Chapter XXVII: Front Matter (27)

Capital:
name: Nuuk (Godthab)
geographic coordinates: 64 11 N, 51 44 W
time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October
note: Greenland is divided into four time zones

Administrative divisions:
3 districts (landsdele); Avannaa (Nordgronland), Tunu
(Ostgronland), Kitaa (Vestgronland)
note: there are 18 municipalities in Greenland

Independence:
none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; foreign affairs is the
responsibility of Denmark, but Greenland actively participates in
international agreements relating to Greenland)

National holiday:
June 21 (longest day)

Constitution:
5 June 1953 (Danish constitution)

Legal system:
Danish

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14 January
1972), represented by High Commissioner Soren MOLLER (since April
2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Hans ENOKSEN (since 14 December
2002)
cabinet: Home Rule Government is elected by the parliament
(Landstinget) on the basis of the strength of parties
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; high commissioner appointed
by the monarch; prime minister is elected by parliament (usually the
leader of the majority party); election last held 3 December 2002
(next to be held December 2006)
election results: Hans ENOKSEN elected prime minister
note: government coalition - Siumut and Inuit Ataqatigiit

Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Landstinget (31 seats; members are elected
by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve
four-year terms)
elections: last held on 15 November 2005 (next to be held by
December 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - Siumut 30.7%,
Demokratiit 22.8%, Inuit Ataqatigiit 22.6%, Atassut Party 19.1%;
Katusseqatigiit 4.1%, other 0.7%; seats by party - Siumut 10,
Demokratiit 7, Inuit Ataqatigiit 7, Atassut 6, Katusseqatigiit 1
note: two representatives were elected to the Danish Parliament or
Folketing on 8 February 2005 (next to be held February 2009);
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Siumut 1, Inuit
Ataqatigiit 1

Judicial branch:
High Court or Landsret (appeals can be made to the Ostre Landsret
or Eastern Division of the High Court or Supreme Court in Copenhagen)

Political parties and leaders:
Atassut Party (Solidarity, a conservative party favoring continuing
close relations with Denmark) [Finn KARLSEN]; Demokratiit [Per
BERTHELSEN]; Inuit Ataqatigiit or IA (Eskimo Brotherhood, a leftist
party favoring complete independence from Denmark rather than home
rule) [Josef MOTZFELDT]; Kattusseqatigiit (Candidate List, an
independent right-of-center party with no official platform; Siumut
(Forward Party, a social democratic party advocating more distinct
Greenlandic identity and greater autonomy from Denmark) [Hans
ENOKSEN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
Arctic Council, NC, NIB, UPU

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a large disk
slightly to the hoist side of center - the top half of the disk is
red, the bottom half is white

Economy Greenland

Economy - overview:
The economy remains critically dependent on exports of fish and
substantial support from the Danish Government, which supplies about
half of government revenues. The public sector, including
publicly-owned enterprises and the municipalities, plays the
dominant role in the economy. Despite several interesting
hydrocarbon and mineral exploration activities, it will take a
number of years before production can materialize. Tourism is the
only sector offering any near-term potential, and even this is
limited due to a short season and high costs.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.1 billion (2001 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
NA

GDP - real growth rate:
1.8% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$20,000 (2001 est.)

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

Labor force:
24,500 (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:
10% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.6% (1999 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $646 million
expenditures: $629 million; including capital expenditures of $85
million (1999)

Agriculture - products:
forage crops, garden and greenhouse vegetables; sheep, reindeer;
fish

Industries:
fish processing (mainly shrimp and Greenland halibut); gold,
niobium, tantalite, uranium, iron and diamond mining; handicrafts,
hides and skins, small shipyards

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
295 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0%
note: Greenland is shifting its electricity production from fossil
fuel to hydropower production (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
274.4 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
3,860 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Exports:
$480 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
fish and fish products 94% (prawns 63%)

Exports - partners:
Denmark 61.7%, Japan 12.2%, China 5.2%, Spain 4.6% (2005)

Imports:
$601 million c.i.f. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food,
petroleum products

Imports - partners:
Denmark 67.1%, Sweden 19.2%, Ireland 3.5% (2005)

Debt - external:
$25 million (1999)

Economic aid - recipient:
$380 million subsidy from Denmark (1997)

Currency (code):
Danish krone (DKK)

Currency code:
DKK

Exchange rates:
Danish kroner per US dollar - 5.93667 (2006), 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911
(2004), 6.5877 (2003), 7.8947 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Greenland

Telephones - main lines in use:
25,300 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
32,200 (2004)

Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate domestic and international service
provided by satellite, cables and microwave radio relay; totally
digitalized in 1995
domestic: microwave radio relay and satellite
international: country code - 299; satellite earth stations - 12
Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 2 Americom GE-2 (all Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 5, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
30,000 (1998 est.)

Television broadcast stations:
1 publicly-owned station, some local low-power stations, and three
AFRTS (US Air Force) stations (1997)

Televisions:
30,000 (1998 est.)

Internet country code:
.gl

Internet hosts:
8,851 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
38,000 (2005)

Transportation Greenland

Airports:
14 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 5 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Roadways:
total: NA
note: while there are short roads in towns, there are no roads
between towns; inter-town transport takes place either by sea or air
(2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 3 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,540 GRT/2,540 DWT
by type: cargo 1, passenger 2
registered in other countries: 2 (Cyprus 1, Denmark 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Sisimiut

Military Greenland

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 14,653 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 10,199 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 440 (2005 est.)

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Denmark

Transnational Issues Greenland

Disputes - international:
managed dispute between Canada and Denmark over Hans Island in the
Kennedy Channel between Canada's Ellesmere Island and Greenland

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Grenada

Introduction Grenada

Background:
Carib Indians inhabited Grenada when COLUMBUS discovered the island
in 1498, but it remained uncolonized for more than a century. The
French settled Grenada in the 17th century, established sugar
estates, and imported large numbers of African slaves. Britain took
the island in 1762 and vigorously expanded sugar production. In the
19th century, cacao eventually surpassed sugar as the main export
crop; in the 20th century, nutmeg became the leading export. In
1967, Britain gave Grenada autonomy over its internal affairs. Full
independence was attained in 1974 making Grenada one of the smallest
independent countries in the Western Hemisphere. Grenada was seized
by a Marxist military council on 19 October 1983. Six days later the
island was invaded by US forces and those of six other Caribbean
nations, which quickly captured the ringleaders and their hundreds
of Cuban advisers. Free elections were reinstituted the following
year and have continued since that time. Hurricane Ivan struck
Grenada in September of 2004 causing severe damage.

Geography Grenada

Location:
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean,
north of Trinidad and Tobago

Geographic coordinates:
12 07 N, 61 40 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 344 sq km
land: 344 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
121 km

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

Climate:
tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds

Terrain:
volcanic in origin with central mountains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Saint Catherine 840 m

Natural resources:
timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors

Land use:
arable land: 5.88%
permanent crops: 29.41%
other: 64.71% (2005)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to
November

Environment - current issues:
NA

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

Geography - note:
the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is
divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada

People Grenada

Population:
89,703 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 33.4% (male 15,097/female 14,820)
15-64 years: 63.4% (male 30,106/female 26,764)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 1,394/female 1,522) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 21.7 years
male: 22.1 years
female: 21.2 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.26% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-12.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female
total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 14.27 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 13.87 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.87 years
male: 63.06 years
female: 66.68 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.34 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: Grenadian(s)
adjective: Grenadian

Ethnic groups:
black 82%, mixed black and European 13%, European and East Indian
5%, and trace of Arawak/Carib Amerindian

Religions:
Roman Catholic 53%, Anglican 13.8%, other Protestant 33.2%

Languages:
English (official), French patois

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96%
male: NA%
female: NA% (2003 est.)

Government Grenada

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

Government type:
parliamentary democracy

Capital:
name: Saint George's
geographic coordinates: 12 03 N, 61 45 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Petit Martinique*,
Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark,
Saint Patrick

Independence:
7 February 1974 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 7 February (1974)

Constitution:
19 December 1973

Legal system:
based on English common law

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Daniel WILLIAMS (since 9 August 1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Keith MITCHELL (since 22 June
1995)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition
is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (a 13-member body, 10
appointed by the government and 3 by the leader of the opposition)
and the House of Representatives (15 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 27 November 2003 (next to be held by
November 2008)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - NNP 46.65%, NDC 44.12%; seats by party - NNP 8, NDC 7

Judicial branch:
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of a court of Appeal
and a High Court of Justice (a High Court judge is assigned to and
resides in Grenada)

Political parties and leaders:
Grenada United Labor Party or GULP [Gloria Payne BANFIELD];
National Democratic Congress or NDC [Tillman THOMAS]; New National
Party or NNP [Keith MITCHELL]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC,
LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Denis G. ANTOINE
chancery: 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 265-2561
FAX: [1] (202) 265-2468
consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to
Grenada
embassy: Lance-aux-Epines Stretch, Saint George's
mailing address: P. O. Box 54, Saint George's
telephone: [1] (473) 444-1173 through 1176
FAX: [1] (473) 444-4820

Flag description:
a rectangle divided diagonally into yellow triangles (top and
bottom) and green triangles (hoist side and outer side), with a red
border around the flag; there are seven yellow, five-pointed stars
with three centered in the top red border, three centered in the
bottom red border, and one on a red disk superimposed at the center
of the flag; there is also a symbolic nutmeg pod on the hoist-side
triangle (Grenada is the world's second-largest producer of nutmeg,
after Indonesia); the seven stars represent the seven administrative
divisions

Economy Grenada

Economy - overview:
Grenada relies on tourism as its main source of foreign exchange,
especially since the construction of an international airport in
1985. Strong performances in construction and manufacturing,
together with the development of an offshore financial industry,
have also contributed to growth in national output.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$440 million (2002 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$454 million (2005)

GDP - real growth rate:
0.9% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$3,900 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5.4%
industry: 18%
services: 76.6% (2003)

Labor force:
42,300 (1996)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 24%
industry: 14%
services: 62% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:
12.5% (2000)

Population below poverty line:
32% (2000)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3% (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $85.8 million
expenditures: $102.1 million; including capital expenditures of $28
million (1997)

Agriculture - products:
bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, citrus, avocados, root crops,
sugarcane, corn, vegetables

Industries:
food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism,
construction

Industrial production growth rate:
0.7% (1997 est.)

Electricity - production:
171.3 million kWh (2004)

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

Electricity - consumption:
159.3 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
1,800 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Exports:
$40 million (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, fruit and vegetables, clothing, mace

Exports - partners:
Saint Lucia 12.2%, US 11.4%, Antigua and Barbuda 8.3%, Germany 8%,
Netherlands 7.9%, Saint Kitts & Nevis 7.4%, Dominica 7.4%, UK 6.8%,
France 4.2% (2005)

Imports:
$276 million (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
food, manufactured goods, machinery, chemicals, fuel

Imports - partners:
Trinidad and Tobago 27.6%, US 26.8%, UK 5.9% (2005)

Debt - external:
$347 million (2004)

Economic aid - recipient:
$15.4 million (2004)

Currency (code):
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Currency code:
XCD

Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7
(2003), 2.7 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Grenada

Telephones - main lines in use:
32,700 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
43,300 (2004)

Telephone system:
general assessment: automatic, islandwide telephone system
domestic: interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links
international: country code - 1-473; new SHF radiotelephone links to
Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to
Trinidad

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
57,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
2 (1997)

Televisions:
33,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.gd

Internet hosts:
17 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
14 (2000)

Internet users:
19,000 (2005)

Transportation Grenada

Airports:
3 (2006)

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

Roadways:
total: 1,127 km
paved: 687 km
unpaved: 440 km (1999)

Ports and terminals:
Saint George's

Military Grenada

Military branches:
no regular military forces; Royal Grenada Police Force

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 24,031 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 17,483 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 1,274 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Transnational Issues Grenada

Disputes - international:
none

Illicit drugs:
small-scale cannabis cultivation; lesser transshipment point for
marijuana and cocaine to US

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Guam

Introduction Guam

Background:
Guam was ceded to the US by Spain in 1898. Captured by the Japanese
in 1941, it was retaken by the US three years later. The military
installation on the island is one of the most strategically
important US bases in the Pacific.

Geography Guam

Location:
Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of
the way from Hawaii to the Philippines

Geographic coordinates:
13 28 N, 144 47 E

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 541.3 sq km
land: 541.3 sq km
water: 0 sq km

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
125.5 km

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

Climate:
tropical marine; generally warm and humid, moderated by northeast
trade winds; dry season (January to June), rainy season (July to
December); little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain:
volcanic origin, surrounded by coral reefs; relatively flat
coralline limestone plateau (source of most fresh water), with steep
coastal cliffs and narrow coastal plains in north, low hills in
center, mountains in south

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Lamlam 406 m

Natural resources:
fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism (especially from Japan)

Land use:
arable land: 3.64%
permanent crops: 18.18%
other: 78.18% (2005)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
frequent squalls during rainy season; relatively rare, but
potentially very destructive typhoons (June - December)

Environment - current issues:
extirpation of native bird population by the rapid proliferation of
the brown tree snake, an exotic, invasive species

Geography - note:
largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago;
strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean

People Guam

Population:
171,019 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 29% (male 25,703/female 23,903)
15-64 years: 64.3% (male 56,020/female 53,894)
65 years and over: 6.7% (male 5,391/female 6,108) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 28.6 years
male: 28.3 years
female: 28.8 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.43% (2006 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.81 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 7.48 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.58 years
male: 75.52 years
female: 81.83 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.58 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: Guamanian(s) (US citizens)
adjective: Guamanian

Ethnic groups:
Chamorro 37.1%, Filipino 26.3%, other Pacific islander 11.3%, white
6.9%, other Asian 6.3%, other ethnic origin or race 2.3%, mixed 9.8%
(2000 census)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 85%, other 15% (1999 est.)

Languages:
English 38.3%, Chamorro 22.2%, Philippine languages 22.2%, other
Pacific island languages 6.8%, Asian languages 7%, other languages
3.5% (2000 census)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (1990 est.)

Government Guam

Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Guam
conventional short form: Guam
local long form: Guahan
local short form: Guahan

Dependency status:
organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations
between Guam and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of
Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior

Government type:
NA

Capital:
name: Hagatna (Agana)
geographic coordinates: 13 28 N, 144 45 E
time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
none (territory of the US)

Independence:
none (territory of the US)

National holiday:
Discovery Day, first Monday in March (1521)

Constitution:
Organic Act of Guam, 1 August 1950

Legal system:
modeled on US; US federal laws apply

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal; US citizens, but do not vote in US
presidential elections

Executive branch:
chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20
January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January
2001)
head of government: Governor Felix P. CAMACHO (since 6 January 2003)
and Lieutenant Governor Dr. Michael W. CRUZ (since 1 January 2007)
cabinet: heads of executive departments; appointed by the governor
with the consent of the Guam legislature
elections: under the US Consitution, residents of unincorporated
territories, such as Guam, do not vote in elections for US president
and vice president; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the
same ticket by popular vote for four-year term (can serve two
consecutive terms, then must wait a full term before running again);
election last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2010)
election results: Felix P. CAMACHO reelected governor; Dr. Michael
W. CRUZ elected lieutenant governor; percent of vote - NA

Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislature (15 seats; members are elected by popular
vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
Republican Party 8, Democratic Party 7
note: Guam elects one nonvoting delegate to the US House of
Representatives; election last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held
November 2008); results - Madeleine BORDALLO (Democratic Party) was
reelected as delegate; percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party
- Democratic Party 1

Judicial branch:
Federal District Court (judge is appointed by the president);
Territorial Superior Court (judges appointed for eight-year terms by
the governor)

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party [leader Michael PHILLIPS]; Republican Party
(controls the legislature) [leader Philip J. FLORES]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
IOC, SPC, UPU

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

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

Flag description:
territorial flag is dark blue with a narrow red border on all four
sides; centered is a red-bordered, pointed, vertical ellipse
containing a beach scene, outrigger canoe with sail, and a palm tree
with the word GUAM superimposed in bold red letters; US flag is the
national flag

Economy Guam

Economy - overview:
The economy depends largely on US military spending and tourism.
Total US grants, wage payments, and procurement outlays amounted to
$1.3 billion in 2004. Over the past 30 years, the tourist industry
has grown to become the largest income source following national
defense. The Guam economy continues to experience expansion in both
its tourism and military sectors.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.5 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.773 billion (2001)

GDP - real growth rate:
NA%

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$15,000 (2005 est.)

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

Labor force:
62,050 (2002 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 26%
industry: 10%
services: 64% (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate:
11.4% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line:
23% (2001 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.5% (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $319.6 million
expenditures: $427.8 million (2002 est.)

Agriculture - products:
fruits, copra, vegetables; eggs, pork, poultry, beef

Industries:
US military, tourism, construction, transshipment services,
concrete products, printing and publishing, food processing, textiles

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
1.764 billion kWh (2004)

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

Electricity - consumption:
1.641 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
16,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Exports:
$45 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
mostly transshipments of refined petroleum products; construction
materials, fish, food and beverage products

Exports - partners:
Japan 67.2%, Singapore 11.6%, UK 4.8% (2005)

Imports:
$701 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products, food, manufactured goods

Imports - partners:
Singapore 50%, South Korea 21.4%, Japan 14%, Hong Kong 4.6% (2005)

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
Guam receives large transfer payments from the US Federal Treasury
($143 million in 1997) into which Guamanians pay no income or excise
taxes; under the provisions of a special law of Congress, the Guam
Treasury, rather than the US Treasury, receives federal income taxes
paid by military and civilian Federal employees stationed in Guam
(2001 est.)

Currency (code):
US dollar (USD)

Currency code:
USD

Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used

Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September

Communications Guam

Telephones - main lines in use:
84,134 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
98,000 (2004)

Telephone system:
general assessment: modern system, integrated with US facilities
for direct dialing, including free use of 800 numbers
domestic: modern digital system, including cellular mobile service
and local access to the Internet
international: country code - 1-671; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); submarine cables to US and Japan (Guam is
a trans-Pacific communications hub for MCI, Sprint, AT&T, IT&E, and
GTE, linking the US and Asia)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 3, FM 11, shortwave 2 (2006)

Radios:
221,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
3; 6 (Low Power TV) (2006)

Televisions:
106,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.gu

Internet hosts:
76 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
20 (2000)

Internet users:
79,000 (2004)

Transportation Guam

Airports:
5 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Roadways:
total: 977 km (2004)

Ports and terminals:
Apra Harbor

Military Guam

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues Guam

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Guatemala

Introduction Guatemala

Background:
The Maya civilization flourished in Guatemala and surrounding
regions during the first millennium A.D. After almost three
centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence in
1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a
variety of military and civilian governments, as well as a 36-year
guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement
formally ending the conflict, which had left more than 100,000
people dead and had created some 1 million refugees.

Geography Guatemala

Location:
Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El
Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean
Sea) between Honduras and Belize

Geographic coordinates:
15 30 N, 90 15 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 108,890 sq km
land: 108,430 sq km
water: 460 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Tennessee

Land boundaries:
total: 1,687 km
border countries: Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256
km, Mexico 962 km

Coastline:
400 km

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

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands

Terrain:
mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone
plateau

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 13.22%
permanent crops: 5.6%
other: 81.18% (2005)

Irrigated land:
1,300 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent
earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and
other tropical storms

Environment - current issues:
deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution

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

Geography - note:
no natural harbors on west coast

People Guatemala

Population:
12,293,545 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 41.1% (male 2,573,359/female 2,479,098)
15-64 years: 55.5% (male 3,353,630/female 3,468,184)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 194,784/female 224,490) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 18.9 years
male: 18.5 years
female: 19.4 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.27% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-1.94 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: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 30.94 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 33.55 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 28.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.38 years
male: 67.65 years
female: 71.18 years (2006 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
78,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
5,800 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Guatemalan(s)
adjective: Guatemalan

Ethnic groups:
Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish - in local Spanish called Ladino)
and European 59.4%, K'iche 9.1%, Kaqchikel 8.4%, Mam 7.9%, Q'eqchi
6.3%, other Mayan 8.6%, indigenous non-Mayan 0.2%, other 0.1% (2001
census)

Religions:
Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs

Languages:
Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized
Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam,
Garifuna, and Xinca)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 70.6%
male: 78%
female: 63.3% (2003 est.)

Government Guatemala

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

Government type:
constitutional democratic republic

Capital:
name: Guatemala
geographic coordinates: 14 38 N, 90 31 W
time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard
Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in April; ends last
Friday in September; note - there is no DST planned for 2007-2009

Administrative divisions:
22 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Alta
Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso,
Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten,
Quetzaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepequez, San Marcos, Santa
Rosa, Solola, Suchitepequez, Totonicapan, Zacapa

Independence:
15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Constitution:
31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; note - suspended 25 May
1993 by former President Jorge SERRANO; reinstated 5 June 1993
following ouster of president; amended November 1993

Legal system:
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal (active duty members of the armed forces
may not vote and are restricted to their barracks on election day)

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER Perdomo (since
14 January 2004); Vice President Eduardo STEIN Barillas (since 14
January 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
head of government: President Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER Perdomo
(since 14 January 2004); Vice President Eduardo STEIN Barillas
(since 14 January 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term
(may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 9 November
2003; runoff held 28 December 2003 (next to be held September 2007)
election results: Oscar BERGER Perdomo elected president; percent of
vote - Oscar BERGER Perdomo (GANA) 54.1%, Alvarado COLOM (UNE) 45.9%

Legislative branch:
unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica
(158 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year
terms)
elections: last held 9 November 2003 (next to be held September 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
GANA 49, FRG 41, UNE 33, PAN 17, other 18
note: for the 9 November 2003 election, the number of congressional
seats increased from 113 to 158

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitutcionalidad is Guatemala's
highest court (five judges are elected for concurrent five-year
terms by Congress, each serving one year as president of the
Constitutional Court; one is elected by Congress, one elected by the
Supreme Court of Justice, one appointed by the president, one
elected by Superior Counsel of Universidad San Carlos de Guatemala,
and one by Colegio de Abogados); Supreme Court of Justice or Corte
Suprema de Justicia (13 members serve concurrent five-year terms and
elect a president of the Court each year from among their number;
the president of the Supreme Court of Justice also supervises trial
judges around the country, who are named to five-year terms)

Political parties and leaders:
Authentic Integral Development or DIA [Eduardo SUGER]; Grand
National Alliance or GANA [Fraterno VILLA, secretary general];
Guatemalan Christian Democracy or DCG [Vinicio CEREZO Arevalo];
Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity or URNG [Alba ESTELA
Maldonado, secretary general]; Guatemalan Republican Front or FRG
[Efrain RIOS Montt]; Movement for Guatemalan Unity or MGU [Jacobo
ARBENZ Villanueva]; Movement for Principles and Values or MPV
[Francisco BIANCHI]; National Advancement Party or PAN [Leonel LOPEZ
Rodas, secretary general]; National Unity for Hope or UNE [Alvaro
COLOM Caballeros]; New Nation Alliance or ANN (formed by an alliance
of DIA, URNG, and several splinter groups most of whom subsequently
defected) [Pablo MONSANTO]; Patriot Party or PP [Ret. Gen. Otto
PEREZ Molina]; Reform Movement or MR [Alfredo SKINNER-KLEE,
secretary general]; Unionista Party [Fritz GARCIA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Agrarian Owners Group or UNAGRO; Alliance Against Impunity or AAI;
Committee for Campesino Unity or CUC; Coordinating Committee of
Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial, and Financial Associations or
CACIF; Mutual Support Group or GAM

International organization participation:
BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA,
MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, ONUB, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Guillermo CASTILLO
chancery: 2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 745-4952
FAX: [1] (202) 745-1908
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
New York, Providence, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James M. DERHAM
embassy: 7-01 Avenida Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City
mailing address: APO AA 34024
telephone: [502] 2326-4000
FAX: [502] 2326-4654

Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of light blue (hoist side), white, and
light blue with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the
coat of arms includes a green and red quetzal (the national bird)
and a scroll bearing the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE
1821 (the original date of independence from Spain) all superimposed
on a pair of crossed rifles and a pair of crossed swords and framed
by a wreath

Economy Guatemala

Economy - overview:
Guatemala is the largest and most populous of the Central American
countries with a GDP per capita roughly one-half that of Brazil,
Argentina, and Chile. The agricultural sector accounts for about
one-fourth of GDP, two-fifths of exports, and half of the labor
force. Coffee, sugar, and bananas are the main products. The 1996
signing of peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war, removed
a major obstacle to foreign investment, and Guatemala since then has
pursued important reforms and macroeconomic stabilization. The
distribution of income remains highly unequal with about 75% of the
population below the poverty line. Other ongoing challenges include
increasing government revenues, negotiating further assistance from
international donors, upgrading both government and private
financial operations, curtailing drug trafficking, and narrowing the
trade deficit. Remittances from a large expatriate community that
moved to the United States during the war have become an important
source of foreign exchange.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$60.57 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$28.84 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.9% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,900 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 22.5%
industry: 18.8%
services: 58.7% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
3.85 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 50%
industry: 15%
services: 35% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:
7.5% (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line:
75% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.6%
highest 10%: 46% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
48.3 (2000)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.6% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
15.5% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $3.894 billion
expenditures: $4.828 billion; including capital expenditures of $750
million (2006 est.)

Public debt:
25.9% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; cattle, sheep,
pigs, chickens

Industries:
sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum,
metals, rubber, tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
4.1% (1999)

Electricity - production:
7.604 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 51.9%
hydro: 35.2%
nuclear: 0%
other: 12.9% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
6.649 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
464 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
41 million kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
22,300 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
67,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
3,104 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

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

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
3.087 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Current account balance:
$-2.028 billion (2006 est.)

Exports:
$4.097 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
coffee, sugar, petroleum, apparel, bananas, fruits and vegetables,
cardamom

Exports - partners:
US 50.1%, El Salvador 12.1%, Honduras 7.3%, Mexico 4% (2005)

Imports:
$9.118 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials,
grain, fertilizers, electricity

Imports - partners:
US 38.1%, Mexico 7.6%, El Salvador 4.8%, South Korea 4.8%, Panama
4.4% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$3.959 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$6.169 billion (2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$250 million (2000 est.)

Currency (code):
quetzal (GTQ), US dollar (USD), others allowed

Currency code:
GTQ; USD

Exchange rates:
quetzales per US dollar - 7.60102 (2006), 7.6339 (2005), 7.9465
(2004), 7.9409 (2003), 7.8217 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Guatemala

Telephones - main lines in use:
1,132,100 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
3,168,300 (2004)

Telephone system:
general assessment: fairly modern network centered in the city of
Guatemala
domestic: NA
international: country code - 502; connected to Central American
Microwave System; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 130, FM 487, shortwave 15 (2000)

Radios:
835,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
26 (plus 27 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
1.323 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.gt

Internet hosts:
49,026 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
5 (2000)

Internet users:
756,000 (2005)

Transportation Guatemala

Airports:
450 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 439
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 111
under 914 m: 319 (2006)

Pipelines:
oil 480 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 886 km
narrow gauge: 886 km 0.914-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 14,095 km
paved: 4,863 km (including 75 km of expressways)
unpaved: 9,232 km (1999)

Waterways:
990 km
note: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable
during high-water season (2004)

Ports and terminals:
Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla

Military Guatemala

Military branches:
Army, Navy (includes marines), Air Force

Military service age and obligation:
all male citizens between the ages of 18 and 50 are liable for
military service; conscript service obligation varies from 12 to 24
months (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 2,429,033
females age 18-49: 2,503,482 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,911,412
females age 18-49: 2,070,806 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 134,032
females age 18-49: 130,641 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$169.8 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.5% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Guatemala

Disputes - international:
Guatemalan squatters continue to settle in the rain forests of
Belize's border region; Organization of American States (OAS) is
attempting to revive the 2002 failed Differendum that created a
small adjustment to land boundary, a Guatemalan maritime corridor in
Caribbean, a joint ecological park for the disputed Sapodilla Cays,
and a substantial US-UK financial package; Guatemalans enter Mexico
illegally seeking work or transit to the US

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: undetermined (estimates vary from none to 1 million displaced
from government's scorched-earth offensive in 1980s against
indigenous people) (2006)

Illicit drugs:
major transit country for cocaine and heroin; in 2004, reemerged as
a potential source of opium, growing 330 hectares of opium poppy,
with potential pure heroin production of 1.4 metric tons; 76% of
opium poppy cultivation in western highlands along Mexican border;
marijuana cultivation for mostly domestic consumption; proximity to
Mexico makes Guatemala a major staging area for drugs (particularly
for cocaine); money laundering is a serious problem; corruption is a
major problem

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Guernsey

Introduction Guernsey

Background:
Guernsey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants
of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy, which held sway in both France
and England. The islands were the only British soil occupied by
German troops in World War II. Guernsey is a British crown
dependency, but is not part of the UK. However, the UK Government is
constitutionally responsible for defense and international
representation.

Geography Guernsey

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

Geographic coordinates:
49 28 N, 2 35 W

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 78 sq km
land: 78 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other
smaller islands

Area - comparative:
about one-half the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
50 km

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

Climate:
temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are
overcast

Terrain:
mostly level with low hills in southwest

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Sark 114 m

Natural resources:
cropland

Land use:
arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA%
other: NA%

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port

People Guernsey

Population:
65,409 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 15% (male 4,998/female 4,842)
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 21,752/female 22,170)
65 years and over: 17.8% (male 4,926/female 6,721) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 41.3 years
male: 40.4 years
female: 42.2 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.26% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
3.82 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: 0.73 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.65 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.19 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 80.42 years
male: 77.41 years
female: 83.53 years (2006 est.)

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

Ethnic groups:
UK and Norman-French descent with small percentages from other
European countries

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

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

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

Government Guernsey

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

Dependency status:
British crown dependency

Government type:
parliamentary democracy

Capital:
name: Saint Peter Port
geographic coordinates: 49 27 N, 2 32 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order
administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
are 10 parishes including Castel, Forest, Saint Andrew, Saint
Martin, Saint Peter Port, Saint Pierre du Bois, Saint Sampson, Saint
Saviour, Torteval, Vale

Independence:
none (British crown dependency)

National holiday:
Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)

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

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

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir Fabian MALBON (since 28
October 2005)
head of government: Chief Minister Laurie MORGAN (since 1 May 2004)
cabinet: Policy Council elected by the States of Deliberation
elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed
by the monarch; chief minister is elected by States of Delibertion
election results: Laurie MORGAN elected chief minister, percent of
vote of the States of Deliberation NA

Legislative branch:
unicameral States of Deliberation (45 seats; members are elected by
popular vote for four years); note - Alderney and Sark have their
own parliaments
elections: last held 21 April 2004 (next to be held in 2008)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents

Judicial branch:
Royal Court

Political parties and leaders:
none; all independents

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

International organization participation:
UPU

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

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

Flag description:
white with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England)
extending to the edges of the flag and a yellow equal-armed cross of
William the Conqueror superimposed on the Saint George cross

Economy Guernsey

Economy - overview:
Financial services - banking, fund management, insurance - account
for about 23% of employment and 32% of total income in this tiny,
prosperous Channel Island economy. Tourism, manufacturing, and
horticulture, mainly tomatoes and cut flowers, have been declining.
Financial services, construction, retail, and the public sector have
been growing. Light tax and death duties make Guernsey a popular tax
haven. The evolving economic integration of the EU nations is
changing the environment under which Guernsey operates.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.742 billion (2005)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.742 billion (2005)

GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$44,600 (2005)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3%
industry: 10%
services: 87% (2000)

Labor force:
31,470 (March 2006)

Unemployment rate:
0.9% (March 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.4% (June 2006)

Budget:
revenues: $563.6 million
expenditures: $530.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit;
Guernsey cattle

Industries:
tourism, banking

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
NA kWh

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

Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)

Exports:
$NA

Exports - commodities:
tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other
vegetables

Exports - partners:
UK; note - regarded as internal trade (2004)

Imports:
$NA

Imports - commodities:
coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment

Imports - partners:
UK; note - regarded as internal trade (2004)

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
$NA

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

Currency code:
GBP

Exchange rates:
Guernsey pounds per US dollar - 0.5441 (2006), 0.55 (2005), 0.5462
(2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), note, the Guernsey pound is at
par with the British pound

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Guernsey

Telephones - main lines in use:
55,100 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
43,800 (2004)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: 1 submarine cable

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

Radios:
NA

Television broadcast stations:
1 (1997)

Televisions:
NA

Internet country code:
.gg

Internet hosts:
1,245 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
NA

Internet users:
36,000 (2005)

Transportation Guernsey

Airports:
2 (one on Alderney) (2006)

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

Roadways:
total: NA

Ports and terminals:
Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson

Military Guernsey

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues Guernsey

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Guinea

Introduction Guinea

Background:
Guinea has had only two presidents since gaining its independence
from France in 1958. Lansana CONTE came to power in 1984 when the
military seized the government after the death of the first
president, Sekou TOURE. Guinea did not hold democratic elections
until 1993 when Gen. CONTE (head of the military government) was
elected president of the civilian government. He was reelected in
1998 and again in 2003. Unrest in Sierra Leone and Liberia has
spilled over into Guinea on several occasions over the past decade,
threatening stability and creating humanitarian emergencies. In
2006, declining economic conditions prompted two massive strikes
that sparked urban unrest in many Guinean cities.

Geography Guinea

Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone

Geographic coordinates:
11 00 N, 10 00 W

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 245,857 sq km
land: 245,857 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries:
total: 3,399 km
border countries: Cote d'Ivoire 610 km, Guinea-Bissau 386 km,
Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km

Coastline:
320 km

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

Climate:
generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to
November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May)
with northeasterly harmattan winds

Terrain:
generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m

Natural resources:
bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish, salt

Land use:
arable land: 4.47%
permanent crops: 2.64%
other: 92.89% (2005)

Irrigated land:
950 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry
season

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; inadequate supplies of potable water;
desertification; soil contamination and erosion; overfishing,
overpopulation in forest region; poor mining practices have led to
environmental damage

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

Geography - note:
the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their sources
in the Guinean highlands

People Guinea

Population:
9,690,222 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.4% (male 2,171,733/female 2,128,027)
15-64 years: 52.5% (male 2,541,140/female 2,542,847)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 134,239/female 172,236) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 17.7 years
male: 17.4 years
female: 17.9 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.63% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: as a result of conflict in neighboring countries, Guinea is
host to approximately 141,500 refugees from Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia,
and Sierra Leone (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 90 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 95.16 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 84.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 49.5 years
male: 48.34 years
female: 50.7 years (2006 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
3.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
140,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
9,000 (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: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in
some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever (2007)

Nationality:
noun: Guinean(s)
adjective: Guinean

Ethnic groups:
Peuhl 40%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, smaller ethnic groups 10%

Religions:
Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7%

Languages:
French (official); note - each ethnic group has its own language

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 35.9%
male: 49.9%
female: 21.9% (1995 est.)

Government Guinea