Chapter LXIV: Front Matter (64)

Imports - commodities:
agricultural products 4.9%, industrial supplies 32.9% (crude oil
8.2%), capital goods 30.4% (computers, telecommunications equipment,
motor vehicle parts, office machines, electric power machinery),
consumer goods 31.8% (automobiles, clothing, medicines, furniture,
toys) (2003)

Imports - partners:
Canada 16.9%, China 15%, Mexico 10%, Japan 8.2%, Germany 5% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$86.94 billion (2004 est.)

Debt - external:
$8.837 trillion (30 June 2005 est.)

Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $6.9 billion (1997)

Currency (code):
US dollar (USD)

Currency code:
USD

Exchange rates:
British pounds per US dollar - 0.5500 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125
(2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001); Canadian dollars per US dollar
- 1.2118 (2005), 1.3010 (2004), 1.4011 (2003), 1.5693 (2002), 1.5488
(2001); Japanese yen per US dollar - 110.22 (2005), 108.19 (2004),
115.93 (2003), 125.39 (2002), 121.53 (2001); euros per US dollar -
0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.8866 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175
(2001); Chinese yuan per US dollar - 8.1943 (2005), 8.2768 (2004),
8.2770 (2003), 8.2770 (2002), 8.2271 (2001)

Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September

Communications United States

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

Telephones - mobile cellular:
219.4 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: a large, technologically advanced, multipurpose
communications system
domestic: a large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio
relay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites carries every form of
telephone traffic; a rapidly growing cellular system carries mobile
telephone traffic throughout the country
international: country code - 1; 24 ocean cable systems in use;
satellite earth stations - 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16
Pacific Ocean), 5 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4
Inmarsat (Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions) (2000)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4,789, FM 8,961, shortwave 19 (2006)

Radios:
575 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
2,218 (2006)

Televisions:
219 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.us

Internet hosts:
195,138,696 (2005)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
7,000 (2002 est.)

Internet users:
205,326,680 (2005)

Transportation United States

Airports:
14,858 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5,119
over 3,047 m: 189
2,438 to 3,047 m: 221
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1,426
914 to 1,523 m: 2,337
under 914 m: 946 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 9,739
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 157
914 to 1,523 m: 1,728
under 914 m: 7,847 (2006)

Heliports:
149 (2006)

Pipelines:
petroleum products 244,620 km; natural gas 548,665 km (2003)

Railways:
total: 226,605 km
standard gauge: 226,605 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)

Roadways:
total: 6,407,637 km
paved: 4,164,964 km (including 74,950 km of expressways)
unpaved: 2,242,673 km (2004)

Waterways:
41,009 km (19,312 km used for commerce)
note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint
Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with Canada (2004)

Merchant marine:
total: 465 ships (1000 GRT or over) 10,590,325 GRT/13,273,133 DWT
by type: barge carrier 7, bulk carrier 67, cargo 91, chemical tanker
20, container 76, passenger 19, passenger/cargo 58, petroleum tanker
76, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 27, specialized tanker 1,
vehicle carrier 20
foreign-owned: 51 (Australia 2, Canada 4, Denmark 24, Germany 2,
Greece 1, Malaysia 4, Netherlands 4, Norway 2, Singapore 2, Sweden
5, Taiwan 1)
registered in other countries: 700 (Antigua and Barbuda 7, Australia
3, Bahamas 121, Belize 5, Bermuda 27, Cambodia 8, Canada 2, Cayman
Islands 41, Comoros 2, Cyprus 7, Greece 1, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 21,
Ireland 2, Isle of Man 3, Italy 15, North Korea 3, South Korea 7,
Liberia 93, Luxembourg 3, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 143, Netherlands
13, Netherlands Antilles 1, Norway 13, Panama 94, Peru 1,
Philippines 8, Portugal 1, Puerto Rico 3, Qatar 1, Russia 1, Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines 21, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 7, Spain 7,
Sweden 1, Trinidad and Tobago 1, UK 6, Vanuatu 1, Wallis and Futuna
1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Corpus Christi, Duluth, Hampton Roads, Houston, Long Beach, Los
Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Tampa, Texas City
note: 13 ports north of New Orleans (South Louisiana Ports) on the
Mississippi River handle 290,000,000 tons of cargo annually

Military United States

Military branches:
Army, Navy and Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard; note -
Coast Guard administered in peacetime by the Department of Homeland
Security, but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navy

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age; 17 years of age with written parental consent
(2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 67,742,879
females age 18-49: 67,070,144 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 54,609,050
females age 18-49: 54,696,706 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 2,143,873
females age 18-49: 2,036,201 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$518.1 billion (FY04 est.) (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
4.06% (FY03 est.) (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues United States

Disputes - international:
prolonged drought, population growth, and outmoded practices and
infrastructure in the border region strain water-sharing
arrangements with Mexico; the US has stepped up efforts to stem
nationals from Mexico, Central America, and other parts of the world
from crossing illegally into the US from Mexico; illegal immigrants
from the Caribbean, notably Haiti and the Dominican Republic,
attempt to enter the US through Florida by sea; 1990 Maritime
Boundary Agreement in the Bering Sea still awaits Russian Duma
ratification; managed maritime boundary disputes with Canada at
Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and around the
disputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock; US and Canada seek
greater cooperation in monitoring people and commodities crossing
the border; The Bahamas and US have not been able to agree on a
maritime boundary; US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased from
Cuba and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can
terminate the lease; Haiti claims US-administered Navassa Island; US
has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the
right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other
state; Marshall Islands claims Wake Island

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): the US admitted 52,868 refugees
during FY03/04 including: 13,331 (Somalia), 6,000 (Laos), 3,482
(Ukraine), 2,959 (Cuba), 1,787 (Iran); note - 32,229 refugees had
been admitted as of 30 June 2005

Illicit drugs:
world's largest consumer of cocaine, shipped from Colombia through
Mexico and the Caribbean; consumer of heroin, marijuana, and
increasingly methamphetamine from Mexico; consumer of high-quality
Southeast Asian heroin; illicit producer of cannabis, marijuana,
depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and methamphetamine;
money-laundering center

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges

Introduction United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges

Background:
The following US Pacific island territories constitute the Pacific
Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex and as such are
managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of
Interior. These remote refuges are the most widespread collection of
marine- and terrestrial-life protected areas on the planet under a
single country's jurisdiction. They protect many endemic species
including corals, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, seabirds, water
birds, land birds, insects, and vegetation not found elsewhere.
Baker Island: The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its
guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the
second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at
colonization began on this island but was disrupted by World War II
and thereafter abandoned. The island was established as a National
Wildlife Refuge in 1974.
Howland Island: Discovered by the US early in the 19th century, the
island was officially claimed by the US in 1857. Both US and British
companies mined for guano until about 1890. In 1935, a short-lived
attempt at colonization began on this island, similar to the effort
on nearby Baker Island, but was disrupted by World War II and
thereafter abandoned. The famed American aviatrix Amelia EARHART
disappeared while seeking out Howland Island as a refueling stop
during her 1937 round-the-world flight; Earhart Light, a day beacon
near the middle of the west coast, was named in her memory. The
island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974.
Jarvis Island: First discovered by the British in 1821, the
uninhabited island was annexed by the US in 1858, but abandoned in
1879 after tons of guano had been removed. The UK annexed the island
in 1889, but never carried out plans for further exploitation. The
US occupied and reclaimed the island in 1935 until it was abandoned
in 1942 during World War II. The island was established as a
National Wildlife Refuge in 1974.
Johnston Atoll: Both the US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed
Johnston Atoll in 1858, but it was the US that mined the guano
deposits until the late 1880s. Johnston and Sand Islands were
designated wildlife refuges in 1926. The US Navy took over the atoll
in 1934, and subsequently the US Air Force assumed control in 1948.
The site was used for high-altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and
1960s, and until late in 2000 the atoll was maintained as a storage
and disposal site for chemical weapons. Munitions destruction is now
complete. Cleanup and closure of the facility was completed by May
2005. The Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Air Force are
currently discussing future management options; in the interim,
Johnston Atoll and the three-mile Naval Defensive Sea around it
remain under the jurisdiction and administrative control of the US
Air Force.
Kingman Reef: The US annexed the reef in 1922. Its sheltered lagoon
served as a way station for flying boats on Hawaii-to-American Samoa
flights during the late 1930s. There are no terrestrial plants on
the reef, which is frequently awash, but it does support abundant
and diverse marine fauna and flora. In 2001, the waters surrounding
the reef out to 12 nm were designated a US National Wildlife Refuge.
Midway Islands: The US took formal possession of the islands in
1867. The laying of the trans-Pacific cable, which passed through
the islands, brought the first residents in 1903. Between 1935 and
1947, Midway was used as a refueling stop for trans-Pacific flights.
The US naval victory over a Japanese fleet off Midway in 1942 was
one of the turning points of World War II. The islands continued to
serve as a naval station until closed in 1993. Today the islands are
a National Wildlife Refuge and are the site of the world's largest
Laysan albatross colony.
Palmyra Atoll: The Kingdom of Hawaii claimed the atoll in 1862, and
the US included it among the Hawaiian Islands when it annexed the
archipelago in 1898. The Hawaii Statehood Act of 1959 did not
include Palmyra Atoll, which is now partly privately owned by the
Nature Conservancy with the rest owned by the Federal government and
managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. These organizations are
managing the atoll as a wildlife refuge. The lagoons and surrounding
waters within the 12 nm US territorial seas were transferred to the
US Fish and Wildlife Service and designated as a National Wildlife
Refuge in January 2001.

Geography United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges

Location:
Oceania
Baker Island: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,830 nm (3,389 km)
southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and Australia
Howland Island: island in the North Pacific Ocean 1,815 nm (3,361
km) southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and
Australia
Jarvis Island: island in the South Pacific Ocean 1,305 nm (2,417 km)
south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and the Cook Islands
Johnston Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 717 nm (1,328 km)
southwest of Honolulu, about one-third of the way from Hawaii to the
Marshall Islands
Kingman Reef: reef in the North Pacific Ocean 930 nm (1,722 km)
south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa
Midway Islands: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,260 nm (2,334 km)
northwest of Honolulu near the end of the Hawaiian Archipelago,
about one-third of the way from Honolulu to Tokyo
Palmyra Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 960 nm (1,778 km)
south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa

Geographic coordinates:
Baker Island: 0 13 N, 176 28 W
Howland Island: 0 48 N, 176 38 W
Jarvis Island: 0 23 S, 160 01 W
Johnston Atoll: 16 45 N, 169 31 W
Kingman Reef: 6 23 N, 162 25 W
Midway Islands: 28 12 N, 177 22 W
Palmyra Atoll: 5 53 N, 162 05 W

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total - 6,959.41 sq km; emergent land - 22.41 sq km; submerged -
6,937 sq km
Baker Island: total - 129 sq km; emergent land - 2.1 sq km;
submerged - 127 sq km
Howland Island: total - 139 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km;
submerged - 136 sq km
Jarvis Island: total - 152 sq km; emergent land - 5 sq km; submerged
- 147 sq km
Johnston Atoll: total - 276.6 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km;
submerged - 274 sq km
Kingman Reef: total - 1,958.01 sq km; emergent land - 0.01 sq km;
submerged - 1,958 sq km
Midway Islands: total - 2,355.2 sq km; emergent land - 6.2 sq km;
submerged - 2,349 sq km
Palmyra Atoll: total - 1,949.9 sq km; emergent land - 3.9 sq km;
submerged - 1,946 sq km

Area - comparative:
Baker Island: about two and a half times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Howland Island: about three times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Jarvis Island: about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington,
DC
Johnston Atoll: about four and a half times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Kingman Reef: a little more than one and a half times the size of
The Mall in Washington, DC
Midway Islands: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington,
DC
Palmyra Atoll: about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
none

Coastline:
Baker Island: 4.8 km
Howland Island: 6.4 km
Jarvis Island: 8 km
Johnston Atoll: 34 km
Kingman Reef: 3 km
Midway Islands: 15 km
Palmyra Atoll: 14.5 km

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

Climate:
Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: equatorial; scant rainfall,
constant wind, burning sun
Johnston Atoll and Kingman Reef: tropical, but generally dry;
consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature
variation
Midway Islands: subtropical with cool, moist winters (December to
February) and warm, dry summers (May to October); moderated by
prevailing easterly winds; most of the 1,067 mm (42 in) of annual
rainfall occurs during the winter
Palmyra Atoll: equatorial, hot; located within the low pressure area
of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) where the northeast and
southeast trade winds meet, it is extremely wet with between
4,000-5,000 mm (160-200 in) of rainfall each year

Terrain:
low and nearly level sandy coral islands with narrow fringing reefs
that have developed at the top of submerged volcanic mountains,
which in most cases rise steeply from the ocean floor

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Baker Island, unnamed location - 8 m; Howland Island,
unnamed location - 3 m; Jarvis Island, unnamed location - 7 m;
Johnston Atoll, Sand Island - 10 m; Kingman Reef, unnamed location -
less than 1 m; Midway Islands, unnamed location - 13 m; Palmyra
Atoll, unnamed location - 2 m

Natural resources:
terrestrial and aquatic wildlife

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

Natural hazards:
Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: the narrow fringing reef
surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
Kingman Reef: wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of
less than 1 m makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard
Midway Islands, Johnston, and Palmyra Atolls: NA

Environment - current issues:
Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands, and Johnston Atoll: no natural
fresh water resources
Kingman Reef: none
Midway Islands and Palmyra Atoll: NA

Geography - note:
Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: scattered vegetation consisting
of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a
nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds,
and marine wildlife
Johnston Atoll: Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands,
which have been expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and
East Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging;
the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference
Kingman Reef: barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed
to the public
Midway Islands: a coral atoll managed as a national wildlife refuge
and open to the public for wildlife-related recreation in the form
of wildlife observation and photography
Palmyra Atoll: the high rainfall and resulting lush vegetation make
the environment of this atoll unique among the US Pacific Island
territories; it supports one of the largest remaining undisturbed
stands of Pisonia beach forest in the Pacific

People United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges

Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: public entry is by special-use permit from US Fish and
Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and
educators; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service
Johnston Atoll: in previous years, an average of 1,100 US military
and civilian contractor personnel were present; as of May 2005 all
US government personnel had left the island
Midway Islands: approximately 40 people make up the staff of US Fish
and Wildlife Service and their services contractor living at the
atoll
Palmyra Atoll: four to 20 Nature Conservancy and US Fish and
Wildlife staff

Government United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Baker Island; Howland Island; Jarvis
Island; Johnston Atoll; Kingman Reef; Midway Islands; Palmyra Atoll

Dependency status:
unincorporated territories of the US; administered from Washington,
DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the
Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system
note on Palmyra Atoll: incorporated Territory of the US; partly
privately owned and partly federally owned; administered from
Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US
Department of the Interior; the Office of Insular Affairs of the US
Department of the Interior continues to administer nine excluded
areas comprising certain tidal and submerged lands within the 12 nm
territorial sea or within the lagoon

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

Flag description:
the flag of the US is used

Economy United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges

Economy - overview:
no economic activity

Transportation United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges

Airports:
Baker Island: one abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m covered
with vegetation and unusable
Howland Island: airstrip constructed in 1937 for scheduled refueling
stop on the round-the-world flight of Amelia EARHART and Fred
NOONAN; the aviators left Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island but
were never seen again; the airstrip is no longer serviceable
Johnston Atoll: 1 - closed and not maintained
Kingman Reef: lagoon was used as a halfway station between Hawaii
and American Samoa by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937
and 1938
Midway Islands: 3 - one operational (2,409 m paved); no fuel for
sale except emergencies
Palmyra Atoll: 1 - 1,846 m unpaved runway; privately owned (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands, and Kingman Reef: none;
offshore anchorage only
Johnston Atoll: Johnston Island
Midway Islands: Sand Island
Palmyra Atoll: West Lagoon

Military United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Uruguay

Introduction Uruguay

Background:
Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military
stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to become an
important commercial center. Annexed by Brazil as a separate
province in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later
and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The
administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century
established widespread political, social, and economic reforms. A
violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros,
launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to agree to
military control of his administration in 1973. By yearend, the
rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its
hold throughout the government. Civilian rule was not restored until
1985. In 2004, the left-of-center EP-FA Coalition won national
elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control
previously held by the Colorado and Blanco parties. Uruguay's
political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.

Geography Uruguay

Location:
Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between
Argentina and Brazil

Geographic coordinates:
33 00 S, 56 00 W

Map references:
South America

Area:
total: 176,220 sq km
land: 173,620 sq km
water: 2,600 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than the state of Washington

Land boundaries:
total: 1,564 km
border countries: Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km

Coastline:
660 km

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

Climate:
warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown

Terrain:
mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro Catedral 514 m

Natural resources:
arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries

Land use:
arable land: 7.77%
permanent crops: 0.24%
other: 91.99% (2005)

Irrigated land:
2,100 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional
violent wind that blows north from the Argentine pampas), droughts,
floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act as weather
barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes
from weather fronts

Environment - current issues:
water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate
solid/hazardous waste disposal

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

Geography - note:
second-smallest South American country (after Suriname); most of
the low-lying landscape (three-quarters of the country) is
grassland, ideal for cattle and sheep raising

People Uruguay

Population:
3,431,932 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 22.9% (male 399,409/female 386,136)
15-64 years: 63.9% (male 1,087,180/female 1,104,465)
65 years and over: 13.3% (male 185,251/female 269,491) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 32.7 years
male: 31.3 years
female: 34.2 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.46% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-0.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 11.61 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 12.9 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.33 years
male: 73.12 years
female: 79.65 years (2006 est.)

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

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
6,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 500 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Uruguayan(s)
adjective: Uruguayan

Ethnic groups:
white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian (practically
nonexistent)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 66% (less than half of the adult population attends
church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, nonprofessing or other
31%

Languages:
Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the
Brazilian frontier)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 97.6%
female: 98.4% (2003 est.)

Government Uruguay

Country name:
conventional long form: Oriental Republic of Uruguay
conventional short form: Uruguay
local long form: Republica Oriental del Uruguay
local short form: Uruguay
former: Banda Oriental, Cisplatine Province

Government type:
constitutional republic

Capital:
name: Montevideo
geographic coordinates: 34 53 S, 56 11 W
time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in October; ends
second Sunday in March

Administrative divisions:
19 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Artigas,
Canelones, Cerro Largo, Colonia, Durazno, Flores, Florida,
Lavalleja, Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandu, Rio Negro, Rivera,
Rocha, Salto, San Jose, Soriano, Tacuarembo, Treinta y Tres

Independence:
25 August 1825 (from Brazil)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 25 August (1825)

Constitution:
27 November 1966, effective February 1967; suspended 27 June 1973,
new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980; two
constitutional reforms approved by plebiscite 26 November 1989 and 7
January 1997

Legal system:
based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Tabare VAZQUEZ Rosas (since 1 March 2005)
and Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVOA (since 1 March 2005); note -
the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Tabare VAZQUEZ Rosas (since 1 March
2005) and Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVOA (since 1 March 2005);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president with
parliamentary approval
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for five-year terms (may not serve consecutive
terms); election last held 31 October 2004 (next to be held October
2009)
election results: Tabare VAZQUEZ elected president; percent of vote
- Tabare VAZQUEZ 50.5%, Jorge LARRANAGA 35.1%, Guillermo STIRLING
10.3%; other 4.1%

Legislative branch:
bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General consists of Chamber
of Senators or Camara de Senadores (30 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms; vice president has one vote
in the Senate) and Chamber of Representatives or Camara de
Representantes (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 31 October 2004 (next to
be held October 2009); Chamber of Representatives - last held 31
October 2004 (next to be held October 2009)
election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - EP-FA 16, Blanco 11, Colorado Party 3; Chamber
of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party
- EP-FA 52, Blanco 36, Colorado Party 10, Independent Party 1

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and elected
for 10-year terms by the General Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:
Colorado Party [Julio Maria SANGUINETTI]; Independent Party
(Partido Independiente) [Pablo MIERES]; Movement of Popular
Participation or MPP [Jose MUJICA]; National Party or Blanco [Jorge
LARRANAGA]; New Sector/Space Coalition (Nuevo Espacio) [Rafael
MICHELINI]; Progressive Encounter/Broad Front Coalition (Encuentro
Progresista/Frente Amplio) or EP-FA [Tabare VAZQUEZ]; Socialist
Party of Uruguay or Socialists [Reinaldo GARGANO]; Uruguayan
Assembly or Asamblea Uruguay [Danilo ASTORI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Architect's Society of Uruguay (professional organization);
Catholic Church; Chamber of Uruguayan Industries (manufacturer's
association); Chemist and Pharmaceutical Association (professional
organization); PIT-CNT (powerful federation of Uruguayan unions);
Rural Association of Uruguay (rancher's association); students;
Uruguayan Construction League

International organization participation:
CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM
(observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP,
UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos Alberto GIANELLI Derois
chancery: 1913 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
telephone: [1] (202) 331-1313 through 1316
FAX: [1] (202) 331-8142
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York
consulate(s): San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Charge d'Affaires James D. NEALON
embassy: Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo 11200
mailing address: APO AA 34035
telephone: [598] (2) 418-7777
FAX: [598] (2) 418-8611

Flag description:
nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating
with blue; there is a white square in the upper hoist-side corner
with a yellow sun bearing a human face known as the Sun of May with
16 rays that alternate between triangular and wavy

Economy Uruguay

Economy - overview:
Uruguay's well-to-do economy is characterized by an export-oriented
agricultural sector, a well-educated work force, and high levels of
social spending. After averaging growth of 5% annually during
1996-98, in 1999-2002 the economy suffered a major downturn,
stemming largely from the spillover effects of the economic problems
of its large neighbors, Argentina and Brazil. For instance, in
2001-02 Argentina made massive withdrawals of dollars deposited in
Uruguayan banks, which led to a plunge in the Uruguayan peso and a
massive rise in unemployment. Total GDP in these four years dropped
by nearly 20%, with 2002 the worst year due to the banking crisis.
The unemployment rate rose to nearly 20% in 2002, inflation surged,
and the burden of external debt doubled. Cooperation with the IMF
helped stem the damage. A debt swap with private-sector creditors in
2003 extended the maturity dates on nearly half of Uruguay's then
$11.3 billion of public debt and helped restore public confidence.
The economy grew about 10% in 2004 as a result of high commodity
prices for Uruguayan exports, a competitive peso, growth in the
region, and low international interest rates, but slowed to 6.1% in
2005.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$33.98 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$13.24 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
6.8% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$9,900 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 9.3%
industry: 31.1%
services: 59.6% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
1.52 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 14%
industry: 16%
services: 70%

Unemployment rate:
12.2% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
22% of households (2004)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.7%
highest 10%: 25.8% (1997)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
44.6 (2000)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.7% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
12.9% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $4.468 billion
expenditures: $4.845 billion; including capital expenditures of $193
million (2005 est.)

Public debt:
81.9% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, wheat, corn, barley; livestock; fish

Industries:
food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment,
petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages

Industrial production growth rate:
8.5% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
8.611 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 0.7%
hydro: 99.1%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0.3% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
7.762 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
900 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
654 million kWh (2003)

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

Oil - consumption:
38,000 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:
60 million cu m (2003 est.)

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

Natural gas - imports:
65 million cu m (2003 est.)

Current account balance:
$-87.9 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
$3.55 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
meat, rice, leather products, wool, fish, dairy products

Exports - partners:
US 18.6%, Brazil 15.6%, Mexico 6.9%, Argentina 6.1%, Spain 4.1%,
Germany 4% (2005)

Imports:
$3.54 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, chemicals, road vehicles, crude petroleum

Imports - partners:
Argentina 18.9%, Brazil 18.5%, Paraguay 14%, US 8.6%, China 6.2%
(2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$3.079 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$13.24 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$NA

Currency (code):
Uruguayan peso (UYU)

Currency code:
UYU

Exchange rates:
Uruguayan pesos per US dollar - 24.479 (2005), 28.704 (2004),
28.209 (2003), 21.257 (2002), 13.319 (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Uruguay

Telephones - main lines in use:
1 million (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
600,000 (2004)

Telephone system:
general assessment: fully digitalized
domestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new
nationwide microwave radio relay network
international: country code - 598; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2002)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 93, FM 191, shortwave 7 (2005)

Radios:
1.97 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
62 (2005)

Televisions:
782,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.uy

Internet hosts:
145,774 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
14 (2001)

Internet users:
680,000 (2005)

Transportation Uruguay

Airports:
64 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 8
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 56
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 22
under 914 m: 31 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 257 km; oil 160 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 2,073 km
standard gauge: 2,073 km 1.435-m gauge
note: 461 km have been taken out of service and 460 km are in
partial use (2005)

Roadways:
total: 77,732 km
paved: 7,743 km
unpaved: 69,989 km (2004)

Waterways:
1,600 km (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 34,259 GRT/19,725 DWT
by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum
tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 4 (Argentina 3, Greece 1)
registered in other countries: 8 (Argentina 1, Bahamas 2, Liberia 3,
Spain 2) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Montevideo, Nueva Palmira, Fray Bentos, Colonia, Juan Lacaze

Military Uruguay

Military branches:
Army, Navy (includes naval air arm, Marines, Maritime Prefecture in
wartime), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Uruguaya, FAU) (2006)

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

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 764,408
females age 18-49: 760,341 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 637,445
females age 18-49: 631,046 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$371.2 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.1% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Uruguay

Disputes - international:
uncontested dispute with Brazil over certain islands in the
Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada streams and the resulting tripoint with
Argentina

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Uzbekistan

Introduction Uzbekistan

Background:
Russia conquered Uzbekistan in the late 19th century. Stiff
resistance to the Red Army after World War I was eventually
suppressed and a socialist republic set up in 1924. During the
Soviet era, intensive production of "white gold" (cotton) and grain
led to overuse of agrochemicals and the depletion of water supplies,
which have left the land poisoned and the Aral Sea and certain
rivers half dry. Independent since 1991, the country seeks to
gradually lessen its dependence on agriculture while developing its
mineral and petroleum reserves. Current concerns include terrorism
by Islamic militants, economic stagnation, and the curtailment of
human rights and democratization.

Geography Uzbekistan

Location:
Central Asia, north of Afghanistan

Geographic coordinates:
41 00 N, 64 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 447,400 sq km
land: 425,400 sq km
water: 22,000 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than California

Land boundaries:
total: 6,221 km
border countries: Afghanistan 137 km, Kazakhstan 2,203 km,
Kyrgyzstan 1,099 km, Tajikistan 1,161 km, Turkmenistan 1,621 km

Coastline:
0 km (doubly landlocked); note - Uzbekistan includes the southern
portion of the Aral Sea with a 420 km shoreline

Maritime claims:
none (doubly landlocked)

Climate:
mostly midlatitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters;
semiarid grassland in east

Terrain:
mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes; broad, flat
intensely irrigated river valleys along course of Amu Darya, Syr
Darya (Sirdaryo), and Zarafshon; Fergana Valley in east surrounded
by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan; shrinking Aral Sea in west

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sariqarnish Kuli -12 m
highest point: Adelunga Toghi 4,301 m

Natural resources:
natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver, copper, lead
and zinc, tungsten, molybdenum

Land use:
arable land: 10.51%
permanent crops: 0.76%
other: 88.73% (2005)

Irrigated land:
42,810 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
shrinkage of the Aral Sea is resulting in growing concentrations of
chemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then
blown from the increasingly exposed lake bed and contribute to
desertification; water pollution from industrial wastes and the
heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides is the cause of many human
health disorders; increasing soil salination; soil contamination
from buried nuclear processing and agricultural chemicals, including
DDT

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

Geography - note:
along with Liechtenstein, one of the only two doubly landlocked
countries in the world

People Uzbekistan

Population:
27,307,134 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 32.9% (male 4,572,721/female 4,403,405)
15-64 years: 62.3% (male 8,420,174/female 8,594,478)
65 years and over: 4.8% (male 539,336/female 777,020) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 22.7 years
male: 22 years
female: 23.3 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.7% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-1.5 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: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 69.99 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 74.14 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 65.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.58 years
male: 61.19 years
female: 68.14 years (2006 est.)

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

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
11,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 500 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Uzbekistani
adjective: Uzbekistani

Ethnic groups:
Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%,
Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 est.)

Religions:
Muslim 88% (mostly Sunnis), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%

Languages:
Uzbek 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.3%
male: 99.6%
female: 99% (2003 est.)

Government Uzbekistan

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Uzbekistan
conventional short form: Uzbekistan
local long form: Ozbekiston Respublikasi
local short form: Ozbekiston
former: Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type:
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power
outside the executive branch

Capital:
name: Tashkent (Toshkent)
geographic coordinates: 41 20 N, 69 18 E
time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
12 provinces (viloyatlar, singular - viloyat), 1 autonomous
republic* (respublika), and 1 city** (shahar); Andijon Viloyati,
Buxoro Viloyati, Farg'ona Viloyati, Jizzax Viloyati, Namangan
Viloyati, Navoiy Viloyati, Qashqadaryo Viloyati (Qarshi),
Qoraqalpog'iston Respublikasi* (Nukus), Samarqand Viloyati, Sirdaryo
Viloyati (Guliston), Surxondaryo Viloyati (Termiz), Toshkent
Shahri**, Toshkent Viloyati, Xorazm Viloyati (Urganch)
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
name following in parentheses)

Independence:
1 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 September (1991)

Constitution:
new constitution adopted 8 December 1992

Legal system:
evolution of Soviet civil law; still lacks independent judicial
system

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Islom KARIMOV (since 24 March 1990, when
he was elected president by the then Supreme Soviet)
head of government: Prime Minister Shavkat MIRZIYAYEV (since 11
December 2003)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president with
approval of the Supreme Assembly
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
(eligible for a second term; previously was a five-year term,
extended by constitutional amendment in 2002); election last held 9
January 2000 (next to be held in 2007); prime minister, ministers,
and deputy ministers appointed by the president
election results: Islom KARIMOV reelected president; percent of vote
- Islom KARIMOV 91.9%, Abdulkhafiz JALALOV 4.2%

Legislative branch:
bicameral Supreme Assembly or Oliy Majlis consists of an Upper
House or Senate (100 seats; 84 members are elected by regional
governing councils to serve five-year terms and 16 are appointed by
the president) and a Lower House or Legislative Chamber (120 seats;
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 26 December 2004 and 9 January 2005 (next to be
held December 2009)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - NA; Legislative Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - LDPU 41, NDP 32, Fidokorlar 17, MTP 11, Adolat 9,
unaffiliated 10
note: all parties in the Supreme Assembly support President KARIMOV

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and confirmed
by the Supreme Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:
Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic Party [Dilorom TOSHMUHAMMADOVA,
chairman]; Democratic National Rebirth Party (Milly Tiklanish) or
MTP [Xurshid DOSTMUHAMMADOV, chief]; Liberal Democratic Party of
Uzbekistan or LDPU [Adham SHODMONOV, chairman]; People's Democratic
Party or NDP (formerly Communist Party) [Asliddin RUSTAMOV, first
secretary]; Self-Sacrificers Party or Fidokorlar National Democratic
Party [Ahtam TURSUNOV, chief]; note - Fatherland Progress Party
merged with Self-Sacrificers Party

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Agrarian and Entrepreneurs' Party [Marat ZAHIDOV]; Birlik (Unity)
Movement [Abdurakhim POLAT, chairman]; Erk (Freedom) Democratic
Party [Muhammad SOLIH, chairman] was banned 9 December 1992; Ezgulik
Human Rights Society [Vasilia INOYATOVA]; Free Farmers' Party or
Ozod Dehqonlar [Nigara KHIDOYATOVA]; Human Rights Society of
Uzbekistan [Tolib YAKUBOV, chairman]; Independent Human Rights
Society of Uzbekistan [Mikhail ARDZINOV, chairman]; Mazlum; Sunshine
Coalition [Sanjar UMAROV, chairman]

International organization participation:
AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC,
IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Abdulaziz KAMILOV
chancery: 1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 887-5300
FAX: [1] (202) 293-6804
consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jon PURNELL
embassy: 3 Moyqo'rq'on, 5th Block, Yunusobod District, Tashkent
100093
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [998] (71) 120-5450
FAX: [998] (71) 120-6335

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and green
separated by red fimbriations with a white crescent moon and 12
white stars in the upper hoist-side quadrant

Economy Uzbekistan

Economy - overview:
Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country of which 11% consists of
intensely cultivated, irrigated river valleys. More than 60% of its
population lives in densely populated rural communities. Uzbekistan
is now the world's second-largest cotton exporter and fifth largest
producer; it relies heavily on cotton production as the major source
of export earnings. Other major export earners include gold, natural
gas, and oil. Following independence in September 1991, the
government sought to prop up its Soviet-style command economy with
subsidies and tight controls on production and prices. While aware
of the need to improve the investment climate, the government still
sponsors measures that often increase, not decrease, its control
over business decisions. A sharp increase in the inequality of
income distribution has hurt the lower ranks of society since
independence. In 2003, the government accepted the obligations of
Article VIII under the International Monetary Fund (IMF), providing
for full currency convertibility. However, strict currency controls
and tightening of borders have lessened the effects of
convertibility and have also led to some shortages that have further
stifled economic activity. The Central Bank often delays or
restricts convertibility, especially for consumer goods. Potential
investment by Russia and China in Uzbekistan's gas and oil industry
would increase economic growth prospects. In November 2005, Russian
President Vladimir PUTIN and Uzbekistan President KARIMOV signed an
"alliance" treaty, which included provisions for economic and
business cooperation. Russian businesses have shown increased
interest in Uzbekistan, especially in mining, telecom, and oil and
gas. In December 2005, the Russians opened a "Trade House" to
support and develop Russian-Uzbek business and economic ties.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$50.31 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$9.86 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
7% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,900 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 34.2%
industry: 22.9%
services: 43% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
14.26 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 44%
industry: 20%
services: 36% (1995)

Unemployment rate:
0.7% officially, plus another 20% underemployed (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
28% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.6%
highest 10%: 22% (2000)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
26.8 (2000)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.9% (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $2.815 billion
expenditures: $2.917 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2005 est.)

Public debt:
36.1% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cotton, vegetables, fruits, grain; livestock

Industries:
textiles, food processing, machine building, metallurgy, gold
petroleum, natural gas, chemicals

Industrial production growth rate:
7.7% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
46.52 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 88.2%
hydro: 11.8%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
48.45 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
5.36 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
10.55 billion kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
152,000 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - consumption:
120,000 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
600 million bbl (1 January 2005)

Natural gas - production:
55.8 billion cu m (2004)

Natural gas - consumption:
49.3 billion cu m (2004)

Natural gas - exports:
6.5 billion cu m (2004)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2004)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
1.875 trillion cu m (1 January 2005)

Current account balance:
$1.082 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
$5 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
cotton 41.5%, gold 9.6%, energy products 9.6%, mineral fertilizers,
ferrous metals, textiles, food products, automobiles (1998)

Exports - partners:
Russia 24.6%, China 12.3%, Turkey 7.1%, Ukraine 5.6%, Bangladesh
4.9%, Poland 4.3%, Tajikistan 4.2% (2005)

Imports:
$3.8 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment 49.8%, foodstuffs 16.4%, chemicals, metals
(1998)

Imports - partners:
Russia 26.7%, South Korea 15.3%, Germany 8.9%, China 7.2%,
Kazakhstan 6.4%, Turkey 4.7%, Ukraine 4.7% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.681 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$5.032 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$91.6 million from the US (2005)

Currency (code):
Uzbekistani soum (UZS)

Currency code:
UZS

Exchange rates:
Uzbekistani soum per US dollar - 1,020 (2005), 971.265 (2004),
771.029 (2002), 423.832 (2002), 236.61 (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Uzbekistan

Telephones - main lines in use:
1,717,100 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
720,000 (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: antiquated and inadequate; in serious need of
modernization
domestic: the domestic telephone system is being expanded and
technologically improved, particularly in Tashkent (Toshkent) and
Samarqand, under contracts with prominent companies in
industrialized countries; moreover, by 1998, six cellular networks
had been placed in operation - four of the GSM type (Global System
for Mobile Communication), one D-AMPS type (Digital Advanced Mobile
Phone System), and one AMPS type (Advanced Mobile Phone System)
international: country code - 998; linked by landline or microwave
radio relay with CIS member states and to other countries by leased
connection via the Moscow international gateway switch; after the
completion of the Uzbek link to the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE)
fiber-optic cable, Uzbekistan will be independent of Russian
facilities for international communications; Inmarsat also provides
an international connection, albeit an expensive one; satellite
earth stations - NA (1998)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 20, FM 7, shortwave 10 (1998)

Radios:
10.8 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
4 (plus two repeaters that relay Russian programs), 1 cable
rebroadcaster in Tashkent; approximately 20 stations in regional
capitals (2003)

Televisions:
6.4 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.uz

Internet hosts:
9,058 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
42 (2000)

Internet users:
880,000 (2005)

Transportation Uzbekistan

Airports:
61 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 34
over 3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 13
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 27
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
under 914 m: 25 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 9,594 km; oil 868 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 3,950 km
broad gauge: 3,950 km 1.520-m gauge (620 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
total: 81,600 km
paved: 71,237 km
unpaved: 10,363 km (1999)

Waterways:
1,100 km (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Termiz (Amu Darya)

Military Uzbekistan

Military branches:
Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, National Guard

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service
obligation - 12 months (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 6,340,220
females age 18-49: 6,432,072 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 4,609,621
females age 18-49: 5,383,233 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 324,722
females age 18-49: 317,062 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$200 million (FY97)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2% (FY97)

Transnational Issues Uzbekistan

Disputes - international:
prolonged drought and cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and
Turkmenistan creates water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river
states; delimitation with Kazakhstan complete with demarcation
underway; border delimitation of 130 km of border with Kyrgyzstan is
hampered by serious disputes around enclaves and other areas

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 39,202 (Tajikistan) 5,238
(Afghanistan)
IDPs: 3,000 (forced population transfers by government from villages
near Tajikistan border) (2005)

Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Uzbekistan is a source and, to a lesser extent,
a transit country for women trafficked to Asia and the Middle East
for the purpose of sexual exploitation; women from other Central
Asian countries and China are trafficked through Uzbekistan; men are
trafficked for purposes of forced labor in the construction and
agricultural industries to Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, and
Kyrgyzstan; men and women are also trafficked within the country
tier rating: Tier 3 - Uzbekistan is placed on Tier 3 because it
failed to fulfill commitments by the country to take additional
steps during 2005, including the adoption of comprehensive
anti-trafficking legislation, criminal code amendments to raise
trafficking penalties, support to the country's first trafficking
shelter, and approval of a national action plan

Illicit drugs:
transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and, to a
lesser extent, Western European markets; limited illicit cultivation
of cannabis and small amounts of opium poppy for domestic
consumption; poppy cultivation almost wiped out by government crop
eradication program; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals
bound for Afghanistan

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@Vanuatu

Introduction Vanuatu

Background:
Multiple waves of colonizers, each speaking a distinct language,
migrated to the New Hebrides in the millennia preceeding European
exploration in the 18th century. This settlement pattern accounts
for the complex linguistic diversity found on the archipelago to
this day. The British and French, who settled the New Hebrides in
the 19th century, agreed in 1906 to an Anglo-French Condominium,
which administered the islands until independence in 1980, when the
new name of Vanuatu was adopted.

Geography Vanuatu

Location:
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about
three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Geographic coordinates:
16 00 S, 167 00 E

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 12,200 sq km
land: 12,200 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes more than 80 islands, about 65 of which are inhabited

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Connecticut

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
2,528 km

Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
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:
tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds from May to October;
moderate rainfall from November to April; may be affected by
cyclones from December to April

Terrain:
mostly mountainous islands of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Tabwemasana 1,877 m

Natural resources:
manganese, hardwood forests, fish

Land use:
arable land: 1.64%
permanent crops: 6.97%
other: 91.39% (2005)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanic eruption
on Aoba (Ambae) island began 27 November 2005, volcanism also causes
minor earthquakes; tsunamis

Environment - current issues:
a majority of the population does not have access to a reliable
supply of potable water; deforestation

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

Geography - note:
a Y-shaped chain of four main islands and 80 smaller islands;
several of the islands have active volcanoes

People Vanuatu

Population:
208,869 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 32.6% (male 34,804/female 33,331)
15-64 years: 63.7% (male 67,919/female 65,138)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 4,027/female 3,650) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 23 years
male: 23 years
female: 23 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.49% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
0 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: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 53.8 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 56.35 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 51.13 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 62.85 years
male: 61.34 years
female: 64.44 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.7 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: Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural)
adjective: Ni-Vanuatu

Ethnic groups:
Ni-Vanuatu 98.5%, other 1.5% (1999 Census)

Religions:
Presbyterian 31.4%, Anglican 13.4%, Roman Catholic 13.1%,
Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, other Christian 13.8%, indigenous
beliefs 5.6% (including Jon Frum cargo cult), other 9.6%, none 1%,
unspecified 1.3% (1999 Census)

Languages:
local languages (more than 100) 72.6%, pidgin (known as Bislama or
Bichelama) 23.1%, English 1.9%, French 1.4%, other 0.3%, unspecified
0.7% (1999 Census)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 74%
male: NA
female: NA

Government Vanuatu

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Vanuatu
conventional short form: Vanuatu
local long form: Ripablik blong Vanuatu
local short form: Vanuatu
former: New Hebrides

Government type:
parliamentary republic