The economy consists primarily of subsistence agriculture and fishing.
Tourism provides some foreign exchange, although the remote location of
Palau and a shortage of suitable facilities has hindered development. The
government is the major employer of the work force, relying heavily on
financial assistance from the US.
GDP:
purchasing power equivalent - $31.6 million, per capita $2,260; real growth
rate NA% (1986); note - GDP numbers reflect US spending
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%
Unemployment rate:
20% (1986)
Budget:
revenues $6.0 million; expenditures NA, including capital expenditures of NA
(1986)
Exports:
$0.5 million (f.o.b., 1986)
commodities:
NA
partners:
US, Japan
Imports:
$27.2 million (c.i.f., 1986)
commodities:
NA
partners:
US
External debt:
about $100 million (1989)
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%
Electricity:
16,000 kW capacity; 22 million kWh produced, 1,540 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
tourism, craft items (shell, wood, pearl), some commercial fishing and
agriculture
Agriculture:
subsistence-level production of coconut, copra, cassava, sweet potatoes
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $2,560 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $92 million
Currency:
US currency is used
Exchange rates:
US currency is used
Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September
:Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the Communications
Highways:
22.3 km paved, some stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads (1991)
Ports:
Koror
Airports:
2 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
broadcast stations - 1 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth
station
:Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the Defense Forces
Note:
defense is the responsibility of the US and that will not change when the UN
trusteeship terminates if the Compact of Free Association with the US goes
into effect
:Pacific Ocean Geography
Total area:
165,384,000 km2
Land area:
165,384,000 km2; includes Arafura Sea, Banda Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, Bering
Sea, Bering Strait, Coral Sea, East China Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Makassar
Strait, Philippine Sea, Ross Sea, Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, South China
Sea, Tasman Sea, and other tributary water bodies
Comparative area:
slightly less than 18 times the size of the US; the largest ocean (followed
by the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Arctic Ocean); covers about
one-third of the global surface; larger than the total land area of the
world
Coastline:
135,663 km
Disputes:
some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
Climate:
the western Pacific is monsoonal - a rainy season occurs during the summer
months, when moisture-laden winds blow from the ocean over the land, and a
dry season during the winter months, when dry winds blow from the Asian land
mass back to the ocean
Terrain:
surface in the northern Pacific dominated by a clockwise, warm-water gyre
(broad, circular system of currents) and in the southern Pacific by a
counterclockwise, cool-water gyre; sea ice occurs in the Bering Sea and Sea
of Okhotsk during winter and reaches maximum northern extent from Antarctica
in October; the ocean floor in the eastern Pacific is dominated by the East
Pacific Rise, while the western Pacific is dissected by deep trenches; the
world's greatest depth is 10,924 meters in the Marianas Trench
Natural resources:
oil and gas fields, polymetallic nodules, sand and gravel aggregates, placer
deposits, fish
Environment:
endangered marine species include the dugong, sea lion, sea otter, seals,
turtles, and whales; oil pollution in Philippine Sea and South China Sea;
dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in the
southwestern Pacific Ocean; subject to tropical cyclones (typhoons) in
southeast and east Asia from May to December (most frequent from July to
October); tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico and strike
Central America and Mexico from June to October (most common in August and
September); southern shipping lanes subject to icebergs from Antarctica;
occasional El Nino phenomenon occurs off the coast of Peru when the trade
winds slacken and the warm Equatorial Countercurrent moves south, killing
the plankton that is the primary food source for anchovies; consequently,
the anchovies move to better feeding grounds, causing resident marine birds
to starve by the thousands because of their lost food source
Note:
the major choke points are the Bering Strait, Panama Canal, Luzon Strait,
and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides the Pacific Ocean into the
North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean; ships subject to
superstructure icing in extreme north from October to May and in extreme
south from May to October; persistent fog in the northern Pacific from June
to December is a hazard to shipping; surrounded by a zone of violent
volcanic and earthquake activity sometimes referred to as the Pacific Ring
of Fire
:Pacific Ocean Economy
Overview:
The Pacific Ocean is a major contributor to the world economy and
particularly to those nations its waters directly touch. It provides cheap
sea transportation between East and West, extensive fishing grounds,
offshore oil and gas fields, minerals, and sand and gravel for the
construction industry. In 1985 over half (54%) of the world's total fish
catch came from the Pacific Ocean, which is the only ocean where the fish
catch has increased every year since 1978. Exploitation of offshore oil and
gas reserves is playing an ever-increasing role in the energy supplies of
Australia, New Zealand, China, US, and Peru. The high cost of recovering
offshore oil and gas, combined with the wide swings in world prices for oil
since 1985, has slowed but not stopped new drillings.
Industries:
fishing, oil and gas production
:Pacific Ocean Communications
Ports:
Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong, Los Angeles (US), Manila (Philippines), Pusan
(South Korea), San Francisco (US), Seattle (US), Shanghai (China),
Singapore, Sydney (Australia), Vladivostok (Russia), Wellington (NZ),
Yokohama (Japan)
Telecommunications:
several submarine cables with network focused on Guam and Hawaii
:Pakistan Geography
Total area:
803,940 km2
Land area:
778,720 km2
Comparative area:
slightly less than twice the size of California
Land boundaries:
6,774 km total; Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912 km, Iran 909
km
Coastline:
1,046 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
24 nm
Continental shelf:
edge of continental margin or 200 nm
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
boundary with India; border question (Durand line); water sharing problems
with upstream riparian India over the Indus
Climate:
mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north
Terrain:
flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest; Balochistan
plateau in west
Natural resources:
land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited crude oil, poor quality coal,
iron ore, copper, salt, limestone
Land use:
arable land 26%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and
woodland 4%; other 64%; includes irrigated 19%
Environment:
frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west;
flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August); deforestation;
soil erosion; desertification; water logging
Note:
controls Khyber Pass and Malakand Pass, traditional invasion routes between
Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent
:Pakistan People
Population:
121,664,539 (July 1992), growth rate 2.9% (1992)
Birth rate:
43 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
13 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
-1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
105 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
56 years male, 57 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
6.6 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Pakistani(s); adjective - Pakistani
Ethnic divisions:
Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India
and their descendents)
Religions:
Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi`a 20%), Christian, Hindu, and other 3%
Languages:
Urdu and English (both official); total spoken languages - Punjabi 64%,
Sindhi 12%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu 7%, Balochi and other 9%; English is lingua
franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries, but official
policies are promoting its gradual replacement by Urdu
Literacy:
35% (male 47%, female 21%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
28,900,000; agriculture 54%, mining and manufacturing 13%, services 33%;
extensive export of labor (1987 est.)
Organized labor:
about 10% of industrial work force
:Pakistan Government
Long-form name:
Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Type:
parliamentary with strong executive, federal republic
Capital:
Islamabad
Administrative divisions:
4 provinces, 1 territory*, and 1 capital territory**; Balochistan, Federally
Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital Territory**, North-West
Frontier, Punjab, Sindh; note - the Pakistani-administered portion of the
disputed Jammu and Kashmir region includes Azad Kashmir and the Northern
Areas
Independence:
14 August 1947 (from UK; formerly West Pakistan)
Constitution:
10 April 1973, suspended 5 July 1977, restored with amendments, 30 December
1985
Legal system:
based on English common law with provisions to accommodate Pakistan's
stature as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
National holiday:
Pakistan Day (proclamation of the republic), 23 March (1956)
Executive branch:
president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament (Majlis-e-Shoora) consists of an upper house or Senate
and a lower house or National Assembly
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court, Federal Islamic (Shari`at) Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President GHULAM ISHAQ Khan (since 13 December 1988)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Mian Nawaz SHARIF (since 6 November 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
Islamic Democratic Alliance (Islami Jamuri Ittehad or IJI) - the Pakistan
Muslim League (PML) led by Mohammed Khan JUNEJO is the main party in the
IJI; Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Benazir BHUTTO; note - in September 1990
the PPP announced the formation of the People's Democratic Alliance (PDA),
an electoral alliance including the following four parties - PPP, Solidarity
Movement (Tehrik Istiqlal), Movement for the Implementation of Shi`a
Jurisprudence (Tehrik-i-Nifaz Fiqh Jafariya or TNFJ), and the PML (Malik
faction); Muhajir Qaumi Movement (MQM), Altaf HUSSAIN; Awami National Party
(ANP), Khan Abdul Wali KHAN; Jamiat-ul-Ulema-i-Islam (JUI), Fazlur RAHMAN;
Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP), Mohammad Akbar Khan BUGTI; Pakistan National
Party (PNP), Mir Ghaus Bakhsh BIZENJO; Pakistan Khawa Milli Party (PKMP),
leader NA; Assembly of Pakistani Clergy (Jamiat-ul-Ulema-e-Pakistan or JUP),
Maulana Shah Ahmed NOORANI; Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), Qazi Hussain AHMED
Suffrage:
universal at age 21
Elections:
President:
last held on 12 December 1988 (next to be held NA December 1993); results -
Ghulam Ishaq KHAN was elected by Parliament and the four provincial
assemblies
:Pakistan Government
Senate:
last held March 1991 (next to be held NA March 1994); seats - (87 total) IJI
57, Tribal Area Representatives (nonparty) 8, PPP 5, ANP 5, JWP 4, MQM 3,
PNP 2, PKMP 1, JUI 1, independent 1
Elections:
National Assembly:
last held on 24 October 1990 (next to be held by NA October 1995); results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (217 total) IJI 107, PDA 45, MQM 15,
ANP 6, JUI 2, JWP 2, PNP 2, PKMP 1, independents 14, religious minorities
10, Tribal Area Representatives (nonparty) 8, vacant 1
Communists:
the Communist party is officially banned but is allowed to operate openly
Other political or pressure groups:
military remains dominant political force; ulema (clergy), industrialists,
and small merchants also influential
Member of:
AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Abida HUSSAIN; Chancery at 2315 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-6200; there is a Pakistani
Consulate General in New York
US:
Ambassador Nicholas PLATT; Embassy at Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad
(mailing address is P. O. Box 1048, PSC 1212, Box 2000, Islamabad or APO AE
09812-2000); telephone [92] (51) 826161 through 79; FAX [92] (51) 822004;
there are US Consulates General in Karachi and Lahore and a Consulate in
Peshawar
Flag:
green with a vertical white band on the hoist side; a large white crescent
and star are centered in the green field; the crescent, star, and color
green are traditional symbols of Islam
:Pakistan Economy
Overview:
Pakistan is a poor Third World country faced with the usual problems of
rapidly increasing population, sizable government deficits, and heavy
dependence on foreign aid. In addition, the economy must support a large
military establishment and provide for the needs of 4 million Afghan
refugees. A real economic growth rate averaging 5-6% in recent years has
enabled the country to cope with these problems. Almost all agriculture and
small-scale industry is in private hands. In 1990, Pakistan embarked on a
sweeping economic liberalization program to boost foreign and domestic
private investment and lower foreign aid dependence. The SHARIF government
has denationalized several state-owned firms and has attracted some foreign
investment. Pakistan likely will have difficulty raising living standards
because of its rapidly expanding population. At the current rate of growth,
population would double in 25 years.
GNP:
exchange rate conversion - $45.4 billion, per capita $380; real growth rate
4.8% (FY91 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12.3% (FY91)
Unemployment rate:
10% (FY91 est.)
Budget:
revenues $6.4 billion; expenditures $10 billion, including capital
expenditures of $2.6 billion (FY92 est.)
Exports:
$6.0 billion (f.o.b., FY91)
commodities:
cotton, textiles, clothing, rice
partners:
EC 31%, Japan 9%, US 13% (FY90)
Imports:
$7.9 billion (f.o.b., FY91)
commodities:
petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, transportation, equipment,
vegetable oils, animal fats, chemicals
partners:
EC 21%, US 14%, Japan 13% (FY90)
External debt:
$20.1 billion (1990 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 5.7% (FY91); accounts for almost 20% of GNP
Electricity:
8,500,000 kW capacity; 35,000 million kWh produced, 300 kWh per capita
(1991)
Industries:
textiles, food processing, beverages, construction materials, clothing,
paper products, shrimp
Agriculture:
25% of GNP, over 50% of labor force; world's largest contiguous irrigation
system; major crops - cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, and
vegetables; live-stock products - milk, beef, mutton, eggs; self-sufficient
in food grain
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of opium and hashish for the international drug trade;
government eradication efforts on poppy cultivation of limited success
:Pakistan Economy
Economic aid:
(including Bangladesh only before 1972) US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-89), $4.5 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1980-89), $9.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $2.3
billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $3.2 billion
Currency:
Pakistani rupee (plural - rupees); 1 Pakistani rupee (PRe) = 100 paisa
Exchange rates:
Pakistani rupees (PRs) per US$1 - 24.980 (March 1992), 23.801 (1991), 21.707
(1990), 20.541 (1989), 18.003 (1988), 17.399 (1987)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
:Pakistan Communications
Railroads:
8,773 km total; 7,718 km broad gauge, 445 km 1-meter gauge, and 610 km less
than 1-meter gauge; 1,037 km broad-gauge double track; 286 km electrified;
all government owned (1985)
Highways:
101,315 km total (1987); 40,155 km paved, 23,000 km gravel, 29,000 km
improved earth, and 9,160 km unimproved earth or sand tracks (1985)
Pipelines:
crude oil 250 km; natural gas 4,044 km; petroleum products 885 km (1987)
Ports:
Gwadar, Karachi, Port Muhammad bin Qasim
Merchant marine:
28 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 334,227 GRT/495,425 DWT; includes 3
passenger-cargo, 24 cargo, 1 petroleum tanker
Civil air:
40 major transport aircraft
Airports:
112 total, 104 usable; 75 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways
over 3,659 m; 31 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 43 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
good international communication service over microwave and INTELSAT
satellite; domestic communications poor; 813,000 telephones (1990);
broadcast service good; broadcast stations - 19 AM, 8 FM, 29 TV; satellite
earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
:Pakistan Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Civil Armed Forces, National Guard
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 27,811,099; 17,064,073 fit for military service; 1,287,041
reach military age (17) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $2.9 billion, 6% of GNP (1992 budget)
:Palmyra Atoll Geography
Total area:
11.9 km2
Land area:
11.9 km2
Comparative area:
about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
14.5 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
12 nm
Continental shelf:
200 m (depth)
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
equatorial, hot, and very rainy
Terrain:
low, with maximum elevations of about 2 meters
Natural resources:
none
Land use:
arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
woodland 100%; other 0%
Environment:
about 50 islets covered with dense vegetation, coconut trees, and balsa-like
trees up to 30 meters tall
Note:
located 1,600 km south-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean,
almost halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa
:Palmyra Atoll People
Population:
uninhabited
:Palmyra Atoll Government
Long-form name:
none
Type:
unincorporated territory of the US; privately owned, but administered by the
Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the
Interior
Capital:
none; administered from Washington, DC
:Palmyra Atoll Economy
Overview:
no economic activity
:Palmyra Atoll Communications
Ports:
the main harbor is West Lagoon, which is entered by a channel on the
southwest side of the atoll; both the channel and harbor will accommodate
vessels drawing 4 meters of water; much of the road and many causeways built
during the war are unserviceable and overgrown
Airports:
1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
:Palmyra Atoll Defense Forces
Branches:
Note:
defense is the responsibility of the US
:Panama Geography
Total area:
78,200 km2
Land area:
75,990 km2
Comparative area:
slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries:
555 km total; Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km
Coastline:
2,490 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea:
200 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short
dry season (January to May)
Terrain:
interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland plains;
coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills
Natural resources:
copper, mahogany forests, shrimp
Land use:
arable land 6%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 15%; forest and
woodland 54%; other 23%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
dense tropical forest in east and northwest
Note:
strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge connecting
North and South America; controls Panama Canal that links North Atlantic
Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean
:Panama People
Population:
2,529,902 (July 1992), growth rate 2.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
25 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
17 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
73 years male, 77 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
3.0 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Panamanian(s); adjective - Panamanian
Ethnic divisions:
mestizo (mixed Indian and European ancestry) 70%, West Indian 14%, white
10%, Indian 6%
Religions:
Roman Catholic over 93%, Protestant 6%
Languages:
Spanish (official); English as native tongue 14%; many Panamanians bilingual
Literacy:
88% (male 88%, female 88%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
770,472 (1987); government and community services 27.9%; agriculture,
hunting, and fishing 26.2%; commerce, restaurants, and hotels 16%;
manufacturing and mining 10.5%; construction 5.3%; transportation and
communications 5.3%; finance, insurance, and real estate 4.2%; Canal Zone
2.4%; shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor
Organized labor:
17% of labor force (1986)
:Panama Government
Long-form name:
Republic of Panama
Type:
centralized republic
Capital:
Panama
Administrative divisions:
9 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 territory* (comarca);
Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Herrera, Los Santos, Panama,
San Blas*, Veraguas
Independence:
3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28 November
1821)
Constitution:
11 October 1972; major reforms adopted April 1983
Legal system:
based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the
Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
National holiday:
Independence Day, 3 November (1903)
Executive branch:
president, two vice presidents, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia) currently being
reorganized
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
President Guillermo ENDARA (since 20 December 1989, elected 7 May 1989);
First Vice President Ricardo ARIAS Calderon (since 20 December 1989, elected
7 May 1989); Second Vice President Guillermo FORD Boyd (since 20 December
1989, elected 7 May 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
government alliance:
Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement (MOLIRENA), Alfredo RAMIREZ;
Authentic Liberal Party (PLA), Arnulfo ESCALONA; Arnulfista Party (PA),
Mireya MOSCOSO DE GRUBER;
opposition parties:
Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Ricardo ARIAS Calderon; Democratic
Revolutionary Party (PRD, ex-official government party), Gerardo GONZALEZ;
Agrarian Labor Party (PALA), Carlos LOPEZ Guevara; Liberal Party (PL),
Roderick ESQUIVEL; Popular Action Party (PAPO); Socialist Workers Party
(PST, leftist), Jose CAMBRA; Revolutionary Workers Party (PRT, leftist),
Graciela DIXON
Suffrage:
universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections:
President:
last held on 7 May 1989, annulled but later upheld (next to be held NA May
1994); results - anti-NORIEGA coalition believed to have won about 75% of
the total votes cast
Legislative Assembly:
last held on 27 January 1991 (next to be held NA May 1994); results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (67 total)
progovernment parties:
PDC 28, MOLIRENA 16, PA 7, PLA 4
:Panama Government