cattle raising, intensive agriculture in irrigated oases, and huge gas
and oil resources. One-half of its irrigated land is planted in
cotton, making it the world's tenth largest producer. It also
possesses the world's fifth largest reserves of natural gas and
substantial oil resources. Until the end of 1993, Turkmenistan had
experienced less economic disruption than other former Soviet states
because its economy received a boost from higher prices for oil and
gas and a sharp increase in hard currency earnings. In 1994, Russia's
refusal to export Turkmen gas to hard currency markets and mounting
debts of its major customers in the former USSR for gas deliveries
contributed to a sharp fall in industrial production and caused the
budget to shift from a surplus to a slight deficit. The economy
bottomed out in 1996, but high inflation continued. Furthermore, with
an authoritarian ex-communist regime in power and a tribally based
social structure, Turkmenistan has taken a cautious approach to
economic reform, hoping to use gas and cotton sales to sustain its
inefficient economy. In 1996, the government set in place a
stabilization program aimed at a unified and market-based exchange
rate, allocation of government credits by auction, and strict limits
on budget deficits. Privatization goals remain limited. Turkmenistan
is working hard to open new gas export channels through Iran and
Turkey to Europe, but these will take many years to realize.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$12.5 billion (1996 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: -0.3% (1996)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$3,000 (1996 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 18%
industry: 50%
services: 32% (1996 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 992% (1996 est.)
Labor force:
total: 2.34 million (1996)
by occupation: agriculture and forestry 44%, industry and construction
19%, other 37% (1996)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $521 million
expenditures: $548 million, including capital expenditures of $83
million (1996 est.)
Industries: natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food
processing
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity-capacity: 3.95 million kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 9.204 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 2,013 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: cotton, grain; livestock
Exports:
total value: $1.7 billion to states outside the FSU (1996)
commodities: natural gas, cotton, petroleum products, textiles,
electricity, carpets
partners: FSU, Hong Kong, Switzerland, US, Germany, Turkey (1996)
Imports:
total value: $1.5 billion from states outside the FSU (1996)
commodities: machinery and parts, grain and food, plastics and rubber,
consumer durables, textiles
partners: FSU, US, Turkey, Germany, Cyprus (1996)
Debt-external: $400 million (of which $275 million to Russia) (1995
est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $10 million (1993)
note: commitments, $1,830 million ($375 million drawn), 1992-95
Currency: 1 Tukmen manat (TMM) = 100 tenesi; Turkmenistan introduced
its national currency on 1 November 1993
Exchange rates: manats per US$1-4,070 (January 1997), 2,400 (January
1996)
note: government established a unified rate in mid-January 1996
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: NA
Telephone system: poorly developed
domestic: NA
international: linked by cable and microwave radio relay to other CIS
republics and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscow
international gateway switch; a new telephone link from Ashgabat to
Iran has been established; a new exchange in Ashgabat switches
international traffic through Turkey via Intelsat; satellite earth
stations-1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat
Radio broadcast stations: 1 state-owned radio broadcast station of NA
type
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 1 state-run
Televisions: NA
@Turkmenistan:Transportation
Railways:
total: 2,187 km
broad gauge: 2,187 km 1.520-m gauge (1996 est.)
Highways:
total: 24,000 km
paved: 19,488 km (note-these roads are said to be hard-surfaced,
meaning that some are paved and some are all-weather gravel surfaced
unpaved: 4,512 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: the Amu Darya is an important inland waterway
Pipelines: crude oil 250 km; natural gas 4,400 km
Ports and harbors: Turkmenbashi (formerly Krasnowodsk)
Merchant marine:
total: 1 oil tanker ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,896 GRT/3,389
DWT (1997 est.)
Airports: 64 (1994 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 22
2,438 to 3,047 m: 13
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1994 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 42
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 35 (1994 est.)
@Turkmenistan:Military
Military branches: Ministry of Defense (Army, Air and Air Defense,
Navy, Border Troops, and Internal Troops), National Guard
Military manpower-military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 1,080,486 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service:
males: 878,274 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually:
males: 43,901 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: 4.5 billion manats (1995);
note-conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the
current exchange rate could produce misleading results
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 3% (1995)
@Turkmenistan:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet determined
among Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan
Illicit drugs: limited illicit cultivator of opium poppy, mostly for
domestic consumption; limited government eradication program;
increasingly used as transshipment point for illicit drugs from
Southwest Asia to Russia and Western Europe; also a transshipment
point for acetic anhydride destined for Afghanistan
______________________________________________________________________
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
(dependent territory of the UK)
@Turks and Caicos Islands:Geography
Location: Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean,
southeast of The Bahamas
Geographic coordinates: 21 45 N, 71 35 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 430 sq km
land: 430 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area-comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 389 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and
relatively dry
Terrain: low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Hills 49 m
Natural resources: spiny lobster, conch
Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: NA%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: NA%
other: 98% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: frequent hurricanes
Environment-current issues: limited natural fresh water resources,
private cisterns collect rainwater
Environment-international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography-note: 30 islands (eight inhabited)
@Turks and Caicos Islands:People
Population: 16,249 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: (male 2,666; female 2,588)
15-64 years: (male 5,418; female 4,907)
65 years and over: (male 293; female 377) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.77% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 27.14 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 4.98 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 15.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 21.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.15 years
male: 70.21 years
female: 74.2 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.32 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: none
adjective: none
Ethnic groups: black
Religions: Baptist 41.2%, Methodist 18.9%, Anglican 18.3%, Seventh-Day
Adventist 1.7%, other 19.9% (1980)
Languages: English (official)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 98% (1970 est.)
@Turks and Caicos Islands:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands
Data code: TK
Dependency status: dependent territory of the UK
Government type: NA
National capital: Grand Turk
Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
National holiday: Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)
Constitution: introduced 30 August 1976, suspended in 1986, restored
and revised 5 March 1988
Legal system: based on laws of England and Wales with a small number
adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1953),
represented by Governor John KELLY (since NA September 1996)
head of government: Chief Minister Derek H. TAYLOR (since 31 January
1995)
cabinet: Executive Council consists of three ex officio members and
five appointed by the governor from among the members of the
Legislative Council
elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor appointed
by the queen; chief minister appointed by the governor
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council (19 seats, of which
13 are popularly elected; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 31 January 1995 (next to be held by NA December
1999)
election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-PDM 8,
PNP 4, independent (Norman SAUNDERS) 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Progressive National Party (PNP),
Washington MISICK; People's Democratic Movement (PDM), Derek H.
TAYLOR; United Democratic Party (UDP), Wendal SWANN
International organization participation: Caricom (associate), CDB,
Interpol (subbureau)
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 colonial shield centered on the outer half of the
flag; the shield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and
cactus
@Turks and Caicos Islands:Economy
Economy-overview: The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism,
fishing, and offshore financial services. Most capital goods and food
for domestic consumption are imported. The US was the leading source
of tourists in 1996, accounting for more than half of the 87,000
visitors. Major sources of government revenue include fees from
offshore financial activities and customs receipts.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$110 million (1996 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 3.5% (1996 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$7,700 (1996 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 8% (1994 est.)
Labor force:
total: 4,848 (1990 est.)
by occupation: about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and
fishing; large numbers in tourism and financial and other services
(1997 est.)
Unemployment rate: 15% (1996 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $31.9 million
expenditures: $30.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1995)
Industries: tourism, offshore financial services
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity-capacity: 4,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 5 million kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 359 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: corn, beans, cassava, citrus fruits; fish
Exports:
total value: $6.8 million (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities: lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells
partners: US, UK
Imports:
total value: $42.8 million (1993)
commodities: food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures,
construction materials
partners: US, UK
Debt-external: $NA
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 1,359 (1988 est.)
Telephone system: fair cable and radiotelephone services
domestic: NA
international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station-1 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 7,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: television programs are available from
a cable network, and broadcasts from the Bahamas can be received in
the islands
Televisions: NA
@Turks and Caicos Islands:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 121 km
paved: 24 km
unpaved: 97 km
Ports and harbors: Grand Turk, Providenciales
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 7 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)
@Turks and Caicos Islands:Military
Military-note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
@Turks and Caicos Islands:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American narcotics
destined for the US
______________________________________________________________________
TUVALU
@Tuvalu:Geography
Location: Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the
South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to
Australia
Geographic coordinates: 8 00 S, 178 00 E
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total: 26 sq km
land: 26 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area-comparative: 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 24 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to
November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Terrain: very low-lying and narrow coral atolls
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m
Natural resources: fish
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100% (1993 est.)
note: Tuvalu's nine coral atolls have enough soil to grow coconuts and
support subsistence agriculture
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in
1997, there were three cyclones
Environment-current issues: since there are no streams or rivers and
groundwater is not potable, all water needs must be met by catchment
systems with storage facilities; beachhead erosion because of the use
of sand for building materials; excessive clearance of forest
undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral reefs from the spread of
the Crown of Thorns starfish; Tuvalu is very concerned about global
increases in greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on rising sea
levels, which threaten the country's underground water table
Environment-international agreements:
party to: Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea
@Tuvalu:People
Population: 10,444 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 35% (male 1,875; female 1,804)
15-64 years: 60% (male 2,980; female 3,290)
65 years and over: 5% (male 226; female 269) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.4% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 22.6 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 8.62 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: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 26.23 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.88 years
male: 62.72 years
female: 65.09 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.11 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Tuvaluan(s)
adjective: Tuvaluan
Ethnic groups: Polynesian 96%
Religions: Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day
Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%
Languages: Tuvaluan, English
Literacy: NA; note-education is free and compulsory from ages 6
through 13
@Tuvalu:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tuvalu
former: Ellice Islands
Data code: TV
Government type: constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary
democracy; began debating republic status in 1992
National capital: Funafuti
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: 1 October 1978 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1978)
Constitution: 1 October 1978
Legal system: NA
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Manuella TULAGA (since NA June 1994)
head of government: Prime Minister Bikenibeu PAENIU (since 23 December
1996) and Deputy Prime Minister Kokeiya MALUA (since 8 April 1998);
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the
recommendation of the prime minister
elections: the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor general
appointed by the queen on the recommendation of the prime minister;
prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the
members of Parliament; election last held 8 April 1998 (next to be
held NA 2002)
election results: Bikenibeu PAENIU reelected prime minister by a vote
in Parliament of 10 to 2; Kokeiya MALUA elected deputy prime minister;
percent of Parliament vote-NA
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Fale I Fono, also called
House of Assembly (12 seats-two from each island with more than 1,000
inhabitants, one from all the other inhabited islands; members elected
by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 26-27 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2002)
election results: percent of vote-NA; seats-independents 12
Judicial branch: eight Island Courts; High Court; note-a chief justice
visits twice a year to preside over sessions of the High Court
Political parties and leaders: there are no political parties but
members of Parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings
International organization participation: AsDB, C (special), ESCAP,
Intelsat (nonsignatory user), ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU,
WHO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US: Tuvalu does not have an embassy
in the US
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy
in Tuvalu; the US ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tuvalu
Flag description: light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper
hoist-side quadrant; the outer half of the flag represents a map of
the country with nine yellow five-pointed stars symbolizing the nine
islands
@Tuvalu:Economy
Economy-overview: Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered
group of nine coral atolls with poor soil. The country has no known
mineral resources and few exports. Subsistence farming and fishing are
the primary economic activities. The islands are too small and too
remote for development of a large-scale tourist industry. Government
revenues largely come from the sale of stamps and coins and worker
remittances. About 1,000 Tuvaluans work in Nauru in the phosphate
mining industry. Nauru has begun repatriating Tuvaluans, however, as
phosphate resources decline, which will present additional problems
for Tuvalu's already stretched economy. Substantial income is received
annually from an international trust fund established in 1987 by
Australia, NZ, and the UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea.
In an effort to reduce its dependence on foreign aid, the government
is pursuing public sector reforms, including privatization of some
government functions and personnel cuts of up to 7%. Low-lying Tuvalu
is particularly vulnerable to any future global warming.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$7.8 million (1995 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 8.7% (1995)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$800 (1995 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 3.9% (average 1985-93)
Labor force: NA
by occupation: NA
note: people make a living mainly through exploitation of the sea,
reefs, and atolls and from wages sent home by those working abroad
(mostly workers in the phosphate industry and sailors)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $4.3 million
expenditures: $4.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1989 est.)
Industries: fishing, tourism, copra
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity-capacity: 2,600 kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 3 million kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: NA kWh
Agriculture-products: coconuts; fish
Exports:
total value: $165,000 (f.o.b., 1989)
commodities: copra
partners: Fiji, Australia, NZ
Imports:
total value: $4.4 million (c.i.f., 1989)
commodities: food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured
goods
partners: Fiji, Australia, NZ
Debt-external: $NA
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $1.725 million from Australia (FY96/97 est.); $1.7
million from NZ (FY95/96); note: substantial annual support from an
international trust fund
Currency: 1 Tuvaluan dollar ($T) or 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100
cents
Exchange rates: Tuvaluan dollars ($T) or Australian dollars ($A) per
US$1-1.5281 (January 1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996), 1.3486
(1995), 1.3667 (1994), 1.4704 (1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 130 (1983 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands
international: NA
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 4,000 (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 0
Televisions: NA
@Tuvalu:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 8 km (1996 est.)
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km
Ports and harbors: Funafuti, Nukufetau
Merchant marine:
total: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 53,220 GRT/83,118 DWT
ships by type: cargo 8, chemical tanker 4, oil tanker 1,
passenger-cargo 1 (1997 est.)
Airports: 1 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1997 est.)
@Tuvalu:Military
Military branches: no regular military forces; Police Force (consists
of 56 full- and part-time personnel)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: NA%
@Tuvalu:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
______________________________________________________________________
UGANDA
@Uganda:Geography
Location: Eastern Africa, west of Kenya
Geographic coordinates: 1 00 N, 32 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 236,040 sq km
land: 199,710 sq km
water: 36,330 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries:
total: 2,698 km
border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 765 km, Kenya 933
km, Rwanda 169 km, Sudan 435 km, Tanzania 396 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to
February, June to August); semiarid in northeast
Terrain: mostly plateau with rim of mountains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lake Albert 621 m
highest point: Margherita (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m
Natural resources: copper, cobalt, limestone, salt
Land use:
arable land: 25%
permanent crops: 9%
permanent pastures: 9%
forests and woodland: 28%
other: 29% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 90 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment-current issues: draining of wetlands for agricultural use;
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching is widespread
Environment-international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Geography-note: landlocked
@Uganda:People
Population: 22,167,195 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 51% (male 5,682,510; female 5,643,962)
15-64 years: 47% (male 5,157,818; female 5,199,080)
65 years and over: 2% (male 236,374; female 247,451) (July 1998 est.)