of agriculture and light industry, continued its fifth year of
positive economic growth, led by expansion of exports and investment.
The government expects growth to slow to about 3% in 1998 due to
spillover effects of the financial crisis in East Asia. The government
has promised to continue its economic reforms to help the Philippines
match the pace of development in the newly industrialized countries of
East Asia. The strategy includes improving infrastructure, overhauling
the tax system to bolster government revenues, and moving toward
further deregulation and privatization of the economy.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$244 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 5.1% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$3,200 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 22%
industry: 32%
services: 46% (1996 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 5.1% (1997)
Labor force:
total: 29.13 million (1996 est.)
by occupation: agriculture 43.4%, services 22.6%, government services
17.9%, industry and commerce 16.1% (1995)
Unemployment rate: 8.7% (1997)
Budget:
revenues: $16.3 billion
expenditures: $16.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.7
billion (1996 est.)
Industries: textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, food
processing, electronics assembly, petroleum refining, fishing
Industrial production growth rate: 6.3% (1996)
Electricity-capacity: 7.64 million kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 25.65 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 350 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: rice, coconuts, corn, sugarcane, bananas,
pineapples, mangoes; pork, eggs, beef; fish catch of 2 million metric
tons annually
Exports:
total value: $25 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
commodities: electronics and telecommunications 51%, machinery and
transport 10%, garments 9%, other 30%
partners: US 34%, Japan 17%, EU 17%, ASEAN 14%, Hong Kong 4%, Taiwan
4% (1997 est.)
Imports:
total value: $34 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
commodities: raw materials and intermediate goods 43%, capital goods
36%, consumer goods 9%, fuels 9%
partners: Japan 21%, US 20%, ASEAN 12%, EU 10%, Taiwan 5%, Hong Kong
4%, Saudi Arabia 4% (1997 est.)
Debt-external: $45.4 billion (December 1997)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $3 billion pledged at December 1997 for 1998
Currency: 1 Philippine peso (P) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Philippine pesos (P) per US$1-40.2 (April 1998), 26.36
(May 1997), 29.471 (1997), 26.216 (1996), 25.714 (1995), 26.417
(1994), 27.120 (1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 1.9 million (1997)
Telephone system: good international radiotelephone and submarine
cable services; domestic and interisland service adequate
domestic: domestic satellite system with 11 earth stations
international: submarine cables to Hong Kong, Guam, Singapore, Taiwan,
and Japan; satellite earth stations-3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2
Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 261, FM 55, shortwave 0
Radios: 9.03 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 29
Televisions: 9.2 million (1998)
@Philippines:Transportation
Railways:
total: 897 km of which 492 km in operation
narrow gauge: 492 km 1.067-m gauge (1996)
Highways:
total: 156,997 km (1996 est.)
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km
note: probably less than 30,000 km are designated arterial roads and
not all of these are all-weather roads
Waterways: 3,219 km; limited to shallow-draft (less than 1.5 m)
vessels
Pipelines: petroleum products 357 km
Ports and harbors: Batangas, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Guimaras
Island, Iligan, Iloilo, Jolo, Legaspi, Manila, Masao, Puerto Princesa,
San Fernando, Subic Bay, Zamboanga
Merchant marine:
total: 535 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,334,164 GRT/11,511,707
DWT
ships by type: bulk 206, cargo 130, chemical tanker 5, combination
bulk 12, container 11, liquefied gas tanker 10, livestock carrier 12,
oil tanker 48, passenger 4, passenger-cargo 13, refrigerated cargo 20,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 15, short-sea passenger 31, vehicle carrier 18
note: a flag of convenience registry; Japan owns 21 ships, Hong Kong
4, Cyprus 1, Denmark 1, Greece 1, Netherlands 1, Norway 1, Panama 1,
Singapore 1, and Taiwan 1 (1997 est.)
Airports: 262 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 75
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 25
914 to 1,523 m: 30
under 914 m: 10 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 187
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 63
under 914 m: 121 (1997 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1997 est.)
@Philippines:Military
Military branches: Army, Navy (includes Coast Guard and Marine Corps),
Air Force
Military manpower-military age: 20 years of age
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 19,734,347 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service:
males: 13,921,259 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually:
males: 800,148 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $1.3 billion (1996)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 0.7% (1996)
@Philippines:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly
Islands with China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei;
claims Malaysian state of Sabah
Illicit drugs: exports locally-produced marijuana and hashish to East
Asia, the US, and other Western markets; serves as a transit point for
heroin and crystal methamphetamine
______________________________________________________________________
PITCAIRN ISLANDS
(dependent territory of the UK)
@Pitcairn Islands:Geography
Location: Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half
of the way from Peru to New Zealand
Geographic coordinates: 25 04 S, 130 06 W
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total: 47 sq km
land: 47 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area-comparative: about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 51 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical, hot, humid, modified by southeast trade winds;
rainy season (November to March)
Terrain: rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with cliffs
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pawala Valley Ridge 347 m
Natural resources: miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish
note: manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver, and zinc have been
discovered offshore
Land use:
arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: NA%
other: NA%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: typhoons (especially November to March)
Environment-current issues: deforestation (only a small portion of the
original forest remains because of burning and clearing for
settlement)
Environment-international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
@Pitcairn Islands:People
Population: 50 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate: -0.6% (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: Pitcairn Islander(s)
adjective: Pitcairn Islander
Ethnic groups: descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian
wives
Religions: Seventh-Day Adventist 100%
Languages: English (official), Tahitian/English dialect
@Pitcairn Islands:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands
conventional short form: Pitcairn Islands
Data code: PC
Dependency status: dependent territory of the UK
Government type: NA
National capital: Adamstown
Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
National holiday: Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second
Saturday in June)
Constitution: Local Government Ordinance of 1964
Legal system: local island by-laws
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal with three years residency
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952),
represented by UK High Commissioner to New Zealand and Governor
(non-resident) of the Pitcairn Islands Robert John ALSTON (since NA
August 1994); Commissioner (non-resident) G. D. HARRAWAY (since NA; is
the liaison person between the governor and the Island Council)
head of government: Island Magistrate and Chairman of the Island
Council Jay WARREN (since NA)
cabinet: NA
elections: the queen is a hereditary monarch; island magistrate
elected by popular vote for a three-year term; last known election
held NA December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1996)
election results: Jay WARREN re-elected island magistrate; percent of
vote-NA
Legislative branch: unicameral Island Council (10 seats, 6 popularly
elected, 1 appointed by the 6 elected members, 2 appointed by the
governor, and the Island Secretary; members serve one-year terms)
elections: take place each December; last held NA December 1997 (next
to be held NA December 1998)
election results: percent of vote-NA; seats-all independents
Judicial branch: Island Court, island magistrate presides over the
court and is elected every three years
Political parties and leaders: none
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: SPC
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (dependent territory of the
UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (dependent territory of
the UK)
Flag description: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side
quadrant and the Pitcairn Islander coat of arms centered on the outer
half of the flag; the coat of arms is yellow, green, and light blue
with a shield featuring a yellow anchor
@Pitcairn Islands:Economy
Economy-overview: The inhabitants exist on fishing and subsistence
farming. The fertile soil of the valleys produces a wide variety of
fruits and vegetables, including citrus, sugarcane, watermelons,
bananas, yams, and beans. Bartering is an important part of the
economy. The major sources of revenue are the sale of postage stamps
to collectors and the sale of handicrafts to passing ships.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$NA
GDP-real growth rate: NA%
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$NA
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Inflation rate-consumer price index: NA%
Labor force:
total: 14 able-bodied men (1993)
by occupation: no business community in the usual sense; some public
works; subsistence farming and fishing
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $729,884
expenditures: $878,119, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY94/95
est.)
Industries: postage stamps, handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity-capacity: NA kW
Electricity-production: NA kWh
Electricity-consumption per capita: NA kWh
Agriculture-products: wide variety of fruits and vegetables
Exports: $NA
commodities: fruits, vegetables, curios
partners: NA
Imports: $NA
commodities: fuel oil, machinery, building materials, flour, sugar,
other foodstuffs
partners: NA
Debt-external: $NA
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA bilateral commitments (1992-93), $84,000
Currency: 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1-1.7283 (January
1998), 1.5083 (1997), 1.4543 (1996), 1.5235 (1995), 1.6844 (1994),
1.8495 (1993)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
Communications
Telephones: 24
Telephone system: party line telephone service on the island
domestic: NA
international: radiotelephone
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 0
Televisions: NA
@Pitcairn Islands:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 6.4 km
paved: 0 km
unpaved: 6.4 km
Ports and harbors: Bounty Bay
Merchant marine: none
Airports: none
@Pitcairn Islands:Military
Military-note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
@Pitcairn Islands:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
______________________________________________________________________
POLAND
@Poland:Geography
Location: Central Europe, east of Germany
Geographic coordinates: 52 00 N, 20 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total: 312,683 sq km
land: 304,510 sq km
water: 8,173 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly smaller than New Mexico
Land boundaries:
total: 2,888 km
border countries: Belarus 605 km, Czech Republic 658 km, Germany 456
km, Lithuania 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 206 km, Slovakia 444
km, Ukraine 428 km
Coastline: 491 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: defined by international treaties
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with
frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and
thundershowers
Terrain: mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Raczki Elblaskie -2 m
highest point: Rysy 2,499 m
Natural resources: coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead,
salt
Land use:
arable land: 47%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 13%
forests and woodland: 29%
other: 10% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment-current issues: situation has improved since 1989 due to
decline in heavy industry and increased environmental concern by
postcommunist governments; air pollution nonetheless remains serious
because of sulfur dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, and
the resulting acid rain has caused forest damage; water pollution from
industrial and municipal sources is also a problem, as is disposal of
hazardous wastes
Environment-international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic
Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 94, Law of the Sea
Geography-note: historically, an area of conflict because of flat
terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain
@Poland:People
Population: 38,606,922 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 21% (male 4,075,959; female 3,883,778)
15-64 years: 68% (male 12,956,689; female 13,129,495)
65 years and over: 11% (male 1,732,788; female 2,828,213) (July 1998
est.)
Population growth rate: -0.04% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 9.79 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 9.76 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 13.18 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.77 years
male: 68.6 years
female: 77.16 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.36 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Pole(s)
adjective: Polish
Ethnic groups: Polish 97.6%, German 1.3%, Ukrainian 0.6%, Byelorussian
0.5% (1990 est.)
Religions: Roman Catholic 95% (about 75% practicing), Eastern
Orthodox, Protestant, and other 5%
Languages: Polish
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 98% (1978 est.)
@Poland:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Poland
conventional short form: Poland
local long form: Rzeczpospolita Polska
local short form: Polska
Data code: PL
Government type: democratic state
National capital: Warsaw
Administrative divisions: 49 provinces (wojewodztwa,
singular-wojewodztwo); Biala Podlaska, Bialystok, Bielsko Biala,
Bydgoszcz, Chelm, Ciechanow, Czestochowa, Elblag, Gdansk, Gorzow,
Jelenia Gora, Kalisz, Katowice, Kielce, Konin, Koszalin, Krakow,
Krosno, Legnica, Leszno, Lodz, Lomza, Lublin, Nowy Sacz, Olsztyn,
Opole, Ostroleka, Pila, Piotrkow, Plock, Poznan, Przemysl, Radom,
Rzeszow, Siedlce, Sieradz, Skierniewice, Slupsk, Suwalki, Szczecin,
Tarnobrzeg, Tarnow, Torun, Walbrzych, Warszawa, Wloclawek, Wroclaw,
Zamosc, Zielona Gora
Independence: 11 November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed)
National holiday: Constitution Day, 3 May (1791); Independence Day,
November 11 (1918)
Constitution: 16 October 1997; adopted by the National Assembly on 2
April 1997; passed by national referendum 23 May 1997
Legal system: mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and
holdover communist legal theory; changes being gradually introduced as
part of broader democratization process; limited judicial review of
legislative acts although under the new constitution, the
Constitutional Tribunal ruling will become final as of October 1999;
court decisions can be appealed to the European Court of Justice in
Strasbourg
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI (since 23 December
1995)
head of government: Prime Minister Jerzy BUZEK (since NA October
1997), Deputy Prime Ministers Leszek BALCEROWICZ (since 31 October
1997), Janusz TOMASZEWSKI (since 31 October 1997)
cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the prime minister and
the Sejm; the prime minister proposes, the president appoints, and the
Sejm approves the Council of Ministers
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election first round held 5 November 1995, second round held 19
November 1995 (next to be held NA November 2000); prime minister and
deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the
Sejm
election results: Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI elected president; percent of
legislative vote, second round-Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI 51.7%, Lech
WALESA 48.3%; Jerzy BUZEK selected prime minister
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly or Zgromadzenie
Narodowe consists of the Sejm (460 seats; members are elected under a
complex system of proportional representation to serve four-year
terms) and the Senate or Senat (100 seats; members are elected by a
majority vote on a provincial basis to serve four-year terms)
elections: Sejm elections last held 21 September 1997 (next to be held
by NA September 2001); Senate-last held 21 September 1997 (next to be
held by NA September 2001)
election results: Sejm-percent of vote by party-AWS 33.8%, SLD 27.1%,
UW 13.4%, PSL 7.3%, ROP 5.6%, German Minority 0.4%, other 12.4%; seats
by party-AWS 201, SLD 164, UW 60, PSL 27, ROP 6, German Minority 2;
Senate-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-AWS 51, SLD 28, UW
8, ROP 5, PSL 3, independents 5; note-seats by party in the Sejm as of
December 1997: AWS 200, SLD 164, UW 60, PSL 26, ROP 4, German Minority
2, other 4
note: four seats are constitutionally assigned to ethnic German
parties
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president
on the recommendation of the National Council of the Judiciary for an
indefinite period; Constitutional Tribunal, judges are chosen by the
Sejm for a 9-year term
Political parties and leaders:
post-Communist: Democratic Left Alliance or SLD (Social Democracy of
Poland) [Leszek MILLER]; Polish Peasant Party or PSL [Jaroslaw
KALINOWSKI]
post-Solidarity parties: Freedom Union or UW; note-Democratic Union
and Liberal Democratic Congress merged to form Freedom Union [Leszek
BALCEROWICZ]; Christian-National Union or ZCHN [Marian PILKA]; Center
Alliance Party or PC [Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI]; Peasant Alliance or PL
[Gabriel JANOWSKI]; Solidarity Electoral Action or AWS [Marian
KRZAKLEWSKI]; Union of Labor or UP [Aleksander MALACHOWSKI];
Conservative Party or PK [Aleksander HALL]; Nonparty Reform Bloc or
BBWR [Jacek LIPINSKI]; Nonparty Reform Block United for Elections or
BBWR-SW [Jerzy GWIZDZ]
non-Communist, non-Solidarity: Movement for the Reconstruction of
Poland or ROP [Jan OLSZEWSKI]; Confederation for an Independent Poland
or KPN [Leszek MOCZULSKI]; German Minority or MN [Gerhardt
BARTODZIEJ]; Union of Real Politics or UPR [Mariusz DZIERZAWSKY]
Political pressure groups and leaders: powerful Roman Catholic Church;
Solidarity (trade union); All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ
(trade union)
International organization participation: Australia Group, BIS, BSEC
(observer), CBSS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant),
FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM
(guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP,
UPU, WCL, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO,
ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jerzy KOZMINSKI
chancery: 2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 234-3800 through 3802
FAX: [1] (202) 328-6271
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel FRIED
embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-054, Warsaw
mailing address: American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State,
Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch)
telephone: [48] (22) 628-30-41
FAX: [48] (22) 628-82-98
consulate(s) general: Krakow
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red;
similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and
white
@Poland:Economy
Economy-overview: Poland today stands out as one of the most
successful and open transition economies. The privatization of small
and medium state-owned companies and a liberal law on establishing new
firms marked the rapid development of a private sector now responsible
for at least two-thirds of economic activity. In contrast to the
vibrant expansion of private non-farm activity, the large agriculture
component remains handicapped by structural problems, surplus labor,
inefficient small farms, and lack of investment. The government's
determination to enter the EU as soon as possible affects all aspects
of its economic policies. Improving Poland's worsening current account
deficit also is a priority. To date, the government has resisted
pressure for protectionist solutions and continues to support regional
free trade initiatives. The government export strategy emphasizes a
more aggressive export assistance program. Warsaw continues to hold
the budget deficit to less than 2% of GDP. Further progress on public
finance depends mainly on comprehensive reform of the social welfare
system and privatization of Poland's remaining state sector.
Restructuring and privatization of "sensitive sectors" (e.g., coal,
steel) has been delayed. Long-awaited privatizations in aviation,
energy, and telecommunications are scheduled for 1998.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$280.7 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 6.9% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$7,250 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 6.6%
industry: 34.9%
services: 58.5% (1996 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 15% (1997 est.)
Labor force:
total: 17.7 million (1997 est.)
by occupation: industry and construction 29.9%, agriculture 26%,
services 44.1% (1996)
Unemployment rate: 12% (1997)
Budget:
revenues: $33.8 billion
expenditures: $35.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1997 est.)
Industries: machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals,
shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles