Chapter M: Major infectious diseases (53)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
1.416 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
Current account balance:
$41.93 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 9 $59.51 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$531.7 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 8 $461 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs
Exports - partners:
Germany 25.5%, Belgium 13.8%, France 8.9%, UK 8.8%, Italy 5.2% (2008)
Imports:
$474.8 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 9 $406.2 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs, clothing
Imports - partners:
Germany 16.6%, China 10.1%, Belgium 8.7%, US 7.5%, UK 5.8%, Russia 5.4%, France 4.4% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$28.51 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 45 $26.98 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$2.461 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 5 $2.59 trillion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$644.6 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 8 $724.1 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$843.7 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 5 $876.9 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Communications ::Netherlands
Telephones - main lines in use:
7.324 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 25
Telephones - mobile cellular:
19.927 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 39
Telephone system:
general assessment: highly developed and well maintained
domestic: extensive fixed-line fiber-optic network; large cellular telephone system with 5 major operators utilizing the third generation of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) technology; one in five households now use Voice over the Internet Protocol (VoIP) services
international: country code - 31; submarine cables provide links to the US and Europe; satellite earth stations - 5 (3 Intelsat - 1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 567, shortwave 1 (2008)
Television broadcast stations:
342 (2008)
Internet country code:
.nl
Internet hosts:
12.388 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 9
Internet users:
14.273 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 26
Transportation ::Netherlands
Airports:
27 (2009) country comparison to the world: 124
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 20
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 4 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 3,816 km; oil 365 km; refined products 716 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 2,811 km country comparison to the world: 57 standard gauge: 2,811 km 1.435-m gauge (2,064 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 135,470 km (includes 2,582 km of expressways) (2007) country comparison to the world: 35
Waterways:
6,215 km (navigable for ships of 50 tons) (2007) country comparison to the world: 22
Merchant marine:
total: 622 country comparison to the world: 18 by type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 381, carrier 19, chemical tanker 44, container 76, liquefied gas 15, passenger 16, passenger/cargo 15, petroleum tanker 11, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 23, specialized tanker 3
foreign-owned: 203 (Belgium 2, Cyprus 8, Denmark 29, Finland 14, France 1, Germany 75, Ireland 10, Italy 1, South Korea 1, Norway 12, Sweden 28, Turkey 1, UAE 5, UK 2, US 14)
registered in other countries: 178 (Antigua and Barbuda 20, Australia 2, Austria 2, Bahamas 9, Cambodia 1, Canada 1, Cyprus 22, Germany 1, Gibraltar 21, Isle of Man 1, Liberia 6, Luxembourg 2, Marshall Islands 8, Netherlands Antilles 38, Panama 14, Paraguay 1, Philippines 23, Portugal 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, US 1, unknown 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Amsterdam, IJmuiden, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Vlissingen
Military ::Netherlands
Military branches:
Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (includes Naval Air Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force (Koninklijke Luchtmacht, KLu), Royal Military Police (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
20 years of age for an all-volunteer force (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 3,950,825
females age 16-49: 3,850,800 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 3,224,790
females age 16-49: 3,143,096 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 105,194
female: 100,341 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.6% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
Transnational Issues ::Netherlands
Disputes - international:
none
Illicit drugs:
major European producer of synthetic drugs, including ecstasy, and cannabis cultivator; important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering Europe; major source of US-bound ecstasy; large financial sector vulnerable to money laundering; significant consumer of ecstasy
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Netherlands Antilles (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Netherlands Antilles
Background:
Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, the island of Curacao was hard hit by the abolition of slavery in 1863. Its prosperity (and that of neighboring Aruba) was restored in the early 20th century with the construction of oil refineries to service newly discovered Venezuelan oil fields. The island of Saint Martin is shared with France; its southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles; its northern portion, called Saint Martin, is an overseas collectivity of France.
Geography ::Netherlands Antilles
Location:
Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - composed of five islands, Curacao and Bonaire located off the coast of Venezuela, and Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius lie east of the US Virgin Islands
Geographic coordinates:
Bonaire: 12 12 N, 68 15 W
Curacao: 12 10 N, 69 00 W
Saba: 17 38 N, 63 14 W
Sint Eustatius: 17 30 N, 62 58 W
Sint Maarten: 18 04 N, 63 04 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 800 sq km country comparison to the world: 187 land: 800 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)
Area - comparative:
more than five times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
total: 15 km
border countries: Saint Martin 15 km
Coastline:
364 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Climate:
tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds
Terrain:
generally hilly, volcanic interiors
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m
Natural resources:
phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)
Land use:
arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 90% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes from July to October; Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt and are rarely threatened
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
the five islands of the Netherlands Antilles are divided geographically into the Leeward Islands (northern) group (Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten) and the Windward Islands (southern) group (Bonaire and Curacao); the island of Saint Martin is the smallest landmass in the world shared by two independent states, the French territory of Saint Martin and the Dutch territory of Sint Maarten
People ::Netherlands Antilles
Population:
227,049 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 182
Age structure:
0-14 years: 22.7% (male 26,429/female 25,162)
15-64 years: 67.7% (male 74,183/female 79,434)
65 years and over: 9.6% (male 8,875/female 12,966) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 33.7 years
male: 31.9 years
female: 35.5 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.732% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 144
Birth rate:
14.19 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 149
Death rate:
6.48 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 148
Net migration rate:
-0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 105
Urbanization:
urban population: 93% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 9.09 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 156 male: 9.76 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.65 years country comparison to the world: 65 male: 74.33 years
female: 79.09 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.97 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 134
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Dutch Antillean(s)
adjective: Dutch Antillean
Ethnic groups:
mixed black 85%, other 15% (includes Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 72%, Pentecostal 4.9%, Protestant 3.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.1%, Methodist 2.9%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.7%, other Christian 4.2%, Jewish 1.3%, other or unspecified 1.2%, none 5.2% (2001 census)
Languages:
Papiamento 65.4% (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect), English 15.9% (widely spoken), Dutch 7.3% (official), Spanish 6.1%, Creole 1.6%, other 1.9%, unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.7%
male: 96.7%
female: 96.8% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 15 years (2002)
Education expenditures:
NA
Government ::Netherlands Antilles
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Netherlands Antilles
local long form: none
local short form: Nederlandse Antillen
former: Curacao and Dependencies
Dependency status:
an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs
Government type:
parliamentary
Capital:
name: Willemstad (on Curacao)
geographic coordinates: 12 06 N, 68 56 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
note: each island has its own government
Independence:
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
National holiday:
Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX), 30 April (1909 and 1980)
Constitution:
29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended
Legal system:
based on Dutch civil law system with some English common law influence
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980); represented by Governor General Frits GOEDGEDRAG (since 1 July 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Emily de JONGH-ELHAGE (since 26 March 2006)
cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten (legislature)
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch for a six-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually elected prime minister by the Staten; election last held 27 January 2006 (next to be held by 2010)
note: government coalition - PAR, PNP, DP-St. M, UPB, WIPM Saba, DP-St. E
Legislative branch:
unicameral States or Staten (22 seats, Curacao 14, Bonaire 3, St. Maarten 3, St. Eustatius 1, Saba 1; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 27 January 2006 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAR 5, MAN 3, FOL 2, Forsa Korsou 2, National Alliance 2, PNP 2, UPB 2, DP-St. E 1, DP-St. M 1, PDB 1, WIPM 1
note: the government is a coalition of several parties
Judicial branch:
Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch)
Political parties and leaders:
Bonaire: Democratic Party of Bonaire or PDB [Jopi ABRAHAM]; Patriotic Union of Bonaire or UPB [Ramonsito BOOI]
Curacao: Ban Vota [Norbert GEORGE]; C-93 [Stanley BROWN]; Democratic Party of Curacao or DP [Errol HERNANDEZ]; E Mayoria [Aurelio PEDRO]; Forsa Korsou [Nelson NAVARRO]; Liste Ni'un Paso Atras [Nelson PIERRE]; Movemiento Patriotiko Korsou [Reginald LAK]; New Antilles Movement or MAN [Charles COOPER]; Partido Akshon Pa Prosperidat I Seguridat [Sonja BERKEMEYER]; Partido Laboral Krusada Popular or PLKP [Errol COVA]; Party for the Restructured Antilles or PAR [Emily de JONGH-ELHAGE]; People's National Party or PNP [Ersilia DE LANNOOY]; Pidjin [Jasmin PINEDO]; Pueblo Soberano [Herman WIELS]; Workers' Liberation Front or FOL [Anthony GODETT]
Saba: Saba Labor Party [Akilah LEVENSTONE]; Windward Islands People's Movement or WIPM [Ray HASSELL]
Sint Eustatius: Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius or DP-St. E [Julian WOODLEY]; Progressive Labor Party [Clyde VAN PUTTEN]; St. Eustatius Alliance [Ingrid HOUTMAN-WHITFIELD]
Sint Maarten: Democratic Party of Sint Maarten or DP-St. M [Sarah WESCOTT-WILLIAMS]; Freedom Slate of National Democratic Party [Theophilus PRIEST]; National Alliance or NA [William MARLIN]; People's Progressive Alliance or PPA [Gracita ARRINDELL]; St. Maarten People's Party [Johan LEONARD]; United People's Labor Party [Bienvenido RICHARDSON]
note: political parties are indigenous to each island
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Employers Association (VBC); Unions (AVBO)
International organization participation:
Caricom (observer), ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - Mr. Jeffrey CORRION, Minister Plenipotentiary for Aruba at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Consul General Robert E. SORENSON
consulate(s) general: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Willemstad, Curacao
mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao
telephone: [599] (9) 461-3066
FAX: [599] (9) 461-6489
Flag description:
white, with a horizontal blue stripe in the center superimposed on a vertical red band, also centered; five white, five-pointed stars are arranged in an oval pattern in the center of the blue band; the five stars represent the five main islands of Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten
Economy ::Netherlands Antilles
Economy - overview:
Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays of this small economy, which is closely tied to the outside world. Although GDP has declined or grown slightly in each of the past eight years, the islands enjoy a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared with other countries in the region. Most of the oil Netherlands Antilles imports for its refineries come from Venezuela. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, the US, Italy, and Mexico being the major suppliers. Poor soils and inadequate water supplies hamper the development of agriculture. Budgetary problems hamper reform of the health and pension systems of an aging population. The Netherlands provides financial aid to support the economy.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.8 billion (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 175
GDP (official exchange rate):
$NA
GDP - real growth rate:
1% (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 175
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$16,000 (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 74
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 15%
services: 84% (2000 est.)
Labor force:
91,470 (2007) country comparison to the world: 177
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 20%
services: 79% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate:
15.5% (2002 est.) country comparison to the world: 157
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $757.9 million
expenditures: $949.5 million (2004)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.1% (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 19
Central bank discount rate:
NA%
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
8.33% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 90 9.21% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$997.8 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$2.309 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$2.927 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 23 $488.6 billion (2003)
Agriculture - products:
aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit
Industries:
tourism (Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao)
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
1.22 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 142
Electricity - consumption:
1.013 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 144
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 152
Oil - consumption:
71,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Oil - exports:
224,600 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 52
Oil - imports:
298,500 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 39
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 147
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 154
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 142
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 139
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 104
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 149
Exports:
$3.71 billion (2006) country comparison to the world: 119
Exports - commodities:
petroleum products
Exports - partners:
US 19%, Guatemala 10.6%, Dominican Republic 9.3%, Haiti 7.4%, Singapore 6.7%, Bahamas, The 5.9%, Italy 4.5%, Honduras 4.4%, Mexico 4.1% (2008)
Imports:
$15.74 billion (2006) country comparison to the world: 79
Imports - commodities:
crude petroleum, food, manufactures
Imports - partners:
Venezuela 58.8%, US 19%, Brazil 5.9% (2008)
Debt - external:
$2.68 billion (2004) country comparison to the world: 130
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$NA
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA
Exchange rates:
Netherlands Antillean guilders (ANG) per US dollar - NA (2007), 1.79 (2006), 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003)
Communications ::Netherlands Antilles
Telephones - main lines in use:
88,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 147
Telephones - mobile cellular:
200,000 (2004) country comparison to the world: 171
Telephone system:
general assessment: generally adequate facilities
domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links
international: country code - 599; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the Americas-2 submarine cable systems provide connectivity to Central America, parts of South America and the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 8, FM 19, shortwave 0 (2003)
Television broadcast stations:
3 (there is also a cable service that supplies programs received from various US satellite networks and 4 Venezuelan channels) (2003)
Internet country code:
.an
Internet hosts:
71,671 (2009) country comparison to the world: 77
Transportation ::Netherlands Antilles
Airports:
5 (2009) country comparison to the world: 179
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 845
Merchant marine:
total: 147 country comparison to the world: 42 by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 2, cargo 72, carrier 19, chemical tanker 2, container 8, liquefied gas 1, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 27, roll on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 3
foreign-owned: 123 (Belgium 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 21, Denmark 2, Germany 43, Hong Kong 2, Netherlands 38, Norway 3, Sweden 1, Turkey 10, US 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Bopec Terminal, Willemstad
Military ::Netherlands Antilles
Military branches:
no regular military forces; National Guard (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
16 years of age for National Guard recruitment; no conscription (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 55,365
females age 16-49: 57,060 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 46,461
females age 16-49: 47,325 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 1,920
female: 1,827 (2009 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Transnational Issues ::Netherlands Antilles
Disputes - international:
none
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the US and Europe; money-laundering center
page last updated on November 10, 2009
======================================================================
@New Caledonia (Australia-Oceania)
Introduction ::New Caledonia
Background:
Settled by both Britain and France during the first half of the 19th century, the island was made a French possession in 1853. It served as a penal colony for four decades after 1864. Agitation for independence during the 1980s and early 1990s ended in the 1998 Noumea Accord, which over a period of 15 to 20 years will transfer an increasing amount of governing responsibility from France to New Caledonia. The agreement also commits France to conduct as many as three referenda between 2013 and 2018, to decide whether New Caledonia should assume full sovereignty and independence.
Geography ::New Caledonia
Location:
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia
Geographic coordinates:
21 30 S, 165 30 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 18,575 sq km country comparison to the world: 155 land: 18,275 sq km
water: 300 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
2,254 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
Terrain:
coastal plains with interior mountains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Panie 1,628 m
Natural resources:
nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper
Land use:
arable land: 0.32%
permanent crops: 0.22%
other: 99.46% (2005)
Irrigated land:
100 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:
cyclones, most frequent from November to March
Environment - current issues:
erosion caused by mining exploitation and forest fires
Geography - note:
consists of the main island of New Caledonia (one of the largest in the Pacific Ocean), the archipelago of Iles Loyaute, and numerous small, sparsely populated islands and atolls
People ::New Caledonia
Population:
227,436 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 181
Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.8% (male 31,191/female 29,870)
15-64 years: 65.8% (male 75,189/female 74,552)
65 years and over: 7.3% (male 7,681/female 8,953) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 28.7 years
male: 28.2 years
female: 29.2 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.136% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 118
Birth rate:
17.04 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
Death rate:
5.68 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 172
Net migration rate:
NA
note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 65% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.1% 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: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 7.05 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 168 male: 7.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.36 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.98 years country comparison to the world: 85 male: 71.99 years
female: 78.12 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.18 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 119
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: New Caledonian(s)
adjective: New Caledonian
Ethnic groups:
Melanesian 44.1%, European 34.1%, Wallisian & Futunian 9%, Tahitian 2.6%, Indonesian 2.5%, Vietnamese 1.4%, Ni-Vanuatu 1.1%, other 5.2% (1996 census)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%
Languages:
French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.2%
male: 96.8%
female: 95.5% (1996 census)
Government ::New Caledonia
Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies
conventional short form: New Caledonia
local long form: Territoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances
local short form: Nouvelle-Caledonie
Dependency status:
territorial collectivity of France since 1998
Government type:
NA
Capital:
name: Noumea
geographic coordinates: 22 16 S, 166 27 E
time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 provinces named Province des Iles, Province Nord, and Province Sud
Independence:
none (overseas territory of France); note - a referendum on independence was held in 1998 but did not pass; a new referendum is scheduled for 2014
National holiday:
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Constitution:
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
based on French civil law; the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007); represented by High Commissioner Yves DASSONVILLE (since 9 November 2007)
head of government: President of the Government Philippe GOMES (since 5 June 2009)
cabinet: Cabinet consisting of 11 members elected from and by the Territorial Congress
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the government elected by the members of the Territorial Congress for a five-year term (no term limits); note - last election held 7 August 2007 when Harold MARTIN was elected following the resignation of Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU as president on 24 July 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
Legislative branch:
elections: unicameral Territorial Congress or Congres du territoire (54 seats; members belong to the three Provincial Assemblies or Assemblees Provinciales elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) last held 9 May 2009 (next to be held in 10 May 2014)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 13, Caledonia Together 10, UC 8, UNI 8, AE 6, FLNKS 3, Labor Party 3, other 3
note: New Caledonia holds two seats in the French Senate; elections last held 21 September 2008 (next to be held not later than September 2014); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2; New Caledonia also elects two seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held 10 and 17 June 2007 (next to be held on June 2012); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; County Courts; Joint Commerce Tribunal Court; Children's Court
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance pour la Caledonie or APLC [Didier LE ROUX]; Caledonia Together [Philippe GOMES]; Caledonian Union or UC [Charles PIDJOT]; Federation des Comites de Coordination des Independantistes or FCCI [Francois BURCK]; Front National or FN [Jean-Marie LE PEN]; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak or FULK [Ernest UNE]; Labor Party or PT [Louis Kora UREGEI]; Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS (includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM); Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE]; Rally for Caledonia or RPC [Jacques LAFLEUR]; The Future Together or AE [Didier LEROUX]; The Rally or UMP [Pierre FROGIER]; Union Nationale pour l'Independance or UNI; Union Progressiste Melanesienne or UPM [Victor TUTUGORO]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ITUC, PIF (associate member), SPC, UPU, WFTU, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of France)
Flag description:
the flag of France is used
Economy ::New Caledonia
Economy - overview:
New Caledonia has about 25% of the world's known nickel resources. Only a small amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts for about 20% of imports. In addition to nickel, substantial financial support from France - equal to more than 15% of GDP - and tourism are keys to the health of the economy. Substantial new investment in the nickel industry, combined with the recovery of global nickel prices, brightens the economic outlook for the next several years.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$3.158 billion (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 172
GDP (official exchange rate):
$3.3 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
NA%
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$15,000 (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 76
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 15%
industry: 8.8%
services: 76.2% (2003)
Labor force:
102,600 (2007) country comparison to the world: 176
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 20%
industry: 20%
services: 60% (2002)
Unemployment rate:
17.1% (2004) country comparison to the world: 159
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $996 million
expenditures: $1.072 billion (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.4% (2000 est.) country comparison to the world: 11
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
vegetables; beef, deer, other livestock products; fish
Industries:
nickel mining and smelting
Electricity - production:
1.825 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 136
Electricity - consumption:
1.697 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 137
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 158
Oil - consumption:
13,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 142
Oil - exports:
645.3 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 123
Oil - imports:
14,430 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 126
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 153
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 149
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 149
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 146
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 151
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 156
Exports:
$1.341 billion (2006) country comparison to the world: 145
Exports - commodities:
ferronickels, nickel ore, fish
Exports - partners:
France 18.9%, Japan 18.3%, Spain 7.3%, China 6.5%, Belgium 5.4%, Australia 4.6% (2008)
Imports:
$1.998 billion (2006) country comparison to the world: 149
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
France 36.6%, Singapore 17.7%, Australia 11.5%, NZ 4.7% (2008)
Debt - external:
$79 million (1998 est.) country comparison to the world: 190
Exchange rates:
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 87.59 (2007), 94.97 (2006), 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003)
Communications ::New Caledonia
Telephones - main lines in use:
63,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 157
Telephones - mobile cellular:
196,500 (2008) country comparison to the world: 172
Telephone system:
general assessment: a submarine cable network connection between New Caledonia and Australia, completed in 2007, is expected to significantly increase network capacity and improve high-speed connectivity and access to international networks
domestic: combined fixed and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership exceeds 100 per 100 persons
international: country code - 687; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
6 (plus 25 repeaters) (1997)
Internet country code:
.nc
Internet hosts:
22,448 (2009) country comparison to the world: 101
Internet users:
85,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 159
Transportation ::New Caledonia
Airports:
25 (2009) country comparison to the world: 130
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 12
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 8 (2009)
Heliports:
8 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 5,622 km (2006) country comparison to the world: 151
Merchant marine:
total: 2 country comparison to the world: 146 by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 1 (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Noumea
Military ::New Caledonia
Military branches:
no regular military forces; French police and gendarmerie (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 57,738 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 48,288
females age 16-49: 48,959 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 2,160
female: 2,087 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
NA
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France
Transnational Issues ::New Caledonia
Disputes - international:
Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu
page last updated on November 10, 2009
======================================================================
@New Zealand (Australia-Oceania)
Introduction ::New Zealand
Background:
The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year, the British began the first organized colonial settlement. A series of land wars between 1843 and 1872 ended with the defeat of the native peoples. The British colony of New Zealand became an independent dominion in 1907 and supported the UK militarily in both World Wars. New Zealand's full participation in a number of defense alliances lapsed by the 1980s. In recent years, the government has sought to address longstanding Maori grievances.
Geography ::New Zealand
Location:
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia
Geographic coordinates:
41 00 S, 174 00 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 267,710 sq km country comparison to the world: 75 land: 267,710 sq km
water: NA
note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands
Area - comparative:
about the size of Colorado
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
15,134 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
temperate with sharp regional contrasts
Terrain:
predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Aoraki-Mount Cook 3,754 m
Natural resources:
natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone
Land use:
arable land: 5.54%
permanent crops: 6.92%
other: 87.54% (2005)
Irrigated land:
2,850 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
397 cu km (1995)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 2.11 cu km/yr (48%/9%/42%)
per capita: 524 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by invasive species
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic Seals, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
almost 90% of the population lives in cities; Wellington is the southernmost national capital in the world
People ::New Zealand
Population:
4,213,418 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.7% (male 447,174/female 424,522)
15-64 years: 66.5% (male 1,404,143/female 1,399,530)
65 years and over: 12.8% (male 244,986/female 293,063) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 36.6 years
male: 35.8 years
female: 37.4 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.935% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 132
Birth rate:
13.94 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 151
Death rate:
7.05 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 131
Net migration rate:
2.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 35
Urbanization:
urban population: 87% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.92 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 192 male: 5.53 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 80.36 years country comparison to the world: 18 male: 78.43 years
female: 82.39 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.1 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 122
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 129
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1,400 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 140
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
Nationality:
noun: New Zealander(s)
adjective: New Zealand
Ethnic groups:
European 69.8%, Maori 7.9%, Asian 5.7%, Pacific islander 4.4%, other 0.5%, mixed 7.8%, unspecified 3.8% (2001 census)
Religions:
Anglican 14.9%, Roman Catholic 12.4%, Presbyterian 10.9%, Methodist 2.9%, Pentecostal 1.7%, Baptist 1.3%, other Christian 9.4%, other 3.3%, unspecified 17.2%, none 26% (2001 census)
Languages:
English (official), Maori (official), Sign Language (official)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 19 years
male: 19 years
female: 20 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
6.2% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 38
Government ::New Zealand
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: New Zealand
abbreviation: NZ
Government type:
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Capital:
name: Wellington
geographic coordinates: 41 28 S, 174 51 E
time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in September; ends first Sunday in April
note: New Zealand is divided into two time zones - New Zealand standard time (12 hours in advance of UTC), and Chatham Islands time (45 minutes in advance of New Zealand standard time)
Administrative divisions:
16 regions and 1 territory*; Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Chatham Islands*, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu-Wanganui, Marlborough, Nelson, Northland, Otago, Southland, Taranaki, Tasman, Waikato, Wellington, West Coast
Dependent areas:
Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau
Independence:
26 September 1907 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840); ANZAC Day (commemorated as the anniversary of the landing of troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I at Gallipoli, Turkey), 25 April (1915)
Constitution:
consists of a series of legal documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand parliaments, as well as The Constitution Act 1986, which is the principal formal charter; adopted 1 January 1987, effective 1 January 1987
Legal system:
based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for the Maori; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Anand SATYANAND (since 23 August 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister John KEY (since 19 November 2008); Deputy Prime Minister Bill ENGLISH (since 19 November 2008)
cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general
Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Representatives - commonly called Parliament (usually 120 seats; 69 members elected by popular vote in single-member constituencies including 7 Maori constituencies, and 51 proportional seats chosen from party lists; serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 8 November 2008 (next to be held not later than 27 November 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - NP 44.9%, NZLP 34%, Green Party 6.7%, NZ First 4%, ACT New Zealand 3.7%, Maori 2.4%, Progressive 0.9%, UF 0.9%, other 6.6%; seats by party - NP 58, NZLP 43, Green Party 9, ACT New Zealand 5, Maori 5, Progressive 1, UF 1
note: results of 2008 election saw the total number of seats increase to 122
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; High Court; note - judges appointed by the governor general
Political parties and leaders:
ACT New Zealand [Rodney HIDE]; Green Party [Jeanette FITZSIMONS]; Maori Party [Tariana TURIA and Pita SHARPLES]; National Party or NP [John KEY]; New Zealand First Party or NZ First [Winston PETERS]; New Zealand Labor Party or NZLP [Phil GOFF]; Progressive Party [James (Jim) ANDERTON]; United Future or UF [Peter DUNNE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Women's Electoral Lobby or WEL
other: apartheid groups; civil rights groups; farmers groups; Maori; nuclear weapons groups; women's rights groups
International organization participation:
ADB, ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986), APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, NAM (guest), NSG, OECD, OPCW, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Roy N. FERGUSON
chancery: 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 328-4800
FAX: [1] (202) 667-5227
consulate(s) general: New York, Santa Monica
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador William P. McCORMICK
embassy: 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington
mailing address: P. O. Box 1190, Wellington; PSC 467, Box 1, APO AP 96531-1034
telephone: [64] (4) 462-6000
FAX: [64] (4) 499-0490
consulate(s) general: Auckland
Flag description:
blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with four red five-pointed stars edged in white centered in the outer half of the flag; the stars represent the Southern Cross constellation
Government - note:
while not an official symbol, the Kiwi, a small native flightless bird, represents New Zealand
Economy ::New Zealand
Economy - overview:
Over the past 20 years the government has transformed New Zealand from an agrarian economy dependent on concessionary British market access to a more industrialized, free market economy that can compete globally. This dynamic growth has boosted real incomes - but left behind some at the bottom of the ladder - and broadened and deepened the technological capabilities of the industrial sector. Per capita income has risen for nine consecutive years and reached $27,900 in 2008 in purchasing power parity terms. Debt-driven consumer spending drove robust growth in the first half of the decade, helping fuel a large balance of payments deficit that posed a challenge for economic managers. Inflationary pressures caused the central bank to raise its key rate steadily from January 2004 until it was among the highest in the OECD in 2007-08; international capital inflows attracted to the high rates further strengthened the currency and housing market, however, aggravating the current account deficit. The economy fell into recession in 2008. In line with global peers, the central bank has cut interest rates aggressively; the new government is responding with plans to raise productivity growth and develop infrastructure.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$116.6 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 61 $116.6 billion (2007 est.)
$113 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$128.4 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
0% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 198 3.2% (2007 est.)
1.9% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$27,900 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 49 $28,200 (2007 est.)
$27,600 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4.4%
industry: 25.7%
services: 69.9% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
2.25 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 114
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 7%
industry: 19%
services: 74% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4.2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 53 3.6% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: %NA
highest 10%: %NA
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
36.2 (1997) country comparison to the world: 83
Investment (gross fixed):
22.4% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 78
Budget:
revenues: $54.41 billion
expenditures: $55.93 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
24.4% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 85 22.1% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 64 2.4% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
5% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 51 8.25% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
12.06% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 64 12.83% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$13.7 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 42 $17.85 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$99.91 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 22 $117.8 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$164.4 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 32 $200.1 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 57 $47.45 billion (31 December 2007)
$44.94 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
dairy products, lamb and mutton; wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool, beef; fish
Industries:
food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining
Industrial production growth rate:
-2.2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 155
Electricity - production:
42.4 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 52
Electricity - consumption:
39.24 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 52
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
65,400 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 58
Oil - consumption:
154,100 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 66
Oil - exports:
34,260 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 83
Oil - imports:
147,600 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 58
Oil - proved reserves:
60 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 75
Natural gas - production:
4.275 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 50
Natural gas - consumption:
4.276 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 62
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 137
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 102
Natural gas - proved reserves:
33.98 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 68
Current account balance:
-$11.34 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 169 -$10.63 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$31.19 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 63 $27.29 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery
Exports - partners:
Australia 23.1%, US 10.1%, Japan 8.4%, China 5.8% (2008)
Imports:
$32.76 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 62 $29.05 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, electronics, textiles, plastics
Imports - partners:
Australia 18.1%, China 13.2%, US 9.5%, Japan 8.3%, Singapore 4.7%, Malaysia 4.4%, Germany 4.3% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$11.15 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 64 $17.25 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$59.08 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 48 $51.44 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$72.92 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 42 $70.94 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA
Exchange rates:
New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar - 1.4151 (2008 est.), 1.3811 (2007), 1.5408 (2006), 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004)
Communications ::New Zealand
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.75 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 62
Telephones - mobile cellular:
4.62 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 91
Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international systems
domestic: combined fixed and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership exceeds 150 per 100 persons
international: country code - 64; the Southern Cross submarine cable system provides links to Australia, Fiji, and the US; satellite earth stations - 8 (1 Inmarsat - Pacific Ocean, 7 other)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 124, FM 290, shortwave 4 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
41 (plus about 700 repeaters) (1997)
Internet country code:
.nz
Internet hosts:
2.007 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 32
Internet users:
3.047 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 58
Transportation ::New Zealand
Airports:
120 (2009) country comparison to the world: 50
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 41
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 25
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 79
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 31
under 914 m: 45 (2009)
Pipelines:
condensate 331 km; gas 1,838 km; liquid petroleum gas 172 km; oil 288 km; refined products 198 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 4,128 km country comparison to the world: 39 narrow gauge: 4,128 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 93,576 km country comparison to the world: 49 paved: 61,564 km (includes 172 km of expressways)
unpaved: 32,012 km (2006)
Merchant marine:
total: 13 country comparison to the world: 108 by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 2
foreign-owned: 3 (Australia 1, Germany 1, South Africa 1)
registered in other countries: 5 (Antigua and Barbuda 2, Cook Islands 1, France 1, UK 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Auckland, Lyttelton, Marsden Point, Tauranga, Wellington, Whangarei
Military ::New Zealand
Military branches:
New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF): New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed until the age of 18; no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,009,298
females age 16-49: 997,134 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 837,553
females age 16-49: 825,981 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 31,461
female: 29,809 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 135
Transnational Issues ::New Zealand
Disputes - international:
asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency)
Illicit drugs:
significant consumer of amphetamines
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Nicaragua (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Nicaragua
Background:
The Pacific coast of Nicaragua was settled as a Spanish colony from Panama in the early 16th century. Independence from Spain was declared in 1821 and the country became an independent republic in 1838. Britain occupied the Caribbean Coast in the first half of the 19th century, but gradually ceded control of the region in subsequent decades. Violent opposition to governmental manipulation and corruption spread to all classes by 1978 and resulted in a short-lived civil war that brought the Marxist Sandinista guerrillas to power in 1979. Nicaraguan aid to leftist rebels in El Salvador caused the US to sponsor anti-Sandinista contra guerrillas through much of the 1980s. Free elections in 1990, 1996, and 2001, saw the Sandinistas defeated, but voting in 2006 announced the return of former Sandinista President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra. The 2008 municipal elections were characterized by widespread irregularities. Nicaragua's infrastructure and economy - hard hit by the earlier civil war and by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 - are slowly being rebuilt, but democratic institutions face new challenges under the ORTEGA administration.
Geography ::Nicaragua
Location:
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras
Geographic coordinates:
13 00 N, 85 00 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 130,370 sq km country comparison to the world: 97 land: 119,990 sq km
water: 10,380 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New York state
Land boundaries:
total: 1,231 km
border countries: Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km
Coastline:
910 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: natural prolongation
Climate:
tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
Terrain:
extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mogoton 2,438 m
Natural resources:
gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish
Land use:
arable land: 14.81%
permanent crops: 1.82%
other: 83.37% (2005)
Irrigated land:
610 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
196.7 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 1.3 cu km/yr (15%/2%/83%)
per capita: 237 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
destructive earthquakes; volcanoes; landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua
People ::Nicaragua
Population:
5,891,199 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 108
Age structure:
0-14 years: 33.8% (male 1,013,866/female 976,430)
15-64 years: 62.9% (male 1,847,756/female 1,857,264)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 85,782/female 110,101) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 22.1 years
male: 21.7 years
female: 22.5 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.784% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 73
Birth rate:
23.25 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 77
Death rate:
4.3 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 206
Net migration rate:
-1.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 125
Urbanization:
urban population: 57% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.8% 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: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 25.02 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 88 male: 28.09 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 21.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.5 years country comparison to the world: 128 male: 69.35 years
female: 73.75 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.57 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 91
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 106
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
7,700 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 114
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 90
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
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The 2009 CIA World FactbookChapter M: Major infectious diseases (53)
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