Chapter XXIX: Front Matter (29)

Disputes - international:
Croatia and Italy continue to debate bilateral property and ethnic
minority rights issues stemming from border changes after the Second
World War

Illicit drugs:
important gateway for and consumer of Latin American cocaine and
Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market; money
laundering by organized crime and from smuggling

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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@Jamaica

Introduction Jamaica

Background:
Jamaica gained full independence within the British Commonwealth in
1962. Deteriorating economic conditions during the 1970s led to
recurrent violence and a dropoff in tourism. Elections in 1980 saw
the democratic socialists voted out of office. Subsequent
governments have been open market oriented. Political violence
marred elections during the 1990s.

Geography Jamaica

Location:
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba

Geographic coordinates:
18 15 N, 77 30 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 10,991 sq km
land: 10,831 sq km
water: 160 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
1,022 km

Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to edge of the continental margin
contiguous zone: 24 NM

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior

Terrain:
mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m

Natural resources:
bauxite, gypsum, limestone

Land use:
arable land: 16.07%
permanent crops: 9.23%
other: 74.7% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
250 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
hurricanes (especially July to November)

Environment - current issues:
heavy rates of deforestation; coastal waters polluted by industrial
waste, sewage, and oil spills; damage to coral reefs; air pollution
in Kingston results from vehicle emissions

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea,
Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the
main sea lanes for the Panama Canal

People Jamaica

Population:
2,695,867 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 28.6% (male 395,074; female 376,870)
15-64 years: 64.5% (male 870,486; female 869,431)
65 years and over: 6.8% (male 82,022; female 101,984) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 26.5 years
male: 25.8 years
female: 27.2 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.61% (2003 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-5.78 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 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 13.26 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 14.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.85 years
male: 73.84 years
female: 77.97 years (2003 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.2% (2001 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
980 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Jamaican(s)
adjective: Jamaican

Ethnic groups:
black 90.9%, East Indian 1.3%, white 0.2%, Chinese 0.2%, mixed
7.3%, other 0.1%

Religions:
Protestant 61.3% (Church of God 21.2%, Baptist 8.8%, Anglican 5.5%,
Seventh-Day Adventist 9%, Pentecostal 7.6%, Methodist 2.7%, United
Church 2.7%, Brethren 1.1%, Jehovah's Witness 1.6%, Moravian 1.1%),
Roman Catholic 4%, other, including some spiritual cults 34.7%

Languages:
English, patois English

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 87.9%
male: 84.1%
female: 91.6% (2003 est.)

Government Jamaica

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jamaica

Government type:
constitutional parliamentary democracy

Capital:
Kingston

Administrative divisions:
14 parishes; Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston, Manchester, Portland,
Saint Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint Elizabeth, Saint
James, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny, Westmoreland

Independence:
6 August 1962 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, first Monday in August (1962)

Constitution:
6 August 1962

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

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Sir Howard Felix COOKE (since 1
August 1991)
head of government: Prime Minister Percival James PATTERSON (since
30 March 1992)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime
minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party or the leader of the majority coalition in the House
of Representatives is appointed prime minister by the governor
general; the deputy prime minister is recommended by the prime
minister

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (a 21-member body
appointed by the governor general on the recommendations of the
prime minister and the leader of the opposition; ruling party is
allocated 13 seats, and the opposition is allocated eight seats) and
the House of Representatives (60 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 16 October 2002 (next to be held NA October
2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - PNP 52%, JLP 47.3%;
seats by party - PNP 34, JLP 26

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the governor general on the
advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders:
Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Edward SEAGA]; National Democratic
Movement or NDM [Bruce GOLDING]; People's National Party or PNP
[Percival James PATTERSON]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
New Beginnings Movement or NBM; Rastafarians (black
religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)

International organization participation:
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-77, IADB, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM,
OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Seymour MULLINGS
consulate(s) general: Miami and New York
FAX: [1] (202) 452-0081
telephone: [1] (202) 452-0660
chancery: 1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sue McCourt COBB
embassy: Jamaica Mutual Life Center, 2 Oxford Road, 3rd floor,
Kingston 5
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [1] (876) 929-4850 through 4859
FAX: [1] (876) 935-6001

Flag description:
diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green
(top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side)

Economy Jamaica

Economy - overview:
The economy, which depends heavily on tourism and bauxite, has been
stagnant since 1995. After five years of recession, the economy
inched ahead, by 0.8% in 2000, 1.7% in 2001, and 0.8% in 2002; the
global economic slowdown, particularly in the United States after
the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, has stunted the economic
recovery. Serious problems include: high interest rates; increased
foreign competition; a pressured, sometimes sliding, exchange rate;
a widening merchandise trade deficit; and a growing internal debt,
the result of government bailouts to various ailing sectors of the
economy, particularly the financial sector. Depressed economic
conditions have led to increased civil unrest, including serious
violent crime. Jamaica's medium-term prospects will depend upon
encouraging investment and tourism, maintaining a competitive
exchange rate, selling off reacquired firms, and implementing proper
fiscal and monetary policies.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $10.08 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $3,800 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 6%
industry: 31%
services: 63% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line:
34.2% (1992 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.7%
highest 10%: 30.3% (2000)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
37.9 (2000)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
1.13 million (1998)

Labor force - by occupation:
services 60%, agriculture 21%, industry 19% (1998)

Unemployment rate:
15.4% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $2.23 billion
expenditures: $2.56 billion, including capital expenditures of
$232.5 million (FY 99/00 est.)

Industries:
tourism, bauxite, textiles, food processing, light manufactures,
rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products

Industrial production growth rate:
-2% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production:
6.272 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 96.8%
hydro: 1.8%
other: 1.5% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
5.833 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

Oil - consumption:
66,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, potatoes, vegetables; poultry,
goats, milk

Exports:
$1.4 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
alumina, bauxite; sugar, bananas, rum

Exports - partners:
US 28.1%, Canada 12.2%, Norway 10.7%, UK 10.5%, Germany 7%,
Netherlands 5.6% (2002)

Imports:
$3.1 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, fuel,
food, chemicals, fertilizers

Imports - partners:
US 45%, Trinidad and Tobago 11%, Japan 4.7% (2002)

Debt - external:
$5.3 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
NA

Currency:
Jamaican dollar (JMD)

Currency code:
JMD

Exchange rates:
Jamaican dollars per US dollar - 48.42 (2002), 46 (2001), 42.7
(2000), 39.04 (1999), 36.55 (1998)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Jamaica

Telephones - main lines in use:
353,000 (1996)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
54,640 (1996)

Telephone system:
general assessment: fully automatic domestic telephone network
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean); 3 coaxial submarine cables

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 10, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
1.215 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
7 (1997)

Televisions:
460,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.jm

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
21 (2000)

Internet users:
100,000 (2002)

Transportation Jamaica

Railways:
total: 272 km
standard gauge: 272 km 1.435-m gauge; note - 207 km, belonging to
the Jamaica Railway Corporation, were in common carrier service but
are no longer operational; the remaining track is privately owned
and used to transport bauxite (2002)

Highways:
total: 18,700 km
paved: 13,109 km
unpaved: 5,591 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
none

Pipelines:
petroleum products 10 km

Ports and harbors:
Alligator Pond, Discovery Bay, Kingston, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios,
Port Antonio, Rocky Point, Port Esquivel (Longswharf)

Merchant marine:
total: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 50,536 GRT/62,868 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2,
short-sea passenger 1
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Latvia 2, US 2 (2002 est.)

Airports:
35 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 5 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 24
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 22 (2002)

Military Jamaica

Military branches:
Jamaica Defense Force (including Ground Forces, Coast Guard, and
Air Wing), Jamaica Constabulary Force

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

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 755,698 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 528,689 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 27,398 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$30 million (FY95/96 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA%

Transnational Issues Jamaica

Disputes - international:
none

Illicit drugs:
major transshipment point for cocaine from South America to North
America and Europe; illicit cultivation of cannabis; government has
an active manual cannabis eradication program; corruption is a major
concern; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics
traffickers favor Jamaica for illicit financial transactions

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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@Jan Mayen

Introduction Jan Mayen

Background:
This desolate, mountainous island was named after a Dutch whaling
captain who indisputably discovered it in 1614 (earlier claims are
inconclusive). Visited only occasionally by seal hunters and
trappers over the following centuries, the island came under
Norwegian sovereignty in 1929. The long dormant Haakon VII
Toppen/Beerenberg volcano resumed activity in 1970; it is the
northernmost active volcano on earth.

Geography Jan Mayen

Location:
Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian
Sea, northeast of Iceland

Geographic coordinates:
71 00 N, 8 00 W

Map references:
Arctic Region

Area:
total: 373 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 373 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
124.1 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 10 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 4 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Climate:
arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog

Terrain:
volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m
highest point: Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg 2,277 m

Natural resources:
none

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
dominated by the volcano Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg; volcanic
activity resumed in 1970

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
barren volcanic island with some moss and grass

People Jan Mayen

Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: personnel operate the Long Range Navigation (Loran-C) base and
the weather and coastal services radio station (July 2003 est.)

Government Jan Mayen

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jan Mayen

Dependency status:
territory of Norway; since August 1994, administered from Oslo
through the county governor (fylkesmann) of Nordland; however,
authority has been delegated to a station commander of the Norwegian
Defense Communication Service

Legal system:
the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply

Flag description:
the flag of Norway is used

Economy Jan Mayen

Economy - overview:
Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural
resources. Economic activity is limited to providing services for
employees of Norway's radio and meteorological stations located on
the island.

Communications Jan Mayen

Radio broadcast stations:
AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
note: there is one radio and meteorological station (1998)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
13 (Jan Mayen and Svalbard) (2000)

Transportation Jan Mayen

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
none; offshore anchorage only

Airports:
1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)

Military Jan Mayen

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Norway

Transnational Issues Jan Mayen

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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@Japan

Introduction Japan

Background:
While retaining its time-honored culture, Japan rapidly absorbed
Western technology during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
After its defeat in World War II, Japan recovered to become an
economic power and a staunch ally of the US. While the emperor
retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, actual power rests
in networks of powerful politicians, bureaucrats, and business
executives. The economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the
1990s following three decades of unprecedented growth.

Geography Japan

Location:
Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the
Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula

Geographic coordinates:
36 00 N, 138 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 377,835 sq km
note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto,
Minami-jima, Okino-tori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and
Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)
water: 3,091 sq km
land: 374,744 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than California

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
29,751 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM; between 3 NM and 12 NM in the international
straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and
Western Channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait

Climate:
varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north

Terrain:
mostly rugged and mountainous

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Hachiro-gata -4 m
highest point: Mount Fuji 3,776 m

Natural resources:
negligible mineral resources, fish

Land use:
arable land: 12.13%
permanent crops: 1.01%
other: 86.86% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
26,790 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic
occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis; typhoons

Environment - current issues:
air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain;
acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and
threatening aquatic life; Japan is one of the largest consumers of
fish and tropical timber, contributing to the depletion of these
resources in Asia and elsewhere

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

Geography - note:
strategic location in northeast Asia

People Japan

Population:
127,214,499 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 14.4% (male 9,368,132; female 8,906,024)
15-64 years: 67% (male 42,852,204; female 42,368,109)
65 years and over: 18.6% (male 9,945,638; female 13,774,392) (2003
est.)

Median age:
total: 42 years
male: 40.3 years
female: 43.8 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.11% (2003 est.)

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

Death rate:
8.55 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: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 3.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 3.56 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 80.93 years
male: 77.63 years
female: 84.41 years (2003 est.)

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

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
12,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
430 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Japanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Japanese

Ethnic groups:
Japanese 99%, others 1% (Korean 511,262, Chinese 244,241, Brazilian
182,232, Filipino 89,851, other 237,914) (2000)

Religions:
observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including
Christian 0.7%)

Languages:
Japanese

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1995 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%

Government Japan

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Japan

Government type:
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government

Capital:
Tokyo

Administrative divisions:
47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka,
Fukushima, Gifu, Gumma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki,
Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto,
Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita,
Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka,
Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata,
Yamaguchi, Yamanashi

Independence:
660 BC (traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu)

National holiday:
Birthday of Emperor AKIHITO, 23 December (1933)

Constitution:
3 May 1947

Legal system:
modeled after European civil law system with English-American
influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989)
note: following the resignation of Prime Minister Yoshiro MORI,
Junichiro KOIZUMI was elected as the new president of the majority
Liberal Democratic Party and soon thereafter designated by the Diet
to become the next prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the Diet designates the
prime minister; the constitution requires that the prime minister
must command a parliamentary majority; therefore, following
legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of
a majority coalition in the House of Representatives usually becomes
prime minister
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
head of government: Prime Minister Junichiro KOIZUMI (since 26 April
2001)

Legislative branch:
bicameral Diet or Kokkai consists of the House of Councillors or
Sangi-in (247 seats - members elected for six-year terms; half
reelected every three years; 149 members in multi-seat
constituencies and 98 by proportional representation); House of
Representatives or Shugi-in (480 seats - members elected for
four-year terms; 300 in single-seat constituencies; 180 members by
proportional representation in 11 regional blocs)
election results: House of Councillors - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - LDP 110, DPJ 59, Komeito 23, JCP 20, SDP 8,
Liberal Party 8, Conservative Party 5, independents 14; distribution
of seats as of July 2001 was: LDP 115, DPJ 60, Komeito 24, JCP 20,
SDP 8, Liberal Party 8 (merged with DPJ in 2003), independents 6,
others 6; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - LDP
49.38%, DPJ 36.88%, Komeito 7.09%, JCP 1.88%, SDP 1.25%, NCP .84%;
seats by party - LDP 237, DPJ 177, Komeito 34, JCP 9, SDP 6, NCP 4,
others 13; distribution of seats as of 13 November 2003 was: LDP
244, DPJ 177, Komeito 34, JCP 9, SDP 6, others 10
elections: House of Councillors - last held 29 July 2001 (next to be
held in July 2004); House of Representatives - last held 9 November
2003 (next election has not been scheduled)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the monarch after
designation by the cabinet; all other justices are appointed by the
cabinet)

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party of Japan or DPJ [Naoto KAN, leader; Katsuya OKADA,
secretary general]; Japan Communist Party or JCP [Kazuo SHII,
chairman; Tadayoshi ICHIDA, secretary general]; Komeito [Takenori
KANZAKI, president; Tetsuzo FUYUSHIBA, secretary general]; Liberal
Democratic Party or LDP [Junichiro KOIZUMI, president; Shinzo ABE,
secretary general]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Mizuho
FUKUSHIMA, chairperson; Seiji MATAICHI, secretary general]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ABEDA, AfDB, APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue
partner), Australia Group, BIS, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP,
EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer),
OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMISET, UNMOVIC, UNRWA, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ryozo KATO
FAX: [1] (202) 328-2187
consulate(s): Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)
consulate(s) general: Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver,
Detroit, Hagatna (Guam), Honolulu, Houston, Kansas City (Missouri),
Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Portland (Oregon), San
Francisco, and Seattle
chancery: 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 238-6700

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Howard H. BAKER, Jr.
embassy: 10-5 Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420
mailing address: Unit 45004, Box 258, APO AP 96337-5004
telephone: [81] (03) 3224-5000
FAX: [81] (03) 3505-1862
consulate(s) general: Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo
consulate(s): Fukuoka, Nagoya

Flag description:
white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in
the center

Economy Japan

Economy - overview:
Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery of
high technology, and a comparatively small defense allocation (1% of
GDP) helped Japan advance with extraordinary rapidity to the rank of
second-most-technologically-powerful economy in the world after the
US and third-largest economy after the US and China. One notable
characteristic of the economy is the working together of
manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors in closely-knit groups
called keiretsu. A second basic feature has been the guarantee of
lifetime employment for a substantial portion of the urban labor
force. Both features are now eroding. Industry, the most important
sector of the economy, is heavily dependent on imported raw
materials and fuels. The much smaller agricultural sector is highly
subsidized and protected, with crop yields among the highest in the
world. Usually self-sufficient in rice, Japan must import about 50%
of its requirements of other grain and fodder crops. Japan maintains
one of the world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly
15% of the global catch. For three decades overall real economic
growth had been spectacular: a 10% average in the 1960s, a 5%
average in the 1970s, and a 4% average in the 1980s. Growth slowed
markedly in the 1990s, averaging just 1.7%, largely because of the
aftereffects of overinvestment during the late 1980s and
contractionary domestic policies intended to wring speculative
excesses from the stock and real estate markets. Government efforts
to revive economic growth have met with little success and were
further hampered in 2000-2003 by the slowing of the US, European,
and Asian economies. Japan's huge government debt, which is
approaching 150% of GDP, and the ageing of the population are two
major long-run problems. Robotics constitutes a key long-term
economic strength with Japan possessing 410,000 of the world's
720,000 "working robots." Internal conflict over the proper way to
reform the ailing banking system continues.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $3.651 trillion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
0.2% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $28,700 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.4%
industry: 30.9%
services: 67.7% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.8%
highest 10%: 21.7% (1993)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
24.9 (1993)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
-0.9% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
67.7 million (December 2001)

Labor force - by occupation:
services 70%, industry 25%, agriculture 5% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate:
5.4% (2002)

Budget:
revenues: $441 billion
expenditures: $718 billion, including capital expenditures (public
works only) of about $0 NA (FY 01/02 est.)

Industries:
among world's largest and technologically advanced producers of
motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and
nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals; textiles, processed foods

Industrial production growth rate:
-1.4% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
1.037 trillion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 60%
hydro: 8.4%
other: 1.8% (2001)
nuclear: 29.8%

Electricity - consumption:
964.2 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
17,330 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
5.29 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
93,360 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
5.449 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
29.29 million bbl (37257)

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

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

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

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

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

Agriculture - products:
rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; pork, poultry, dairy
products, eggs; fish

Exports:
$383.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
motor vehicles, semiconductors, office machinery, chemicals

Exports - partners:
US 28.8%, China 9.6%, South Korea 6.9%, Taiwan 6.2%, Hong Kong 6.1%
(2002)

Imports:
$292.1 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles,
raw materials (2001)

Imports - partners:
China 18.3%, US 17.4%, South Korea 4.6%, Indonesia 4.2%, Australia
4.1% (2002)

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $9.1 billion (1999)

Currency:
yen (JPY)

Currency code:
JPY

Exchange rates:
yen per US dollar - 125.39 (2002), 121.53 (2001), 107.77 (2000),
113.91 (1999), 130.91 (1998)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Japan

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

Telephones - mobile cellular:
63.88 million (2000)

Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international service
domestic: high level of modern technology and excellent service of
every kind
international: satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Pacific
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region), and
1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions); submarine cables to
China, Philippines, Russia, and US (via Guam) (1999)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 215 plus 370 repeaters, FM 89 plus 485 repeaters, shortwave 21
(2001)

Radios:
120.5 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
211 plus 7,341 repeaters
note: in addition, US Forces are served by 3 TV stations and 2 TV
cable services (1999)

Televisions:
86.5 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.jp

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
73 (2000)

Internet users:
56 million (2002)

Transportation Japan

Railways:
total: 23,168 km (15,995 km electrified)
standard gauge: 3,204 km 1.435-m gauge (3,204 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 77 km 1.372-m gauge (77 km electrified); 19,855 km
1.067-m gauge (12,683 km electrified); 31 km 0.762-m gauge (31 km
electrified) (2002)

Highways:
total: 1,161,894 km
paved: 534,471 km (including 6,455 km of expressways)
unpaved: 627,423 km (1999)

Waterways:
1,770 km approximately
note: seagoing craft ply all coastal inland seas

Pipelines:
gas 2,719 km; oil 170 km; oil/gas/water 60 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Akita, Amagasaki, Chiba, Hachinohe, Hakodate, Higashi-Harima,
Himeji, Hiroshima, Kawasaki, Kinuura, Kobe, Kushiro, Mizushima,
Moji, Nagoya, Osaka, Sakai, Sakaide, Shimizu, Tokyo, Tomakomai

Merchant marine:
total: 594 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 10,467,142 GRT/13,335,833 DWT
ships by type: bulk 120, cargo 45, chemical tanker 18, combination
bulk 28, combination ore/oil 1, container 18, liquefied gas 52,
passenger 8, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 179, refrigerated
cargo 9, roll on/roll off 59, short-sea passenger 6, vehicle carrier
49
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: China 1, Panama 1, Singapore 1 (2002 est.)

Airports:
172 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 141
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 37
914 to 1,523 m: 27
under 914 m: 32 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 38

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 31
over 3047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 26 (2002)
914 to 1,523 m: 3

Heliports:
15 (2002)

Military Japan

Military branches:
Ground Self-Defense Force (Army), Maritime Self-Defense Force
(Navy), Air Self-Defense Force (Air Force), Coast Guard

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

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 29,392,559 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 25,405,779 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 725,281 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$39.52 billion (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Japan

Disputes - international:
islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan, and the Habomai group
occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia,
claimed by Japan; Liancourt Rocks (Take-shima/Tok-do) disputed with
South Korea; Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Tai) claimed by China and Taiwan

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Jarvis Island

Introduction Jarvis Island

Background:
First discovered by the British in 1821, the uninhabited island was
annexed by the US in 1858, but abandoned in 1879 after tons of guano
had been removed. The UK annexed the island in 1889, but never
carried out plans for further exploitation. The US occupied and
reclaimed the island in 1935. Abandoned after World War II, the
island is currently a National Wildlife Refuge administered by the
US Department of the Interior; a day beacon is situated near the
middle of the west coast.

Geography Jarvis Island

Location:
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between
Hawaii and the Cook Islands

Geographic coordinates:
0 22 S, 160 03 W

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 4.5 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 4.5 sq km

Area - comparative:
about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
8 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
tropical; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun

Terrain:
sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 7 m

Natural resources:
guano (deposits worked until late 1800s), terrestrial and aquatic
wildlife

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island poses a maritime
hazard

Environment - current issues:
no natural fresh water resources

Geography - note:
sparse bunch grass, prostrate vines, and low-growing shrubs;
primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds,
shorebirds, and marine wildlife

People Jarvis Island

Population:
uninhabited
note: Millersville settlement on western side of island occasionally
used as a weather station from 1935 until World War II, when it was
abandoned; reoccupied in 1957 during the International Geophysical
Year by scientists who left in 1958; public entry is by special-use
permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally
restricted to scientists and educators; visited annually by US Fish
and Wildlife Service (July 2003 est.)

Government Jarvis Island

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jarvis Island

Dependency status:
unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington,
DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the
Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system

Legal system:
the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Flag description:
the flag of the US is used

Economy Jarvis Island

Economy - overview:
no economic activity

Transportation Jarvis Island

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
none; offshore anchorage only; note - there is one small boat
landing area in the middle of the west coast and another near the
southwest corner of the island

Transportation - note:
there is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast

Military Jarvis Island

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US
Coast Guard

Transnational Issues Jarvis Island

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Jersey

Introduction Jersey

Background:
The island of Jersey and the other Channel Islands represent the
last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy that held sway in
both France and England. These islands were the only British soil
occupied by German troops in World War II.

Geography Jersey

Location:
Western Europe, island in the English Channel, northwest of France

Geographic coordinates:
49 15 N, 2 10 W

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 116 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 116 sq km

Area - comparative:
about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
70 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM

Climate:
temperate; mild winters and cool summers

Terrain:
gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 143 m

Natural resources:
arable land

Land use:
arable land: NEGL%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of
population concentrated in Saint Helier

People Jersey

Population:
90,156 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 17.8% (male 8,292; female 7,744)
15-64 years: 67.2% (male 30,178; female 30,410)
65 years and over: 15% (male 5,858; female 7,674) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 39.8 years
male: 39.1 years
female: 40.6 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.4% (2003 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.43 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 5.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.93 years
male: 76.48 years
female: 81.57 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.57 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: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander

Ethnic groups:
UK and Norman-French descent

Religions:
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational New Church,
Methodist, Presbyterian

Languages:
English (official), French (official), Norman-French dialect spoken
in country districts

Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA%

Government Jersey

Country name:
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Jersey
conventional short form: Jersey

Dependency status:
British crown dependency

Government type:
NA

Capital:
Saint Helier

Administrative divisions:
none (British crown dependency)

Independence:
none (British crown dependency)

National holiday:
Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)

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

Legal system:
English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal
Court

Suffrage:
NA years of age; universal adult

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor and
bailiff appointed by the monarch
head of government: Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief Air
Chief Marshall Sir John CHESHIRE (since 24 January 2001) and Bailiff
Philip Martin BAILHACHE (since NA February 1995)
cabinet: committees appointed by the Assembly of the States

Legislative branch:
unicameral Assembly of the States (55 voting members - 12 senators
(elected for 6-year terms), 12 constables or heads of parishes
(elected for 3-year terms), 29 deputies (elected for 3-year terms);
the bailiff and the deputy bailiff; and 3 non-voting members - the
Dean of Jersey, the Attorney General, and the Solicitor General all
appointed by the monarch)
elections: last held NA (next to be held NA)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 52

Judicial branch:
Royal Court (judges elected by an electoral college and the bailiff)

Political parties and leaders:
none; all independents

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (British crown dependency)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (British crown dependency)

Flag description:
white with a diagonal red cross extending to the corners of the
flag and in the upper quadrant, surmounted by a yellow crown, a red
shield holding the three lions of England in yellow

Economy Jersey

Economy - overview:
The economy is based largely on international financial services,
agriculture, and tourism. Potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes, and
especially flowers are important export crops, shipped mostly to the
UK. The Jersey breed of dairy cattle is known worldwide and
represents an important export income earner. Milk products go to
the UK and other EU countries. In 1996 the finance sector accounted
for about 60% of the island's output. Tourism, another mainstay of
the economy, accounts for 24% of GDP. In recent years, the
government has encouraged light industry to locate in Jersey, with
the result that an electronics industry has developed alongside the
traditional manufacturing of knitwear. All raw material and energy
requirements are imported, as well as a large share of Jersey's food
needs. Light taxes and death duties make the island a popular tax
haven.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $2.2 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
NA%

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $24,800 (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5%
industry: 2%
services: 93% (1996)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.7% (1998)

Labor force:
57,050 (1996)

Unemployment rate:
0.7% (1998 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $601 million
expenditures: $588 million, including capital expenditures of $98
million (2000 est.)

Industries:
tourism, banking and finance, dairy

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - imports:
NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by France

Agriculture - products:
potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes; beef, dairy products

Exports:
$NA

Exports - commodities:
light industrial and electrical goods, foodstuffs, textiles

Exports - partners:
UK

Imports:
$NA

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, foodstuffs,
mineral fuels, chemicals

Imports - partners:
UK

Debt - external:
none

Economic aid - recipient:
none

Currency:
British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Jersey pound

Currency code:
GBP

Exchange rates:
Jersey pounds per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596
(2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998); the Jersey pound is at par
with the British pound

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Jersey

Telephones - main lines in use:
65,500 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
4,400 (1997)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: 3 submarine cables

Radio broadcast stations:
AM NA, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
NA

Television broadcast stations:
2 (1997)

Televisions:
NA

Internet country code:
.je

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
NA

Internet users:
NA

Transportation Jersey

Railways:
0 km

Highways:
total: 577 km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
Gorey, Saint Aubin, Saint Helier

Merchant marine:
none (2002 est.)

Airports:
1 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)

Military Jersey

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues Jersey

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Johnston Atoll

Introduction Johnston Atoll

Background:
Both the US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed Johnston Atoll in
1858, but it was the US that mined the guano deposits until the late
1880s. The US Navy took over the atoll in 1934, and subsequently the
US Air Force assumed control in 1948. The site was used for
high-altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s, and until late
in 2000 the atoll was maintained as a storage and disposal site for
chemical weapons. Munitions destruction is now complete. Cleanup and
closure of the facility is progressing, with completion anticipated
in 2004.

Geography Johnston Atoll

Location:
Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 717 NM (1328 km)
southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii, about one-third of the way from
Hawaii to the Marshall Islands

Geographic coordinates:
16 45 N, 169 31 W

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 2.8 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 2.8 sq km

Area - comparative:
about 4.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
34 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with
little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain:
mostly flat

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Summit Peak 5 m

Natural resources:
guano deposits worked until depletion about 1890, terrestrial and
aquatic wildlife

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
no natural fresh water resources

Geography - note:
strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; Johnston Island and
Sand Island are natural islands, which have been expanded by coral
dredging; North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are manmade
islands formed from coral dredging; the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in
circumference; closed to the public; a former US nuclear weapons
test site; site of Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System
(JACADS); some low-growing vegetation

People Johnston Atoll

Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: in previous years, there was an average of 1,100 US military
and civilian contractor personnel present; as of September 2001,
population had decreased significantly when US Army Chemical
Activity Pacific (USACAP) departed; as of January 2003 the island
population was just above 800 personnel, including US Air Force, US
Department of Defense civilian, and civilian contractor personnel
(January 2003 est.) (July 2003 est.)

Government Johnston Atoll

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Johnston Atoll

Dependency status:
unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Honolulu, HI,
by Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, and the Fish and
Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the
National Wildlife Refuge system

Legal system:
the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Flag description:
the flag of the US is used

Economy Johnston Atoll

Economy - overview:
Economic activity is limited to providing services to US military
personnel and contractors located on the island. All food and
manufactured goods must be imported.

Electricity - production:
44.2 million kWh; note - approximate annual production; there are
six 25,000 kWh generators operated by the base operating support
contractor (1999)

Electricity - consumption:
2.002 million kWh; note - approximate annual consumption

Communications Johnston Atoll

Telephone system:
general assessment: 33 commercial lines, 15 incoming and 18
outgoing; adequate telecommunications
domestic: 60-channel submarine cable (broken in January 2002), 24
DSN circuits by satellite, Automated Digital Network (AUTODIN) with
standard remote terminal, digital telephone switch, Military
Affiliated Radio System (MARS) station (scheduled for
decommissioning March 2003), UHF/VHF air-ground radio, a link to the
Pacific Consolidated Telecommunications Network (PCTN) satellite
international: NA (2002)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM NA, FM 7 (1 island-run morale, welfare, and recreation station
and 6 all-music digital radio stations broadcast over FM band),
shortwave NA (2002)

Television broadcast stations:
commercial satellite television system, with 30 channels (2002)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 256 KB circuit to US Department of Defense-run Nonsecure Internet
Protocol Router Network (NIPRNET) (2002)

Transportation Johnston Atoll

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
Johnston Island

Airports:
1 (2002)

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

Military Johnston Atoll

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues Johnston Atoll

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Jordan

Introduction Jordan

Background:
For most of its history since independence from British
administration in 1946, Jordan was ruled by King HUSSEIN (1953-99).
A pragmatic ruler, he successfully navigated competing pressures
from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states,
Israel, and a large internal Palestinian population, through several
wars and coup attempts. In 1989 he resumed parliamentary elections
and gradually permitted political liberalization; in 1994 a formal
peace treaty was signed with Israel. King ABDALLAH II - the eldest
son of King HUSSEIN and Princess MUNA - assumed the throne following
his father's death in February 1999. Since then, he has consolidated
his power and established his domestic priorities, including an
aggressive economic reform program. Jordan acceded to the World
Trade Organization in January 2000, and signed free trade agreements
with the United States in 2000, and with the European Free Trade
Association in 2001.

Geography Jordan

Location:
Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates:
31 00 N, 36 00 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 92,300 sq km
water: 329 sq km
land: 91,971 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Indiana

Land boundaries:
total: 1,635 km
border countries: Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 744 km,
Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km

Coastline:
26 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 NM

Climate:
mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)

Terrain:
mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift
Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Jabal Ram 1,734 m

Natural resources:
phosphates, potash, shale oil

Land use:
arable land: 2.87%
permanent crops: 1.52%
other: 95.61% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
750 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
droughts; periodic earthquakes

Environment - current issues:
limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing;
soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as the Arab
country that shares the longest border with Israel and the occupied
West Bank

People Jordan

Population:
5,460,265 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 35.9% (male 1,001,174; female 959,157)
15-64 years: 60.5% (male 1,764,061; female 1,541,453)
65 years and over: 3.6% (male 95,566; female 98,854) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 21.8 years
male: 22.4 years
female: 21.1 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
2.78% (2003 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.14 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female
total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 18.86 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 22.51 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.88 years
male: 75.42 years
female: 80.5 years (2003 est.)

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

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
less than 1,000

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Jordanian(s)
adjective: Jordanian

Ethnic groups:
Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%

Religions:
Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some
Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox,
Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), other 2% (several
small Shi'a Muslim and Druze populations) (2001 est.)

Languages:
Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle
classes

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.3%
male: 95.9%
female: 86.3% (2003 est.)

Government Jordan

Country name:
conventional long form: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
conventional short form: Jordan
local short form: Al Urdun
local long form: Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah
former: Transjordan

Government type:
constitutional monarchy

Capital:
'Amman

Administrative divisions:
12 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Ajlun, Al
'Aqabah, Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, 'Amman, At Tafilah, Az
Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an, Madaba

Independence:
25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British
administration)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 25 May (1946)

Constitution:
8 January 1952

Legal system:
based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of
legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Crown
Prince HAMZAH (half brother of the monarch, born 29 March 1980)
head of government: Prime Minister Faisal al-FAYEZ (since 25 October
2003)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation
with the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed
by the monarch

Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of the
Senate, also called the House of Notables (Majlis al-Ayan) (40
seats; members appointed by the monarch from designated categories
of public figures; members serve four-year terms) and the House of
Representatives, also called the House of Deputies (Majlis
al-Nuwaab) (110 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis
of proportional representation to serve four-year terms; note - six
seats are reserved for women and are allocated by a special
electoral panel if no women are elected)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 17 June 2003, next
to be held NA 2007
note: the House of Representatives has been convened and dissolved
by the monarch several times since 1974; in November 1989, the first
parliamentary elections in 22 years were held; political parties
were not legalized until 1992; King Abdallah delayed the 2001
elections until 2003
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - independents and others 89.6%, Islamic Action Front 10.4%;
seats by party - independents and others 92, Islamic Action Front 18
(note - one of the six quota seats was given to a female IAF
candidate)

Judicial branch:
Court of Cassation; Supreme Court (court of final appeal)

Political parties and leaders:
Al-Umma (Nation) Party [Ahmad al-HANANDEH, secretary general]; Arab
Land Party [Dr. Muhammad al-'ORAN, secretary general]; Communist
Party [Munir HAMARINAH, secretary general]; Constitutional Front
[Mahdi al-TALL, secretary general]; Jordanian Democratic Popular
Unity Party [Sa'id DHIYAB, secretary general]; Jordanian Progressive
Party [Fawwaz al-ZUBI, secretary general]; Jordanian People's
Democratic (Hashd) Party [Salim al-NAHHAS, secretary general];
Islamic Action Front [Hazma MANSOUR, secretary general]; National
Action (Haqq) Party [Muhammad al-ZUBI, secretary general]; National
Constitutional Party [Abdul Hadi MAJALI, secretary general]; (Arab)
Socialist Ba'th Party [Taysif al-HIMSI, secretary general]; Pan-Arab
(Democratic) Movement [Mahmud al-NUWAYHI, secretary general]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Anti-Normalization Committee [Ali Abu SUKKAR, president vice
chairman]; Jordanian Bar Association [Saleh ARMOUTI, president];
Jordanian Press Association [Sayf al-SHARIF, president]; Muslim
Brotherhood [Abd-al-Majid DHUNAYBAT, secretary general]

International organization participation:
ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE
(partner), PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH,
UNMIK, UNMISET, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Karim Tawfiq KAWAR
chancery: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
FAX: [1] (202) 966-3110
telephone: [1] (202) 966-2664

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Edward William GNEHM, Jr.
embassy: Abdoun, Amman
mailing address: P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; Unit 70200, Box
5, APO AE 09892-0200
telephone: [962] (6) 5920101
FAX: [962] (6) 5920121

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of black (top, the Abbassid Caliphate
of Islam), white (the Ummayyad Caliphate of Islam), and green (the
Fatimid Caliphate of Islam) with a red isosceles triangle
(representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916) based on the hoist side
bearing a small white seven-pointed star symbolizing the seven
verses of the opening Sura (Al-Fatiha) of the Holy Koran; the seven
points on the star represent faith in One God, humanity, national
spirit, humility, social justice, virtue, and aspirations

Economy Jordan

Economy - overview:
Jordan is a small Arab country with inadequate supplies of water
and other natural resources such as oil. Debt, poverty, and
unemployment are fundamental problems, but King ABDALLAH since
assuming the throne in 1999 has undertaken some broad economic
reforms in a long-term effort to improve living standards. Amman in
the past three years has worked closely with the IMF, practiced
careful monetary policy, and made significant headway with
privatization. The government also has liberalized the trade regime
sufficiently to secure Jordan's membership in the WTrO (2000), a
free trade accord with US (2000), and an association agreement with
the EU (2001). These measures have helped improve productivity and
have put Jordan on the foreign investment map. The US-led war in
Iraq in 2003 dealt an economic blow to Jordan, which was dependent
on Iraq for discounted oil. It remains unclear how Jordan will
finance energy imports in the absence of such a deal. Other ongoing
challenges include fiscal adjustment to reduce the budget deficit
and broader investment incentives to promote job-creating ventures.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $22.63 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.9% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $4,300 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.7%
industry: 26%
services: 70.3% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
30% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.3%
highest 10%: 29.8% (1997)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
36.4 (1997)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.3% (2002 est.)