Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key sectors of the economy.
The government's policy of offering incentives to high-technology companies
and financial institutions to locate on the island has paid off in expanding
employment opportunities in high-income industries. As a result, agriculture
and fishing, once the mainstays of the economy, have declined in their
shares of GNP. Banking now contributes over 20% to GNP and manufacturing
about 15%. Trade is mostly with the UK.
GNP:
exchange rate conversion - $490 million, per capita $7,573; real growth rate
NA% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%
Unemployment rate:
1.5% (1988)
Budget:
revenues $130.4 million; expenditures $114.4 million, including capital
expenditures of $18.1 million (FY85 est.)
Exports:
$NA
commodities:
tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, meat
partners:
UK
Imports:
$NA
commodities:
timber, fertilizers, fish
partners:
UK
External debt:
$NA
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%
Electricity:
61,000 kW capacity; 190 million kWh produced, 2,930 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries:
an important offshore financial center; financial services, light
manufacturing, tourism
Agriculture:
cereals and vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry
Economic aid:
NA
Currency:
Manx pound (plural - pounds); 1 Manx pound (#M) = 100 pence
Exchange rates:
Manx pounds (#M) per US$1 - 0.5799 (March 1992), 0.5652 (1991), 0.5603
(1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0. 6102 (1987); the Manx pound is at
par with the British pound
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
:Man, Isle of Communications
Railroads:
36 km electric track, 24 km steam track
Highways:
640 km motorable roads
Ports:
Douglas, Ramsey, Peel
Merchant marine:
79 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,436,196 GRT/2,479,432 DWT; includes
12 cargo, 7 container, 10 roll-on/roll-off, 30 petroleum tanker, 4 chemical
tanker, 5 liquefied gas, 11 bulk; note - a captive register of the United
Kingdom, although not all ships on the register are British owned
Airports:
1 total; 1 usable with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
24,435 telephones; broadcast stations - 1 AM, 4 FM, 4 TV
:Man, Isle of Defense Forces
Note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK
:Marshall Islands Geography
Total area:
181.3 km2
Land area:
181.3 km2; includes the atolls of Bikini, Eniwetok, and Kwajalein
Comparative area:
slightly larger than Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
370.4 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
24 nm
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
claims US territory of Wake Island
Climate:
wet season May to November; hot and humid; islands border typhoon belt
Terrain:
low coral limestone and sand islands
Natural resources:
phosphate deposits, marine products, deep seabed minerals
Land use:
arable land 0%; permanent crops 60%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
woodland 0%; other 40%
Environment:
occasionally subject to typhoons; two archipelagic island chains of 30
atolls and 1,152 islands
Note:
located 3,825 km southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, about
two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and Papua New Guinea; Bikini and
Eniwetok are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein, the famous World War
II battleground, is now used as a US missile test range
:Marshall Islands People
Population:
50,004 (July 1992), growth rate 3.9% (1992)
Birth rate:
47 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
8 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
52 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
61 years male, 64 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
7.0 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Marshallese (singular and plural); adjective - Marshallese
Ethnic divisions:
almost entirely Micronesian
Religions:
predominantly Christian, mostly Protestant
Languages:
English universally spoken and is the official language; two major
Marshallese dialects from Malayo-Polynesian family; Japanese
Literacy:
93% (male 100%, female 88%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
Labor force:
4,800 (1986)
Organized labor:
none
:Marshall Islands Government
Long-form name:
Republic of the Marshall Islands
Type:
constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of
Free Association entered into force 21 October 1986
Capital:
Majuro
Administrative divisions:
none
Independence:
21 October 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship; formerly the
Marshall Islands District of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)
Constitution:
1 May 1979
Legal system:
based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal,
common, and customary laws
National holiday:
Proclamation of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, 1 May (1979)
Executive branch:
president, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral Nitijela (parliament)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
President Amata KABUA (since 1979)
Political parties and leaders:
no formal parties; President KABUA is chief political (and traditional)
leader
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
President:
last held 6 January 1992 (next to be held NA; results - President Amata
KABUA was reelected
Parliament:
last held 18 November 1991 (next to be held November 1995); results -
percent of vote NA; seats - (33 total)
Member of:
AsDB, ESCAP (associate), ICAO, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Wilfred I. KENDALL; Chancery at 2433 Massachusetts Avenue, NW,
Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 234-5414
US:
Ambassador William BODDE, Jr.; Embassy at NA address (mailing address is P.
O. Box 1379, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands 96960-1379); telephone
(011) 692-4011; FAX (011) 692-4012
Flag:
blue with two stripes radiating from the lower hoist-side corner - orange
(top) and white; there is a white star with four large rays and 20 small
rays on the hoist side above the two stripes
:Marshall Islands Economy
Overview:
Agriculture and tourism are the mainstays of the economy. Agricultural
production is concentrated on small farms, and the most important commercial
crops are coconuts, tomatoes, melons, and breadfruit. A few cattle ranches
supply the domestic meat market. Small-scale industry is limited to
handicrafts, fish processing, and copra. The tourist industry is the primary
source of foreign exchange and employs about 10% of the labor force. The
islands have few natural resources, and imports far exceed exports. In 1987
the US Government provided grants of $40 million out of the Marshallese
budget of $55 million.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $63 million, per capita $1,500; real growth rate
NA% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues $55 million; expenditures NA, including capital expenditures of NA
(1987 est.)
Exports:
$2.5 million (f.o.b., 1985)
commodities:
copra, copra oil, agricultural products, handicrafts
partners:
NA
Imports:
$29.2 million (c.i.f., 1985)
commodities:
foodstuffs, beverages, building materials
partners:
NA
External debt:
$NA
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%
Electricity:
42,000 kW capacity; 80 million kWh produced, 1,840 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
copra, fish, tourism; craft items from shell, wood, and pearls; offshore
banking (embryonic)
Agriculture:
coconuts, cacao, taro, breadfruit, fruits, copra; pigs, chickens
Economic aid:
under the terms of the Compact of Free Association, the US is to provide
approximately $40 million in aid annually
Currency:
US currency is used
Exchange rates:
US currency is used
Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September
:Marshall Islands Communications
Highways:
paved roads on major islands (Majuro, Kwajalein), otherwise stone-, coral-,
or laterite-surfaced roads and tracks
Ports:
Majuro
Merchant marine:
32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,347,312 GRT/4,630,172 DWT; includes
2 cargo, 1 container, 9 petroleum tanker, 18 bulk carrier, 2 combination
ore/oil; note - a flag of convenience registry
Airports:
17 total, 16 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; 8 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
telephone network - 570 lines (Majuro) and 186 (Ebeye); telex services;
islands interconnected by shortwave radio (used mostly for government
purposes); broadcast stations - 1 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV, 1 shortwave; 2 Pacific
Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; US Government satellite communications system
on Kwajalein
:Marshall Islands Defense Forces
Note:
defense is the responsibility of the US
:Martinique Geography
Total area:
1,100 km2
Land area:
1,060 km2
Comparative area:
slightly more than six times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
290 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical; moderated by trade winds; rainy season (June to October)
Terrain:
mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano
Natural resources:
coastal scenery and beaches, cultivable land
Land use:
arable land 10%; permanent crops 8%; meadows and pastures 30%; forest and
woodland 26%; other 26%; includes irrigated 5%
Environment:
subject to hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity that result in an
average of one major natural disaster every five years
Note:
located 625 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea
:Martinique People
Population:
371,803 (July 1992), growth rate 1.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
19 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
11 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
75 years male, 81 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
1.9 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Martiniquais (singular and plural); adjective - Martiniquais
Ethnic divisions:
African and African-Caucasian-Indian mixture 90%, Caucasian 5%, East Indian,
Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5%
Languages:
French, Creole patois
Literacy:
93% (male 92%, female 93%) age 15 and over can read and write (1982)
Labor force:
100,000; service industry 31.7%, construction and public works 29.4%,
agriculture 13.1%, industry 7.3%, fisheries 2.2%, other 16.3%
Organized labor:
11% of labor force
:Martinique Government
Long-form name:
Department of Martinique
Type:
overseas department of France
Capital:
Fort-de-France
Administrative divisions:
none (overseas department of France)
Independence:
none (overseas department of France)
Constitution:
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
French legal system
National holiday:
Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Executive branch:
government commissioner
Legislative branch:
unicameral General Council
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
Head of Government:
Government Commissioner Jean Claude ROURE (since 5 May 1989); President of
the General Council Emile MAURICE (since NA 1988)
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
General Council:
last held in October 1988 (next to be held by March 1991); results - percent
of vote by party NA; seats - (44 total) number of seats by party NA
Regional Assembly:
last held on 16 March 1986 (next to be held by March 1992); results -
UDF/RPR coalition 49.8%, PPM/FSM/PCM coalition 41.3%, other 8.9%; seats -
(41 total) PPM/FSM/PCM coalition 21, UDF/RPR coalition 20
French Senate:
last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) UDF 1, PPM 1
French National Assembly:
last held on 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (4 total) PPM 1, FSM 1, RPR 1, UDF 1
Communists:
1,000 (est.)
Other political or pressure groups:
Proletarian Action Group (GAP); Alhed Marie-Jeanne Socialist Revolution
Group (GRS); Martinique Independence Movement (MIM); Caribbean Revolutionary
Alliance (ARC); Central Union for Martinique Workers (CSTM), Marc Pulvar;
Frantz Fanon Circle; League of Workers and Peasants
Member of:
FZ, WCL
Diplomatic representation:
as an overseas department of France, Martiniquais interests are represented
in the US by France
:Martinique Government
US:
Consul General Raymond G. ROBINSON; Consulate General at 14 Rue Blenac,
Fort-de-France (mailing address is B. P. 561, Fort-de-France 97206);
telephone [596] 63-13-03
Flag:
the flag of France is used
:Martinique Economy
Overview:
The economy is based on sugarcane, bananas, tourism, and light industry.
Agriculture accounts for about 12% of GDP and the small industrial sector
for 10%. Sugar production has declined, with most of the sugarcane now used
for the production of rum. Banana exports are increasing, going mostly to
France. The bulk of meat, vegetable, and grain requirements must be
imported, contributing to a chronic trade deficit that requires large annual
transfers of aid from France. Tourism has become more important than
agricultural exports as a source of foreign exchange. The majority of the
work force is employed in the service sector and in administration. In 1986
per capita GDP was relatively high at $6,000. During 1986 the unemployment
rate was 30% and was particularly severe among younger workers.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $2.0 billion, per capita $6,000; real growth rate
NA% (1986)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.9% (1989)
Unemployment rate:
30% (1986)
Budget:
revenues $268 million; expenditures $268 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)
Exports:
$196 million (f.o.b., 1988)
commodities:
refined petroleum products, bananas, rum, pineapples
partners:
France 65%, Guadeloupe 24%, Germany (1987)
Imports:
$1.3 billion (c.i.f., 1988)
commodities:
petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials, vehicles, clothing
and other consumer goods
partners:
France 65%, UK, Italy, Germany, Japan, US (1987)
External debt:
$NA
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%
Electricity:
113,100 kW capacity; 588 million kWh produced, 1,703 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
construction, rum, cement, oil refining, sugar, tourism
Agriculture:
including fishing and forestry, accounts for about 12% of GDP; principal
crops - pineapples, avocados, bananas, flowers, vegetables, and sugarcane
for rum; dependent on imported food, particularly meat and vegetables
Economic aid:
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89),
$10.1 billion
Currency:
French franc (plural - francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.3801 (January 1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453
(1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Martinique Communications
Highways:
1,680 km total; 1,300 km paved, 380 km gravel and earth
Ports:
Fort-de-France
Civil air:
no major transport aircraft
Airports:
2 total; 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runway
2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways less than 2,439 m
Telecommunications:
domestic facilities are adequate; 68,900 telephones; interisland radio relay
links to Guadeloupe, Dominica, and Saint Lucia; broadcast stations - 1 AM, 6
FM, 10 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
:Martinique Defense Forces
Branches:
French Forces, Gendarmerie
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 95,235; NA fit for military service
Note:
defense is the responsibility of France
:Mauritania Geography
Total area:
1,030,700 km2
Land area:
1,030,400 km2
Comparative area:
slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico
Land boundaries:
5,074 km; Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km, Western Sahara
1,561 km
Coastline:
754 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf:
edge of continental margin or 200 nm
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
boundary with Senegal
Climate:
desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty
Terrain:
mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills
Natural resources:
iron ore, gypsum, fish, copper, phosphate
Land use:
arable land 1%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 38%; forest and
woodland 5%; other 56%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April;
desertification; only perennial river is the Senegal
:Mauritania People
Population:
2,059,187 (July 1992), growth rate 3.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
48 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
17 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
89 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
44 years male, 50 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
7.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Mauritanian(s); adjective - Mauritanian
Ethnic divisions:
mixed Maur/black 40%, Maur 30%, black 30%
Religions:
Muslim, nearly 100%
Languages:
Hasaniya Arabic (official); Hasaniya Arabic, Pular, Soninke, Wolof
(official)
Literacy:
34% (male 47%, female 21%) age 10 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
465,000 (1981 est.); 45,000 wage earners (1980); agriculture 47%, services
29%, industry and commerce 14%, government 10%; 53% of population of working
age (1985)
Organized labor:
30,000 members claimed by single union, Mauritanian Workers' Union
:Mauritania Government
Long-form name:
Islamic Republic of Mauritania
Type:
republic; military first seized power in bloodless coup 10 July 1978; a
palace coup that took place on 12 December 1984 brought President Taya to
power; he was elected in 1992
Capital:
Nouakchott
Administrative divisions:
12 regions(regions, singular - region); Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Dakhlet
Nouadhibou, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh ech Chargui, Hodh el Gharbi, Inchiri,
Tagant, Tiris Zemmour, Trarza; note - there may be a new capital district of
Nouakchott
Independence:
28 November 1960 (from France)
Constitution:
currently 12 July 1991; 20 May 1961 Constitution abrogated after coup of 10
July 1978; provisional constitution published 17 December 1980 but abandoned
in 1981; constitutional charter published 27 February 1985 after Taya came
to power; latest constitution approved after general referendum 12 July 1991
Legal system:
based on Islamic law
National holiday:
Independence Day, 28 November (1960)
Executive branch:
president
Legislative branch:
National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) and Senate
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
President Col. Maaouya Ould Sid`Ahmed TAYA (since 12 December 1984)
Political parties and leaders:
legalized by constitution passed 12 July 1991; emerging parties include
Democratic and Social Republican Party (PRDS), led by President Col. Maaouya
Ould Sid`Ahmed TAYA; Union of Democratic Forces (UDF), coalition of seven
opposition factions, three leaders: Mohameden Ould BABAH, Diop Mamadou
AMADOU, and Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR; Assembly for Democracy (RDU), Mohamed
Ould SIDI BABA; Rally for Democracy and Unity (RDUN), Mohamed Ould Sidi
BABA; Popular Social and Democratic Union (UPSD), Mohamed Mahmoud Ould MAH;
Progressive Popular Alliance (APP), Taleb Ould Jiddou Ould Mohamed LAGHDAF;
Mauritanian Party for Renewal (PMR), Moulaye El Hassan Ould JEYID; National
Avant-Garde Party (PAN or PAGN), Khattry Ould Taleb JIDDOU; Mauritanian
Party of the Democratic Center (PCDM), Bamba Ould SIDI BADI; Union for
Planning and Construction (UPC), Mohamed Ould EYAHA; Democratic Justice
Party (PJD), Mohamed Abdallahi Ould EL BANE; Party for Liberty, Equality,
and Justice (PLEJ), Ba Mamadou ALASSANE; Labor and National Unity Party
(PTUN), Ali Bouna Ould OUENINA
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
President:
last held January 1992 (next to be held NA)
results:
President Col. Maabuya Ould Sid`Ahmed TAYA elected
Senate:
last held 3 and 10 April 1992 (next to be held April 1998)
:Mauritania Government
National Assembly:
last held 6 and 13 March 1992 (next to be held NA 1997)
Member of:
ABEDA, ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, CEAO,
ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Mohamed Fall OULD AININA; Chancery at 2129 Leroy Place NW,
Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-5700
US:
Ambassador Gordon S. BROWN; Embassy at address NA, Nouakchott (mailing
address is B. P. 222, Nouakchott); telephone [222] (2) 526-60 or 526-63; FAX
[222] (2) 515-92
Flag:
green with a yellow five-pointed star above a yellow, horizontal crescent;
the closed side of the crescent is down; the crescent, star, and color green
are traditional symbols of Islam
:Mauritania Economy
Overview:
A majority of the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for
a livelihood, even though most of the nomads and many subsistence farmers
were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s and 1980s.
Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore, which account for almost 50%
of total exports. The decline in world demand for this ore, however, has led
to cutbacks in production. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest
fishing areas in the world, but overexploitation by foreigners threatens
this key source of revenue. The country's first deepwater port opened near
Nouakchott in 1986. In recent years, the droughts, the endemic conflict with
Senegal, rising energy costs, and economic mismanagement have resulted in a
substantial buildup of foreign debt. The government has begun the second
stage of an economic reform program in consultation with the World Bank, the
IMF, and major donor countries. But the reform process suffered a major
setback following the Gulf war of early 1991. Because of Mauritania's
support of Saddam Husayn, bilateral aid from its two top donors, Saudi
Arabia and Kuwait, was suspended, and multilateral aid was reduced.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $1.1 billion, per capita $535; real growth rate
3% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.5% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate:
20% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues $280 million; expenditures $346 million, including capital
expenditures of $61 million (1989 est.)
Exports:
$436 million (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
iron ore, processed fish, small amounts of gum arabic and gypsum; unrecorded
but numerically significant cattle exports to Senegal
partners:
EC 43%, Japan 27%, USSR 11%, Ivory Coast 3%
Imports:
$389 million (c.i.f., 1990)
commodities:
foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum products, capital goods
partners:
EC 60%, Algeria 15%, China 6%, US 3%
External debt:
$1.9 billion (1990)
Industrial production:
growth rate 4.4% (1988 est.); accounts for almost 20% of GDP
Electricity:
190,000 kW capacity; 135 million kWh produced, 70 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
fishing, fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum
Agriculture:
accounts for 29% of GDP (including fishing); largely subsistence farming and
nomadic cattle and sheep herding except in Senegal river valley; crops -
dates, millet, sorghum, root crops; fish products number-one export; large
food deficit in years of drought
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $168 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.3 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $490 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $277
million; Arab Development Bank (1991), $20 million
:Mauritania Economy
Currency:
ouguiya (plural - ouguiya); 1 ouguiya (UM) = 5 khoums
Exchange rates:
ouguiya (UM) per US$1 - 79.300 (January 1992), 81.946 (1991), 80.609 (1990),
83.051 (1989), 75.261 (1988), 73.878 (1987)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Mauritania Communications