industry: 24%
services: 38%
note: data exclude opium production (2005 est.)
Labor force:
15 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 80%
industry: 10%
services: 10% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate:
40% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:
53% (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $715 million
expenditures: $2.6 billion
note: Afghanistan has also received $273 million from the
Reconstruction Trust Fund and $63 million from the Law and Order
Trust Fund (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
21 March - 20 March
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
13% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
NA
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
18.14% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$1.426 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$958.6 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$20.06 million (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins
Industries:
small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes,
fertilizer, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
839 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
1.088 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
230 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 36.3%
hydro: 63.7%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
5,036 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
4,534 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
20 million cu m (2006 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
20 million cu m (2006 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
49.55 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:
NA
Exports:
$274 million; note - not including illicit exports or reexports
(2006)
Exports - commodities:
opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and
pelts, precious and semi-precious gems
Exports - partners:
India 22.8%, Pakistan 21.8%, US 20.5%, Tajikistan 7.2% (2007)
Imports:
$3.823 billion (2006)
Imports - commodities:
capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products
Imports - partners:
Pakistan 36.8%, US 11%, India 5%, Germany 4.2% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$2.775 billion (2005)
Debt - external:
$8 billion in bilateral debt, mostly to Russia; Afghanistan has $500
million in debt to Multilateral Development Banks (2004)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Currency (code):
afghani (AFA)
Currency code:
AFA
Exchange rates:
afghanis (AFA) per US dollar - NA (2007), 46 (2006), 47.7 (2005), 48
(2004), 49 (2003)
Communications
Afghanistan
Telephones - main lines in use:
280,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
5.4 million (2008)
Telephone system:
general assessment: limited landline telephone service; an
increasing number of Afghans utilize mobile-cellular phone networks
in major cities
domestic: aided by the presence of multiple providers,
mobile-cellular telephone service is improving rapidly
international: country code - 93; five VSAT's installed in Kabul,
Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, Kandahar, and Jalalabad provide international
and domestic voice and data connectivity (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 21, FM 5, shortwave 1 (broadcasts in Pashto, Dari (Afghan
Persian), Urdu, and English) (2006)
Radios:
167,000 (1999)
Television broadcast stations:
at least 7 (1 government-run central television station in Kabul and
regional stations in 6 of the 34 provinces) (2006)
Televisions:
100,000 (1999)
Internet country code:
.af
Internet hosts:
31 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
580,000 (2007)
Communications - note:
Internet access is growing through Internet cafes as well as public
"telekiosks" in Kabul (2005)
Transportation
Afghanistan
Airports:
46 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 12
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 34
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 9 (2007)
Heliports:
9 (2007)
Pipelines:
gas 466 km (2007)
Roadways:
total: 42,150 km
paved: 12,350 km
unpaved: 29,800 km (2006)
Waterways:
1,200 km (chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT)
(2007)
Ports and terminals:
Kheyrabad, Shir Khan
Military
Afghanistan
Military branches:
Afghan Armed Forces: Afghan National Army (ANA, includes Afghan
National Army Air Corps) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
22 years of age; inductees are contracted into service for a 4-year
term (2005)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 7,431,147
females age 16-49: 7,004,819 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 4,234,180
females age 16-49: 3,946,685 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 371,451
female: 351,295 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.9% of GDP (2006 est.)
Transnational Issues
Afghanistan
Disputes - international:
Pakistan has built fences in some portions of its border with
Afghanistan which remains open in some areas to foreign terrorists
and other illegal activities
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 132,246 (mostly Pashtuns and Kuchis displaced in south and
west due to drought and instability) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
world's largest producer of opium; poppy cultivation increased 17%
to a near-record 202,000 hectares in 2007; good growing conditions
pushed potential opium production to a record 8,000 metric tons, up
42% from last year; if the entire opium crop were processed, 947
metric tons of heroin potentially could be produced; drug trade is a
source of instability and the Taliban and other antigovernment
groups participate in and profit from the drug trade; widespread
corruption impedes counterdrug efforts; most of the heroin consumed
in Europe and Eurasia is derived from Afghan opium; vulnerable to
drug money laundering through informal financial networks; regional
source of hashish
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Akrotiri
Introduction
Akrotiri
Background:
By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the
independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and
jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers -
Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The southernmost and smallest of these is the
Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the
Western Sovereign Base Area.
Geography
Akrotiri
Location:
Eastern Mediterranean, peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus
Geographic coordinates:
34 37 N, 32 58 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 123 sq km
note: includes a salt lake and wetlands
Area - comparative:
about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
total: 47.4 km
border countries: Cyprus 47.4 km
Coastline:
56.3 km
Climate:
temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters
Environment - current issues:
shooting around the salt lake; note - breeding place for loggerhead
and green turtles; only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on
the base
Geography - note:
British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small
off-post sites scattered across Cyprus; of the Sovereign Base Area
land, 60% is privately owned and farmed, 20% is owned by the
Ministry of Defense, and 20% is SBA Crown land
People
Akrotiri
Population:
approximately 15,700 live on the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri
and Dhekelia including 7,700 Cypriots, 3,600 Service and UK-based
contract personnel, and 4,400 dependents
Languages:
English, Greek
Government
Akrotiri
Country name:
conventional long form: Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Akrotiri
Dependency status:
a special form of UK overseas territory; administered by an
administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus
Capital:
name: Episkopi Cantonment (base administrative center for Akrotiri
and Dhekelia)
geographic coordinates: 34 40 N, 32 51 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October
Constitution:
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960,
effective 16 August 1960, functions as a basic legal document
Legal system:
the Sovereign Base Area Administration has its own court system to
deal with civil and criminal matters; laws applicable to the Cypriot
population are, as far as possible, the same as the laws of the
Republic of Cyprus
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Administrator Air Vice-Marshal Richard LACEY
(since 26 April 2006); note - reports to the British Ministry of
Defense
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the administrator is
appointed by the monarch
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description:
the flag of the UK is used
Economy
Akrotiri
Economy - overview:
Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military
and their families located in Akrotiri. All food and manufactured
goods must be imported.
Currency (code):
euro (EUR) adopted 1 January 2008; note - the Cypriot pound (CYP)
formerly used
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.4286 (2007), 0.46019 (2006), 0.4641
(2005), 0.4686 (2004), 0.5174 (2003)
Communications
Akrotiri
Radio broadcast stations:
AM NA, FM 1, shortwave NA (British Forces Broadcasting Service
(BFBS) provides Radio 1 and Radio 2 service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia,
and Nicosia) (2006)
Television broadcast stations:
0 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel
satellite service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006)
Military
Akrotiri
Military - note:
Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British Forces on
Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Albania
Introduction
Albania
Background:
Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912,
but was conquered by Italy in 1939. Communist partisans took over
the country in 1944. Albania allied itself first with the USSR
(until 1960), and then with China (to 1978). In the early 1990s,
Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic Communist rule and established
a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven challenging as
successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment,
widespread corruption, a dilapidated physical infrastructure,
powerful organized crime networks, and combative political
opponents. Albania has made progress in its democratic development
since first holding multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies
remain. International observers judged elections to be largely free
and fair since the restoration of political stability following the
collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997. In the 2005 general elections,
the Democratic Party and its allies won a decisive victory on
pledges of reducing crime and corruption, promoting economic growth,
and decreasing the size of government. The election, and
particularly the orderly transition of power, was considered an
important step forward. Although Albania's economy continues to
grow, the country is still one of the poorest in Europe, hampered by
a large informal economy and an inadequate energy and transportation
infrastructure. Albania has played a largely helpful role in
managing inter-ethnic tensions in southeastern Europe, and is
continuing to work toward joining NATO and the EU. Albania, with
troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, has been a strong supporter of the
global war on terrorism.
Geography
Albania
Location:
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea,
between Greece in the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north
Geographic coordinates:
41 00 N, 20 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 28,748 sq km
land: 27,398 sq km
water: 1,350 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total: 717 km
border countries: Greece 282 km, Macedonia 151 km, Montenegro 172
km, Kosovo 112 km
Coastline:
362 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers;
interior is cooler and wetter
Terrain:
mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore,
nickel, salt, timber, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 20.1%
permanent crops: 4.21%
other: 75.69% (2005)
Irrigated land:
3,530 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
41.7 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 1.71 cu km/yr (27%/11%/62%)
per capita: 546 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast;
floods; drought
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and
domestic effluents
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to
Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)
People
Albania
Population:
3,619,778 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 23.6% (male 447,126/female 406,757)
15-64 years: 66.9% (male 1,239,819/female 1,180,720)
65 years and over: 9.5% (male 160,241/female 185,115) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 29.5 years
male: 28.9 years
female: 30.2 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.538% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
15.22 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
5.44 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-4.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 19.31 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 19.74 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.78 years
male: 75.12 years
female: 80.71 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.02 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Albanian(s)
adjective: Albanian
Ethnic groups:
Albanian 95%, Greek 3%, other 2% (Vlach, Roma (Gypsy), Serb,
Macedonian, Bulgarian) (1989 est.)
note: in 1989, other estimates of the Greek population ranged from
1% (official Albanian statistics) to 12% (from a Greek organization)
Religions:
Muslim 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10%
note: percentages are estimates; there are no available current
statistics on religious affiliation; all mosques and churches were
closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November
1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice
Languages:
Albanian (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek, Vlach,
Romani, Slavic dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 9 and over can read and write
total population: 98.7%
male: 99.2%
female: 98.3% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years
male: 11 years
female: 11 years (2004)
Education expenditures:
2.9% of GDP (2002)
Government
Albania
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Albania
conventional short form: Albania
local long form: Republika e Shqiperise
local short form: Shqiperia
former: People's Socialist Republic of Albania
Government type:
emerging democracy
Capital:
name: Tirana (Tirane)
geographic coordinates: 41 19 N, 19 49 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Berat, Diber, Durres, Elbasan,
Fier, Gjirokaster, Korce, Kukes, Lezhe, Shkoder, Tirane, Vlore
Independence:
28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 28 November (1912)
Constitution:
adopted by popular referendum on 22 November 1998; promulgated 28
November 1998
Legal system:
has a civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction; has accepted jurisdiction of the International
Criminal Court for its citizens
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President of the Republic Bamir TOPI (since 24 July
2007)
head of government: Prime Minister Sali BERISHA (since 10 September
2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister,
nominated by the president, and approved by parliament
elections: president elected by the People's Assembly for a
five-year term (eligible for a second term); four election rounds
held between 8 and 20 July 2007 (next election to be held in 2012);
prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Bamir TOPI elected president; People's Assembly
vote, fourth round (three-fifths majority (84 votes) required):
Bamir TOPI 85 votes, Neritan CEKA 5 votes
Legislative branch:
unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; 100 members are elected
by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections: last held 3 July 2005 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PD
56, PS 42, PR 11, PSD 7, LSI 5, other 19
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court, Supreme Court (chairman is elected by the
People's Assembly for a four-year term), and multiple appeals and
district courts
Political parties and leaders:
Agrarian Environmentalist Party or PAA [Lufter XHUVELI]; Christian
Democratic Party or PDK [Nard NDOKA]; Communist Party of Albania or
PKSH [Hysni MILLOSHI]; Democratic Alliance Party or AD [Neritan
CEKA]; Democratic Party or PD [Sali BERISHA]; Legality Movement
Party or PLL [Ekrem SPAHIA]; Liberal Union Party or BLD [Arjan
STAROVA]; Movement for National Development or LZhK [Dashamir
SHEHI]; National Front Party (Balli Kombetar) or PBK [Artur ROSHI];
New Democratic Party or PDR [Genc POLLO]; Party of National Unity or
PUK [Idajet BEQIRI]; Republican Party or PR [Fatmir MEDIU]; Social
Democracy Party of Albania or PDSSh [Paskal MILO]; Social Democratic
Party or PSD [Skender GJINUSHI]; Socialist Movement for Integration
or LSI [Ilir META]; Socialist Party or PS [Edi RAMA]; Union for
Human Rights Party or PBDNj [Vangjel DULE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Citizens Advocacy Office [Kreshnik SPAHIU]; Confederation of Trade
Unions of Albania or KSSH [Kastriot MUCO]; Front for Albanian
National Unification or FBKSH [Gafur ADILI]; Mjaft Movement; Omonia
[Jani JANI]; Union of Independent Trade Unions of Albania or BSPSH
[Gezim KALAJA]
International organization participation:
BSEC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Aleksander SALLABANDA
chancery: 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 223-4942
FAX: [1] (202) 628-7342
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. John L. WITHERS, II
embassy: Rruga e Elbasanit, Labinoti #103, Tirana
mailing address: US Department of State, 9510 Tirana Place, Dulles,
VA 20189-9510
telephone: [355] (4) 2247285
FAX: [355] (4) 2232222
Flag description:
red with a black two-headed eagle in the center
Economy
Albania
Economy - overview:
Lagging behind its Balkan neighbors, Albania is making the difficult
transition to a more modern open-market economy. The government has
taken measures to curb violent crime, and recently adopted a fiscal
reform package aimed at reducing the large gray economy and
attracting foreign investment. The economy is bolstered by annual
remittances from abroad of $600-$800 million, mostly from Albanians
residing in Greece and Italy; this helps offset the towering trade
deficit. Agriculture, which accounts for more than one-fifth of GDP,
is held back because of lack of modern equipment, unclear property
rights, and the prevalence of small, inefficient plots of land.
Energy shortages and antiquated and inadequate infrastructure
contribute to Albania's poor business environment, which make it
difficult to attract and sustain foreign investment. The completion
of a new thermal power plant near Vlore and improved transmission
line between Albania and Montenegro will help relieve the energy
shortages. Also, the government is moving slowly to improve the poor
national road and rail network, a long-standing barrier to sustained
economic growth. On the positive side, macroeconomic growth was
strong in 2003-07 and inflation is low and stable.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$20.87 billion
note: Albania has a large gray economy that may be as large as 50%
of official GDP (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$10.62 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$5,800 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 21.2%
industry: 20.5%
services: 58.3% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
1.09 million (not including 352,000 emigrant workers) (September
2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 58%
industry: 15%
services: 27% (September 2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
13.2% official rate, but may exceed 30% due to preponderance of
near-subsistence farming (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
25% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.4%
highest 10%: 24.4% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
26.7 (2005)
Investment (gross fixed):
23.3% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $2.782 billion
expenditures: $3.155 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
51.4% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.9% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
6.25% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
14.1% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$2.707 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$6.433 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$7.341 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes;
meat, dairy products
Industries:
food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement,
chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower
Industrial production growth rate:
4% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
2.892 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
3.607 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
2.8 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 2.9%
hydro: 97.1%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
6,425 bbl/day (2007 est.)