THE CIA WORLD FACTBOOK 2008
CONTENTS
Countries and Locations
Field Listings
Rank Orders
Appendixes
Notes and Definitions
History of the World Factbook
Contributors and Copyright Information
Purchasing Information
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What's New
- Country information has been updated as of 18 December 2008.
- In the People category, two new fields provide information on
education in terms of opportunity and resources. "School Life
Expectancy" is an estimate of the total number of years of schooling
(primary to tertiary) that a child can expect to receive, assuming
that the probability of his or her being enrolled in school at any
particular future age is equal to the current enrollment ratio at
that age. "Education expenditures" provides an estimate of the public
expenditure on education as a percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
- In order to help policymakers understand the nature and global
dimensions of the current financial crisis, The World Factbook has
added five new fields to the Economy category. "Central bank discount
rate" provides the annualized interest rate a country's central bank
charges commercial, depository banks for loans to meet temporary
shortages of funds. "Commercial bank prime lending rate" provides a
simple average of annualized interest rates commercial banks charge
on new loans, denominated in the national currency, to their most
credit-worthy customers. "Stock of money" also known as "M1," comprises
the total quantity of currency in circulation (notes and coins) plus
demand deposits denominated in the national currency, held by nonbank
financial institutions, state and local governments, nonfinancial
public enterprises, and the private sector of the economy. "Stock of
quasi money" comprises the total quantity of time and savings deposits
denominated in the national currency, held by nonbank financial
institutions, state and local governments, nonfinancial public
enterprises, and the private sector of the economy. When added together
with "M1" the total money supply is known as "M2." "Stock of domestic
credit" is the total quantity of credit, denominated in the domestic
currency, provided by banks to nonbanking institutions.
- In the Geography category, two new fields focus on the increasingly
vital resource of water: "Total renewable water resources" and
"Freshwater withdrawal."
- Revision of some individual country maps, first introduced in the
2001 edition, is continued in this edition. Several regional maps have
also been updated to reflect boundary changes and place name spelling
changes.
======================================================================
The World Factbook (2008) - Country Listing
[Transcriber's note: To search on a country in this file, prefix the
country's name with "@", e.g. "@Afghanistan". "Afghanistan" will find
all occurrences; prefixing it with "@" will find the correct location.]
World
A
Afghanistan
Akrotiri
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Arctic Ocean
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Atlantic Ocean
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
B
Bahamas, The
Bahrain
Baker Island description under United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Bouvet Island
Brazil
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burma
Burundi
C
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Clipperton Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Republic of the
Cook Islands
Coral Sea Islands
Costa Rica
Cote d'Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech Republic
D
Denmark
Dhekelia
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
E
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
European Union entry follows Taiwan
F
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Polynesia
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
G
Gabon
Gambia, The
Gaza Strip
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
H
Haiti
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Holy See (Vatican City)
Honduras
Hong Kong
Howland Island description under United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Hungary
I
Iceland
India
Indian Ocean
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Isle of Man
Israel
Italy
J
Jamaica
Jan Mayen
Japan
Jarvis Island description under United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Jersey
Johnston Atoll description under United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Jordan
K
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kingman Reef description under United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Kiribati
Korea, North
Korea, South
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
L
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
M
Macau
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia, Federated States of
Midway Islands description under United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
N
Namibia
Nauru
Navassa Island
Nepal
Netherlands
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
O
Oman
P
Pacific Ocean
Pakistan
Palau
Palmyra Atoll description under United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paracel Islands
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn Islands
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Q
Qatar
R
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
S
Saint Helena
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Southern Ocean
Spain
Spratly Islands
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
T
Taiwan entry follows Zimbabwe
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
U
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
V
Vanuatu
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands
W
Wake Island
Wallis and Futuna
West Bank
Western Sahara
Y
Yemen
Z
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Taiwan
European Union
=====================================================================
Code Field Description
2001 GDP (purchasing power parity)
2002 Population growth rate (%)
2003 GDP - real growth rate (%)
2004 GDP - per capita (PPP)
2006 Dependency status
2007 Diplomatic representation from the US
2008 Transportation - note
2010 Age structure (%)
2011 Geographic coordinates
2012 GDP - composition by sector (%)
2013 Radio broadcast stations
2015 Television broadcast stations
2018 Sex ratio (male(s)/female)
2019 Heliports
2020 Elevation extremes (m)
2021 Natural hazards
2022 People - note
2023 Area - comparative
2024 Military service age and obligation (years of age)
2025 Manpower fit for military service
2026 Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually
2028 Background
2030 Airports - with paved runways
2031 Airports - with unpaved runways
2032 Environment - current issues
2033 Environment - international agreements
2034 Military expenditures (% of GDP)
2038 Electricity - production (kWh)
2042 Electricity - consumption (kWh)
2043 Electricity - imports (kWh)
2044 Electricity - exports (kWh)
2046 Population below poverty line (%)
2047 Household income or consumption by percentage share (%)
2048 Labor force - by occupation (%)
2049 Exports - commodities (%)
2050 Exports - partners (%)
2051 Administrative divisions
2052 Agriculture - products
2053 Airports
2054 Birth rate (births/1,000 population)
2055 Military branches
2056 Budget
2057 Capital
2058 Imports - commodities (%)
2059 Climate
2060 Coastline (km)
2061 Imports - partners (%)
2062 Economic aid - donor
2063 Constitution
2064 Economic aid - recipient
2065 Currency (code)
2066 Death rate (deaths/1,000 population)
2068 Dependent areas
2070 Disputes - international
2075 Ethnic groups (%)
2076 Exchange rates
2077 Executive branch
2078 Exports
2079 Debt - external
2080 Fiscal year
2081 Flag description
2085 Roadways (km)
2086 Illicit drugs
2087 Imports
2088 Independence
2089 Industrial production growth rate (%)
2090 Industries
2091 Infant mortality rate (deaths/1,000 live births)
2092 Inflation rate (consumer prices) (%)
2093 Waterways (km)
2094 Judicial branch
2095 Labor force
2096 Land boundaries (km)
2097 Land use (%)
2098 Languages (%)
2100 Legal system
2101 Legislative branch
2102 Life expectancy at birth (years)
2103 Literacy (%)
2105 Manpower available for military service
2106 Maritime claims
2107 International organization participation
2108 Merchant marine
2109 National holiday
2110 Nationality
2111 Natural resources
2112 Net migration rate (migrant(s)/1,000 population)
2113 Geography - note
2115 Political pressure groups and leaders
2116 Economy - overview
2117 Pipelines (km)
2118 Political parties and leaders
2119 Population
2120 Ports and terminals
2121 Railways (km)
2122 Religions (%)
2123 Suffrage
2124 Telephone system
2125 Terrain
2127 Total fertility rate (children born/woman)
2128 Government type
2129 Unemployment rate (%)
2137 Military - note
2138 Communications - note
2140 Government - note
2142 Country name
2144 Location
2145 Map references
2146 Irrigated land (sq km)
2147 Area (sq km)
2149 Diplomatic representation in the US
2150 Telephones - main lines in use
2151 Telephones - mobile cellular
2153 Internet users
2154 Internet country code
2155 HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%)
2156 HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
2157 HIV/AIDS - deaths
2172 Distribution of family income - Gini index
2173 Oil - production (bbl/day)
2174 Oil - consumption (bbl/day)
2175 Oil - imports (bbl/day)
2176 Oil - exports (bbl/day)
2177 Median age (years)
2178 Oil - proved reserves (bbl)
2179 Natural gas - proved reserves (cu m)
2180 Natural gas - production (cu m)
2181 Natural gas - consumption (cu m)
2182 Natural gas - imports (cu m)
2183 Natural gas - exports (cu m)
2184 Internet hosts
2185 Investment (gross fixed) (% of GDP)
2186 Public debt (% of GDP)
2187 Current account balance
2188 Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
2193 Major infectious diseases
2194 Refugees and internally displaced persons
2195 GDP (official exchange rate)
2196 Trafficking in persons
2198 Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
2199 Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad
2200 Market value of publicly traded shares
2201 Total renewable water resources (cu km)
2202 Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) ()
2203 Geographic overview
2204 Economy of the area administered by Turkish Cypriots
2205 School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) (years)
2206 Education expenditures (% of GDP)
2207 Central bank discount rate (%)
2208 Commercial bank prime lending rate (%)
2209 Stock of money
2210 Stock of quasi money
2211 Stock of domestic credit
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Rank Orders
[Transcriber's note: To search on a rank order in this file, prefix
the rank's name with "@", e.g. "@Population". "Population" will find
all occurrences; prefixing it with "@" will find the correct location.]
Rank Order pages are presorted lists of data from selected Factbook
data fields. Rank Order pages are generally given in descending order -
highest to lowest - such as Population and Area. The two exceptions are
Unemployment Rate and Inflation Rate, which are in ascending - lowest
to highest - order. Rank Order pages are available for the following 55
fields in six of the nine Factbook categories.
Geography
Area - total
People
Population
Population growth rate
Birth rate
Death rate
Infant mortality rate
Life expectancy at birth - total
Total fertility rate
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS - deaths
Economy
GDP (purchasing power parity)
GDP - real growth rate
GDP - per capita
Labor force
Unemployment rate
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
Central bank discount rate
Commercial bank prime lending rate
Stock of money
Stock of quasi money
Stock of domestic credit
Investment (gross fixed)
Public debt
Industrial production growth rate
Electricity - production
Electricity - consumption
Oil - production
Oil - consumption
Oil - exports
Oil - imports
Oil - proved reserves
Natural Gas - production
Natural Gas - consumption
Natural Gas - exports
Natural Gas - imports
Natural Gas - proved reserves
Current account balance
Exports
Imports
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
Debt - external
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad
Market value of publicly traded shares
Communications
Telephones - main lines in use
Telephones - mobile cellular
Internet hosts
Internet users
Transportation
Airports
Railways - total
Roadways - total
Waterways
Merchant marine - total
Military
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
Factbook fields with Rank Order pages are easily identified with a
small bar chart icon to the right of the data field title.
Not all Rank Order pages include the same number of entries because
information for a particular field is not available for all countries.
In addition, not all data fields are suitable for displaying as Rank
Order pages, such as those containing textual information. Textual
information is more readily viewed by clicking on the Field Listing
icon next to the Data field title. The other icon next to the data
field title provides the definition of the field.
All of the 'Rank Order' pages can be downloaded as tab-delimited data
files and can be opened in other applications such as spreadsheets and
databases. To save a Rank Order page in a spreadsheet, first click on
the 'Download Datafile' choice above the Rank Order page you selected;
then, at the top of your browser window, click on 'File' and 'Save As'.
After saving the file, open the spreadsheet, find the saved file, and
'Open' it.
Additional Rank Order pages being considered for future updates of the
Factbook Web site include:
Median age
Literacy
Population below the poverty line
This page was last updated on 20 November, 2008
=====================================================================
Appendixes
Appendix A - Abbreviations
Appendix B - International Organizations and Groups
Appendix C - Selected International Environmental Agreements
Appendix D - Cross-Reference list of Country Data Codes
Appendix E - Cross-Reference List of Hydrographic Data Codes
Appendix F - Cross-Reference List of Geographic Names
Appendix G - Weights and Measures
======================================================================
Notes and Definitions
In addition to the regular information updates, The World Factbook 2008
features several new additions. In the Geography category, two new
fields focus on the increasingly vital resource of water: "Total
renewable water resources" and "Freshwater withdrawal."
In the Economy category, the Factbook has added three fields: "Stock of
direct foreign investment - at home", "Stock of direct foreign
investment - abroad", and "Market value of publicly traded shares."
Additionally, the data for GDP at purchasing power parity (PPP) has
been rebased using new PPP conversion rates, benchmarked to the year
2005, which were released on 17 December 2007 by the International
Comparison Program (ICP). The 2005 PPP data replace previous estimates,
many from studies dating to 1993 or earlier. The preliminary ICP report
provides estimates of internationally comparable price levels and the
relative purchasing power of currencies for 146 countries. The 2005
benchmark revises downward the size of the world economy in PPP terms
from the previous estimates, and changes the relative sizes of many of
the world's economies.
Concise descriptions of the major religions mentioned in the Factbook
have been added to the Notes and Definitions. France 's redesignation
of some of its overseas possessions caused the five former Indian Ocean
island possessions making up Iles Eparses to be incorporated into the
French Southern and Antarctic Lands, while two new Caribbean entities,
St. Barthelemy and St. Martin, were created.
Revision of some individual country maps, first introduced in the 2001
edition, is continued in this edition. The revised maps include
elevation extremes and a partial geographic grid. Several regional maps
have also been updated to reflect boundary changes and place name
spelling changes.
Abbreviations: This information is included in Appendix A:
Abbreviations, which includes all abbreviations and acronyms used in
the Factbook, with their expansions.
Acronyms: An acronym is an abbreviation coined from the initial letter
of each successive word in a term or phrase. In general, an acronym
made up solely from the first letter of the major words in the expanded
form is rendered in all capital letters (NATO from North Atlantic
Treaty Organization; an exception would be ASEAN for Association of
Southeast Asian Nations). In general, an acronym made up of more than
the first letter of the major words in the expanded form is rendered
with only an initial capital letter (Comsat from Communications
Satellite Corporation; an exception would be NAM from Nonaligned
Movement). Hybrid forms are sometimes used to distinguish between
initially identical terms (ICC for International Chamber of Commerce
and ICCt for International Criminal Court).
Administrative divisions: This entry generally gives the numbers,
designatory terms, and first-order administrative divisions as approved
by the US Board on Geographic Names (BGN). Changes that have been
reported but not yet acted on by the BGN are noted.
Age structure: This entry provides the distribution of the population
according to age. Information is included by sex and age group (0-14
years, 15-64 years, 65 years and over). The age structure of a
population affects a nation's key socioeconomic issues. Countries with
young populations (high percentage under age 15) need to invest more in
schools, while countries with older populations (high percentage ages
65 and over) need to invest more in the health sector. The age
structure can also be used to help predict potential political issues.
For example, the rapid growth of a young adult population unable to
find employment can lead to unrest.
Agriculture - products: This entry is an ordered listing of major
crops and products starting with the most important.
Airports: This entry gives the total number of airports or airfields
recognizable from the air. The runway(s) may be paved (concrete or
asphalt surfaces) or unpaved (grass, earth, sand, or gravel surfaces)
but may include closed or abandoned installations. Airports or
airfields that are no longer recognizable (overgrown, no facilities,
etc.) are not included. Note that not all airports have accommodations
for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control.
Airports - with paved runways: This entry gives the total number of
airports with paved runways (concrete or asphalt surfaces) by length.
For airports with more than one runway, only the longest runway is
included according to the following five groups - (1) over 3,047 m, (2)
2,438 to 3,047 m, (3) 1,524 to 2,437 m, (4) 914 to 1,523 m, and (5)
under 914 m. Only airports with usable runways are included in this
listing. Not all airports have facilities for refueling, maintenance,
or air traffic control.
Airports - with unpaved runways: This entry gives the total number of
airports with unpaved runways (grass, dirt, sand, or gravel surfaces)
by length. For airports with more than one runway, only the longest
runway is included according to the following five groups - (1) over
3,047 m, (2) 2,438 to 3,047 m, (3) 1,524 to 2,437 m, (4) 914 to 1,523
m, and (5) under 914 m. Only airports with usable runways are included
in this listing. Not all airports have facilities for refueling,
maintenance, or air traffic control.
Appendixes: This section includes Factbook-related material by topic.
Area: This entry includes three subfields. Total area is the sum of
all land and water areas delimited by international boundaries and/or
coastlines. Land area is the aggregate of all surfaces delimited by
international boundaries and/or coastlines, excluding inland water
bodies (lakes, reservoirs, rivers). Water area is the sum of the
surfaces of all inland water bodies, such as lakes, reservoirs, or
rivers, as delimited by international boundaries and/or coastlines.
Area - comparative: This entry provides an area comparison based on
total area equivalents. Most entities are compared with the entire US
or one of the 50 states based on area measurements (1990 revised)
provided by the US Bureau of the Census. The smaller entities are
compared with Washington, DC (178 sq km, 69 sq mi) or The Mall in
Washington, DC (0.59 sq km, 0.23 sq mi, 146 acres).
Background: This entry usually highlights major historic events and
current issues and may include a statement about one or two key future
trends.
Birth rate: This entry gives the average annual number of births
during a year per 1,000 persons in the population at midyear; also
known as crude birth rate. The birth rate is usually the dominant
factor in determining the rate of population growth. It depends on both
the level of fertility and the age structure of the population.
Budget: This entry includes revenues, expenditures, and capital
expenditures. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis,
i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.
Capital: This entry gives the name of the seat of government, its
geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated
Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if
applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where
appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries
that have multiple time zones.
Central bank discount rate: This entry provides the annualized
interest rate a country's central bank charges commercial, depository
banks for loans to meet temporary shortages of funds.
Climate: This entry includes a brief description of typical weather
regimes throughout the year.
Coastline: This entry gives the total length of the boundary between
the land area (including islands) and the sea.
Commercial bank prime lending rate: This entry provides a simple
average of annualized interest rates commercial banks charge on new
loans, denominated in the national currency, to their most credit-
worthy customers.
Communications: This category deals with the means of exchanging
information and includes the telephone, radio, television, and Internet
host entries.
Communications - note: This entry includes miscellaneous
communications information of significance not included elsewhere.
Constitution: This entry includes the dates of adoption, revisions,
and major amendments.
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC): UTC is the international atomic time
scale that serves as the basis of timekeeping for most of the world.
The hours, minutes, and seconds expressed by UTC represent the time of
day at the Prime Meridian (0 deg. longitude) located near Greenwich,
England as reckoned from midnight. UTC is calculated by the Bureau
International des Poids et Measures (BIPM) in Sevres, France. The BIPM
averages data collected from more than 200 atomic time and frequency
standards located at about 50 laboratories worldwide. UTC is the basis
for all civil time with the Earth divided into time zones expressed as
positive or negative differences from UTC. UTC is also referred to as
"Zulu time." See the Standard Time Zones of the World map included with
the Reference Maps.
Country data codes: see Data codes.
Country map: Most versions of the Factbook provide a country map in
color. The maps were produced from the best information available at
the time of preparation. Names and/or boundaries may have changed
subsequently.
Country name: This entry includes all forms of the country's name
approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an
example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short
form (Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form
(Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation. Also
see the Terminology note.
Crude oil: See entry for oil.
Current account balance: This entry records a country's net trade in
goods and services, plus net earnings from rents, interest, profits,
and dividends, and net transfer payments (such as pension funds and
worker remittances) to and from the rest of the world during the period
specified. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis,
i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.
Data codes: This information is presented in Appendix D: Cross-
Reference List of Country Data Codes and Appendix E: Cross-Reference
List of Hydrographic Data Codes.
Date of information: In general, information available as of 1 January
2007 was used in the preparation of this edition.
Daylight Saving Time (DST): This entry is included for those entities
that have adopted a policy of adjusting the official local time
forward, usually one hour, from Standard Time during summer months.
Such policies are most common in mid-latitude regions.
Death rate: This entry gives the average annual number of deaths
during a year per 1,000 population at midyear; also known as crude
death rate. The death rate, while only a rough indicator of the
mortality situation in a country, accurately indicates the current
mortality impact on population growth. This indicator is significantly
affected by age distribution, and most countries will eventually show a
rise in the overall death rate, in spite of continued decline in
mortality at all ages, as declining fertility results in an aging
population.
Debt - external: This entry gives the total public and private debt
owed to nonresidents repayable in foreign currency, goods, or services.
These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in
purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.
Dependency status: This entry describes the formal relationship
between a particular nonindependent entity and an independent state.
Dependent areas: This entry contains an alphabetical listing of all
nonindependent entities associated in some way with a particular
independent state.
Diplomatic representation: The US Government has diplomatic relations
with 189 independent states, including 187 of the 192 UN members
(excluded UN members are Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and the US
itself). In addition, the US has diplomatic relations with 2
independent states that are not in the UN, the Holy See and Kosovo, as
well as with the EU.
Diplomatic representation from the US: This entry includes the chief
of mission, embassy address, mailing address, telephone number, FAX
number, branch office locations, consulate general locations, and
consulate locations.
Diplomatic representation in the US: This entry includes the chief of
mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and
consulate locations.
Disputes - international: This entry includes a wide variety of
situations that range from traditional bilateral boundary disputes to
unilateral claims of one sort or another. Information regarding
disputes over international terrestrial and maritime boundaries has
been reviewed by the US Department of State. References to other
situations involving borders or frontiers may also be included, such as
resource disputes, geopolitical questions, or irredentist issues;
however, inclusion does not necessarily constitute official acceptance
or recognition by the US Government.
Distribution of family income - Gini index: This index measures the
degree of inequality in the distribution of family income in a country.
The index is calculated from the Lorenz curve, in which cumulative
family income is plotted against the number of families arranged from
the poorest to the richest. The index is the ratio of (a) the area
between a country's Lorenz curve and the 45 degree helping line to (b)
the entire triangular area under the 45 degree line. The more nearly
equal a country's income distribution, the closer its Lorenz curve to
the 45 degree line and the lower its Gini index, e.g., a Scandinavian
country with an index of 25. The more unequal a country's income
distribution, the farther its Lorenz curve from the 45 degree line and
the higher its Gini index, e.g., a Sub-Saharan country with an index of
50. If income were distributed with perfect equality, the Lorenz curve
would coincide with the 45 degree line and the index would be zero; if
income were distributed with perfect inequality, the Lorenz curve would
coincide with the horizontal axis and the right vertical axis and the
index would be 100.
Economy: This category includes the entries dealing with the size,
development, and management of productive resources, i.e., land, labor,
and capital.
Economy - overview: This entry briefly describes the type of economy,
including the degree of market orientation, the level of economic
development, the most important natural resources, and the unique areas
of specialization. It also characterizes major economic events and
policy changes in the most recent 12 months and may include a statement
about one or two key future macroeconomic trends.
Education expenditures: This entry provides the public expenditure on
education as a percent of GDP
Electricity - consumption: This entry consists of total electricity
generated annually plus imports and minus exports, expressed in
kilowatt-hours. The discrepancy between the amount of electricity
generated and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is
accounted for as loss in transmission and distribution.
Electricity - exports: This entry is the total exported electricity in
kilowatt-hours.
Electricity - imports: This entry is the total imported electricity in
kilowatt-hours.
Electricity - production: This entry is the annual electricity
generated expressed in kilowatt-hours. The discrepancy between the
amount of electricity generated and/or imported and the amount consumed
and/or exported is accounted for as loss in transmission and
distribution.
Elevation extremes: This entry includes both the highest point and the
lowest point.
Entities: Some of the independent states, dependencies, areas of
special sovereignty, and governments included in this publication are
not independent, and others are not officially recognized by the US
Government. "Independent state" refers to a people politically
organized into a sovereign state with a definite territory.
"Dependencies" and "areas of special sovereignty" refer to a broad
category of political entities that are associated in some way with an
independent state. "Country" names used in the table of contents or for
page headings are usually the short-form names as approved by the US
Board on Geographic Names and may include independent states,
dependencies, and areas of special sovereignty, or other geographic
entities. There are a total of 266 separate geographic entities in The
World Factbook that may be categorized as follows:
INDEPENDENT STATES
194 Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and
Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The
Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,
Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil,
Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon,
Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China,
Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the
Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,
Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia,
Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana,
Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy
See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland,
Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati,
North Korea, South Korea, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia,
Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta,
Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of
Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique,
Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria,
Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay,
Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda,
Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,
Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal,
Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan,
Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania,
Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia,
Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay,
Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
OTHER
2 Taiwan, European Union
DEPENDENCIES AND AREAS OF SPECIAL SOVEREIGNTY
6 Australia - Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos
(Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald
Islands, Norfolk Island
2 China - Hong Kong, Macau
2 Denmark - Faroe Islands, Greenland
9 France - Clipperton Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and
Antarctic Lands, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Saint Barthelemy, Saint
Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna
2 Netherlands - Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
3 New Zealand - Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau
3 Norway - Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard
17 UK - Akrotiri, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory,
British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dhekelia, Falkland Islands,
Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands,
Saint Helena, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and
Caicos Islands
14 US - American Samoa, Baker Island*, Guam, Howland Island*, Jarvis
Island*, Johnston Atoll*, Kingman Reef*, Midway Islands*, Navassa
Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll*, Puerto Rico, Virgin
Islands, Wake Island (* consolidated in United States Pacific Island
Wildlife Refuges entry)
MISCELLANEOUS
6 Antarctica, Gaza Strip, Paracel Islands, Spratly Islands, West Bank,
Western Sahara
OTHER ENTITIES
5 oceans - Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean,
Southern Ocean
1 World
266 total
Environment - current issues: This entry lists the most pressing and
important environmental problems. The following terms and abbreviations
are used throughout the entry:
Acidification - the lowering of soil and water pH due to acid
precipitation and deposition usually through precipitation; this
process disrupts ecosystem nutrient flows and may kill freshwater fish
and plants dependent on more neutral or alkaline conditions (see acid
rain).
Acid rain - characterized as containing harmful levels of sulfur
dioxide or nitrogen oxide; acid rain is damaging and potentially deadly
to the earth's fragile ecosystems; acidity is measured using the pH
scale where 7 is neutral, values greater than 7 are considered
alkaline, and values below 5.6 are considered acid precipitation; note
- a pH of 2.4 (the acidity of vinegar) has been measured in rainfall in
New England.
Aerosol - a collection of airborne particles dispersed in a gas, smoke,
or fog.
Afforestation - converting a bare or agricultural space by planting
trees and plants; reforestation involves replanting trees on areas that
have been cut or destroyed by fire.
Asbestos - a naturally occurring soft fibrous mineral commonly used in
fireproofing materials and considered to be highly carcinogenic in
particulate form.
Biodiversity - also biological diversity; the relative number of
species, diverse in form and function, at the genetic, organism,
community, and ecosystem level; loss of biodiversity reduces an
ecosystem's ability to recover from natural or man-induced disruption.
Bio-indicators - a plant or animal species whose presence, abundance,
and health reveal the general condition of its habitat.
Biomass - the total weight or volume of living matter in a given area
or volume.
Carbon cycle - the term used to describe the exchange of carbon (in
various forms, e.g., as carbon dioxide) between the atmosphere, ocean,
terrestrial biosphere, and geological deposits.
Catchments - assemblages used to capture and retain rainwater and
runoff; an important water management technique in areas with limited
freshwater resources, such as Gibraltar.
DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane) - a colorless, odorless
insecticide that has toxic effects on most animals; the use of DDT was
banned in the US in 1972.
Defoliants - chemicals which cause plants to lose their leaves
artificially; often used in agricultural practices for weed control,
and may have detrimental impacts on human and ecosystem health.
Deforestation - the destruction of vast areas of forest (e.g.,
unsustainable forestry practices, agricultural and range land clearing,
and the over exploitation of wood products for use as fuel) without
planting new growth.
Desertification - the spread of desert-like conditions in arid or semi-
arid areas, due to overgrazing, loss of agriculturally productive
soils, or climate change.
Dredging - the practice of deepening an existing waterway; also, a
technique used for collecting bottom-dwelling marine organisms (e.g.,
shellfish) or harvesting coral, often causing significant destruction
of reef and ocean-floor ecosystems.
Drift-net fishing - done with a net, miles in extent, that is generally
anchored to a boat and left to float with the tide; often results in an
over harvesting and waste of large populations of non-commercial marine
species (by-catch) by its effect of "sweeping the ocean clean."
Ecosystems - ecological units comprised of complex communities of
organisms and their specific environments.
Effluents - waste materials, such as smoke, sewage, or industrial waste
which are released into the environment, subsequently polluting it.
Endangered species - a species that is threatened with extinction
either by direct hunting or habitat destruction.
Freshwater - water with very low soluble mineral content; sources
include lakes, streams, rivers, glaciers, and underground aquifers.
Greenhouse gas - a gas that "traps" infrared radiation in the lower
atmosphere causing surface warming; water vapor, carbon dioxide,
nitrous oxide, methane, hydrofluorocarbons, and ozone are the primary
greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere.
Groundwater - water sources found below the surface of the earth often
in naturally occurring reservoirs in permeable rock strata; the source
for wells and natural springs.
Highlands Water Project - a series of dams constructed jointly by
Lesotho and South Africa to redirect Lesotho's abundant water supply
into a rapidly growing area in South Africa; while it is the largest
infrastructure project in southern Africa, it is also the most costly
and controversial; objections to the project include claims that it
forces people from their homes, submerges farmlands, and squanders
economic resources.
Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC) - represents the 145,000 Inuits of
Russia, Alaska, Canada, and Greenland in international environmental
issues; a General Assembly convenes every three years to determine the
focus of the ICC; the most current concerns are long-range transport of
pollutants, sustainable development, and climate change.
Metallurgical plants - industries which specialize in the science,
technology, and processing of metals; these plants produce highly
concentrated and toxic wastes which can contribute to pollution of
ground water and air when not properly disposed.
Noxious substances - injurious, very harmful to living beings.
Overgrazing - the grazing of animals on plant material faster than it
can naturally regrow leading to the permanent loss of plant cover, a
common effect of too many animals grazing limited range land.
Ozone shield - a layer of the atmosphere composed of ozone gas (O3)
that resides approximately 25 miles above the Earth's surface and
absorbs solar ultraviolet radiation that can be harmful to living
organisms.
Poaching - the illegal killing of animals or fish, a great concern with
respect to endangered or threatened species.
Pollution - the contamination of a healthy environment by man-made
waste.
Potable water - water that is drinkable, safe to be consumed.
Salination - the process through which fresh (drinkable) water becomes
salt (undrinkable) water; hence, desalination is the reverse process;
also involves the accumulation of salts in topsoil caused by
evaporation of excessive irrigation water, a process that can
eventually render soil incapable of supporting crops.
Siltation - occurs when water channels and reservoirs become clotted
with silt and mud, a side effect of deforestation and soil erosion.
Slash-and-burn agriculture - a rotating cultivation technique in which
trees are cut down and burned in order to clear land for temporary
agriculture; the land is used until its productivity declines at which
point a new plot is selected and the process repeats; this practice is
sustainable while population levels are low and time is permitted for
regrowth of natural vegetation; conversely, where these conditions do
not exist, the practice can have disastrous consequences for the
environment.
Soil degradation - damage to the land's productive capacity because of
poor agricultural practices such as the excessive use of pesticides or
fertilizers, soil compaction from heavy equipment, or erosion of
topsoil, eventually resulting in reduced ability to produce
agricultural products.
Soil erosion - the removal of soil by the action of water or wind,
compounded by poor agricultural practices, deforestation, overgrazing,
and desertification.
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation - a portion of the electromagnetic energy
emitted by the sun and naturally filtered in the upper atmosphere by
the ozone layer; UV radiation can be harmful to living organisms and
has been linked to increasing rates of skin cancer in humans.
Waterborne diseases - those in which bacteria survive in, and are
transmitted through, water; always a serious threat in areas with an
untreated water supply.
Environment - international agreements: This entry separates country
participation in international environmental agreements into two levels
- party to and signed, but not ratified. Agreements are listed in
alphabetical order by the abbreviated form of the full name.
Environmental agreements: This information is presented in Appendix C:
Selected International Environmental Agreements, which includes the
name, abbreviation, date opened for signature, date entered into force,
objective, and parties by category.
Ethnic groups: This entry provides an ordered listing of ethnic groups
starting with the largest and normally includes the percent of total
population.
Exchange rates: This entry provides the official value of a country's
monetary unit at a given date or over a given period of time, as
expressed in units of local currency per US dollar and as determined by
international market forces or official fiat. The International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) 4217 alphabetic currency code
for the national medium of exchange is presented in parenthesis.
Executive branch: This entry includes several subfields. Chief of
state includes the name and title of the titular leader of the country
who represents the state at official and ceremonial functions but may
not be involved with the day-to-day activities of the government. Head
of government includes the name and title of the top administrative
leader who is designated to manage the day-to-day activities of the
government. For example, in the UK, the monarch is the chief of state,
and the prime minister is the head of government. In the US, the
president is both the chief of state and the head of government.
Cabinet includes the official name for this body of high-ranking
advisers and the method for selection of members. Elections include 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 for each candidate in the last election.
Exports: This entry provides the total US dollar amount of merchandise
exports on an f.o.b. (free on board) basis. These figures are
calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in purchasing power
parity (PPP) terms.
Exports - commodities: This entry provides a listing of the highest-
valued exported products; it sometimes includes the percent of total
dollar value.
Exports - partners: This entry provides a rank ordering of trading
partners starting with the most important; it sometimes includes the
percent of total dollar value.
Flag description: This entry provides a written flag description
produced from actual flags or the best information available at the
time the entry was written. The flags of independent states are used by
their dependencies unless there is an officially recognized local flag.
Some disputed and other areas do not have flags.
Flag graphic: Most versions of the Factbook include a color flag at
the beginning of the country profile. The flag graphics were produced
from actual flags or the best information available at the time of
preparation. The flags of independent states are used by their
dependencies unless there is an officially recognized local flag. Some
disputed and other areas do not have flags.
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): This entry
provides the annual quantity of water in cubic kilometers removed from
available sources for use in any purpose. Water drawn-off is not
necessarily entirely consumed and some portion may be returned for
further use downstream. Domestic sector use refers to water supplied by
public distribution systems. Note that some of this total may be used
for small industrial and/or limited agricultural purposes. Industrial
sector use is the quantity of water used by self-supplied industries
not connected to a public distribution system. Agricultural sector use
includes water used for irrigation and livestock watering, and does not
account for agriculture directly dependent on rainfall. Included are
figures for total annual water withdrawal and per capita water
withdrawal.