Chapter LXI: Front Matter (61)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
3,000 (2004)

Transportation Tonga

Airports:
6 (2006)

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

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

Roadways:
total: 680 km
paved: 184 km
unpaved: 496 km (1999)

Merchant marine:
total: 16 ships (1000 GRT or over) 62,185 GRT/72,960 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 10, liquefied gas 1, livestock
carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo
1
foreign-owned: 4 (Australia 1, Norway 1, Switzerland 1, UK 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Nuku'alofa

Military Tonga

Military branches:
Tonga Defense Services: Land Force (Royal Guard), Naval Force
(includes Royal Marines, Air Wing) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.) (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 25,420
females ag3 18-49: 24,827 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 19,840
females age 18-49: 21,342 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males ag3 18-49: 1,586
females age 18-49: 1,538 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Transnational Issues Tonga

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Trinidad and Tobago

Introduction Trinidad and Tobago

Background:
First colonized by the Spanish, the islands came under British
control in the early 19th century. The islands' sugar industry was
hurt by the emancipation of the slaves in 1834. Manpower was
replaced with the importation of contract laborers from India
between 1845 and 1917, which boosted sugar production as well as the
cocoa industry. The discovery of oil on Trinidad in 1910 added
another important export. Independence was attained in 1962. The
country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean thanks
largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing.
Tourism, mostly in Tobago, is targeted for expansion and is growing.

Geography Trinidad and Tobago

Location:
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic
Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Geographic coordinates:
11 00 N, 61 00 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 5,128 sq km
land: 5,128 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Delaware

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
362 km

Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental
margin

Climate:
tropical; rainy season (June to December)

Terrain:
mostly plains with some hills and low mountains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: El Cerro del Aripo 940 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, asphalt

Land use:
arable land: 14.62%
permanent crops: 9.16%
other: 76.22% (2005)

Irrigated land:
40 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms

Environment - current issues:
water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and
raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion

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

Geography - note:
Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's
largest natural reservoir of asphalt

People Trinidad and Tobago

Population:
1,065,842 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.1% (male 109,936/female 104,076)
15-64 years: 71.3% (male 398,657/female 361,093)
65 years and over: 8.6% (male 41,162/female 50,918) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 31.2 years
male: 30.8 years
female: 31.7 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
-0.87% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-11.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 25.05 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 26.86 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 23.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66.76 years
male: 65.71 years
female: 67.86 years (2006 est.)

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

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

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
29,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,900 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s)
adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian

Ethnic groups:
Indian (South Asian) 40%, African 37.5%, mixed 20.5%, other 1.2%,
unspecified 0.8% (2000 census)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 26%, Hindu 22.5%, Anglican 7.8%, Baptist 7.2%,
Pentecostal 6.8%, other Christian 5.8%, Muslim 5.8%, Seventh Day
Adventist 4%, other 10.8%, unspecified 1.4%, none 1.9% (2000 census)

Languages:
English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish, Chinese

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.6%
male: 99.1%
female: 98% (2003 est.)

Government Trinidad and Tobago

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago

Government type:
parliamentary democracy

Capital:
name: Port-of-Spain
geographic coordinates: 10 39 N, 61 31 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
9 regional corporations, 2 city corporations, 3 borough
corporations, 1 ward
regional corporations: Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo, Diego Martin,
Mayaro/Rio Claro, Penal/Debe, Princes Town, Sangre Grande, San
Juan/Laventille, Siparia, Tunapuna/Piarco
city corporations: Port-of-Spain, San Fernando
borough corporations: Arima, Chaguanas, Point Fortin
ward: Tobago

Independence:
31 August 1962 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 31 August (1962)

Constitution:
1 August 1976

Legal system:
based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in
the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President George Maxwell RICHARDS (since 17 March
2003)
head of government: Prime Minister Patrick MANNING (since 24
December 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed from among the members of Parliament
elections: president elected by an electoral college, which consists
of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, for a
five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 14
February 2003 (next to be held in by January 2008); the president
usually appoints as prime minister the leader of the majority party
in the House of Representatives
election results: George Maxwell RICHARDS elected president; percent
of electoral college vote - 43%

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (31 seats; 16 members
appointed by the ruling party, 9 by the President, 6 by the
opposition party for a maximum term of five years) and the House of
Representatives (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 7 October 2002 (next
to be held by October 2007)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - PNM
55.5%, UNC 44.5%; seats by party - PNM 20, UNC 16
note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly with 12 members
serving four-year terms; last election held January 2005; seats by
party - PNM 11, DAC 1

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Judicature (comprised of the High Court of Justice
and the Court of Appeals; the chief justice is appointed by the
president after consultation with the prime minister and the leader
of the opposition; other justices are appointed by the president on
the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission); High Court
of Justice; Caribbean Court of Appeals member; Court of Appeals; the
highest court of appeal is the Privy Council in London

Political parties and leaders:
Congress of the People [Winston Dookeran]; Democratic National
Alliance or DNA (coalition of NAR, DDPT, MND) [Gerald YETMING];
Movement for National Development or MND [Garvin NICHOLAS]; National
Alliance for Reconstruction or NAR [Dr. Carson CHARLES]; People's
National Movement or PNM [Patrick MANNING]; United National Congress
or UNC [Basdeo PANDAY]; Democratic Action Congress or DAC [Hochoy
CHARLES], note - only active in Tobago

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Jamaat-al Muslimeen [Yasin BAKR]

International organization participation:
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO,
ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Marina Annette VALERE
chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 467-6490
FAX: [1] (202) 785-3130
consulate(s) general: Miami, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Roy L. AUSTIN
embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain
mailing address: P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain
telephone: [1] (868) 622-6371 through 6376
FAX: [1] (868) 628-5462

Flag description:
red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist
side to the lower fly side

Economy Trinidad and Tobago

Economy - overview:
Trinidad and Tobago, the leading Caribbean producer of oil and gas,
has earned a reputation as an excellent investment site for
international businesses. Tourism is a growing sector, although not
proportionately as important as in many other Caribbean islands. The
economy benefits from a growing trade surplus. Economic growth in
2006 reached 12.6% as prices for oil, petrochemicals, and liquefied
natural gas remained high, and foreign direct investment continued
to grow to support expanded capacity in the energy sector. The
government is coping with a rise in violent crime.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$20.99 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$14.99 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
12.6% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$19,700 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.7%
industry: 57.7%
services: 41.5% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
618,000 (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 9.5%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 9.5%,
construction and utilities 12.4%, services 14% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate:
7% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line:
21% (1992 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
8% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
19.1% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $6.591 billion
expenditures: $5.649 billion; including capital expenditures of
$117.3 million (2006 est.)

Public debt:
36.6% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cocoa, rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry

Industries:
petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage,
cotton textiles

Industrial production growth rate:
17% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
6.049 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 99.8%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0.2% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
5.626 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
150,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
34,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
990 million bbl (1 January 2004)

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

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

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

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

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

Current account balance:
$3.259 billion (2006 est.)

Exports:
$12.5 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, steel products,
fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers

Exports - partners:
US 68.6%, Jamaica 5.4%, Barbados 2.9% (2005)

Imports:
$8.798 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live
animals

Imports - partners:
US 27.2%, Venezuela 13.1%, Brazil 13.1%, Japan 5.4%, Canada 4.1%
(2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$6.888 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$2.838 billion (2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$24 million (1999 est.)

Currency (code):
Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TTD)

Currency code:
TTD

Exchange rates:
Trinidad and Tobago dollars per US dollar - 6.2944 (2006), 6.2842
(2005), 6.299 (2004), 6.2951 (2003), 6.2487 (2002)

Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September

Communications Trinidad and Tobago

Telephones - main lines in use:
323,500 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
800,000 (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent international service; good local
service
domestic: NA
international: country code - 1-868; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and
Guyana

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 18, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios:
680,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
6 (2005)

Televisions:
425,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.tt

Internet hosts:
30,732 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
17 (2000)

Internet users:
160,000 (2005)

Transportation Trinidad and Tobago

Airports:
6 (2006)

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

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

Pipelines:
condensate 253 km; gas 1,278 km; oil 571 km (2006)

Roadways:
total: 8,320 km
paved: 4,252 km
unpaved: 4,068 km (1999)

Merchant marine:
total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 16,760 GRT/7,941 DWT
by type: liquefied gas 1, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum
tanker 2
foreign-owned: 1 (US 1)
registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Pointe-a-Pierre, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain

Military Trinidad and Tobago

Military branches:
Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force: Ground Force, Coast Guard
(includes air wing) (2004)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 290,715
females age 18-49: 258,410 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 202,958
females age 18-49: 173,797 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$66.72 million (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.6% (2003 est.)

Transnational Issues Trinidad and Tobago

Disputes - international:
In April 2006, the Permanent Court of Arbitration issues a decision
that delimits a maritime boundary with Trinidad and Tobago and
compels Barbados to enter a fishing agreement that limits Barbadian
fishermen's catches of flying fish in Trinidad and Tobago's
exclusive economic zone; in 2005, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago
agreed to compulsory international arbitration under UNCLOS
challenging whether the northern limit of Trinidad and Tobago's and
Venezuela's maritime boundary extends into Barbadian waters; Guyana
has also expressed its intention to include itself in the
arbitration as the Trinidad and Tobago-Venezuela maritime boundary
may extend into its waters as well

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US
and Europe; producer of cannabis

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Tunisia

Introduction Tunisia

Background:
Rivalry between French and Italian interests in Tunisia culminated
in a French invasion in 1881 and the creation of a protectorate.
Agitation for independence in the decades following World War I was
finally successful in getting the French to recognize Tunisia as an
independent state in 1956. The country's first president, Habib
BOURGUIBA, established a strict one-party state. He dominated the
country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and
establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation.
Tunisia has long taken a moderate, non-aligned stance in its foreign
relations. Domestically, it has sought to defuse rising pressure for
a more open political society.

Geography Tunisia

Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria
and Libya

Geographic coordinates:
34 00 N, 9 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 163,610 sq km
land: 155,360 sq km
water: 8,250 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Georgia

Land boundaries:
total: 1,424 km
border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km

Coastline:
1,148 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm

Climate:
temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers;
desert in south

Terrain:
mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges
into the Sahara

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m
highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt

Land use:
arable land: 17.05%
permanent crops: 13.08%
other: 69.87% (2005)

Irrigated land:
3,940 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and poses health
risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural fresh water
resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements:
party to: 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
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:
strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are
discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf
between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

People Tunisia

Population:
10,175,014 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 24.6% (male 1,293,235/female 1,212,994)
15-64 years: 68.6% (male 3,504,283/female 3,478,268)
65 years and over: 6.7% (male 327,521/female 358,713) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 27.8 years
male: 27.3 years
female: 28.3 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.99% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 23.84 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 26.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 20.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.12 years
male: 73.4 years
female: 76.96 years (2006 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1,000 (2003 est.)

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

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
vectorborne diseases: may be a significant risk in some locations
during the transmission season (typically April through November)
(2007)

Nationality:
noun: Tunisian(s)
adjective: Tunisian

Ethnic groups:
Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%

Religions:
Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%

Languages:
Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French
(commerce)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 74.3%
male: 83.4%
female: 65.3% (2004 est.)

Government Tunisia

Country name:
conventional long form: Tunisian Republic
conventional short form: Tunisia
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah
local short form: Tunis

Government type:
republic

Capital:
name: Tunis
geographic coordinates: 36 48 N, 10 11 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:
24 governorates; Ariana (Aryanah), Beja (Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin
'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah), Jendouba
(Jundubah), Kairouan (Al Qayrawan), Kasserine (Al Qasrayn), Kebili
(Qibili), Kef (Al Kaf), Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah), Manouba (Manubah),
Medenine (Madanin), Monastir (Al Munastir), Nabeul (Nabul), Sfax
(Safaqis), Sidi Bou Zid (Sidi Bu Zayd), Siliana (Silyanah), Sousse
(Susah), Tataouine (Tatawin), Tozeur (Tawzar), Tunis, Zaghouan
(Zaghwan)

Independence:
20 March 1956 (from France)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 20 March (1956)

Constitution:
1 June 1959; amended 1988, 2002

Legal system:
based on French civil law system and Shari'a law; some judicial
review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session

Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal except for active duty military

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November
1987)
head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed GHANNOUCHI (since 17
November 1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(no term limits); election last held 24 October 2004 (next to be
held October 2009); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected for a
fourth term; percent of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN ALI 94.5%,
Mohamed BOUCHIHA 3.8%, Mohamed Ali HALOUANI 1%

Legislative branch:
bicameral system consists of the Chamber of Deputies or Majlis
al-Nuwaab (189 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms) and the Chamber of Advisors (126 seats; 85 members
elected by municipal counselors, deputies, mayors, and professional
associations and trade unions; 41 members are presidential
appointees; members serve six-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Deputies - last held 24 October 2004 (next to
be held October 2009); Chamber of Advisors - last held 3 July 2005
(next to be held July 2011)
election results: Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - RCD 152, MDS 14, PUP 11, UDU 7, Al-Tajdid 3,
PSL 2; Chamber of Advisors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - RCD 71 (14 trade union seats vacant (boycotted))

Judicial branch:
Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation

Political parties and leaders:
Al-Tajdid Movement [Ali HALOUANI]; Constitutional Democratic Rally
Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique) or RCD [President
Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (official ruling party)]; Green Party for
Progress or PVP [Mongi KHAMASSI]; Liberal Social Party or PSL
[Mounir BEJI]; Movement of Socialist Democrats or MDS [Ismail
BOULAHYA]; Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed BOUCHIHA];
Progressive Democratic Party [Nejib CHEBBI]; Unionist Democratic
Union or UDU [Ahmed INOUBLI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
18 October Group [collective leadership]; Democratic Forum for
Labor and Liberties or FDTL [Mustapha Ben JAFAAR]; Tunisian League
for Human Rights or LTDH [Mokhtar TRIFI]; note - the Islamic
fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed

International organization participation:
ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BSEC (observer), FAO, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, MONUC,
NAM, OAPEC (suspended), OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE
(partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNWTO, UPU, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Nejib HACHANA
chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850
FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador designate Robert F. GODEC
embassy: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis 1053
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [216] 71 107-000
FAX: [216] 71 107-090

Flag description:
red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly
encircling a red five-pointed star; the crescent and star are
traditional symbols of Islam

Economy Tunisia

Economy - overview:
Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining,
energy, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Governmental control of
economic affairs while still heavy has gradually lessened over the
past decade with increasing privatization, simplification of the tax
structure, and a prudent approach to debt. Progressive social
policies also have helped raise living conditions in Tunisia
relative to the region. Real growth slowed to a 15-year low of 1.9%
in 2002 because of agricultural drought and lackluster tourism.
Increased rain helped to push GDP growth to an average rate of 5% in
2003-06. However, a recession in agriculture, weak expansion in the
tourism and textile sectors, and increasing import costs due to
rising world energy prices cut growth to 4% in 2006. Tunisia is
gradually removing barriers to trade with the EU. Broader
privatization, further liberalization of the investment code to
increase foreign investment, improvements in government efficiency,
and reduction of the trade deficit are among the challenges ahead.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$87.88 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$32.95 billion (2006 est.)

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

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$8,600 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 12.8%
industry: 31%
services: 56.2% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
3.502 million
note: shortage of skilled labor (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 55%
industry: 23%
services: 22% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate:
13.9% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line:
7.4% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 31.8% (1995)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
40 (2005 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.6% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
22.3% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $7.728 billion
expenditures: $8.734 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.6
billion (2006 est.)

Public debt:
57.3% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
olives, olive oil, grain, tomatoes, citrus fruit, sugar beets,
dates, almonds; beef, dairy products

Industries:
petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism,
textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages

Industrial production growth rate:
4.7% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
11.81 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 99.5%
hydro: 0.5%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
10.97 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
15 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
5 million kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
81,530 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
89,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
1.7 billion bbl (2006 est.)

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

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

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

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

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

Current account balance:
$-760 million (2006 est.)

Exports:
$11.61 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
clothing, semi-finished goods and textiles, agricultural products,
mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, hydrocarbons

Exports - partners:
France 30.8%, Italy 21%, Germany 9.3%, Spain 5.5%, Libya 4.4% (2005)

Imports:
$13.89 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals,
foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
France 25.8%, Italy 23.1%, Germany 9.6%, Spain 5.6% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$6.646 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$18.37 billion (30 June 2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$328 million (2004)

Currency (code):
Tunisian dinar (TND)

Currency code:
TND

Exchange rates:
Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.31281 (2006), 1.2974 (2005),
1.2455 (2004), 1.2885 (2003), 1.4217 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Tunisia

Telephones - main lines in use:
1,257,500 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
5.681 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: above the African average and continuing to be
upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; Internet
access available
domestic: trunk facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial
cable, and microwave radio relay
international: country code - 216; 5 submarine cables; satellite
earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial
cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in
Medarabtel; two international gateway digital switches

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 7, FM 20, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios:
2.06 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
920,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.tn

Internet hosts:
428 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
953,800 (2005)

Transportation Tunisia

Airports:
30 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 14
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 16
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 7 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 2,945 km; oil 1,227 km; refined products 351 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 2,153 km
standard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,674 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified)
dual gauge: 8 km 1.435 m and 1.000-m gauges (three rails) (2005)

Roadways:
total: 19,232 km
paved: 12,655 km (including 262 km of expressways)
unpaved: 6,577 km (2004)

Merchant marine:
total: 9 ships (1000 GRT or over) 146,759 GRT/115,118 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 1, chemical tanker 3, passenger/cargo
4 (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Skhira

Military Tunisia

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Republic of Tunisia Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya
al-Jamahiriyah At'tunisia) (2006)

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

Manpower available for military service:
males age 20-49: 2,441,741
females age 20-49: 2,406,362 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 20-49: 2,035,431
females age 20-49: 2,000,757 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 108,817
females age 20-49: 103,087 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$356 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.5% (FY99)

Transnational Issues Tunisia

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Turkey

Introduction Turkey

Background:
Modern Turkey was founded in 1923 from the Anatolian remnants of
the defeated Ottoman Empire by national hero Mustafa KEMAL, who was
later honored with the title Ataturk, or "Father of the Turks."
Under his authoritarian leadership, the country adopted wide-ranging
social, legal, and political reforms. After a period of one-party
rule, an experiment with multi-party politics led to the 1950
election victory of the opposition Democratic Party and the peaceful
transfer of power. Since then, Turkish political parties have
multiplied, but democracy has been fractured by periods of
instability and intermittent military coups (1960, 1971, 1980),
which in each case eventually resulted in a return of political
power to civilians. In 1997, the military again helped engineer the
ouster - popularly dubbed a "post-modern coup" - of the then
Islamic-oriented government. Turkey intervened militarily on Cyprus
in 1974 to prevent a Greek takeover of the island and has since
acted as patron state to the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,"
which only Turkey recognizes. A separatist insurgency begun in 1984
by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) - now known as the People's
Congress of Kurdistan or Kongra-Gel (KGK) - has dominated the
Turkish military's attention and claimed more than 30,000 lives.
After the capture of the group's leader in 1999, the insurgents
largely withdrew from Turkey, mainly to northern Iraq. In 2004, KGK
announced an end to its ceasefire and attacks attributed to the KGK
increased. Turkey joined the UN in 1945 and in 1952 it became a
member of NATO. In 1964, Turkey became an associate member of the
European Community; over the past decade, it has undertaken many
reforms to strengthen its democracy and economy, enabling it to
begin accession membership talks with the European Union.

Geography Turkey

Location:
Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia (that portion of Turkey
west of the Bosporus is geographically part of Europe), bordering
the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the
Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria

Geographic coordinates:
39 00 N, 35 00 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 780,580 sq km
land: 770,760 sq km
water: 9,820 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Texas

Land boundaries:
total: 2,648 km
border countries: Armenia 268 km, Azerbaijan 9 km, Bulgaria 240 km,
Georgia 252 km, Greece 206 km, Iran 499 km, Iraq 352 km, Syria 822 km

Coastline:
7,200 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 6 nm in the Aegean Sea; 12 nm in Black Sea and in
Mediterranean Sea
exclusive economic zone: in Black Sea only: to the maritime boundary
agreed upon with the former USSR

Climate:
temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in
interior

Terrain:
high central plateau (Anatolia); narrow coastal plain; several
mountain ranges

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Ararat 5,166 m

Natural resources:
coal, iron ore, copper, chromium, antimony, mercury, gold, barite,
borate, celestite (strontium), emery, feldspar, limestone,
magnesite, marble, perlite, pumice, pyrites (sulfur), clay, arable
land, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 29.81%
permanent crops: 3.39%
other: 66.8% (2005)

Irrigated land:
52,150 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an arc
extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van

Environment - current issues:
water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air
pollution, particularly in urban areas; deforestation; concern for
oil spills from increasing Bosporus ship traffic

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note:
strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea
of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas; Mount
Ararat, the legendary landing place of Noah's Ark, is in the far
eastern portion of the country

People Turkey

Population:
70,413,958 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.5% (male 9,133,226/female 8,800,070)
15-64 years: 67.7% (male 24,218,277/female 23,456,761)
65 years and over: 6.8% (male 2,198,073/female 2,607,551) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 28.1 years
male: 27.9 years
female: 28.3 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.06% (2006 est.)

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

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

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

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 39.69 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 43.27 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 35.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.62 years
male: 70.18 years
female: 75.18 years (2006 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% - note - no country specific models provided (2001
est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Turk(s)
adjective: Turkish

Ethnic groups:
Turkish 80%, Kurdish 20% (estimated)

Religions:
Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)

Languages:
Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli (or Zaza), Azeri, Kabardian
note: there is also a substantial Gagauz population in the Europe
part of Turkey

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.5%
male: 94.3%
female: 78.7% (2003 est.)

Government Turkey

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Turkey
conventional short form: Turkey
local long form: Turkiye Cumhuriyeti
local short form: Turkiye

Government type:
republican parliamentary democracy

Capital:
name: Ankara
geographic coordinates: 39 56 N, 32 52 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:
81 provinces (iller, singular - il); Adana, Adiyaman,
Afyonkarahisar, Agri, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Ardahan,
Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir, Bartin, Batman, Bayburt, Bilecik, Bingol,
Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale, Cankiri, Corum, Denizli,
Diyarbakir, Duzce, Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskisehir,
Gaziantep, Giresun, Gumushane, Hakkari, Hatay, Icel (Mersin), Igdir,
Isparta, Istanbul, Izmir, Kahramanmaras, Karabuk, Karaman, Kars,
Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kilis, Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kirsehir, Kocaeli,
Konya, Kutahya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mugla, Mus, Nevsehir,
Nigde, Ordu, Osmaniye, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Sanliurfa, Siirt,
Sinop, Sirnak, Sivas, Tekirdag, Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli, Usak, Van,
Yalova, Yozgat, Zonguldak

Independence:
29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)

National holiday:
Republic Day, 29 October (1923)

Constitution:
7 November 1982

Legal system:
civil law system derived from various European continental legal
systems; note - member of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR),
although Turkey claims limited derogations on the ratified European
Convention on Human Rights

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ahmet Necdet SEZER (since 16 May 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (14 March
2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
nomination of the prime minister
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a single
seven-year term; election last held 5 May 2000 (next to be held May
2007); prime minister appointed by the president from among members
of parliament
election results: Ahmed Necdet SEZER elected president on the third
ballot; percent of National Assembly vote - 60%
note: president must have a two-thirds majority of the National
Assembly on the first two ballots and a simple majority on the third
ballot

Legislative branch:
unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or Turkiye Buyuk
Millet Meclisi (550 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 3 November 2002 (next is scheduled to be held 4
November 2007); note - a special rerun of the General Election in
the province of Siirt on 9 March 2003 resulted in the election of
Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN to a seat in parliament, a prerequisite for
becoming prime minister, on 14 March 2003
election results: percent of vote by party - AKP 34.3%, CHP 19.4%,
DYP 9.6%, MHP 8.3%, GP 7.3%, Anavatan 5.1%, DSP 1.1%, and other;
seats by party - AKP 363, CHP 178, independents 9; note - parties
surpassing the 10% threshold are entitled to parliamentary seats;
seats by party as of 1 December 2006 - AKP 354, CHP 154, Anavatan
21, DYP 4, SHP 1, HYP 1, GP 1, independents 9, vacant 5

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; High Court of Appeals (Yargitay); Council of
State (Danistay); Court of Accounts (Sayistay); Military High Court
of Appeals; Military High Administrative Court

Political parties and leaders:
Anavatan Partisi (Motherland Party) or Anavatan [Erkan MUMCU];
Democratic Left Party or DSP [Mehmet Zeki SEZER]; Democratic Society
Party or DTP [Ahmet TURK]; Felicity Party (sometimes translated as
Contentment Party) or SP [Recai KUTAN]; Justice and Development
Party or AKP [Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN]; Nationalist Action Party or MHP
(sometimes translated as Nationalist Movement Party) [Devlet
BAHCELI]; People's Rise Party (Halkin Yukselisi Partisi) or HYP
[Yasar Nuri OZTURK]; Republican People's Party or CHP [Deniz
BAYKAL]; Social Democratic People's Party or SHP [Murat KARAYALCIN];
True Path Party (sometimes translated as Correct Way Party) or DYP
[Mehmet AGAR]; Young Party or GP [Cem Cengiz UZAN]
note: the parties listed above are some of the more significant of
the 49 parties that Turkey had on 1 December 2004

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Confederation of Public Sector Unions or KESK [Ismail Hakki
TOMBUL]; Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions or DISK
[Suleyman CELEBI]; Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's
Association or MUSIAD [Omer BOLAT]; Moral Rights Workers Union or
Hak-Is [Salim USLU]; Turkish Confederation of Employers' Unions or
TISK [Tugurl KUDATGOBILIK]; Turkish Confederation of Labor or
Turk-Is [Salih KILIC]; Turkish Confederation of Tradesmen and
Craftsmen or TESK [Dervis GUNDAY]; Turkish Industrialists' and
Businessmen's Association or TUSIAD [Omer SABANCI]; Turkish Union of
Chambers of Commerce and Commodity Exchanges or TOBB [M. Rifat
HISARCIKLIOGLU]

International organization participation:
AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN (observer), EAPC, EBRD,
ECO, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIC,
OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS,
UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Nabi SENSOY
chancery: 2525 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 612-6700
FAX: [1] (202) 612-6744
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ross WILSON
embassy: 110 Ataturk Boulevard, Kavaklidere, 06100 Ankara
mailing address: PSC 93, Box 5000, APO AE 09823
telephone: [90] (312) 455-5555
FAX: [90] (312) 467-0019
consulate(s) general: Istanbul
consulate(s): Adana; note - there is a Consular Agent in Izmir

Flag description:
red with a vertical white crescent (the closed portion is toward
the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered just outside
the crescent opening

Economy Turkey

Economy - overview:
Turkey's dynamic economy is a complex mix of modern industry and
commerce along with a traditional agriculture sector that still
accounts for more than 35% of employment. It has a strong and
rapidly growing private sector, yet the state still plays a major
role in basic industry, banking, transport, and communication. The
largest industrial sector is textiles and clothing, which accounts
for one-third of industrial employment; it faces stiff competition
in international markets with the end of the global quota system.
However, other sectors, notably the automotive and electronics
industries, are rising in importance within Turkey's export mix.
Real GNP growth has exceeded 6% in many years, but this strong
expansion has been interrupted by sharp declines in output in 1994,
1999, and 2001. The economy is turning around with the
implementation of economic reforms, and 2004 GDP growth reached 9%,
followed by roughly 5% annual growth in 2005-06. Inflation fell to
7.7% in 2005 - a 30-year low, but climbed back to 9.8% in 2006.
Despite the strong economic gains in 2002-06, which were largely due
to renewed investor interest in emerging markets, IMF backing, and
tighter fiscal policy, the economy is still burdened by a high
current account deficit and high debt. The public sector fiscal
deficit exceeds 6% of GDP - due in large part to high interest
payments, which accounted for about 37% of central government
spending in 2004. Prior to 2005, foreign direct investment (FDI) in
Turkey averaged less than $1 billion annually, but further economic
and judicial reforms and prospective EU membership are expected to
boost FDI. Privatization sales are currently approaching $21
billion. Oil began to flow through the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pipeline
in May 2006, marking a major milestone that will bring up to 1
billion barrels per day from the Caspian to market.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$627.2 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$358.2 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5.2% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$8,900 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 11.2%
industry: 29.4%
services: 59.4% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
24.8 million
note: about 1.2 million Turks work abroad (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 35.9%
industry: 22.8%
services: 41.2% (3rd quarter)

Unemployment rate:
10.2% plus underemployment of 4% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line:
20% (2002)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 30.7% (2000)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
42 (2003)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9.8% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
20.1% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $112.3 billion
expenditures: $121.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2006 est.)

Public debt:
64.7% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulse, citrus;
livestock

Industries:
textiles, food processing, autos, electronics, mining (coal,
chromite, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber,
paper

Industrial production growth rate:
5.5% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
143.3 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 79.3%
hydro: 20.4%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0.3% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
140.3 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports:
1.1 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
500 million kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
50,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
715,100 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports:
46,110 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
616,500 bbl/day (2001)

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

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

Natural gas - consumption:
22.6 billion cu m (2005 est.)

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

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

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

Current account balance:
$-25.99 billion (2006 est.)

Exports:
$85.21 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport
equipment

Exports - partners:
Germany 12.9%, UK 8.1%, Italy 7.6%, US 6.7%, France 5.2%, Spain
4.1% (2005)

Imports:
$120.9 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, chemicals, semi-finished goods, fuels, transport
equipment

Imports - partners:
Germany 11.7%, Russia 11%, Italy 6.5%, China 5.9%, France 5%, US
4.6%, UK 4% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$53.42 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$193.6 billion (30 June 2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
ODA, $635.8 million (2002)

Currency (code):
Turkish lira (YTL); old Turkish lira (TRL) before 1 January 2005

Currency code:
TRL, YTL

Exchange rates:
Turkish liras per US dollar - 1.44514 (2006), 1.3436 (2005), 1.4255
(2004), 1.5009 (2003), 1.5072 (2002), note, on 1 January 2005 the
old Turkish Lira (TRL) was converted to new Turkish Lira (YTL) at a
rate of 1,000,000 old to 1 new Turkish Lira

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Turkey

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

Telephones - mobile cellular:
43.609 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: undergoing rapid modernization and expansion,
especially with cellular telephones
domestic: additional digital exchanges are permitting a rapid
increase in subscribers; the construction of a network of
technologically advanced intercity trunk lines, using both
fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay is facilitating
communication between urban centers; remote areas are reached by a
domestic satellite system; the number of subscribers to mobile
cellular telephone service is growing rapidly
international: country code - 90; international service is provided
by three submarine fiber-optic cables in the Mediterranean and Black
Seas, linking Turkey with Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania,
and Russia; also by 12 Intelsat earth stations, and by 328 mobile
satellite terminals in the Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems (2002)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 16, FM 107, shortwave 6 (2001)

Radios:
11.3 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
635 (plus 2,934 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
20.9 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.tr

Internet hosts:
1,313,135 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
50 (2001)

Internet users:
16 million (2005)

Transportation Turkey

Airports:
117 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 89
over 3,047 m: 15
2,438 to 3,047 m: 33
1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
914 to 1,523 m: 18
under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 28
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 17 (2006)

Heliports:
18 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 4,621 km; oil 3,543 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 8,697 km
standard gauge: 8,697 km 1.435-m gauge (2,122 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
total: 426,906 km
paved: 177,550 km (including 1,892 km of expressways)
unpaved: 249,356 km (2004)

Waterways:
1,200 km (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 545 ships (1000 GRT or over) 4,772,864 GRT/7,313,070 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 109, cargo 239, chemical tanker 50, container
24, liquefied gas 6, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 50, petroleum
tanker 36, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 24, specialized
tanker 2
foreign-owned: 7 (Cyprus 2, Germany 1, Italy 3, Switzerland 1)
registered in other countries: 411 (Albania 1, Antigua and Barbuda
8, Bahamas 8, Belize 11, Cambodia 26, Comoros 11, Dominica 3,
Georgia 30, Isle of Man 3, North Korea 4, Liberia 1, Libya 2, Malta
123, Marshall Islands 20, Netherlands Antilles 9, Panama 42, Russia
63, Saint Kitts and Nevis 6, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 25,
Slovakia 8, Tuvalu 2, UK 2, unknown 3) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Aliaga, Ambarli, Eregli, Haydarpasa, Istanbul, Izmir, Kocaeli
(Izmit), Toros

Military Turkey

Military branches:
Turkish Armed Forces (TSK): Land Forces, Turkish Naval Forces (Turk
Deniz Kuvvetleri, TDK; includes naval air and naval infantry),
Turkish Air Force (Turk Hava Kuvvetleri, THK) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
20 years of age (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 20-49: 16,756,323
females age 20-49: 16,051,706 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 20-49: 13,905,901
females age 20-49: 13,335,812 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 679,734
females age 20-49: 659,090 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$12.155 billion (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
5.3% (2003)

Military - note:
in the early 1990s, the Turkish Land Force was a large but badly
equipped infantry force; there were 14 infantry divisions, but only
one was mechanized, and out of 16 infantry brigades, only six were
mechanized; the overhaul that has taken place since has produced
highly mobile forces with greatly enhanced firepower in accordance
with NATO's new strategic concept (2005)

Transnational Issues Turkey

Disputes - international:
complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Greece in the
Aegean Sea; status of north Cyprus question remains; Syria and Iraq
protest Turkish hydrological projects to control upper Euphrates
waters; Turkey has expressed concern over the status of Kurds in
Iraq; border with Armenia remains closed over Nagorno-Karabakh

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 1-1.2 million (fighting 1984-99 between Kurdish PKK and
Turkish military; most IDPs in southeastern provinces) (2006)

Illicit drugs:
key transit route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe and
- to a far lesser extent the US - via air, land, and sea routes;
major Turkish, Iranian, and other international trafficking
organizations operate out of Istanbul; laboratories to convert
imported morphine base into heroin are in remote regions of Turkey
and near Istanbul; government maintains strict controls over areas
of legal opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw
concentrate; lax enforcement of money-laundering controls

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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

@Turkmenistan

Introduction Turkmenistan

Background:
Annexed by Russia between 1865 and 1885, Turkmenistan became a
Soviet republic in 1924. It achieved its independence upon the
dissolution of the USSR in 1991. President Saparmurat NIYAZOV
retains absolute control over the country and opposition is not
tolerated. Extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves could prove a
boon to this underdeveloped country if extraction and delivery
projects were to be expanded. The Turkmenistan Government is
actively seeking to develop alternative petroleum transportation
routes in order to break Russia's pipeline monopoly.

Geography Turkmenistan

Location:
Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan

Geographic coordinates:
40 00 N, 60 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 488,100 sq km
land: 488,100 sq km
water: NEGL

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than California

Land boundaries:
total: 3,736 km
border countries: Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379
km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km

Coastline:
0 km; note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
subtropical desert

Terrain:
flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the
south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in
west

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Vpadina Akchanaya -81 m; note - Sarygamysh Koli is a
lake in northern Turkmenistan with a water level that fluctuates
above and below the elevation of Vpadina Akchanaya (the lake has
dropped as low as -110 m)
highest point: Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt

Land use:
arable land: 4.51%
permanent crops: 0.14%
other: 95.35% (2005)

Irrigated land:
18,000 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
contamination of soil and groundwater with agricultural chemicals,
pesticides; salination, water-logging of soil due to poor irrigation
methods; Caspian Sea pollution; diversion of a large share of the
flow of the Amu Darya into irrigation contributes to that river's
inability to replenish the Aral Sea; desertification

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

Geography - note:
landlocked; the western and central low-lying, desolate portions of
the country make up the great Garagum (Kara-Kum) desert, which
occupies over 80% of the country; eastern part is plateau

People Turkmenistan

Population:
5,042,920 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 35.2% (male 913,988/female 863,503)
15-64 years: 60.7% (male 1,501,486/female 1,557,155)
65 years and over: 4.1% (male 79,227/female 127,561) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 21.8 years
male: 20.9 years
female: 22.7 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.83% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
-0.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 72.56 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 76.9 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 68 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.83 years
male: 58.43 years
female: 65.41 years (2006 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2004 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2004 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Turkmen(s)
adjective: Turkmen

Ethnic groups:
Turkmen 85%, Uzbek 5%, Russian 4%, other 6% (2003)

Religions:
Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2%

Languages:
Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.8%
male: 99.3%
female: 98.3% (1999 est.)

Government Turkmenistan

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turkmenistan
local long form: none
local short form: Turkmenistan
former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic

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

Capital:
name: Ashgabat (Ashkhabad)
geographic coordinates: 37 57 N, 58 23 E
time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
5 provinces (welayatlar, singular - welayat): Ahal Welayaty
(Ashgabat), Balkan Welayaty (Balkanabat), Dashoguz Welayaty, Lebap
Welayaty (Turkmenabat), Mary Welayaty
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
name following in parentheses)

Independence:
27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 October (1991)

Constitution:
adopted 18 May 1992

Legal system:
based on civil law system

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President (Acting) and Chairman of the Cabinet of
Ministers Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMMEDOV; note - President Saparmurat
NIYAZOV died in office 21 December 2006 and Gurbanguly
BERDIMUHAMMEDOV was named his temporary replacement; the president
is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President (Acting) and Chairman of the Cabinet
of Ministers Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMMEDOV
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 21 June 1992; note - President NIYAZOV was
unanimously approved as president for life by the People's Council
on 28 December 1999; deputy chairmen of the Cabinet of Ministers are
appointed by the president
election results: Saparmurat NIYAZOV elected president without
opposition; percent of vote - Saparmurat NIYAZOV 99.5%