piecemeal, with emphasis on business needs and international
connections; there are still about 150,000 unfulfilled requests for
subscriber service
domestic: substantial investment has been made in cellular systems
which are operational throughout Estonia
international: international traffic is carried to the other former
Soviet republics by landline or microwave radio relay and to other
countries partly by leased connection to the Moscow international
gateway switch and partly by a new Tallinn-Helsinki fiber-optic,
submarine cable which gives Estonia access to international circuits
everywhere; access to the international packet-switched digital
network via Helsinki
Radio broadcast stations: 3 commercial broadcast stations, 1
government broadcast station (1994)
Radios: 710,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 4 (1993)
note: provide Estonian programs as well as Moscow Ostenkino's first
and second programs
Televisions: 600,000 (1993 est.)
@Estonia:Transportation
Railways:
total: 1,018 km common carrier lines only; does not include dedicated
industrial lines
broad gauge: 1,018 km 1.520-m gauge (132 km electrified) (1995)
Highways:
total: 15,304 km
paved: 8,142 km (including 65 km of expressways)
unpaved: 7,162 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 500 km perennially navigable
Pipelines: natural gas 420 km (1992)
Ports and harbors: Haapsalu, Narva, Paldiski, Parnu, Tallinn
Merchant marine:
total: 53 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 368,340 GRT/455,696 DWT
ships by type: bulk 6, cargo 27, combination bulk 1, container 5, oil
tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 7, short-sea passenger 5 (1997 est.)
Airports: 5 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m : 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (1997 est.)
@Estonia:Military
Military branches: Ground Forces, Navy/Coast Guard, Air and Air
Defense Force (not officially sanctioned), Maritime Border Guard,
Volunteer Defense League (Kaitseliit), Security Forces (internal and
border troops)
Military manpower-military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 351,148 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service:
males: 275,610 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually:
males: 10,424 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $35 million (1995)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 1.5% (1995)
@Estonia:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: Estonian and Russian negotiators reached a
technical border agreement in December 1996 which has not been
ratified; Estonia claimed over 2,000 sq km territory in the Narva and
Pechory regions of Russia-based on boundary established under the 1920
Peace Treaty of Tartu
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from
Southwest Asia and the Caucasus, and cocaine from Latin America to
Western Europe and Scandinavia
______________________________________________________________________
ETHIOPIA
Introduction
Historical perspective: On 28 May 1991 the Ethiopian People's
Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) toppled the authoritarian
government of MENGISTU Haile-Mariam and took control in Addis Ababa; a
new constitution was promulgated in December 1994 and national and
regional popular elections were held in May and June 1995.
@Ethiopia:Geography
Location: Eastern Africa, west of Somalia
Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 38 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 1,127,127 sq km
land: 1,119,683 sq km
water: 7,444 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 5,311 km
border countries: Djibouti 337 km, Eritrea 912 km, Kenya 830 km,
Somalia 1,626 km, Sudan 1,606 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation
Terrain: high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great
Rift Valley
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Denakil -125 m
highest point: Ras Dashen Terara 4,620 m
Natural resources: small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash,
natural gas
Land use:
arable land: 12%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 40%
forests and woodland: 25%
other: 22% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,900 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts
Environment-current issues: deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion;
desertification
Environment-international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea,
Nuclear Test Ban
Geography-note: landlocked-entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost
with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 27 April 1993
@Ethiopia:People
Population: 58,390,351 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 46% (male 13,468,783; female 13,398,500)
15-64 years: 51% (male 15,095,357; female 14,812,537)
65 years and over: 3% (male 734,471; female 880,703) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.21% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 44.69 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 21.25 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
note: repatriation of Ethiopians who fled to Sudan, Kenya, and Somalia
for refuge from war and famine in earlier years, is expected to
continue slowly in 1998; small numbers of Sudanese and Somali
refugees, who fled to Ethiopia from the fighting in their own
countries, began returning to their homes in 1998
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 125.65 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 40.85 years
male: 39.76 years
female: 41.97 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.88 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Ethiopian(s)
adjective: Ethiopian
Ethnic groups: Oromo 40%, Amhara and Tigrean 32%, Sidamo 9%, Shankella
6%, Somali 6%, Afar 4%, Gurage 2%, other 1%
Religions: Muslim 45%-50%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35%-40%, animist 12%,
other 3%-8%
Languages: Amharic (official), Tigrinya, Orominga, Guaraginga, Somali,
Arabic, English (major foreign language taught in schools)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 35.5%
male: 45.5%
female: 25.3% (1995 est.)
@Ethiopia:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
conventional short form: Ethiopia
local long form: YeItyop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik
local short form: YeItyop'iya
abbreviation: FDRE
Data code: ET
Government type: federal republic
National capital: Addis Ababa
Administrative divisions: 9 ethnically-based administrative regions
(astedader akababiwach, singular - astedader akababi) and 1 federal
capital*: Addis Ababa*; Afar; Amhara; Benishangul/Gumaz; Gambela;
Harar; Oromia; Somali; Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples;
Tigray
Independence: oldest independent country in Africa and one of the
oldest in the world - at least 2,000 years
National holiday: National Day, 28 May (1991) (defeat of Mengistu
regime)
Constitution: promulgated December 1994
Legal system: NA
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President NEGASSO Gidada (since 22 August 1995)
head of government: Prime Minister MELES Zenawi (since August 1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers as provided in the December 1994
constitution; ministers are selected by the prime minister and
approved by the Council of People's Representatives
elections: president elected by the Council of People's
Representatives for a six-year term; election last held June 1995
(next to be held NA 2001); prime minister designated by the party in
power following legislative elections
election results: NEGASSO Gidada elected president; percent of vote by
the Council of People's Representatives-NA
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Council of
the Federation or upper chamber (117 seats; members are chosen by
state assemblies to serve five-year terms) and the Council of People's
Representatives or lower chamber (548 seats; members are directly
elected by popular vote from single-member districts to serve
five-year terms); note-the upper chamber represents the ethnic
interests of the regional governments
elections: regional and national popular elections were held in May
and June 1995 (next to be held NA 2000) and the Federal Parliamentary
Assembly assumed legislative power on 21 August 1995
election results: percent of vote-NA; seats-NA; note-EPRDF won nearly
all seats
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are elected by the national
legislature
Political parties and leaders: Ethiopian People's Revolutionary
Democratic Front or EPRDF [MELES Zenawi]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Oromo Liberation Front or OLF;
All Amhara People's Organization; Southern Ethiopia People's
Democratic Coalition; numerous small, ethnic-based groups have formed
since MENGISTU'S defeat, including several Islamic militant groups
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO,
G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador BERHANE Gebre-Christos
chancery: 2134 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 234-2281, 2282
FAX: [1] (202) 328-7950
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador David H. SHINN
embassy: Entoto Street, Addis Ababa
mailing address: P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa
telephone: [251] (1) 550666
FAX: [251] (1) 552191
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow,
and red with a yellow pentagram and single yellow rays emanating from
the angles between the points on a light blue disk centered on the
three bands; Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa, and
the colors of her flag were so often adopted by other African
countries upon independence that they became known as the pan-African
colors
@Ethiopia:Economy
Economy-overview: Ethiopia remains one of the poorest and least
developed countries in the world. Its economy is based on agriculture,
which accounts for more than half of GDP, 90% of exports, and 80% of
total employment; coffee generates 60% of export earnings. The
agricultural sector suffers from frequent periods of drought, poor
cultivation practices, and deterioration of internal security
conditions. The manufacturing sector is heavily dependent on inputs
from the agricultural sector. Over 90% of large-scale industry, but
less than 10% of agriculture, is state-run. The government is
considering selling off a portion of state-owned plants and is
implementing reform measures that are gradually liberalizing the
economy. A major medium-term problem is the improvement of roads,
water supply, and other parts of an infrastructure badly neglected
during years of civil strife.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$29 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 5% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$530 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 55%
industry: 12%
services: 33% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 0% (1996 est.)
Labor force:
total: NA
by occupation: agriculture and animal husbandry 80%, government and
services 12%, industry and construction 8% (1985)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $1 billion
expenditures: $1.48 billion, including capital expenditures of $415
million (FY96/97)
Industries: food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metals
processing, cement
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity-capacity: 464,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 1.143 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 20 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseed, sugarcane,
potatoes, other vegetables; hides, cattle, sheep, goats
Exports:
total value: $418 million (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: coffee, leather products, gold (1995)
partners: Germany 32%, Japan 14%, Djibouti 7%, Saudi Arabia 8%, Italy
8% (1994)
Imports:
total value: $1.23 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products,
chemicals, machinery, motor vehicles and aircraft (1994)
partners: Saudi Arabia 15%, Italy 11%, US 12.3%, Germany 8% (1994)
Debt-external: $5.2 billion (1995)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $367 million (FY95/96)
Currency: 1 birr (Br) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: birr (Br) per US$1 (end of period)-6.9530 (February
1998), 6.8080 (September 1997), 6.4260 (1996), 6.3200 (1995), 5.9500
(1994), 5.0000 (fixed rate 1992-93)
note: since May 1993, the birr market rate has been determined in an
interbank market supported by weekly wholesale auction; prior to that
date, the official rate was pegged to US$1 = 5.000 birr
Fiscal year: 8 July-7 July
Communications
Telephones: 100,000 (1983 est.)
Telephone system: open wire and microwave radio relay system adequate
for government use
domestic: open wire and microwave radio relay
international: open wire to Sudan and Djibouti; microwave radio relay
to Kenya and Djibouti; satellite earth stations-3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic
Ocean and 2 Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 9.9 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 1
Televisions: 100,000 (1993 est.)
@Ethiopia:Transportation
Railways:
total: 681 km (Ethiopian segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad)
narrow gauge: 681 km 1.000-m gauge
note: in April 1998, Djibouti and Ethiopia announced plans to
revitalize the century-old railroad that links their capitals
Highways:
total: 28,500 km
paved: 4,275 km
unpaved: 24,225 km (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: none; Ethiopia is landlocked but by agreement with
Eritrea may use the ports of Assab and Massawa
Merchant marine:
total: 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 73,775 GRT/98,279 DWT
ships by type: cargo 8, oil tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3 (1997
est.)
Airports: 86 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 10
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 76
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 36
under 914 m: 20 (1997 est.)
@Ethiopia:Military
Military branches: Ground Forces, Air Force, Police
note: following the secession of Eritrea, Ethiopia's naval facilities
remained in Eritrea's possession; current reorganization plans do not
include a navy
Military manpower-military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 13,240,029 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service:
males: 6,900,452 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually:
males: 630,087 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $126 million (budget for FY97/98)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: NA%
@Ethiopia:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: most of the southern half of the boundary with
Somalia is a Provisional Administrative Line; territorial dispute with
Somalia over the Ogaden
Illicit drugs: transit hub for heroin originating in Southwest and
Southeast Asia and destined for Europe and North America as well as
cocaine destined for markets in southern Africa; cultivates qat (chat)
for local use and regional export
______________________________________________________________________
EUROPA ISLAND
(possession of France)
@Europa Island:Geography
Location: Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about
one-half of the way from southern Madagascar to southern Mozambique
Geographic coordinates: 22 20 S, 40 22 E
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 28 sq km
land: 28 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area-comparative: about 0.16 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 22.2 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical
Terrain: NA
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 24 m
Natural resources: negligible
Land use:
arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: NA%
other: NA%
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment-current issues: NA
Environment-international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography-note: wildlife sanctuary
@Europa Island:People
Population: no indigenous inhabitants
note: there is a small French military garrison
@Europa Island:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Europa Island
local long form: none
local short form: Ile Europa
Data code: EU
Dependency status: possession of France; administered by a high
commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion
Independence: none (possession of France)
Legal system: NA
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (possession of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (possession of France)
Flag description: the flag of France is used
@Europa Island:Economy
Economy-overview: no economic activity
Communications
Communications-note: 1 meteorological station
@Europa Island:Transportation
Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only
Airports: 1 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.)
@Europa Island:Military
Military-note: defense is the responsibility of France
@Europa Island:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: claimed by Madagascar
______________________________________________________________________
FALKLAND ISLANDS (ISLAS MALVINAS)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
(dependent territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
@Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas):Geography
Location: Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean,
east of southern Argentina
Geographic coordinates: 51 45 S, 59 00 W
Map references: South America
Area:
total: 12,173 sq km
land: 12,173 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes the two main islands of East and West Falkland and
about 200 small islands
Area-comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 1,288 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain
occurs on more than half of days in year; occasional snow all year,
except in January and February, but does not accumulate
Terrain: rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Usborne 705 m
Natural resources: fish, wildlife
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 99%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 1% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: strong winds persist throughout the year
Environment-current issues: NA
Environment-international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography-note: deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors;
short growing season
@Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas):People
Population: 2,805 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate: 4.13% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population
Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman
Nationality:
noun: Falkland Islander(s)
adjective: Falkland Island
Ethnic groups: British
Religions: primarily Anglican, Roman Catholic, United Free Church,
Evangelist Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day
Adventist
Languages: English
@Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas):Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Colony of the Falkland Islands
conventional short form: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Data code: FA
Dependency status: dependent territory of the UK, also claimed by
Argentina
Government type: NA
National capital: Stanley
Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK, also
claimed by Argentina)
Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK, also claimed by
Argentina)
National holiday: Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)
Constitution: 3 October 1985; amended 1997
Legal system: English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Governor Richard RALPH (since 29 January 1996);
Chief Executive A. GURR (since NA); First Secretary R. T. JARVIS
(since NA)
cabinet: Executive Council; three members elected by the Legislative
Council, two ex-officio members (chief executive and the financial
secretary), and the governor
elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor appointed
by the queen
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council (10 seats, 8
elected, 2 ex officio; members are elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
elections: last held NA October 1997 (next to be held NA October 2002)
election results: percent of vote-NA; seats-independents 8
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chief justice is non-resident
Political parties and leaders: none; all independents
International organization participation: ICFTU
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (dependent territory of the
UK, also claimed by Argentina)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (dependent territory of
the UK, also claimed by Argentina)
Flag description: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side
quadrant and the Falkland Island coat of arms in a white disk centered
on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms contains a white ram
(sheep raising is the major economic activity) above the sailing ship
Desire (whose crew discovered the islands) with a scroll at the bottom
bearing the motto DESIRE THE RIGHT
@Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas):Economy