Chapter LV: Front Matter (55)

Land use:
arable land: 34.53%
permanent crops: 3.36%
other: 62.11% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
42,000 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
very severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an
arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van

Environment - current issues:
water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air
pollution, particularly in urban areas; deforestation; concern for
oil spills from increasing Bosporus ship traffic

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test
Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Environmental Modification

Geography - note:
strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea
of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas; Mount
Ararat, the legendary landing place of Noah's Ark, is in the far
eastern portion of the country

People Turkey

Population:
68,109,469 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 27.2% (male 9,422,242; female 9,082,840)
15-64 years: 66.4% (male 22,978,251; female 22,243,477)
65 years and over: 6.4% (male 2,013,926; female 2,368,733) (2003
est.)

Median age:
total: 26.8 years
male: 26.7 years
female: 27 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
1.16% (2003 est.)

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

Death rate:
5.95 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: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 44.2 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 40.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 47.91 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.8 years
male: 69.41 years
female: 74.3 years (2003 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% - note: no country specific models provided (2001
est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Turk(s)
adjective: Turkish

Ethnic groups:
Turkish 80%, Kurdish 20% (estimated)

Religions:
Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)

Languages:
Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian, Greek

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.5%
male: 94.3%
female: 78.7% (2003 est.)

Government Turkey

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Turkey
conventional short form: Turkey
local long form: Turkiye Cumhuriyeti
local short form: Turkiye

Government type:
republican parliamentary democracy

Capital:
Ankara

Administrative divisions:
81 provinces (iller, singular - il); Adana, Adiyaman, Afyon, Agri,
Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Ardahan, Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir,
Bartin, Batman, Bayburt, Bilecik, Bingol, Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur,
Bursa, Canakkale, Cankiri, Corum, Denizli, Diyarbakir, Duzce,
Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskisehir, Gaziantep, Giresun,
Gumushane, Hakkari, Hatay, Igdir, Isparta, Istanbul, Izmir,
Kahramanmaras, Karabuk, Karaman, Kars, Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kilis,
Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kirsehir, Kocaeli, Konya, Kutahya, Malatya,
Manisa, Mardin, Mersin, Mugla, Mus, Nevsehir, Nigde, Ordu, Osmaniye,
Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Sanliurfa, Siirt, Sinop, Sirnak, Sivas,
Tekirdag, Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli, Usak, Van, Yalova, Yozgat,
Zonguldak

Independence:
29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 29 October (1923)

Constitution:
7 November 1982

Legal system:
derived from various European continental legal systems; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ahmet Necdet SEZER (since 16 May 2000)
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a
seven-year term; election last held 5 May 2000 (next to be held NA
May 2007); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by
the president
note: a National Security Council serves as an advisory body to the
government composed of top military and cabinet officials and
presided over by the president
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
nomination of the prime minister
head of government: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (14 March
2003); note - Abdullah GUL resigned 11 March 2003; Recep Tayyip
ERDOGAN was given a mandate to form a new government
election results: Ahmed Necdet SEZER elected president on the third
ballot; percent of National Assembly vote - 60%
note: president must have a two-thirds majority of the National
Assembly on the first two ballots and a simple majority on the third
ballot

Legislative branch:
unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or Turkiye Buyuk
Millet Meclisi (550 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 3 November 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); note
- a special rerun of the General Election in the province of Siirt
on 9 March 2003 resulted in the election of Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN to
a seat in parliament, a prerequisite for becoming prime minister on
13 March 2003
election results: percent of vote by party - AKP 34.3%, CHP 19.4%,
DYP 9.6%, MHP 8.3%, ANAP 5.1%, DSP 1.1%, and others; seats by party
- AKP 363, CHP 178, independents 9; note - parties surpassing the
10% threshold are entitled to parliamentary seats

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court (judges are appointed by the president); Court
of Appeals and Council of State (judges are elected by the Supreme
Council of Judges and Prosecutors)

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Left Party or DSP [Bulent ECEVIT]; Justice and
Development Party or AKP [Recep Tayip ERDOGAN]; Motherland Party or
ANAP [Ahmet Mesut YILMAZ]; Nationalist Action Party or MHP [Devlet
BAHCELI]; Republican People's Party or CHP [Deniz BAYKAL]; True Path
Party (sometimes translated as Correct Way Party) or DYP [Tansu
CILLER]; Young Party or GP [Cem UZAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Confederation of Public Sector Unions or KESK [Sami EVREN];
Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions or DISK [Suleyman
CELEBI]; Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association
or MUSIAD [Erol YARAR]; Moral Rights Workers Union or Hak-Is [Salim
USLU]; Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association or
TUSIAD [Muharrem KAYHAN]; Turkish Confederation of Employers' Unions
or TISK [Refik BAYDUR]; Turkish Confederation of Labor or Turk-Is
[Bayram MERAL]; Turkish Confederation of Tradesmen and Craftsmen or
TESK [Dervis GUNDAY; Turkish Union of Chambers of Commerce and
Commodity Exchanges or TOBB [M. Rifat HISARCIKLIOGLU]

International organization participation:
AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN (observer), EAPC, EBRD,
ECE, ECO, ESCAP, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IDB, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMISET, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WEU
(associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Osman Faruk LOGOGLU
FAX: [1] (202) 612-6744
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York
chancery: 2525 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 612-6700

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Eric S. EDELMAN
embassy: 110 Ataturk Boulevard, Kavaklidere, 06100 Ankara
mailing address: PSC 93, Box 5000, APO AE 09823
telephone: [90] (312) 455-5555
FAX: [90] (312) 467-0019
consulate(s) general: Istanbul
consulate(s): Adana; note - there is a Consular Agent in Izmir

Flag description:
red with a vertical white crescent (the closed portion is toward
the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered just outside
the crescent opening

Economy Turkey

Economy - overview:
Turkey's dynamic economy is a complex mix of modern industry and
commerce along with a traditional agriculture sector that in 2001
still accounted for 40% of employment. It has a strong and rapidly
growing private sector, yet the state still plays a major role in
basic industry, banking, transport, and communication. The most
important industry - and largest exporter - is textiles and
clothing, which is almost entirely in private hands. In recent years
the economic situation has been marked by erratic economic growth
and serious imbalances. Real GNP growth has exceeded 6% in many
years, but this strong expansion has been interrupted by sharp
declines in output in 1994, 1999, and 2001. Meanwhile, the public
sector fiscal deficit has regularly exceeded 10% of GDP - due in
large part to the huge burden of interest payments, which account
for more than 50% of central government spending. Inflation, in
recent years in the high double-digit range, fell to 26% in 2003.
Perhaps because of these problems, foreign direct investment in
Turkey remains low - less than $1 billion annually. In late 2000 and
early 2001 a growing trade deficit and serious weaknesses in the
banking sector plunged the economy into crisis - forcing Turkey to
float the lira and pushing the country into recession. Results in
2002-03 were much better, because of strong financial support from
the IMF and tighter fiscal policy. Continued slow global growth and
serious political tensions in the Middle East could result in
negative growth in 2004.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $489.7 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
7.8% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $7,300 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 12.9%
industry: 30.4%
services: 56.7% (2001)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 32.3% (1994)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
41.5 (1994)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
45.2% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
23.8 million
note: about 1.2 million Turks work abroad (2001 3rd quarter)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 39.7%, services 37.9%, industry 22.4% (3rd quarter,
2001)

Unemployment rate:
10.8% (plus underemployment of 6.1%) (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $42.4 billion
expenditures: $69.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2001)

Industries:
textiles, food processing, autos, mining (coal, chromite, copper,
boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper

Industrial production growth rate:
8.5% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
116.6 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 79.3%
hydro: 20.4%
other: 0.3% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
112.6 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
433 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
4.579 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
48,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
619,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
46,110 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
616,500 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
288.4 million bbl (37257)

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

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

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

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

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

Agriculture - products:
tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulse, citrus;
livestock

Exports:
$35.1 billion f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities:
apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport
equipment

Exports - partners:
Germany 16.6%, US 9.2%, UK 8.5%, Italy 6.4%, France 6% (2002)

Imports:
$50.8 billion c.i.f. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, chemicals, semi-finished goods, fuels, transport
equipment

Imports - partners:
Germany 13.7%, Italy 8.1%, Russia 7.6%, US 6%, France 5.9%, UK
4.8%, Switzerland 4.1% (2002)

Debt - external:
$118.3 billion (Yearend 2001)

Economic aid - recipient:
ODA, $300 million (2000)

Currency:
Turkish lira (TRL)

Currency code:
TRL

Exchange rates:
NA (2002), 1,225,590 (2001), 625,218 (2000), 418,783 (1999),
260,724 (1998), 151,865 (1997)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Turkey

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

Telephones - mobile cellular:
17.1 million (2001)

Telephone system:
general assessment: undergoing rapid modernization and expansion,
especially with cellular telephones
domestic: additional digital exchanges are permitting a rapid
increase in subscribers; the construction of a network of
technologically advanced intercity trunk lines, using both
fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay is facilitating
communication between urban centers; remote areas are reached by a
domestic satellite system; the number of subscribers to mobile
cellular telephone service is growing rapidly
international: international service is provided by three submarine
fiber-optic cables in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, linking
Turkey with Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania, and Russia;
also by 12 Intelsat earth stations, and by 328 mobile satellite
terminals in the Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems (2002)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 16, FM 107, shortwave 6 (2001)

Radios:
11.3 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
635 (plus 2,934 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
20.9 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.tr

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
50 (2001)

Internet users:
2.5 million (2002)

Transportation Turkey

Railways:
total: 8,607 km
standard gauge: 8,607 km 1.435-m gauge (2,131 km electrified) (2002)

Highways:
total: 385,960 km
paved: 131,226 km (including 1,749 km of expressways)
unpaved: 254,734 km (1999)

Waterways:
1,200 km (approximately)

Pipelines:
gas 3,177 km; oil 3,562 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Gemlik, Hopa, Iskenderun, Istanbul, Izmir, Kocaeli (Izmit), Icel
(Mersin), Samsun, Trabzon

Merchant marine:
total: 525 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,306,506 GRT/8,424,837 DWT
ships by type: bulk 125, cargo 229, chemical tanker 44, combination
bulk 3, combination ore/oil 3, container 34, liquefied gas 6,
passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 35, refrigerated cargo 4, roll
on/roll off 26, short-sea passenger 10, specialized tanker 5
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Belize 1, Cyprus 1, Denmark 2, Greece 1, Italy 1,
Thailand 1, UK 11 (2002 est.)

Airports:
120 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 86
over 3,047 m: 16
2,438 to 3,047 m: 30
914 to 1,523 m: 16
under 914 m: 5 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 19

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 34
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 24 (2002)
914 to 1,523 m: 8

Heliports:
8 (2002)

Military Turkey

Military branches:
Land Forces, Navy (includes Naval Air and Naval Infantry), Air
Force, Coast Guard, Gendarmerie

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

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 19,534,455 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 11,801,267 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 679,882 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$8.1 billion (2002 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
4.5% (2002 est.)

Transnational Issues Turkey

Disputes - international:
complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Greece in the
Aegean Sea; Cyprus question remains with Greece; Syria and Iraq
protest Turkish hydrological projects to control upper Euphrates
waters; Turkey is quick to rebuff any perceived Syrian claim to
Hatay province; border with Armenia remains closed over
Nagorno-Karabakh

Illicit drugs:
key transit route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe and
- to a far lesser extent the US - via air, land, and sea routes;
major Turkish, Iranian, and other international trafficking
organizations operate out of Istanbul; laboratories to convert
imported morphine base into heroin are in remote regions of Turkey
as well as near Istanbul; government maintains strict controls over
areas of legal opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw
concentrate

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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@Turkmenistan

Introduction Turkmenistan

Background:
Annexed by Russia between 1865 and 1885, Turkmenistan became a
Soviet republic in 1925. It achieved its independence upon the
dissolution of the USSR in 1991. President NIYAZOV retains absolute
control over the country and opposition is not tolerated. Extensive
hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves could prove a boon to this
underdeveloped country if extraction and delivery projects can be
worked out.

Geography Turkmenistan

Location:
Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan

Geographic coordinates:
40 00 N, 60 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 488,100 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 488,100 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than California

Land boundaries:
total: 3,736 km
border countries: Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379
km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km

Coastline:
0 km; note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
subtropical desert

Terrain:
flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the
south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in
west

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Vpadina Akchanaya -81 m; note - Sarygamysh Koli is a
lake in northern Turkmenistan with a water level that fluctuates
above and below the elevation of Vpadina Akchanaya (the lake has
dropped as low as -110 m)
highest point: Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, coal, sulfur, salt

Land use:
arable land: 3.47%
permanent crops: 0.14%
other: 96.39% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
17,500 sq km (2003 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
contamination of soil and groundwater with agricultural chemicals,
pesticides; salination, water-logging of soil due to poor irrigation
methods; Caspian Sea pollution; diversion of a large share of the
flow of the Amu Darya into irrigation contributes to that river's
inability to replenish the Aral Sea; desertification

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
landlocked; the western and central low-lying, desolate portions of
the country make up the great Garagum (Kara-Kum) desert, which
occupies over 80% of the country; eastern part is plateau

People Turkmenistan

Population:
4,775,544 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 36.8% (male 899,954; female 855,293)
15-64 years: 59.2% (male 1,386,606; female 1,438,333)
65 years and over: 4.1% (male 74,958; female 120,400) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 21.1 years
male: 20.2 years
female: 22 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
1.82% (2003 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-0.92 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: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 73.17 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 69.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 76.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.19 years
male: 57.72 years
female: 64.84 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.5 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 100 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Turkmen(s)
adjective: Turkmen

Ethnic groups:
Turkmen 77%, Uzbek 9.2%, Russian 6.7%, Kazakh 2%, other 5.1% (1995)

Religions:
Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2%

Languages:
Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 97% (1989 est.)

Government Turkmenistan

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turkmenistan
local long form: none
former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic
local short form: Turkmenistan

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Ashgabat

Administrative divisions:
5 provinces (welayatlar, singular - welayat): Ahal Welayaty
(Ashgabat), Balkan Welayaty (Balkanabat), Dashoguz Welayaty, Lebap
Welayaty (Turkmenabat), Mary Welayaty
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
name following in parentheses)

Independence:
27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 October (1991)

Constitution:
adopted 18 May 1992

Legal system:
based on civil law system

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers
Saparmurat NIYAZOV (since 27 October 1990, when the first direct
presidential election occurred); note - the president is both the
chief of state and head of government
head of government: President and Chairman of the Cabinet of
Ministers Saparmurat NIYAZOV (since 27 October 1990, when the first
direct presidential election occurred); note - the president is both
the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 21 June 1992 (next to be held NA); note -
President NIYAZOV was unanimously approved as president for life by
the Assembly on 28 December 1999); deputy chairmen of the cabinet of
ministers are appointed by the president
election results: Saparmurat NIYAZOV elected president without
opposition; percent of vote - Saparmurat NIYAZOV 99.5%
note: NIYAZOV's term in office was extended indefinitely on 28
December 1999 by the Assembly (Majlis) during a session of the
People's Council (Halk Maslahaty)

Legislative branch:
under the 1992 constitution, there are two parliamentary bodies, a
unicameral People's Council or Halk Maslahaty (more than 100 seats,
some of which are elected by popular vote and some of which are
appointed; meets at least yearly) and a unicameral Assembly or
Majlis (50 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
election results: Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats
by party - NA; note - all 50 elected officials preapproved by
President NIYAZOV; most are from the DPT
elections: People's Council - NA; Assembly - last held 12 December
1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT [Saparmurat NIYAZOV]
note: formal opposition parties are outlawed; unofficial, small
opposition movements exist underground or in foreign countries; the
two most prominent opposition groups-in-exile have been Gundogar and
Erkin; Gundogar was led by former Foreign Minister Boris
SHIKHUMRADOV until his arrest and imprisonment in the wake of the 25
November 2002 assassination attempt on President NIYAZOV; Erkin is
led by former Foreign Minister Abdy KULIEV and is based out of Moscow

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO
(correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mered Bairamovich ORAZOV
FAX: [1] (202) 588-0697
telephone: [1] (202) 588-1500
chancery: 2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Tracey A. JACOBSON
embassy: 9 Pushkin Street, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 774000
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [9] (9312) 35-00-45
FAX: [9] (9312) 39-26-14

Flag description:
green field with a vertical red stripe near the hoist side,
containing five carpet guls (designs used in producing rugs) stacked
above two crossed olive branches similar to the olive branches on
the UN flag; a white crescent moon and five white stars appear in
the upper corner of the field just to the fly side of the red stripe

Economy Turkmenistan

Economy - overview:
Turkmenistan is largely desert country with intensive agriculture
in irrigated oases and large gas and oil resources. One-half of its
irrigated land is planted in cotton, making it the world's
tenth-largest producer. With an authoritarian ex-Communist regime in
power and a tribally based social structure, Turkmenistan has taken
a cautious approach to economic reform, hoping to use gas and cotton
sales to sustain its inefficient economy. Privatization goals remain
limited. In 1998-2003, Turkmenistan suffered from the continued lack
of adequate export routes for natural gas and from obligations on
extensive short-term external debt. At the same time, however, total
exports rose by 38% in 2003, largely because of higher international
oil and gas prices. Overall prospects in the near future are
discouraging because of widespread internal poverty, the burden of
foreign debt, and the unwillingness of the government to adopt
market-oriented reforms. However, Turkmenistan's cooperation with
the international community in transporting humanitarian aid to
Afghanistan may foreshadow a change in the atmosphere for foreign
investment, aid, and technological support. Turkmenistan's economic
statistics are state secrets, and GDP and other figures are subject
to wide margins of error. In any event, GDP increased substantially
in 2003 because of a strong recovery in agriculture and rapid
industrial growth.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $31.34 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
21.1% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $6,700 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 27%
industry: 50%
services: 23% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
34.4% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 31.7% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
40.8 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
2.34 million (1996)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 48%, industry 15%, services 37% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate:
NA%

Budget:
revenues: $588.6 million
expenditures: $658.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1999 est.)

Industries:
natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing

Industrial production growth rate:
1% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
10.18 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 99.9%
hydro: 0.1%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
8.509 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
980 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
20 million kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
162,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
63,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
273 million bbl (37257)

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

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

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

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

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

Agriculture - products:
cotton, grain; livestock

Exports:
$2.97 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
gas 57%, oil 26%, cotton fiber 3%, textiles 2% (2001)

Exports - partners:
Ukraine 49.7%, Italy 18%, Iran 13.1%, Turkey 6.2% (2002)

Imports:
$2.25 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment 60%, foodstuffs 15% (1999)

Imports - partners:
Russia 19.8%, Turkey 12.8%, Ukraine 11.7%, UAE 10%, US 7.5%, China
6%, Germany 5.7%, Iran 4.4% (2002)

Debt - external:
$2.4 billion to $5 billion (2001 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$16 million from the US (2001)

Currency:
Turkmen manat (TMM)

Currency code:
TMM

Exchange rates:
Turkmen manats per US dollar - 5,200 (2002), 5,200 (2001), 5,200
(2000), 5,200 (1999), 4,890.17 (1998); note - the official exchange
rate has not varied for the last four years; the unofficial rate has
fluctuated slightly, hovering around 21,000 manats to the dollar

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Turkmenistan

Telephones - main lines in use:
363,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
4,300 (1998)

Telephone system:
general assessment: poorly developed
domestic: NA
international: linked by cable and microwave radio relay to other
CIS republics and to other countries by leased connections to the
Moscow international gateway switch; a new telephone link from
Ashgabat to Iran has been established; a new exchange in Ashgabat
switches international traffic through Turkey via Intelsat;
satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 16, FM 8, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios:
1.225 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
3 (much programming relayed from Russia and Turkey) (1997)

Televisions:
820,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.tm

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1

Internet users:
2,000 (2000)

Transportation Turkmenistan

Railways:
total: 2,440 km
broad gauge: 2,440 km 1.520-m gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 24,000 km
paved: 19,488 km
unpaved: 4,512 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
the Amu Darya is an important inland waterway for Turkmenistan, as
is the man-made Kara Kum canal

Pipelines:
gas 6,634 km; oil 853 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Turkmenbasy

Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,873 GRT/8,345 DWT
ships by type: combination ore/oil 1, petroleum tanker 1 (2002 est.)

Airports:
76 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 13
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 63
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 41 (2002)

Military Turkmenistan

Military branches:
Ministry of Defense (Army, Air and Air Defense, Navy, Border
Troops, and Internal Troops), National Guard

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

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,239,737 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,005,686 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 53,825 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$90 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.4% (FY99)

Transnational Issues Turkmenistan

Disputes - international:
prolonged regional drought creates water-sharing difficulties for
Amu Darya river states; Turkmenistan has not committed to follow
either Iran or the other littoral states in the division of the
Caspian Sea seabed and water column; ICJ decision expected to
resolve dispute with Azerbaijan over sovereignty over Caspian
oilfields; demarcation of land boundary with Kazakhstan is underway
- maritime boundary not resolved

Illicit drugs:
transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and, to a
lesser extent, Western European markets; limited illicit cultivation
of opium poppy for domestic consumption; small-scale government-run
eradication of illicit crops; transit point for heroin precursor
chemicals bound for Afghanistan

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Turks and Caicos Islands

Introduction Turks and Caicos Islands

Background:
The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when
they assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica's
independence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965
to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate
governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982,
the policy was reversed and the islands are presently a British
overseas territory.

Geography Turks and Caicos Islands

Location:
Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast
of The Bahamas, north of Haiti

Geographic coordinates:
21 45 N, 71 35 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 430 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 430 sq km

Area - comparative:
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
389 km

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

Climate:
tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry

Terrain:
low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Hills 49 m

Natural resources:
spiny lobster, conch

Land use:
arable land: 2.33%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 97.67% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
frequent hurricanes

Environment - current issues:
limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect
rainwater

Geography - note:
about 40 islands (eight inhabited)

People Turks and Caicos Islands

Population:
19,350 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 32.5% (male 3,202; female 3,094)
15-64 years: 63.7% (male 6,484; female 5,848)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 321; female 401) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 27 years
male: 27.7 years
female: 26.3 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
3.14% (2003 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
12.25 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: 1.11 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 16.87 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 19.48 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74 years
male: 71.82 years
female: 76.3 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.15 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: none
adjective: none

Ethnic groups:
black 90%, mixed, European, or north American 10%

Religions:
Baptist 40%, Methodist 16%, Anglican 18%, Church of God 12%, other
14% (1990)

Languages:
English (official)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
female: 98% (1970 est.)
male: 99%
total population: 98%

People - note:
destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound
for the Turks and Caicos Islands, Bahamas, and US

Government Turks and Caicos Islands

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands

Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK

Government type:
NA

Capital:
Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)

Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of the UK)

Independence:
none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday:
Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)

Constitution:
introduced 30 August 1976; suspended in 1986; restored and revised
5 March 1988

Legal system:
based on laws of England and Wales, with a few adopted from Jamaica
and The Bahamas

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1953),
represented by Governor Jim POSTON (since 16 December 2002)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by
the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party is appointed chief minister by the governor
head of government: Chief Minister Derek H. TAYLOR (since 31 January
1995)
cabinet: Executive Council consists of three ex officio members and
five appointed by the governor from among the members of the
Legislative Council

Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Council (19 seats, of which 13 are popularly
elected; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 24 April 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - PDM 53.8%, PNP 46.2%;
seats by party - PDM 7, PNP 6; note - in by-elections held 7 August
2003, the PNP gained two seats for a majority of 8 seats; PDM now
has 5

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:
People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Derek H. TAYLOR]; Progressive
National Party or PNP [Washington MISICK]; United Democratic Party
or UDP [Wendal SWANN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)

Flag description:
blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and
the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the
shield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus

Economy Turks and Caicos Islands

Economy - overview:
The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, fishing, and
offshore financial services. Most capital goods and food for
domestic consumption are imported. The US is the leading source of
tourists, accounting for more than half of the 93,000 visitors in
1998. Major sources of government revenue include fees from offshore
financial activities and customs receipts. Tourism fell by 6% in
2002 but appeared to be picking up at yearend.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $231 million (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.9% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $9,600 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4% (1995)

Labor force:
4,848 (1990 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing;
significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services

Unemployment rate:
10% (1997 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $47 million
expenditures: $33.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1997-98 est.)

Industries:
tourism, offshore financial services

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
5 million kWh (2001)

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

Electricity - consumption:
4.65 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

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

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

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products:
corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish

Exports:
$169.2 million (2000)

Exports - commodities:
lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells

Exports - partners:
US, UK

Imports:
$175.6 million (2000)

Imports - commodities:
food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction
materials

Imports - partners:
US, UK

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
$4.1 million (1997)

Currency:
US dollar (USD)

Currency code:
USD

Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Turks and Caicos Islands

Telephones - main lines in use:
3,000 (1994)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
0 (1994)

Telephone system:
general assessment: fair cable and radiotelephone services
domestic: NA
international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 3 (one inactive), FM 6, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
8,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
0 (broadcasts from The Bahamas are received; cable television is
established) (1997)

Televisions:
NA

Internet country code:
.tc

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
14 (2000)

Internet users:
NA

Transportation Turks and Caicos Islands

Railways:
0 km

Highways:
total: 121 km
paved: 24 km
unpaved: 97 km (2000)

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
Grand Turk, Providenciales

Merchant marine:
none (2002 est.)

Airports:
8 (2002)

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

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

Military Turks and Caicos Islands

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues Turks and Caicos Islands

Disputes - international:
none

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the
US and Europe

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Tuvalu

Introduction Tuvalu

Background:
In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of the
Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice
Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert
Islands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separate
British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000,
Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv"
for $50 million in royalties over the next dozen years.

Geography Tuvalu

Location:
Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South
Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Geographic coordinates:
8 00 S, 178 00 E

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 26 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 26 sq km

Area - comparative:
0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
24 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Climate:
tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November);
westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)

Terrain:
very low-lying and narrow coral atolls

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m

Natural resources:
fish

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

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, there were
three cyclones; low level of islands make them very sensitive to
changes in sea level

Environment - current issues:
since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not
potable, most water needs must be met by catchment systems with
storage facilities (the Japanese Government has built one
desalination plant and plans to build one other); beachhead erosion
because of the use of sand for building materials; excessive
clearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral
reefs from the spread of the Crown of Thorns starfish; Tuvalu is
very concerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissions
and their effect on rising sea levels, which threaten the country's
underground water table; in 2000, the government appealed to
Australia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels
should make evacuation necessary

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea

Geography - note:
one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six of the
coral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and
Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao
have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon

People Tuvalu

Population:
11,305 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 31.9% (male 1,838; female 1,772)
15-64 years: 63% (male 3,432; female 3,687)
65 years and over: 5.1% (male 231; female 345) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 24.2 years
male: 22.9 years
female: 25.8 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
1.42% (2003 est.)

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

Death rate:
7.34 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: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 21.34 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 24.35 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 67.32 years
male: 65.15 years
female: 69.59 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.05 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: Tuvaluan(s)
adjective: Tuvaluan

Ethnic groups:
Polynesian 96%, Micronesian 4%

Religions:
Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist
1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%

Languages:
Tuvaluan, English, Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)

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

Government Tuvalu

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tuvalu
note: "Tuvalu" means "group of eight," referring to the country's
eight traditionally inhabited islands
former: Ellice Islands

Government type:
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy; began
debating republic status in 1992

Capital:
Funafuti

Administrative divisions:
none

Independence:
1 October 1978 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 October (1978)

Constitution:
1 October 1978

Legal system:
NA

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Faimalaga LUKA (since 9 September
2003)
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by
the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; prime
minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the members
of Parliament; election last held 2 August 2002 (next to be held NA)
election results: Saufatu SOPOANGA elected prime minister;
Parliamentary vote - Saufatu SOPOANGA 8, Amasone KILEI 7
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the
recommendation of the prime minister
head of government: Prime Minister Saufatu SOPOANGA (since 2 August
2002)

Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Fale I Fono, also called House of Assembly
(15 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 25 July 2002 (next to be held NA 2006)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 15

Judicial branch:
High Court (a chief justice visits twice a year to preside over its
sessions; its rulings can be appealed to the Court of Appeal in
Fiji); eight Island Courts (with limited jurisdiction)

Political parties and leaders:
there are no political parties but members of Parliament usually
align themselves in informal groupings

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, IFRCS (associate), ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
Tuvalu does not have an embassy in the US - the country's only
diplomatic post is in Fiji - Tuvalu does, however, have a UN office
located at 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, New York 10017,
telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US ambassador to
Fiji is accredited to Tuvalu

Flag description:
light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side
quadrant; the outer half of the flag represents a map of the country
with nine yellow five-pointed stars symbolizing the nine islands

Economy Tuvalu

Economy - overview:
Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered group of nine
coral atolls with poor soil. The country has no known mineral
resources and few exports. Subsistence farming and fishing are the
primary economic activities. Fewer than 1,000 tourists, on average,
visit Tuvalu annually. Government revenues largely come from the
sale of stamps and coins and worker remittances. About 1,000
Tuvaluans work in Nauru in the phosphate mining industry. Nauru has
begun repatriating Tuvaluans, however, as phosphate resources
decline. Substantial income is received annually from an
international trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, NZ, and
the UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea. Thanks to wise
investments and conservative withdrawals, this Fund has grown from
an initial $17 million to over $35 million in 1999. The US
government is also a major revenue source for Tuvalu, because of
payments from a 1988 treaty on fisheries. In an effort to reduce its
dependence on foreign aid, the government is pursuing public sector
reforms, including privatization of some government functions and
personnel cuts of up to 7%. In 1998, Tuvalu began deriving revenue
from use of its area code for "900" lines and in 2000, from the
lease of its ".tv" Internet domain name. Royalties from these new
technology sources could increase substantially over the next
decade. With merchandise exports only a fraction of merchandise
imports, continued reliance must be placed on fishing and
telecommunications license fees, remittances from overseas workers,
official transfers, and investment income from overseas assets.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $12.2 million (2000 est.)

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

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5% (2000 est.)

Labor force:
7,000 (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
people make a living mainly through exploitation of the sea, reefs,
and atolls and from wages sent home by those abroad (mostly workers
in the phosphate industry and sailors)

Unemployment rate:
NA%

Budget:
revenues: $22.5 million
expenditures: $11.2 million, including capital expenditures of $4.2
million (2000 est.)

Industries:
fishing, tourism, copra

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: NA%
hydro: NA%
nuclear: NA%
other: NA%

Agriculture - products:
coconuts; fish

Exports:
$276,000 f.o.b. (1997)

Exports - commodities:
copra, fish

Exports - partners:
UK 58.3%, Italy 16.7%, Denmark 8.3%, Fiji 8.3% (2002)

Imports:
$7.2 million c.i.f. (1998)

Imports - commodities:
food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods

Imports - partners:
Hungary 68.2%, Japan 12.9%, Fiji 11.9% (2002)

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
$13 million ; note - major donors are Australia, Japan, and the US
(1999 est.)

Currency:
Australian dollar (AUD); note - there is also a Tuvaluan dollar

Currency code:
AUD

Exchange rates:
Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.8406
(2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Tuvalu

Telephones - main lines in use:
1,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
0 (1994)

Telephone system:
general assessment: serves particular needs for internal
communications
domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands
international: NA

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1999)

Radios:
4,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
0 (1997)

Televisions:
800

Internet country code:
.tv

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
NA

Transportation Tuvalu

Railways:
0 km

Highways:
total: 8 km
paved: 0 km
unpaved: 8 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
Funafuti, Nukufetau

Merchant marine:
total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 33,199 GRT/56,187 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Germany 5 (2002 est.)
ships by type: cargo 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1

Airports:
1 (2002)

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

Military Tuvalu

Military branches:
no regular military forces; Police Force (includes Maritime
Surveillance Unit for search and rescue missions and surveillance
operations)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA%

Transnational Issues Tuvalu

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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

@Uganda

Introduction Uganda

Background:
Uganda achieved independence from the UK in 1962. The dictatorial
regime of Idi AMIN (1971-79) was responsible for the deaths of some
300,000 opponents; guerrilla war and human rights abuses under
Milton OBOTE (1980-85) claimed at least another 100,000 lives.
During the 1990s, the government promulgated non-party presidential
and legislative elections.

Geography Uganda

Location:
Eastern Africa, west of Kenya

Geographic coordinates:
1 00 N, 32 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 236,040 sq km
water: 36,330 sq km
land: 199,710 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries:
total: 2,698 km
border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 765 km, Kenya 933
km, Rwanda 169 km, Sudan 435 km, Tanzania 396 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to
February, June to August); semiarid in northeast

Terrain:
mostly plateau with rim of mountains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lake Albert 621 m
highest point: Margherita Peak on Mount Stanley 5,110 m

Natural resources:
copper, cobalt, hydropower, limestone, salt, arable land

Land use:
arable land: 25.34%
permanent crops: 8.77%
other: 65.89% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
90 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation;
overgrazing; soil erosion; water hyacinth infestation in Lake
Victoria; poaching is widespread

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

Geography - note:
landlocked; fertile, well-watered country with many lakes and rivers

People Uganda

Population:
25,632,794
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 50.8% (male 6,528,724; female 6,486,736)
15-64 years: 46.8% (male 5,985,911; female 6,024,798)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 266,930; female 339,695) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 14.7 years
female: 14.8 years (2002)
male: 14.6 years

Population growth rate:
2.96% (2003 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: according to the UNHCR, by the end of 2001, Uganda was host to
178,815 refugees from a number of neighboring countries, including:
Sudan 155,996, Rwanda 14,375, and Democratic Republic of the Congo
7,459 (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 87.9 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 80.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 95.41 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 44.88 years
male: 43.42 years
female: 46.38 years (2003 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
5% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
600,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
84,000 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Ugandan(s)
adjective: Ugandan

Ethnic groups:
Baganda 17%, Ankole 8%, Basoga 8%, Iteso 8%, Bakiga 7%, Langi 6%,
Rwanda 6%, Bagisu 5%, Acholi 4%, Lugbara 4%, Batoro 3%, Bunyoro 3%,
Alur 2%, Bagwere 2%, Bakonjo 2%, Jopodhola 2%, Karamojong 2%, Rundi
2%, non-African (European, Asian, Arab) 1%, other 8%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 33%, Protestant 33%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs
18%

Languages:
English (official national language, taught in grade schools, used
in courts of law and by most newspapers and some radio broadcasts),
Ganda or Luganda (most widely used of the Niger-Congo languages,
preferred for native language publications in the capital and may be
taught in school), other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan
languages, Swahili, Arabic

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 69.9%
male: 79.5%
female: 60.4% (2003 est.)

Government Uganda

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Uganda
conventional short form: Uganda

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Kampala

Administrative divisions:
56 districts; Adjumani, Apac, Arua, Bugiri, Bundibugyo, Bushenyi,
Busia, Gulu, Hoima, Iganga, Jinja, Kabale, Kabarole, Kaberamaido,
Kalangala, Kampala, Kamuli, Kamwenge, Kanungu, Kapchorwa, Kasese,
Katakwi, Kayunga, Kibale, Kiboga, Kisoro, Kitgum, Kotido, Kumi,
Kyenjojo, Lira, Luwero, Masaka, Masindi, Mayuge, Mbale, Mbarara,
Moroto, Moyo, Mpigi, Mubende, Mukono, Nakapiripirit, Nakasongola,
Nebbi, Ntungamo, Pader, Pallisa, Rakai, Rukungiri, Sembabule,
Sironko, Soroti, Tororo, Wakiso, Yumbe

Independence:
9 October 1962 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 9 October (1962)

Constitution:
8 October 1995; adopted by the interim, 284-member Constituent
Assembly, charged with debating the draft constitution that had been
proposed in May 1993; the Constituent Assembly was dissolved upon
the promulgation of the constitution in October 1995

Legal system:
in 1995, the government restored the legal system to one based on
English common law and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since
seizing power 26 January 1986); note - the president is both chief
of state and head of government
head of government: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since
seizing power 29 January 1986); Prime Minister Apollo NSIBAMBI
(since 5 April 1999); note - the president is both chief of state
and head of government; the prime minister assists the president in
the supervision of the cabinet
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among elected
legislators
elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 12 March 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); note -
first popular election for president since independence in 1962 was
held in 1996; prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI elected president;
percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI 69.3%, Kizza
BESIGYE 27.8%

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (303 members - 214 directly elected by
popular vote, 81 nominated by legally established special interest
groups [women 56, army 10, disabled 5, youth 5, labor 5], 8 ex
officio members; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 26 June 2001 (next to be held May or June 2006);
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
NA; note - election campaigning by party was not permitted

Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the president and approved
by the legislature); High Court (judges are appointed by the
president)