collaborating closely with its neighbors, Canada and Mexico, to
monitor and control legal and illegal personnel, transport, and
commodities across the international borders; abundant rainfall in
recent years along much of the Mexico-US border region has
ameliorated periodically strained water-sharing arrangements; 1990
Maritime Boundary Agreement in the Bering Sea still awaits Russian
Duma ratification; managed maritime boundary disputes with Canada at
Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and around the
disputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock; The Bahamas and US have
not been able to agree on a maritime boundary; US Naval Base at
Guantanamo Bay is leased from Cuba and only mutual agreement or US
abandonment of the area can terminate the lease; Haiti claims
US-administered Navassa Island; US has made no territorial claim in
Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not
recognize the claims of any other states; Marshall Islands claims
Wake Island; Tokelau included American Samoa's Swains Island among
the islands listed in its 2006 draft constitution
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): the US admitted 62,643 refugees during
FY04/05 including; 10,586 (Somalia); 8,549 (Laos); 6,666 (Russia);
6,479 (Cuba); 3,100 (Haiti); 2,136 (Iran) (2006)
Illicit drugs:
world's largest consumer of cocaine (shipped from Colombia through
Mexico and the Caribbean), Colombian heroin, and Mexican heroin and
marijuana; major consumer of ecstasy and Mexican methamphetamine;
minor consumer of high-quality Southeast Asian heroin; illicit
producer of cannabis, marijuana, depressants, stimulants,
hallucinogens, and methamphetamine; money-laundering center
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges (Australia-Oceania)
Introduction ::United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Background:
All of the following US Pacific island territories except Midway
Atoll constitute the Pacific Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge
(NWR) Complex and as such are managed by the Fish and Wildlife
Service of the US Department of the Interior. Midway Atoll NWR has
been included in a Refuge Complex with the Hawaiian Islands NWR and
also designated as part of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National
Monument. These remote refuges are the most widespread collection of
marine- and terrestrial-life protected areas on the planet under a
single country's jurisdiction. They sustain many endemic species
including corals, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, seabirds, water
birds, land birds, insects, and vegetation not found elsewhere.
Baker Island: The US took possession of the island in 1857. Its
guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the
second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at
colonization began on this island but was disrupted by World War II
and thereafter abandoned. The island was established as a NWR in
1974.
Howland Island: Discovered by the US early in the 19th century, the
uninhabited atoll was officially claimed by the US in 1857. Both US
and British companies mined for guano deposits until about 1890. In
1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island,
similar to the effort on nearby Baker Island, but was disrupted by
World War II and thereafter abandoned. The famed American aviatrix
Amelia EARHART disappeared while seeking out Howland Island as a
refueling stop during her 1937 round-the-world flight; Earhart
Light, a day beacon near the middle of the west coast, was named in
her memory. The island was established as a NWR in 1974.
Jarvis Island: First discovered by the British in 1821, the
uninhabited island was annexed by the US in 1858 but abandoned in
1879 after tons of guano had been removed. The UK annexed the island
in 1889 but never carried out plans for further exploitation. The US
occupied and reclaimed the island in 1935. It was abandoned in 1942
during World War II. The island was established as a NWR in 1974.
Johnston Atoll: Both the US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed
Johnston Atoll in 1858, but it was the US that mined the guano
deposits until the late 1880s. Johnston and Sand Islands were
designated wildlife refuges in 1926. The US Navy took over the atoll
in 1934. Subsequently, the US Air Force assumed control in 1948. The
site was used for high-altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and
1960s. Until late in 2000 the atoll was maintained as a storage and
disposal site for chemical weapons. Munitions destruction, cleanup,
and closure of the facility were completed by May 2005. The Fish and
Wildlife Service and the US Air Force are currently discussing
future management options; in the interim, Johnston Atoll and the
three-mile Naval Defensive Sea around it remain under the
jurisdiction and administrative control of the US Air Force.
Kingman Reef: The US annexed the reef in 1922. Its sheltered lagoon
served as a way station for flying boats on Hawaii-to-American Samoa
flights during the late 1930s. There are no terrestrial plants on
the reef, which is frequently awash, but it does support abundant
and diverse marine fauna and flora. In 2001, the waters surrounding
the reef out to 12 nm were designated a US NWR.
Midway Islands: The US took formal possession of the islands in
1867. The laying of the trans-Pacific cable, which passed through
the islands, brought the first residents in 1903. Between 1935 and
1947, Midway was used as a refueling stop for trans-Pacific flights.
The US naval victory over a Japanese fleet off Midway in 1942 was
one of the turning points of World War II. The islands continued to
serve as a naval station until closed in 1993. Today the islands are
a NWR and are the site of the world's largest Laysan albatross
colony.
Palmyra Atoll: The Kingdom of Hawaii claimed the atoll in 1862, and
the US included it among the Hawaiian Islands when it annexed the
archipelago in 1898. The Hawaii Statehood Act of 1959 did not
include Palmyra Atoll, which is now partly privately owned by the
Nature Conservancy with the rest owned by the Federal government and
managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. These organizations are
managing the atoll as a wildlife refuge. The lagoons and surrounding
waters within the 12 nm US territorial seas were transferred to the
US Fish and Wildlife Service and designated as a NWR in January 2001.
Geography ::United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Location:
Oceania
Baker Island: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,830 nm (3,389 km)
southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and Australia
Howland Island: island in the North Pacific Ocean 1,815 nm (3,361
km) southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and
Australia
Jarvis Island: island in the South Pacific Ocean 1,305 nm (2,417 km)
south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and Cook Islands
Johnston Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 717 nm (1,328 km)
southwest of Honolulu, about one-third of the way from Hawaii to the
Marshall Islands
Kingman Reef: reef in the North Pacific Ocean 930 nm (1,722 km)
south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa
Midway Islands: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,260 nm (2,334 km)
northwest of Honolulu near the end of the Hawaiian Archipelago,
about one-third of the way from Honolulu to Tokyo
Palmyra Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 960 nm (1,778 km)
south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa
Geographic coordinates:
Baker Island: 0 13 N, 176 28 W
Howland Island: 0 48 N, 176 38 W
Jarvis Island: 0 23 S, 160 01 W
Johnston Atoll: 16 45 N, 169 31 W
Kingman Reef: 6 23 N, 162 25 W
Midway Islands: 28 12 N, 177 22 W
Palmyra Atoll: 5 53 N, 162 05 W
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total - 6,959.41 sq km; emergent land - 22.41 sq km; submerged -
6,937 sq km
country comparison to the world: 237
Baker Island: total - 129.1 sq km; emergent land - 2.1 sq km;
submerged - 127 sq km
Howland Island: total - 138.6 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km;
submerged - 136 sq km
Jarvis Island: total - 152 sq km; emergent land - 5 sq km; submerged
- 147 sq km
Johnston Atoll: total - 276.6 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km;
submerged - 274 sq km
Kingman Reef: total - 1,958.01 sq km; emergent land - 0.01 sq km;
submerged - 1,958 sq km
Midway Islands: total - 2,355.2 sq km; emergent land - 6.2 sq km;
submerged - 2,349 sq km
Palmyra Atoll: total - 1,949.9 sq km; emergent land - 3.9 sq km;
submerged - 1,946 sq km
Area - comparative:
Baker Island: about two and a half times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Howland Island: about three times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Jarvis Island: about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington,
DC
Johnston Atoll: about four and a half times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Kingman Reef: a little more than one and a half times the size of
The Mall in Washington, DC
Midway Islands: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington,
DC
Palmyra Atoll: about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
Baker Island: 4.8 km
Howland Island: 6.4 km
Jarvis Island: 8 km
Johnston Atoll: 34 km
Kingman Reef: 3 km
Midway Islands: 15 km
Palmyra Atoll: 14.5 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: equatorial; scant rainfall,
constant wind, burning sun
Johnston Atoll and Kingman Reef: tropical, but generally dry;
consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature
variation
Midway Islands: subtropical with cool, moist winters (December to
February) and warm, dry summers (May to October); moderated by
prevailing easterly winds; most of the 1,067 mm (42 in) of annual
rainfall occurs during the winter
Palmyra Atoll: equatorial, hot; located within the low pressure area
of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) where the northeast and
southeast trade winds meet, it is extremely wet with between
4,000-5,000 mm (160-200 in) of rainfall each year
Terrain:
low and nearly level sandy coral islands with narrow fringing reefs
that have developed at the top of submerged volcanic mountains,
which in most cases rise steeply from the ocean floor
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Baker Island, unnamed location - 8 m; Howland Island,
unnamed location - 3 m; Jarvis Island, unnamed location - 7 m;
Johnston Atoll, Sand Island - 10 m; Kingman Reef, unnamed location -
less than 2 m; Midway Islands, unnamed location - 13 m; Palmyra
Atoll, unnamed location - 3 m
Natural resources:
terrestrial and aquatic wildlife
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2008)
Natural hazards:
Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: the narrow fringing reef
surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
Kingman Reef: wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of
less than 2 m makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard
Midway Islands, Johnston, and Palmyra Atolls: NA
Environment - current issues:
Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands, and Johnston Atoll: no natural
fresh water resources
Kingman Reef: none
Midway Islands and Palmyra Atoll: NA
Geography - note:
Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: scattered vegetation consisting
of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a
nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds,
and marine wildlife; closed to the public
Johnston Atoll: Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands,
which have been expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and
East Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging;
the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference; closed to the public
Kingman Reef: barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed
to the public
Midway Islands: a coral atoll managed as a NWR and open to the
public for wildlife-related recreation in the form of wildlife
observation and photography
Palmyra Atoll: the high rainfall and resulting lush vegetation make
the environment of this atoll unique among the US Pacific Island
territories; supports a large undisturbed stand of Pisonia beach
forest
People ::United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: public entry is by special-use permit from US Fish and
Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and
educators; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service
Johnston Atoll: in previous years, an average of 1,100 US military
and civilian contractor personnel were present; as of May 2005, all
US government personnel had left the island
Midway Islands: approximately 40 people make up the staff of US Fish
and Wildlife Service and their services contractor living at the
atoll
Palmyra Atoll: four to 20 Nature Conservancy, US Fish and Wildlife
staff, and researchers
Government ::United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Baker Island; Howland Island; Jarvis
Island; Johnston Atoll; Kingman Reef; Midway Islands; Palmyra Atoll
Dependency status:
unincorporated territories of the US; administered from Washington,
DC by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the
Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system
note on Palmyra Atoll: incorporated Territory of the US; partly
privately owned and partly federally owned; administered from
Washington, DC by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department
of the Interior; the Office of Insular Affairs of the US Department
of the Interior continues to administer nine excluded areas
comprising certain tidal and submerged lands within the 12 nm
territorial sea or within the lagoon
Legal system:
the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territories of the US)
Flag description:
the flag of the US is used
Economy ::United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Economy - overview:
no economic activity
Transportation ::United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Airports:
Baker Island: one abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m covered
with vegetation and unusable
Howland Island: airstrip constructed in 1937 for scheduled refueling
stop on the round-the-world flight of Amelia EARHART and Fred
NOONAN; the aviators left Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island but
were never seen again; the airstrip is no longer serviceable
Johnston Atoll: one closed and not maintained
Kingman Reef: lagoon was used as a halfway station between Hawaii
and American Samoa by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937
and 1938
Midway Islands: 3 - one operational (2,409 m paved); no fuel for
sale except emergencies
Palmyra Atoll: 1 - 1,846 m unpaved runway; privately owned (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands, and Kingman Reef: none; offshore
anchorage only
Johnston Atoll: Johnston Island
Midway Islands: Sand Island
Palmyra Atoll: West Lagoon
Military ::United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US
Transnational Issues ::United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Disputes - international:
none
page last updated on August 26, 2009
======================================================================
@Uruguay (South America)
Introduction ::Uruguay
Background:
Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold,
soon took advantage of its natural harbor to become an important
commercial center. Claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in
1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later and secured
its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations
of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century established
widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established
a statist tradition. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement
named the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's
president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973.
By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued
to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was not
restored until 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio
Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of
political control previously held by the Colorado and Blanco
parties. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the
freest on the continent.
Geography ::Uruguay
Location:
Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between
Argentina and Brazil
Geographic coordinates:
33 00 S, 56 00 W
Map references:
South America
Area:
total: 176,215 sq km
country comparison to the world: 90
land: 175,015 sq km
water: 1,200 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than the state of Washington
Land boundaries:
total: 1,648 km
border countries: Argentina 580 km, Brazil 1,068 km
Coastline:
660 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or edge of continental margin
Climate:
warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown
Terrain:
mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro Catedral 514 m
Natural resources:
arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries
Land use:
arable land: 7.77%
permanent crops: 0.24%
other: 91.99% (2005)
Irrigated land:
2,100 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
139 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 3.15 cu km/yr (2%/1%/96%)
per capita: 910 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional
violent wind that blows north from the Argentine pampas), droughts,
floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act as weather
barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes
from weather fronts
Environment - current issues:
water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate
solid/hazardous waste disposal
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
second-smallest South American country (after Suriname); most of the
low-lying landscape (three-quarters of the country) is grassland,
ideal for cattle and sheep raising
People ::Uruguay
Population:
3,494,382 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131
Age structure:
0-14 years: 22.4% (male 397,942/female 385,253)
15-64 years: 64.3% (male 1,115,963/female 1,129,478)
65 years and over: 13.3% (male 187,176/female 278,570) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 33.4 years
male: 32 years
female: 34.8 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.466% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157
Birth rate:
13.91 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152
Death rate:
9.09 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
Net migration rate:
-0.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
Urbanization:
urban population: 92% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 11.32 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 150
male: 12.73 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.35 years
country comparison to the world: 68
male: 73.1 years
female: 79.72 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.92 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.6% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
10,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87
Nationality:
noun: Uruguayan(s)
adjective: Uruguayan
Ethnic groups:
white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian (practically nonexistent)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 47.1%, non-Catholic Christians 11.1%,
nondenominational 23.2%, Jewish 0.3%, atheist or agnostic 17.2%,
other 1.1% (2006)
Languages:
Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the
Brazilian frontier)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 97.6%
female: 98.4% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male: 14 years
female: 16 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
2.9% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 148
Government ::Uruguay
Country name:
conventional long form: Oriental Republic of Uruguay
conventional short form: Uruguay
local long form: Republica Oriental del Uruguay
local short form: Uruguay
former: Banda Oriental, Cisplatine Province
Government type:
constitutional republic
Capital:
name: Montevideo
geographic coordinates: 34 53 S, 56 11 W
time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in October; ends
second Sunday in March
Administrative divisions:
19 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Artigas,
Canelones, Cerro Largo, Colonia, Durazno, Flores, Florida,
Lavalleja, Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandu, Rio Negro, Rivera,
Rocha, Salto, San Jose, Soriano, Tacuarembo, Treinta y Tres
Independence:
25 August 1825 (from Brazil)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 25 August (1825)
Constitution:
27 November 1966; effective 15 February 1967; suspended 27 June
1973; revised 26 November 1989 and 7 January 1997
Legal system:
based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Tabare VAZQUEZ Rosas (since 1 March 2005);
Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVOA (since 1 March 2005); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Tabare VAZQUEZ Rosas (since 1 March
2005); Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVOA (since 1 March 2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president with
parliamentary approval
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for five-year terms (may not serve consecutive
terms); election last held 25 October 2009, with a runoff election
scheduled for 29 November 2009 (next to be held in October 2014)
election results: Jose MUJICA wins first round; percent of vote -
Jose MUJICA 48.5%, Luis Alberto LACALLE 29.2%, Pedro BORDABERRY 17%;
other 5.3%; note - a runoff election will be held on 29 November 2009
Legislative branch:
bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General consists of Chamber
of Senators or Camara de Senadores (30 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms; vice president has one vote
in the Senate) and Chamber of Representatives or Camara de
Representantes (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 25 October 2009 (next to
be held in October 2014); Chamber of Representatives - last held 25
October 2009 (next to be held in October 2014)
election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - Frente Amplio 16, Blanco 9, Colorado Party 5;
Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - Frente Amplio 50, Blanco 30, Colorado Party 17, Independent
Party 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and elected for
10-year terms by the General Assembly)
Political parties and leaders: