Chapter XIV: Front Matter (14)

Coastline:
6,435 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200/350 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool
and damp in south

Terrain:
low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in east

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,880 m

Natural resources:
copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum,
hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 2.65%
permanent crops: 0.42%
other: 96.93% (2001)

Irrigated land:
18,000 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis

Environment - current issues:
widespread deforestation and mining threaten natural resources; air
pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution
from raw sewage

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
strategic location relative to sea lanes between Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage);
Atacama Desert is one of world's driest regions

People Chile

Population:
15,823,957 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.8% (male 2,090,165; female 1,996,972)
15-64 years: 66.3% (male 5,235,061; female 5,261,820)
65 years and over: 7.8% (male 515,698; female 724,241) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 29.8 years
male: 28.9 years
female: 30.7 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.01% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
15.77 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
5.71 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 9.05 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 9.81 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.38 years
male: 73.09 years
female: 79.82 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.06 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.3% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
26,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,400 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Chilean(s)
adjective: Chilean

Ethnic groups:
white and white-Amerindian 95%, Amerindian 3%, other 2%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 11%, Jewish negligible

Languages:
Spanish

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.2%
male: 96.4%
female: 96.1% (2003 est.)

Government Chile

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

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Santiago

Administrative divisions:
13 regions (regiones, singular - region); Aisen del General Carlos
Ibanez del Campo, Antofagasta, Araucania, Atacama, Bio-Bio,
Coquimbo, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins, Los Lagos,
Magallanes y de la Antartica Chilena, Maule, Region Metropolitana
(Santiago), Tarapaca, Valparaiso
note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica

Independence:
18 September 1810 (from Spain)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 18 September (1810)

Constitution:
11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981, amended 30 July 1989,
1993, and 1997

Legal system:
based on Code of 1857 derived from Spanish law and subsequent codes
influenced by French and Austrian law; judicial review of
legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
note: Chile is in the process of completely overhauling its criminal
justice system; a new, US-style adversarial system is being
gradually implemented throughout the country with the final stage of
implementation in the Santiago metropolitan region expected in June
2005

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ricardo LAGOS Escobar (since 11 March
2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Ricardo LAGOS Escobar (since 11 March
2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
election results: Ricardo LAGOS Escobar elected president; percent
of vote - Ricardo LAGOS Escobar 51.32%, Joaquin LAVIN 48.68%
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term;
election last held 12 December 1999, with runoff election held 16
January 2000 (next to be held NA December 2005)

Legislative branch:
bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the
Senate or Senado (48 seats, 38 elected by popular vote, 9 designated
members, and 1 former president who has served a full six-year term
and is senator for life); elected members serve eight-year terms
(one-half elected every four years) and the Chamber of Deputies or
Camara de Diputados (120 seats; members are elected by popular vote
to serve four-year terms)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - CPD 20 (PDC 12, PS 5, PPD 3), APC 16 (UDI 9, RN 7),
independents 2; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - CPD 62 (PDC 24, PPD 21, PS 11, PRSD 6), UDI 35, RN
22, independent 1
elections: Senate - last held 16 December 2001 (next to be held NA
December 2005); Chamber of Deputies - last held 16 December 2001
(next to be held NA December 2005)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are appointed by the
president and ratified by the Senate from lists of candidates
provided by the court itself; the president of the Supreme Court is
elected by the 21-member court); Constitutional Tribunal

Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for Chile ("Alianza") or APC - including RN and UDI;
Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Adolfo ZALDIVAR]; Coalition of
Parties for Democracy ("Concertacion") or CPD - including PDC, PS,
PPD, PRSD; Communist Party or PC [Gladys MARIN]; Independent
Democratic Union or UDI [Pablo LONGUEIRA]; National Renewal or RN
[Sebastian PINERA]; Party for Democracy or PPD [Victor BARRUETO];
Radical Social Democratic Party or PRSD [Orlando CANTUARIAS];
Socialist Party or PS [Gonzalo MARTNER]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
revitalized university student federations at all major
universities; Roman Catholic Church; United Labor Central or CUT
includes trade unionists from the country's five largest labor
confederations

International organization participation:
APEC, BIS, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt
(signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate),
MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Andres BIANCHI
chancery: 1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New
York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
FAX: [1] (202) 887-5579
telephone: [1] (202) 785-1746

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Craig A. KELLY
embassy: Avenida Andres Bello 2800, Las Condes, Santiago
mailing address: APO AA 34033
telephone: [56] (2) 232-2600
FAX: [56] (2) 330-3710

Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; there is a blue
square the same height as the white band at the hoist-side end of
the white band; the square bears a white five-pointed star in the
center representing a guide to progress and honor; blue symbolizes
the sky, white is for the snow-covered Andes, and red stands for the
blood spilled to achieve independence; design was influenced by the
US flag

Economy Chile

Economy - overview:
Chile has a market-oriented economy characterized by a high level
of foreign trade. During the early 1990s, Chile's reputation as a
role model for economic reform was strengthened when the democratic
government of Patricio AYLWIN - which took over from the military in
1990 - deepened the economic reform initiated by the military
government. Growth in real GDP averaged 8% during 1991-97, but fell
to half that level in 1998 because of tight monetary policies
implemented to keep the current account deficit in check and because
of lower export earnings - the latter a product of the global
financial crisis. A severe drought exacerbated the recession in
1999, reducing crop yields and causing hydroelectric shortfalls and
electricity rationing, and Chile experienced negative economic
growth for the first time in more than 15 years. Despite the effects
of the recession, Chile maintained its reputation for strong
financial institutions and sound policy that have given it the
strongest sovereign bond rating in South America. By the end of
1999, exports and economic activity had begun to recover, and growth
rebounded to 4.2% in 2000. Growth fell back to 3.1% in 2001 and 2.1%
in 2002, largely due to lackluster global growth and the devaluation
of the Argentine peso, but recovered to 3.2% in 2003. Unemployment,
although declining over the past year, remains stubbornly high,
putting pressure on President LAGOS to improve living standards. One
bright spot was the signing of a free trade agreement with the US,
which took effect on 1 January 2004. In 2004, GDP growth is set to
accelerate to more than 4% as copper prices rise, export earnings
grow, and foreign direct investment picks up.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $154.7 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.3% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $9,900 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 6.4%
industry: 38.6%
services: 55.1% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
21.2% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
20.6% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.7%
highest 10%: 41% (2000)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
56.7 (2000)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.8% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
6 million (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 13.6%, industry 23.4%, services 63% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:
8.5% (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $15.44 billion
expenditures: $16.02 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2003 est.)

Public debt:
14.8% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
grapes, apples, pears, onions, wheat, corn, oats, peaches, garlic,
asparagus, beans, beef, poultry, wool; fish; timber

Industries:
copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and
steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles

Industrial production growth rate:
1.5% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
41.66 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
40.13 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
1.386 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
13,640 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
241,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
81.05 million bbl (1 January 2002)

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

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

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

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

Natural gas - proved reserves:
67.78 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$-594 million (2003)

Exports:
$20.44 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
copper, fish, fruits, paper and pulp, chemicals, wine

Exports - partners:
US 16.2%, Japan 10.5%, China 8.6%, South Korea 4.7%, Mexico 4.3%,
Italy 4.2% (2003)

Imports:
$17.4 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
consumer goods, chemicals, motor vehicles, fuels, electrical
machinery, heavy industrial machinery, food

Imports - partners:
Argentina 19.4%, US 13%, Brazil 10.4%, China 6.6% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$15.84 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$43.15 billion (2003)

Economic aid - recipient:
ODA, $40 million (2001 est.)

Currency:
Chilean peso (CLP)

Currency code:
CLP

Exchange rates:
Chilean pesos per US dollar - 691.433 (2003), 688.936 (2002),
634.938 (2001), 535.466 (2000), 508.777 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Chile

Telephones - main lines in use:
3.467 million (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
6,445,700 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: modern system based on extensive microwave
radio relay facilities
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay links; domestic satellite
system with 3 earth stations
international: country code - 56; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 180 (eight inactive), FM 64, shortwave 17 (one inactive) (1998)

Radios:
5.18 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
63 (plus 121 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
3.15 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.cl

Internet hosts:
202,429 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
7 (2000)

Internet users:
3.575 million (2002)

Transportation Chile

Railways:
total: 6,585 km
broad gauge: 2,831 km 1.676-m gauge (1,317 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 3,754 km 1.000-m gauge (2003)

Highways:
total: 79,814 km
paved: 15,484 km (including 294 km of expressways)
unpaved: 64,330 km (2000)

Pipelines:
gas 2,583 km; gas/lpg 42 km; liquid petroleum gas 539 km; oil 1,003
km; refined products 757 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Antofagasta, Arica, Chanaral, Coquimbo, Iquique, Puerto Montt,
Punta Arenas, San Antonio, San Vicente, Talcahuano, Valparaiso

Merchant marine:
total: 47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 725,216 GRT/954,519 DWT
by type: bulk 10, cargo 5, chemical tanker 9, container 3, liquefied
gas 1, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 7, roll on/roll off 4,
short-sea/passenger 1, vehicle carrier 4
foreign-owned: Argentina 1
registered in other countries: 28 (2004 est.)

Airports:
363 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 71
over 3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 21
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 15 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 293
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 60
under 914 m: 217 (2004 est.)

Military Chile

Military branches:
Army of the Nation, National Navy (including Naval Air, Coast
Guard, and Marine Corps), Air Force of the Nation, Chilean
Carabineros (National Police)

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; all citizens 18-45
are obligated to perform military service; conscript service
obligation - 12 months for Army, 24 months for Navy and Air Force
(2004)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 4,207,066 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 3,107,454 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 131,283 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$2,839.6 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
4% (2003)

Transnational Issues Chile

Disputes - international:
Bolivia has reactivated its claim to the Atacama corridor ceded to
Chile in 1884 to secure sovereign maritime access for Bolivian
natural gas; dispute with Peru over the economic zone delimited by
the maritime boundary; Beagle Channel islands dispute resolved
through Papal mediation in 1984, but armed incidents persist since
1992 oil discovery; territorial claim in Antarctica (Chilean
Antarctic Territory) partially overlaps Argentine and British claims

Illicit drugs:
important transshipment country for cocaine destined for Europe and
the US; economic prosperity and increasing trade have made Chile
more attractive to traffickers seeking to launder drug profits,
especially through the Iquique Free Trade Zone, but a new
anti-money-laundering law improves controls; imported precursors
passed on to Bolivia; domestic cocaine consumption is rising

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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@China

Introduction China

Background:
For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the
rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and
early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major
famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War
II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic
socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed
strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of
millions of people. After 1978, his successor DENG Xiaoping and
other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by
2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living
standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal
choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight.

Geography China

Location:
Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea,
and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam

Geographic coordinates:
35 00 N, 105 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 9,596,960 sq km
land: 9,326,410 sq km
water: 270,550 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than the US

Land boundaries:
total: 22,117 km
border countries: Afghanistan 76 km, Bhutan 470 km, Burma 2,185 km,
India 3,380 km, Kazakhstan 1,533 km, North Korea 1,416 km,
Kyrgyzstan 858 km, Laos 423 km, Mongolia 4,677 km, Nepal 1,236 km,
Pakistan 523 km, Russia (northeast) 3,605 km, Russia (northwest) 40
km, Tajikistan 414 km, Vietnam 1,281 km
regional borders: Hong Kong 30 km, Macau 0.34 km

Coastline:
14,500 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:
extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north

Terrain:
mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains, deltas,
and hills in east

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Turpan Pendi -154 m
highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m

Natural resources:
coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten,
antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum,
lead, zinc, uranium, hydropower potential (world's largest)

Land use:
arable land: 15.4%
other: 83.36% (2001)
permanent crops: 1.25%

Irrigated land:
525,800 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern and eastern
coasts); damaging floods; tsunamis; earthquakes; droughts; land
subsidence

Environment - current issues:
air pollution (greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide particulates) from
reliance on coal produces acid rain; water shortages, particularly
in the north; water pollution from untreated wastes; deforestation;
estimated loss of one-fifth of agricultural land since 1949 to soil
erosion and economic development; desertification; trade in
endangered species

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

Geography - note:
world's fourth largest country (after Russia, Canada, and US);
Mount Everest on the border with Nepal is the world's tallest peak;

People China

Population:
1,298,847,624 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 22.3% (male 153,401,051; female 135,812,993)
15-64 years: 70.3% (male 469,328,664; female 443,248,860)
65 years and over: 7.5% (male 46,308,923; female 50,747,133) (2004
est.)

Median age:
total: 31.8 years
male: 31.5 years
female: 32.2 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.57% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
12.98 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
6.92 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
-0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.12 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 25.28 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 29.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 21.84 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.96 years
male: 70.4 years
female: 73.72 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.69 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
840,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
44,000 (2003 est.)

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

Ethnic groups:
Han Chinese 91.9%, Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu,
Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other nationalities 8.1%

Religions:
Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Muslim 1%-2%, Christian 3%-4%
note: officially atheist (2002 est.)

Languages:
Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing
dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan
(Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages
(see Ethnic groups entry)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90.9%
male: 95.1%
female: 86.5% (2002)

Government China

Country name:
conventional long form: People's Republic of China
conventional short form: China
local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo
abbreviation: PRC
local short form: Zhong Guo

Government type:
Communist state

Capital:
Beijing

Administrative divisions:
23 provinces (sheng, singular and plural), 5 autonomous regions
(zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 4 municipalities (shi, singular
and plural)
: provinces: Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan,
Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin,
Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan,
Zhejiang
: autonomous regions: Guangxi, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Xizang
(Tibet)
note: China considers Taiwan its 23rd province; see separate entries
for the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau
: municipalities: Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin

Independence:
221 BC (unification under the Qin or Ch'in Dynasty); 1 January 1912
(Manchu Dynasty replaced by a Republic); 1 October 1949 (People's
Republic established)

National holiday:
Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China, 1
October (1949)

Constitution:
most recent promulgation 4 December 1982

Legal system:
a complex amalgam of custom and statute, largely criminal law;
rudimentary civil code in effect since 1 January 1987; new legal
codes in effect since 1 January 1980; continuing efforts are being
made to improve civil, administrative, criminal, and commercial law

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003) and Vice
President ZENG Qinghong (since 15 March 2003)
cabinet: State Council appointed by the National People's Congress
(NPC)
election results: HU Jintao elected president by the Tenth National
People's Congress with a total of 2,937 votes (4 delegates voted
against him, 4 abstained, and 38 did not vote); ZENG Qinghong
elected vice president by the Tenth National People's Congress with
a total of 2,578 votes (177 delegates voted against him, 190
abstained, and 38 did not vote); 2 seats were vacant
elections: president and vice president elected by the National
People's Congress for five-year terms; elections last held 15-17
March 2003 (next to be held mid-March 2008); premier nominated by
the president, confirmed by the National People's Congress
head of government: Premier WEN Jiabao (since 16 March 2003); Vice
Premiers HUANG Ju (since 17 March 2003), WU Yi (17 March 2003), ZENG
Peiyan (since 17 March 2003), and HUI Liangyu (since 17 March 2003)

Legislative branch:
unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao
Dahui (2,985 seats; members elected by municipal, regional, and
provincial people's congresses to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held December 2002-February 2003 (next to be held
late 2007-February 2008)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - NA

Judicial branch:
Supreme People's Court (judges appointed by the National People's
Congress); Local Peoples Courts (comprise higher, intermediate and
local courts); Special Peoples Courts (primarily military, maritime,
and railway transport courts)

Political parties and leaders:
Chinese Communist Party or CCP [HU Jintao, General Secretary of the
Central Committee]; eight registered small parties controlled by CCP

Political pressure groups and leaders:
no substantial political opposition groups exist, although the
government has identified the Falungong spiritual movement and the
China Democracy Party as subversive groups

International organization participation:
AfDB, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, CDB, FAO,
G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer),
MIGA, MONUC, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), ONUB, OPCW, PCA,
SCO, UN, UN Security Council, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador YANG Jiechi
chancery: 2300 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
FAX: [1] (202) 328-2582
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and
San Francisco
telephone: [1] (202) 328-2500

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Clark T. RANDT, Jr.
embassy: Xiu Shui Bei Jie 3, 100600 Beijing
mailing address: PSC 461, Box 50, FPO AP 96521-0002
telephone: [86] (10) 6532-3831
FAX: [86] (10) 6532-6929
consulate(s) general: Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai,
Shenyang

Flag description:
red with a large yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow
five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of
the flag) in the upper hoist-side corner

Economy China

Economy - overview:
In late 1978 the Chinese leadership began moving the economy from a
sluggish, inefficient, Soviet-style centrally planned economy to a
more market-oriented system. Whereas the system operates within a
political framework of strict Communist control, the economic
influence of non-state organizations and individual citizens has
been steadily increasing. The authorities switched to a system of
household and village responsibility in agriculture in place of the
old collectivization, increased the authority of local officials and
plant managers in industry, permitted a wide variety of small-scale
enterprises in services and light manufacturing, and opened the
economy to increased foreign trade and investment. The result has
been a quadrupling of GDP since 1978. Measured on a purchasing power
parity (PPP) basis, China in 2003 stood as the second-largest
economy in the world after the US, although in per capita terms the
country is still poor. Agriculture and industry have posted major
gains especially in coastal areas near Hong Kong, opposite Taiwan,
and in Shanghai, where foreign investment has helped spur output of
both domestic and export goods. The leadership, however, often has
experienced - as a result of its hybrid system - the worst results
of socialism (bureaucracy and lassitude) and of capitalism (growing
income disparities and rising unemployment). China thus has
periodically backtracked, retightening central controls at
intervals. The government has struggled to (a) sustain adequate jobs
growth for tens of millions of workers laid off from state-owned
enterprises, migrants, and new entrants to the work force; (b)
reduce corruption and other economic crimes; and (c) keep afloat the
large state-owned enterprises, many of which had been shielded from
competition by subsidies and had been losing the ability to pay full
wages and pensions. From 80 to 120 million surplus rural workers are
adrift between the villages and the cities, many subsisting through
part-time, low-paying jobs. Popular resistance, changes in central
policy, and loss of authority by rural cadres have weakened China's
population control program, which is essential to maintaining
long-term growth in living standards. Another long-term threat to
growth is the deterioration in the environment, notably air
pollution, soil erosion, and the steady fall of the water table
especially in the north. China continues to lose arable land because
of erosion and economic development. Beijing says it will intensify
efforts to stimulate growth through spending on infrastructure -
such as water supply and power grids - and poverty relief and
through rural tax reform. Accession to the World Trade Organization
helps strengthen its ability to maintain strong growth rates but at
the same time puts additional pressure on the hybrid system of
strong political controls and growing market influences. China has
benefited from a huge expansion in computer internet use. Foreign
investment remains a strong element in China's remarkable economic
growth. Growing shortages of electric power and raw materials will
hold back the expansion of industrial output in 2004.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $6.449 trillion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
9.1% (official data) (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $5,000 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 14.8%
industry and construction: 52.9%
services: 32.3% (2003)

Investment (gross fixed):
43.4% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
10% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.4%
highest 10%: 30.4% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
40 (2001)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.2% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
778.1 million (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 50%, industry 22%, services 28% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:
10.1% urban unemployment roughly 10%; substantial unemployment and
underemployment in rural areas (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $265.8 billion
expenditures: $300.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2003)

Public debt:
30.1% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
rice, wheat, potatoes, sorghum, peanuts, tea, millet, barley,
cotton, oilseed, pork, fish

Industries:
iron and steel, coal, machine building, armaments, textiles and
apparel, petroleum, cement, chemical fertilizers, footwear, toys,
food processing, automobiles, consumer electronics,
telecommunications

Industrial production growth rate:
30.4% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
1.42 trillion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
1.312 trillion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
10.3 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
1.8 billion kWh (2001)

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

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

Oil - exports:
151,200 bbl/day (2001)

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

Oil - proved reserves:
26.75 billion bbl (1 January 2002)

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

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

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

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

Natural gas - proved reserves:
1.29 trillion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$31.17 billion (2003)

Exports:
$436.1 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, textiles and clothing, footwear, toys and
sporting goods, mineral fuels

Exports - partners:
US 21.1%, Hong Kong 17.4%, Japan 13.6%, South Korea 4.6%, Germany
4% (2003)

Imports:
$397.4 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, mineral fuels, plastics, iron and steel,
chemicals

Imports - partners:
Japan 18%, Taiwan 11.9%, South Korea 10.4%, US 8.2%, Germany 5.9%
(2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$412.7 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$197.8 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
NA

Currency:
yuan (CNY)
note:: also referred to as the Renminbi (RMB)

Currency code:
CNY

Exchange rates:
yuan per US dollar - 8.277 (2003), 8.277 (2002), 8.2771 (2001),
8.2785 (2000), 8.2783 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications China

Telephones - main lines in use:
263 million (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
269 million (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: domestic and international services are
increasingly available for private use; unevenly distributed
domestic system serves principal cities, industrial centers, and
many towns
domestic: interprovincial fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular
telephone systems have been installed; a domestic satellite system
with 55 earth stations is in place
international: country code - 86; 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); several international fiber-optic links to Japan, South
Korea, Hong Kong, Russia, and Germany (2000)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 369, FM 259, shortwave 45 (1998)

Radios:
417 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
3,240 (of which 209 are operated by China Central Television, 31
are provincial TV stations and nearly 3,000 are local city stations)
(1997)

Televisions:
400 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.cn

Internet hosts:
160,421 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (2000)

Internet users:
94 million (2004)

Transportation China

Railways:
total: 70,058 km
standard gauge: 68,000 km 1.435-m gauge (18,668 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 3,600 km 1.000-m and 0.750-m gauge local industrial
lines
dual gauge: 22,640 km (not included in total) (2003)

Highways:
total: 1,402,698 km
paved: 314,204 km (with at least 16,314 km of expressways)
unpaved: 1,088,494 km (2000)

Waterways:
121,557 km (2002)

Pipelines:
gas 15,890 km; oil 14,478 km; refined products 3,280 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Dalian, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Haikou, Huangpu, Lianyungang, Nanjing,
Nantong, Ningbo, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Shantou, Shenzhen,
Tianjin, Wenzhou, Xiamen, Xingang, Yantai, Zhanjiang (2001)

Merchant marine:
total: 1,850 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 18,724,653 GRT/27,749,784 DWT
by type: barge carrier 2, bulk 355, cargo 822, chemical tanker 28,
combination bulk 10, combination ore/oil 2, container 165, liquefied
gas 28, multi-functional large load carrier 8, passenger 6,
passenger/cargo 46, petroleum tanker 272, rail car carrier 1,
refrigerated cargo 27, roll on/roll off 25, short-sea/passenger 39,
specialized tanker 10, vehicle carrier 4
foreign-owned: Cambodia 1, Greece 2, Hong Kong 12, Japan 1, South
Korea 2, Liberia 1, Malaysia 1, Panama 1, Taiwan 2, Tanzania 1
registered in other countries: 790 (2004 est.)

Airports:
507 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 332
over 3,047 m: 49
2,438 to 3,047 m: 97
914 to 1,523 m: 22
under 914 m: 35 (2003 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 129

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 175
under 914 m: 66 (2003 est.)
over 3,047 m: 23
2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 40
1,524 to 2,437 m: 36

Heliports:
15 (2003 est.)

Military China

Military branches:
People's Liberation Army (PLA): comprises ground forces, Navy
(including naval infantry and naval aviation), Air Force, and II
Artillery Corps (strategic missile force), People's Armed Police
Force (internal security troops, nominally a state security body but
included by the Chinese as part of the "armed forces" and considered
to be an adjunct to the PLA), militia

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service, with 24-month
service obligation; no minimum age for voluntary service; 17 years
of age for women who meet requirements for specific military jobs
(2004)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 379,524,688 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 208,143,352 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 12,494,201 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$60 billion (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.5-5.0% (FY03 est.)

Transnational Issues China

Disputes - international:
involved in complex dispute with Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan,
Vietnam, and possibly Brunei over the Spratly Islands; the 2002
"Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has
eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code of
conduct" desired by several of the disputants; most of the rugged,
militarized boundary with India is in dispute, but the two sides are
committed to begin resolution with discussions on the least disputed
Middle Sector; Kashmir remains the world's largest and highly
militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto
administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and
Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas), but recent discussion
and confidence-building measures among parties are beginning to
defuse tensions, India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding lands to
China in a 1964 boundary agreement; China and Taiwan continue to
assert their claims to the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands
(Diaoyu Tai) with increased media coverage and protest actions;
certain islands in Yalu and Tumen rivers are in an uncontested
dispute with North Korea and a section of boundary around Mount
Paektu is indefinite - China has been attempting to manage illegal
migration of North Koreans into northern China; China and Russia in
2004 resolved their last border dispute over islands in the Amur and
Argun Rivers, but details on demarcation have not yet been
worked-out; boundary delimitation agreements signed in 2002 with
Tajikistan cedes 1,000 sq km of Pamir Mountain range to China in
return for China's relinquishing claims to 28,000 sq km, but
demarcation has not commenced; agreements with Vietnam demarcating
maritime boundaries and fisheries cooperation in the Gulf of Tonkin
were ratified in June, and demarcation of the land boundary
continues; China occupies some of the Paracel Islands also claimed
by Vietnam and Taiwan; in response to groups in Burma and Thailand
expressing concern over China's plans to construct 13 hydroelectric
dams on the Nu River in Yunnan Province (Salween River in Burma),
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao suspended the project to conduct an
environmental impact assessment, a smaller scale version of only 4
dams is now scheduled to move forward

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 299,287 (Vietnam) (2004)

Illicit drugs:
major transshipment point for heroin produced in the Golden
Triangle; growing domestic drug abuse problem; source country for
chemical precursors and methamphetamine

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Christmas Island

Introduction Christmas Island

Background:
Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed
and settlement was begun by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began
in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958.
Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park.

Geography Christmas Island

Location:
Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia

Geographic coordinates:
10 30 S, 105 40 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 135 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 135 sq km

Area - comparative:
about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
80 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical with a wet and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by
trade winds; wet season December to April

Terrain:
steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Murray Hill 361 m

Natural resources:
phosphate, beaches

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100%
note: mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national
park (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

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

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean

People Christmas Island

Population:
396 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
-9% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
NA births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
NA deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
NA (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: NA
male: NA
female: NA (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA years
female: NA years (2004 est.)
male: NA years

Total fertility rate:
NA children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Christmas Islander(s)
adjective: Christmas Island

Ethnic groups:
Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%
note: no indigenous population (2001)

Religions:
Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997)

Languages:
English (official), Chinese, Malay

Literacy:
NA

People - note:
The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports a population of 1508 as
of the 2001 Census

Government Christmas Island

Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island
conventional short form: Christmas Island

Dependency status:
territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Department
of Transport and Regional Services

Government type:
NA

Capital:
The Settlement

Administrative divisions:
none (territory of Australia)

Independence:
none (territory of Australia)

National holiday:
Australia Day, 26 January (1788)

Constitution:
NA

Legal system:
under the authority of the governor general of Australia and
Australian law

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator Evan WILLIAMS (since 1 November
2003)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed
by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and
Australia

Legislative branch:
unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected
by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9
elections: held every two years with half the members standing for
election; last held 3 May 2003 (next to be held NA 2005)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court

Political parties and leaders:
none

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

International organization participation:
none

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territory of Australia)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territory of Australia)

Flag description:
the flag of Australia is used; note - in early 1986, the Christmas
Island Assembly held a design competition for an island flag,
however, the winning design has never been formally adopted as the
official flag of the territory

Economy Christmas Island

Economy - overview:
Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity,
but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In
1991, the mine was reopened. With the support of the government, a
$34 million casino opened in 1993. The casino closed in 1998. The
Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a
commercial space-launching site on the island, projected to begin
operations in mid-2004

GDP:
purchasing power parity - NA

GDP - real growth rate:
NA

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - NA

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):
NA

Labor force:
NA

Labor force - by occupation:
NA

Unemployment rate:
NA

Budget:
revenues: NA
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA

Agriculture - products:
NA

Industries:
tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion)

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
NA kWh

Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh

Exports:
NA

Exports - commodities:
phosphate

Exports - partners:
Australia, NZ

Imports:
NA

Imports - commodities:
consumer goods

Imports - partners:
principally Australia

Debt - external:
NA

Economic aid - recipient:
NA

Currency:
Australian dollar (AUD)

Currency code:
AUD

Exchange rates:
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.5419 (2003), 1.9354 (2002),
1.9320 (2001), 1.7173(2000), 1.5497 (1999)

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June

Communications Christmas Island

Telephones - main lines in use:
NA

Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA

Telephone system:
general assessment: service provided by the Australian network
domestic: only analog mobile telephone service is available
international: country code - 61-891; satellite earth stations - one
Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service (2000)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios:
1,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
NA

Televisions:
600 (1997)

Internet country code:
.cx

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
NA

Transportation Christmas Island

Highways:
total: 240 km
paved: 30 km
unpaved: 210 km (2000)

Ports and harbors:
Flying Fish Cove

Airports:
1 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Christmas Island

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Australia

Transnational Issues Christmas Island

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Clipperton Island

Introduction Clipperton Island

Background:
This isolated island was named for John CLIPPERTON, a pirate who
made it his hideout early in the 18th century. Annexed by France in
1855, it was seized by Mexico in 1897. Arbitration eventually
awarded the island to France, which took possession in 1935.

Geography Clipperton Island

Location:
Middle America, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, 1,120 km
southwest of Mexico

Geographic coordinates:
10 17 N, 109 13 W

Map references:
Political Map of the World

Area:
total: 6 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 6 sq km

Area - comparative:
about 12 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
11.1 km

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

Climate:
tropical; humid, average temperature 20-32 degrees C, rains
May-October

Terrain:
coral atoll

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Rocher Clipperton 29 m

Natural resources:
fish

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (all coral) (2001)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
reef 12 km in circumference

People Clipperton Island

Population:
uninhabited (July 2004 est.)

Government Clipperton Island

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Clipperton Island
local short form: Ile Clipperton
local long form: none
former: sometimes called Ile de la Passion

Dependency status:
possession of France; administered by France from French Polynesia
by a high commissioner of the Republic

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

Flag description:
the flag of France is used

Economy Clipperton Island

Economy - overview:
Although 115 species of fish have been identified in the
territorial waters of Clipperton Island, the only economic activity
is tuna fishing.

Transportation Clipperton Island

Ports and harbors:
none; offshore anchorage only

Military Clipperton Island

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues Clipperton Island

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Introduction Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Background:
There are 27 coral islands in the group. Captain William KEELING
discovered the islands in 1609, but they remained uninhabited until
the 19th century. Annexed by the UK in 1857, they were transferred
to the Australian Government in 1955. The population on the two
inhabited islands generally is split between the ethnic Europeans on
West Island and the ethnic Malays on Home Island.

Geography Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Location:
Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest
of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka

Geographic coordinates:
12 30 S, 96 50 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 14 sq km
note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island
water: 0 sq km
land: 14 sq km

Area - comparative:
about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
26 km

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

Climate:
tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds
for about nine months of the year

Terrain:
flat, low-lying coral atolls

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

Natural resources:
fish

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
cyclone season is October to April

Environment - current issues:
fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in
natural underground reservoirs

Geography - note:
islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation

People Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Population:
629 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.002% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
NA births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
NA deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: NA
male: NA
female: NA (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
NA children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Cocos Islander(s)
adjective: Cocos Islander

Ethnic groups:
Europeans, Cocos Malays

Religions:
Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.)

Languages:
Malay (Cocos dialect), English

Government Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Dependency status:
territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the
Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services

Government type:
NA

Capital:
West Island

Administrative divisions:
none (territory of Australia)

Independence:
none (territory of Australia)

National holiday:
Australia Day, 26 January (1788)

Constitution:
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955

Legal system:
based upon the laws of Australia and local laws

Suffrage:
NA

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by the Australian governor general
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed
by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and
Australia
head of government: Administrator (nonresident) Evan WILLIAMS (since
1 November 2003)
cabinet: NA

Legislative branch:
unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (7 seats)
elections: held every two years with half the members standing for
election; last held NA

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court

Political parties and leaders:
none

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

International organization participation:
none

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territory of Australia)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territory of Australia)

Flag description:
the flag of Australia is used

Economy Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Economy - overview:
Grown throughout the islands, coconuts are the sole cash crop.
Small local gardens and fishing contribute to the food supply, but
additional food and most other necessities must be imported from
Australia. There is a small tourist industry.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - NA

GDP - real growth rate:
NA

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - NA

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA
industry: NA
services: NA (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA

Labor force:
NA

Labor force - by occupation:
the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction
workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism employs others

Unemployment rate:
60% (2000 est.)

Budget:
revenues: NA
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA

Agriculture - products:
vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts

Industries:
copra products and tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
NA kWh

Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh

Exports:
NA

Exports - commodities:
copra

Exports - partners:
Australia

Imports:
NA

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
Australia

Debt - external:
NA

Economic aid - recipient:
NA

Currency:
Australian dollar (AUD)

Currency code:
AUD

Exchange rates:
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.5419 (2003), 1.9354 (2002),
1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999)

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June

Communications Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Telephones - main lines in use:
287 (1992)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
note - analog cellular service available

Telephone system:
general assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication
system
domestic: NA
international: country code - 61-891; telephone, telex, and
facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite;
1 satellite earth station of NA type (2002)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios:
300 (1992)

Television broadcast stations:
NA

Televisions:
NA

Internet country code:
.cc

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
NA

Transportation Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Highways:
total: 15 km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
none; lagoon anchorage only

Airports:
1 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory does have
a five-person police force

Transnational Issues Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@Colombia

Introduction Colombia

Background:
Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from the
collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Ecuador and
Venezuela). A 40-year insurgent campaign to overthrow the Colombian
Government escalated during the 1990s, undergirded in part by funds
from the drug trade. Although the violence is deadly and large
swaths of the countryside are under guerrilla influence, the
movement lacks the military strength or popular support necessary to
overthrow the government. An anti-insurgent army of paramilitaries
has grown to be several thousand strong in recent years, challenging
the insurgents for control of territory and the drug trade, and also
the government's ability to exert its dominion over rural areas.
While Bogota steps up efforts to reassert government control
throughout the country, neighboring countries worry about the
violence spilling over their borders.

Geography Colombia

Location:
Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama
and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between
Ecuador and Panama

Geographic coordinates:
4 00 N, 72 00 W

Map references:
South America

Area:
total: 1,138,910 sq km
land: 1,038,700 sq km
note: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and
Serranilla Bank
water: 100,210 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly less than three times the size of Montana

Land boundaries:
total: 6,004 km
border countries: Brazil 1,643 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama 225 km,
Peru 1,496 km (est.), Venezuela 2,050 km

Coastline:
3,208 km (Caribbean Sea 1,760 km, North Pacific Ocean 1,448 km)

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

Climate:
tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands

Terrain:
flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains,
eastern lowland plains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico Cristobal Colon 5,775 m
note: nearby Pico Simon Bolivar also has the same elevation

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper,
emeralds, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 2.42%
other: 95.91% (2001)
permanent crops: 1.67%

Irrigated land:
8,500 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes;
periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil and water quality damage from overuse of
pesticides; air pollution, especially in Bogota, from vehicle
emissions

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:
only South American country with coastlines on both North Pacific
Ocean and Caribbean Sea

People Colombia

Population:
42,310,775 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 31% (male 6,644,080; female 6,489,677)
15-64 years: 63.9% (male 13,171,416; female 13,879,115)
65 years and over: 5% (male 940,762; female 1,185,725) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 25.8 years
male: 24.9 years
female: 26.7 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.53% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
21.19 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
5.61 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
-0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 21.72 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 17.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 25.69 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.43 years
male: 67.58 years
female: 75.41 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.59 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.7% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
190,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
3,600 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Colombian(s)
adjective: Colombian

Ethnic groups:
mestizo 58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed
black-Amerindian 3%, Amerindian 1%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 90%

Languages:
Spanish

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.5%
male: 92.4%
female: 92.6% (2003 est.)

Government Colombia

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

Government type:
republic; executive branch dominates government structure

Capital:
Bogota

Administrative divisions:
32 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1
capital district* (distrito capital); Amazonas, Antioquia, Arauca,
Atlantico, Distrito Capital de Bogota*, Bolivar, Boyaca, Caldas,
Caqueta, Casanare, Cauca, Cesar, Choco, Cordoba, Cundinamarca,
Guainia, Guaviare, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Meta, Narino, Norte
de Santander, Putumayo, Quindio, Risaralda, San Andres y
Providencia, Santander, Sucre, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vaupes,
Vichada

Independence:
20 July 1810 (from Spain)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 20 July (1810)

Constitution:
5 July 1991

Legal system:
based on Spanish law; a new criminal code modeled after US
procedures was enacted in 1992-93; judicial review of executive and
legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal