MENEM] (Peronist umbrella political organization); Radical Civic Union
or UCR [Fernando DE LA RUA]; Union of the Democratic Center or UCD
(conservative party); Dignity and Independence Political Party or
MODIN (right-wing party); Front for a Country in Solidarity or Frepaso
(a four party coalition) [leader Carlos ALVAREZ]; Action for the
Republic [Domingo CAVALLO]; New Leadership [Gustavo BELIZ]; several
provincial parties
Political pressure groups and leaders: Peronist-dominated labor
movement; General Confederation of Labor or CGT (Peronist-leaning
umbrella labor organization); Argentine Industrial Union
(manufacturers' association); Argentine Rural Society (large
landowners' association); Argentine Association of Pharmaceutical Labs
(CILFA); business organizations; students; the Roman Catholic Church;
the Armed Forces
International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer),
Australia Group, BCIE, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G- 6, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24,
G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MINUGUA, MINURSO, MIPONUH, MTCR, NSG (observer),
OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Diego Ramiro GUELAR
chancery: 1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 939-6400 through 6403
FAX: [1] (202) 332-3171
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James R. CHEEK has retired; replacement
to be appointed in 1998
embassy: 4300 Colombia, 1425 Buenos Aires
mailing address: International mail: use street address; APO address:
Unit 4334, APO AA 34034
telephone: [54] (1) 777-4533, 4534
FAX: [54] (1) 777-0197
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of light blue (top),
white, and light blue; centered in the white band is a radiant yellow
sun with a human face known as the Sun of May
@Argentina:Economy
Economy-overview: Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a
highly literate population, an export-oriented agricultural sector,
and a diversified industrial base. Nevertheless, following decades of
mismanagement and statist policies, the economy in the late 1980s was
plagued with huge external debts and recurring bouts of
hyperinflation. Elected in 1989, in the depths of recession, President
MENEM has implemented a comprehensive economic restructuring program
that has put Argentina on a path of stable, sustainable growth.
Argentina's currency has traded at par with the US dollar since April
1991, and inflation has fallen to its lowest level in 50 years.
Argentines have responded to price stability by repatriating capital
and investing in domestic industry. Growth averaged more than 8%
between 1991 and 1994, then fell 4.6% in 1995, largely in reaction to
the Mexican peso crisis. The economy has since recovered strongly.
However, unemployment remains nearly 14%, and Buenos Aires still
depends on foreign capital to meet the bulk of its financing needs.
The IMF has urged additional economic reforms to ensure equitable
long-term growth.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$348.2 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 8.4% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$9,700 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 7%
industry: 36%
services: 57% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 0.3% (1997)
Labor force:
total: 14.5 million (1995 est.)
by occupation: agriculture 12%, industry 31%, services 57% (1985 est.)
Unemployment rate: 13.7% (October 1997)
Budget:
revenues: $55 billion
expenditures: $59 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997
est.)
Industries: food processing, motor vehicles, consumer durables,
textiles, chemicals and petrochemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel
Industrial production growth rate: 8.7% (1997 est.)
Electricity-capacity: 19.61 million kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 65.72 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 1,960 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: wheat, corn, sorghum, soybeans, sugar beets;
livestock
Exports:
total value: $25.4 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
commodities: meat, wheat, corn, oilseed, manufactures, fuels
partners: Brazil 26.1%, US 8.5%, Chile 7.0%, Netherlands 5.7%, Italy
3.5% (1995)
Imports:
total value: $30.3 billion (c.i.f., 1997)
commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals, transport
equipment, agricultural products
partners: Brazil 20.8%, US 20.7%, Italy 6.3%, Germany 6.2%, France
5.2% (1995)
Debt-external: $115 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 nuevo peso argentino = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: pesos per US$1-0.99950 (January 1998), 0.99950 (1997),
0.99966 (1996), 0.99975 (1995), 0.99901 (1994), 0.99895 (1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 4.6 million (1990)
Telephone system: 12,000 public telephones; extensive modern system
but many families do not have telephones; despite extensive use of
microwave radio relay, the telephone system frequently grounds out
during rainstorms, even in Buenos Aires
domestic: microwave radio relay and a domestic satellite system with
40 earth stations serve the trunk network
international: satellite earth stations-2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 260, FM 100, shortwave 6
Radios: 22.3 million (1991 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 231
Televisions: 7.165 million (1991 est.)
@Argentina:Transportation
Railways:
total: 37,910 km
broad gauge: 24,124 km 1.676-m gauge (142 km electrified)
standard gauge: 2,765 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 11,021 km 1.000-m gauge (26 km electrified)
Highways:
total: 218,276 km
paved: 63,518 km (including 567 km of expressways)
unpaved: 154,758 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 11,000 km navigable
Pipelines: crude oil 4,090 km; petroleum products 2,900 km; natural
gas 9,918 km
Ports and harbors: Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Comodoro Rivadavia,
Concepcion del Uruguay, La Plata, Mar del Plata, Necochea, Rio
Gallegos, Rosario, Santa Fe, Ushuaia
Merchant marine:
total: 34 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 268,492 GRT/388,524 DWT
ships by type: cargo 11, container 2, oil tanker 13, railcar carrier
1, refrigerated cargo 6, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1997 est.)
Airports: 1,411 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 137
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 25
1,524 to 2,437 m: 55
914 to 1,523 m: 44
under 914 m: 8 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 1,274
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 65
914 to 1,523 m: 635
under 914 m: 570 (1997 est.)
@Argentina:Military
Military branches: Argentine Army, Navy of the Argentine Republic
(includes Naval Aviation, Marines, and Coast Guard), Argentine Air
Force, National Gendarmerie, National Aeronautical Police Force
Military manpower-military age: 20 years of age
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 9,056,532 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service:
males: 7,344,910 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually:
males: 332,008 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $4.6 billion (1997)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 1.5% (1997)
@Argentina:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: short section of the southwestern boundary
with Chile is indefinite; claims UK-administered Falkland Islands
(Islas Malvinas); claims UK-administered South Georgia and the South
Sandwich Islands; territorial claim in Antarctica
Illicit drugs: increasing use as a transshipment country for cocaine
headed for Europe and the US
______________________________________________________________________
ARMENIA
Introduction
Current issues: Armenia's leaders remain preoccupied by Armenia's
10-year conflict with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave.
Although a cease-fire has been in effect since May 1994, the sides
have not made substantial progress toward a peaceful resolution. In
January 1998, differences between President TER-PETROSSIAN and members
of his cabinet over the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process came to a head.
With the prime minister and defense and security ministers arrayed
against him, an isolated TER-PETROSSIAN resigned the presidency on 3
February 1998. Robert KOCHARIAN, TER-PETROSSIAN's prime minister, was
elected president in March 1998. Concerns about Armenia's economic
performance rose in 1997 with a slowdown in growth and an increase in
inflation.
@Armenia:Geography
Location: Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey
Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N, 45 00 E
Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States
Area:
total: 29,800 sq km
land: 28,400 sq km
water: 1,400 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total: 1,254 km
border countries: Azerbaijan-proper 566 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan
exclave 221 km, Georgia 164 km, Iran 35 km, Turkey 268 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: highland continental, hot summers, cold winters
Terrain: high Armenian Plateau with mountains; little forest land;
fast flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Debed River 400 m
highest point: Aragats Lerr 4,095 m
Natural resources: small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc,
alumina
Land use:
arable land: 17%
permanent crops: 3%
permanent pastures: 24%
forests and woodland: 15%
other: 41% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 2,870 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts
Environment-current issues: soil pollution from toxic chemicals such
as DDT; energy blockade, the result of conflict with Azerbaijan, has
led to deforestation when citizens scavenged for firewood; pollution
of Hrazdan (Razdan) and Aras Rivers; the draining of Sevana Lich (Lake
Sevan), a result of its use as a source for hydropower, threatens
drinking water supplies; restart of Metsamor nuclear power plant
without adequate (IAEA-recommended) safety and backup systems
Environment-international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Nuclear Test Ban, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography-note: landlocked
@Armenia:People
Population: 3,421,775 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 26% (male 460,191; female 441,906)
15-64 years: 65% (male 1,092,652; female 1,139,916)
65 years and over: 9% (male 119,464; female 167,646) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.36% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 13.52 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 8.82 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -8.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 40.77 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66.73 years
male: 62.45 years
female: 71.23 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.69 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Armenian(s)
adjective: Armenian
Ethnic groups: Armenian 93%, Azeri 3%, Russian 2%, other (mostly
Yezidi Kurds) 2% (1989)
note: as of the end of 1993, virtually all Azeris had emigrated from
Armenia
Religions: Armenian Orthodox 94%
Languages: Armenian 96%, Russian 2%, other 2%
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 98% (1989 est.)
@Armenia:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Armenia
conventional short form: Armenia
local long form: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun
local short form: Hayastan
former: Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic; Armenian Republic
Data code: AM
Government type: republic
National capital: Yerevan
Administrative divisions: 10 provinces (marzer, singular-marz) and 1
city* (k'aghak'ner, singular - k'aghak'); Aragatsotn, Ararat, Armavir,
Geghark'unik', Kotayk', Lorri, Shirak, Syunik', Tavush, Vayots' Dzor,
Yerevan*
Independence: 28 May 1918 (First Armenian Republic); 23 September 1991
(from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Referendum Day, 21 September
Constitution: adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Robert KOCHARIAN (since 30 March 1998)
head of government: Prime Minister Armen DARBINYAN (since 10 April
1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
special election last held 30 March 1998 (next election to be held
March 2003); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Robert KOCHARIAN elected president; percent of
vote-Robert KOCHARIAN 59%, Karen DEMIRCHYAN 41%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or
Azgayin Zhoghov (190 seats; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 5 July 1995 (next to be held NA July 1999)
election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by
party-Republican Bloc 159 (ANM 63, DLP-Hanrapetutyun Bloc 6, Republic
Party 4, CDU 3, Intellectual Armenia 3, Social Democratic Party 2,
independents 78), SWM 8, ACP 7, NDU 5, NSDU 3, DLP 1, ARF 1, other 4,
vacant 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Constitutional Court
Political parties and leaders: Armenian National Movement or ANM [Vano
SIRADEGIAN, chairman]; National Democratic Union or NDU [Vazgen
MANUKIAN]; Intellectual Armenia [H. TOKMAJIAN]; Social Democratic
(Hnchakian) Party [Yeghia NACHARIAN]; Shamiram Women's Movement or SWM
[Maria NERSISSIAN]; Armenian Communist Party or ACP [Sergey BADALYAN];
Union of National Self-Determination or NSDU [Paruir HAIRIKIAN,
chairman]; Armenian Revolutionary Federation ("Dashnak" Party) or ARF;
Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Azat ARSHAKYN, chairman];
Democratic Liberal Party [Orthosis GYONJIAN, chairman]; Republican
Party [Andranik MARKARYAN]
International organization participation: BSEC, CCC, CE (guest), CIS,
EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM (observer), OSCE,
PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
(applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Rouben SHUGARIAN
chancery: 2225 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 319-1976
FAX: [1] (202) 319-2982
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Peter TOMSEN
embassy: 18 General Baghramian Avenue, Yerevan
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [374] (2) 524-661, 521-611
FAX: [374] (2) 151-550, 151-511
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, and
gold
@Armenia:Economy
Economy-overview: Under the old Soviet central planning system,
Armenia had developed a modern industrial sector, supplying machine
tools, textiles, and other manufactured goods to sister republics in
exchange for raw materials and energy. Since the implosion of the USSR
in December 1991, Armenia has switched to small-scale agriculture away
from the large agroindustrial complexes of the Soviet area. The
agricultural sector has long-term needs for more investment and
updated technology. The privatization of industry has been at a slower
pace, but ahead of most of the rest of the CIS. Armenia is a food
importer and its mineral deposits (gold, bauxite) are small. The
ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan over the ethnic Armenian-dominated
region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the embargoes imposed by Azerbaijan and
Turkey contributed to a severe economic decline in the early 1990s. By
1994, however, the Armenian Government had launched an ambitious
IMF-sponsored economic program that has resulted in positive growth
rates in 1995-97. Armenia also managed to slash inflation and to
privatize most small and medium-sized enterprises. The chronic energy
shortages Armenia suffered in recent years has been partially offset
by the energy supplied by one of its nuclear power plants at Metsamor,
which in 1996 supplied about 40% of the country's energy needs,
according to the Armenian Government. Moreover, Armenia is expanding
its energy imports from Iran.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$9.5 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 2.7% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$2,750 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 38%
industry: 32%
services: 30% (1996 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 13.2% (1997 est.)
Labor force:
total: 1.6 million (1997)
by occupation: manufacturing, mining, and construction 25%,
agriculture 38%, services 37%
Unemployment rate: 10.6% officially registered unemployed, but large
numbers of underemployed (June 1997)
Budget:
revenues: $322 million
expenditures: $424 million, including capital expenditures of $80
million (1998 est.)
Industries: much of industry is shut down; metal-cutting machine
tools, forging-pressing machines, electric motors, tires, knitted
wear, hosiery, shoes, silk fabric, washing machines, chemicals,
trucks, watches, instruments, microelectronics
Industrial production growth rate: 0.7% (1997 est.)
Electricity-capacity: 2.768 million kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 6.3 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 1,570 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: fruit (especially grapes), vegetables; vineyards
near Yerevan are famous for brandy and other liqueurs; minor livestock
sector
Exports:
total value: $290 million (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: gold and jewelry, aluminum, transport equipment,
electrical equipment, scrap metal
partners: Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan, Georgia
Imports:
total value: $727 million (c.i.f., 1996)
commodities: grain, other foods, fuel, other energy
partners: Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan, Georgia, US, EU
Debt-external: $820 million (of which $75 million to Russia) (1997
est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
note: commitments (excluding Russia), $1,385 million ($675 million in
disbursements) (1992-95)
Currency: 1 dram = 100 luma (introduced new currency in November 1993)
Exchange rates: dram per US$1-499.89 (November 1997), 414.04 (1996),
405.91 (1995), 288.65 (1994), 9.11 (1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 650,000
Telephone system: joint venture agreement to install fiber-optic cable
and construct facilities for cellular telephone service is in the
implementation phase
domestic: NA
international: international connections to other former Soviet
republics are by landline or microwave radio relay and to other
countries by satellite and by leased connection through the Moscow
international gateway switch; satellite earth station-1 Intelsat
Radio broadcast stations: AM 10, FM 3, shortwave NA (1991)
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 1
note: 100% of population receives Armenian and Russian TV programs
Televisions: NA
@Armenia:Transportation
Railways:
total: 825 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial
lines
broad gauge: 825 km 1.520-m gauge (1992)
Highways:
total: 8,580 km
paved: 8,580 km
unpaved: 0 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: NA km
Pipelines: natural gas 900 km (1991)
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 11 (1996 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (1996 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (1996 est.)
@Armenia:Military
Military branches: Army, Air Force, Air Defense Force, Security Forces
(internal and border troops)
Military manpower-military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 914,134 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service:
males: 726,938 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually:
males: 31,814 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: 33.3 billion drams (1998);
note-conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using
prevailing exchange rates could produce misleading results
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: NA%
@Armenia:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: Armenia supports ethnic Armenians in the
Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in the longstanding, separatist
conflict against the Azerbaijani Government; traditional demands on
former Armenian lands in Turkey have subsided
Illicit drugs: illicit cultivator of cannabis mostly for domestic
consumption; used as a transshipment point for illicit drugs to
Western Europe and the US
______________________________________________________________________
ARUBA
(part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
@Aruba:Geography
Location: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela
Geographic coordinates: 12 30 N, 69 58 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 193 sq km
land: 193 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly larger than Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 68.5 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: flat with a few hills; scant vegetation
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m
Natural resources: negligible; white sandy beaches
Land use:
arable land: 11%
permanent crops: NA%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: NA%
other: 89% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt
Environment-current issues: NA
Environment-international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
@Aruba:People
Population: 68,325 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 22% (male 7,775; female 7,114)
15-64 years: 69% (male 22,616; female 24,700)
65 years and over: 9% (male 2,523; female 3,597) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.47% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 13.74 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 6.4 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 7.96 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.92 years
male: 73.22 years
female: 80.81 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.81 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Aruban(s)
adjective: Aruban
Ethnic groups: mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%
Religions: Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim,
Confucian, Jewish
Languages: Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch,
English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish
Literacy: NA
@Aruba:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Aruba
Data code: AA
Dependency status: part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full
autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the
Netherlands Antilles
Government type: parliamentary
National capital: Oranjestad
Administrative divisions: none (part of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands)
Independence: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; in 1990,
Aruba requested and received from the Netherlands cancellation of the
agreement to automatically give independence to the island in 1996)
National holiday: Flag Day, 18 March
Constitution: 1 January 1986
Legal system: based on Dutch civil law system, with some English
common law influence
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal