Chapter XXXVIII: Front Matter (38)

Background:
Independent between the two World Wars, Lithuania was annexed by
the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US. On 11 March
1990, Lithuania became the first of the Soviet republics to declare
its independence, but Moscow did not recognize this proclamation
until September of 1991 (following the abortive coup in Moscow). The
last Russian troops withdrew in 1993. Lithuania subsequently
restructured its economy for integration into Western European
institutions; it joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

Geography Lithuania

Location:
Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia

Geographic coordinates:
56 00 N, 24 00 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 65,200 sq km
land: NA sq km
water: NA sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries:
total: 1,613 km
border countries: Belarus 653.5 km, Latvia 588 km, Poland 103.7 km,
Russia (Kaliningrad) 267.8 km

Coastline:
90 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate:
transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate
winters and summers

Terrain:
lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Juozapines Kalnas 293.6 m

Natural resources:
peat, arable land, amber

Land use:
arable land: 44.81%
permanent crops: 0.9%
other: 54.29% (2005)

Irrigated land:
70 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
contamination of soil and groundwater with petroleum products and
chemicals at military bases

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Geography - note:
fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands that are
ancient glacial deposits

People Lithuania

Population:
3,585,906 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 15.5% (male 284,888/female 270,458)
15-64 years: 69.1% (male 1,210,557/female 1,265,542)
65 years and over: 15.5% (male 190,496/female 363,965) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 38.2 years
male: 35.7 years
female: 40.8 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
-0.3% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-0.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.52 male(s)/female
total population: 0.89 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.78 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.12 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.2 years
male: 69.2 years
female: 79.49 years (2006 est.)

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

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1,300 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Lithuanian(s)
adjective: Lithuanian

Ethnic groups:
Lithuanian 83.4%, Polish 6.7%, Russian 6.3%, other or unspecified
3.6% (2001 census)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 79%, Russian Orthodox 4.1%, Protestant (including
Lutheran and Evangelical Christian Baptist) 1.9%, other or
unspecified 5.5%, none 9.5% (2001 census)

Languages:
Lithuanian (official) 82%, Russian 8%, Polish 5.6%, other and
unspecified 4.4% (2001 census)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.6%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.6% (2003 est.)

Government Lithuania

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Lithuania
conventional short form: Lithuania
local long form: Lietuvos Respublika
local short form: Lietuva
former: Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type:
parliamentary democracy

Capital:
name: Vilnius
geographic coordinates: 54 41 N, 25 19 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
10 counties (apskritys, singular - apskritis); Alytaus, Kauno,
Klaipedos, Marijampoles, Panevezio, Siauliu, Taurages, Telsiu,
Utenos, Vilniaus

Independence:
11 March 1990 (independence declared from Soviet Union); 6
September 1991 (Soviet Union recognizes Lithuania's independence)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 16 February (1918); note - 16 February 1918 is
the date Lithuania declared its independence from Soviet Russia and
established its statehood; 11 March 1990 is the date it declared its
independence from the Soviet Union

Constitution:
adopted 25 October 1992

Legal system:
based on civil law system; legislative acts can be appealed to the
constitutional court

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Valdas ADAMKUS (since 12 July 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Gediminas KIRKILAS (since 4 July
2006)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
nomination of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 13 and 27 June 2004
(next to be held June 2009); prime minister appointed by the
president on the approval of the Parliament
election results: Valdas ADAMKUS elected president; percent of vote
- Valdas ADAMKUS 52.2%, Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE 47.8%; Gediminas
KIRKILAS approved by Parliament 85-13, with 5 abstentions

Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Seimas (141 seats, 71 members are directly
elected by popular vote, 70 are elected by proportional
representation; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 10 and 24 October 2004 (next to be held October
2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - Labor 28.6%, Working
for Lithuania (Social Democrats and Social Liberals) 20.7%, TS
14.6%, For Order and Justice (Liberal Democrats and Lithuanian
People's Union) 11.4%, Liberal and Center Union 9.1%, Farmers and
New Democracy Union 6.6%, other 9%; seats by faction - Labor 29,
Homeland Union 26, Social Democrats 23, Civil Democracy (split from
Labor) 11, Liberal Movement (formerly Liberal Political Group) 11,
National Farmer's Union (formerly Farmers and New Democracy Union)
11, Social Liberal 10, Liberal Democrats 9, Liberal and Center Union
8, independents 3 (as of late-July 2006)

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; judges for
all courts appointed by the President

Political parties and leaders:
Civil Democracy Party [Viktor MUNTIANAS, chairman]; Electoral
Action of Lithuanian Poles [Valdemar TOMASZEVSKI, chairman];
National Farmer's Union [Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE, chairwoman]; Homeland
Union/Conservative Party or TS [Andrius KUBILIUS, chairman]; Labor
Party [Kestutis DAUKSYS, chairman]; Liberal and Center Union
[Arturas ZUOKAS, chairman]; Liberal Democratic Party [Rolandas
PAKSAS, chairman]; Liberal Movement [Petras AUSTREVICIUS, chairman];
Lithuanian Christian Democrats or LKD [Valentinas STUNDYS,
chairman]; Lithuanian People's Union for a Fair Lithuania [Julius
VESELKA, chairman]; Lithuanian Social Democratic Party [Algirdas
BRAZAUSKAS, chairman]; Social Liberal/New Union [Arturas PAULAUSKAS,
chairman]; Social Union of Christian Conservatives [Gediminas
VAGNORIUS, chairman]; Young Lithuania and New Nationalists
[Stanislovas BUSKEVICIUS, chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD,
EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC,
MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Kornelija
JURGAITIENE
chancery: 4590 MacArthur Blvd. NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 234-5860
FAX: [1] (202) 328-0466
consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John A. CLOUD
embassy: Akmenu Gatve 6, Vilnius, LT-03106
mailing address: American Embassy, Akmenu Gatve 6, Vilnius LT-03106
telephone: [370] (5) 266 5500
FAX: [370] (5) 266 5510

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

Economy Lithuania

Economy - overview:
Lithuania, the Baltic state that has conducted the most trade with
Russia, has slowly rebounded from the 1998 Russian financial crisis.
Unemployment dropped from 11% in 2003 to 4.5% in 2006. Growing
domestic consumption and increased investment have furthered
recovery. Trade has been increasingly oriented toward the West.
Lithuania has gained membership in the World Trade Organization and
joined the EU in May 2004. Privatization of the large, state-owned
utilities, particularly in the energy sector, is nearing completion.
Overall, more than 80% of enterprises have been privatized. Foreign
government and business support have helped in the transition from
the old command economy to a market economy.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$54.03 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$25.78 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
7.2% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$15,100 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5.5%
industry: 33.3%
services: 61.2% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
1.617 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 15.8%
industry: 28.2%
services: 56% (2004)

Unemployment rate:
4.5% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line:
4%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.2%
highest 10%: 24.9% (2000)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
32.5 (2003)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.6% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
23% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $9.415 billion
expenditures: $9.761 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2006 est.)

Public debt:
18% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
grain, potatoes, sugar beets, flax, vegetables; beef, milk, eggs;
fish

Industries:
metal-cutting machine tools, electric motors, television sets,
refrigerators and freezers, petroleum refining, shipbuilding (small
ships), furniture making, textiles, food processing, fertilizers,
agricultural machinery, optical equipment, electronic components,
computers, amber jewelry

Industrial production growth rate:
7% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
17.8 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 16.5%
hydro: 5.7%
nuclear: 77.7%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
9.358 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
11.49 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
4.293 billion kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
14,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
56,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - imports:
93,000 bbl/day (2004)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2004)

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

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

Natural gas - imports:
2.92 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Current account balance:
$-2.572 billion (2006 est.)

Exports:
$14.64 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
mineral products 23%, textiles and clothing 16%, machinery and
equipment 11%, chemicals 6%, wood and wood products 5%, foodstuffs
5% (2001)

Exports - partners:
Russia 10.4%, Latvia 10.2%, Germany 9.4%, France 7.1%, Estonia
5.9%, Poland 5.5%, Sweden 5%, US 4.7%, UK 4.7%, Denmark 4.3% (2005)

Imports:
$18.25 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
mineral products, machinery and equipment, transport equipment,
chemicals, textiles and clothing, metals

Imports - partners:
Russia 27.9%, Germany 15.1%, Poland 8.3% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$5.22 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$15.12 billion (30 June 2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$1.6 billion (1995)

Currency (code):
litas (LTL)

Currency code:
LTL

Exchange rates:
litai per US dollar - 2.7508 (2006), 2.774 (2005), 2.7806 (2004),
3.0609 (2003), 3.677 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Lithuania

Telephones - main lines in use:
801,100 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
4.353 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: inadequate, but is being modernized to provide
an improved international capability and better residential access
domestic: a national, fiber-optic cable, interurban, trunk system is
nearing completion; rural exchanges are being improved and expanded;
mobile cellular systems are being installed; access to the Internet
is available; still many unsatisfied telephone subscriber
applications
international: country code - 370; landline connections to Latvia
and Poland; major international connections to Denmark, Sweden, and
Norway by submarine cable for further transmission by satellite

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 29, FM 142, shortwave 1 (2001)

Radios:
1.9 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
27
note: Lithuania has approximately 27 broadcasting stations, but may
have as many as 100 transmitters, including repeater stations (2001)

Televisions:
1.7 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.lt

Internet hosts:
148,675 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
32 (2001)

Internet users:
1,221,700 (2005)

Transportation Lithuania

Airports:
91 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 34
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 20 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 57
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 53 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 1,696 km; oil 228 km; refined products 121 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 1,771 km
broad gauge: 1,749 km 1.524-m gauge (122 km electrified)
standard gauge: 22 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 79,497 km
paved: 70,549 km (including 417 km of expressways)
unpaved: 8,948 km (2005)

Waterways:
425 km (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 49 ships (1000 GRT or over) 353,094 GRT/352,883 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 20, chemical tanker 1, container 1,
passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 14, roll
on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 10 (Denmark 10)
registered in other countries: 17 (Antigua and Barbuda 3, Belize 1,
North Korea 1, Norway 1, Panama 5, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
3, unknown 3) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Klaipeda

Military Lithuania

Military branches:
Ground Forces, Naval Force, Lithuanian Military Air Forces,
National Defense Volunteer Forces (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
19-45 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript
service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for volunteers (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 19-49: 830,368
females age 19-49: 830,524 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 19-49: 590,606
females age 19-49: 676,102 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 29,689
females age 19-49: 28,543 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$230.8 million (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.9% (FY01)

Transnational Issues Lithuania

Disputes - international:
Lithuania and Russia committed to demarcating their boundary in
2006 in accordance with the land and maritime treaty ratified by
Russia in May 2003 and by Lithuania in 1999; Lithuania operates a
simplified transit regime for Russian nationals traveling from the
Kaliningrad coastal exclave into Russia, while still conforming, as
a EU member state having an external border with a non-EU member, to
strict Schengen border rules; the Latvian parliament has not
ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily
due to concerns over potential hydrocarbons; as of January 2007,
ground demarcation of the boundary with Belarus was complete and
mapped with final ratification documents in preparation

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for opiates and other illicit drugs from
Southwest Asia, Latin America, and Western Europe to Western Europe
and Scandinavia; limited production of methamphetamine and ecstasy;
susceptible to money laundering despite changes to banking
legislation

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Luxembourg

Introduction Luxembourg

Background:
Founded in 963, Luxembourg became a grand duchy in 1815 and an
independent state under the Netherlands. It lost more than half of
its territory to Belgium in 1839, but gained a larger measure of
autonomy. Full independence was attained in 1867. Overrun by Germany
in both World Wars, it ended its neutrality in 1948 when it entered
into the Benelux Customs Union and when it joined NATO the following
year. In 1957, Luxembourg became one of the six founding countries
of the European Economic Community (later the European Union), and
in 1999 it joined the euro currency area.

Geography Luxembourg

Location:
Western Europe, between France and Germany

Geographic coordinates:
49 45 N, 6 10 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 2,586 sq km
land: 2,586 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Land boundaries:
total: 359 km
border countries: Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, Germany 138 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
modified continental with mild winters, cool summers

Terrain:
mostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallow valleys; uplands
to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope down to Moselle
flood plain in the southeast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Moselle River 133 m
highest point: Buurgplaatz 559 m

Natural resources:
iron ore (no longer exploited), arable land

Land use:
arable land: 23.94%
permanent crops: 0.39%
other: 75.67% (includes Belgium) (2005)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
air and water pollution in urban areas, soil pollution of farmland

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note:
landlocked; the only Grand Duchy in the world

People Luxembourg

Population:
474,413 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 18.9% (male 46,118/female 43,356)
15-64 years: 66.5% (male 159,498/female 156,075)
65 years and over: 14.6% (male 28,027/female 41,339) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 38.7 years
male: 37.7 years
female: 39.7 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.23% (2006 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.74 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.73 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.89 years
male: 75.6 years
female: 82.38 years (2006 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
less than 500 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Luxembourger(s)
adjective: Luxembourg

Ethnic groups:
Celtic base (with French and German blend), Portuguese, Italian,
Slavs (from Montenegro, Albania, and Kosovo) and European (guest and
resident workers)

Religions:
87% Roman Catholic, 13% Protestants, Jews, and Muslims (2000)

Languages:
Luxembourgish (national language), German (administrative
language), French (administrative language)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100% (2000 est.)

Government Luxembourg

Country name:
conventional long form: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
conventional short form: Luxembourg
local long form: Grand Duche de Luxembourg
local short form: Luxembourg

Government type:
constitutional monarchy

Capital:
name: Luxembourg
geographic coordinates: 49 45 N, 6 10 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg

Independence:
1839 (from the Netherlands)

National holiday:
National Day (Birthday of Grand Duchess Charlotte) 23 June

Constitution:
17 October 1868; occasional revisions

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

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state: Grand Duke HENRI (since 7 October 2000); Heir
Apparent Prince GUILLAUME (son of the monarch, born 11 November 1981)
head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Claude JUNCKER (since 1
January 1995) and Vice Prime Minister Jean ASSELBORN (since 31 July
2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers recommended by the prime minister and
appointed by the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following popular
elections to the Chamber of Deputies, the leader of the majority
party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed
prime minister by the monarch; the deputy prime minister is
appointed by the monarch; they are responsible to the Chamber of
Deputies
note: government coalition - CSV and LSAP

Legislative branch:
unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (60 seats;
members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 13 June 2004 (next to be held by June 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - CSV 36.1%, LSAP 23.4%,
DP 16.1%, Green Party 11.6%, ADR 10%; seats by party - CSV 24, LSAP
14, DP 10, Green Party 7, ADR 5
note: there is also a Council of State that serves as an advisory
body to the Chamber of Deputies; the Council of State has 21 members
appointed by the Grand Duke on the advice of the prime minister

Judicial branch:
judicial courts and tribunals (3 Justices of the Peace, 2 district
courts, and 1 Supreme Court of Appeals); administrative courts and
tribunals (State Prosecutor's Office, administrative courts and
tribunals, and the Constitutional Court); judges for all courts are
appointed for life by the monarch

Political parties and leaders:
Action Committee for Democracy and Justice or ADR [Gast GIBERYEN];
Christian Social People's Party or CSV (also known as Christian
Social Party or PCS) [Francois BILTGEN]; Democratic Party or DP
[Claude MEISCH]; Green Party [Francois BAUSCH]; Luxembourg Socialist
Workers' Party or LSAP [Alex BODRY]; Marxist and Reformed Communist
Party dei Lenk/la Gauche (the Left) [no formal leadership]; other
minor parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
ABBL (bankers' association); ALEBA (financial sector trade union);
Centrale Paysanne (federation of agricultural producers); CEP
(professional sector chamber); CGFP (trade union representing civil
service); Chambre de Commerce (Chamber of Commerce); Chambre des
Metiers (Chamber of Artisans); FEDIL (federation of industrialists);
Greenpeace (environment protection); LCGP (center-right trade
union); Mouvement Ecologique (protection of ecology); OGBL
(center-left trade union)

International organization participation:
ACCT, AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU,
ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC,
MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph WEYLAND
chancery: 2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265-4171/72
FAX: [1] (202) 328-8270
consulate(s) general: New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ann WAGNER
embassy: 22 Boulevard Emmanuel Servais, L-2535 Luxembourg City
mailing address: American Embassy Luxembourg, Unit 1410, APO AE
09126-1410 (official mail); American Embassy Luxembourg, PSC 9, Box
9500, APO AE 09123 (personal mail)
telephone: [352] 46 01 23
FAX: [352] 46 14 01

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and light blue;
similar to the flag of the Netherlands, which uses a darker blue and
is shorter; design was based on the flag of France

Economy Luxembourg

Economy - overview:
This stable, high-income economy - benefitting from its proximity
to France, Belgium, and Germany - features solid growth, low
inflation, and low unemployment. The industrial sector, initially
dominated by steel, has become increasingly diversified to include
chemicals, rubber, and other products. Growth in the financial
sector, which now accounts for about 28% of GDP, has more than
compensated for the decline in steel. Most banks are foreign-owned
and have extensive foreign dealings. Agriculture is based on small
family-owned farms. The economy depends on foreign and cross-border
workers for about 60% of its labor force. Although Luxembourg, like
all EU members, has suffered from the global economic slump, the
country enjoys an extraordinarily high standard of living - GDP per
capita ranks first in the world.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$32.6 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$34.37 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5.7% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$68,800 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 13%
services: 86% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
203,000 of whom 121,600 are foreign cross-border workers commuting
primarily from France, Belgium, and Germany (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 13%
services: 86% (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate:
4.1% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.6% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
18.3% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $19.07 billion
expenditures: $19.79 billion; including capital expenditures of
$975.5 million (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wine, grapes, barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits; dairy
products, livestock products

Industries:
banking and financial services, iron and steel, information
technology, telecommunications, cargo transportation, food
processing, chemicals, metal products, engineering, tires, glass,
aluminum, tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
4.3% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
3.203 billion kWh (2005 est.)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 57.3%
hydro: 25.2%
nuclear: 0%
other: 17.5% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
6.14 billion kWh (2005 est.)

Electricity - exports:
2.346 billion kWh (2005 est.)

Electricity - imports:
5.287 billion kWh (2005 est.)

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

Oil - consumption:
62,420 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
634 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
50,700 bbl/day (2001)

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

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

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

Natural gas - imports:
1.361 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Current account balance:
$4.63 billion (2006 est.)

Exports:
$19.55 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, steel products, chemicals, rubber
products, glass

Exports - partners:
Germany 21%, France 16.3%, Belgium 9.2%, UK 8.3%, Italy 7.5%, Spain
6.6%, Netherlands 4.3% (2005)

Imports:
$24.22 billion c.i.f. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods

Imports - partners:
Belgium 28.2%, Germany 21.8%, China 12.8%, France 9.6%, Netherlands
5.1% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$232.2 million (August 2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $235.59 million (2004)

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

Currency code:
EUR

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.79987 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004),
0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Luxembourg

Telephones - main lines in use:
244,500 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
720,000 (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: highly developed, completely automated and
efficient system, mainly buried cables
domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; buried cable
international: country code - 352; 3 channels leased on TAT-6
coaxial submarine cable (Europe to North America)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)

Radios:
285,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
5 (1999)

Televisions:
285,000 (1998 est.)

Internet country code:
.lu

Internet hosts:
88,661 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
8 (2000)

Internet users:
315,000 (2005)

Transportation Luxembourg

Airports:
2 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)

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

Heliports:
1 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 155 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 274 km
standard gauge: 274 km 1.435-m gauge (262 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
total: 5,227 km
paved: 5,227 km (including 147 km of expressways) (2004)

Waterways:
37 km (on Moselle River) (2003)

Merchant marine:
total: 42 ships (1000 GRT or over) 557,636 GRT/792,069 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 6, chemical tanker 16, container 7, liquefied
gas 2, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 5
foreign-owned: 42 (Belgium 9, Finland 4, France 14, Germany 10,
Netherlands 2, US 3) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Mertert

Military Luxembourg

Military branches:
Army

Military service age and obligation:
a 1967 law made the Army an all-volunteer force; 17 years of age
for voluntary military service; soldiers under 18 are not deployed
into combat or with peacekeeping missions (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 17-49: 110,867
females age 17-49: 108,758 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 17-49: 90,279
females age 17-49: 88,638 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 2,775
females age 17-49: 2,703 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$231.6 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.9% (2003)

Transnational Issues Luxembourg

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Macau

Introduction Macau

Background:
Colonized by the Portuguese in the 16th century, Macau was the
first European settlement in the Far East. Pursuant to an agreement
signed by China and Portugal on 13 April 1987, Macau became the
Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 20 December
1999. China has promised that, under its "one country, two systems"
formula, China's socialist economic system will not be practiced in
Macau, and that Macau will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all
matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years.

Geography Macau

Location:
Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

Geographic coordinates:
22 10 N, 113 33 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 28.2 sq km
land: 28.2 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
less than one-sixth the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
total: 0.34 km
regional border: China 0.34 km

Coastline:
41 km

Maritime claims:
not specified

Climate:
subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers

Terrain:
generally flat

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Coloane Alto 172.4 m

Natural resources:
NEGL

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

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
typhoons

Environment - current issues:
NA

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Marine Dumping -associate member to the London Convention

Geography - note:
essentially urban; an area of land reclaimed from the sea measuring
5.2 sq km and known as Cotai now connects the islands of Coloane and
Taipa; the island area is connected to the mainland peninsula by
three bridges

People Macau

Population:
453,125 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.2% (male 37,934/female 35,412)
15-64 years: 75.9% (male 163,975/female 179,830)
65 years and over: 7.9% (male 15,099/female 20,875) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 36.1 years
male: 35.7 years
female: 36.4 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.86% (2006 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.35 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.54 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 82.19 years
male: 79.36 years
female: 85.17 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.02 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: Chinese
adjective: Chinese

Ethnic groups:
Chinese 95.7%, Macanese (mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry) 1%,
other 3.3% (2001 census)

Religions:
Buddhist 50%, Roman Catholic 15%, none and other 35% (1997 est.)

Languages:
Cantonese 87.9%, Hokkien 4.4%, Mandarin 1.6%, other Chinese
dialects 3.1%, other 3% (2001 census)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.5%
male: 97.2%
female: 92% (2003 est.)

Government Macau

Country name:
conventional long form: Macau Special Administrative Region
conventional short form: Macau
local long form: Aomen Tebie Xingzhengqu (Chinese); Regiao
Administrativa Especial de Macau (Portuguese)
local short form: Aomen (Chinese); Macau (Portuguese)

Dependency status:
special administrative region of China

Government type:
limited democracy

Administrative divisions:
none (special administrative region of China)

Independence:
none (special administrative region of China)

National holiday:
National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic
of China), 1 October (1949); note - 20 December 1999 is celebrated
as Macau Special Administrative Region Establishment Day

Constitution:
Basic Law, approved in March 1993 by China's National People's
Congress, is Macau's "mini-constitution"

Legal system:
based on Portuguese civil law system

Suffrage:
direct election 18 years of age, universal for permanent residents
living in Macau for the past seven years; indirect election limited
to organizations registered as "corporate voters" (257 are currently
registered) and a 300-member Election Committee drawn from broad
regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government
bodies

Executive branch:
chief of state: President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003)
head of government: Chief Executive Edmund HO Hau-wah (since 20
December 1999)
cabinet: Executive Council consists of one government secretary,
three legislators, four businessmen, one pro-Beijing unionist, and
one pro-Beijing educator
elections: chief executive chosen by a 300-member Election Committee
for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last
held 29 August 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: Edmund HO Hau-wah reelected received 296 votes;
three members submitted blank ballots; one member was absent

Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Assembly (29 seats; 12 elected by popular
vote, 10 by indirect vote, and 7 appointed by the chief executive;
members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 25 September 2005 (next in September 2009)
election results: percent of vote - New Democratic Macau Association
18.2%, Macau United Citizens' Association 16%, Development Union
12.8%, Macau Development Alliance 9%, others NA; seats by political
group - New Democratic Macau Association 2, Macau United Citizens'
Association 2, Development Union 2, Macau Development Alliance 1,
New Hope 1, United Forces 2, others 2; 10 seats filled by
professional and business groups; seven members appointed by chief
executive

Judicial branch:
Court of Final Appeal in Macau Special Administrative Region

Political parties and leaders:
Civil Service Union [Jose Maria Pereira COUTINHO]; Development
Union [KWAN Tsui-hang]; Macau Development Alliance [Angela LEONG
On-kei]; Macau United Citizens' Association [CHAN Meng-kam]; New
Democratic Macau Association [Antonio NG Kuok-cheong]; United Forces

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), ISO (correspondent), UNESCO (associate),
UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (special administrative region of China)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US has no offices in Macau; US interests are monitored by the
US Consulate General in Hong Kong

Flag description:
light green with a lotus flower above a stylized bridge and water
in white, beneath an arc of five gold, five-pointed stars: one large
in center of arc and four smaller

Economy Macau

Economy - overview:
Macau's well-to-do economy has remained one of the most open in the
world since its reversion to China in 1999. Apparel exports and
tourism are mainstays of the economy. Although the territory was hit
hard by the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis and the global downturn
in 2001, its economy grew 10.1% in 2002, 14.2% in 2003, and 28.6% in
2004 before slowing to 6.7% in 2005. The economic boom was powered
by gambling, tourism, and the construction necessary to support such
endeavours. China's decision to ease travel restrictions led to a
rapid rise in the number of mainland visitors. The opening of
Macau's gaming industry to foreign access in 2001 spurred an
increase in public works expenditures. The budget also returned to
surplus in 2002 because of the surge in visitors from China and a
hike in taxes on gambling profits, which generated about 70% of
government revenue. Much of Macau's textile industry may move to the
mainland due to the termination in 2005 of the Multi-Fiber
Agreement, which provided a near guarantee of export markets,
leaving the territory more dependant on gambling and trade-related
services to generate growth. The Closer Economic Partnership
Agreement (CEPA) between Macau and mainland China that came into
effect on 1 January 2004 offers many Macau-made products tariff-free
access to the mainland. The range of products covered by CEPA was
expanded on 1 January 2005.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$10 billion (2004)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$11.56 billion (2005)

GDP - real growth rate:
6.7% (2005)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$24,300 (2005)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.1%
industry: 7.2%
services: 92.7% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
248,000 (2005)

Labor force - by occupation:
manufacturing 13.7%, construction 13.7%, transport and
communications 5.9%, wholesale and retail trade 10.5%, restaurants
and hotels 10.3%, gambling 5.9%, public sector 7.8%, other services
and agriculture 19.3% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate:
4.1% (2005)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.4% (2005)

Budget:
revenues: $3.16 billion
expenditures: $3.16 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY05/06)

Agriculture - products:
only 2% of land area is cultivated, mainly by vegetable growers;
fishing, mostly for crustaceans, is important; some of the catch is
exported to Hong Kong

Industries:
tourism, gambling, clothing, textiles, electronics, footwear, toys

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
2.027 billion kWh (2005)

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

Electricity - consumption:
2.159 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports:
1 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
340.8 million kWh (2005)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
12,360 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports:
21 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:
12,840 bbl/day (2005)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
43.96 million cu m (2005 est.)

Exports:
$3.156 billion f.o.b.; note - includes reexports (2005)

Exports - commodities:
clothing, textiles, footwear, toys, electronics, machinery and parts

Exports - partners:
US 48.7%, China 14.9%, Hong Kong 9.8%, Germany 5.9% (2005)

Imports:
$3.912 billion c.i.f. (2005)

Imports - commodities:
raw materials and semi-manufactured goods, consumer goods
(foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco), capital goods, mineral fuels and
oils

Imports - partners:
China 43.1%, Japan 10.9%, Hong Kong 10%, Singapore 5.2%, US 4.1%,
Taiwan 4% (2005)

Debt - external:
$3.1 billion (2004)

Economic aid - recipient:
$NA

Currency (code):
pataca (MOP)

Currency code:
MOP

Exchange rates:
patacas per US dollar - 8.011 (2005), 8.022 (2004), 8.021 (2003),
8.033 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Macau

Telephones - main lines in use:
174,400 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
532,800 (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: fairly modern communication facilities
maintained for domestic and international services
domestic: NA
international: country code - 853; HF radiotelephone communication
facility; access to international communications carriers provided
via Hong Kong and China; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Indian Ocean)

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

Radios:
160,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (2006)

Televisions:
49,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.mo

Internet hosts:
108 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
201,000 (2004)

Transportation Macau

Airports:
1 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)

Roadways:
total: 368 km
paved: 368 km (2005)

Ports and terminals:
Macau

Military Macau

Military branches:
no regular military forces

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 112,744 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 91,299 (2005 est.)

Military - note:
defense is the responsiblity of China

Transnational Issues Macau

Disputes - international:
none

Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Macau is a transit and destination territory for
women trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation;
most females in Macau's sizeable sex industry come from the interior
regions of China or Mongolia, though a significant number also come
from Russia, Eastern Europe, Thailand, and Vietnam; the majority of
women in Macau's prostitution trade appear to have entered Macau and
the sex trade voluntarily, though there is evidence that some are
deceived or coerced into sexual servitude, often through the use of
debt bondage; organized criminal syndicates are reportedly involved
in bringing women to Macau, and fear of reprisals from these groups
may prevent some women from seeking help
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Macau is placed on the Tier 2 Watch
List for failing to show evidence of increasing efforts to address
trafficking since 2004

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Macedonia

Introduction Macedonia

Background:
Macedonia gained its independence peacefully from Yugoslavia in
1991, but Greece's objection to the new state's use of what it
considered a Hellenic name and symbols delayed international
recognition, which occurred under the provisional designation of
"the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia." In 1995, Greece lifted
a 20-month trade embargo and the two countries agreed to normalize
relations. The United States began referring to Macedonia by its
constitutional name, Republic of Macedonia, in 2004 and negotiations
continue between Greece and Macedonia to resolve the name issue.
Some ethnic Albanians, angered by perceived political and economic
inequities, launched an insurgency in 2001 that eventually won the
support of the majority of Macedonia's Albanian population and led
to the internationally-brokered Framework Agreement, which ended the
fighting by establishing a set of new laws enhancing the rights of
minorities. The undetermined status of neighboring Kosovo,
implementation of the Framework Agreement, and a weak economy
continue to be challenges for Macedonia.

Geography Macedonia

Location:
Southeastern Europe, north of Greece

Geographic coordinates:
41 50 N, 22 00 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 25,333 sq km
land: 24,856 sq km
water: 477 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Vermont

Land boundaries:
total: 766 km
border countries: Albania 151 km, Bulgaria 148 km, Greece 246 km,
Serbia 221 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
warm, dry summers and autumns; relatively cold winters with heavy
snowfall

Terrain:
mountainous territory covered with deep basins and valleys; three
large lakes, each divided by a frontier line; country bisected by
the Vardar River

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Vardar River 50 m
highest point: Golem Korab (Maja e Korabit) 2,764 m

Natural resources:
low-grade iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, manganese,
nickel, tungsten, gold, silver, asbestos, gypsum, timber, arable land

Land use:
arable land: 22.01%
permanent crops: 1.79%
other: 76.2% (2005)

Irrigated land:
550 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
high seismic risks

Environment - current issues:
air pollution from metallurgical plants

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

Geography - note:
landlocked; major transportation corridor from Western and Central
Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe

People Macedonia

Population:
2,050,554 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.1% (male 213,486/female 199,127)
15-64 years: 68.9% (male 711,853/female 701,042)
65 years and over: 11% (male 98,618/female 126,428) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 34.1 years
male: 33.2 years
female: 35.1 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.26% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-0.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 9.81 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.94 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.97 years
male: 71.51 years
female: 76.62 years (2006 est.)

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

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
less than 200 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Macedonian(s)
adjective: Macedonian

Ethnic groups:
Macedonian 64.2%, Albanian 25.2%, Turkish 3.9%, Roma 2.7%, Serb
1.8%, other 2.2% (2002 census)

Religions:
Macedonian Orthodox 64.7%, other Christian 0.37%, Muslim 33.3%,
other and unspecified 1.63% (2002 census)

Languages:
Macedonian 66.5%, Albanian 25.1%, Turkish 3.5%, Roma 1.9%, Serbian
1.2%, other 1.8% (2002 census)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.1%
male: 98.2%
female: 94.1% (2002 est.)

Government Macedonia

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Macedonia
conventional short form: Macedonia
local long form: Republika Makedonija
local short form: Makedonija
note: the provisional designation used by the UN, EU, and NATO is
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)
former: People's Republic of Macedonia, Socialist Republic of
Macedonia

Government type:
parliamentary democracy

Capital:
name: Skopje
geographic coordinates: 41 59 N, 21 26 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
85 municipalities (opstini, singular - opstina); Aerodrom (Skopje),
Aracinovo, Berovo, Bitola, Bogdanci, Bogovinje, Bosilovo, Brvenica,
Butel (Skopje), Cair (Skopje), Caska, Centar (Skopje), Centar Zupa,
Cesinovo, Cucer-Sandevo, Debar, Debartsa, Delcevo, Demir Hisar,
Demir Kapija, Dojran, Dolneni, Drugovo, Gazi Baba (Skopje),
Gevgelija, Gjorce Petrov (Skopje), Gostivar, Gradsko, Ilinden,
Jegunovce, Karbinci, Karpos (Skopje), Kavadarci, Kicevo, Kisela Voda
(Skopje), Kocani, Konce, Kratovo, Kriva Palanka, Krivogastani,
Krusevo, Kumanovo, Lipkovo, Lozovo, Makedonska Kamenica, Makedonski
Brod, Mavrovo i Rastusa, Mogila, Negotino, Novaci, Novo Selo, Ohrid,
Oslomej, Pehcevo, Petrovec, Plasnica, Prilep, Probistip, Radovis,
Rankovce, Resen, Rosoman, Saraj (Skopje), Skopje, Sopiste, Staro
Nagoricane, Stip, Struga, Strumica, Studenicani, Suto Orizari
(Skopje), Sveti Nikole, Tearce, Tetovo, Valandovo, Vasilevo, Veles,
Vevcani, Vinica, Vranestica, Vrapciste, Zajas, Zelenikovo, Zelino,
Zrnovci
note: the ten municipalities followed by Skopje in parentheses
collectively constitute the larger Skopje Municipality

Independence:
8 September 1991 (referendum by registered voters endorsing
independence from Yugoslavia)

National holiday:
Ilinden Uprising Day, 2 August (1903); note - also known as Saint
Elijah's Day

Constitution:
adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991; amended
November 2001 by a series of new constitutional amendments
strengthening minority rights and in 2005 with amendments related to
the judiciary

Legal system:
based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Branko CRVENKOVSKI (since 12 May 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Nikola GRUEVSKI (since 26 August
2006)
cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the majority vote of all
the deputies in the Assembly; note - current cabinet formed by the
government coalition parties VMRO/DPMNE, NSDP, PDSh/DPA, and several
small parties
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); two-round election last held 14 April
and 28 April 2004 (next to be held by April 2009); prime minister
elected by the Assembly following legislative elections
election results: Branko CRVENKOVSKI elected president on
second-round ballot; percent of vote - Branko CRVENKOVSKI 62.7%,
Sasko KEDEV 37.3%

Legislative branch:
unicameral Assembly or Sobranie (120 seats - members elected by
popular vote from party lists based on the percentage of the overall
vote the parties gain in each of six electoral districts; all serve
four-year terms)
elections: last held 5 July 2006 (next to be held by July 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - VMRO-DPMNE 33%, SDSM
22%, BDI/DUI 12%, PDSh/DPA 7%, NSDP 6%, VMRO-Narodna 6%; seats by
party - VMRO-DPMNE 45, SDSM 32, BDI/DUI 17, PDSh/DPA 11, NSDP 7,
VMRO-Narodna 6, other 2

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court - the Assembly appoints the judges; Constitutional
Court - the Assembly appoints the judges; Republican Judicial
Council - the Assembly appoints the judges

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Alliance [Pavle TRAJANOV]; Democratic League of the
Bosniaks [Rafet MUMINOVIC]; Democratic Party of Albanians or
PDSh/DPA [Arben XHAFERI]; Democratic Party of Serbs [Ivan
STOILJKOVIC]; Democratic Party of Turks [Kenan HASIPI]; Democratic
Renewal of Macedonia [Liljana POPOVSKA]; Democratic Union of Vlachs
for Macedonia [Mitko KOSTOV]; Democratic Union for Integration or
BDI/DUI [Ali AHMETI]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary
Organization-Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity or
VMRO-DPMNE [Nikola GRUEVSKI]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary
Organization-People's Party or VMRO-Narodna [Vesna JANEVSKA]; League
for Democracy [Gjorgi MARJANOVIC]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP
[Risto PENOV]; Liberal Party [Stojan ANDOV]; National Alternative
[Harun ALIU]; National Democratic Party-New Democratic Forces or
PDK-FRO [Hysni SHAQIR]; New Social Democratic Party or NSDP [Tito
PETKOVSKI]; Party for Democratic Future [Alajdin DEMIRI]; Party for
Democratic Prosperity or PPD/PDP [Abduljhadi VEJSELI]; Party for
European Future or PEI [Fijat CANOSKI]; Social Democratic Alliance
of Macedonia or SDSM [Radmila SEKERINSKA]; Socialist Party of
Macedonia or SP [Ljubisav IVANOV-ZINGO]; Union of Romas or SR [Saliu
SHABAN]; United Party for Emancipation or OPE [Nezdet MUSTAFA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Federation of Free Trade Unions [Svetlana PETROVIC]; Federation of
Trade Unions [Vanco MURATOVSKI]; World Macedonian Congress [Todor
PETROV]

International organization participation:
BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU,
ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)
chancery: 2129 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 667-0501
FAX: [1] (202) 667-2131
consulate(s) general: Southfield (Michigan)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Gillian A. MILOVANOVIC
embassy: Bul. Ilindenska bb, 1000 Skopje
mailing address: American Embassy Skopje, US Department of State,
7120 Skopje Place, Washington, DC 20521-7120 (pouch)
telephone: [389] 2 311-6180
FAX: [389] 2 311-7103

Flag description:
a yellow sun with eight broadening rays extending to the edges of
the red field

Economy Macedonia

Economy - overview:
At independence in September 1991, Macedonia was the least
developed of the Yugoslav republics, producing a mere 5% of the
total federal output of goods and services. The collapse of
Yugoslavia ended transfer payments from the central government and
eliminated advantages from inclusion in a de facto free trade area.
An absence of infrastructure, UN sanctions on the downsized
Yugoslavia, and a Greek economic embargo over a dispute about the
country's constitutional name and flag hindered economic growth
until 1996. GDP subsequently rose each year through 2000. However,
the leadership's commitment to economic reform, free trade, and
regional integration was undermined by the ethnic Albanian
insurgency of 2001. The economy shrank 4.5% because of decreased
trade, intermittent border closures, increased deficit spending on
security needs, and investor uncertainty. Growth barely recovered in
2002 to 0.9%, then averaged 4% per year during 2003-06. Macedonia
has maintained macroeconomic stability with low inflation, but it
has lagged the region in attracting foreign investment and job
growth has been anemic. Macedonia has an extensive grey market,
estimated to be more than 20 percent of GDP, that falls outside
official statistics.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$16.91 billion
note: Macedonia has a large informal sector (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$5.649 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$8,200 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 13%
industry: 27.7%
services: 59.3% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
880,000 (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 21.7%
industry: 32.6%
services: 45.7% (September 2006)

Unemployment rate:
35% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line:
29.6% (2004 est.)

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

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
28.2 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
18.8% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $2.113 billion
expenditures: $2.149 billion; including capital expenditures of $114
million (2006 est.)

Public debt:
27.5% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
grapes, wine, tobacco, vegetables; milk, eggs

Industries:
food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, iron, steel,
cement, energy, pharmaceuticals

Industrial production growth rate:
3.5% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
6.271 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 83.7%
hydro: 16.3%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
7.933 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2005)

Electricity - imports:
1.662 billion kWh (2005)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
23,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

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

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

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

Natural gas - imports:
100 million cu m (2004 est.)

Current account balance:
$-167 million (2006 est.)

Exports:
$2.341 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
food, beverages, tobacco; textiles, miscellaneous manufactures,
iron and steel

Exports - partners:
Serbia and Montenegro 22.5%, Germany 17.8%, Greece 15.3%, Italy
8.3% (2005)

Imports:
$3.631 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, automobiles, chemicals, fuels, food
products

Imports - partners:
Russia 13.2%, Germany 10.4%, Greece 9.2%, Serbia and Montenegro
8.2%, Bulgaria 7.3%, Italy 6% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.845 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$2.138 billion (2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
NA

Currency (code):
Macedonian denar (MKD)

Currency code:
MKD

Exchange rates:
Macedonian denars per US dollar - 48.9962 (2006), 48.92 (2005),
49.41 (2004), 54.322 (2003), 64.35 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Macedonia

Telephones - main lines in use:
533,200 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.261 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 389

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 29, FM 20, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
410,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
31 (plus 166 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
510,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.mk

Internet hosts:
3,716 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
6 (2000)

Internet users:
392,671 (2005)

Transportation Macedonia

Airports:
17 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 10
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
under 914 m: 8 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 268 km; oil 120 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 699 km
standard gauge: 699 km 1.435-m gauge (233 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
total: 8,684 km
paved: 5,540 km
unpaved: 3,144 km (1999)

Military Macedonia

Military branches:
Army of the Republic of Macedonia (ARM): Joint Operational Command,
with subordinate Air Wing (Makedonsko Voeno Vozduhoplovstvo, MVV),
Special Force Command (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
conscription to be phased out by 2007; current tour of conscript
duty is six months; 18 years of age for voluntary military service
(2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 498,259
females age 18-49: 481,317 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 411,156
females age 18-49: 397,839 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 16,686
females age 18-49: 15,664 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$200 million (FY01/02 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
6% (FY01/02 est.)

Transnational Issues Macedonia

Disputes - international:
ethnic Albanians in Kosovo object to demarcation of the boundary
with Serbia in accordance with the 2000 Macedonia-Serbia and
Montenegro delimitation agreement; Greece continues to reject the
use of the name Macedonia or Republic of Macedonia

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: fewer than 1,000 (ethnic conflict in 2001) (2006)

Illicit drugs:
major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish;
minor transit point for South American cocaine destined for Europe;
although not a financial center and most criminal activity is
thought to be domestic, money laundering is a problem due to a
mostly cash-based economy and weak enforcement (no arrests or
prosecutions for money laundering to date)

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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