Antarctic Treaty Summary - the Antarctic Treaty, signed
on 1 December 1959 and entered into force on 23 June 1961,
establishes the legal framework for the management of Antarctica;
the 30th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting was held in Delhi,
India in April/May 2007; at these periodic meetings, decisions are
made by consensus (not by vote) of all consultative member nations;
at the end of 2007, there were 46 treaty member nations: 28
consultative and 18 non-consultative; consultative (decision-making)
members include the seven nations that claim portions of Antarctica
as national territory (some claims overlap) and 21 non-claimant
nations; the US and Russia have reserved the right to make claims;
the US does not recognize the claims of others; Antarctica is
administered through meetings of the consultative member nations;
decisions from these meetings are carried out by these member
nations (with respect to their own nationals and operations) in
accordance with their own national laws; the years in parentheses
indicate when a consultative member-nation acceded to the Treaty and
when it was accepted as a consultative member, while no date
indicates the country was an original 1959 treaty signatory;
claimant nations are - Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ,
Norway, and the UK. Nonclaimant consultative nations are - Belgium,
Brazil (1975/1983), Bulgaria (1978/1998) China (1983/1985), Ecuador
(1987/1990), Finland (1984/1989), Germany (1979/1981), India
(1983/1983), Italy (1981/1987), Japan, South Korea (1986/1989),
Netherlands (1967/1990), Peru (1981/1989), Poland (1961/1977),
Russia, South Africa, Spain (1982/1988), Sweden (1984/1988), Ukraine
(1992/2004), Uruguay (1980/1985), and the US; non-consultative
members, with year of accession in parentheses, are - Austria
(1987), Belarus (2006), Canada (1988), Colombia (1989), Cuba (1984),
Czech Republic (1962/1993), Denmark (1965), Estonia (2001), Greece
(1987), Guatemala (1991), Hungary (1984), North Korea (1987), Papua
New Guinea (1981), Romania (1971), Slovakia (1962/1993), Switzerland
(1990), Turkey (1996), and Venezuela (1999); note - Czechoslovakia
acceded to the Treaty in 1962 and separated into the Czech Republic
and Slovakia in 1993; Article 1 - area to be used for peaceful
purposes only; military activity, such as weapons testing, is
prohibited, but military personnel and equipment may be used for
scientific research or any other peaceful purpose; Article 2 -
freedom of scientific investigation and cooperation shall continue;
Article 3 - free exchange of information and personnel, cooperation
with the UN and other international agencies; Article 4 - does not
recognize, dispute, or establish territorial claims and no new
claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force; Article 5 -
prohibits nuclear explosions or disposal of radioactive wastes;
Article 6 - includes under the treaty all land and ice shelves south
of 60 degrees 00 minutes south and reserves high seas rights;
Article 7 - treaty-state observers have free access, including
aerial observation, to any area and may inspect all stations,
installations, and equipment; advance notice of all expeditions and
of the introduction of military personnel must be given; Article 8 -
allows for jurisdiction over observers and scientists by their own
states; Article 9 - frequent consultative meetings take place among
member nations; Article 10 - treaty states will discourage
activities by any country in Antarctica that are contrary to the
treaty; Article 11 - disputes to be settled peacefully by the
parties concerned or, ultimately, by the ICJ; Articles 12, 13, 14 -
deal with upholding, interpreting, and amending the treaty among
involved nations; other agreements - some 200 recommendations
adopted at treaty consultative meetings and ratified by governments
include - Agreed Measures for Fauna and Flora (1964) which were
later incorporated into the Environmental Protocol; Convention for
the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (1972); Convention on the
Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (1980); a mineral
resources agreement was signed in 1988 but remains unratified; the
Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was
signed 4 October 1991 and entered into force 14 January 1998; this
agreement provides for the protection of the Antarctic environment
through six specific annexes: 1) environmental impact assessment, 2)
conservation of Antarctic fauna and flora, 3) waste disposal and
waste management, 4) prevention of marine pollution, 5) area
protection and management and 6) liability arising from
environmental emergencies; it prohibits all activities relating to
mineral resources except scientific research; a permanent Antarctic
Treaty Secretariat was established in 2004 in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Antigua and Barbuda
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary
system of government
Argentina
republic
Armenia
republic
Aruba
parliamentary democracy
Australia
federal parliamentary democracy
Austria
federal republic
Azerbaijan
republic
Bahamas, The
constitutional parliamentary democracy
Bahrain
constitutional monarchy
Bangladesh
parliamentary democracy
Barbados
parliamentary democracy
Belarus
republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship
Belgium
federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional
monarchy
Belize
parliamentary democracy
Benin
republic
Bermuda
parliamentary; self-governing territory
Bhutan
in transition to constitutional monarchy; special treaty
relationship with India
Bolivia
republic
Bosnia and Herzegovina
emerging federal democratic republic
Botswana
parliamentary republic
Brazil
federal republic
British Virgin Islands
NA
Brunei
constitutional sultanate
Bulgaria
parliamentary democracy
Burkina Faso
parliamentary republic
Burma
military junta
Burundi
republic
Cambodia
multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy
Cameroon
republic; multiparty presidential regime
Canada
constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary
democracy and a federation
Cape Verde
republic
Cayman Islands
British crown colony
Central African Republic
republic
Chad
republic
Chile
republic
China
Communist state
Christmas Island
NA
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
NA
Colombia
republic; executive branch dominates government structure
Comoros
republic
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
republic
Congo, Republic of the
republic
Cook Islands
self-governing parliamentary democracy
Costa Rica
democratic republic
Cote d'Ivoire
republic; multiparty presidential regime established
1960
note: the government is currently operating under a power-sharing
agreement mandated by international mediators
Croatia
presidential/parliamentary democracy
Cuba
Communist state
Cyprus
republic
note: a separation of the two ethnic communities inhabiting the
island began following the outbreak of communal strife in 1963; this
separation was further solidified after the Turkish intervention in
July 1974 that followed a Greek junta-supported coup attempt gave
the Turkish Cypriots de facto control in the north; Greek Cypriots
control the only internationally recognized government; on 15
November 1983 Turkish Cypriot "President" Rauf DENKTASH declared
independence and the formation of a "Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus" (TRNC), which is recognized only by Turkey
Czech Republic
parliamentary democracy
Denmark
constitutional monarchy
Djibouti
republic
Dominica
parliamentary democracy
Dominican Republic
democratic republic
Ecuador
republic
Egypt
republic
El Salvador
republic
Equatorial Guinea
republic
Eritrea
transitional government
note: following a successful referendum on independence for the
Autonomous Region of Eritrea on 23-25 April 1993, a National
Assembly, composed entirely of the People's Front for Democracy and
Justice or PFDJ, was established as a transitional legislature; a
Constitutional Commission was also established to draft a
constitution; ISAIAS Afworki was elected president by the
transitional legislature; the constitution, ratified in May 1997,
did not enter into effect, pending parliamentary and presidential
elections; parliamentary elections were scheduled in December 2001,
but were postponed indefinitely; currently the sole legal party is
the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ)
Estonia
parliamentary republic
Ethiopia
federal republic
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
NA
Faroe Islands
NA
Fiji
republic
Finland
republic
France
republic
French Polynesia
NA
Gabon
republic; multiparty presidential regime
Gambia, The
republic
Georgia
republic
Germany
federal republic
Ghana
constitutional democracy
Gibraltar
NA
Greece
parliamentary republic
Greenland
parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy
Grenada
parliamentary democracy
Guam
NA
Guatemala
constitutional democratic republic
Guernsey
parliamentary democracy
Guinea
republic
Guinea-Bissau
republic
Guyana
republic
Haiti
republic
Holy See (Vatican City)
ecclesiastical
Honduras
democratic constitutional republic
Hong Kong
limited democracy
Hungary
parliamentary democracy
Iceland
constitutional republic
India
federal republic
Indonesia
republic
Iran
theocratic republic
Iraq
parliamentary democracy
Ireland
republic, parliamentary democracy
Isle of Man
parliamentary democracy
Israel
parliamentary democracy
Italy
republic
Jamaica
constitutional parliamentary democracy
Japan
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government
Jersey
parliamentary democracy
Jordan
constitutional monarchy
Kazakhstan
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little
power outside the executive branch
Kenya
republic
Kiribati
republic
Korea, North
Communist state one-man dictatorship
Korea, South
republic
Kosovo
republic
Kuwait
constitutional emirate
Kyrgyzstan
republic
Laos
Communist state
Latvia
parliamentary democracy
Lebanon
republic
Lesotho
parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Liberia
republic
Libya
Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the
populace through local councils; in practice, an authoritarian state
Liechtenstein
constitutional monarchy
Lithuania
parliamentary democracy
Luxembourg
constitutional monarchy
Macau
limited democracy
Macedonia
parliamentary democracy
Madagascar
republic
Malawi
multiparty democracy
Malaysia
constitutional monarchy
note: nominally headed by paramount ruler and a bicameral Parliament
consisting of a nonelected upper house and an elected lower house;
all Peninsular Malaysian states have hereditary rulers except Melaka
and Pulau Pinang (Penang); those two states along with Sabah and
Sarawak in East Malaysia have governors appointed by government;
powers of state governments are limited by federal constitution;
under terms of federation, Sabah and Sarawak retain certain
constitutional prerogatives (e.g., right to maintain their own
immigration controls); Sabah holds 25 seats in House of
Representatives; Sarawak has 31 seats
Maldives
republic
Mali
republic
Malta
republic
Marshall Islands
constitutional government in free association with
the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 21
October 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into force in May 2004
Mauritania
Democratic Republic
Mauritius
parliamentary democracy
Mayotte
NA
Mexico
federal republic
Micronesia, Federated States of
constitutional government in free
association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered
into force 3 November 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into
force May 2004
Moldova
republic
Monaco
constitutional monarchy
Mongolia
mixed parliamentary/presidential
Montenegro
republic
Montserrat
NA
Morocco
constitutional monarchy
Mozambique
republic
Namibia
republic
Nauru
republic
Nepal
democratic republic
Netherlands
constitutional monarchy
Netherlands Antilles
parliamentary
New Caledonia
NA
New Zealand
parliamentary democracy
Nicaragua
republic
Niger
republic
Nigeria
federal republic
Niue
self-governing parliamentary democracy
Norfolk Island
NA
Northern Mariana Islands
commonwealth; self-governing with locally
elected governor, lieutenant governor, and legislature
Norway
constitutional monarchy
Oman
monarchy
Pakistan
federal republic
Palau
constitutional government in free association with the US; the
Compact of Free Association entered into force 1 October 1994
Panama
constitutional democracy
Papua New Guinea
constitutional parliamentary democracy
Paraguay
constitutional republic
Peru
constitutional republic
Philippines
republic
Pitcairn Islands
NA
Poland
republic
Portugal
republic; parliamentary democracy
Puerto Rico
commonwealth
Qatar
emirate
Romania
republic
Russia
federation
Rwanda
republic; presidential, multiparty system
Saint Helena
NA
Saint Kitts and Nevis
parliamentary democracy
Saint Lucia
parliamentary democracy
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
NA
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
parliamentary democracy
Samoa
parliamentary democracy
San Marino
republic
Sao Tome and Principe
republic
Saudi Arabia
monarchy
Senegal
republic
Serbia
republic
Seychelles
republic
Sierra Leone
constitutional democracy
Singapore
parliamentary republic
Slovakia
parliamentary democracy
Slovenia
parliamentary republic
Solomon Islands
parliamentary democracy
Somalia
no permanent national government; transitional,
parliamentary federal government
South Africa
republic
Spain
parliamentary monarchy
Sri Lanka
republic
Sudan
Government of National Unity (GNU) - the National Congress
Party (NCP) and Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) formed a
power-sharing government under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace
Agreement (CPA); the NCP, which came to power by military coup in
1989, is the majority partner; the agreement stipulates national
elections in 2009
Suriname
constitutional democracy
Svalbard
NA
Swaziland
monarchy
Sweden
constitutional monarchy
Switzerland
formally a confederation but similar in structure to a
federal republic
Syria
republic under an authoritarian military-dominated regime
Taiwan
multiparty democracy
Tajikistan
republic
Tanzania
republic
Thailand
constitutional monarchy
Timor-Leste
republic
Togo
republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule
Tokelau
NA
Tonga
constitutional monarchy
Trinidad and Tobago
parliamentary democracy
Tunisia
republic
Turkey
republican parliamentary democracy
Turkmenistan
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little
power outside the executive branch
Turks and Caicos Islands
NA
Tuvalu
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy
Uganda
republic
Ukraine
republic
United Arab Emirates
federation with specified powers delegated to
the UAE federal government and other powers reserved to member
emirates
United Kingdom
constitutional monarchy
United States
Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic
tradition
Uruguay
constitutional republic
Uzbekistan
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little
power outside the executive branch
Vanuatu
parliamentary republic
Venezuela
federal republic
Vietnam
Communist state
Virgin Islands
NA
Wallis and Futuna
NA
Western Sahara
legal status of territory and issue of sovereignty
unresolved; territory contested by Morocco and Polisario Front
(Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de
Oro), which in February 1976 formally proclaimed a
government-in-exile of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR),
led by President Mohamed ABDELAZIZ; territory partitioned between
Morocco and Mauritania in April 1976, with Morocco acquiring
northern two-thirds; Mauritania, under pressure from Polisario
guerrillas, abandoned all claims to its portion in August 1979;
Morocco moved to occupy that sector shortly thereafter and has since
asserted administrative control; the Polisario's government-in-exile
was seated as an Organization of African Unity (OAU) member in 1984;
guerrilla activities continued sporadically until a UN-monitored
cease-fire was implemented on 6 September 1991 (Security Council
Resolution 690) by the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in
Western Sahara or MINURSO
Yemen
republic
Zambia
republic
Zimbabwe
parliamentary democracy
This page was last updated on 18 December 2008
======================================================================
@2129 Unemployment rate (%)
Afghanistan
40% (2005 est.)
Albania
13.2% official rate, but may exceed 30% due to preponderance
of near-subsistence farming (2007 est.)
Algeria
11.8% (2007 est.)
American Samoa
29.8% (2005)
Andorra
0% (1996 est.)
Angola
extensive unemployment and underemployment affecting more
than half the population (2001 est.)
Anguilla
8% (2002)
Antigua and Barbuda
11% (2001 est.)
Argentina
8.5% (2007 est.)
Armenia
7.1% (2007 est.)
Aruba
6.9% (2005 est.)
Australia
4.4% (2007 est.)
Austria
4.4% (2007 est.)
Azerbaijan
1% official rate (2007 est.)
Bahamas, The
7.6% (2006 est.)
Bahrain
15% (2005 est.)
Bangladesh
2.5% (includes underemployment) (2007 est.)
Barbados
10.7% (2003 est.)
Belarus
1.6% officially registered unemployed; large number of
underemployed workers (2005)
Belgium
7.5% (2007 est.)
Belize
9.4% (2006)
Benin
NA%
Bermuda
2.1% (2004 est.)
Bhutan
2.5% (2004)
Bolivia
7.5% in urban areas; widespread underemployment (2007 est.)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
45.5% official rate; grey economy may reduce
actual unemployment to 25-30% (31 December 2004 est.)
Botswana
7.5% (2007 est.)
Brazil
9.3% (2007 est.)
British Virgin Islands
3.6% (1997)
Brunei
4% (2006)
Bulgaria
7.7% (2007 est.)
Burkina Faso
77% (2004)
Burma
5.2% (2007 est.)
Burundi
NA%
Cambodia
2.5% (2000 est.)
Cameroon
30% (2001 est.)
Canada
6% (2007 est.)
Cape Verde
21% (2000 est.)
Cayman Islands
4.4% (2004)
Central African Republic
8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.)
Chad
NA%
Chile
7% (2007 est.)
China
4% unemployment in urban areas; substantial unemployment and
underemployment in rural areas (2007 est.)
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
60% (2000 est.)
Colombia
11.2% (2007 est.)
Comoros
20% (1996 est.)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
NA%
Congo, Republic of the
NA%
Cook Islands
13.1% (2005)
Costa Rica
4.6% (2007 est.)
Cote d'Ivoire
unemployment may have climbed to 40-50% as a result of
the civil war
Croatia
11.8% (2007 est.)
Cuba
1.8% (2007 est.)
Cyprus
3.9% (2007 est.)
Czech Republic
6.6% (2007 est.)
Denmark
2.8% (2007 est.)
Djibouti
59% in urban areas, 83% in rural areas (2007 est.)
Dominica
23% (2000 est.)
Dominican Republic
15.6% (2007 est.)
Ecuador
8.8% (2007 est.)
Egypt
9.1% (2007 est.)
El Salvador
6.2% official rate; but the economy has much
underemployment (2007 est.)
Equatorial Guinea
30% (1998 est.)
Eritrea
NA%
Estonia
4.7% (2007 est.)
Ethiopia
NA%
European Union
8.5% (2006 est.)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
full employment; labor shortage
(2001)
Faroe Islands
2.1% (2006)
Fiji
7.6% (1999)
Finland
6.9% (2007 est.)
France
7.9% (2007 est.)
French Polynesia
11.7% (2005)
Gabon
21% (2006 est.)
Gambia, The
NA%
Gaza Strip
34.8% (2006)
Georgia
13.6% (2006 est.)
Germany
9%
note: this is the International Labor Organization's estimated rate
for international comparisons; Germany's Federal Employment Office
estimated a seasonally adjusted rate of 10.8% (2007 est.)
Ghana
11% (2000 est.)
Gibraltar
3% (2005 est.)
Greece
8.3% (2007 est.)
Greenland
9.3% (2005 est.)
Grenada
12.5% (2000)
Guam
11.4% (2002 est.)
Guatemala
3.2% (2005 est.)
Guernsey
0.9% (March 2006 est.)
Guinea
NA%
Guinea-Bissau
NA%
Guyana
9.1% (understated) (2000)
Haiti
widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than
two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs (2002 est.)
Honduras
27.8% (2007 est.)
Hong Kong
4% (2007 est.)
Hungary
7.3% (2007 est.)
Iceland
1% (2007 est.)
India
7.2% (2007 est.)
Indonesia
9.1% (2007 est.)
Iran
12% according to the Iranian government (2007 est.)
Iraq
18% to 30% (2006 est.)
Ireland
4.6% (2007 est.)
Isle of Man
1.5% (December 2006 est.)
Israel
7.3% (2007 est.)
Italy
6.2% (2007 est.)
Jamaica
9.9% (2007 est.)
Japan
3.8% (2007 est.)
Jersey
2.2% (2006 est.)
Jordan
13.5% official rate; unofficial rate is approximately 30%
(2007 est.)
Kazakhstan
7.3% (2007 est.)
Kenya
40% (2001 est.)
Kiribati
2% official rate; underemployment 70% (1992 est.)
Korea, North
NA%
Korea, South
3.3% (2007 est.)
Kosovo
43% (2007 est.)
Kuwait
2.2% (2004 est.)
Kyrgyzstan
18% (2004 est.)
Laos
2.4% (2005 est.)
Latvia
5.7% (2007 est.)
Lebanon
20% (2006 est.)
Lesotho
45% (2002)
Liberia
85% (2003 est.)
Libya
30% (2004 est.)
Liechtenstein
1.3% (September 2002)
Lithuania
3.5%
note: based on survey data, official registered unemployment of 5.7%
(2007 est.)
Luxembourg
4.4% (2007 est.)
Macau
3.1% (2006)
Macedonia
34.9% (2007 est.)
Malawi
NA%
Malaysia
3.2% (2007 est.)
Maldives
NEGL% (2003 est.)
Mali
30% (2004 est.)
Malta
6.4% (2007 est.)
Marshall Islands
30.9% (2000 est.)
Mauritania
20% (2004 est.)
Mauritius
8.8% (2007 est.)
Mayotte
25.4% (2005)
Mexico
3.7% plus underemployment of perhaps 25% (2007 est.)
Micronesia, Federated States of
22% (2000 est.)
Moldova
2.1%; note - roughly 25% of working age Moldovans are
employed abroad (2007 est.)
Monaco
0% (2005)
Mongolia
3% (2007)
Montenegro
14.7% (2007 est.)
Montserrat
6% (1998 est.)
Morocco
9.8% (2007 est.)
Mozambique
21% (1997 est.)
Namibia
5.2% (2007 est.)
Nauru
90% (2004 est.)
Nepal
42% (2004 est.)
Netherlands
4.6% (2007 est.)
Netherlands Antilles
17% (2002 est.)
New Caledonia
17.1% (2004)
New Zealand
3.6% (2007 est.)
Nicaragua
4.9% plus underemployment of 46.5% (2007 est.)
Niger
NA%
Nigeria
4.9% (2007 est.)
Niue
12% (2001)
Northern Mariana Islands
3.9% (2001)
Norway
2.5% (2007 est.)
Oman
15% (2004 est.)
Pakistan
5.6% plus substantial underemployment (2007 est.)
Palau
4.2% (2005 est.)
Panama
6.4% (2007 est.)
Papua New Guinea
1.9% up to 80% in urban areas (2004)
Paraguay
5.6% (2007 est.)
Peru
6.9% in metropolitan Lima; widespread underemployment (2007
est.)
Philippines
7.3% (2007 est.)
Poland
12.8% (2007 est.)
Portugal
8% (2007 est.)
Puerto Rico
12% (2002)
Qatar
0.7% (2007 est.)
Romania
4.1% (2007 est.)
Russia
6.2% (2007 est.)
Rwanda
NA%
Saint Helena
14% (1998 est.)
Saint Kitts and Nevis
4.5% (1997)
Saint Lucia
20% (2003 est.)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
10.3% (1999)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
15% (2001 est.)
Samoa
NA%
San Marino
3.8% (2004)
Sao Tome and Principe
NA%
Saudi Arabia
13% among Saudi males only (local bank estimate; some
estimates range as high as 25%) (2004 est.)
Senegal
48% (2007 est.)
Serbia
18.8% (2007 est.)
Seychelles
2% (2006 est.)
Sierra Leone
NA%
Singapore
2.1% (2007 est.)
Slovakia
8.4% (2007 est.)
Slovenia
7.7% (2007 est.)
Solomon Islands
NA%
Somalia
NA%
South Africa
24.3% (2007 est.)
Spain
8.3% (2007 est.)
Sri Lanka
6% (2007 est.)
Sudan
18.7% (2002 est.)
Suriname
9.5% (2004)
Swaziland
40% (2006 est.)
Sweden
6.1% (2007 est.)
Switzerland
2.8% (2007 est.)
Syria
9% (2007 est.)
Taiwan
3.9% (2007 est.)
Tajikistan
2.4% official rate; actual unemployment is higher (2007
est.)
Tanzania
NA%
Thailand
1.4% (2007 est.)
Timor-Leste
50% estimated; note - unemployment in urban areas
reached 20%; data do not include underemployed (2001 est.)
Togo
NA%
Tokelau
NA%
Tonga
13% (FY03/04 est.)
Trinidad and Tobago
4.5% (2007 est.)
Tunisia
14.1% (2007 est.)
Turkey
9.9% plus underemployment of 4% (2007 est.)
Turkmenistan
60% (2004 est.)
Turks and Caicos Islands
10% (1997 est.)
Tuvalu
NA%
Uganda
NA%
Ukraine
2.3% officially registered; large number of unregistered or
underemployed workers; the International Labor Organization
calculates that Ukraine's real unemployment level is nearly 7% (2007
est.)
United Arab Emirates
2.4% (2001)
United Kingdom
5.3% (2007 est.)
United States
4.6% (2007 est.)
Uruguay
9.2% (2007 est.)
Uzbekistan
0.8% officially by the Ministry of Labor, plus another
20% underemployed (2007 est.)
Vanuatu
1.7% (1999)
Venezuela
8.5% (2007 est.)
Vietnam
4.3% (2007 est.)
Virgin Islands
6.2% (2004)
Wallis and Futuna
15.2% (2003)
West Bank
18.6% (2006)
Western Sahara
NA%
World
30% combined unemployment and underemployment in many
non-industrialized countries; developed countries typically 4%-12%
unemployment (2007 est.)
Yemen
35% (2003 est.)
Zambia
50% (2000 est.)
Zimbabwe
80% (2005 est.)
This page was last updated on 18 December 2008
======================================================================
@2137 Military - note
Akrotiri
Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British
Forces on Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit
American Samoa
defense is the responsibility of the US
Andorra
defense is the responsibility of France and Spain
Anguilla
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Antarctica
the Antarctic Treaty prohibits any measures of a military
nature, such as the establishment of military bases and
fortifications, the carrying out of military maneuvers, or the
testing of any type of weapon; it permits the use of military
personnel or equipment for scientific research or for any other
peaceful purposes
Argentina
the Argentine military is a well-organized force
constrained by the country's prolonged economic hardship; the
country has recently experienced a strong recovery, and the military
is implementing a modernization plan aimed at making the ground
forces lighter and more responsive (2008)
Aruba
defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Ashmore and Cartier Islands
defense is the responsibility of
Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal
Australian Air Force
Barbados
the Royal Barbados Defense Force includes a land-based
Troop Command and a small Coast Guard; the primary role of the land
element is to defend the island against external aggression; the
Command consists of a single, part-time battalion with a small
regular cadre that is deployed throughout the island; it
increasingly supports the police in patrolling the coastline to
prevent smuggling and other illicit activities (2007)
Bermuda
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Bouvet Island
defense is the responsibility of Norway
British Indian Ocean Territory
defense is the responsibility of the
UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016
British Virgin Islands
defense is the responsibility of the UK