4%, Asian 3.3%, Amerindian 0.8% (1992)

note: a separate listing for Hispanic is not included because the US Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean a person of Latin American descent (especially of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican origin) living in the US who may be of any race or ethnic group (white, black, Asian, etc.)

Religions: Protestant 56%, Roman Catholic 28%, Jewish 2%, other 4%, none 10% (1989)

Languages: English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable minority)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 97%

male: 97%

female: 97% (1979 est.)



United States Government

Country name: conventional long form: United States of America

conventional short form: United States

abbreviation: US or USA

Government type: federal republic; strong democratic tradition

Capital: Washington, DC

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

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, but recently entered into a new political relationship with all four political units: the Northern Mariana Islands is a commonwealth in political union with the US (effective 3 November 1986); Palau concluded a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 1 October 1994); the Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact of Free Association 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)

Independence: 4 July 1776 (from Great Britain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 4 July (1776)

Constitution: 17 September 1787, effective 4 March 1789

Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President George W. BUSH (since 20 January 2001) and Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government: President George W. BUSH (since 20 January 2001) and Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with Senate approval

elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by a college of representatives who are elected directly from each state; president and vice president serve four-year terms; election last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2004)

election results: George W. BUSH elected president; percent of popular vote - George W. BUSH (Republican Party) 48%, Albert A. GORE, Jr. (Democratic Party) 48%, Ralph NADER (Green Party) 3%, other 1%

Legislative branch: bicameral Congress consists of Senate (100 seats, one-third are renewed every two years; two members are elected from each state by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and House of Representatives (435 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 4 November 2002); House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 4 November 2002)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Republican Party 50, Democratic Party 50; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Republican Party 221, Democratic Party 211, independent 2, vacant 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (its nine justices are appointed for life by the president with confirmation by the Senate); United States Courts of Appeal; United States District Courts; State and County Courts

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party [Terence McAULIFFE, national committee chairman]; Republican Party [James S. GILMORE III, national committee chairman]; several other groups or parties of minor political significance

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, ESCAP, FAO, G-5, G-7, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MIPONUH, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTAET, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC

Flag description: thirteen 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; known as Old Glory; the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags, including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico



United States Economy

Economy - overview: The US has the largest and most technologically powerful economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $36,200. In this market-oriented economy, private individuals and business firms make most of the decisions, and government buys needed goods and services predominantly in the private marketplace. US business firms enjoy considerably greater flexibility than their counterparts in Western Europe and Japan in decisions to expand capital plant, lay off surplus workers, and develop new products. At the same time, they face higher barriers to entry in their rivals' home markets than the barriers to entry of foreign firms in US markets. US firms are at or near the forefront in technological advances, especially in computers and in medical, aerospace, and military equipment, although 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. The years 1994-2000 witnessed solid increases in real output, low inflation rates, and a drop in unemployment to below 5%. Long-term problems include inadequate investment in economic infrastructure, rapidly rising medical costs of an aging population, sizable trade deficits, and stagnation of family income in the lower economic groups. Growth weakened in the fourth quarter of 2000; growth for the year 2001 almost certainly will be substantially lower than the strong 5% of 2000. The outlook for 2001 is further clouded by the continued economic problems of Japan, Russia, Indonesia, Brazil, and many other countries.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $9.963 trillion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 5% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $36,200 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2%

industry: 18%

services: 80% (1999)

Population below poverty line: 12.7% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.8%

highest 10%: 30.5% (1997)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.4% (2000)

Labor force: 140.9 million (includes unemployed) (2000)

Labor force - by occupation: managerial and professional 30.2%, technical, sales and administrative support 29.2%, services 13.5%, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and crafts 24.6%, farming, forestry, and fishing 2.5% (2000)

note: figures exclude the unemployed

Unemployment rate: 4% (2000)

Budget: revenues: $1.828 trillion

expenditures: $1.703 trillion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999)

Industries: leading industrial power in the world, highly diversified and technologically advanced; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining

Industrial production growth rate: 5.6% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production: 3.678 trillion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 69.64%

hydro: 8.31%

nuclear: 19.8%

other: 2.25% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: 3.45 trillion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 14 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 43 billion kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: wheat, other grains, corn, fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; forest products; fish

Exports: $776 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities: capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and raw materials, consumer goods, agricultural products

Exports - partners: Canada 23%, Mexico 14%, Japan 8%, UK 5%, Germany 4%, France, Netherlands (2000)

Imports: $1.223 trillion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: crude oil and refined petroleum products, machinery, automobiles, consumer goods, industrial raw materials, food and beverages

Imports - partners: Canada 19%, Japan 11%, Mexico 11%, China 8%, Germany 5%, UK, Taiwan (2000)

Debt - external: $862 billion (1995 est.)

Economic aid - donor: ODA, $6.9 billion (1997)

Currency: US dollar (USD)

Currency code: USD

Exchange rates: British pounds per US dollar - 0.6764 (January 2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996); Canadian dollars per US dollar - 1.5032 (January 2001), 1.4851 (2000), 1.4857 (1999), 1.4835 (1998), 1.3846 (1997), 1.3635 (1996); French francs per US dollar - 5.65 (January 1999), 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994); Italian lire per US dollar - 1,668.7 (January 1999), 1,763.2 (1998), 1,703.1 (1997), 1,542.9 (1996), 1,628.9 (1995), 1,612.4 (1994); Japanese yen per US dollar - 117.10 (January 2001), 107.77 (2000), 113.91 (1999), 130.91 (1998), 120.99 (1997), 108.78 (1996); German deutsche marks per US dollar - 1.69 (January 1999), 1.9692 (1998), 1.7341 (1997), 1.5048 (1996), 1.4331 (1995), 1.6228 (1994); euros per US dollar - 1.06594 (January 2001), 1.08540 (2000), 0.93863 (1999)

note: financial institutions in France, Italy, and Germany and eight other European countries started using the euro on 1 January 1999 with the euro replacing the local currency in consenting countries for all transactions in 2002

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September



United States Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 194 million (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 69.209 million (1998)

Telephone system: general assessment: a very 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: 24 ocean cable systems in use; 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) (2000)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 4,762, FM 5,542, shortwave 18 (1998)

Radios: 575 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: more than 1,500 (including nearly 1,000 stations affiliated with the five major networks - NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, and PBS; in addition, there are about 9,000 cable TV systems) (1997)

Televisions: 219 million (1997)

Internet country code: .us

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 7,800 (2000 est.)

Internet users: 148 million (2000)



United States Transportation

Railways: total: 225,750 km mainline routes

standard gauge: 225,750 km 1.435-m gauge (1999)

Highways: total: 6,370,031 km

paved: 5,733,028 km (including 74,091 km of expressways)

unpaved: 637,003 km (1997)

Waterways: 41,009 km

note: navigable inland channels, exclusive of the Great Lakes

Pipelines: petroleum products 276,000 km; natural gas 331,000 km (1991)

Ports and harbors: Anchorage, Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, Chicago, Duluth, Hampton Roads, Honolulu, Houston, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Port Canaveral, Portland (Oregon), Prudhoe Bay, San Francisco, Savannah, Seattle, Tampa, Toledo

Merchant marine: total: 376 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 10,814,622 GRT/14,416,517 DWT

ships by type: barge carrier 9, bulk 68, cargo 29, chemical tanker 13, combination bulk 3, container 80, liquefied gas 1, multi-functional large-load carrier 3, passenger 9, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 98, roll on/roll off 49, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 9 (2000 est.)

Airports: 14,720 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 5,174

over 3,047 m: 182

2,438 to 3,047 m: 220

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1,331

914 to 1,523 m: 2,440

under 914 m: 1,001 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 9,546

over 3,047 m: 3

2,438 to 3,047 m: 6

1,524 to 2,437 m: 164

914 to 1,523 m: 1,675

under 914 m: 7,698 (2000 est.)

Heliports: 131 (2000 est.)



United States Military

Military branches: Department of the Army, Department of the Navy (includes Marine Corps), Department of the Air Force

note: the Coast Guard is normally subordinate to the Department of Transportation, but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navy

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 70,819,436 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: NA

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 2,039,414 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $276.7 billion (FY99 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.2% (FY99 est.)



United States Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: maritime boundary disputes with Canada (Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Machias Seal Island); US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased from Cuba and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease; Haiti claims Navassa Island; US has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other nation; Marshall Islands claims Wake Island

Illicit drugs: consumer of cocaine shipped from Colombia through Mexico and the Caribbean; consumer of heroin, marijuana, and increasingly methamphetamine from Mexico; consumer of high-quality Southeast Asian heroin; illicit producer of cannabis, marijuana, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and methamphetamine; money-laundering center

======================================================================

@Uruguay



Uruguay Introduction

Background: A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement, the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to agree to military control of his administration in 1973. By the end of the year the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold throughout the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.



Uruguay Geography

Location: Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil

Geographic coordinates: 33 00 S, 56 00 W

Map references: South America

Area: total: 176,220 sq km

land: 173,620 sq km

water: 2,600 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than the state of Washington

Land boundaries: total: 1,564 km

border countries: Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km

Coastline: 660 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown

Terrain: mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point: Cerro Catedral 514 m

Natural resources: arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries

Land use: arable land: 7%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 77%

forests and woodland: 6%

other: 10% (1997 est.)

Irrigated land: 7,700 sq km (1997 est.)

Natural hazards: seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind which 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 in weather fronts

Environment - current issues: water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal

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 Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban



Uruguay People

Population: 3,360,105 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 24.39% (male 419,932; female 399,605)

15-64 years: 62.61% (male 1,038,785; female 1,064,891)

65 years and over: 13% (male 180,130; female 256,762) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.78% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 17.36 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 9.03 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female

total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 14.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.44 years

male: 72.11 years

female: 78.96 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.36 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.33% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 6,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 150 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Uruguayan(s)

adjective: Uruguayan

Ethnic groups: white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian, practically nonexistent

Religions: Roman Catholic 66% (less than one-half of the adult population attends church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, nonprofessing or other 31%

Languages: Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 97.3%

male: 96.9%

female: 97.7% (1995 est.)



Uruguay Government

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

Government type: constitutional republic

Capital: Montevideo

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

Independence: 25 August 1825 (from Brazil)

National holiday: Independence Day, 25 August (1825)

Constitution: 27 November 1966, effective February 1967, suspended 27 June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980; two constitutional reforms approved by plebiscite 26 November 1989 and 7 January 1997

Legal system: based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch: chief of state: President Jorge BATLLE (since 1 March 2000) and Vice President Luis HIERRO (since 1 March 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government: President Jorge BATLLE (since 1 March 2000) and Vice President Luis HIERRO (since 1 March 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

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; election last held 31 October 1999 with run-off election on 28 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

election results: Jorge BATLLE elected president; percent of vote - Jorge BATLLE 52% in a runoff against Tabare VAZQUEZ 44%

Legislative branch: bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (30 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and Chamber of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 31 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004); Chamber of Representatives - last held 31 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Encuentro Progresista 12, Colorado Party 10, Blanco 7, New Sector/Space Coalition 1; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Encuentro Progresista 40, Colorado Party 33, Blanco 22, New Sector/Space Coalition 4

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and elected for 10-year terms by the General Assembly)

Political parties and leaders: Colorado Party [Jorge BATLLE]; National Party or Blanco [Alberto VOLONTE]; New Sector/Space Coalition or Nuevo Espacio [Rafael MICHELINI]; Progressive Encounter in the Broad Front or Encuentro Progresista [Tabare VAZQUEZ]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMOGIP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNTAET, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Hugo FERNANDEZ Faingold

chancery: 2715 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007

telephone: [1] (202) 331-1313 through 1316

FAX: [1] (202) 331-8142

consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Christopher C. ASHBY

embassy: Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo 11100

mailing address: APO AA 34035

telephone: [598] (2) 408-777, 203-6061

FAX: [598] (2) 48 86 11

Flag description: nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating with blue; there is a white square in the upper hoist-side corner with a yellow sun bearing a human face known as the Sun of May and 16 rays alternately triangular and wavy



Uruguay Economy

Economy - overview: Uruguay's economy is characterized by an export-oriented agricultural sector, a well-educated workforce, relatively even income distribution, and high levels of social spending. After averaging growth of 5% annually in 1996-98, in 1999-2000 the economy suffered from lower demand in Argentina and Brazil, which together account for about half of Uruguay's exports. Despite the severity of the trade shocks, Uruguay's financial indicators remained more stable than those of its neighbors, a reflection of its solid reputation among investors and its investment-grade sovereign bond rating - one of only two in Latin America. Challenges for the government of President Jorge BATLLE include expanding Uruguay's trade ties beyond its MERCOSUR trade partners and reducing the costs of public services. GDP fell by 1.1% in 2000 and will grow by perhaps 1.5% in 2001.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $31 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: -1.1% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $9,300 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 10%

industry: 28%

services: 62% (1999)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.8% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 1.5 million (1999 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

Unemployment rate: 14% (2000 est.)

Budget: revenues: $4 billion

expenditures: $4.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $500 million (2000 est.)

Industries: food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages

Industrial production growth rate: -2.1% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production: 5.704 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 3.86%

hydro: 95.44%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0.7% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: 5.89 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 215 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 800 million kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: wheat, rice, barley, corn, sorghum; livestock; fish

Exports: $2.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities: meat, rice, leather products, vehicles, dairy products, wool, electricity

Exports - partners: MERCOSUR partners 45%, EU 20%, US 7% (1999 est.)

Imports: $3.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: road vehicles, electrical machinery, metal manufactures, heavy industrial machinery, crude petroleum

Imports - partners: MERCOSUR partners 43%, EU 20%, US 11% (1999 est.)

Debt - external: $8 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $NA

Currency: Uruguayan peso (UYU)

Currency code: UYU

Exchange rates: Uruguayan pesos per US dollar - 12.5610 (January 2001), 12.0996 (2000), 11.3393 (1999), 10.4719 (1998), 9.4418 (1997), 7.9718 (1996)

Fiscal year: calendar year



Uruguay Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 850,000 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 300,000 (2000)

Telephone system: general assessment: some modern facilities

domestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new nationwide microwave radio relay network

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 94, FM 115, shortwave 14 (seven are inactive) (1998)

Radios: 1.97 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 26 (plus ten low-power repeaters for the Montevideo station) (1997)

Televisions: 782,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .uy

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 7 (2000)

Internet users: 300,000 (2000)



Uruguay Transportation

Railways: total: 2,073 km

standard gauge: 2,073 km 1.435-m gauge (2000)

Highways: total: 8,983 km

paved: 8,085 km

unpaved: 898 km (1999)

Waterways: 1,600 km ( used by coastal and shallow-draft river craft)

Ports and harbors: Fray Bentos, Montevideo, Nueva Palmira, Paysandu, Punta del Este, Colonia, Piriapolis

Merchant marine: total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,752 GRT/5,228 DWT

ships by type: petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2000 est.)

Airports: 64 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 15

2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 5

914 to 1,523 m: 8

under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 49

1,524 to 2,437 m: 2

914 to 1,523 m: 16

under 914 m: 31 (2000 est.)



Uruguay Military

Military branches: Army, Navy (includes Naval Air Arm, Coast Guard, Marines), Air Force, Police (Coracero Guard, Grenadier Guard)

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 817,535 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 661,777 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $172 million (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.9% (FY98)



Uruguay Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none

======================================================================

@Uzbekistan



Uzbekistan Introduction

Background: Russia conquered Uzbekistan in the late 19th century. Stiff resistance to the Red Army after World War I was eventually suppressed and a socialist republic set up in 1925. 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 poisoned and the Aral Sea and certain rivers half dry. Independent since 1991, the country seeks to gradually lessen its dependence on agriculture while developing its mineral and petroleum reserves. Current concerns include insurgency by Islamic militants based in Tajikistan and Afghanistan, a non-convertible currency, and the curtailment of human rights and democratization.



Uzbekistan Geography

Location: Central Asia, north of Afghanistan

Geographic coordinates: 41 00 N, 64 00 E

Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States

Area: total: 447,400 sq km

land: 425,400 sq km

water: 22,000 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly larger than California

Land boundaries: total: 6,221 km

border countries: Afghanistan 137 km, Kazakhstan 2,203 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,099 km, Tajikistan 1,161 km, Turkmenistan 1,621 km

Coastline: 0 km; note - Uzbekistan includes the southern portion of the Aral Sea with a 420 km shoreline

Maritime claims: none (doubly landlocked)

Climate: mostly midlatitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid grassland in east

Terrain: mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes; broad, flat intensely irrigated river valleys along course of Amu Darya, Sirdaryo (Syr Darya), and Zarafshon; Fergana Valley in east surrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan; shrinking Aral Sea in west

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Sariqarnish Kuli -12 m

highest point: Adelunga Toghi 4,301 m

Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver, copper, lead and zinc, tungsten, molybdenum

Land use: arable land: 9%

permanent crops: 1%

permanent pastures: 46%

forests and woodland: 3%

other: 41% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 40,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: drying up of the Aral Sea is resulting in growing concentrations of chemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then blown from the increasingly exposed lake bed and contribute to desertification; 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 agricultural chemicals, including DDT

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: along with Liechtenstein, one of the only two doubly landlocked countries in the world



Uzbekistan People

Population: 25,155,064 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 36.32% (male 4,646,341; female 4,489,265)

15-64 years: 59.06% (male 7,351,908; female 7,504,626)

65 years and over: 4.62% (male 466,029; female 696,895) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.6% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 26.1 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female

total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 71.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 63.81 years

male: 60.24 years

female: 67.56 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.06 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.01% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: less than 100 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Uzbekistani(s)

adjective: Uzbekistani

Ethnic groups: Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 est.)

Religions: Muslim 88% (mostly Sunnis), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%

Languages: Uzbek 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99%

male: 99%

female: 99% (yearend 1996)



Uzbekistan Government

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Uzbekistan

conventional short form: Uzbekistan

local long form: Uzbekiston Respublikasi

local short form: none

former: Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type: republic; effectively authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch

Capital: Tashkent (Toshkent)

Administrative divisions: 12 wiloyatlar (singular - wiloyat), 1 autonomous republic* (respublikasi), and 1 city** (shahri); Andijon Wiloyati, Bukhoro Wiloyati, Farghona Wiloyati, Jizzakh Wiloyati, Khorazm Wiloyati (Urganch), Namangan Wiloyati, Nawoiy Wiloyati, Qashqadaryo Wiloyati (Qarshi), Qoraqalpoghiston* (Nukus), Samarqand Wiloyati, Sirdaryo Wiloyati (Guliston), Surkhondaryo Wiloyati (Termiz), Toshkent Shahri**, Toshkent Wiloyati

note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)

Independence: 1 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day, 1 September (1991)

Constitution: new constitution adopted 8 December 1992

Legal system: evolution of Soviet civil law; still lacks independent judicial system

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Islom KARIMOV (since 24 March 1990, when he was elected president by the then Supreme Soviet)

head of government: Prime Minister Otkir SULTONOV (since 21 December 1995)

cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president with approval of the Supreme Assembly

elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 9 January 2000 (next to be held NA January 2005); note - extension of President KARIMOV's original term for an additional five years overwhelmingly approved - 99.6% of total vote in favor - by national referendum held 27 March 1995; prime minister and deputy ministers appointed by the president

election results: Islom KARIMOV reelected president; percent of vote - Islom KARIMOV 91.9%, Abdulkhafiz DZHALALOV 4.2%

Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme Assembly or Oliy Majlis (250 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 5 December and 19 December 1999 (next to be held NA December 2004)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NDP 48, Self-Sacrificers Party 34, Fatherland Progress Party 20, Adolat Social Democratic Party 11, MTP 10, citizens' groups 16, local government 110, vacant 1

note: not all seats in the last Supreme Assembly election were contested; all parties in the Supreme Assembly support President KARIMOV

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Supreme Assembly)

Political parties and leaders: Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic Party [Anwar JURABAYEV, first secretary]; Democratic National Rebirth Party (Milly Tiklanish) or MTP [Aziz KAYUMOV, chairman]; Fatherland Progress Party [Anwar Z. YOLDASHEV]; People's Democratic Party or NDP (formerly Communist Party) [Abdulkhafiz JALOLOV, first secretary]; Self-Sacrificers Party or Fidokorlar National Democratic Party [Ahtam TURSUNOV, first secretary]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Birlik (Unity) Movement [Abdurakhim PULAT, chairman]; Erk (Freedom) Democratic Party [Muhammad SOLIH, chairman] was banned 9 December 1992; Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan [Abdumanob PULAT, chairman]; Independent Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan [Mikhail ARDZINOV, chairman]

International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Shavkat HAMRAKULOV

chancery: 1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone: [1] (202) 887-5300

FAX: [1] (202) 293-6804

consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador John Edward HERBST

embassy: 82 Chilanzarskaya, Tashkent 700115

mailing address: use embassy street address; US Embassy Tashkent, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7110

telephone: [998] (71) 120-5444

FAX: [998] (71) 120-6335

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and green separated by red fimbriations with a white crescent moon and 12 white stars in the upper hoist-side quadrant



Uzbekistan Economy

Economy - overview: Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country of which 10% consists of intensely cultivated, irrigated river valleys. More than 60% of its population lives in densely populated rural communities. Uzbekistan is now the world's third largest cotton exporter, a large producer of gold and oil, and a regionally significant producer of chemicals and machinery. Following independence in December 1991, the government sought to prop up its Soviet-style command economy with subsidies and tight controls on production and prices. Faced with high rates of inflation, however, the government began to reform in mid-1994, by introducing tighter monetary policies, expanding privatization, slightly reducing the role of the state in the economy, and improving the environment for foreign investors. The state continues to be a dominating influence in the economy and has so far failed to bring about much-needed structural changes. The IMF suspended Uzbekistan's $185 million standby arrangement in late 1996 because of governmental steps that made impossible fulfillment of Fund conditions. Uzbekistan has responded to the negative external conditions generated by the Asian and Russian financial crises by tightening export and currency controls within its already largely closed economy. Economic policies that have repelled foreign investment are a major factor in the economy's stagnation. A growing debt burden, persistent inflation, and a poor business climate led to stagnant growth in 2000, with little improvement predicted for 2001.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $60 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 2.1% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,400 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 28%

industry: 21%

services: 51% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.1%

highest 10%: 25.2% (1993)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 40% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 11.9 million (1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 44%, industry 20%, services 36% (1995)

Unemployment rate: 10% plus another 20% underemployed (1999 est.)

Budget: revenues: $4 billion

expenditures: $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)

Industries: textiles, food processing, machine building, metallurgy, natural gas, chemicals

Industrial production growth rate: 6.4% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production: 42.876 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 86.4%

hydro: 13.6%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: 43.455 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 3.92 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 7.5 billion kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: cotton, vegetables, fruits, grain; livestock

Exports: $2.9 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities: cotton, gold, natural gas, mineral fertilizers, ferrous metals, textiles, food products, automobiles

Exports - partners: Russia 13%, Switzerland 10%, UK 10%, Belgium 3%, Kazakhstan 4%, Tajikistan 4% (1999)

Imports: $2.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals; foodstuffs

Imports - partners: Russia 14%, South Korea 14%, Germany 11%, US 8%, Turkey 4%, Kazakhstan 4% (1999)

Debt - external: $3.3 billion (1999 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $276.6 million (1995)

Currency: Uzbekistani sum (UZS)

Currency code: UZS

Exchange rates: Uzbekistani sums per US dollar - 325.0 (January 2001), 141.4 (January 2000), 111.9 (February 1999), 110.95 (December 1998), 75.8 (September 1997), 41.1 (1996)

Fiscal year: calendar year



Uzbekistan Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 1.98 million (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 26,000 (1998)

Telephone system: general assessment: antiquated and inadequate; in serious need of modernization

domestic: the domestic telephone system is being expanded and technologically improved, particularly in Tashkent and Samarqand, under contracts with prominent companies in industrialized countries; moreover, by 1998, six cellular networks had been placed in operation - four of the GSM type (Global System for Mobile Communication), one D-AMPS type (Digital Advanced Mobile Phone System), and one AMPS type (Advanced Mobile Phone System)

international: linked by landline or microwave radio relay with CIS member states and to other countries by leased connection via the Moscow international gateway switch; after the completion of the Uzbek link to the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable, Uzbekistan will be independent of Russian facilities for international communications; Inmarsat also provides an international connection, albeit an expensive one; satellite earth stations - NA (1998)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 20, FM 7, shortwave 10 (1998)

Radios: 10.8 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 4 (plus two repeaters that relay Russian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Tadzhik programs) (1997)

Televisions: 6.4 million (1997)

Internet country code: .uz

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 42 (2000)

Internet users: 7,500 (2000)



Uzbekistan Transportation

Railways: total: 3,380 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines

broad gauge: 3,380 km 1.520-m gauge (300 km electrified) (1993)

Highways: total: 81,600 km

paved: 71,237 km (these roads are said to be hard-surfaced, and include, in addition to conventionally paved roads, some that are surfaced with gravel or other coarse aggregate, making them trafficable in all weather)

unpaved: 10,363 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1996)

Waterways: 1,100 km (1990)

Pipelines: crude oil 250 km; petroleum products 40 km; natural gas 810 km (1992)

Ports and harbors: Termiz (Amu Darya river)

Airports: 267 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 10

over 3,047 m: 3

2,438 to 3,047 m: 5

under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 257

over 3,047 m: 3

2,438 to 3,047 m: 8

1,524 to 2,437 m: 11

914 to 1,523 m: 13

under 914 m: 222



Uzbekistan Military

Military branches: Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 6,550,587 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 5,318,418 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 274,602 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $200 million (FY97)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2% (FY97)



Uzbekistan Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: occasional target of Islamic insurgents based in Tajikistan and Afghanistan

Illicit drugs: limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and very small amounts of opium poppy, mostly for domestic consumption, almost entirely eradicated by an effective government eradication program; increasingly used as transshipment point for illicit drugs from Afghanistan to Russia and Western Europe and for acetic anhydride destined for Afghanistan

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@Vanuatu



Vanuatu Introduction

Background: 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.



Vanuatu Geography

Location: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Geographic coordinates: 16 00 S, 167 00 E

Map references: Oceania

Area: total: 12,200 sq km

land: 12,200 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: includes more than 80 islands

Area - comparative: slightly larger than Connecticut

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 2,528 km

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines

contiguous zone: 24 NM

continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds

Terrain: mostly mountains of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

highest point: Tabwemasana 1,877 m

Natural resources: manganese, hardwood forests, fish

Land use: arable land: 2%

permanent crops: 10%

permanent pastures: 2%

forests and woodland: 75%

other: 11% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanism causes minor earthquakes

Environment - current issues: a majority of the population does not have access to a potable and reliable supply of water; deforestation

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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



Vanuatu People

Population: 192,910 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 36.35% (male 35,822; female 34,299)

15-64 years: 60.43% (male 59,764; female 56,808)

65 years and over: 3.22% (male 3,348; female 2,869) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.7% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 25.4 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 8.38 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 1.17 male(s)/female

total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 61.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 60.95 years

male: 59.58 years

female: 62.39 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.19 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural)

adjective: Ni-Vanuatu

Ethnic groups: indigenous Melanesian 94%, French 4%, Vietnamese, Chinese, Pacific Islanders

Religions: Presbyterian 36.7%, Anglican 15%, Roman Catholic 15%, indigenous beliefs 7.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.2%, Church of Christ 3.8%, other 15.7%

Languages: English (official), French (official), pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 53%

male: 57%

female: 48% (1979 est.)



Vanuatu Government

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Vanuatu

conventional short form: Vanuatu

former: New Hebrides

Government type: republic

Capital: Port-Vila

Administrative divisions: 6 provinces; Malampa, Penama, Sanma, Shefa, Tafea, Torba

Independence: 30 July 1980 (from France and UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 30 July (1980)

Constitution: 30 July 1980

Legal system: unified system being created from former dual French and British systems

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Father John BANI (since 25 March 1999)

head of government: Prime Minister Edward NATAPEI (since 16 April 2001); Deputy Prime Minister Serge VOHOR (since 16 April 2001)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, responsible to Parliament

elections: president elected for a four-year term by an electoral college consisting of Parliament and the presidents of the regional councils for a five-year term; election for president last held 25 March 1999 (next to be held NA 2003); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by Parliament from among its members; election for prime minister last held 16 April 2001 (next to be held NA 2002)

election results: Father John BANI elected president; percent of electoral college vote - NA%; Edward NATAPEI elected prime minister by Parliament with a total of 27 out of 52 votes

note: the government of Prime Minister Barak SOPE was ousted in a no confidence vote on 14 April 2001 and Edward NATAPEI was elected the new prime minister by Parliament

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (52 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 6 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2002)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - VP 18, UMP 12, NUP 11, other and independent 11; note - political party associations are fluid; there have been four changes of government since the November 1995 elections

note: the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of custom and land

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the opposition, three other justices are appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission)

Political parties and leaders: Melanesian Progressive Party or MPP [Barak SOPE]; National United Party or NUP [Willie TITONGOA]; Union of Moderate Parties or UMP [Serge VOHOR]; Vanuaaku Party (Our Land Party) or VP [Edward NATAPEI]; Vanuatu Republican Party [Maxime Carlot KORMAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, NAM, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNTAET, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US: Vanuatu does not have an embassy in the US, it does, however, have a Permanent Mission to the UN

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Vanuatu; the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu

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 leaves, all in yellow



Vanuatu Economy

Economy - overview: The economy is based primarily on subsistence or small-scale agriculture which provides a living for 65% of the population. Fishing, offshore financial services, and tourism, with about 50,000 visitors in 1997, 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. The most recent natural disaster, a severe earthquake in November 1999 followed by a tsunami, caused extensive damage to the northern island of Pentecote and left thousands homeless. GDP growth has risen less than 3% on average in the 1990s. In response to foreign concerns, the government is moving to tighten regulation of its offshore financial center.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $245 million (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: -2.5% (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,300 (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 20%

industry: 9%

services: 71% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (1999 est.)

Labor force: NA

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 65%, services 32%, industry 3% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues: $94.4 million

expenditures: $99.8 million, including capital expenditures of $30.4 million (1996 est.)

Industries: food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning

Industrial production growth rate: 1% (1997 est.)

Electricity - production: 35 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%

hydro: 0%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: 32.6 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: copra, coconuts, cocoa, coffee, taro, yams, coconuts, fruits, vegetables; fish, beef

Exports: $25.3 million (f.o.b., 1999)

Exports - commodities: copra, kava, beef, cocoa, timber, coffee

Exports - partners: Japan 32%, Germany 14%, Spain 8%, New Caledonia 7%, Australia 2% (1997 est.)

Imports: $77.2 million (f.o.b., 1999)

Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, fuels

Imports - partners: Japan 52%, Australia 20%, New Caledonia, Singapore, New Zealand, France, Fiji (1997 est.)

Debt - external: $48 million (1997 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $45.8 million (1995)

Currency: vatu (VUV)

Currency code: VUV

Exchange rates: vatu per US dollar - 143.95 (December 2000), 137.82 (2000), 129.08 (1999), 127.52 (1998), 115.87 (1997), 111.72 (1996)

Fiscal year: calendar year



Vanuatu Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 4,000 (1996)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 154 (1996)

Telephone system: general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios: 62,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)

Televisions: 2,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .vu

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)

Internet users: 3,000 (2000)



Vanuatu Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways: total: 1,070 km

paved: 256 km

unpaved: 814 km (1996)

Waterways: none

Ports and harbors: Forari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo)

Merchant marine: total: 54 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,067,384 GRT/1,330,543 DWT

ships by type: bulk 23, cargo 7, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 2, container 1, liquefied gas 3, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 7, vehicle carrier 6

note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Australia 2, Canada 1, China 1, France 1, Greece 1, Hong Kong 1, Japan 22, Netherlands 1, Norway 1, Switzerland 1, US 4 (2000 est.)

Airports: 32 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 2

2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 30

1,524 to 2,437 m: 2

914 to 1,523 m: 11

under 914 m: 17 (2000 est.)



Vanuatu Military

Military branches: no regular military forces; Vanuatu Police Force (VPF; includes the paramilitary Vanuatu Mobile Force or VMF)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%



Vanuatu Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: claims Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia

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@Venezuela



Venezuela Introduction

Background: Venezuela was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Colombia and Ecuador). 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. Current concerns include: drug-related conflicts along the Colombian border, increasing internal drug consumption, overdependence on the petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, and irresponsible mining operations that are endangering the rain forest and indigenous peoples.



Venezuela Geography

Location: Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana

Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 66 00 W

Map references: South America, Central America and the Caribbean

Area: total: 912,050 sq km

land: 882,050 sq km

water: 30,000 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of California

Land boundaries: total: 4,993 km

border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km

Coastline: 2,800 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 15 NM

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Terrain: Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds

Land use: arable land: 4%

permanent crops: 1%

permanent pastures: 20%

forests and woodland: 34%

other: 41% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 1,900 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts

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

Environment - international agreements: party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping

Geography - note: on major sea and air routes linking North and South America



Venezuela People

Population: 23,916,810 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 32.11% (male 3,962,517; female 3,716,880)

15-64 years: 63.17% (male 7,581,589; female 7,526,467)

65 years and over: 4.72% (male 515,687; female 613,670) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.56% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 20.65 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 4.92 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female

total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 25.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.31 years

male: 70.29 years

female: 76.56 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.46 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.49% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 62,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 2,000 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Venezuelan(s)

adjective: Venezuelan

Ethnic groups: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous people

Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2%

Languages: Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 91.1%

male: 91.8%

female: 90.3% (1995 est.)



Venezuela Government

Country name: conventional long form: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

conventional short form: Venezuela

local long form: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela

local short form: Venezuela

Government type: federal republic

Capital: Caracas

Administrative divisions: 23 states (estados, singular - estado),1 federal district* (distrito federal), and 1 federal dependency** (dependencia federal); Amazonas, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales**, Distrito Federal*, 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