[Eduard SHEVARDNADZE]; National Democratic People's Party [Mamuka
GIORGADZE]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Irina
SARISHVILI-CHANTARIA]; Union for "Revival" Party or AGUR [Alsan
ABASHIDZE]; Union of Traditionalists or UGT [Akaki ASTANTIANI];
Socialist Party or SPG [Vakhtang RCHEULISHVILI]; Georgian United
Communist Party or UCPG [Panteleimon GIORGADZE, chairman]; Greens
Party [Giorgi GACHECHILADZE]; United Republican Party or URP [Nodar
NATADZE, chairman]; National Independent Party or NIP [Irakli
TSERETELI, chairman]; Social Democratic Party or GSDP [Guram
MUCHAIDZE, secretary general]; Conservative-Monarchist Party or GCMP
[Temur ZHORZHOLIANI]
Political pressure groups and leaders: supporters of ousted President
Zviad GAMSAKHURDIA (deceased 1 January 1994) remain a source of
opposition; separatist elements in the breakaway region of Abkhazia
International organization participation: BSEC, CCC, CE (guest), CIS,
EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Inmarsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Tedo JAPARIDZE
chancery: (temporary) Suite 424, 1511 K Street NW, Washington, DC
20005
telephone: [1] (202) 393-5959
FAX: [1] (202) 393-4537
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)
embassy: #25 Antonelli Street, T'bilisi 380026
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: 995-32-989-967 or 995-32-933-803 (operator assisted)
FAX: tie-line FAX 997-0200; 933-759 or 938-951
Flag description: maroon field with small rectangle in upper hoist
side corner; rectangle divided horizontally with black on top, white
below
@Georgia:Economy
Economy-overview: Georgia's economy has traditionally revolved around
Black Sea tourism; cultivation of citrus fruits, tea, and grapes;
mining of manganese and copper; and output of a small industrial
sector producing wine, metals, machinery, chemicals, and textiles. The
country imports the bulk of its energy needs, including natural gas
and oil products. Its only sizable internal energy resource is
hydropower. Despite the severe damage the economy has suffered due to
civil strife, Georgia, with the help of the IMF and World Bank, has
made substantial economic gains in 1995-97, increasing GDP growth and
slashing inflation. Georgia still suffers from energy shortages,
although energy deliveries are steadily improving. Georgia is pinning
its hopes for long-term recovery on the development of an
international transportation corridor through the key Black Sea ports
of P'ot'i and Bat'umi. The construction of a Caspian oil pipeline
through Georgia-scheduled to open in early 1999-should spur greater
western investment in the economy. A growing trade deficit, continuing
problems with corruption, and political uncertainties cloud the
short-term economic picture.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$8.1 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 11.8% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$1,570 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 29%
industry: 16%
services: 55% (1997 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 7.1% (1997 est.)
Labor force:
total: 2.2 million (1996)
by occupation: industry and construction 31%, agriculture and forestry
25%, other 44% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 16% (1996 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $441 million
expenditures: $606 million, including capital expenditures of $54
million (1996 est.)
Industries: steel, aircraft, machine tools, foundry equipment,
electric locomotives, tower cranes, electric welding equipment,
machinery for food preparation and meat packing, electric motors,
process control equipment, trucks, tractors, textiles, shoes,
chemicals, wood products, wine
Industrial production growth rate: 8.1% (1997 est.)
Electricity-capacity: 4.558 million kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 7.1 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 1,175 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: citrus, grapes, tea, vegetables, potatoes; small
livestock sector
Exports:
total value: $400 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: citrus fruits, tea, wine, other agricultural products;
diverse types of machinery; ferrous and nonferrous metals; textiles;
chemicals; fuel re-exports
partners: Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria (1996)
Imports:
total value: $733 million (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
commodities: fuel, grain and other foods, machinery and parts,
transport equipment
partners: Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan (1996); note-EU and US send
humanitarian food shipments
Debt-external: $1.3 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $28 million (1993)
note: commitments, 1992-95, $1,200 million ($675 million
disbursements)
Currency: lari introduced September 1995 replacing the coupon
Exchange rates: lari per US$1 (end of period)-1.32 (December 1997),
1.28 (December 1996), 1.24 (December 1995)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 672,000 (1993 est.)
Telephone system: poor service; 339,000 unsatisfied applications for
telephones (December 1990 est.)
domestic: NA
international: landline to CIS members and Turkey; satellite earth
station-1 Eutelsat; leased connections with other countries via the
Moscow international gateway switch; international electronic mail and
telex service available
Radio broadcast stations: 2 national broadcast stations, 3 regional
broadcast stations
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 3
Televisions: NA
@Georgia:Transportation
Railways:
total: 1,583 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial
lines
broad gauge: 1,583 km 1.520-m gauge (1993)
Highways:
total: 20,700 km
paved: 19,354 km
unpaved: 1,346 km (1996 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 370 km; refined products 300 km; natural gas 440
km (1992)
Ports and harbors: Bat'umi, P'ot'i, Sokhumi
Merchant marine:
total: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 87,730 GRT/122,769 DWT
ships by type: cargo 3, oil tanker 5, short-sea passenger 1 (1997
est.)
Airports: 28 (1994 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 14
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1994 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 14
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 6 (1994 est.)
Transportation-note: transportation network is in poor condition and
disrupted by ethnic conflict, criminal activities, and fuel shortages;
network lacks maintenance and repair
@Georgia:Military
Military branches: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Forces,
National Guard, Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops)
Military manpower-military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 1,286,126 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service:
males: 1,017,954 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually:
males: 40,946 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: 79 million lari (1997);
note-conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the
current exchange rate could produce misleading results
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 8.8% (1998 approved budget)
@Georgia:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
Illicit drugs: limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly
for domestic consumption; used as transshipment point for opiates to
Western Europe
______________________________________________________________________
GERMANY
@Germany:Geography
Location: Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea,
between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark
Geographic coordinates: 51 00 N, 9 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total: 356,910 sq km
land: 349,520 sq km
water: 7,390 sq km
note: includes the formerly separate Federal Republic of Germany, the
German Democratic Republic, and Berlin, following formal unification
on 3 October 1990
Area-comparative: slightly smaller than Montana
Land boundaries:
total: 3,621 km
border countries: Austria 784 km, Belgium 167 km, Czech Republic 646
km, Denmark 68 km, France 451 km, Luxembourg 138 km, Netherlands 577
km, Poland 456 km, Switzerland 334 km
Coastline: 2,389 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers;
occasional warm, tropical foehn wind; high relative humidity
Terrain: lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Freepsum Lake -2 m
highest point: Zugspitze 2,962 m
Natural resources: iron ore, coal, potash, timber, lignite, uranium,
copper, natural gas, salt, nickel
Land use:
arable land: 33%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 15%
forests and woodland: 31%
other: 20% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 4,750 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment-current issues: emissions from coal-burning utilities and
industries and lead emissions from vehicle exhausts (the result of
continued use of leaded fuels) contribute to air pollution; acid rain,
resulting from sulfur dioxide emissions, is damaging forests; heavy
pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage and industrial effluents
from rivers in eastern Germany; hazardous waste disposal
Environment-international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulphur 94
Geography-note: strategic location on North European Plain and along
the entrance to the Baltic Sea
@Germany:People
Population: 82,079,454 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 16% (male 6,570,582; female 6,240,671)
15-64 years: 68% (male 28,688,052; female 27,532,099)
65 years and over: 16% (male 4,866,122; female 8,181,928) (July 1998
est.)
Population growth rate: 0.02% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 8.84 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 10.77 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.99 years
male: 73.83 years
female: 80.33 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.25 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: German(s)
adjective: German
Ethnic groups: German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, Italians 0.7%, Greeks 0.4%,
Poles 0.4%, other 4.6% (made up largely of people fleeing the war in
the former Yugoslavia)
Religions: Protestant 38%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 1.7%,
unaffiliated or other 26.3%
Languages: German
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1977 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%
@Germany:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Federal Republic of Germany
conventional short form: Germany
local long form: Bundesrepublik Deutschland
local short form: Deutschland
Data code: GM
Government type: federal republic
National capital: Berlin
note: the shift from Bonn to Berlin will take place over a period of
years, with Bonn retaining many administrative functions and several
ministries even after parliament moves in 1999
Administrative divisions: 16 states (laender, singular-land);
Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bayern, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg,
Hessen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen,
Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt,
Schleswig-Holstein, Thueringen
Independence: 18 January 1871 (German Empire unification); divided
into four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and later, France) in
1945 following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West
Germany) proclaimed 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, and
French zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany)
proclaimed 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone;
unification of West Germany and East Germany took place 3 October
1990; all four power rights formally relinquished 15 March 1991
National holiday: German Unity Day (Day of Unity), 3 October (1990)
Constitution: 23 May 1949, known as Basic Law; became constitution of
the united German people 3 October 1990
Legal system: civil law system with indigenous concepts; judicial
review of legislative acts in the Federal Constitutional Court; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Roman HERZOG (since 1 July 1994)
head of government: Chancellor Dr. Helmut KOHL (since 4 October 1982)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president upon the proposal of the
chancellor
elections: president elected by the Federal Convention including
members of the Federal Assembly and an equal number of members elected
by the Land Parliaments for a five-year term; election last held 23
May 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); chancellor elected by an absolute
majority of the Federal Assembly for a four-year term; election last
held 16 October 1994 (next to be held 27 September 1998)
election results: Roman HERZOG elected president; percent of Federal
Convention vote - NA; Dr. Helmut KOHL reelected chancellor; percent of
Federal Assembly-NA
Legislative branch: bicameral chamber (no official name for the two
chambers as a whole) consists of the Federal Assembly or Bundestag
(656 seats usually, but 672 for the 1994 term; elected by direct
popular vote under a system combining direct and proportional
representation; a party must win 5% of the national vote or three
direct mandates to gain representation; members serve four-year terms)
and the Federal Council or Bundesrat (68 votes; state governments are
directly represented by votes; each has 3 to 6 votes depending on
population and are required to vote as a block; term is not fixed)
elections: Federal Assembly-last held 16 October 1994 (next to be held
by 27 September 1998); Federal Council-last held NA (next to be held
NA)
election results: Federal Assembly-percent of vote by party-CDU 34.2%,
SPD 36.4%, Alliance 90/Greens 7.3%, CSU 7.3%, FDP 6.9%, PDS 4.4%,
Republicans 1.9%; seats by party-CDU 244, SPD 252, Alliance 90/Greens
49, CSU 50, FDP 47, PDS 30; note-one Greens member defected to the CDU
making the seat count CDU 245, Alliance 90/Greens 48; Federal
Council-current composition-votes by party - SPD-led states 41,
CDU-led states 27
Judicial branch: Federal Constitutional Court or
Bundesverfassungsgericht, half the judges are elected by the Bundestag
and half by the Bundesrat
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Union or CDU
[Helmut KOHL, chairman]; Christian Social Union or CSU [Theodor
WAIGEL, chairman]; Free Democratic Party or FDP [Wolfgang GERHARDT,
chairman]; Social Democratic Party or SPD [Oskar LAFONTAINE,
chairman]; Alliance '90/Greens [Christa NICKELS]; Party of Democratic
Socialism or PDS [Lothar BISKY, chairman]; Republikaner [Rolf
SCHLIERER, chairman]; National Democratic Party or NPD [Gunter
DECKERT]; Communist Party or DKP [Rolf PRIEMER and Heinz STEHR,
cochairpersons]
Political pressure groups and leaders: employers' organizations,
expellee, refugee, trade unions, and veterans groups
International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB,
Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN,
EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G-10, IADB, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINUGUA,
MTCR, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNOMIG, UPU,
WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Juergen CHROBOG
chancery: 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 298-4000
FAX: [1] (202) 298-4249
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los
Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Seattle
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John C. KORNBLUM
embassy: Deichmanns Aue 29, 53170 Bonn
mailing address: APO AE 09080, PSC 117, Bonn
telephone: [49] (228) 3391
FAX: [49] (228) 339-2663
branch office: Berlin
consulate(s) general: Dusseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Leipzig,
Munich
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red,
and gold
@Germany:Economy
Economy-overview: In 1997 the German economy, the world's third most
powerful, benefited from robust exports, particularly to other members
of the EU and the US, as well as strengthening equipment investment.
But anemic private consumption and a contraction in the construction
industry limited the expansion. Unemployment continued to set post-war
monthly records through the end of 1997 and averaged 4.3 million for
the year. In preparation for the 1 January 1999 start of the European
Monetary Union, the government has made major efforts in 1996-97 to
reduce the fiscal deficit. This effort has been complicated by growing
unemployment, an erosion of the tax base, and the continuing transfer
of roughly $100 billion a year to eastern Germany to refurbish this
ex-communist area. In recent years business and political leaders have
become increasingly concerned about Germany's decline in
attractiveness as an investment target. They cite increasing
preference by German companies to locate new manufacturing facilities
in foreign countries, including the US, rather than in Germany, to be
closer to the markets and to avoid Germany's high tax rates, high wage
costs, rigid labor structures, and extensive regulations. For similar
reasons foreign investment in Germany has been lagging in recent
years.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$1.74 trillion (western: purchasing power
parity-$1.60 trillion; eastern: purchasing power parity-$144 billion)
(1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 2.4% (western 2.5%, eastern 1.7%) (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$20,800 (western: purchasing
power parity - $23,600; eastern: purchasing power parity-$9,100) (1997
est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.1%
industry: 34.5%
services: 64.4% (1995)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 1.8% (1997)
Labor force:
total: 38.7 million
by occupation: industry 41%, agriculture 3%, services 56% (1995)
Unemployment rate: 12% (1997 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $755 billion
expenditures: $832.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1995)
Industries: western: among world's largest and technologically
advanced producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery,
vehicles, machine tools, electronics, food and beverages; eastern:
metal fabrication, chemicals, brown coal, shipbuilding, machine
building, food and beverages, textiles, petroleum refining
Industrial production growth rate: 3% (1997)
Electricity-capacity: 109.727 million kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 495.875 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 6,154 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture-products: western: potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets,
fruit, cabbage; cattle, pigs, poultry; eastern: wheat, rye, barley,
potatoes, sugar beets, fruit; pork, beef, chicken, milk, hides
Exports:
total value: $521.1 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: manufactures 88.2% (including machines and machine tools,
chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel products), agricultural
products 5.0%, raw materials 2.3%, fuels 1.0%, other 3.5% (1995)
partners: EU 57.7% (France 11.7%, UK 8.1%, Italy 7.6%, Netherlands
7.5%, Belgium-Luxembourg 6.5%, Austria 5.5%), Eastern Europe 8.0%,
other West European countries 7.5%, US 7.3%, NICs 5.6%, Japan 2.5%,
OPEC 2.2%, China 1.4% (1996 est.)
Imports:
total value: $455.7 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: manufactures 74.2%, agricultural products 9.9%, fuels
6.4%, raw materials 5.9%, other 3.6% (1995)
partners: EU 55.5% (France 10.8%, Netherlands 8.6%, Italy 8.4%,
Belgium-Luxembourg 6.6%, UK 6.4%, Austria 3.9%), Eastern Europe 8.7%,
other West European countries 7.2%, US 6.8%, Japan 5.3%, NICs 5.3%,
China 2.4%, OPEC 1.7%, other 7.1% (1995)
Debt-external: $NA
Economic aid:
donor: ODA, $9 billion (1996 est.)
Currency: 1 deutsche mark (DM) = 100 pfennige
Exchange rates: deutsche marks (DM) per US$1-1.8167 (January 1998),
1.7341 (1997), 1.5048 (1996), 1.4331 (1995), 1.6228 (1994), 1.6533
(1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 44 million
Telephone system: Germany has one of the world's most technologically
advanced telecommunications systems; as a result of intensive capital
expenditures since reunification, the formerly backward system of the
eastern part of the country is being rapidly modernized and integrated
with that of the western part
domestic: the region which was formerly West Germany is served by an
extensive system of automatic telephone exchanges connected by modern
networks of fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable, microwave radio relay,
and a domestic satellite system; cellular telephone service is widely
available and includes roaming service to many foreign countries;
since the reunification of Germany, the telephone system of the
eastern region has been upgraded and enjoys many of the advantages of
the national system
international: satellite earth stations-14 Intelsat (12 Atlantic Ocean
and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), 2
Intersputnik (1 Atlantic Ocean region and 1 Indian Ocean region); 6
submarine cable connections; 2 HF radiotelephone communication
centers; tropospheric scatter links
Radio broadcast stations: western-AM 80, FM 470, shortwave 0;
eastern-AM 23, FM 17, shortwave 0
Radios: 70 million (1991 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 246 (repeaters 6,000); note-there are
15 Russian repeaters in eastern Germany
Televisions: 44.8 million (1992 est.)
@Germany:Transportation
Railways:
total: 43,966 km
standard gauge: 43,531 km 1.435-m; 40,355 km are owned by Deutsche
Bahn AG (DB); 17,015 km of the DB system are electrified and 16,941 km
are double- or more-tracked
narrow gauge: 389 km 1.000-m gauge (DB operates 146 km of 1.000-m
gauge); 7 km 0.900-m gauge; 39 km 0.750-m gauge
note: in addition to the DB system there are 54 privately-owned
industrial or excursion railways, ranging in route length from 2 km to
632 km, with a total length of 3,465 km (1995)
Highways:
total: 633,000 km
paved: 627,303 km (including 11,300 km of expressways)
unpaved: 5,697 km all-weather (1996 est.)
Waterways: western-5,222 km, of which almost 70% are usable by craft
of 1,000-metric-ton capacity or larger; major rivers include the Rhine
and Elbe; Kiel Canal is an important connection between the Baltic Sea
and North Sea; eastern-2,319 km (1988)
Pipelines: crude oil 3,644 km; petroleum products 3,946 km; natural
gas 97,564 km (1988)
Ports and harbors: Berlin, Bonn, Brake, Bremen, Bremerhaven, Cologne,
Dresden, Duisburg, Emden, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Kiel, Lubeck, Magdeburg,
Mannheim, Rostock, Stuttgart