Chapter M: Major infectious diseases (43)

15 February 1922; restored to force by the Constitutional Law of the Republic of Latvia adopted by the Supreme Council on 21 August 1991; multiple amendments since

Legal system:

based on civil law system with traces of Socialist legal traditions and practices; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Valdis ZATLERS (since 8 July 2007)

head of government: Prime Minister Valdis DOMBROVSKIS (since 12 March 2009)

cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and appointed by Parliament

elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 31 May 2007 (next to be held in 2011); prime minister appointed by the president, confirmed by Parliament

election results: Valdis ZATLERS elected president; parliamentary vote - Valdis ZATLERS 58, Aivars ENDZINS 39

Legislative branch:

unicameral Parliament or Saeima (100 seats; members are elected by proportional representation from party lists by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 7 October 2006 (next to be held in October 2010)

election results: percent of vote by party - TP 19.5%, ZZS 16.7%, JL 16.4%, SC 14.4%; LPP/LC 8.6%; TB/LNNK 6.9%; PCTVL 6%; seats by party - TP 23, ZZS 18, JL 18, SC 17, LPP/LC 10, TB/LNNK 8, PCTVL 6; note - seats by party as of January 2009 - TP 21, SC 18, ZZS 17, JL 14, LPP/LC 10, Civic Union 7, TB/LNNK 5, PCTVL 5, independents 3

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by parliament); Constitutional Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by parliament)

Political parties and leaders:

Civic Union [Sandra KALNIETE, Girts Valdis KRISTOVSKIS]; First Party of Latvia/Latvia's Way or LPP/LC [Ainars SLESERS, Ivars GODMANIS]; For Human Rights in a United Latvia or PCTVL [Jakovs PLINERS, Tatjana ZDANOKA]; For the Fatherland and Freedom/Latvian National Independence Movement or TB/LNNK [Roberts ZILE, Maris GRINBLATS]; Harmony Center or SC [Nils USAKOVS, Janis URBANOVICS]; New Era Party or JL [Solvita ABOLTINA, Dzintars ZAKIS]; People's Party or TP [Mareks SEGLINS]; Society for Different Politics or SCP [Aigars STOKENBERGS; Artis PABRIKS]; The Union of Latvian Greens and Farmers Party or ZZS [Augusts BRIGMANIS]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Free Trade Union Confederation of Latvia [Peteris KRIGERS], Employers' Confederation of Latvia [Elina EGLE], Farmers' Parliament [Juris LAZDINS]

International organization participation:

Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Andrejs PILDEGOVICS

chancery: 2306 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 328-2840

FAX: [1] (202) 328-2860

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Bruce ROGERS

embassy: 7 Raina Boulevard, Riga LV-1510

mailing address: American Embassy Riga, PSC 78, Box Riga, APO AE 09723

telephone: [371] 670-36200

FAX: [371] 678-20047

Flag description:

three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon

Economy ::Latvia

Economy - overview:

Latvia's economy experienced GDP growth of more than 10% per year during 2006-07; but entered a severe recession in 2008 as a result of an unsustainable current account deficit and large debt exposure amid the softening world economy. The IMF, EU, and other donors provided assistance to Latvia as part of an agreement to defend the currency's peg to the euro and reduce the fiscal deficit to about 5% of GDP. The majority of companies, banks, and real estate have been privatized, although the state still holds sizable stakes in a few large enterprises. Latvia officially joined the World Trade Organization in February 1999. EU membership, a top foreign policy goal, came in May 2004. The current account deficit and inflation remain major concerns.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$38.95 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 98 $40.83 billion (2007 est.)

$37.12 billion (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate):

$33.98 billion (2008 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

-4.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 216 10% (2007 est.)

12.2% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$17,300 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 72 $18,100 (2007 est.)

$16,300 (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 3.1%

industry: 22.7%

services: 74.2% (2008 est.)

Labor force:

1.193 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 135

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 12.1%

industry: 25.8%

services: 61.8% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate:

7.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 97 5.7% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.7%

highest 10%: 27.4% (2004)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

36 (2005) country comparison to the world: 84 32 (1999)

Investment (gross fixed):

30.2% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 23

Budget:

revenues: $12.06 billion

expenditures: $13.41 billion (2008 est.)

Public debt:

19.5% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 96 11.8% of GDP (2004 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

15.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 192 10.1% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

6% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 76 6% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

11.85% (31 December 2008)

Stock of money:

$6.688 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 48 $8.196 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$5.572 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 64 $5.113 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$28.96 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 54 $27.56 billion (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$1.609 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 91 $3.111 billion (31 December 2007)

$2.705 billion (31 December 2006)

Agriculture - products:

grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish

Industries:

buses, vans, street and railroad cars; synthetic fibers, agricultural machinery, fertilizers, washing machines, radios, electronics, pharmaceuticals, processed foods, textiles; note - dependent on imports for energy and raw materials

Industrial production growth rate:

-4.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 165

Electricity - production:

4.62 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 114

Electricity - consumption:

6.822 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 99

Electricity - exports:

2.123 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports:

4.643 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 145

Oil - consumption:

39,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 103

Oil - exports:

5,873 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 103

Oil - imports:

43,400 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 95

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 187

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 168

Natural gas - consumption:

2.05 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 80

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 76

Natural gas - imports:

2.05 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 45

Current account balance:

-$4.492 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 157 -$6.485 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$9.634 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 89 $8.227 billion (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs

Exports - partners:

Lithuania 15.5%, Russia 14.7%, Estonia 13.2%, Germany 7.7%, Sweden 6.2%, Denmark 4.3% (2008)

Imports:

$15.65 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 80 $15.13 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, vehicles

Imports - partners:

Lithuania 16.1%, Germany 12.9%, Russia 10.7%, Poland 7%, Estonia 7%, Sweden 4.4%, Finland 4.3% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$5.248 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 81 $5.758 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$42.26 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 57 $38.95 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$11.21 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 80 $9.779 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$1.083 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 70 $782 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Exchange rates:

lati (LVL) per US dollar - 0.4701 (2008 est.), 0.5162 (2007), 0.5597 (2006), 0.5647 (2005), 0.5402 (2004)

Communications ::Latvia

Telephones - main lines in use:

644,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 92

Telephones - mobile cellular:

2.234 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 119

Telephone system:

general assessment: recent efforts focused on bringing competition to the telecommunications sector; the number of fixed lines is decreasing as wireless telephone service expands

domestic: number of telecommunications operators has grown rapidly since the fixed-line market opened to competition in 2003; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership exceeds 125 per 100 persons

international: country code - 371; the Latvian network is now connected via fiber optic cable to Estonia, Finland, and Sweden (2008)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 8, FM 62, shortwave 1 (2008)

Television broadcast stations:

37 (plus 31 repeaters) (2008)

Internet country code:

.lv

Internet hosts:

257,414 (2009) country comparison to the world: 60

Internet users:

1.254 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 82

Transportation ::Latvia

Airports:

43 (2009) country comparison to the world: 100

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 20

over 3,047 m: 1

2,438 to 3,047 m: 3

1,524 to 2,437 m: 5

914 to 1,523 m: 3

under 914 m: 8 (2009)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 23

under 914 m: 23 (2009)

Pipelines:

gas 948 km; refined products 415 km (2008)

Railways:

total: 2,298 km country comparison to the world: 67 broad gauge: 2,265 km 1.520-m gauge

narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (2008)

Roadways:

total: 69,675 km country comparison to the world: 68 paved: 69,675 km (2006)

Waterways:

300 km (2007) country comparison to the world: 93

Merchant marine:

total: 22 country comparison to the world: 95 by type: cargo 8, chemical tanker 3, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 2

foreign-owned: 2 (Estonia 2)

registered in other countries: 118 (Antigua and Barbuda 13, Belize 12, Cambodia 1, Cook Islands 1, Cyprus 1, Dominica 1, Jamaica 1, Liberia 21, Malta 19, Marshall Islands 16, Panama 8, Russia 2, Saint Kitts and Nevis 5, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 17) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Riga, Ventspils

Military ::Latvia

Military branches:

National Armed Forces (Nacionalo Brunoto Speku): Ground Forces, Navy (Latvijas Juras Speki; includes Coast Guard (Latvijas Kara Flotes)), Latvian Air Force (Latvijas Gaisa Speki), Border Guard, Latvian Home Guard (Latvijas Zemessardze) (2009)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for voluntary male and female military service; conscription abolished January 2007; under current law, every citizen is entitled to serve in the armed forces for life (2009)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 568,683

females age 16-49: 565,826 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 410,374

females age 16-49: 463,144 (2009 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 12,901

female: 12,497 (2009 est.)

Military expenditures:

1.2% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 127

Transnational Issues ::Latvia

Disputes - international:

Russia demands better Latvian treatment of ethnic Russians in Latvia; as of January 2007, ground demarcation of the boundary with Belarus was complete and mapped with final ratification documentation in preparation; the Latvian parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily due to concerns over oil exploration rights; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Latvia has implemented the strict Schengen border rules with Russia

Illicit drugs:

transshipment and destination point for cocaine, synthetic drugs, opiates, and cannabis from Southwest Asia, Western Europe, Latin America, and neighboring Balkan countries; despite improved legislation, vulnerable to money laundering due to nascent enforcement capabilities and comparatively weak regulation of offshore companies and the gaming industry; CIS organized crime (including counterfeiting, corruption, extortion, stolen cars, and prostitution) accounts for most laundered proceeds

page last updated on November 11, 2009

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

@Lebanon (Middle East)

Introduction ::Lebanon

Background:

Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French separated out the region of Lebanon in 1920, and granted this area independence in 1943. A lengthy civil war (1975-1990) devastated the country, but Lebanon has since made progress toward rebuilding its political institutions. Under the Ta'if Accord - the blueprint for national reconciliation - the Lebanese established a more equitable political system, particularly by giving Muslims a greater voice in the political process while institutionalizing sectarian divisions in the government. Since the end of the war, Lebanon has conducted several successful elections. Most militias have been disbanded, with the exception of Hizballah, designated by the US State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, and Palestinian militant groups. During Lebanon's civil war, the Arab League legitimized in the Ta'if Accord Syria's troop deployment, numbering about 16,000 based mainly east of Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley. Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in May 2000 and the passage in September 2004 of UNSCR 1559 - a resolution calling for Syria to withdraw from Lebanon and end its interference in Lebanese affairs - encouraged some Lebanese groups to demand that Syria withdraw its forces as well. The assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq HARIRI and 22 others in February 2005 led to massive demonstrations in Beirut against the Syrian presence ("the Cedar Revolution"), and Syria withdrew the remainder of its military forces in April 2005. In May-June 2005, Lebanon held its first legislative elections since the end of the civil war free of foreign interference, handing a majority to the bloc led by Saad HARIRI, the slain prime minister's son. In July 2006, Hizballah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers leading to a 34-day conflict with Israel in which approximately 1,200 Lebanese civilians were killed. UNSCR 1701 ended the war in August 2006, and Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) deployed throughout the country for the first time in decades, charged with securing Lebanon's borders against weapons smuggling and maintaining a weapons-free zone in south Lebanon with the help of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The LAF in May-September 2007 battled Sunni extremist group Fatah al-Islam in the Nahr al-Barid Palestinian refugee camp, winning a decisive victory, but destroying the camp and displacing 30,000 Palestinian residents. Lebanese politicians in November 2007 were unable to agree on a successor to Emile LAHUD when he stepped down as president, creating a political vacuum until the election of Army Commander Michel SULAYMAN in May 2008 and the formation of a new unity government in July 2008.

Geography ::Lebanon

Location:

Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria

Geographic coordinates:

33 50 N, 35 50 E

Map references:

Middle East

Area:

total: 10,400 sq km country comparison to the world: 169 land: 10,230 sq km

water: 170 sq km

Area - comparative:

about 0.7 times the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries:

total: 454 km

border countries: Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km

Coastline:

225 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate:

Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows

Terrain:

narrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m

highest point: Qurnat as Sawda' 3,088 m

Natural resources:

limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land

Land use:

arable land: 16.35%

permanent crops: 13.75%

other: 69.9% (2005)

Irrigated land:

1,040 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

4.8 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 1.38 cu km/yr (33%/1%/67%)

per capita: 385 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

dust storms, sandstorms

Environment - current issues:

deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Beirut from vehicular traffic and the burning of industrial wastes; pollution of coastal waters from raw sewage and oil spills

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:

Nahr el Litani is the only major river in Near East not crossing an international boundary; rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, and ethnicity

People ::Lebanon

Population:

4,017,095 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 126

Age structure:

0-14 years: 25.8% (male 528,047/female 506,838)

15-64 years: 67.1% (male 1,294,485/female 1,399,047)

65 years and over: 7.2% (male 130,148/female 158,530) (2009 est.)

Median age:

total: 29.3 years

male: 28 years

female: 30.5 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.107% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 122

Birth rate:

17.1 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 120

Death rate:

6.03 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 162

Net migration rate:

NA (2009 est.)

Urbanization:

urban population: 87% of total population (2008)

rate of urbanization: 1.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female

total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 21.82 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 99 male: 24.26 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 19.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 73.66 years country comparison to the world: 101 male: 71.15 years

female: 76.31 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.85 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 152

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 118

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

3,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 131

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 200 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 110

Nationality:

noun: Lebanese (singular and plural)

adjective: Lebanese

Ethnic groups:

Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%

note: many Christian Lebanese do not identify themselves as Arab but rather as descendents of the ancient Canaanites and prefer to be called Phoenicians

Religions:

Muslim 59.7% (Shia, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri), Christian 39% (Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Chaldean, Assyrian, Copt, Protestant), other 1.3%

note: 17 religious sects recognized

Languages:

Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 87.4%

male: 93.1%

female: 82.2% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 13 years

male: 13 years

female: 13 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

2.7% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 153

Government ::Lebanon

Country name:

conventional long form: Lebanese Republic

conventional short form: Lebanon

local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah

local short form: Lubnan

former: Greater Lebanon

Government type:

republic

Capital:

name: Beirut

geographic coordinates: 33 52 N, 35 30 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:

6 governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah); Beqaa, Beyrouth (Beirut), Liban-Nord, Liban-Sud, Mont-Liban, Nabatiye

note: two new governorates - Aakar and Baalbek-Hermel - have been legislated but not yet implemented

Independence:

22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 22 November (1943)

Constitution:

23 May 1926; amended a number of times, most recently Charter of Lebanese National Reconciliation (Ta'if Accord) of October 1989

Legal system:

mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code, and civil law; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education; excludes military personnel

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Michel SULAYMAN (since 25 May 2008)

head of government: Prime Minister Sa'ad AL-HARIRI (since 9 November 2009);Deputy Prime Minister Elias MURR (since 9 November 2009)

cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president and members of the National Assembly

elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a six-year term (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 25 May 2008 (next to be held in 2014); the prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with the National Assembly

election results: Michel SULAYMAN elected president; National Assembly vote - 118 for, 6 abstentions, 3 invalidated

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly or Majlis Alnuwab (Arabic) or Assemblee Nationale (French) (128 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of sectarian proportional representation to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held on 7 June 2009 (next to be held in 2013)

election results: percent of vote by group - March 8 Coalition 54.7%, March 14 Coalition 45.3%; seats by group - March 14 Coalition 71; March 8 Coalition 57

Judicial branch:

four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil and commercial cases and one court for criminal cases); Constitutional Council (called for in Ta'if Accord - rules on constitutionality of laws); Supreme Council (hears charges against the president and prime minister as needed)

Political parties and leaders:

14 March Coalition: Democratic Gathering Bloc [Walid JUNBLATT, leader of Progressive Socialist Party]; Democratic Left [Ilyas ATALLAH]; Democratic Renewal Movement [Nassib LAHUD]; Future Movement Bloc [Sa'ad al-HARIRI]; Kataeb Party [Amine GEMAYEL]; Lebanese Forces [Samir JA'JA]; Tripoli Independent Bloc

8 March Coalition: Development and Resistance Bloc [Nabih BERRI, leader of Amal Movement]; Free Patriotic Movement [Michel AWN]; Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc [Mohammad RA'AD] (includes Hizballah Party [Hassan NASRALLAH]); Nasserite Popular Movement [Ussama SAAD]; Popular Bloc [Elias SKAFF]; Syrian Ba'th Party [Sayez SHUKR]; Syrian Social Nationalist Party [Ali QANSO]

Independent: Metn Bloc [Michel MURR]; Tashnaq

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Hizballah military wing

other: Palestinian militias; Maronite Christians; Sunnis and their militias; Shias and their militias

International organization participation:

ABEDA, ACCT, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Antoine CHEDID

chancery: 2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 939-6300

FAX: [1] (202) 939-6324

consulate(s) general: Detroit, New York, Los Angeles

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Michele J. SISON

embassy: Awkar, Lebanon; (Awkar facing the Municipality)

mailing address: P. O. Box 70-840, Antelias, Lebanon; from US: US Embassy Beirut, 6070 Beirut Place, Washington, DC 20521-6070

telephone: [961] (4) 542600, 543600

FAX: [961] (4) 544136

Flag description:

three horizontal bands consisting of red (top), white (middle, double width), and red (bottom) with a green cedar tree centered in the white band

Economy ::Lebanon

Economy - overview:

Lebanon has a free-market economy and a strong laissez-faire commercial tradition. The government does not restrict foreign investment; however, the investment climate suffers from red tape, corruption, arbitrary licensing decisions, high taxes, tariffs, and fees, archaic legislation, and weak intellectual property rights. The Lebanese economy is service-oriented; main growth sectors include banking and tourism. The 1975-90 civil war seriously damaged Lebanon's economic infrastructure, cut national output by half, and all but ended Lebanon's position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub. In the years since, Lebanon has rebuilt much of its war-torn physical and financial infrastructure by borrowing heavily - mostly from domestic banks. In an attempt to reduce the ballooning national debt, the Rafiq HARIRI government in 2000 began an austerity program, reining in government expenditures, increasing revenue collection, and passing legislation to privatize state enterprises, but economic and financial reform initiatives stalled and public debt continued to grow despite receipt of more than $2 billion in bilateral assistance at the 2002 Paris II Donors Conference. The Israeli-Hizballah conflict in July-August 2006 caused an estimated $3.6 billion in infrastructure damage, and prompted international donors to pledge nearly $1 billion in recovery and reconstruction assistance. Donors met again in January 2007 at the Paris III Donor Conference and pledged more than $7.5 billion to Lebanon for development projects and budget support, conditioned on progress on Beirut's fiscal reform and privatization program. An 18-month political stalemate and sporadic sectarian and political violence hampered economic activity, particularly tourism, retail sales, and investment, until the new government was formed in July 2008. Political stability since the Doha Accord of May 2008 has helped to boost investment and tourism, but economic growth is likely to slow in 2009 as a result of the global economic recession.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$44.16 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 90 $41.54 billion (2007 est.)

$39.95 billion (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate):

$29.35 billion (2008 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

6.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 52 4% (2007 est.)

-4.3% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$11,100 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 98 $10,600 (2007 est.)

$10,300 (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 5.1%

industry: 18.8%

services: 76.1% (2008 est.)

Labor force:

1.481 million country comparison to the world: 129 note: in addition, there are as many as 1 million foreign workers (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: NA%

industry: NA%

services: NA%

Unemployment rate:

9.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 119

Population below poverty line:

28% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

Investment (gross fixed):

22.4% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 77

Budget:

revenues: $6.998 billion

expenditures: $9.955 billion (2008 est.)

Public debt:

160.3% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 3 177.9% of GDP (2004 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

10% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 146 4.2% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

12% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 28 12% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

9.96% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 82 10.26% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$NA (31 December 2008)

$2.374 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$NA (31 December 2008)

$57.4 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$NA (31 December 2008)

$45.51 billion (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$9.641 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 73 $10.86 billion (31 December 2007)

$8.279 billion (31 December 2006)

Agriculture - products:

citrus, grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco; sheep, goats

Industries:

banking, tourism, food processing, wine, jewelry, cement, textiles, mineral and chemical products, wood and furniture products, oil refining, metal fabricating

Industrial production growth rate:

NA%

Electricity - production:

9.03 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 94

Electricity - consumption:

8.42 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 90

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports:

972 million kWh (2007 est.)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 146

Oil - consumption:

92,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 78

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 172

Oil - imports:

86,750 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 72

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 188

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 169

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 165

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 77

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 98

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 160

Current account balance:

-$2.987 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 148 -$1.395 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$5.023 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 109 $4.077 billion (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

jewelry, base metals, chemicals, miscellaneous consumer goods, fruit and vegetables, tobacco, construction minerals, electric power machinery and switchgear, textile fibers, paper

Exports - partners:

Syria 24.9%, UAE 12.9%, Switzerland 6.6%, Saudi Arabia 6.1%, Turkey 4.2% (2008)

Imports:

$16.25 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 76 $11.93 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

petroleum products, cars, medicinal products, clothing, meat and live animals, consumer goods, paper, textile fabrics, tobacco, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals

Imports - partners:

Syria 10.5%, France 9.5%, US 9.3%, Italy 7.3%, China 6.8%, Germany 4.9%, Saudi Arabia 4.8%, Turkey 4.2% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$28.28 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 46 $20.55 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$33.28 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 61 $31.6 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$NA

Exchange rates:

Lebanese pounds (LBP) per US dollar - 1,507.5 (2008 est.), 1,507.5 (2007), 1,507.5 (2006), 1,507.5 (2005), 1,507.5 (2004)

Communications ::Lebanon

Telephones - main lines in use:

714,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 89

Telephones - mobile cellular:

1.43 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 134

Telephone system:

general assessment: repair of the telecommunications system, severely damaged during the civil war, now complete

domestic: two wireless networks provide good service; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership exceeds 50 per 100 persons

international: country code - 961; submarine cable links to Cyprus, Egypt, and Syria; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean); coaxial cable to Syria (2008)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 20, FM 32 (plus about a dozen unlicensed stations operating), shortwave 4 (2007)

Television broadcast stations:

15 (plus 5 repeaters) (1995)

Internet country code:

.lb

Internet hosts:

45,352 (2009) country comparison to the world: 86

Internet users:

2.19 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 67

Transportation ::Lebanon

Airports:

7 (2009) country comparison to the world: 167

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 5

over 3,047 m: 1

2,438 to 3,047 m: 2

914 to 1,523 m: 1

under 914 m: 1 (2009)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 2

914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2009)

Pipelines:

gas 43 km (2008)

Railways:

total: 401 km country comparison to the world: 119 standard gauge: 319 km 1.435 m

narrow gauge: 82 km 1.050 m

note: rail system unusable because of the damage done during fighting in the 1980s and in 2006 (2008)

Roadways:

total: 6,970 km (includes 170 km of expressways) (2005) country comparison to the world: 148

Merchant marine:

total: 33 country comparison to the world: 84 by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 13, carrier 11, passenger/cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 2, vehicle carrier 2

foreign-owned: 4 (Greece 2, Syria 2)

registered in other countries: 55 (Barbados 1, Cambodia 8, Comoros 4, Cyprus 1, Egypt 1, Georgia 4, Honduras 1, Italy 1, North Korea 1, Liberia 2, Malta 11, Mongolia 2, Panama 5, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6, Sierra Leone 1, Syria 3, Togo 1, unknown 2) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Beirut, Tripoli

Military ::Lebanon

Military branches:

Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF): Army (includes Navy), Air Force (Al Quwwat al Jawwiya al Lubnaniya) (2009)

Military service age and obligation:

18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2007)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,106,879

females age 16-49: 1,122,595 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 948,765

females age 16-49: 954,663 (2009 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 33,018

female: 31,800 (2009 est.)

Military expenditures:

3.1% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 45

Transnational Issues ::Lebanon

Disputes - international:

lacking a treaty or other documentation describing the boundary, portions of the Lebanon-Syria boundary are unclear with several sections in dispute; since 2000, Lebanon has claimed Shab'a Farms area in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights; the roughly 2,000-strong UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has been in place since 1978

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): 405,425 (Palestinian refugees (UNRWA)); 50,000-60,000 (Iraq)

IDPs: 17,000 (1975-90 civil war, Israeli invasions); 200,000 (July-August 2006 war) (2007)

Illicit drugs:

cannabis cultivation dramatically reduced to 2,500 hectares in 2002 despite continued significant cannabis consumption; opium poppy cultivation minimal; small amounts of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin transit country on way to European markets and for Middle Eastern consumption; money laundering of drug proceeds fuels concern that extremists are benefiting from drug trafficking

page last updated on November 11, 2009

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

@Lesotho (Africa)

Introduction ::Lesotho

Background:

Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The Basuto National Party ruled for the first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Botswanan military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community. Subsequent constitutional reforms restored relative political stability. Peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002, but the National Assembly elections of February 2007 were hotly contested and aggrieved parties continue to periodically demonstrate their distrust of the results.

Geography ::Lesotho

Location:

Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa

Geographic coordinates:

29 30 S, 28 30 E

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 30,355 sq km country comparison to the world: 141 land: 30,355 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries:

total: 909 km

border countries: South Africa 909 km

Coastline:

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:

none (landlocked)

Climate:

temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers

Terrain:

mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m

highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m

Natural resources:

water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone

Land use:

arable land: 10.87%

permanent crops: 0.13%

other: 89% (2005)

Irrigated land:

30 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

5.2 cu km (1987)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.05 cu km/yr (40%/40%/20%)

per capita: 28 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:

population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, and soil exhaustion; desertification; Highlands Water Project controls, stores, and redirects water to South Africa

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 m above sea level

People ::Lesotho

Population:

2,130,819 country comparison to the world: 142 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2009 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 34.8% (male 373,159/female 368,271)

15-64 years: 60.2% (male 629,346/female 654,054)

65 years and over: 5% (male 42,074/female 63,915) (2009 est.)

Median age:

total: 21.4 years

male: 20.9 years

female: 22 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.116% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 189

Birth rate:

24.14 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 72

Death rate:

22.2 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 3

Net migration rate:

-0.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 117

Urbanization:

urban population: 25% of total population (2008)

rate of urbanization: 3.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female

total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 77.4 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 24 male: 81.75 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 72.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 40.38 years country comparison to the world: 221 male: 41.18 years

female: 39.54 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate:

3.06 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 70

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

23.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 3

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

270,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 26

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

18,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 24

Nationality:

noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)

adjective: Basotho

Ethnic groups:

Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%,

Religions:

Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%

Languages:

Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 84.8%

male: 74.5%

female: 94.5% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 10 years

male: 10 years

female: 10 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

13% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 2

Government ::Lesotho

Country name:

conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho

conventional short form: Lesotho

local long form: Kingdom of Lesotho

local short form: Lesotho

former: Basutoland

Government type:

parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Capital:

name: Maseru

geographic coordinates: 29 19 S, 27 29 E

time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka

Independence:

4 October 1966 (from the UK)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 4 October (1966)

Constitution:

2 April 1993

Legal system:

based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996); note - King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne from November 1990 to February 1995 while his father was in exile

head of government: Prime Minister Pakalitha MOSISILI (since 23 May 1998)

cabinet: Cabinet

elections: according to the constitution, the leader of the majority party in the Assembly automatically becomes prime minister; the monarch is hereditary, but, under the terms of the constitution that came into effect after the March 1993 election, the monarch is a "living symbol of national unity" with no executive or legislative powers; under traditional law the college of chiefs has the power to depose the monarch, determine who is next in the line of succession, or who shall serve as regent in the event that the successor is not of mature age

Legislative branch:

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (33 members - 22 principal chiefs and 11 other members appointed by the ruling party) and the Assembly (120 seats, 80 by popular vote and 40 by proportional vote; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)

elections: last held 17 February 2007 (next to be held in 2012)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LCD 61, NIP 21, ABC 17, LWP 10, ACP 4, BNP 3, other 4

Judicial branch:

High Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch acting on the advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts; customary or traditional court

Political parties and leaders:

Alliance of Congress Parties or ACP including the Lesotho People's Congress or LCP [Kelebone MAOPE], the Basotholand African Congress or BAC [Khauhelo RALITAPOLE], and a faction of the Basotho Congress Party or BCP [Ntsukunyane MPHANYA]; All Basotho Convention or ABC [Thomas THABANE]; Basotho Batho Democratic Party or BBDP; Basotho Congress Party or BCP; Basotho Democratic National Party or BDNP [Thabang NYEOE]; Basotho National Party or BNP [Maj. Gen. Justin Metsing LEKHANYA]; Basotholand African National Congress or BANC; Christian Democratic Party or CDP [Enerst RAMOKOENA]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD (the governing party) [Pakalitha MOSISILI]; Lesotho Workers Party or LWP [Macaefa BILLY]; National Independent Party or NIP [Anthony MANYELI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Media Institute of Southern Africa, Lesotho chapter [Thabang MATJAMA] (pushes for media freedom)

International organization participation:

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador David Mohlomi RANTEKOA

chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533 through 5536

FAX: [1] (202) 234-6815

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Robert NOLAN

embassy: 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section)

mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho

telephone: [266] 22 312666

FAX: [266] 22 310116

Flag description:

three horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, and green in the proportions of 3:4:3; the colors represent rain, peace, and prosperity respectively; centered in the white stripe is a black Basotho hat representing the indigenous people; the flag was unfurled in October 2006 to celebrate 40 years of independence

Economy ::Lesotho

Economy - overview:

Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho relies on remittances from miners employed in South Africa and customs duties from the Southern Africa Customs Union for the majority of government revenue. However, the government has recently strengthened its tax system to reduce dependency on customs duties. Completion of a major hydropower facility in January 1998 permitted the sale of water to South Africa and generated royalties for Lesotho. Lesotho produces about 90% of its own electrical power needs. As the number of mineworkers has declined steadily over the past several years, a small manufacturing base has developed based on farm products that support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries, as well as a rapidly expanding apparel-assembly sector. The latter has grown significantly mainly due to Lesotho qualifying for the trade benefits contained in the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. The economy is still primarily based on subsistence agriculture, especially livestock, although drought has decreased agricultural activity. The extreme inequality in the distribution of income remains a major drawback. Lesotho has signed an Interim Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility with the IMF. In July 2007, Lesotho signed a Millennium Challenge Account Compact with the US worth $362.5 million.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$3.301 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 170 $3.091 billion (2007 est.)

$2.949 billion (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate):

$1.618 billion (2008 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

6.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 43 4.8% (2007 est.)

6.2% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$1,600 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 194 $1,500 (2007 est.)

$1,400 (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 15.1%

industry: 46.4%

services: 38.5% (2008 est.)

Labor force:

854,600 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 142

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa

industry and services: 14% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate:

45% (2002) country comparison to the world: 190

Population below poverty line:

49% (1999)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 1%

highest 10%: 39.4% (2003)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

63.2 (1995) country comparison to the world: 3 56 (1986-87)

Investment (gross fixed):

40.8% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 3

Budget:

revenues: $825.1 million

expenditures: $758.7 million (2008 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

10.7% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 157 8% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

14.05% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 20 12.82% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

16.19% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 50 14.13% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$416.5 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 98 $439.2 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$108.1 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 119 $160.2 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$NA (31 December 2008)

$NA (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock

Industries:

food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts, construction, tourism

Industrial production growth rate:

10% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 13

Electricity - production:

502 million kWh country comparison to the world: 159 note: electricity supplied by South Africa (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

516.9 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 161

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports:

50 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2008 est.)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 143

Oil - consumption:

2,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 183

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 171

Oil - imports:

1,553 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 182

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 159

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 165

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 163

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 161

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 164

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 168

Current account balance:

$121 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 56 $211.8 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$956 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 152 $805 million (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (2000)

Exports - partners:

US 58.9%, Belgium 37%, Madagascar 1.2% (2008)

Imports:

$1.88 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 152 $1.604 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products

Imports - partners:

China 35.5%, Hong Kong 22.1%, South Korea 19.1%, Germany 5.9%, Pakistan 4.6% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$993 million (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 128 $874 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$619 million (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 162 $689 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Exchange rates:

maloti (LSL) per US dollar - 7.75 (2008 est.), 7.25 (2007), 6.85 (2006), 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004)

Communications ::Lesotho

Telephones - main lines in use:

65,200 (2008) country comparison to the world: 156

Telephones - mobile cellular:

581,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 153

Telephone system:

general assessment: rudimentary system consisting of a modest but growing number of landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a small radiotelephone communication system; mobile-cellular telephone system is expanding

domestic: privatized in 2001, Telecom Lesotho tasked with providing an additional 50,000 fixed-line connections within five years, a target not met; mobile-cellular service is expanding with a subscribership exceeding 25 per 100 persons; rural services are scant

international: country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2008)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 1 (2007)

Television broadcast stations:

1 (2007)

Internet country code:

.ls

Internet hosts:

127 (2009) country comparison to the world: 197

Internet users:

73,300 (2008) country comparison to the world: 163

Transportation ::Lesotho

Airports:

26 (2009) country comparison to the world: 126

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 3

over 3,047 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 1

under 914 m: 1 (2009)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 23

914 to 1,523 m: 5

under 914 m: 18 (2009)

Roadways:

total: 7,091 km country comparison to the world: 147 paved: 1,404 km

unpaved: 5,687 km (2003)

Military ::Lesotho

Military branches:

Lesotho Defense Force (LDF): Army (includes Air Wing) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 525,203

females age 16-49: 522,485 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 267,083

females age 16-49: 240,868 (2009 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 26,039

female: 25,964 (2009 est.)

Military expenditures:

2.6% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 60

Military - note:

Lesotho's declared policy is maintenance of its independent sovereignty and preservation of internal security; in practice, external security is guaranteed by South Africa; restructuring of the Lesotho Defense Force (LDF) and Ministry of Defense and Public Service over the past five years has focused on subordinating the defense apparatus to civilian control and restoring the LDF's cohesion; the restructuring has considerably improved capabilities and professionalism, but the LDF is disproportionately large for a small, poor country; the government has outlined a reduction to a planned 1,500-man strength, but these plans have met with vociferous resistance from the political opposition and from inside the LDF (2008)

Transnational Issues ::Lesotho

Disputes - international:

none

page last updated on November 11, 2009

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

@Liberia (Africa)

Introduction ::Liberia

Background:

Settlement of freed slaves from the US in what is today Liberia began in 1822; by 1847, the Americo-Liberians were able to establish a republic. William TUBMAN, president from 1944-71, did much to promote foreign investment and to bridge the economic, social, and political gaps between the descendents of the original settlers and the inhabitants of the interior. In 1980, a military coup led by Samuel DOE ushered in a decade of authoritarian rule. In December 1989, Charles TAYLOR launched a rebellion against DOE's regime that led to a prolonged civil war in which DOE himself was killed. A period of relative peace in 1997 allowed for elections that brought TAYLOR to power, but major fighting resumed in 2000. An August 2003 peace agreement ended the war and prompted the resignation of former president Charles TAYLOR, who faces war crimes charges in The Hague related to his involvement in Sierra Leone's civil war. After two years of rule by a transitional government, democratic elections in late 2005 brought President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF to power. The UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) maintains a strong presence throughout the country, but the security situation is still fragile and the process of rebuilding the social and economic structure of this war-torn country will take many years.

Geography ::Liberia

Location:

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone

Geographic coordinates:

6 30 N, 9 30 W

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 111,369 sq km country comparison to the world: 103 land: 96,320 sq km

water: 15,049 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly larger than Tennessee

Land boundaries:

total: 1,585 km

border countries: Guinea 563 km, Cote d'Ivoire 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km

Coastline:

579 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 200 nm

Climate:

tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers

Terrain:

mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point: Mount Wuteve 1,380 m

Natural resources:

iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower

Land use:

arable land: 3.43%

permanent crops: 1.98%

other: 94.59% (2005)

Irrigated land:

30 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

232 cu km (1987)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.11 cu km/yr (27%/18%/55%)

per capita: 34 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March)

Environment - current issues:

tropical rain forest deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; pollution of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:

facing the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline is characterized by lagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars; the inland grassy plateau supports limited agriculture

People ::Liberia

Population:

3,441,790 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 132

Age structure:

0-14 years: 44.1% (male 760,989/female 758,554)

15-64 years: 53% (male 904,770/female 920,704)

65 years and over: 2.8% (male 47,013/female 49,760) (2009 est.)

Median age:

total: 18 years

male: 17.9 years

female: 18.2 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.665% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 27

Birth rate:

42.25 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 11

Death rate:

20.73 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 6

Net migration rate:

5.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 20

Urbanization:

urban population: 60% of total population (2008)

rate of urbanization: 5.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female

total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 138.24 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 4 male: 153.55 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 122.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 41.84 years country comparison to the world: 218 male: 40.71 years

female: 43 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate:

5.79 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 14

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

1.7% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 35

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

35,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 68

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

2,300 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 58

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: very high