conventional long form:
Italian Republic
conventional short form:
Italy
local long form:
Repubblica Italiana
local short form:
Italia
former:
Kingdom of Italy
Digraph:
IT
Type:
republic
Capital:
Rome
Administrative divisions:
20 regions (regioni, singular - regione); Abruzzi, Basilicata,
Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lazio,
Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte, Puglia, Sardegna,
Sicilia, Toscana, Trentino-Alto Adige, Umbria, Valle d'Aosta, Veneto
Independence:
17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed)
National holiday:
Anniversary of the Republic, 2 June (1946)
Constitution:
1 January 1948
Legal system:
based on civil law system, with ecclesiastical law influence; appeals
treated as trials de novo; judicial review under certain conditions in
Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age, universal (except in senatorial elections, where
minimum age is 25)
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Oscar Luigi SCALFARO (since 28 May 1992)
head of government:
Prime Minister Silvio BERLUSCONI (since 11 May 1994)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament (Parlamento)
Senate (Senato della Repubblica):
elections last held 27-28 March 1994 (next expected to be held by
spring 2001); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (326
total; 315 elected, 11 appointed senators-for-life) PDS 61, Northern
League 60, National Alliance 48, Forza Italia 36, Popular Party 31,
Communist Refounding 18, Greens and The Network 13, Socialist Party
13, Christian Democratic Center 12, Democratic Alliance 8, Christian
Socialists 5, Pact for Italy 4, Radical Party 1, others 5
Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati):
elections last held 27-28 March 1994 (next expected to be held by
spring 2001); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (630
total) Northern League 117, PDS 114, Forza Italia 113, National
Alliance 109, Communist Refounding 39, Christian Democratic Center 33,
Popular Party 33, Greens and The Network 20, Democratic Alliance 18,
Socialist Party 16, Pact for Italy 13, Christian Socialists 5
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court (Corte Costituzionale)
Political parties and leaders:
Rightists:
Forza Italia, Silvio BERLUSCONI; National Alliance (was Italian Social
Movement - MSI - until January 1994), Gianfranco FINI, party
secretary; Lega Nord (Northern League), Umberto BOSSI, president
Leftists:
Democratic Party of the Left (PDS - was Communist Party, or PCI, until
January 1991), Achille OCCHETTO, secretary; Communist Refounding,
Fausto BERTINOTTI; Greens, Carlo RIPA di MEARA; Radical Party, Marco
PANNELLA; Italian Socialist Party, Ottaviano DELTURCO; The Network,
Leoluca ORLANDO; Christian Socialists, Ermanno GORRIERI
Centrists:
Pact for Italy, Mario SEGNI; Popular Party, Rosa JERVOLINO; Christian
Democratic Center, Pier Ferdinando CASINI
Other political or pressure groups:
the Roman Catholic Church; three major trade union confederations
(CGIL - formerly Communist dominated, CISL - Christian Democratic, and
UIL - Social Democratic, Socialist, and Republican); Italian
manufacturers and merchants associations (Confindustria,
Confcommercio); organized farm groups (Confcoltivatori,
Confagricoltura)
Member of:
AfDB, AG (observer), Australia Group, AsDB, BIS, CCC, CDB
(non-regional), CE, CEI, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, ECLAC, EIB,
ESA, FAO, G-7, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA,
IFAD, IEA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), LORCS, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG,
OAS (observer), OECD, ONUSAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMOGIP, UNOSOM, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Boris BIANCHERI-CHIAPPORI
chancery:
1601 Fuller Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
(202) 328-5500
consulate(s) general:
Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia,
San Francisco
consulate(s):
Detroit, New Orleans, and Newark (New Jersey)
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Reginald BARTHOLOMEW
embassy:
Via Veneto 119/A, 00187-Rome
mailing address:
PSC 59, Box 100, Rome; APO AE 09624
telephone:
[39] (6) 46741
FAX:
[39] (6) 488-2672
consulate(s) general:
Florence, Milan, Naples
Flag:
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red;
similar to the flag of Ireland, which is longer and is green (hoist
side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of the Cote
d'Ivoire, which has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white,
and green
@Italy, Economy
Overview:
Since World War II the Italian economy has changed from one based on
agriculture into a ranking industrial economy, with approximately the
same total and per capita output as France and the UK. The country is
still divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private
companies, and an undeveloped agricultural south, dominated by large
public enterprises. Services account for 48% of GDP, industry 35%,
agriculture 4%, and public administration 13%. Most raw materials
needed by industry and over 75% of energy requirements must be
imported. After growing at an annual average rate of 3% in 1983-90,
growth slowed to about 1% in 1991 and 1992 and fell by 0.7% in 1993.
In the second half of 1992, Rome became unsettled by the prospect of
not qualifying to participate in EC plans for economic and monetary
union later in the decade; thus it finally began to address its huge
fiscal imbalances. Thanks to the determination of Prime Ministers
AMATO and CIAMPI, the government adopted a fairly stringent budget for
1993 and 1994, abandoned its highly inflationary wage indexation
system, and started to scale back its extremely generous social
welfare programs, including pension and health care benefits. Monetary
officials were forced to withdraw the lira from the European monetary
system in September 1992 when it came under extreme pressure in
currency markets. For the 1990s, Italy faces the problems of
refurbishing a tottering communications system, curbing pollution in
major industrial centers, and adjusting to the new competitive forces
accompanying the ongoing economic integration of the European Union.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $967.6 billion (1993)
National product real growth rate:
-0.7% (1993)
National product per capita:
$16,700 (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.2% (1993)
Unemployment rate:
11.3% (January 1994)
Budget:
revenues:
$302 billion
expenditures:
$391 billion, including capital expenditures of $48 billion (1993
est.)
Exports:
$178.2 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
metals, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles,
transportation equipment, chemicals, other
partners:
EC 58.3%, US 6.8%, OPEC 5.1% (1992)
Imports:
$188.5 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
industrial machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, petroleum,
metals, food, agricultural products
partners:
EC 58.8%, OPEC 6.1%, US 5.5% (1992)
External debt:
$67 billion (1993 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate -2.8% (1993 est.); accounts for almost 35% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
58,000,000 kW
production:
235 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
4,060 kWh (1992)
Industries:
machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor
vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics
Agriculture:
accounts for about 4% of GDP and about 9.8% of the work force;
self-sufficient in foods other than meat, dairy products, and cereals;
principal crops - fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets,
soybeans, grain, olives; fish catch of 525,000 metric tons in 1990
Illicit drugs:
important gateway country for Latin American cocaine and Southwest
Asian heroin entering the European market
Economic aid:
donor:
ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $25.9 billion
Currency:
1 Italian lira (Lit) = 100 centesimi
Exchange rates:
Italian lire (Lit) per US$1 - 1,700.2 (January 1994), 1,573.7 (1993),
1,232.4 (1992), 1,240.6 (1991), 1,198.1 (1990), 1,372.1 (1989)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
@Italy, Communications
Railroads:
20,011 km total; 16,066 km 1.435-meter government-owned standard gauge
(8,999 km electrified); 3,945 km privately owned - 2,100 km
1.435-meter standard gauge (1,155 km electrified) and 1,845 km
0.950-meter narrow gauge (380 km electrified)
Highways:
total:
298,000 km
paved:
270,000 km (including nearly 7,000 km of expressways)
unpaved:
gravel, crushed stone 23,000 km; earth 5,000 km
Inland waterways:
2,400 km for various types of commercial traffic, although of limited
overall value
Pipelines:
crude oil 1,703 km; petroleum products 2,148 km; natural gas 19,400 km
Ports:
Cagliari (Sardinia), Genoa, La Spezia, Livorno, Naples, Palermo
(Sicily), Taranto, Trieste, Venice
Merchant marine:
474 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,055,779 GRT/8,924,779 DWT,
bulk 50, cargo 72, chemical tanker 34, combination bulk 1, combination
ore/oil 5, container 20, liquefied gas 39, multifunction large-load
carrier 1, oil tanker 129, passenger 8, refrigerated cargo 2,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 62, short-sea passenger 34, specialized tanker
10, vehicle carrier 7
Airports:
total:
137
usable:
132
with permanent-surface runways:
92
with runways over 3,659 m:
2
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
36
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
39
Telecommunications:
modern, well-developed, fast; 25,600,000 telephones; fully automated
telephone, telex, and data services; high-capacity cable and microwave
radio relay trunks; broadcast stations - 135 AM, 28 (1,840 repeaters)
FM, 83 (1,000 repeaters) TV; international service by 21 submarine
cables, 3 satellite earth stations operating in INTELSAT with 3
Atlantic Ocean antennas and 2 Indian Ocean antennas; also participates
in INMARSAT and EUTELSAT systems
@Italy, Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Carabinieri
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 14,921,411; fit for military service 12,982,445; reach
military age (18) annually 403,017 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $16.1 billion, 1.3% of GDP (1992)
@Jamaica, Geography
Location:
Caribbean, in the northern Caribbean Sea, about 160 km south of Cuba
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean, North America, Standard Time Zones
of the World
Area:
total area:
10,990 sq km
land area:
10,830 sq km
comparative area:
slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
1,022 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior
Terrain:
mostly mountains with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Natural resources:
bauxite, gypsum, limestone
Land use:
arable land:
19%
permanent crops:
6%
meadows and pastures:
18%
forest and woodland:
28%
other:
29%
Irrigated land:
350 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
deforestation; water pollution
natural hazards:
subject to hurricanes (especially July to November)
international agreements:
party to - Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but
not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change
Note:
strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main
sea lanes for Panama Canal
@Jamaica, People
Population:
2,555,064 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.02% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
21.69 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
5.62 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
-5.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
16.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
74.36 years
male:
72.16 years
female:
76.68 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.41 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Jamaican(s)
adjective:
Jamaican
Ethnic divisions:
African 76.3%, Afro-European 15.1%, East Indian and Afro-East Indian
3%, white 3.2%, Chinese and Afro-Chinese 1.2%, other 1.2%
Religions:
Protestant 55.9% (Church of God 18.4%, Baptist 10%, Anglican 7.1%,
Seventh-Day Adventist 6.9%, Pentecostal 5.2%, Methodist 3.1%, United
Church 2.7%, other 2.5%), Roman Catholic 5%, other, including some
spiritual cults 39.1% (1982)
Languages:
English, Creole
Literacy:
age 15 and over having ever attended school (1990 est.)
total population:
98%
male:
98%
female:
99%
Labor force:
1,062,100
by occupation:
services 41%, agriculture 22.5%, industry 19%, unemployed 17.5% (1989)
@Jamaica, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Jamaica
Digraph:
JM
Type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Kingston
Administrative divisions:
14 parishes; Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston, Manchester, Portland, Saint
Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint Elizabeth, Saint James,
Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny, Westmoreland
Independence:
6 August 1962 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day (first Monday in August) (1962)
Constitution:
6 August 1962
Legal system:
based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor
General Sir Howard COOKE (since 1 August 1991)
head of government:
Prime Minister P. J. PATTERSON (since 30 March 1992); Deputy Prime
Minister Seymour MULLINGS (since NA)
cabinet:
Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime
minister
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament
Senate:
consists of a 21-member body appointed by the governor general
House of Representatives:
elections last held 30 March 1993 (next to be held by February 1998);
results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (60 total) PNP 52, JLP
8
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
People's National Party (PNP) P. J. PATTERSON; Jamaica Labor Party
(JLP), Edward SEAGA
Other political or pressure groups:
Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists); New
Beginnings Movement (NBM)
Member of:
ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-19, G-77, GATT, G-15, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Richard Leighton BERNAL
chancery:
Suite 355, 1850 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
telephone:
(202) 452-0660
FAX:
(202) 452-0081
consulate(s) general:
Miami and New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
(vacant); Charge d'Affaires Lacy A. WRIGHT, Jr.
embassy:
Jamaica Mutual Life Center, 2 Oxford Road, 3rd floor, Kingston
mailing address:
use Embassy street address
telephone:
(809) 929-4850 through 4859
FAX:
(809) 926-6743
Flag:
diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green
(top and bottom) and black (hoist side and fly side)
@Jamaica, Economy
Overview:
The economy is based on sugar, bauxite, and tourism. In September
1988, Hurricane Gilbert inflicted severe damage on crops and the
electric power system, a sharp but temporary setback to the economy.
By October 1989 the economic recovery from the hurricane was largely
complete, and real growth was up to about 3% for 1989. In 1991,
however, growth dropped to 0.2% as a result of the US recession, lower
world bauxite prices, and monetary instability. In 1992, growth was
1.2%, supported by a recovery in tourism and stabilization of the
Jamaican dollar in the second half of 1992.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $8 billion (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
1.2% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
$3,200 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
30% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
15.4% (1992)
Budget:
revenues:
$600 million
expenditures:
$736 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY91 est.)
Exports:
$1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum
partners:
US 40%, UK 14%, Germany 10%, Canada 10%, Norway 7%
Imports:
$1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
fuel, other raw materials, construction materials, food, transport
equipment, other machinery and equipment
partners:
US 53%, UK 5%, Venezuela 6%, Germany 5%, Japan 4.0%
External debt:
$4.5 billion (1992 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 2% (1990); accounts for almost 25% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
1,127,000 kW
production:
2.736 trillion kWh
consumption per capita:
1,090 kWh (1992)
Industries:
tourism, bauxite mining, textiles, food processing, light manufactures
Agriculture:
accounts for about 7% of GDP, 23% of work force, and 17% of exports;
commercial crops - sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, potatoes,
vegetables; livestock and livestock products include poultry, goats,
milk; not self-sufficient in grain, meat, and dairy products
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for cocaine from Central and South America to
North America and Europe; illicit cultivation of cannabis; government
has an active cannabis eradication program
Economic aid:
recipient:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.2 billion; other
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.6 billion
Currency:
1 Jamaican dollar (J$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Jamaican dollars (J$) per US$1 -32.758 (31 December 1993), 22.960
(1992), 12.116 (1991), 7.184 (1990), 5.7446 (1989)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
@Jamaica, Communications
Railroads:
370 km, all 1.435-meter standard gauge, single track
Highways:
total:
18,200 km
paved:
12,600 km
unpaved:
gravel 3,200 km; improved earth 2,400 km
Pipelines:
petroleum products 10 km
Ports:
Kingston, Montego Bay, Port Antonio
Merchant marine:
4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 9,618 GRT/16,215 DWT, bulk 2, oil
tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1
Airports:
total:
40
usable:
27
with permanent-surface runways:
10
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
2
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
1
Telecommunications:
fully automatic domestic telephone network; 127,000 telephones;
broadcast stations - 10 AM, 17 FM, 8 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
earth stations; 3 coaxial submarine cables
@Jamaica, Defense Forces
Branches:
Jamaica Defense Force (including Ground Forces, Coast Guard and Air
Wing), Jamaica Constabulary Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 664,122; fit for military service 469,982; reach
military age (18) annually 26,103 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $19.3 million, 1% of GDP (FY91/92)
@Jan Mayen
Header
Affiliation:
(territory of Norway)
@Jan Mayen, Geography
Location:
Nordic State, Northern Europe, in the North Atlantic Ocean, north of
the Arctic Circle about 590 km north-northeast of Iceland, between the
Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea
Map references:
Arctic Region
Area:
total area:
373 sq km
land area:
373 sq km
comparative area:
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
124.1 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
10 nm
continental shelf:
200-m depth or to depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
4 nm
International disputes:
dispute between Denmark and Norway over maritime boundary in Arctic
Ocean between Greenland and Jan Mayen has been settled by the
International Court of Justice
Climate:
arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog
Terrain:
volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers; Beerenberg is the highest
peak, with an elevation of 2,277 meters
Natural resources:
none
Land use:
arable land:
0%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
0%
forest and woodland:
0%
other:
100%
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
Environment:
current issues:
NA
natural hazards:
volcanic activity resumed in 1970
international agreements:
NA
Note:
barren volcanic island with some moss and grass
@Jan Mayen, People
Population:
no permanent inhabitants; note - there are personnel who man the LORAN
C base and the weather and coastal services radio station
@Jan Mayen, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Jan Mayen
Digraph:
JN
Type:
territory of Norway
Capital:
none; administered from Oslo, Norway, through a governor (sysselmann)
resident in Longyearbyen (Svalbard)
Independence:
none (territory of Norway)
@Jan Mayen, Economy
Overview:
Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural resources.
Economic activity is limited to providing services for employees of
Norway's radio and meteorological stations located on the island.
Electricity:
capacity:
15,000 kW
production:
40 million kWh
consumption per capita:
NA (1992)
@Jan Mayen, Communications
Highways:
total:
NA
paved:
NA
unpaved:
NA
Ports:
none; offshore anchorage only
Airports:
total:
1
usable:
1
with permanent-surface runways:
0
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
0
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
1
Telecommunications:
radio and meteorological station
@Jan Mayen, Defense Forces
Note:
defense is the responsibility of Norway
@Japan, Geography
Location:
Eastern Asia, off the southeast coast of Russia and east of the Korean
peninsula
Map references:
Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
377,835 sq km
land area:
374,744 sq km
comparative area:
slightly smaller than California
note:
includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima,
Okinotori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands
(Kazan-retto)
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
29,751 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm; 3 nm in the international straits - La Perouse or Soya,
Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and Western Channels of the Korea or
Tsushima Strait
International disputes:
islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotau, and the Habomai group
occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia,
claimed by Japan; Liancourt Rocks disputed with South Korea;
Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands) claimed by China and Taiwan
Climate:
varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
Terrain:
mostly rugged and mountainous
Natural resources:
negligible mineral resources, fish
Land use:
arable land:
13%
permanent crops:
1%
meadows and pastures:
1%
forest and woodland:
67%
other:
18%
Irrigated land:
28,680 sq km (1989)
Environment:
current issues:
air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain;
acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and
threatening aquatic life
natural hazards:
many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic
occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; subject to tsunamis
international agreements:
party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified -
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea
Note:
strategic location in northeast Asia
@Japan, People
Population:
125,106,937 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.32% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
10.49 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
7.31 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
4.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
79.31 years
male:
76.47 years
female:
82.28 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.55 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Japanese (singular and plural)
adjective:
Japanese
Ethnic divisions:
Japanese 99.4%, other 0.6% (mostly Korean)
Religions:
observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including 0.7%
Christian)
Languages:
Japanese
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1970 est.)
total population:
99%
male:
NA%
female:
NA%
Labor force:
63.33 million
by occupation:
trade and services 54%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 33%,
agriculture, forestry, and fishing 7%, government 3% (1988)
@Japan, Government