chief of state: President Islom KARIMOV (since 24 March 1990, when he
was elected president by the then Supreme Soviet)
head of government: Prime Minister Otkir SULTONOV (since 21 December
1995); First Deputy Prime Minister Ismoil JURABEKOV (since NA 1991);
Deputy Prime Ministers Viktor CHZHEN (since NA 1994), Bakhtiyor
HAMIDOV (since NA 1992), Kayim HAKKULOV (since NA 1991), Dilbar
GHOLOMOVA (since NA 1995), Alisher AZIZKHOJAYEV (since NA 1996),
Mirabror USMONOV (since NA 1995), Rustam YUNUSOV (since NA 1994)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president with approval
of the Supreme Assembly
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 29 December 1991 (next to be held NA January 2000;
note-extension of President KARIMOV's term for an additional four
years overwhelmingly approved - 99.6% of total vote in favor-by
national referendum held 26 March 1995); prime minister and deputy
prime ministers appointed by the president
election results: Islom KARIMOV elected president; percent of
vote-Islom KARIMOV 86%, Muhammed SOLIH 12%, other 2%
Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme Assembly or Oliy Majlis (250
seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 25 December 1994 (next to be held NA December
1999)
election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-People's
Democratic Party 207, Fatherland Progress Party 12, other 31;
note-final runoffs were held 22 January 1995; seating was as follows:
People's Democratic Party 69, Fatherland Progress Party 14, Social
Democratic Party 47, local government 120
note: all parties in parliament support President KARIMOV
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are nominated by the president
and confirmed by the Supreme Assembly
Political parties and leaders: People's Democratic Party or HDP
(formerly Communist Party) [Abdulkhafiz JALOLOV, first secretary];
Fatherland Progress Party (Vatan Tarakiyoti) or VTP [Anwar YULDASHEV,
chairman]; Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic Party [Turgunpulat
DAMINOV, first secretary]; Democratic National Rebirth Party (Milly
Tiklanish) or MTP [Ibrahim GAFUROV, chairman]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Birlik (Unity) Movement
[Abdurakhim PULATOV, chairman]; Islamic Rebirth Party or IRP [Abdullah
UTAYEV, chairman], note-is banned; Erk (Freedom) Democratic Party
[Muhamd SOLIH, chairman] was banned 9 December 1992
note: all of the above groups are illegal; UTAYEV disappeared in 1992
and probably was detained by the government, but his whereabouts is
unknown
International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, CIS, EAPC, EBRD,
ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sadyk SAFAYEV
chancery: 1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 887-5300, 293-6801 through 6803
FAX: [1] (202) 293-6804
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph A. PRESEL (since November 1997)
embassy: 82 Chilanzarskaya, Tashkent 700115
mailing address: use embassy street address; Embassy Tashkent,
Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7110
telephone: [7] (3712) 77-14-07, 77-10-81, 77-69-86, 77-11-32, 77-12-62
FAX: [7] (3712) 40-63-35
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white,
and green separated by red fimbriations with a white crescent moon and
12 white stars in the upper hoist-side quadrant
@Uzbekistan:Economy
Economy-overview: Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country of which 10%
consists of intensely cultivated, irrigated river valleys. It was one
of the poorest areas of the former Soviet Union with more than 60% of
its population living in densely populated rural communities.
Uzbekistan is now the world's third largest cotton exporter, a major
producer of gold and natural gas, and a regionally significant
producer of chemicals and machinery. Following independence in
December 1991, the government sought to prop up its Soviet-style
command economy with subsidies and tight controls on production and
prices. Faced with high rates of inflation, however, the government
began to reform in mid-1994, by introducing tighter monetary policies,
expanding privatization, slightly reducing the role of the state in
the economy, and improving the environment for foreign investors.
Nevertheless, the state continues to be a dominating influence in the
economy, and reforms have so far failed to bring about much-needed
structural changes. The IMF suspended Uzbekistan's $185 million
standby arrangement in late 1996 because of governmental steps that
made impossible fulfillment of Fund conditions.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$60.7 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 2.4% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$2,500 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 26%
industry: 27%
services: 47% (1996 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 55% (1996 est.)
Labor force:
total: 8.6 million (1996 est.)
by occupation: agriculture and forestry 44%, industry and construction
20%, other 36% (1995)
Unemployment rate: 5% plus another 10% underemployed (December 1996
est.)
Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries: textiles, food processing, machine building, metallurgy,
natural gas
Industrial production growth rate: 6% (1996)
Electricity-capacity: 11.822 million kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 45.42 billion kWh (1996 est.)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 1,916 kWh (1996 est.)
Agriculture-products: cotton, vegetables, fruits, grain; livestock
Exports:
total value: $3.8 billion (1996)
commodities: cotton, gold, natural gas, mineral fertilizers, ferrous
metals, textiles, food products, autos
partners: Russia, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Western Europe
Imports:
total value: $4.7 billion (1996)
commodities: grain, machinery and parts, consumer durables, other
foods
partners: principally other FSU, Czech Republic, Western Europe
Debt-external: $2.3 billion (of which $510 million to Russia) (1996
est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $71 million (1993)
note: commitments, $2,915 million ($135 million in disbursements)
(1992-95)
Currency: introduced provisional som-coupons 10 November 1993 which
circulated parallel to the Russian rubles; became the sole legal
currency 31 January 1994; was replaced in July 1994 by the som
currency
Exchange rates: Uzbekistani soms (UKS) per US$1-75.8 (September 1997),
41.1 (1996), 30.2 (1995), 11.4 (1994), 1.0 (1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 1.458 million (1995 est.)
Telephone system: poorly developed
domestic: NMT-450 analog cellular network established in Tashkent
international: linked by landline or microwave radio relay with CIS
member states and to other countries by leased connection via the
Moscow international gateway switch; new Intelsat links to Tokyo and
Ankara give Uzbekistan international access independent of Russian
facilities; satellite earth stations-NA Orbita and NA Intelsat
Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA; note-there is at
least one state-owned broadcast station of NA type
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 2 national, over 30 local
Televisions: NA
@Uzbekistan:Transportation
Railways:
total: 3,380 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial
lines
broad gauge: 3,380 km 1.520-m gauge (300 km electrified) (1993)
Highways:
total: 81,600 km
paved: 71,237 km (note-these roads are said to be hard surfaced,
meaning that some are paved and some are all-weather gravel surfaced)
unpaved: 10,363 km dirt (1996 est.)
Waterways: 1,100 (1990)
Pipelines: crude oil 250 km; petroleum products 40 km; natural gas 810
km (1992)
Ports and harbors: Termiz (Amu Darya river)
Airports: 3 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (1997 est.)
@Uzbekistan:Military
Military branches: Ministry of Defense (Army, Air, and Air Defense),
Security Forces (internal and border troops)
note: National Guard is a component of the Army
Military manpower-military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 5,996,041 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service:
males: 4,874,324 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually:
males: 246,706 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: 39.2 billion soms (1996);
note-conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the
current exchange rate could produce misleading results
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 7% (1996)
@Uzbekistan:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
Illicit drugs: limited illicit cultivator of cannabis and small
amounts of opium poppy, mostly for domestic consumption; limited
government eradication program; increasingly used as transshipment
point for illicit drugs from Afghanistan to Russia and Western Europe
and for acetic anhydride destined for Afghanistan
______________________________________________________________________
VANUATU
@Vanuatu:Geography
Location: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about
three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Geographic coordinates: 16 00 S, 167 00 E
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total: 14,760 sq km
land: 14,760 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes more than 80 islands
Area-comparative: slightly larger than Connecticut
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 2,528 km
Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds
Terrain: mostly mountains of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Tabwemasana 1,877 m
Natural resources: manganese, hardwood forests, fish
Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 10%
permanent pastures: 2%
forests and woodland: 75%
other: 11% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April);
volcanism causes minor earthquakes
Environment-current issues: a majority of the population does not have
access to a potable and reliable supply of water; deforestation
Environment-international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine
Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Desertification, Law of the Sea
@Vanuatu:People
Population: 185,204 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 39% (male 36,865; female 35,576)
15-64 years: 58% (male 55,066; female 52,142)
65 years and over: 3% (male 3,013; female 2,542) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.07% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 29.18 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 8.44 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: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.19 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 61.27 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61 years
male: 59.02 years
female: 63.07 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.74 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural)
adjective: Ni-Vanuatu
Ethnic groups: indigenous Melanesian 94%, French 4%, Vietnamese,
Chinese, Pacific Islanders
Religions: Presbyterian 36.7%, Anglican 15%, Catholic 15%, indigenous
beliefs 7.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.2%, Church of Christ 3.8%, other
15.7%
Languages: English (official), French (official), pidgin (known as
Bislama or Bichelama)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 53%
male: 57%
female: 48% (1979 est.)
@Vanuatu:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Vanuatu
conventional short form: Vanuatu
former: New Hebrides
Data code: NH
Government type: republic
National capital: Port-Vila
Administrative divisions: 6 provinces; Malampa, Penama, Sanma, Shefa,
Tafea, Torba
Independence: 30 July 1980 (from France and UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 30 July (1980)
Constitution: 30 July 1980
Legal system: unified system being created from former dual French and
British systems
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jean Marie LEYE (since 2 March 1994)
head of government: Prime Minister Donald KALPOKAS (since 30 March
1998); Deputy Prime Minister Father Walter LINI (since 30 March 1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister,
responsible to Parliament
elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of
Parliament and the presidents of the regional councils for a five-year
term; election for president last held 2 March 1994 (next to be held
NA 1999); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority
party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by
Parliament from among its members; election for prime minister last
held 6 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results: Jean Marie LEYE elected president; percent of
electoral college vote - NA; Donald KALPOKAS elected prime minister by
Parliament with a total of 35 votes, other candidate, Rialuth Serge
VOHOR, received 17 votes
note: the general legislative elections in November 1995 did not give
a majority to any of the political parties; since the election, there
have been four changes of government-all of which have been coalitions
formed by Parliamentary vote; Rialuth Serge VOHOR was prime minister
from November 1995 until he resigned 7 February 1996 when faced with a
no-confidence vote in Parliament; Maxime Carlot KORMAN was then
elected prime minister and served until he was ousted in a
no-confidence motion on 30 September 1996; VOHOR was then elected
prime minister for a second time; as a result of legislative elections
in March 1998, KALPOKAS was elected prime minister and formed a
coalition government with Father LINI's National United Party (NUP)
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (52 seats; members elected
by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 6 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-VP 18,
UMP 12, NUP 11, other and independent 11; note-political party
associations are fluid; there have been four changes of government
since the November 1995 elections
note: the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of custom and
land
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chief justice is appointed by the
president after consultation with the prime minister and the leader of
the opposition, three other justices are appointed by the president on
the advice of the Judicial Service Commission
Political parties and leaders: Union of Moderate Parties (UMP), Serge
VOHOR; National United Party (NUP), Walter LINI; Vanuatu Party (VP),
Donald KALPOKAS; Melanesian Progressive Party (MPP), Barak SOPE; Tan
Union (TU), Vincent BOULEKONE; Na-Griamel Movement, Frankie STEVENS;
Friend Melanesian Party, Albert RAVUTIA; John Frum Movement, leader
NA; Vanuatu Republican Party, Maxime Carlot KORMAN
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP,
FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO,
Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, NAM, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US: Vanuatu does not have an embassy
in the US
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy
in Vanuatu; the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to
Vanuatu
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green
with a black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) all
separated by a black-edged yellow stripe in the shape of a horizontal
Y (the two points of the Y face the hoist side and enclose the
triangle); centered in the triangle is a boar's tusk encircling two
crossed namele leaves, all in yellow
@Vanuatu:Economy
Economy-overview: The economy is based primarily on subsistence or
small-scale agriculture which provides a living for 65% of the
population. Fishing, offshore financial services, and tourism, with
46,000 visitors in 1996, are other mainstays of the economy. Mineral
deposits are negligible; the country has no known petroleum deposits.
A small light industry sector caters to the local market. Tax revenues
come mainly from import duties. Economic development is hindered by
dependence on relatively few commodity exports, vulnerability to
natural disasters, and long distances from main markets and between
constituent islands.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$231 million (1996 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 3% (1996 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$1,300 (1996 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 23%
industry: 13%
services: 64% (1996)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 2.2% (1997 est.)
Labor force:
total: NA
by occupation: agriculture 65%, services 32%, industry 3% (1995 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $94.4 million
expenditures: $99.8 million, including capital expenditures of $30.4
million (1996 est.)
Industries: food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning
Industrial production growth rate: 6.4% (1996 est.)
Electricity-capacity: 11,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 30 million kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 173 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: copra, coconuts, cocoa, coffee, taro, yams,
coconuts, fruits, vegetables; fish, beef
Exports:
total value: $30 million (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: copra, beef, cocoa, timber, coffee
partners: Japan 28%, Spain 21%, Germany 14%, UK 7%, Cote d'Ivoire 7%,
Australia, New Caledonia (1996 est.)
Imports:
total value: $97 million (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: machines and vehicles, food and beverages, basic
manufactures, raw materials and fuels, chemicals
partners: Japan 47%, Australia 23%, Singapore 8%, New Zealand 6%,
France 3%, Fiji (1996 est.)
Debt-external: $63 million (1996 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $9.6 million from Australia (FY96/97 est.); $3.1
million from NZ (FY95/96)
Currency: 1 vatu (VT) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: vatu (VT) per US$1-124.56 (January 1998), 115.87
(1997), 111.72 (1996), 112.11 (1995), 116.41 (1994), 121.58 (1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 4,000 (1994 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 49,000 (1994 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 1
Televisions: 2,000 (1994 est.)
@Vanuatu:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 1,070 km
paved: 256 km
unpaved: 814 km (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: Forari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo)
Merchant marine:
total: 88 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,407,737 GRT/1,761,413
DWT
ships by type: bulk 31, cargo 24, chemical tanker 2, combination bulk
1, liquefied gas tanker 4, oil tanker 5, refrigerated cargo 13,
vehicle carrier 8
note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 15 countries
among which are ships of Japan 30, India 10, US 8, Netherlands 6,
Greece 4, Hong Kong 4, Australia 2, Canada 1, China 1, and Poland 1
(1997 est.)
Airports: 31 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 29
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 18 (1997 est.)
@Vanuatu:Military
Military branches: no regular military forces; Vanuatu Police Force
(VPF; includes the paramilitary Vanuatu Mobile Force or VMF)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: NA%
@Vanuatu:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: claims Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New
Caledonia
______________________________________________________________________
VENEZUELA
@Venezuela:Geography
Location: Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the
North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana
Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 66 00 W
Map references: South America, Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 912,050 sq km
land: 882,050 sq km
water: 30,000 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly more than twice the size of California
Land boundaries:
total: 4,993 km
border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km
Coastline: 2,800 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 15 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
Terrain: Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central
plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite,
other minerals, hydropower, diamonds
Land use:
arable land: 4%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 20%
forests and woodland: 34%
other: 41% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,900 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: subject to floods, rockslides, mud slides; periodic
droughts
Environment-current issues: sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil
and urban pollution of Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil
degradation; urban and industrial pollution, especially along the
Caribbean coast
Environment-international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous
Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping
Geography-note: on major sea and air routes linking North and South
America
@Venezuela:People
Population: 22,803,409 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 34% (male 3,979,045; female 3,733,364)
15-64 years: 62% (male 7,054,525; female 7,011,814)
65 years and over: 4% (male 469,799; female 554,862) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.77% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 22.96 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 4.98 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 27.52 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.66 years
male: 69.68 years
female: 75.87 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.7 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Venezuelan(s)
adjective: Venezuelan
Ethnic groups: mestizo 67%, white 21%, black 10%, Amerindian 2%
Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%
Languages: Spanish (official), native dialects spoken by about 200,000
Amerindians in the remote interior
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.1%
male: 91.8%
female: 90.3% (1995 est.)
@Venezuela:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Venezuela
conventional short form: Venezuela
local long form: Republica de Venezuela
local short form: Venezuela
Data code: VE
Government type: republic
National capital: Caracas