Chapter XVIII: Front Matter (18)

Economy - overview:
The Dominican Republic's economy experienced dramatic growth over
the last decade, even though the economy was hit hard by Hurricane
Georges in 1998. Although the country has long been viewed primarily
as an exporter of sugar, coffee, and tobacco, in recent years the
service sector has overtaken agriculture as the economy's largest
employer, due to growth in tourism and free trade zones. The country
suffers from marked income inequality; the poorest half of the
population receives less than one-fifth of GNP, while the richest
10% enjoy nearly 40% of national income. Growth probably will slow
in 2003 with reduced tourism and expected low growth in the US
economy, the source of 87% of export revenues.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $53.78 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.1% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $6,300 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 11%
industry: 34%
services: 55% (2001)

Population below poverty line:
25%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.1%
highest 10%: 37.9% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
47.4 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.3% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
2.3 million - 2.6 million

Labor force - by occupation:
services and government 58.7%, industry 24.3%, agriculture 17%
(1998 est.)

Unemployment rate:
14.5% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $2.9 billion
expenditures: $3.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.1
billion (2001 est.)

Industries:
tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles,
cement, tobacco

Industrial production growth rate:
2% (2001 est.)

Electricity - production:
9.186 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 92%
hydro: 7.6%
other: 0.4% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
8.543 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
129,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes,
corn, bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products, beef, eggs

Exports:
$5.3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
ferronickel, sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats,
consumer goods

Exports - partners:
US 85%, Canada 1.6%, UK 1.6% (2002)

Imports:
$8.7 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and
pharmaceuticals

Imports - partners:
US 51.5%, Venezuela 9.6%, Mexico 5.1%, Spain 4% (2002)

Debt - external:
$4.8 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$239.6 million (1995)

Currency:
Dominican peso (DOP)

Currency code:
DOP

Exchange rates:
Dominican pesos per US dollar - 18.61 (2002), 16.95 (2001), 16.42
(2000), 16.03 (1999), 15.27 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Dominican Republic

Telephones - main lines in use:
709,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
130,149 (1997)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: relatively efficient system based on islandwide microwave
radio relay network
international: 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth station -
1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 120, FM 56, shortwave 4 (1998)

Radios:
1.44 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
25 (1997)

Televisions:
770,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.do

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
24 (2000)

Internet users:
186,000 (2002)

Transportation Dominican Republic

Railways:
total: 1,503 km
standard gauge: 375 km 1.435-m gauge
note:: 986 km also operated by sugar companies in 1.076-m, 0.889-m,
and 0.762-m gauges (2002)
narrow gauge: 142 km 0.762-m gauge

Highways:
total: 12,600 km
paved: 6,224 km
unpaved: 6,376 km (1999)

Waterways:
none

Pipelines:
crude oil 96 km; petroleum products 8 km

Ports and harbors:
Barahona, La Romana, Manzanillo, Puerto Plata, San Pedro de
Macoris, Santo Domingo

Merchant marine:
total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,587 GRT/1,165 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1 (2002 est.)

Airports:
30 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 13
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 17
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 10 (2002)

Military Dominican Republic

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police

Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 2,319,419 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,453,705 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 89,073 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$180 million (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.1% (FY98)

Transnational Issues Dominican Republic

Disputes - international:
despite efforts to control illegal migration, destitute Haitians
continue to cross into the Dominican Republic

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US
and Europe; has become a transshipment point for ecstasy from the
Netherlands and Belgium destined for US and Canada; substantial
money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor the
Dominican Republic for illicit financial transactions

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@East Timor

Introduction East Timor

Background:
The Portuguese colony of Timor declared itself independent from
Portugal on 28 November 1975 and was invaded and occupied by
Indonesian forces nine days later. It was incorporated into
Indonesia in July 1976 as the province of East Timor. A campaign of
pacification followed over the next two decades, during which an
estimated 100,000 to 250,000 individuals lost their lives. On 30
August 1999, in a UN-supervised popular referendum, the people of
East Timor voted for independence from Indonesia. During 1999-2001,
pro-integrationist militias - supported by Indonesia - conducted
indiscriminate violence. On 20 May 2002, East Timor was
internationally recognized as an independent state and the world's
newest democracy.

Geography East Timor

Location:
Southeastern Asia, northwest of Australia in the Lesser Sunda
Islands at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago; note -
East Timor includes the eastern half of the island of Timor, the
Oecussi (Ambeno) region on the northwest portion of the island of
Timor, and the islands of Pulau Atauro and Pulau Jaco

Geographic coordinates:
8 50 S, 125 55 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 15,007 sq km
land: NA sq km
water: NA sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Connecticut

Land boundaries:
total: 228 km
border countries: Indonesia 228 km

Coastline:
706 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: NA NM
extended fishing zone: NA NM
territorial sea: NA NM
exclusive fishing zone: NA NM
continental shelf: NA NM
exclusive economic zone: NA NM

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid; distinct rainy and dry seasons

Terrain:
mountainous

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Timor Sea, Savu Sea, and Banda Sea 0 m
highest point: Foho Tatamailau 2,963 m

Natural resources:
gold, petroleum, natural gas, manganese, marble

Land use:
arable land: NA%
other: NA%
permanent crops: NA%

Irrigated land:
1,065 sq km (est.)

Natural hazards:
floods and landslides are common; earthquakes, tsunamis, tropical
cyclones

Environment - current issues:
widespread use of slash and burn agriculture has led to
deforestation and soil erosion

Environment - international agreements:
NA

Geography - note:
Timor comes from the Malay word for "Orient;" the island of Timor
is part of the Malay Archipelago and is the largest and easternmost
of the Lesser Sunda Islands

People East Timor

Population:
997,853
note: other estimates range as low as 800,000 (2002 est.) (July 2003
est.)

Age structure:
NA (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 19.7 years
female: 19.6 years (2002)
male: 19.8 years

Population growth rate:
2.13% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
27.75 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
6.41 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 50.47 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 43.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 57.05 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 65.2 years
female: 67.55 years (2003 est.)
male: 62.97 years

Total fertility rate:
3.79 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA%

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Timorese
adjective: Timorese

Ethnic groups:
Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian), Papuan, small Chinese minority

Religions:
Roman Catholic 90%, Muslim 4%, Protestant 3%, Hindu 0.5%, Buddhist,
Animist (1992 est.)

Languages:
Tetum (official), Portuguese (official), Indonesian, English
note: there are about 16 indigenous languages; Tetum, Galole,
Mambae, and Kemak are spoken by significant numbers of people

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 48% (2001)
male: NA%
female: NA%

Government East Timor

Country name:
conventional long form: Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
conventional short form: East Timor
local short form: Timor Lorosa'e [Tetum]; Timor-Leste [Portuguese]
former: Portuguese Timor
local long form: Republika Demokratika Timor Lorosa'e [Tetum];
Republica Democratica de Timor-Leste [Portuguese]

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Dili

Administrative divisions:
13 administrative districts; Aileu, Ainaro, Baucau, Bobonaro
(Maliana), Cova-Lima (Suai), Dili, Ermera, Lautem (Los Palos),
Liquica, Manatuto, Manufahi (Same), Oecussi (Ambeno), Viqueque

Independence:
28 November 1975 (date of proclamation of independence from
Portugal); note - 20 May 2002 is the official date of international
recognition of East Timor's independence from Indonesia

National holiday:
Independence Day, 28 November (1975)

Constitution:
22 March 2002 (based on the Portuguese model)

Legal system:
UN-drafted legal system based on Indonesian law (2002)

Suffrage:
17 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jose Alexander GUSMAO (since 20 May
2002); note - the president plays a largely symbolic role but is
able to veto some legislation; he often is referred to as Xanana
GUSMAO
head of government: Prime Minister Mari Bin Amude ALKATIRI (since 20
May 2002)
cabinet: Council of State
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 14 April 2002 (next to be held NA April 2007);
after the first legislative elections, the leader of the majority
party was appointed prime minister by the president, suggesting a
precedent for the future
election results: Jose Alexander GUSMAO elected president; percent
of vote - Jose Alexander GUSMAO 82.7%, Francisco Xavier do AMARAL
17.3%

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Parliament (number of seats can vary, minimum
requirement of 52 and a maximum of 65 seats; members elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - for its first term of
office, the National Parliament is comprised of 88 members on an
exceptional basis
elections: last held 30 August 2001 (next to be held NA August 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - FRETILIN 57.37%, PD
8.72%, PSD 8.18%, ASDT 7.84%, UDT 2.36%, PNT 2.21%, KOTA 2.13%, PPT
2.01%, PDC 1.98%, PST 1.78%, independents/other 5.42%; seats by
party - FRETILIN 55, PD 7, PSD 6, ASDT 6, PDC 2, UDT 2, KOTA 2, PNT
2, PPT 2, UDC/PDC 1, PST 1, PL 1, independent 1

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Justice, one judge appointed by the National
Parliament and the rest appointed by the Superior Council for the
Judiciary

Political parties and leaders:
Associacao Social-Democrata Timorense or ASDT [Francisco Xavier do
AMARAL]; Christian Democratic Party of Timor or PDC [Antonio
XIMENES]; Christian Democratic Union of Timor or UDC [Vicente da
Silva GUTERRES]; Democratic Party or PD [Fernando de ARAUJO];
Liberal Party or PL [leader NA]; Maubere Democratic Party or PDM
[leader NA]; People's Party of Timor or PPT [Jacob XAVIER];
Revolutionary Front of Independent East Timor or FRETILIN [Lu OLO];
Social Democrat Party of East Timor or PSD [Mario CARRASCALAO];
Socialist Party of Timor or PST [leader NA]; Sons of the Mountain
Warriors (also known as Association of Timorese Heroes) or KOTA
[Clementino dos Reis AMARAL]; Timor Democratic Union or UDT [Joao
CARRASCALAO]; Timor Labor Party or PTT [Paulo Freitas DA SILVA];
Timorese Nationalist Party or PNT [Abilio ARAUJO]; Timorese Popular
Democratic Association or APODETI [Frederico Almeida-Santos DA COSTA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
AsDB, IBRD, ICCt, IDA, IMF, Interpol, UN, WHO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jose Luis GUTERRES
consulate(s) general: New York (the ambassador resides in New York)
(2003)
FAX: 202 965-1517
telephone: 202 965-1515
chancery: 3415 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, DC 20007

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Grover Joseph REES
embassy: Vila 10, Avenida de Portugal, Farol, Dili
mailing address: Department of State, 8250 Dili Place, Washington,
DC 20521-8250
telephone: (670) 332-4684, 331-3205/3160/3472
FAX: (670) 331-3206

Flag description:
red, with a black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side)
superimposed on a slightly longer yellow arrowhead that extends to
the center of the flag; there is a white star in the center of the
black triangle

Economy East Timor

Economy - overview:
In late 1999, about 70% of the economic infrastructure of East
Timor was laid waste by Indonesian troops and anti-independence
militias, and 260,000 people fled westward. Over the next three
years, however, a massive international program, manned by 5,000
peacekeepers (8,000 at peak) and 1,300 police officers, led to
substantial reconstruction in both urban and rural areas. By
mid-2002, all but about 50,000 of the refugees had returned. The
country faces great challenges in continuing the rebuilding of
infrastructure and the strengthening of the infant civil
administration. One promising long-term project is the planned
development of oil resources in nearby waters.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $440 million (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
18% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $500 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 25.4%
industry: 17.2%
services: 57.4% (2001)

Population below poverty line:
42% (2002 est.)

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

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
38 (2002 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%

Labor force:
NA

Labor force - by occupation:
NA

Unemployment rate:
50% (including underemployment)

Budget:
revenues: $36 million
expenditures: $97 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2003 est.)

Industries:
printing, soap manufacturing, handicrafts, woven cloth

Industrial production growth rate:
8.5%

Electricity - production:
NA kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, rice, maize, cassava, sweet potatoes, soybeans, cabbage,
mangoes, bananas, vanilla

Exports:
$8 million (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities:
coffee, sandalwood, marble; note - the potential for oil and
vanilla exports

Exports - partners:
NA

Imports:
$237 million (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities:
mainly food (2001)

Imports - partners:
NA

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
$2.2 billion (1999-2002 est.)

Currency:
US dollar (USD)

Currency code:
IDR

Exchange rates:
see US dollar

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June

Communications East Timor

Telephones - main lines in use:
NA

Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA

Telephone system:
NA

Radio broadcast stations:
AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA

Radios:
NA

Television broadcast stations:
NA

Televisions:
NA

Internet country code:
.tp

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
NA

Internet users:
NA

Transportation East Timor

Railways:
0 km

Highways:
total: 3,800 km
paved: 428 km
unpaved: 3,372 km (1995)

Waterways:
NA

Pipelines:
NA

Ports and harbors:
NA

Merchant marine:
total: NA
ships by type: NA

Airports:
8 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,427 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 2 (2002)

Heliports:
1 (2002)

Military East Timor

Military branches:
The East Timor Defense Force or FALINTIL-FDTL comprises a
light-infantry Army and a small Naval component; note - plans are to
develop a force of 1,500 active personnel and 1,500 reserve
personnel over the next five years

Military manpower - military age:
18-21 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
NA

Military manpower - fit for military service:
NA

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
NA

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$4.4 million (FY03)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA%

Transnational Issues East Timor

Disputes - international:
East Timor-Indonesia Boundary Committee meets regularly to survey
and delimit the land boundary; some East Timor refugees delay return
from camps in Indonesia; maritime delimitation and resource-sharing
agreements signed with Australia resolved dispute over "Timor Gap"
hydrocarbon reserves, but maritime agreement with Indonesia awaits
further discussions

Illicit drugs:
NA

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Ecuador

Introduction Ecuador

Background:
The "Republic of the Equator" was one of three countries that
emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being
Colombia and Venezuela). Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost
territories in a series of conflicts with its neighbors. A border
war with Peru that flared in 1995 was resolved in 1999.

Geography Ecuador

Location:
Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator,
between Colombia and Peru

Geographic coordinates:
2 00 S, 77 30 W

Map references:
South America

Area:
total: 283,560 sq km
note: includes Galapagos Islands
water: 6,720 sq km
land: 276,840 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Nevada

Land boundaries:
total: 2,010 km
border countries: Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420 km

Coastline:
2,237 km

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: claims continental shelf between mainland and
Galapagos Islands
territorial sea: 200 NM

Climate:
tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations;
tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands

Terrain:
coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and
flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Chimborazo 6,267 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 5.69%
permanent crops: 5.15%
other: 89.16% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
8,650 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; floods;
periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution;
pollution from oil production wastes in ecologically sensitive areas
of the Galapagos Islands

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test
Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world

People Ecuador

Population:
13,710,234 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 34.9% (male 2,430,303; female 2,351,166)
15-64 years: 60.6% (male 4,116,289; female 4,198,667)
65 years and over: 4.5% (male 284,082; female 329,727) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 22.5 years
male: 22 years
female: 23 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
1.91% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
24.94 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
5.29 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
-0.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 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: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 31.97 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 26.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 37.28 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.89 years
male: 69.06 years
female: 74.86 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.99 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.3% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
20,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,700 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Ecuadorian(s)
adjective: Ecuadorian

Ethnic groups:
mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 65%, Amerindian 25%, Spanish
and others 7%, black 3%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 95%

Languages:
Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.5%
male: 94%
female: 91% (2003 est.)

Government Ecuador

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Ecuador
conventional short form: Ecuador
local short form: Ecuador
local long form: Republica del Ecuador

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Quito

Administrative divisions:
22 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Azuay, Bolivar,
Canar, Carchi, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Galapagos,
Guayas, Imbabura, Loja, Los Rios, Manabi, Morona-Santiago, Napo,
Orellana, Pastaza, Pichincha, Sucumbios, Tungurahua, Zamora-Chinchipe

Independence:
24 May 1822 (from Spain)

National holiday:
Independence Day (independence of Quito), 10 August (1809)

Constitution:
10 August 1998

Legal system:
based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal, compulsory for literate persons ages
18-65, optional for other eligible voters

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Lucio GUTIERREZ (since 15 January 2003);
Vice President Alfredo PALACIO (since 15 January 2003); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
elections: the president and vice president are elected on the same
ticket by popular vote for four-year term (no reelection); election
last held 20 October 2002; runoff election held 24 November 2002
(next to be held NA October 2006)
head of government: President Lucio GUTIERREZ (since 15 January
2003); Vice President Alfredo PALACIO (since 15 January 2003); note
- the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
election results: results of the 24 November 2002 runoff election -
Lucio GUTIERREZ elected president; percent of vote - Lucio GUTIERREZ
54.3%; Alvaro NOBOA 45.7%

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (100 seats;
members are popularly elected by province to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 20 October 2002 (next to be held NA October
2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
PSC 25, PRE 15, ID 16, PRIAN 10, PSP 9, Pachakutik Movement 6, MPD
5, DP 4, PS 3, independents 7; note - defections by members of
National Congress are commonplace, resulting in frequent changes in
the numbers of seats held by the various parties

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (new justices are elected by the
full Supreme Court)

Political parties and leaders:
Concentration of Popular Forces or CFP [Averroes BUCARAM];
Democratic Left or ID [Rodrigo BORJA Cevallos]; National Action
Institutional Renewal Party or PRIAN [leader NA]; Pachakutik
Movement [Miguel LLUCO]; Patriotic Society Party or PSP [leader NA];
Popular Democracy or DP [Dr. Juan Manuel FUERTES]; Popular
Democratic Movement or MPD [Gustavo TERAN Acosta]; Radical Alfarista
Front or FRA [Fabian ALARCON, director]; Roldosist Party or PRE
[Abdala BUCARAM Ortiz, director]; Social Christian Party or PSC
[Pascual DEL CIOPPO]; Socialist Party or PS [leader NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador or CONAIE
[Leonidas IZA, president]; Coordinator of Social Movements or CMS
[F. Napoleon SANTOS]; Federation of Indigenous Evangelists of
Ecuador or FEINE [Marco MURILLO, president]; National Federation of
Indigenous Afro-Ecuatorianos and Peasants or FENOCIN [Pedro DE LA
CRUZ, president]; Popular Front or FP [Luis VILLACIS]

International organization participation:
CAN, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Raul GANGOTENA Rivadeneira
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New
Orleans, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, and San Francisco
FAX: [1] (202) 667-3482
telephone: [1] (202) 234-7200
chancery: 2535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Kristie Anne KENNEY
embassy: Avenida 12 de Octubre y Avenida Patria, Quito
mailing address: APO AA 34039
telephone: [593] (2) 256-2890
FAX: [593] (2) 250-2052
consulate(s) general: Guayaquil

Flag description:
three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double width), blue, and red
with the coat of arms superimposed at the center of the flag;
similar to the flag of Colombia, which is shorter and does not bear
a coat of arms

Economy Ecuador

Economy - overview:
Ecuador has substantial oil resources and rich agricultural areas.
Because the country exports primary products such as oil, bananas,
and shrimp, fluctuations in world market prices can have a
substantial domestic impact. Ecuador joined the World Trade
Organization (WTrO) in 1996, but has failed to comply with many of
its accession commitments. The aftermath of El Nino and depressed
oil market of 1997-98 drove Ecuador's economy into a free-fall in
1999. The beginning of 1999 saw the banking sector collapse, which
helped precipitate an unprecedented default on external loans later
that year. Continued economic instability drove a 70% depreciation
of the currency throughout 1999, which forced a desperate government
to "dollarize" the currency regime in 2000. The move stabilized the
currency, but did not stave off the ouster of the government.
Gustavo NOBOA, who assumed the presidency in January 2000, has
managed to pass substantial economic reforms and mend relations with
international financial institutions. Ecuador completed its first
standby agreement since 1986 when the IMF Board approved a 10
December 2001 disbursement of $96 million, the final installment of
a $300 million standby credit agreement. In February 2003, newly
installed president Lucio GUTIERREZ faced a budget gap and massive
foreign debt. He has pledged to use oil revenues to pay off debt and
is seeking additional IMF support.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $42.65 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.4% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $3,200 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 11%
industry: 33%
services: 56% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
70% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.2%
highest 10%: 33.8% (1995)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
43.7 (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12.5% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
3.7 million (urban)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services 45% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:
7.7%; note - widespread underemployment (2001 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $5.6 billion
expenditures: planned $5.6 billion, including capital expenditures
of $NA (2001 est.)

Industries:
petroleum, food processing, textiles, metal work, paper products,
wood products, chemicals, plastics, fishing, lumber

Industrial production growth rate:
5.1% (2001 est.)

Electricity - production:
75.23 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 81%
hydro: 19%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
69.96 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
421,200 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
129,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
2.358 billion bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production:
160 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
160 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
106.5 billion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products:
bananas, coffee, cocoa, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca),
plantains, sugarcane; cattle, sheep, pigs, beef, pork, dairy
products; balsa wood; fish, shrimp

Exports:
$4.9 billion (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum, bananas, shrimp, coffee, cocoa, cut flowers, fish

Exports - partners:
US 39%, Colombia 5.6%, South Korea 5.1%, Germany 5%, Italy 4.4%
(2002)

Imports:
$6 billion (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, raw materials, fuels; consumer
goods

Imports - partners:
US 28.6%, Colombia 14.4%, Japan 6%, Chile 4.5%, Brazil 4.1% (2002)

Debt - external:
$14.4 billion (2002)

Economic aid - recipient:
$120 million (2001)

Currency:
US dollar (USD)

Currency code:
USD

Exchange rates:
sucres per US dollar - 25,000 (2002), 25,000 (2001), 24,988.4
(2000), 11,786.8 (1999), 5,446.57 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Ecuador

Telephones - main lines in use:
1,115,272 (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
384,000 (1999)

Telephone system:
general assessment: generally elementary but being expanded
domestic: facilities generally inadequate and unreliable
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 392, FM 35, shortwave 29 (2001)

Radios:
5 million (2001)

Television broadcast stations:
7 (plus 14 repeaters) (2001)

Televisions:
2.5 million (2001)

Internet country code:
.ec

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
31 (2001)

Internet users:
328,000 (2002)

Transportation Ecuador

Railways:
total: 966 km
narrow gauge: 966 km 1.067-m gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 43,197 km
paved: 8,164 km
unpaved: 35,033 km (2000)

Waterways:
1,500 km

Pipelines:
gas 71 km; oil 1,575 km; refined products 1,185 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Esmeraldas, Guayaquil, La Libertad, Manta, Puerto Bolivar, San
Lorenzo

Merchant marine:
total: 33 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 239,276 GRT/392,048 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Chile 1, Greece 1 (2002 est.)
ships by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 3, liquefied gas 1,
passenger 3, petroleum tanker 23, specialized tanker 1

Airports:
205 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 61
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 18
under 914 m: 18 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 18

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 144
914 to 1,523 m: 31
under 914 m: 113 (2002)

Heliports:
1 (2002)

Military Ecuador

Military branches:
Army, Navy (including Marines), Air Force, National Police

Military manpower - military age:
20 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 3,555,068 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 2,395,178 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 137,433 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$720 million (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.4% (FY98)

Transnational Issues Ecuador

Disputes - international:
none

Illicit drugs:
significant transit country for cocaine originating in Colombia and
Peru; importer of precursor chemicals used in production of illicit
narcotics; dollarization may raise the volume of money-laundering
activity, especially along the border with Colombia; increased
activity on the northern frontier by trafficking groups and
Colombian insurgents

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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@Egypt

Introduction Egypt

Background:
The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled
with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west,
allowed for the development of one of the world's great
civilizations. A unified kingdom arose circa 3200 B.C. and a series
of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last
native dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 B.C., who in turn were
replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. It was the Arabs who
introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and who
ruled for the next six centuries. A local military caste, the
Mamluks took control about 1250 and continued to govern after the
conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. Following the
completion of the Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt became an important
world transportation hub, but also fell heavily into debt.
Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of
Egypt's government in 1882, but nominal allegiance to the Ottoman
Empire continued until 1914. Partially independent from the UK in
1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty following World War II. The
completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake
Nasser have altered the time-honored place of the Nile River in the
agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly growing population (the
largest in the Arab world), limited arable land, and dependence on
the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress society. The
government has struggled to ready the economy for the new millennium
through economic reform and massive investment in communications and
physical infrastructure.

Geography Egypt

Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and
the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes the
Asian Sinai Peninsula

Geographic coordinates:
27 00 N, 30 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 1,001,450 sq km
land: 995,450 sq km
water: 6,000 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico

Land boundaries:
total: 2,665 km
border countries: Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 266 km, Libya 1,115 km,
Sudan 1,273 km

Coastline:
2,450 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Climate:
desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters

Terrain:
vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Qattara Depression -133 m
highest point: Mount Catherine 2,629 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone,
gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc

Land use:
arable land: 2.85%
permanent crops: 0.47%
other: 96.68% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
33,000 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes, flash floods, landslides;
hot, driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring; dust storms,
sandstorms

Environment - current issues:
agricultural land being lost to urbanization and windblown sands;
increasing soil salination below Aswan High Dam; desertification;
oil pollution threatening coral reefs, beaches, and marine habitats;
other water pollution from agricultural pesticides, raw sewage, and
industrial effluents; very limited natural fresh water resources
away from the Nile which is the only perennial water source; rapid
growth in population overstraining the Nile and natural resources

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note:
controls Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between Africa and
remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, a sea link
between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and juxtaposition
to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics;
dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile basin issues;
prone to influxes of refugees

People Egypt

Population:
74,718,797 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 33.9% (male 12,964,852; female 12,346,808)
15-64 years: 61.9% (male 23,375,037; female 22,865,190)
65 years and over: 4.2% (male 1,359,685; female 1,807,225) (2003
est.)

Median age:
total: 23.1 years
male: 22.8 years
female: 23.5 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
1.88% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
24.36 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
5.35 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
-0.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 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: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 35.26 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 34.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 36.02 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.41 years
male: 67.94 years
female: 73 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.02 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
8,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Egyptian(s)
adjective: Egyptian

Ethnic groups:
Eastern Hamitic stock (Egyptians, Bedouins, and Berbers) 99%,
Greek, Nubian, Armenian, other European (primarily Italian and
French) 1%

Religions:
Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94%, Coptic Christian and other 6%

Languages:
Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated
classes

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 57.7%
male: 68.3%
female: 46.9% (2003 est.)

Government Egypt

Country name:
conventional long form: Arab Republic of Egypt
conventional short form: Egypt
local short form: Misr
former: United Arab Republic (with Syria)
local long form: Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Cairo

Administrative divisions:
26 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Ad Daqahliyah,
Al Bahr al Ahmar, Al Buhayrah, Al Fayyum, Al Gharbiyah, Al
Iskandariyah, Al Isma'iliyah, Al Jizah, Al Minufiyah, Al Minya, Al
Qahirah, Al Qalyubiyah, Al Wadi al Jadid, Ash Sharqiyah, As Suways,
Aswan, Asyut, Bani Suwayf, Bur Sa'id, Dumyat, Janub Sina', Kafr ash
Shaykh, Matruh, Qina, Shamal Sina', Suhaj

Independence:
28 February 1922 (from UK)

National holiday:
Revolution Day, 23 July (1952)

Constitution:
11 September 1971

Legal system:
based on English common law, Islamic law, and Napoleonic codes;
judicial review by Supreme Court and Council of State (oversees
validity of administrative decisions); accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK (since 14 October
1981)
head of government: Prime Minister Atef Mohammed ABEID (since 5
October 1999)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president nominated by the People's Assembly for a
six-year term, the nomination must then be validated by a national,
popular referendum; national referendum last held 26 September 1999
(next to be held NA October 2005); prime minister appointed by the
president
election results: national referendum validated President MUBARAK's
nomination by the People's Assembly to a fourth term

Legislative branch:
bicameral system consists of the People's Assembly or Majlis
al-Sha'b (454 seats; 444 elected by popular vote, 10 appointed by
the president; members serve five-year terms) and the Advisory
Council or Majlis al-Shura - which functions only in a consultative
role (264 seats; 176 elected by popular vote, 88 appointed by the
president; members serve NA-year terms)
elections: People's Assembly - three-phase voting - last held 19
October, 29 October, 8 November 2000 (next to be held NA November
2005); Advisory Council - last held 7 June 1995 (next to be held NA)
election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NDP
88%, independents 8%, opposition 4%; seats by party - NDP 398, NWP
7, Tagammu 6, Nasserists 2, LSP 1, independents 38, undecided 2;
Advisory Council - percent of vote by party - NDP 99%, independents
1%; seats by party - NA

Judicial branch:
Supreme Constitutional Court

Political parties and leaders:
Nasserist Arab Democratic Party or Nasserists [Dia' al-din DAWUD];
National Democratic Party or NDP [President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK]
- governing party; National Progressive Unionist Grouping or Tagammu
[Khalid MUHI AL-DIN]; New Wafd Party or NWP [No'man GOMA]; Socialist
Liberal Party or LSP [leader NA]
note: formation of political parties must be approved by the
government

Political pressure groups and leaders:
despite a constitutional ban against religious-based parties, the
technically illegal Muslim Brotherhood constitutes MUBARAK's
potentially most significant political opposition; MUBARAK tolerated
limited political activity by the Brotherhood for his first two
terms, but moved more aggressively since then to block its
influence; civic society groups are sanctioned, but constrained in
practical terms; trade unions and professional associations are
officially sanctioned

International organization participation:
ABEDA, ACC, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BSEC (observer), CAEU,
EBRD, ECA, ESCWA, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC,
OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMISET, UNMOP, UNOMIG, UNRWA,
UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador M. Nabil FAHMY
chancery: 3521 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco
FAX: [1] (202) 244-4319
telephone: [1] (202) 895-5400

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador C. David WELCH
embassy: 5 Latin America St., Garden City, Cairo
mailing address: Unit 64900, Box 15, APO AE 09839-4900
telephone: [20] (2) 797-3300
FAX: [20] (2) 797-3200

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with
the national emblem (a shield superimposed on a golden eagle facing
the hoist side above a scroll bearing the name of the country in
Arabic) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Yemen,
which has a plain white band; also similar to the flag of Syria,
which has two green stars, and to the flag of Iraq, which has three
green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line
centered in the white band

Economy Egypt

Economy - overview:
Egypt improved its macroeconomic performance throughout most of the
last decade by following IMF advice on fiscal, monetary, and
structural reform policies. As a result, Egypt managed to tame
inflation, slash budget deficits, and attract more foreign
investment. In the past four years, however, the pace of reform has
slackened, and excessive spending on national infrastructure
projects has widened budget deficits again. Lower foreign exchange
earnings since 1998 resulted in pressure on the Egyptian pound and
periodic dollar shortages. Monetary pressures have increased since
11 September 2001 because of declines in tourism and Suez Canal
tolls, and Egypt has devalued the pound several times in the past
year. The development of a gas export market is a major bright spot
for future growth prospects. In the short term, regional tensions
will continue to affect tourism and hold back prospects for economic
expansion.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $289.8 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.2% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $4,000 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 17%
industry: 34%
services: 49% (2001)

Population below poverty line:
22.9% (FY 95/96 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.4%
highest 10%: 25% (1995)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
28.9 (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.3% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
20.6 million (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 29%, industry 22%, services 49% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
12% (2001 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $21.5 billion
expenditures: $26.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.9
billion (2001)

Industries:
textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, hydrocarbons,
construction, cement, metals

Industrial production growth rate:
2.2% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
75.23 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 81%
hydro: 19%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
69.96 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
816,900 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
562,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
3.308 billion bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production:
21.2 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
21.2 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
1.264 trillion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products:
cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables; cattle, water
buffalo, sheep, goats

Exports:
$7 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
crude oil and petroleum products, cotton, textiles, metal products,
chemicals

Exports - partners:
US 18.3%, Italy 13.7%, UK 8.4% (2002)

Imports:
$15.2 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, wood products, fuels

Imports - partners:
US 16.9%, Germany 7.9%, Italy 6.7%, France 6.5%, China 5%, UK 4.1%
(2002)

Debt - external:
$30.5 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
ODA, $2.25 billion (1999)

Currency:
Egyptian pound (EGP)

Currency code:
EGP

Exchange rates:
Egyptian pounds per US dollar - 4.5 (2002), 3.97 (2001), 3.47
(2000), 3.4 (1999), 3.39 (1998)

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June

Communications Egypt

Telephones - main lines in use:
3,971,500 (December 1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
380,000 (1999)

Telephone system:
general assessment: large system; underwent extensive upgrading
during 1990s and is reasonably modern; Internet access and cellular
service are available
domestic: principal centers at Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah,
Ismailia, Suez, and Tanta are connected by coaxial cable and
microwave radio relay
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean
and Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat; 5 coaxial submarine
cables; tropospheric scatter to Sudan; microwave radio relay to
Israel; a participant in Medarabtel and a signatory to Project
Oxygen (a global submarine fiber-optic cable system)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 42 (plus 15 repeaters), FM 14, shortwave 3 (1999)

Radios:
20.5 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
98 (September 1995)

Televisions:
7.7 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.eg

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
50 (2000)

Internet users:
600,000 (2002)

Transportation Egypt

Railways:
total: 5,105 km
standard gauge: 5,105 km 1.435-m gauge (42 km electrified) (2002)

Highways:
total: 64,000 km
paved: 49,984 km
unpaved: 14,016 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
3,500 km
note: includes the Nile, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Waterway, and
numerous smaller canals in the delta; Suez Canal (193.5 km including
approaches), used by oceangoing vessels drawing up to 16.1 m of water

Pipelines:
condensate 327 km; condensate/gas 94 km; gas 6,145 km; liquid
petroleum gas 382 km; oil 5,726 km; oil/gas/water 36 km; water 62 km
(2003)

Ports and harbors:
Alexandria, Al Ghardaqah, Aswan, Asyut, Bur Safajah, Damietta,
Marsa Matruh, Port Said, Suez

Merchant marine:
total: 170 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,284,197 GRT/1,907,734 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Denmark 1, Germany 1, Greece 6, Lebanon 3, Monaco 1,
Ukraine 1 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 20, cargo 50, container 5, liquefied gas 1,
passenger 63, petroleum tanker 15, roll on/roll off 13, short-sea
passenger 3

Airports:
89 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 71
over 3,047 m: 13
2,438 to 3,047 m: 38
under 914 m: 3 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 17

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 18
under 914 m: 9 (2002)
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 6

Heliports:
2 (2002)

Military Egypt

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Command

Military manpower - military age:
20 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 19,895,370 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 12,867,160 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 743,305 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$4.04 billion (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
4.1% (FY99)

Transnational Issues Egypt

Disputes - international:
Egypt and Sudan retain claims to administer the triangular areas
that extend north and south of the 1899 Treaty boundary along the
22nd Parallel, but have withdrawn their military presence - Egypt is
economically developing the "Hala'ib triangle" north of the Treaty
line

Illicit drugs:
transit point for Southwest Asian and Southeast Asian heroin and
opium moving to Europe, Africa, and the US; transit stop for
Nigerian couriers; concern as money-laundering site due to lax
banking regulations

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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@El Salvador

Introduction El Salvador

Background:
El Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and from the
Central American Federation in 1839. A 12-year civil war, which cost
about 75,000 lives, was brought to a close in 1992 when the
government and leftist rebels signed a treaty that provided for
military and political reforms.

Geography El Salvador

Location:
Middle America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between
Guatemala and Honduras

Geographic coordinates:
13 50 N, 88 55 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 21,040 sq km
water: 320 sq km
land: 20,720 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Massachusetts

Land boundaries:
total: 545 km
border countries: Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km

Coastline:
307 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 200 NM

Climate:
tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to
April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands

Terrain:
mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m

Natural resources:
hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land

Land use:
arable land: 27.27%
permanent crops: 12.11%
other: 60.62% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
360 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very
destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible
to hurricanes

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of
soils from disposal of toxic wastes

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:
smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline
on Caribbean Sea

People El Salvador

Population:
6,470,379 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 37.1% (male 1,224,024; female 1,173,667)
15-64 years: 57.9% (male 1,777,522; female 1,966,064)
65 years and over: 5.1% (male 147,482; female 181,620) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 21.1 years
male: 20 years
female: 22.2 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
1.81% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
27.9 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
6.01 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
-3.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 26.75 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 23.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 29.59 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.62 years
male: 67.02 years
female: 74.4 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.25 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.6% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
24,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
2,100 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Salvadoran(s)
adjective: Salvadoran

Ethnic groups:
mestizo 90%, Amerindian 1%, white 9%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 83%
note: there is extensive activity by Protestant groups throughout
the country; by the end of 1992, there were an estimated 1 million
Protestant evangelicals in El Salvador

Languages:
Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians)

Literacy:
definition: age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 80.2%
male: 82.8%
female: 77.7% (2003 est.)

Government El Salvador

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of El Salvador
conventional short form: El Salvador
local short form: El Salvador
local long form: Republica de El Salvador

Government type:
republic

Capital:
San Salvador

Administrative divisions:
14 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento);
Ahuachapan, Cabanas, Chalatenango, Cuscatlan, La Libertad, La Paz,
La Union, Morazan, San Miguel, San Salvador, Santa Ana, San Vicente,
Sonsonate, Usulutan

Independence:
15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Constitution:
23 December 1983

Legal system:
based on civil and Roman law, with traces of common law; judicial
review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Francisco FLORES Perez (since 1 June
1999); Vice President Carlos QUINTANILLA Schmidt (since 1 June
1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Francisco FLORES Perez (since 1 June
1999); Vice President Carlos QUINTANILLA Schmidt (since 1 June
1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 7 March 1999
(next to be held NA March 2004)
election results: Francisco FLORES Perez elected president; percent
of vote - Francisco FLORES (ARENA) 52%, Facundo GUARDADO (FMLN) 29%,
Ruben ZAMORA (CD) 7.5%, other (no individual above 3%) 11.5%

Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (84 seats;
members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve three-year
terms)
elections: last held 16 March 2003 (next to be held NA March 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
FMLN 31, ARENA 27, PCN 16, PDC 5, CD 5

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are selected by the
Legislative Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Rodolfo PARKER]; Democratic
Convergence or CD [Ruben ZAMORA, secretary general] (includes Social
Democratic Party or PSD [Juan MEDRANO, leader); Democratic Party or
PD [Jorge MELENDEZ]; Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front or
FMLN [Fabio CASTILLO]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Kirio Waldo
SALGADO, president]; National Action Party or PAN [Gustavo Rogelio
SALINAS, secretary general]; National Conciliation Party or PCN
[Ciro CRUZ Zepeda, president]; National Republican Alliance or ARENA
[Walter ARAUJO]; Social Christian Union or USC (formed by the merger
of Christian Social Renewal Party or PRSC and Unity Movement or MU)
[Abraham RODRIGUEZ, president]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
labor organizations - Electrical Industry Union of El Salvador or
SIES; Federation of the Construction Industry, Similar Transport and
other activities, or FESINCONTRANS; National Confederation of
Salvadoran Workers or CNTS; National Union of Salvadoran Workers or
UNTS; Port Industry Union of El Salvador or SIPES; Salvadoran Union
of Ex-Petrolleros and Peasant Workers or USEPOC; Salvadoran Workers
Central or CTS; Workers Union of Electrical Corporation or STCEL;
business organizations - National Association of Small Enterprise or
ANEP; Salvadoran Assembly Industry Association or ASIC; Salvadoran
Industrial Association or ASI

International organization participation:
BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES,
LAIA (observer), MINURSO, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Rene Antonio LEON Rodriguez
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles,
Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC
FAX: [1] (202) 234-3834
telephone: [1] (202) 265-9671
chancery: 2308 California Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Rose M. LIKINS
embassy: Final Boulevard Santa Elena Sur, Antiguo Cuscatlan, La
Libertad, San Salvador
mailing address: Unit 3116, APO AA 34023
telephone: [503] 278-4444
FAX: [503] 278-6011

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with
the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of
arms features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL
SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL; similar to the flag of Nicaragua,
which has a different coat of arms centered in the white band - it
features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on
top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; also similar to the flag of
Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern
centered in the white band

Economy El Salvador

Economy - overview:
In recent years, this Central American economy has been suffering
from a weak tax collection system, factory closings, the aftermaths
of Hurricane Mitch of 1998 and the devastating earthquakes of early
2001, and weak world coffee prices. On the bright side, inflation
has fallen to single digit levels, and total exports have grown
substantially. The trade deficit has been offset by annual
remittances of almost $2 billion from Salvadorans living abroad and
by external aid. The US dollar is now the legal tender. Because
competitor countries have fluctuating exchange rates, El Salvador
must face the challenge of raising productivity and lowering costs.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $29.41 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
2.1% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $4,600 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 10%
industry: 30%
services: 60% (2001)

Population below poverty line:
48% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.4%
highest 10%: 39.3% (2001)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
52.2 (1998)