traditional bilateral boundary disputes to unilateral claims of one sort or
another. Every international land boundary dispute in the ``Guide to Interna-
tional Boundaries,'' a map published by the Department of State, is included.
References to other situations may also be included that are border or
frontier relevant, such as maritime disputes, geopolitical questions, or
irredentist issues. However, inclusion does not necessarily constitute
official acceptance or recognition by the US Government.
Economic aid: This entry refers to bilateral commitments of official develop-
ment assistance (ODA), which is defined as government grants that are
administered with the promotion of economic development and welfare of LDCs
as their main objective and are concessional in character and contain a
grant element of at least 25%, and other official flows (OOF) or transactions
by the official sector whose main objective is other than development
motivated or whose grant element is below the 25% threshold for ODA. OOF
transactions include official export credits (such as Eximbank credits),
official equity and portfolio investment, and debt reorganization by the
official sector that does not meet concessional terms. Aid is considered to
have been committed when agreements are initialed by the parties involved and
constitute a formal declaration of intent.
Entities: Some of the nations, dependent areas, areas of special sovereignty,
and governments included in this publication are not independent, and others
are not officially recognized by the US Government. ``Nation'' refers to a
people politically organized into a sovereign state with a definite territory.
``Dependent'' area refers to a broad category of political entities that are
associated in some way with a nation. Names used for page headings are usually
the short-form names as approved by the US Board on Geographic Names. The
long-form name is included in the ``Government'' section, and an entry of
``none'' indicates a long-form name does not exist. In some instances, no
short-form name exists - then the long-form name must serve for all usages.
There are 264 entities in The World Factbook that may be categorized as
follows:
NATIONS
177 UN members (excluding Yugoslavia)
11 nations that are not members of the UN - Andorra, Georgia, Kiribati,
Macedonia, Monaco, Nauru, Serbia and Montenegro, Switzerland, Tonga, Tuvalu,
Vatican City (Holy See)
OTHER
1 Taiwan
DEPENDENT AREAS
6 Australia - Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling)
Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island
2 Denmark - Faroe Islands, Greenland
16 France - Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island, French Guiana,
French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Glorioso Islands,
Guadeloupe, Juan de Nova Island, Martinique, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Reunion,
Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Tromelin Island, Wallis and Futuna
2 Netherlands - Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
3 New Zealand - Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau
3 Norway - Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard
1 Portugal - Macau
16 United Kingdom - Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British
Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey,
Hong Kong, Isle of Man, Jersey, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena,
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands
15 United States - American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island, Jarvis
Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Northern
Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, Trust Territory of the Pacific
Islands (Palau), Virgin Islands, Wake Island
MISCELLANEOUS
6 Antarctica, Gaza Strip, Paracel Islands, Spratly Islands, West Bank, Western
Sahara
OTHER ENTITIES
4 oceans - Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean
1 World
264 total
note: The US Government does not recognize the four so-called independent
homelands of Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, Transkei, and Venda in South Africa.
Gross domestic product (GDP): The value of all goods and services produced
domestically.
Gross national product (GNP): The value of all goods and services produced
domestically plus income earned abroad, minus income earned by foreigners
from domestic production.
GNP/GDP methodology: In the ``Economy'' section, GNP/GDP dollar estimates for
the OECD countries, the former Soviet republics, and the East European
countries are derived from purchasing power parity (PPP) calculations rather
than from conversions at official currency exchange rates. The PPP method
normally involves the use of international dollar price weights, which are
applied to the quantities of goods and services produced in a given economy.
In addition to the lack of reliable data from the majority of countries, the
statistician faces a major difficulty in specifying, identifying, and allowing
for the quality of goods and services. The division of a PPP GNP/GDP estimate
in dollars by the corresponding estimate in the local currency gives the PPP
conversion rate. One thousand dollars will buy the same market basket of goods
in the US as one thousand dollars - converted to the local currency at the PPP
conversion rate - will buy in the other country. GNP/GDP estimates for the
LDCs, on the other hand, are based on the conversion of GNP/GDP estimates in
local currencies to dollars at the official currency exchange rates. One
caution: the proportion of, say, defense expenditures as a percent of GNP/GDP
in local currency accounts may differ substantially from the proportion when
GNP/GDP accounts are expressed in PPP terms, as, for example, when an observer
estimates the dollar level of Russian or Japanese military expenditures;
similar problems exist when components are expressed in dollars under currency
exchange rate procedures. Finally, as academic research moves forward on the
PPP method, we hope to convert all GNP/GDP estimates to this method in future
editions of The World Factbook.
Growth rate (population): The annual percent change in the population,
resulting from a surplus (or deficit) of births over deaths and the balance
of migrants entering and leaving a country. The rate may be positive or
negative.
Illicit drugs: There are five categories of illicit drugs - narcotics,
stimulants, depressants (sedatives), hallucinogens, and cannabis. These
categories include many drugs legally produced and prescribed by doctors as
well as those illegally produced and sold outside medical channels.
Cannabis (Cannabis sativa) is the common hemp plant, which provides
hallucinogens with some sedative properties, and includes marijuana (pot,
Acapulco gold, grass, reefer), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, Marinol), hashish
(hash), and hashish oil (hash oil).
Coca (Erythroxylon coca) is a bush, and the leaves contain the stimulant
cocaine. Coca is not to be confused with cocoa, which comes from cacao seeds
and is used in making chocolate, cocoa, and cocoa butter.
Cocaine is a stimulant derived from the leaves of the coca bush.
Depressants (sedatives) are drugs that reduce tension and anxiety and include
chloral hydrate, barbiturates (Amytal, Nembutal, Seconal, phenobarbital),
benzodiazepines (Librium, Valium), methaqualone (Quaalude), glutethimide
(Doriden), and others (Equanil, Placidyl, Valmid).
Drugs are any chemical substances that effect a physical, mental, emotional,
or behavioral change in an individual.
Drug abuse is the use of any licit or illicit chemical substance that results
in physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral impairment in an individual.
Hallucinogens are drugs that affect sensation, thinking, self-awareness, and
emotion.
Hallucinogens include LSD (acid, microdot), mescaline and peyote (mexc,
buttons, cactus), amphetamine variants (PMA, STP, DOB), phencyclidine (PCP,
angel dust, hog), phencyclidine analogues (PCE, PCPy, TCP), and others
(psilocybin, psilocyn).
Hashish is the resinous exudate of the cannabis or hemp plant (Cannabis
sativa).
Heroin is a semisynthetic derivative of morphine.
Marijuana is the dried leaves of the cannabis or hemp plant (Cannabis sativa).
Narcotics are drugs that relieve pain, often induce sleep, and refer to opium,
opium derivatives, and synthetic substitutes. Natural narcotics include opium
(paregoric, parepectolin), morphine (MS-Contin, Roxanol), codeine (Tylenol
w/codeine, Empirin w/codeine, Robitussan A-C), and thebaine. Semisynthetic
narcotics include heroin (horse, smack), and hydromorphone (Dilaudid).
Synthetic narcotics include meperidine or Pethidine (Demerol, Mepergan),
methadone (Dolophine, Methadose), and others (Darvon, Lomotil).
Opium is the milky exudate of the incised, unripe seedpod of the opium poppy.
Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) is the source for many natural and
semisynthetic narcotics.
Poppy straw concentrate is the alkaloid derived from the mature dried opium
poppy.
Qat (kat, khat) is a stimulant from the buds or leaves of Catha edulis that
is chewed or drunk as tea.
Stimulants are drugs that relieve mild depression, increase energy and
activity, and include cocaine (coke, snow, crack), amphetamines (Desoxyn,
Dexedrine), phenmetrazine (Preludin), methylphenidate (Ritalin), and others
(Cylert, Sanorex, Tenuate).
Infant mortality rate: The number of deaths to infants under one year old in
a given year per l,000 live births occurring in the same year.
Land use: Human use of the land surface is categorized as arable land - land
cultivated for crops that are replanted after each harvest (wheat, maize,
rice); permanent crops - land cultivated for crops that are not replanted
after each harvest (citrus, coffee, rubber); meadows and pastures - land
permanently used for herbaceous forage crops; forest and woodland - land
under dense or open stands of trees; and other - any land type not specifi-
cally mentioned above (urban areas, roads, desert). The percentage figure for
irrigated land refers to the portion of the entire amount of land area that
is artificially supplied with water.
Leaders: The chief of state is the titular leader of the country who
represents the state at official and ceremonial funcions but is not involved
with the day-to-day activities of the government. The head of government is
the administrative leader who manages the day-to-day activities of the
government. In the UK, the monarch is the chief of state, and the Prime
Minister is the head of government. In the US, the President is both the
chief of state and the head of government.
Life expectancy at birth: The average number of years to be lived by a group
of people all born in the same year, if mortality at each age remains
constant in the future.
Literacy: There are no universal definitions and standards of literacy.
Unless otherwise noted, all rates are based on the most common definition -
the ability to read and write at a specified age. Detailing the standards
that individual countries use to assess the ability to read and write is
beyond the scope of this publication.
Maps: All maps will be available only in the printed version for the fore-
seeable future.
Maritime claims: The proximity of neighboring states may prevent some
national claims from being fully extended.
Merchant marine: All ships engaged in the carriage of goods. All commercial
vessels (as opposed to all nonmilitary ships), which excludes tugs, fishing
vessels, offshore oil rigs, etc.; also, a grouping of merchant ships by
nationality or register.
Captive register - A register of ships maintained by a territory, possession,
or colony primarily or exclusively for the use of ships owned in the parent
country; also referred to as an offshore register, the offshore equivalent
of an internal register. Ships on a captive register will fly the same flag
as the parent country, or a local variant of it, but will be subject to the
maritime laws and taxation rules of the offshore territory. Although the
nature of a captive register makes it especially desirable for ships owned in
the parent country, just as in the internal register, the ships may also be
owned abroad. The captive register then acts as a flag of convenience
register, except that it is not the register of an independent state.
Flag of convenience register - A national register offering registration to a
merchant ship not owned in the flag state. The major flags of convenience
(FOC) attract ships to their register by virtue of low fees, low or
nonexistent taxation of profits, and liberal manning requirements. True FOC
registers are characterized by having relatively few of the ships registered
actually owned in the flag state. Thus, while virtually any flag can be used
for ships under a given set of circumstances, an FOC register is one where
the majority of the merchant fleet is owned abroad.
It is also referred to as an open register.
Flag state - The nation in which a ship is registered and which holds legal
jurisdiction over operation of the ship, whether at home or abroad.
Differences in flag state maritime legislation determine how a ship is manned
and taxed and whether a foreign-owned ship may be placed on the register.
Internal register - A register of ships maintained as a subset of a national
register. Ships on the internal register fly the national flag and have that
nationality but are subject to a separate set of maritime rules from those on
the main national register. These differences usually include lower taxation
of profits, manning by foreign nationals, and, usually, ownership outside the
flag state (when it functions as an FOC register). The Norwegian International
Ship Register and Danish International Ship Register are the most notable
examples of an internal register.
Both have been instrumental in stemming flight from the national flag to
flags of convenience and in attracting foreign-owned ships to the Norwegian
and Danish flags.
Merchant ship - A vessel that carries goods against payment of freight;
commonly used to denote any nonmilitary ship but accurately restricted to
commercial vessels only.
Register - The record of a ship's ownership and nationality as listed with
the maritime authorities of a country; also, the compendium of such individual
ships' registrations. Registration of a ship provides it with a nationality
and makes it subject to the laws of the country in which registered (the flag
state) regardless of the nationality of the ship's ultimate owner.
Money figures: All are expressed in contemporaneous US dollars unless
otherwise indicated.
Net migration rate: The balance between the number of persons entering and
leaving a country during the year per 1,000 persons (based on midyear
population). An excess of persons entering the country is referred to as net
immigration (3.56 migrants/1,000 population); an excess of persons leaving the
country as net emigration (-9.26 migrants/1,000 population).
Population: Figures are estimates from the Bureau of the Census based on
statistics from population censuses, vital registration systems, or sample
surveys pertaining to the recent past, and on assumptions about future trends.
Total fertility rate: The average number of children that would be born per
woman if all women lived to the end of their childbearing years and bore
children according to a given fertility rate at each age.
Years: All year references are for the calendar year (CY) unless indicated as
fiscal year (FY).
Note: Information for the US and US dependencies was compiled from material
in the public domain and does not represent Intelligence Community estimates.
The Handbook of International Economic and Environmental Statistics,
published annually in September by the Central Intelligence Agency, contains
detailed economic information for the Organization for Economic Cooperation
and Development (OECD) countries, Eastern Europe, the newly independent
republics of the former nations of Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union, and
selected other countries. The Handbook can be obtained wherever The World
Factbook is available.
Appendix A:
The United Nations System
The UN is composed of six principal organs and numerous subordinate
agencies and bodies as follows:
1) Secretariat
2) General Assembly:
UNCHS United Nations Center for Human Settlements (Habitat)
UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
UNDP United Nations Development Program
UNEP United Nations Environment Program
UNFPA United Nations Population Fund
UNHCR United Nations Office of High Commissioner for Refugees
UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund
UNITAR United Nations Institute for Training and Research
UNRWA United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East
UNSF United Nations Special Fund
UNU United Nations University
WFC World Food Council
WFP World Food Program
3) Security Council:
UNAVEM United Nations Angola Verification Mission
UNDOF United Nations Disengagement Observer Force
UNFICYP United Nations Force in Cyprus
UNIFIL United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
UNIIMOG United Nations Iran-Iraq Military Observer Group
UNMOGIP United Nations Military Observer Group in India and
Pakistan
UNTSO United Nations Truce Supervision Organization
4) Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC):
Specialized agencies
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization
IDA International Development Association
IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development
IFC International Finance Corporation
ILO International Labor Organization
IMF International Monetary Fund
IMO International Maritime Organization
ITU International Telecommunication Union
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization
UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization
UPU Universal Postal Union
WHO World Health Organization
WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization
WMO World Meteorological Organization
Related organizations
GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency
Regional commissions
ECA Economic Commission for Africa
ECE Economic Commission for Europe
ECLAC Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
ESCAP Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
ESCWA Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
Functional commissions
Commission on Human Rights
Commission on Narcotic Drugs
Commission for Social Development
Commission on the Status of Women
Population Commission
Statistical Commission
5) Trusteeship Council
6) International Court of Justice (ICJ)
Appendix B
Abbreviations for International Organizations and Groups
ABEDA Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa
ACC Arab Cooperation Council
ACCT Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation
ACP African, Caribbean, and Pacific Countries
AfDB African Development Bank
AFESD Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development
AG Andean Group
AL Arab League
ALADI Asociacion Latinoamericana de Integracion; see Latin
American Integration Association (LAIA)
AMF Arab Monetary Fund
AMU Arab Maghreb Union
ANZUS Australia-New Zealand-United States Security Treaty
APEC Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
AsDB Asian Development Bank
ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations
BAD Banque Africaine de Developpement;
see African Development Bank (AfDB)
BADEA Banque Arabe de Developpement Economique en Afrique;
see Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (ABEDA)
BCIE Banco Centroamericano de Integracion Economico; see Central
American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE)
BDEAC Banque de Developpment des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale; see
Central African States Development Bank (BDEAC)
Benelux Benelux Economic Union
BID Banco Interamericano de Desarvollo; see Inter-American
Development Bank (IADB)
BIS Bank for International Settlements
BOAD Banque Ouest-Africaine de Developpement; see West African
Development Bank (WADB)
C Commonwealth
CACM Central American Common Market
CAEU Council of Arab Economic Unity
CARICOM Caribbean Community and Common Market
CCC Customs Cooperation Council
CDB Caribbean Development Bank
CE Council of Europe
CEAO Communaute Economique de l'Afrique de l'Ouest; see West
African Economic Community (CEAO)
CEEAC Communaute Economique des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale; see
Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC)
CEMA Council for Mutual Economic Assistance; also known as CMEA or
Comecon; abolished 1 January 1991
CEPGL Communaute Economique des Pays des Grands Lacs; see Economic
Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL)
CERN Conseil Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire; see European
Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)
CG Contadora Group
CIS Commonwealth of Independent States
CMEA Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CEMA); also known as
Comecon; abolished 1 January 1991
COCOM Coordinating Committee on Export Controls
Comecon Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CEMA); also known as
CMEA; abolished 1 January 1991
CP Colombo Plan
CSCE Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe
DC developed country
EADB East African Development Bank
EBRD European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
EC European Community
ECA Economic Commission for Africa
ECAFE Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East; see Economic and
Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
ECE Economic Commission for Europe
ECLA Economic Commission for Latin America; see Economic Commission
for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
ECLAC Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
ECOSOC Economic and Social Council
ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States
ECWA Economic Commission for Western Asia; see Economic and Social
Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
EFTA European Free Trade Association
EIB European Investment Bank
Entente Council of the Entente
ESA European Space Agency
ESCAP Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
ESCWA Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization
FLS Front Line States
FZ Franc Zone
G-2 Group of 2
G-3 Group of 3
G-5 Group of 5
G-6 Group of 6 (not to be confused with the Big Six)
G-7 Group of 7
G-8 Group of 8
G-9 Group of 9
G-10 Group of 10
G-11 Group of 11
G-15 Group of 15
G-19 Group of 19
G-24 Group of 24
G-30 Group of 30
G-33 Group of 33
G-77 Group of 77
GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
GCC Gulf Cooperation Council
Habitat see United Nations Center for Human Settlements (UNCHS)
HG Hexagonal Group
IADB Inter-American Development Bank
IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency
IBEC International Bank for Economic Cooperation
IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization
ICC International Chamber of Commerce
ICEM Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration; see
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
ICFTU International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
ICJ International Court of Justice
ICM Intergovernmental Committee for Migration; see
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross
IDA International Development Association
IDB Islamic Development Bank
IEA International Energy Agency
IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development
IFC International Finance Corporation
IGADD Inter-Governmental Authority on Drought and Development
IIB International Investment Bank
ILO International Labor Organization
IMCO Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization; see
International Maritime Organization (IMO)
IMF International Monetary Fund
IMO International Maritime Organization
INMARSAT International Maritime Satellite Organization
INTELSAT International Telecommunications Satellite Organization
INTERPOL International Criminal Police Organization
IOC International Olympic Committee
IOM International Organization for Migration
ISO International Organization for Standardization
ITU International Telecommunication Union