for five different types of land use. Arable land-land cultivated for
crops that are replanted after each harvest like wheat, maize, and
rice. Permanent crops-land cultivated for crops that are not replanted
after each harvest like citrus, coffee, and rubber. Permanent
pastures-land permanently used for herbaceous forage crops. Forests
and woodland-land under dense or open stands of trees. Other- any land
type not specifically mentioned above, such as urban areas, roads,
desert, etc.
Languages: This entry provides a rank ordering of languages starting
with the largest and sometimes includes the percent of total
population speaking that language.
Legal system: This entry contains a brief description of the legal
system's historical roots, role in government, and acceptance of
International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction.
Legislative branch: This entry contains information on the structure
(unicameral, bicameral, tricameral), formal name, number of seats, and
term of office. Elections includes the nature of election process or
accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next
election. Election results includes the percent of vote and/or number
of seats held by each party in the last election.
Life expectancy at birth: This entry contains the average number of
years to be lived by a group of people born in the same year, if
mortality at each age remains constant in the future. The entry
includes total population as well as the male and female components.
Life expectancy at birth is also a measure of overall quality of life
in a country and summarizes the mortality at all ages. It can also be
thought of as indicating the potential return on investment in human
capital and is necessary for the calculation of various actuarial
measures.
Literacy: This entry includes a definition of literacy and Census
Bureau percentages for the total population, males, and females. There
are no universal definitions and standards of literacy. Unless
otherwise specified, all rates are based on the most common
definition-the ability to read and write at a specified age. Detailing
the standards that individual countries use to assess the ability to
read and write is beyond the scope of the Factbook. Information on
literacy, while not a perfect measure of educational results, is
probably the most easily available and valid for international
comparisons. Low levels of literacy, and education in general, can
impede the economic development of a country in the current rapidly
changing, technology-driven world.
Location: This entry identifies the country's regional location,
neighboring countries, and adjacent bodies of water.
Map references: This entry includes the name of the Factbook reference
map on which a country may be found. The entry on Geographic
coordinates may be helpful in finding some smaller countries.
Maritime claims: This entry includes the following claims: contiguous
zone, continental shelf, exclusive economic zone, exclusive fishing
zone, extended fishing zone, none (usually for a landlocked country),
other (unique maritime claims like Libya's Gulf of Sidra Closing Line
or North Korea's Military Boundary Line), and territorial sea. The
proximity of neighboring states may prevent some national claims from
being extended the full distance.
Merchant marine: Merchant marine may be defined as all ships engaged
in the carriage of goods; all commercial vessels (as opposed to all
nonmilitary ships), which excludes tugs, fishing vessels, offshore oil
rigs, etc.; or a grouping of merchant ships by nationality or
register. This entry contains information in two subfields-total and
ships by type. Total includes the total number of ships (1,000 GRT or
over), total DWT for those ships, and total GRT for those ships. Ships
by type includes a listing of barge carriers, bulk cargo ships, cargo
ships, combination bulk carriers, combination ore/oil carriers,
container ships, intermodal ships, liquefied gas tankers, livestock
carriers, multifunction large-load carriers, oil tankers, passenger
ships, passenger-cargo ships, railcar carriers, refrigerated cargo
ships, roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, short-sea passenger ships,
specialized tankers, tanker tug-barges, and vehicle carriers.
A captive register is a register of ships maintained by a
territory, possession, or colony primarily or exclusively for the use
of ships owned in the parent country; it is also referred to as an
offshore register, the offshore equivalent of an internal register.
Ships on a captive register will fly the same flag as the parent
country, or a local variant of it, but will be subject to the maritime
laws and taxation rules of the offshore territory. Although the nature
of a captive register makes it especially desirable for ships owned in
the parent country, just as in the internal register, the ships may
also be owned abroad. The captive register then acts as a flag of
convenience register, except that it is not the register of an
independent state.
A flag of convenience register is a national register
offering registration to a merchant ship not owned in the flag state.
The major flags of convenience (FOC) attract ships to their registers
by virtue of low fees, low or nonexistent taxation of profits, and
liberal manning requirements. True FOC registers are characterized by
having relatively few of the registered ships actually owned in the
flag state. Thus, while virtually any flag can be used for ships under
a given set of circumstances, an FOC register is one where the
majority of the merchant fleet is owned abroad. It is also referred to
as an open register.
A flag state is the nation in which a ship is registered and
which holds legal jurisdiction over operation of the ship, whether at
home or abroad. Maritime legislation of the flag state determines how
a ship is crewed and taxed and whether a foreign-owned ship may be
placed on the register.
An internal register is a register of ships maintained as a subset of
a national register. Ships on the internal register fly the national
flag and have that nationality but are subject to a separate set of
maritime rules from those on the main national register. These
differences usually include lower taxation of profits, use of foreign
nationals as crew members, and, usually, ownership outside the flag
state (when it functions as an FOC register). The Norwegian
International Ship Register and Danish International Ship Register are
the most notable examples of an internal register. Both have been
instrumental in stemming flight from the national flag to flags of
convenience and in attracting foreign-owned ships to the Norwegian and
Danish flags.
A merchant ship is a vessel that carries goods against
payment of freight; it is commonly used to denote any nonmilitary ship
but accurately restricted to commercial vessels only.
A register is the record of a ship's ownership and
nationality as listed with the maritime authorities of a country;
also, it is the compendium of such individual ships' registrations.
Registration of a ship provides it with a nationality and makes it
subject to the laws of the country in which registered (the flag
state) regardless of the nationality of the ship's ultimate owner.
Military: This category includes the entries dealing with a country's
military structure, manpower, and expenditures.
Military branches: This entry lists the names of the ground, naval,
air, marine, and other defense or military-type forces.
Military expenditures-dollar figure: This entry gives current military
expenditures in US dollars; the figure is calculated by multiplying
the estimated defense spending in percentage terms by the gross
domestic product (GDP) calculated on an exchange rate basis not
purchasing power parity (PPP) terms. The figure should be treated with
caution because of different price patterns and accounting methods
among nations, as well as wide variations in the strength of their
currencies.
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: This entry gives current
military expenditures as an estimated percent of gross domestic
product (GDP).
Military manpower-availability: This entry gives the total numbers of
males and females age 15-49 and assumes that every individual is fit
to serve.
Military manpower-fit for military service: This entry gives the
number of males and females age 15-49 fit for military service. This
is a more refined measure of potential military manpower availability
which tries to correct for the health situation in the country and
reduces the maximum potential number to a more realistic estimate of
the actual number fit to serve.
Military manpower-military age: This entry gives the minimum age at
which an individual may volunteer for military service or be subject
to conscription.
Military manpower-reaching military age annually: This entry gives the
number of draft-age males and females entering the military manpower
pool in any given year and is a measure of the availability of
draft-age young adults.
Military-note: This entry includes miscellaneous military information
of significance not included elsewhere.
Money figures: All money figures are expressed in contemporaneous US
dollars unless otherwise indicated.
National capital: This entry gives the location of the seat of
government.
National holiday: This entry gives the primary national day of
celebration- usually independence day.
Nationality: This entry provides the identifying terms for
citizens-noun and adjective.
Natural hazards: This entry lists potential natural disasters.
Natural resources: This entry lists a country's mineral, petroleum,
hydropower, and other resources of commercial importance.
Net migration rate: This entry includes the figure for the difference
between the number of persons entering and leaving a country during
the year per 1,000 persons (based on midyear population). An excess of
persons entering the country is referred to as net immigration (e.g.,
3.56 migrants/1,000 population); an excess of persons leaving the
country as net emigration (e.g., -9.26 migrants/1,000 population). The
net migration rate indicates the contribution of migration to the
overall level of population change. High levels of migration can cause
problems such as increasing unemployment and potential ethnic strife
(if people are coming in) or reducing the labor force, perhaps in
certain key sectors (if people are leaving).
People: This category includes the entries dealing with the
characteristics of the people and their society.
People-note: This entry includes miscellaneous demographic information
of significance not included elsewhere.
Pipelines: This entry gives the lengths and types of pipelines for
transporting products like natural gas, crude oil, or petroleum
products.
Political parties and leaders: This entry includes a listing of
significant political organizations and their leaders.
Political pressure groups and leaders: This entry includes a listing
of organizations with leaders involved in politics, but not standing
for legislative election.
Population: This entry gives an estimate from the US Bureau of the
Census based on statistics from population censuses, vital statistics
registration systems, or sample surveys pertaining to the recent past
and on assumptions about future trends. The total population presents
one overall measure of the potential impact of the country on the
world and within its region. Note: starting with the 1993 Factbook,
demographic estimates for some countries (mostly African) have taken
into account the effects of the growing incidence of AIDS infections.
In 1998 these countries are Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burma,
Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia,
Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria,
Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Zambia,
and Zimbabwe.
Population growth rate: The average annual percent change in the
population, resulting from a surplus (or deficit) of births over
deaths and the balance of migrants entering and leaving a country. The
rate may be positive or negative. Also known as growth rate or average
annual rate of growth. The growth rate is a factor in determining how
great a burden would be imposed on a country by the changing needs of
its people for infrastructure (e.g., schools, hospitals, housing,
roads), resources (e.g., food, water, electricity), and jobs. Rapid
population growth can be seen as threatening by neighboring countries.
Ports and harbors: This entry lists the major ports and harbors
selected on the basis of overall importance to each country. This is
determined by evaluating a number of factors (e.g., dollar value of
goods handled, gross tonnage, facilities, military significance).
Radio broadcast stations: This entry includes the total number of AM,
FM, and shortwave broadcast stations.
Radios: This entry gives the total number of radio receivers.
Railways: This entry includes the total length of the railway network
and component parts by gauge: broad, dual, narrow, standard, and
other.
Reference maps: This section includes world, regional, and special or
current interest maps.
Religions: This entry includes a rank ordering of religions starting
with the largest and sometimes includes the percent of total
population.
Sex ratio: This entry includes the number of males for each female in
five age groups-at birth, under 15 years, 15-64 years, 65 years and
over, and for the total population. Sex ratio at birth has recently
emerged as an indicator of certain kinds of sex discrimination in some
countries. For instance, high sex ratios at birth in some Asian
countries are now attributed to sex-selective abortion and infanticide
due to a strong preference for sons. This will affect future marriage
patterns and fertility patterns. Eventually it could cause unrest
among young adult males who are unable to find partners. The sex ratio
at birth for the World is 1.06 (1998 est.).
Suffrage: This entry gives the age at enfranchisement and whether the
right to vote is universal or restricted.
Telephone numbers: All telephone numbers in the Factbook consist of
the country code in brackets, the city or area code (where required)
in parentheses, and the local number. The one component that is not
presented is the international access code, which varies from country
to country. For example, an international direct dial telephone call
placed from the US to Madrid, Spain, would be as follows:
011 [34] (1) 577-xxxx where
011 is the international access code for station-to-station calls
(01 is for calls other than station-to-station calls),
[34] is the country code for Spain,
(1) is the city code for Madrid,
577 is the local exchange, and
xxxx is the local telephone number.
An international direct dial telephone call placed from another
country to the US would be as follows:
international access code + [1] (202) 939-xxxx, where
[1] is the country code for the US,
(202) is the area code for Washington, DC,
939 is the local exchange, and
xxxx is the local telephone number.
Telephone system: This entry includes a brief characterization of the
system with details on the domestic and international components. The
following terms and abbreviations are used throughout the entry:
Arabsat-Arab Satellite Communications Organization (Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia).
Autodin-Automatic Digital Network (US Department of Defense).
CB-citizen's band mobile radio communications.
cellular telephone system-the telephones in this system are
radio transceivers, with each instrument having its own private radio
frequency and sufficient radiated power to reach the booster station
in its area (cell), from which the telephone signal is fed to a
regular telephone exchange.
Central American Microwave System-a trunk microwave radio
relay system that links the countries of Central America and Mexico
with each other.
coaxial cable-a multichannel communication cable consisting
of a central conducting wire, surrounded by and insulated from a
cylindrical conducting shell; a large number of telephone channels can
be made available within the insulated space by the use of a large
number of carrier frequencies.
Comsat-Communications Satellite Corporation (US).
DSN-Defense Switched Network (formerly Automatic Voice
Network or Autovon); basic general-purpose, switched voice network of
the Defense Communications System (US Department of Defense).
Eutelsat-European Telecommunications Satellite Organization
(Paris).
fiber-optic cable-a multichannel communications cable using a
thread of optical glass fibers as a transmission medium in which the
signal (voice, video, etc.) is in the form of a coded pulse of light.
HF-high-frequency; any radio frequency in the 3,000- to
30,000-kHz range.
Inmarsat-International Mobile Satellite Organization
(London); provider of global mobile satellite communications for
commercial, distress, and safety applications at sea, in the air, and
on land.
Intelsat-International Telecommunications Satellite
Organization (Washington, DC).
Intersputnik-International Organization of Space
Communications (Moscow); first established in the former Soviet Union
and the East European countries, it is now marketing its services
worldwide with earth stations in North America, Africa, and East Asia.
landline-communication wire or cable of any sort that is
installed on poles or buried in the ground.
Marecs-Maritime European Communications Satellite used in the
Inmarsat system on lease from the European Space Agency.
Marisat-satellites of the Comsat Corporation that participate
in the Inmarsat system.
Medarabtel-the Middle East Telecommunications Project of the
International Telecommunications Union (ITU) providing a modern
telecommunications network, primarily by microwave radio relay,
linking Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Saudi
Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen; it was initially
started in Morocco in 1970 by the Arab Telecommunications Union (ATU)
and was known at that time as the Middle East Mediterranean
Telecommunications Network.
microwave radio relay-transmission of long distance telephone
calls and television programs by highly directional radio microwaves
that are received and sent on from one booster station to another on
an optical path.
NMT-Nordic Mobile Telephone; an analog cellular telephone
system that was developed jointly by the national telecommunications
authorities of the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland,
Norway, and Sweden).
Orbita-a Russian television service; also the trade name of a
packet-switched digital telephone network.
radiotelephone communications-the two-way transmission and
reception of sounds by broadcast radio on authorized frequencies using
telephone handsets.
satellite communication system-a communication system
consisting of two or more earth stations and at least one satellite
that provides long distance transmission of voice, data, and
television; the system usually serves as a trunk connection between
telephone exchanges; if the earth stations are in the same country, it
is a domestic system.
satellite earth station-a communications facility with a
microwave radio transmitting and receiving antenna and required
receiving and transmitting equipment for communicating with
satellites.
satellite link-a radio connection between a satellite and an
earth station permitting communication between them, either one-way
(down link from satellite to earth station-television receive-only
transmission) or two-way (telephone channels).
SHF-super-high-frequency; any radio frequency in the 3,000-
to 30,000-MHz range.
shortwave-radio frequencies (from 1.605 to 30 MHz) that fall
above the commercial broadcast band and are used for communication
over long distances.
Solidaridad-geosynchronous satellites in Mexico's system of
international telecommunications in the Western Hemisphere.
Statsionar-Russia's geostationary system for satellite
telecommunications.
submarine cable-a cable designed for service under water.
TAT-Trans-Atlantic Telephone; any of a number of
high-capacity submarine coaxial telephone cables linking Europe with
North America.
telefax-facsimile service between subscriber stations via the
public switched telephone network or the international Datel network.
telegraph-a telecommunications system designed for
unmodulated electric impulse transmission.
telex-a communication service involving teletypewriters
connected by wire through automatic exchanges.
tropospheric scatter-a form of microwave radio transmission
in which the troposphere is used to scatter and reflect a fraction of
the incident radio waves back to earth; powerful, highly directional
antennas are used to transmit and receive the microwave signals;
reliable over-the-horizon communications are realized for distances up
to 600 miles in a single hop; additional hops can extend the range of
this system for very long distances.
trunk network-a network of switching centers, connected by
multichannel trunk lines.
UHF-ultra-high-frequency; any radio frequency in the 300- to
3,000-MHz range.
VHF-very-high-frequency; any radio frequency in the 30- to
300-MHz range.
Telephones: This entry gives the total number of subscribers.
Television-broadcast stations: This entry gives the total number of
separate broadcast stations plus any repeater stations.
Televisions: This entry gives the total number of television sets.
Terminology: Due to the highly structured nature of the Factbook
database, some collective generic terms have to be used. For example,
the word Country in the Country name entry refers to a wide variety of
dependencies, areas of special sovereignty, uninhabited islands, and
other entities in addition to the traditional countries or independent
states. Military is also used as an umbrella term for various civil
defense, security, and defense activities in many entries. The
Independence entry includes the usual colonial independence dates and
former ruling states as well as other significant nationhood dates
such as the traditional founding date or the date of unification,
federation, confederation, establishment, or state succession that are
not strictly independence dates. Dependent areas have the nature of
their dependency status noted in this same entry. The National Capital
entry includes the first-order administrative seat for ''nations'' or
independent states as well as dependencies and other Factbook
entities.
Terrain: This entry contains a brief description of the topography.
Total fertility rate: This entry gives a figure for the average number
of children that would be born per woman if all women lived to the end
of their childbearing years and bore children according to a given
fertility rate at each age. The total fertility rate is a more direct
measure of the level of fertility than the crude birth rate, since it
refers to births per woman. This indicator shows the potential for
population growth in the country. High rates will also place some
limits on the labor force participation rates for women. Large numbers
of children born to women indicate large family sizes that might limit
the capacity of the families to educate their children.
Transnational Issues: This category includes only two entries at the
present time-Disputes-international and Illicit drugs-that deal with
current issues going beyond national boundaries.
Transportation: This category includes the entries dealing with the
movement of people or material.