BASILIUS
International organization participation: ESCAP, IBRD, ICAO, IMF, SPC,
SPF, UN, WHO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Hersey KYOTA
chancery: 1150 18th Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 452-6814
FAX: [1] (202) 452-6281
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Thomas C. HUBBARD (resident in Manila); Charge
d'Affaires Gerald PASCUA
embassy: address NA, Koror
mailing address: P.O. Box 6028, Republic of Palau 96940
telephone: [680] 488-2920, 2990
FAX: [680] 488-2911
Flag description: light blue with a large yellow disk (representing
the moon) shifted slightly to the hoist side
@Palau:Economy
Economy-overview: The economy consists primarily of subsistence
agriculture and fishing. The government is the major employer of the
work force, relying heavily on financial assistance from the US. The
population enjoys a per capita income of more than twice that of the
Philippines and much of Micronesia. Long-run prospects for the tourist
sector have been greatly bolstered by the expansion of air travel in
the Pacific and the rising prosperity of leading East Asian countries.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$160 million (1997 est.)
note: GDP numbers reflect US spending
GDP-real growth rate: 10% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$8,800 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Inflation rate-consumer price index: NA%
Labor force: NA
by occupation: NA
Unemployment rate: 7%
Budget:
revenues: $52.9 million
expenditures: $59.9 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1997 est.)
Industries: tourism, craft items (from shell, wood, pearls), some
commercial fishing and agriculture
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity-capacity: 62,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 195 million kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 11,704 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: coconuts, copra, cassava (tapioca), sweet
potatoes
Exports:
total value: $14.3 million (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: trochus (type of shellfish), tuna, copra, handicrafts
partners: US, Japan
Imports:
total value: $72.4 million (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: NA
partners: US
Debt-external: about $100 million (1989)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
note: the Compact of Free Association with the US, entered into after
the end of the UN trusteeship on 1 October 1994, will provide Palau
with up to $700 million in US aid over 15 years in return for
furnishing military facilities
Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
Communications
Telephones: 1,500 (1988 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios: 9,000 (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 2
Televisions: 1,600 (1993 est.)
@Palau:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 61 km
paved: 36 km
unpaved: 25 km
Ports and harbors: Koror
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 3 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (1997 est.)
@Palau:Military
Military branches: NA
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: NA%
Military-note: defense is the responsibility of the US
@Palau:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
______________________________________________________________________
PALMYRA ATOLL
(territory of the US)
@Palmyra Atoll:Geography
Location: Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of
the way from Hawaii to American Samoa
Geographic coordinates: 5 52 N, 162 06 W
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total: 11.9 sq km
land: 11.9 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area-comparative: about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington,
DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 14.5 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: equatorial, hot, and very rainy
Terrain: very low
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 2 m
Natural resources: none
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 100%
other: 0%
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: about 50 islets covered with dense vegetation, coconut
trees, and balsa-like trees up to 30 meters tall
@Palmyra Atoll:People
Population: uninhabited
@Palmyra Atoll:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Palmyra Atoll
Data code: LQ
Dependency status: incorporated territory of the US; privately owned,
but administered from Washington, DC by the Office of Insular Affairs,
US Department of the Interior
Legal system: NA
Flag description: the flag of the US is used
@Palmyra Atoll:Economy
Economy-overview: no economic activity
@Palmyra Atoll:Transportation
Highways: much of the road and many causeways built during World War
II are unserviceable and overgrown
Ports and harbors: West Lagoon
Airports: airstrip has been overgrown by vegetation and is no longer
serviceable
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1997 est.)
@Palmyra Atoll:Military
Military-note: defense is the responsibility of the US
@Palmyra Atoll:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
______________________________________________________________________
PANAMA
@Panama:Geography
Location: Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the
North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica
Geographic coordinates: 9 00 N, 80 00 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 78,200 sq km
land: 75,990 sq km
water: 2,210 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries:
total: 555 km
border countries: Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km
Coastline: 2,490 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 200 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to
January), short dry season (January to May)
Terrain: interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland
plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Volcan de Chiriqui 3,475 m
Natural resources: copper, mahogany forests, shrimp
Land use:
arable land: 7%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 20%
forests and woodland: 44%
other: 27% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 320 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment-current issues: water pollution from agricultural runoff
threatens fishery resources; deforestation of tropical rain forest;
land degradation
Environment-international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, 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: Marine Life Conservation
Geography-note: strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming
land bridge connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal
that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific
Ocean
@Panama:People
Population: 2,735,943 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 32% (male 446,001; female 428,532)
15-64 years: 62% (male 864,382; female 841,870)
65 years and over: 6% (male 74,529; female 80,629) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.56% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 21.99 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 5.14 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 24 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.47 years
male: 71.73 years
female: 77.31 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.57 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Panamanian(s)
adjective: Panamanian
Ethnic groups: mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 70%, Amerindian
and mixed (West Indian) 14%, white 10%, Amerindian 6%
Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%
Languages: Spanish (official), English 14%
note: many Panamanians bilingual
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90.8%
male: 91.4%
female: 90.2% (1995 est.)
@Panama:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Panama
conventional short form: Panama
local long form: Republica de Panama
local short form: Panama
Data code: PM
Government type: constitutional republic
National capital: Panama
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (provincias, singular-provincia)
and 2 territories* (comarca); Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon,
Darien, Herrera, Los Santos, Panama, San Blas*, Veraguas, and a new,
as yet unnamed territory* or 'comarca' created 7 March 1997 when
President PEREZ BALLADARES signed a bill designating a reserve
stretched across three provinces
Independence: 3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from
Spain 28 November 1821)
National holiday: Independence Day, 3 November (1903)
Constitution: 11 October 1972; major reforms adopted April 1983
Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of
legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ernesto PEREZ BALLADARES Gonzalez Revilla
(since 1 September 1994); First Vice President Tomas Gabriel
ALTAMIRANO DUQUE (since 1 September 1994); Second Vice President
Felipe Alejandro VIRZI Lopez (since 1 September 1994); note-the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Ernesto PEREZ BALLADARES Gonzalez
Revilla (since 1 September 1994); First Vice President Tomas Gabriel
ALTAMIRANO DUQUE (since 1 September 1994); Second Vice President
Felipe Alejandro VIRZI Lopez (since 1 September 1994); note-the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket by
popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 8 May 1994 (next
to be held 2 May 1999)
election results: Ernesto PEREZ BALLADARES elected president; percent
of vote-Ernesto PEREZ BALLADARES (PRD) 33%, Mireya MOSCOSO DE GRUBER
(PA) 29%, Ruben BLADES (MPE) 17%, Ruben Dario CARLES (MOLIRENA) 16%
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea
Legislativa (72 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
elections: last held 8 May 1994 (next to be held 2 May 1999)
election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-PRD 32,
PS 4, PALA 1, PA 14, MPE 6, MOLIRENA 4, PLA 3, PRC 3, PLN 2, PDC 1,
UDI 1, MORENA 1
note: legislators from outlying rural districts are chosen on a
plurality basis while districts located in more populous towns and
cities elect multiple legislators by means of a proportion-based
formula
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia),
nine judges appointed for 10-year terms; five superior courts; three
courts of appeal
Political parties and leaders:
governing coalition: Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), Gerardo
GONZALEZ; National Liberal Party (PLN), Raul ARANGO, founder; Popular
Nationalist Party, Jorge FLORES
other parties: Solidarity Party (PS), Samuel LEWIS GALINDO;
Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement (MOLIRENA), Guillermo FORD;
Arnulfista Party (PA), Mireya MOSCOSO DE GRUBER; Christian Democratic
Party (PDC), Ruben AROSEMENA; Papa Egoro Movement (MPE), Ruben BLADES;
Civic Renewal Party (PRC), Carlos ABADIA; National Renovation Movement
(MORENA), Pedro VALLARINO; Authentic Liberal Party (PLA); Labor Party
(PALA); Independent Democratic Union (UDI)
Political pressure groups and leaders: National Council of Organized
Workers (CONATO); National Council of Private Enterprise (CONEP);
Panamanian Association of Business Executives (APEDE); National Civic
Crusade; Chamber of Commerce; Panamanian Industrialists Society (SIP);
Workers Confederation of the Republic of Panama (CTRP)
International organization participation: AG (associate), CACM, CCC,
ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO,
ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Eloy ALFARO de Alba
chancery: 2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-1407
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York,
Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Tampa
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador William John HUGHES
embassy: Avenida Balboa and Calle 38, Apartado 6959, Panama City 5
mailing address: American Embassy Panama, Unit 0945, APO AA 34002
telephone: [507] 227-1777
FAX: [507] 227-1964
Flag description: divided into four, equal rectangles; the top
quadrants are white (hoist side) with a blue five-pointed star in the
center and plain red, the bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side)
and white with a red five-pointed star in the center
@Panama:Economy
Economy-overview: Because of its key geographic location, Panama's
economy is service-based, heavily weighted toward banking, commerce,
and tourism. Since taking office in 1994, President PEREZ BALLADARES
has advanced an economic reform program designed to liberalize the
trade regime, attract foreign investment, privatize state-owned
enterprises, institute fiscal reform, and encourage job creation
through labor code reform. The government privatized its two remaining
ports along the Panama Canal in 1997 and approved the sale of the
railroad in early 1998. It also plans to sell other assets, including
the electric company. Panama joined the World Trade Organization
(WTrO) and approved a tariff reduction that will give the country the
lowest average tariff rates in Latin America. A banking reform law was
approved by the legislature in early 1998 and will take effect in
June. After two years of near stagnation, the reforms are beginning to
take root; GDP grew by 3.6% in 1997 and is expected to grow by more
than 5% in 1998. The most important sectors driving growth have been
the Panama Canal and the shipping and port activities. The Colon Free
Zone also rebounded from a slow year in 1996.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$18 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 3.6% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$6,700 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 8%
industry: 18%
services: 74% (1997 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 1.2% (1997)
Labor force:
total: 1.044 million (1997 est.)
by occupation: government and community services 31.8%, agriculture,
hunting, and fishing 26.8%, commerce, restaurants, and hotels 16.4%,
manufacturing and mining 9.4%, construction 3.2%, transportation and
communications 6.2%, finance, insurance, and real estate 4.3%
note: shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor
Unemployment rate: 13.1% (1997 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $2.4 billion
expenditures: $2.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $341
million (1997 est.)
Industries: construction, petroleum refining, brewing, cement and
other construction materials, sugar milling
Industrial production growth rate: 0.4% (1995 est.)
Electricity-capacity: 957 million kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 3.6 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 1,355 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane,
vegetables; livestock; fishing (shrimp)
Exports:
total value: $592 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
commodities: bananas 43%, shrimp 11%, sugar 4%, clothing 5%, coffee 2%
partners: US 37%, EU, Central America and Caribbean
Imports:
total value: $2.95 billion (c.i.f., 1997 est.)
commodities: capital goods 21%, crude oil 11%, foodstuffs 9%, consumer
goods, chemicals
partners: US 48%, EU, Central America and Caribbean, Japan
Debt-external: $7.26 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: NA
Currency: 1 balboa (B) = 100 centesimos
Exchange rates: balboas (B) per US$1-1.000 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 273,000 (1991 est.)
Telephone system: domestic and international facilities well developed
domestic: NA
international: 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth stations-2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to the Central American Microwave
System
Radio broadcast stations: AM 91, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 564,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 23
Televisions: 420,000 (1992 est.)
@Panama:Transportation
Railways:
total: 355 km
broad gauge: 76 km 1.524-m gauge
narrow gauge: 279 km 0.914-m gauge
Highways:
total: 11,100 km
paved: 3,730 km (including 30 km of expressways)
unpaved: 7,370 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 800 km navigable by shallow draft vessels; 82 km Panama
Canal
Pipelines: crude oil 130 km
Ports and harbors: Balboa, Cristobal, Coco Solo, Vacamonte, Manzanillo
Merchant marine:
total: 4,350 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 89,622,112
GRT/137,529,188 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1,240, cargo 1,033, chemical tanker 195,
combination bulk 67, combination ore/oil 19, container 426, liquefied
gas tanker 175, livestock carrier 9, multifunction large-load carrier
5, oil tanker 524, passenger 40, passenger-cargo 6, railcar carrier 1,
refrigerated cargo 296, roll-on/roll-off cargo 101, short-sea
passenger 40, specialized tanker 15, vehicle carrier 158
note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 76 countries
among which are Japan 1,236, Greece 418, Hong Kong 273, South Korea
247, Taiwan 227, China 185, Singapore 119, US 112, Switzerland 85, and
Indonesia 60 (1997 est.)
Airports: 109 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 40
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 19 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 69
914 to 1,523 m: 17
under 914 m: 52 (1997 est.)
@Panama:Military
Military branches: an amendment to the Constitution abolished the
armed forces, but there are security forces (Panamanian Public Forces
or PPF includes the National Police, National Maritime Service, and
National Air Service)
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 733,019 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service:
males: 502,731 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $78 million (1995); note-for
police and security forces
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: NA%
@Panama:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
Illicit drugs: major cocaine transshipment point and major drug
money-laundering center; no recent signs of coca cultivation;
monitoring of financial transactions is improving
______________________________________________________________________
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
@Papua New Guinea:Geography
Location: Southeastern Asia, group of islands including the eastern
half of the island of New Guinea between the Coral Sea and the South
Pacific Ocean, east of Indonesia
Geographic coordinates: 6 00 S, 147 00 E
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total: 462,840 sq km
land: 452,860 sq km
water: 9,980 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:
total: 820 km
border countries: Indonesia 820 km
Coastline: 5,152 km
Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast
monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Wilhelm 4,509 m
Natural resources: gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil,
fisheries
Land use:
arable land: 0.1%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 92.9%
other: 6% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: active volcanism; situated along the Pacific "Rim of
Fire"; the country is subject to frequent and sometimes severe
earthquakes; mud slides
Environment-current issues: rain forest subject to deforestation as a
result of growing commercial demand for tropical timber; pollution
from mining projects; severe drought
Environment-international agreements:
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol
Geography-note: shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; one of
world's largest swamps along southwest coast
@Papua New Guinea:People
Population: 4,599,785 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 40% (male 936,206; female 888,427)
15-64 years: 57% (male 1,374,471; female 1,263,750)
65 years and over: 3% (male 62,593; female 74,338) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.27% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 32.37 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 9.65 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 57.09 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 58.06 years
male: 57.18 years
female: 58.98 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.26 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Papua New Guinean(s)
adjective: Papua New Guinean
Ethnic groups: Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian
Religions: Roman Catholic 22%, Lutheran 16%,
Presbyterian/Methodist/London Missionary Society 8%, Anglican 5%,
Evangelical Alliance 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1%, other Protestant
sects 10%, indigenous beliefs 34%
Languages: English spoken by 1%-2%, pidgin English widespread, Motu
spoken in Papua region
note: 715 indigenous languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 72.2%
male: 81%
female: 62.7% (1995 est.)
@Papua New Guinea:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Independent State of Papua New Guinea
conventional short form: Papua New Guinea
abbreviation: PNG
Data code: PP
Government type: parliamentary democracy
National capital: Port Moresby
Administrative divisions: 20 provinces; Bougainville, Central, Chimbu,
Eastern Highlands, East New Britain, East Sepik, Enga, Gulf, Madang,
Manus, Milne Bay, Morobe, National Capital, New Ireland, Northern,
Sandaun, Southern Highlands, Western, Western Highlands, West New
Britain
Independence: 16 September 1975 (from the Australian-administered UN
trusteeship)
National holiday: Independence Day, 16 September (1975)