Chapter XXIV: Front Matter (24)

Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), white, and red;
known as the "Le drapeau tricolore" (French Tricolor), the origin of
the flag dates to 1790 and the French Revolution; the design and/or
colors are similar to a number of other flags, including those of
Belgium, Chad, Ireland, Cote d'Ivoire, Luxembourg, and Netherlands;
the official flag for all French dependent areas

Economy France

Economy - overview:
France is in the midst of transition from a well-to-do modern
economy that has featured extensive government ownership and
intervention to one that relies more on market mechanisms. The
government has partially or fully privatized many large companies,
banks, and insurers. It retains controlling stakes in several
leading firms, including Air France, France Telecom, Renault, and
Thales, and is dominant in some sectors, particularly power, public
transport, and defense industries. The telecommunications sector is
gradually being opened to competition. France's leaders remain
committed to a capitalism in which they maintain social equity by
means of laws, tax policies, and social spending that reduce income
disparity and the impact of free markets on public health and
welfare. The government has lowered income taxes and introduced
measures to boost employment and reform the pension system. In
addition, it is focusing on the problems of the high cost of labor
and labor market inflexibility resulting from the 35-hour workweek
and restrictions on lay-offs. The tax burden remains one of the
highest in Europe (nearly 50% of GDP in 2005). The lingering
economic slowdown and inflexible budget items have pushed the budget
deficit above the eurozone's 3%-of-GDP limit; unemployment stands at
10%.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.794 trillion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.055 trillion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1.2% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$29,600 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.2%
industry: 21.4%
services: 76.4% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
27.72 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 4.1%
industry: 24.4%
services: 71.5% (1999)

Unemployment rate:
9.9% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
6.5% (2000)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 25.1% (1995)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
32.7 (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.7% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
19.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $1.06 trillion
expenditures: $1.144 trillion; including capital expenditures of $23
billion (2005 est.)

Public debt:
66.2% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy
products; fish

Industries:
machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft,
electronics; textiles, food processing; tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
0.2% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
536.9 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 8.2%
hydro: 14%
nuclear: 77.1%
other: 0.7% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
433.3 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
72.2 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
6.2 billion kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
76,300 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
2.06 million bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
409,600 bbl/day (2001)

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

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

Natural gas - production:
1.566 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
43.74 billion cu m (2003 est.)

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

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

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

Current account balance:
$-38.78 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
$443.4 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics,
chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages

Exports - partners:
Germany 14.7%, Spain 9.6%, Italy 8.7%, UK 8.3%, US 7.2%, Belgium
7.1% (2005)

Imports:
$473.3 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics,
chemicals

Imports - partners:
Germany 18.9%, Belgium 10.7%, Italy 8.2%, Spain 7%, Netherlands
6.5%, UK 5.9%, US 5.1% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$74.36 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$2.826 trillion (30 June 2005)

Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $5.4 billion (2002)

Currency (code):
euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of
member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

Currency code:
EUR

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003),
1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications France

Telephones - main lines in use:
35.7 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
48.058 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: highly developed
domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay; extensive
introduction of fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system
international: country code - 33; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (with total of 5 antennas - 2 for Indian Ocean and 3 for
Atlantic Ocean), NA Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region); HF
radiotelephone communications with more than 20 countries

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 41, FM about 3,500 (this figure is an approximation and includes
many repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios:
55.3 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
584 (plus 9,676 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
34.8 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.fr

Internet hosts:
3,148,379 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
62 (2000)

Internet users:
29.521 million (2006)

Transportation France

Airports:
477 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 292
over 3,047 m: 13
2,438 to 3,047 m: 28
1,524 to 2,437 m: 96
914 to 1,523 m: 81
under 914 m: 74 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 185
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 73
under 914 m: 108 (2006)

Heliports:
3 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 14,588 km; oil 3,024 km; refined products 4,889 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 29,085 km
standard gauge: 28,918 km 1.435-m gauge (14,481 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 167 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 891,290 km
paved: 891,290 km (including 10,390 km of expressways) (2003)

Waterways:
8,500 km (1,686 km accessible to craft of 3,000 metric tons) (2000)

Merchant marine:
total: 61 ships (1000 GRT or over) 875,777 GRT/1,318,605 DWT
by type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 3, container 5, liquefied gas 6,
passenger 3, passenger/cargo 32, petroleum tanker 10, roll on/roll
off 1
foreign-owned: 13 (Denmark 1, Hong Kong 1, Italy 2, Monaco 1, Norway
1, NZ 1, Singapore 2, Sweden 2, Switzerland 2)
registered in other countries: 154 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Australia
3, Bahamas 37, Bermuda 1, Cameroon 1, French Polynesia 1, French
Southern and Antarctic Lands 36, Gibraltar 1, Indonesia 1, Isle of
Man 2, Italy 1, South Korea 12, Liberia 3, Luxembourg 14, Malta 6,
Mexico 1, Morocco 1, Panama 15, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 8,
UK 4, Wallis and Futuna 5) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Bordeaux, Calais, Dunkerque, La Pallice, Le Havre, Marseille,
Nantes, Paris, Rouen, Strasbourg

Military France

Military branches:
Army (includes marines, Foreign Legion, light aviation), Navy
(includes naval air), Air Force (includes air defense), National
Gendarmerie

Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription ended
in the 1990s; women serve in non-combat military posts (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 17-49: 13,676,509
females age 17-49: 13,504,539 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 17-49: 11,262,661
females age 17-49: 11,079,472 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 389,204
females age 17-49: 372,719 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$45 billion FY06 (2005)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.6% FY06 (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues France

Disputes - international:
Madagascar claims the French territories of Bassas da India, Europa
Island, Glorioso Islands, and Juan de Nova Island; Comoros claims
Mayotte; Mauritius claims Tromelin Island; territorial dispute
between Suriname and the French overseas department of French
Guiana; France asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie
Land); France and Vanuatu claim Matthew and Hunter Islands, east of
New Caledonia

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for and consumer of South American cocaine,
Southwest Asian heroin, and European synthetics

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@French Guiana

Introduction French Guiana

Background:
First settled by the French in 1604, French Guiana was the site of
notorious penal settlements until 1951. The European Space Agency
launches its communication satellites from Kourou.

Geography French Guiana

Location:
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Brazil and Suriname

Geographic coordinates:
4 00 N, 53 00 W

Map references:
South America

Area:
total: 91,000 sq km
land: 89,150 sq km
water: 1,850 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Indiana

Land boundaries:
total: 1,240.4 km
border countries: Brazil 730.4 km, Suriname 510 km

Coastline:
378 km

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

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain:
low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Bellevue de l'Inini 851 m

Natural resources:
bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), petroleum, kaolin, fish,
niobium, tantalum, clay

Land use:
arable land: 0.13%
permanent crops: 0.04%
other: 99.83% (90% forest, 10% other) (2005)

Irrigated land:
20 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
high frequency of heavy showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
mostly an unsettled wilderness; the only non-independent portion of
the South American continent

People French Guiana

Population:
199,509 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 28.9% (male 29,540/female 28,210)
15-64 years: 64.8% (male 69,302/female 59,980)
65 years and over: 6.3% (male 6,350/female 6,127) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 28.6 years
male: 29.6 years
female: 27.4 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.96% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
20.46 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
4.88 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
4.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.16 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female
total population: 1.12 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 11.76 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 12.58 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.27 years
male: 73.95 years
female: 80.75 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.98 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: French Guianese (singular and plural)
adjective: French Guianese

Ethnic groups:
black or mulatto 66%, white 12%, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian
12%, other 10%

Religions:
Roman Catholic

Languages:
French

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83%
male: 84%
female: 82% (1982 est.)

Government French Guiana

Country name:
conventional long form: Department of Guiana
conventional short form: French Guiana
local long form: none
local short form: Guyane

Dependency status:
overseas department of France

Government type:
NA

Capital:
name: Cayenne
geographic coordinates: 4 56 N, 52 20 W
time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
none (overseas department of France)

Independence:
none (overseas department of France)

National holiday:
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Constitution:
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system:
French legal system

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
1995), represented by Prefect Jean-Pierre LAFLAQUIERE (since 19 July
2006)
head of government: President of the General Council Pierre DESERT
(since 26 March 2004); President of the Regional Council Antoine
KARAM (since 22 March 1992)
cabinet: NA
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the
French Ministry of Interior; presidents of the General and Regional
Councils are appointed by the members of those councils

Legislative branch:
unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats; members
are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and a
unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional (31 seats; members
are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: General Council - last held in March 2000 (next to be
held March 2006); Regional Council - last held 21 and 28 March 2004
(next to be held in 2010)
election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - PSG 5, various left-wing parties 5, independents 7,
other 2; Regional Council - (second election results) percent of
vote by party - PS 37.24%, UMP 31.58%, FDG/Walwari 31.18%; seats by
party - PS 17, UMP 7, FDG/Walwari 7
note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998
(next to be held September 2007); results - percent of vote by party
- NA; seats by party - NA; 2 seats were elected to the French
National Assembly on 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007);
results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP/RPR
1, Walwari Committee 1

Judicial branch:
Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel (highest local court based in
Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French
Guiana)

Political parties and leaders:
Guyana Democratic Forces or FDG [Georges OTHILY]; Guyanese
Democratic Action or ADG [Andre LECANTE]; Guyanese Socialist Party
or PSG [Marie-Claude VERDAN]; Popular National Guyanese Party or
PNPG [Jose DORCY]; Socialist Party or PS [Alix LABBE]; Union for
French Democracy or UDF [Georges HABRAN-MERY]; Union for a Popular
Movement or UMP (includes RPR) [Remi Louis DUBOC]; Walwari Committee
(aligned with the PRG in France) [Christine TAUBIRA-DELANON]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
UPU, WCL, WFTU

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas department of France)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas department of France)

Flag description:
the flag of France is used

Economy French Guiana

Economy - overview:
The economy is tied closely to the much larger French economy
through subsidies and imports. Besides the French space center at
Kourou (which accounts for 25% of GDP), fishing and forestry are the
most important economic activities. Forest and woodland cover 90% of
the country. The large reserves of tropical hardwoods, not fully
exploited, support an expanding sawmill industry that provides sawn
logs for export. Cultivation of crops is limited to the coastal
area, where the population is largely concentrated; rice and manioc
are the major crops. French Guiana is heavily dependent on imports
of food and energy. Unemployment is a serious problem, particularly
among younger workers.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.551 billion (2003 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
NA

GDP - real growth rate:
NA%

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$8,300 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA% 6.6%
industry: NA% 15.6%
services: NA% 77.8%

Labor force:
62,630 (1999)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 18.2%
industry: 21.2%
services: 60.6% (1980)

Unemployment rate:
19.2% (December 2003)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1% (2003)

Budget:
revenues: $135.5 million
expenditures: $135.5 million; including capital expenditures of $105
million (1996)

Agriculture - products:
corn, rice, manioc (tapioca), sugar, cocoa, vegetables, bananas;
cattle, pigs, poultry

Industries:
construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
465.2 million kWh (2003)

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

Electricity - consumption:
432.6 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
6,600 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2003 est.)

Exports:
$137.5 million f.o.b. (2003)

Exports - commodities:
shrimp, timber, gold, rum, rosewood essence, clothing

Exports - partners:
France 62%, Switzerland 7%, US 2% (2004)

Imports:
$625 million c.i.f. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
food (grains, processed meat), machinery and transport equipment,
fuels and chemicals

Imports - partners:
France 63%, US, Trinidad and Tobago, Italy (2004)

Debt - external:
$800.3 million (2003)

Economic aid - recipient:
$NA

Currency (code):
euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of
member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

Currency code:
EUR

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003),
1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications French Guiana

Telephones - main lines in use:
51,000 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
98,000 (2004)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: fair open-wire and microwave radio relay system
international: country code - 594; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 14 (including 6 repeaters), shortwave 6 (including 5
repeaters) (1998)

Radios:
104,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
3 (plus eight low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
30,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.gf

Internet hosts:
106 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
38,000 (2005)

Transportation French Guiana

Airports:
11 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Roadways:
total: 817 km (1998)

Waterways:
3,760 km
note: 460 km navigable by small oceangoing vessels and coastal and
river steamers, 3,300 km by native craft (2003)

Ports and terminals:
Degrad des Cannes

Military French Guiana

Military branches:
no regular military forces; Gendarmerie

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 47,809 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 38,676 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues French Guiana

Disputes - international:
Suriname claims area between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini
(both headwaters of the Lawa) in French Guiana

Illicit drugs:
small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor
transshipment point to Europe

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@French Polynesia

Introduction French Polynesia

Background:
The French annexed various Polynesian island groups during the 19th
century. In September 1995, France stirred up widespread protests by
resuming nuclear testing on the Mururoa atoll after a three-year
moratorium. The tests were suspended in January 1996. In recent
years, French Polynesia's autonomy has been considerably expanded.

Geography French Polynesia

Location:
Oceania, archipelagoes in the South Pacific Ocean about one-half of
the way from South America to Australia

Geographic coordinates:
15 00 S, 140 00 W

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls)
land: 3,660 sq km
water: 507 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
2,525 km

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

Climate:
tropical, but moderate

Terrain:
mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Orohena 2,241 m

Natural resources:
timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 0.75%
permanent crops: 5.5%
other: 93.75% (2005)

Irrigated land:
10 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
occasional cyclonic storms in January

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
includes five archipelagoes (4 volcanic, 1 coral); Makatea in
French Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in
the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati
and Nauru

People French Polynesia

Population:
274,578 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.1% (male 36,541/female 34,999)
15-64 years: 67.9% (male 96,769/female 89,593)
65 years and over: 6.1% (male 8,428/female 8,248) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 27.9 years
male: 28.2 years
female: 27.5 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.48% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
16.68 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
4.69 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
2.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 8.29 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.55 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.1 years
male: 73.69 years
female: 78.63 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.01 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: French Polynesian(s)
adjective: French Polynesian

Ethnic groups:
Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4%

Religions:
Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 10%, no religion 6%

Languages:
French 61.1% (official), Polynesian 31.4% (official), Asian
languages 1.2%, other 0.3%, unspecified 6% (2002 census)

Literacy:
definition: age 14 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 98%
female: 98% (1977 est.)

Government French Polynesia

Country name:
conventional long form: Overseas Lands of French Polynesia
conventional short form: French Polynesia
local long form: Pays d'outre-mer de la Polynesie Francaise
local short form: Polynesie Francaise
former: French Colony of Oceania

Dependency status:
overseas lands of France; overseas territory of France from
1946-2004

Government type:
NA

Capital:
name: Papeete
geographic coordinates: 17 32 S, 149 34 W
time difference: UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
none (overseas lands of France); there are no first-order
administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
are five archipelagic divisions named Archipel des Marquises,
Archipel des Tuamotu, Archipel des Tubuai, Iles du Vent, Iles
Sous-le-Vent
note: Clipperton Island is administered by France from French
Polynesia

Independence:
none (overseas lands of France)

National holiday:
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Constitution:
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system:
based on French system

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
1995), represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Anne BOQUET
(since September 2005)
head of government: President of French Polynesia Oscar TEMARU
(since 3 March 2005); President of the Territorial Assembly Antony
GEROS (since 9 May 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; president submits a list of members
of the Territorial Assembly for approval by them to serve as
ministers
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the
advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the
territorial government and the president of the Territorial Assembly
are elected by the members of the assembly for five-year terms (no
term limits)

Legislative branch:
unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (57 seats
- changed from 49 seats for May 2004 election; members are elected
by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 23 May 2004 (next to be held May 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 28, Union for Democracy
27, New Star 1, This Country is Yours 1; after by-elections of 13
February 2005 seating was as follows: People's Rally for the
Republic 27, Union for Democracy 27, and Alliance for a New
Democracy 3
note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998
(next to be held September 2007); results - percent of vote by party
- NA; seats by party - NA; two seats were elected to the French
National Assembly on 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007);
results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP/RPR 1,
UMP 1

Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Court of the First Instance or
Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Administrative Law or
Tribunal Administratif

Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for a New Democracy or ADN [Nicole BOUTEAU and Philip
SCHYLE](includes the parties The New Star and This Country is
Yours); Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia (Tavini
Huiraatira) [Oscar TEMARU]; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api) [Emile
VERNAUDON]; People's Rally for the Republic of Polynesia or RPR
(Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE]; Union for Democracy or UPD
[Oscar TEMARU]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
FZ, ICFTU, PIF (observer), SPC, UPU, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas lands of France)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas lands of France)

Flag description:
two narrow red horizontal bands encase a wide white band; centered
on the white band is a disk with blue and white wave pattern on the
lower half and gold and white ray pattern on the upper half; a
stylized red, blue and white ship rides on the wave pattern; the
French flag is used for official occasions

Government - note:
under certain acts of France, French Polynesia has acquired
autonomy in all areas except those relating to police and justice,
monetary policy, tertiary education, immigration, and defense and
foreign affairs; the duties of its president are fashioned after
those of the French prime minister

Economy French Polynesia

Economy - overview:
Since 1962, when France stationed military personnel in the region,
French Polynesia has changed from a subsistence agricultural economy
to one in which a high proportion of the work force is either
employed by the military or supports the tourist industry. With the
halt of French nuclear testing in 1996, the military contribution to
the economy fell sharply. Tourism accounts for about one-fourth of
GDP and is a primary source of hard currency earnings. Other sources
of income are pearl farming and deep-sea commercial fishing. The
small manufacturing sector primarily processes agricultural
products. The territory benefits substantially from development
agreements with France aimed principally at creating new businesses
and strengthening social services.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$4.58 billion (2003 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
NA

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

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$17,500 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.1%
industry: 19%
services: 76.9% (2002)

Labor force:
65,870 (December 2005)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 13%
industry: 19%
services: 68% (2002)

Unemployment rate:
11.8% (1994)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.1% (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $865 million
expenditures: $644.1 million; including capital expenditures of $185
million (1996)

Agriculture - products:
coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits, coffee; poultry, beef, dairy
products

Industries:
tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts, phosphates

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
493.7 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 60.7%
hydro: 39.3%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
459.2 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
4,800 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2003 est.)

Exports:
$211 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
cultured pearls, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark
meat

Exports - partners:
France 46.3%, Japan 20.8%, Niger 12.8%, US 12.5% (2005)

Imports:
$1.706 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
fuels, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment

Imports - partners:
France 52.7%, Singapore 14.9%, NZ 6.8%, US 6.6% (2005)

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
$580 million (2004)

Currency (code):
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF)

Currency code:
XPF

Exchange rates:
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 95.89
(2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003), 126.71 (2002), 133.26 (2001)
note: pegged at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the euro

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications French Polynesia

Telephones - main lines in use:
53,400 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
87,000 (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 689; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 14, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios:
128,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
7 (plus 17 low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
40,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.pf

Internet hosts:
14,047 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
55,000 (2005)

Transportation French Polynesia

Airports:
51 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 39
over 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 25
under 914 m: 7 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 7 (2006)

Heliports:
1 (2006)

Roadways:
total: 2,590 km
paved: 1,735 km
unpaved: 855 km (1999)

Merchant marine:
total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 23,684 GRT/17,291 DWT
by type: cargo 4, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 5, refrigerated cargo
1, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 1 (France 1)
registered in other countries: 2 (Wallis and Futuna 2) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Papeete

Military French Polynesia

Military branches:
no regular military forces; Gendarmerie and National Police Force

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 69,679 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 55,305 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 2,747 (2005 est.)

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues French Polynesia

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Introduction French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Background:
The Southern Lands consist of two archipelagos, Iles Crozet and
Iles Kerguelen, and two volcanic islands, Ile Amsterdam and Ile
Saint-Paul. They contain no permanent inhabitants and are visited
only by researchers studying the native fauna. The Antarctic portion
consists of "Adelie Land," a thin slice of the Antarctic continent
discovered and claimed by the French in 1840.

Geography French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Location:
southeast of Africa, islands in the southern Indian Ocean, about
equidistant between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia; note - French
Southern and Antarctic Lands include Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul,
Iles Crozet, and Iles Kerguelen in the southern Indian Ocean, along
with the French-claimed sector of Antarctica, "Adelie Land"; the US
does not recognize the French claim to "Adelie Land"

Geographic coordinates:
43 00 S, 67 00 E

Map references:
Antarctic Region

Area:
total: 7,829 sq km
land: 7,829 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet, and Iles
Kerguelen; excludes "Adelie Land" claim of about 500,000 sq km in
Antarctica that is not recognized by the US

Area - comparative:
slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Delaware

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
1,232 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm from Iles Kerguelen (does not
include the rest of French Southern and Antarctic Lands)

Climate:
antarctic

Terrain:
volcanic

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Ross on Iles Kerguelen 1,850 m

Natural resources:
fish, crayfish

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km

Natural hazards:
Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
islands component is widely scattered across remote locations in
the southern Indian Ocean

People French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: in 2002, there were 145 researchers whose numbers vary from
winter (July) to summer (January) (July 2006 est.)

Government French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of the French Southern and
Antarctic Lands
conventional short form: French Southern and Antarctic Lands
local long form: Territoire des Terres Australes et Antarctiques
Francaises
local short form: Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises
abbreviation: TAAF

Dependency status:
overseas territory of France since 1955; administered from Paris by
Administrateur Superieur Michel CHAMPON (since 20 December 2004),
assisted by Secretary General Jean-Yves HERMOSO (since NA)

Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order
administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
are three districts named Ile Crozet, Iles Kerguelen, Iles
Saint-Paul et Amsterdam; excludes "Adelie Land" claim in Antarctica
that is not recognized by the US

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

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
1995), represented by Senior Administrator Michel CHAMPON

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

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

Flag description:
the flag of France is used

Economy French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Economy - overview:
Economic activity is limited to servicing meteorological and
geophysical research stations and French and other fishing fleets.
The fish catches landed on Iles Kerguelen by foreign ships are
exported to France and Reunion.

Communications French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Internet country code:
.tf

Internet hosts:
38 (2006)

Transportation French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Merchant marine:
total: 77 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,432,833 GRT/5,345,291 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, chemical tanker 27, container 18, liquefied
gas 5, petroleum tanker 15, roll on/roll off 6, vehicle carrier 4
foreign-owned: 76 (Belgium 6, Denmark 2, France 36, Germany 2, Hong
Kong 2, Japan 4, Norway 12, Saudi Arabia 1, Sweden 9, Switzerland 1,
UK 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
none; offshore anchorage only

Military French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Disputes - international:
French claim to "Adelie Land" in Antarctica is not recognized by
the US

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Gabon

Introduction Gabon

Background:
Only two autocratic presidents have ruled Gabon since independence
from France in 1960. The current president of Gabon, El Hadj Omar
BONGO Ondimba - one of the longest-serving heads of state in the
world - has dominated the contry's political scene for almost four
decades. President BONGO introduced a nominal multiparty system and
a new constitution in the early 1990s. However, allegations of
electoral fraud during local elections in 2002-03 and the
presidential elections in 2005 have exposed the weaknesses of formal
political structures in Gabon. Gabon's political opposition remains
weak, divided, and financially dependent on the current regime.
Despite political conditions, a small population, abundant natural
resources, and considerable foreign support have helped make Gabon
one of the more prosperous and stable African countries.

Geography Gabon

Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator,
between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea

Geographic coordinates:
1 00 S, 11 45 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 267,667 sq km
land: 257,667 sq km
water: 10,000 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Colorado

Land boundaries:
total: 2,551 km
border countries: Cameroon 298 km, Republic of the Congo 1,903 km,
Equatorial Guinea 350 km

Coastline:
885 km

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

Climate:
tropical; always hot, humid

Terrain:
narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Iboundji 1,575 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold,
timber, iron ore, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 1.21%
permanent crops: 0.64%
other: 98.15% (2005)

Irrigated land:
70 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; poaching

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

Geography - note:
a small population and oil and mineral reserves have helped Gabon
become one of Africa's wealthier countries; in general, these
circumstances have allowed the country to maintain and conserve its
pristine rain forest and rich biodiversity

People Gabon

Population:
1,424,906
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
2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 42.1% (male 300,914/female 299,141)
15-64 years: 53.9% (male 383,137/female 384,876)
65 years and over: 4% (male 23,576/female 33,262) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 18.6 years
male: 18.4 years
female: 18.8 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.13% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
36.16 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
12.25 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
-2.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 54.51 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 63.65 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 45.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 54.49 years
male: 53.21 years
female: 55.81 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
4.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
8.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
48,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
3,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria (2005)

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

Ethnic groups:
Bantu tribes, including four major tribal groupings (Fang,
Bapounou, Nzebi, Obamba); other Africans and Europeans, 154,000,
including 10,700 French and 11,000 persons of dual nationality

Religions:
Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1%

Languages:
French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 63.2%
male: 73.7%
female: 53.3% (1995 est.)

Government Gabon

Country name:
conventional long form: Gabonese Republic
conventional short form: Gabon
local long form: Republique gabonaise
local short form: Gabon

Government type:
republic; multiparty presidential regime

Capital:
name: Libreville
geographic coordinates: 0 23 N, 9 27 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga,
Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem

Independence:
17 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday:
Founding of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), 12 March (1968)

Constitution:
adopted 14 March 1991

Legal system:
based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review
of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba (since 2
December 1967)
head of government: Prime Minister Jean Eyeghe NDONG (since 20
January 2006)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in
consultation with the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
(no term limits); election last held 27 November 2005 (next to be
held in 2012); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: President El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba reelected;
percent of vote - El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba 79.2%, Pierre
MAMBOUNDOU 13.6%, Zacharie MYBOTO 6.6%

Legislative branch:
bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (91 seats; members
elected by members of municipal councils and departmental
assemblies) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120
seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 26 January and 9 February 2003 (next
to be held by January 2009); National Assembly - last held 9 and 23
December 2001 (next to be held December 2006)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - PDG 53, RNB 20, PGP 4, ADERE 3, RDP 1, CLR 1, independents
9; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party
- PDG 86, RNB-RPG 8, PGP 3, ADERE 3, CLR 2, PUP 1, PSD 1,
independents 13, others 3

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme consisting of three chambers -
Judicial, Administrative, and Accounts; Constitutional Court; Courts
of Appeal; Court of State Security; County Courts

Political parties and leaders:
Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [General Jean Boniface ASSELE];
Congress for Democracy and Justice or CDJ [Jules Aristide Bourdes
OGOULIGUENDE]; Democratic and Republican Alliance or ADERE
[Divungui-di-Ndinge DIDJOB]; Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG
[Simplice Nguedet MANZELA] (former sole party); Gabonese Party for
Progress or PGP [Pierre-Louis AGONDJO-OKAWE]; National Rally of
Woodcutters or RNB; National Rally of Woodcutters-Rally for Gabon or
RNB-RPG (Bucherons) [Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE]; People's Unity Party
or PUP [Louis Gaston MAYILA]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or
RDP [Pierre EMBONI]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Pierre Claver
MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU]; Union for Democracy and Social Integration or
UDIS; Union of Gabonese People or UPG [Pierre MAMBOUNDOU]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jules Marius OGOUEBANDJA
chancery: Suite 200, 2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 797-1000
FAX: [1] (202) 332-0668
consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Barrie R. WALKLEY
embassy: Boulevard du Bord de Mer, Libreville
mailing address: Centre Ville, B. P. 4000, Libreville
telephone: [241] 76 20 03 through 76 20 04, after hours - 74 34 92
FAX: [241] 74 55 07

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue

Economy Gabon

Economy - overview:
Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most of
sub-Saharan African nations. This has supported a sharp decline in
extreme poverty; yet, because of high income inequality, a large
proportion of the population remains poor. Gabon depended on timber
and manganese until oil was discovered offshore in the early 1970s.
The oil sector now accounts for 50% of GDP. Gabon continues to face
fluctuating prices for its oil, timber, and manganese exports.
Despite the abundance of natural wealth, poor fiscal management
hobbles the economy. Devaluation of its currency by 50% in January
1994 sparked a one-time inflationary surge, to 35%; the rate dropped
to 6% in 1996. The IMF provided a one-year standby arrangement in
1994-95, a three-year Enhanced Financing Facility (EFF) at near
commercial rates beginning in late 1995, and stand-by credit of $119
million in October 2000. Those agreements mandated progress in
privatization and fiscal discipline. France provided additional
financial support in January 1997 after Gabon met IMF targets for
mid-1996. In 1997, an IMF mission to Gabon criticized the government
for overspending on off-budget items, overborrowing from the central
bank, and slipping on its schedule for privatization and
administrative reform. The rebound of oil prices in 1999-2000 helped
growth, but drops in production hampered Gabon from fully realizing
potential gains. In December 2000, Gabon signed a new agreement with
the Paris Club to reschedule its official debt. A follow-up
bilateral repayment agreement with the US was signed in December
2001. Gabon signed a 14-month Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF in
May 2004, and received Paris Club debt rescheduling later that year.
Short-term progress depends on an upbeat world economy and fiscal
and other adjustments in line with IMF policies.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$9.739 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$6.697 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
2.9% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$7,000 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 6.1%
industry: 59.2%
services: 34.8% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
640,000 (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 60%
industry: 15%
services: 25%

Unemployment rate:
21% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
-0.1% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
24.7% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $2.463 billion
expenditures: $1.618 billion; including capital expenditures of $325
million (2005 est.)

Public debt:
33.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber; cattle; okoume (a tropical
softwood); fish

Industries:
petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, gold; chemicals, ship
repair, food and beverages, textiles, lumbering and plywood, cement

Industrial production growth rate:
1.6% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
1.487 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 34.5%
hydro: 65.5%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
1.383 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
268,900 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
12,250 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
1.921 billion bbl (2005 est.)

Natural gas - production:
90 million cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
90 million cu m (2003 est.)

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

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

Natural gas - proved reserves:
33.98 billion cu m (2005)

Current account balance:
$675 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
$5.813 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
crude oil 77%, timber, manganese, uranium (2001)

Exports - partners:
US 53.5%, France 6.4%, China 6.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 4% (2005)

Imports:
$1.533 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, construction
materials

Imports - partners:
France 40.6%, US 6.4%, Cameroon 4.2% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$675.2 million (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$3.903 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$331 million (1995)

Currency (code):
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible
authority is the Bank of the Central African States

Currency code:
XAF

Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 527.47
(2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Gabon

Telephones - main lines in use:
39,100 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
649,800 (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate service by African standards and
improving with the help of the growing mobile cell system
domestic: adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay,
tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a
domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations
international: country code - 241; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC)
provides connectivity to Europe and Asia

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 6, FM 7 (and 11 repeaters), shortwave 4 (2001)

Radios:
208,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
4 (plus four low-power repeaters) (2001)

Televisions:
63,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.ga

Internet hosts:
322 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2001)

Internet users:
67,000 (2005)

Transportation Gabon

Airports:
56 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 11
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 45
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 15
under 914 m: 23 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 272 km; oil 1,354 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 814 km
standard gauge: 814 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 32,333 km
paved: 6,247 km
unpaved: 26,086 km (2003)

Waterways:
1,600 km (310 km on Ogooue River) (2005)

Merchant marine:
registered in other countries: 2 (Cambodia 1, Panama 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Gamba, Libreville, Lucinda, Owendo, Port-Gentil

Military Gabon

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

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 278,826
females age 18-49: 279,865 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 159,198
females age 18-49: 156,122 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 15,325
females age 18-49: 15,367 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$253.5 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.4% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Gabon

Disputes - international:
UN presses Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to resolve the sovereignty
dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane Island and to establish a maritime
boundary in hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay; only a few hundred out of
the 20,000 Republic of the Congo refugees who fled militia fighting
in 2000 remain in Gabon

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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@Gambia, The

Introduction Gambia, The

Background:
The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965; it formed a
short-lived federation of Senegambia with Senegal between 1982 and
1989. In 1991 the two nations signed a friendship and cooperation
treaty. A military coup in 1994 overthrew the president and banned
political activity, but a 1996 constitution and presidential
elections, followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997, completed a
nominal return to civilian rule. The country undertook another round
of presidential and legislative elections in late 2001 and early
2002. Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH, the leader of the coup, has been
elected president in all subsequent elections.

Geography Gambia, The

Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal

Geographic coordinates:
13 28 N, 16 34 W

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 11,300 sq km
land: 10,000 sq km
water: 1,300 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of Delaware

Land boundaries:
total: 740 km
border countries: Senegal 740 km

Coastline:
80 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 18 nm
continental shelf: not specified
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season
(November to May)

Terrain:
flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hills

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 53 m

Natural resources:
fish, titanium (rutile and ilmenite), tin, zircon, silica sand,
clay, petroleum

Land use:
arable land: 27.88%
permanent crops: 0.44%
other: 71.68% (2005)

Irrigated land:
20 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
drought (rainfall has dropped by 30% in the last 30 years)

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; desertification; water-borne diseases prevalent

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

Geography - note:
almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the continent of
Africa

People Gambia, The

Population:
1,641,564 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.3% (male 365,157/female 361,821)
15-64 years: 53% (male 431,627/female 438,159)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 22,889/female 21,911) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 17.7 years
male: 17.6 years
female: 17.8 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.84% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
39.37 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
12.25 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
1.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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: 1.05 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 71.58 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 78.06 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 64.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 54.14 years
male: 52.3 years
female: 56.03 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
5.3 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
6,800 (2003 est.)

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

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, Crimean-Congo
hemorrhagic fever, yellow fever are high risks in some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Nationality:
noun: Gambian(s)
adjective: Gambian

Ethnic groups:
African 99% (Mandinka 42%, Fula 18%, Wolof 16%, Jola 10%, Serahuli
9%, other 4%), non-African 1%

Religions:
Muslim 90%, Christian 9%, indigenous beliefs 1%

Languages:
English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous
vernaculars

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 40.1%
male: 47.8%
female: 32.8% (2003 est.)

Government Gambia, The

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of The Gambia
conventional short form: The Gambia

Government type:
republic

Capital:
name: Banjul
geographic coordinates: 12 28 N, 16 39 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
5 divisions and 1 city*; Banjul*, Central River, Lower River, North
Bank, Upper River, Western

Independence:
18 February 1965 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 18 February (1965)

Constitution:
24 April 1970; suspended July 1994; rewritten and approved by
national referendum 8 August 1996; reestablished January 1997

Legal system:
based on a composite of English common law, Koranic law, and
customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH (since 18 October
1996); note - from 1994 to 1996 he was chairman of the Junta); Vice
President Isatou NJIE-SAIDY (since 20 March 1997); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH (since 18
October 1996); note - from 1994 to 1996 he was chairman of the
Junta); Vice President Isatou NJIE-SAIDY (since 20 March 1997)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(no term limits); election last held 22 September 2006 (next to be
held in 2011)
election results: Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH reelected president; percent
of vote - Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH 67.3%, Ousainou DARBOE 26.6%

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (53 seats; 48 elected by popular vote,
5 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 17 January 2002 (next to be held 25 January
2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
APRC 45, PDOIS 2, NRP 1,

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction or APRC
[Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH] (the ruling party); Gambian People's
Party-Progressive People's Party-United Democratic Party or
GPP-PPP-UDP Coalition [Ousainou DARBOE]; National Convention Party
or NCP [Sheriff DIBBA]; National Reconciliation Party or NRP [Hamat
N. K. BAH]; People's Democratic Organization for Independence and
Socialism or PDOIS [Sidia JATTA]
note: in August 2001, an independent electoral commission allowed
the reregistration of the GPP, NCP, and PPP, three parties banned
since 1996

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL,
UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO