239,430 km of narrow gauge track; 710,754 km of standard gauge track;
251,153 km of broad gauge track; includes about 190,000 to 195,000 km
of electrified routes of which 147,760 km are in Europe, 24,509 km in
the Far East, 11,050 km in Africa, 4,223 km in South America, and only
4,160 km in North America; fastest speed in daily service is 300 km/hr
attained by France's SNCF TGV-Atlantique line
Highways:
total:
NA
paved:
NA
unpaved:
NA
Ports:
Mina' al Ahmadi (Kuwait), Chiba, Houston, Kawasaki, Kobe, Marseille,
New Orleans, New York, Rotterdam, Yokohama
Merchant marine:
23,943 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 397,225,000 GRT/652,025,000
DWT, bulk carrier 5,473, freighter 12,581, passenger-cargo 347, tanker
5,542 (all data as of January 1992)
@World, Defense Forces
Branches:
ground, maritime, and air forces at all levels of technology
Defense expenditures:
somewhat less than $1.0 trillion, 3% of total world output; decline of
5%-10% (1993 est.)
@Yemen, Geography
Location:
Middle East, along the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, south of Saudi
Arabia
Map references:
Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
527,970 sq km
land area:
527,970 sq km
comparative area:
slightly larger than twice the size of Wyoming
note:
includes Perim, Socotra, the former Yemen Arab Republic (YAR or North
Yemen), and the former People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY or
South Yemen)
Land boundaries:
total 1,746 km, Oman 288 km, Saudi Arabia 1,458 km
Coastline:
1,906 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
18 nm in the North; 24 nm in the South
continental shelf:
200-m depth in the North; 200 nm in the South or to the edge of the
continental margin
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
undefined section of boundary with Saudi Arabia; a treaty with Oman
defining the Yemeni-Omani boundary was ratified in December 1992
Climate:
mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in western
mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot, dry,
harsh desert in east
Terrain:
narrow coastal plain backed by flat-topped hills and rugged mountains;
dissected upland desert plains in center slope into the desert
interior of the Arabian Peninsula
Natural resources:
petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble, small deposits of coal, gold,
lead, nickel, and copper, fertile soil in west
Land use:
arable land:
6%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
30%
forest and woodland:
7%
other:
57%
Irrigated land:
3,100 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
scarcity of natural freshwater resources (shortages of potable water);
overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
natural hazards:
subject to sandstorms and dust storms in summer
international agreements:
party to - Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea; signed, but not
ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change
Note:
controls Bab el Mandeb, the strait linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of
Aden, one of world's most active shipping lanes
@Yemen, People
Population:
11,105,202 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.34% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
50.72 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
14.94 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
-2.44 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
112.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
51.47 years
male:
50.34 years
female:
52.65 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
7.2 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Yemeni(s)
adjective:
Yemeni
Ethnic divisions:
predominantly Arab; Afro-Arab concentrations in coastal locations;
South Asians in southern regions; small European communities in major
metropolitan areas; 60,000 (est.) Somali refugees encamped near Aden
Religions:
Muslim including Sha'fi (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shi'a), Jewish, Christian,
Hindu
Languages:
Arabic
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
38%
male:
53%
female:
26%
Labor force:
no reliable estimates exist, most people are employed in agriculture
and herding or as expatriate laborers; services, construction,
industry, and commerce account for less than half of the labor force
@Yemen, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Yemen
conventional short form:
Yemen
local long form:
Al Jumhuriyah al Yamaniyah
local short form:
Al Yaman
Digraph:
YM
Type:
republic
Capital:
Sanaa
Administrative divisions:
17 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Abyan, Adan, Al
Bayda, Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Al Mahrah, Al Mahwit, Dhamar, Hadramaut,
Hajjah, Ibb, Lahij, Marib, Sadah, Sana, Shabwah, Taizz
note:
there may be a new capital district of Sana
Independence:
22 May 1990 Republic of Yemen was established on 22 May 1990 with the
merger of the Yemen Arab Republic {Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen} and
the Marxist-dominated People's Democratic Republic of Yemen {Yemen
(Aden) or South Yemen}; previously North Yemen had become independent
on NA November 1918 (from the Ottoman Empire) and South Yemen had
become independent on 30 November 1967 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Proclamation of the Republic, 22 May (1990)
Constitution:
16 May 1991
Legal system:
based on Islamic law, Turkish law, English common law, and local
customary law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
President Ali Abdallah SALIH (since 22 May 1990, the former president
of North Yemen); note - Sanaa dismissed Vice President Ali Salim
al-BIDH, Prime Minister Haydar Abu Bakr al-ATTAS (the former
president of South Yemen), and 14 other southern officials following
the outbreak of civil war on 4 May 1994
five-member Presidential Council:
president, vice president, two members from General People's Congress
party, two members from Yemeni Socialist Party, and one member from
Yemeni Grouping for Reform, or Islaah party
cabinet:
Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
unicameral
House of Representatives:
elections last held 27 April 1993 (next to be held NA); results -
percent of vote NA; seats - (301 total) GPC 124, YSP 55, Islaah 61,
Ba'thist parties 7, Nasserist parties 4, Hizb al-Haqq 2, Independents
47, election nullified 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Ba'thist parties; General People's Congress (GPC), Ali Abdallah SALIH;
Hizb al Haqq, Ibrahim al-WAZIR, Sheikh Ahmad ibn Ali SHAMI (Secretary
General); Nasserist parties; Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP), Ali Salim
al-BIDH; Yemeni Grouping for Reform or Islaah, Shaykh Abdallah bin
Husayn al-AHMAR
Other political or pressure groups:
NA
Member of:
ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM,
OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Muhsin Ahmad AL-AYNI
chancery:
Suite 705, 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone:
(202) 965-4760 or 4761
FAX:
(202) 337-2017
consulate general(s):
Detroit
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Arthur H. HUGHES
embassy:
Dhahr Himyar Zone, Sheraton Hotel District, Sanaa
mailing address:
P. O. Box 22347 Sanaa or Sanaa, Department of State, Washington, DC
20521-6330
telephone:
[967] (1) 238-842 through 238-852
FAX:
[967] (1) 251-563
Flag:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; similar
to the flag of Syria which has two green stars and of Iraq which has
three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line
centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt which
has a symbolic eagle centered in the white band
@Yemen, Economy
Overview:
Whereas the northern city Sanaa is the political capital of a united
Yemen, the southern city Aden, with its refinery and port facilities,
is the economic and commercial capital. Future economic development
depends heavily on Western-assisted development of its moderate oil
resources. Former South Yemen's willingness to merge stemmed partly
from the steady decline in Soviet economic support. The low level of
domestic industry and agriculture have made northern Yemen dependent
on imports for practically all of its essential needs. Large trade
deficits have been compensated for by remittances from Yemenis working
abroad and by foreign aid. Because of the Gulf crisis, remittances
have dropped substantially. Once self-sufficient in food production,
northern Yemen has become a major importer. Land once used for export
crops - cotton, fruit, and vegetables - has been turned over to
growing a shrub called qat, whose leaves are chewed for their
stimulant effect by Yemenis and which has no significant export
market. Economic growth in former South Yemen has been constrained by
a lack of incentives, partly stemming from centralized control over
production decisions, investment allocation, and import choices.
Nominal growth in 1994-95 is apt to be under 3% annually because of
low oil prices and political deadlock that is causing a lack of
economic cooperation and leadership.
National product:
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $9 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
3.1% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
$800 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
55% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
30% (December 1992)
Budget:
revenues:
$NA
expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
$695 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
crude oil, cotton, coffee, hides, vegetables, dried and salted fish
partners:
Italy 55%, US 32%, Jordan 5% (1991)
Imports:
$1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
textiles and other manufactured consumer goods, petroleum products,
sugar, grain, flour, other foodstuffs, cement, machinery, chemicals
partners:
UAE 6%, Japan 6%, Saudi Arabia 6%, Kuwait 6%, US 6% (1991)
External debt:
$7 billion (1993)
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%, accounts for 18% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
714,000 kW
production:
1.224 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
120 kWh (1992)
Industries:
crude oil production and petroleum refining; small-scale production of
cotton textiles and leather goods; food processing; handicrafts; small
aluminum products factory; cement
Agriculture:
accounted for 26% of GDP; products - grain, fruits, vegetables, qat
(mildly narcotic shrub), coffee, cotton, dairy, poultry, meat, fish;
not self-sufficient in grain
Economic aid:
recipient:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $389 million; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2
billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $3.2 billion; Communist
countries (1970-89), $2.4 billion
Currency:
Yemeni rial (new currency); 1 North Yemeni riyal (YR) = 100 fils; 1
South Yemeni dinar (YD) = 1,000 fils
note:
following the establishment of the Republic of Yemen on 22 May 1990,
the North Yemeni riyal and the South Yemeni dinar are to be replaced
with a new Yemeni rial
Exchange rates:
Yemeni rials per US$1 - 12.0 (official); 70 (market rate, April 1994)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
@Yemen, Communications
Highways:
total:
15,500 km
paved:
4,000 km
unpaved:
natural surface 11,500 km
Pipelines:
crude oil 644 km; petroleum products 32 km
Ports:
Aden, Al Hudaydah, Al Khalf, Al Mukalla, Mocha, Nishtun, Ra's Kathib,
Salif
Merchant marine:
3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,309 GRT/6,568 DWT, cargo 2, oil
tanker 1
Airports:
total:
46
usable:
40
with permanent-surface runways:
10
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
18
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
11
Telecommunications:
since unification in 1990, efforts are still being made to create a
national domestic civil telecommunications network; the network
consists of microwave radio relay, cable and troposcatter; 65,000
telephones (est.); broadcast stations - 4 AM, 1 FM, 10 TV; satellite
earth stations - 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1
Intersputnik, 2 ARABSAT; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia, and
Djibouti
@Yemen, Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Police
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 2,142,519; fit for military service 1,219,985; reach
military age (14) annually 137,497 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $762 million, 14% of GDP (1992)
@Zaire, Geography
Location:
Central Africa, between Congo and Zambia
Map references:
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
2,345,410 sq km
land area:
2,267,600 sq km
comparative area:
slightly more than one-quarter the size of US
Land boundaries:
total 10,271 km, Angola 2,511 km, Burundi 233 km, Central African
Republic 1,577 km, Congo 2,410 km, Rwanda 217 km, Sudan 628 km, Uganda
765 km, Zambia 1,930 km
Coastline:
37 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
Tanzania-Zaire-Zambia tripoint in Lake Tanganyika may no longer be
indefinite since it is reported that the indefinite section of the
Zaire-Zambia boundary has been settled; long section with Congo along
the Congo River is indefinite (no division of the river or its islands
has been made)
Climate:
tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and drier in
southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands; north of
Equator - wet season April to October, dry season December to
February; south of Equator - wet season November to March, dry season
April to October
Terrain:
vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east
Natural resources:
cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold,
silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite,
iron ore, coal, hydropower potential
Land use:
arable land:
3%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
4%
forest and woodland:
78%
other:
15%
Irrigated land:
100 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
poaching threatens wildlife populations; water pollution;
deforestation
natural hazards:
periodic droughts in south
international agreements:
party to - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear
Test Ban, Tropical Timber; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Environmental Modification
Note:
straddles Equator; very narrow strip of land that controls the lower
Congo River and is only outlet to South Atlantic Ocean; dense tropical
rain forest in central river basin and eastern highlands
@Zaire, People
Population:
42,684,091 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.17% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
48.39 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
16.74 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
110.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
47.4 years
male:
45.57 years
female:
49.29 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.7 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Zairian(s)
adjective:
Zairian
Ethnic divisions:
over 200 African ethnic groups, the majority are Bantu; four largest
tribes - Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all Bantu), and the Mangbetu-Azande
(Hamitic) make up about 45% of the population
Religions:
Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other
syncretic sects and traditional beliefs 10%
Languages:
French, Lingala, Swahili, Kingwana, Kikongo, Tshiluba
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
72%
male:
84%
female:
61%
Labor force:
15 million (13% of the labor force is wage earners; 51% of the
population is of working age)
by occupation:
agriculture 75%, industry 13%, services 12% (1985)
@Zaire, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Zaire
conventional short form:
Zaire
local long form:
Republique du Zaire
local short form:
Zaire
former:
Belgian Congo Congo/Leopoldville Congo/Kinshasa
Digraph:
CG
Type:
republic with a strong presidential system
Capital:
Kinshasa
Administrative divisions:
10 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 town* (ville); Bandundu,
Bas-Zaire, Equateur, Haut-Zaire, Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental,
Kinshasa*, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Shaba, Sud-Kivu
Independence:
30 June 1960 (from Belgium)
National holiday:
Anniversary of the Regime (Second Republic), 24 November (1965)
Constitution:
24 June 1967, amended August 1974, revised 15 February 1978; amended
April 1990; new transitional constitution promulgated in April 1994
Legal system:
based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Marshal MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga (since 24
November 1965) election last held 29 July 1984 (next to be scheduled
by High Council, the opposition-controlled transition legislature);
results - President MOBUTU was reelected without opposition
head of government:
Prime Minister Etienne TSHISEKEDI (since NA 1993); note - de facto
executive authority is exercised by President MOBUTU
cabinet:
National Executive Council; appointed by the president on
recommendation of the prime minister
Legislative branch:
unicameral
parliament:
a single body consisting of the High Council of the Republic and the
Parliament of the Transition with membership equally divided between
presidential supporters and opponents
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leaders:
sole legal party until January 1991 - Popular Movement of the
Revolution (MPR); other parties include Union for Democracy and Social
Progress (UDPS), Etienne TSHISEKEDI wa Mulumba; Democratic Social
Christian Party (PDSC), Joseph ILEO; Union of Federalists and
Independent Republicans (UFERI), NGUZ a Karl-I-Bond; Unified Lumumbast
Party (PALU), Antoine GIZENGA
Member of:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador TATANENE Manata
chancery:
1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
(202) 234-7690 or 7691
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
(vacant); Deputy Chief of Mission John YATES
embassy:
310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa
mailing address:
Unit 31550, Kinshasha; APO AE 09828
telephone:
[243] (12) 21532, 21628
FAX:
[243] (12) 21232 or 21534/5, ext. 2308
consulate(s) general:
Lubumbashi (closed and evacuated in October 1991 because of the poor
security situation)
Flag:
light green with a yellow disk in the center bearing a black arm
holding a red flaming torch; the flames of the torch are blowing away
from the hoist side; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
@Zaire, Economy
Overview:
Zaire's economy has continued to disintegrate. While meaningful
economic figures are difficult to come by, Zaire's hyperinflation, the
largest government deficit ever, and plunging mineral production have
made the country one of the world's poorest. Most formal transactions
are conducted in hard currency as indigenous banknotes have lost
almost all value, and a barter economy now flourishes in all but the
largest cities. Most individuals and families hang on grimly through
subsistence farming and petty trade. The government has not been able
to meet its financial obligations to the International Momentary Fund
or put in place the financial measures advocated by the IMF. Although
short-term prospects for improvement are dim, improved political
stability would boost Zaire's long-term potential to effectively
exploit its vast wealth of mineral and agricultural resources.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $21 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
-6% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
$500 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
35%-40% per month (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues:
$NA
expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
$1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
copper, coffee, diamonds, cobalt, crude oil
partners:
US, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, UK, Japan, South Africa
Imports:
$1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
consumer goods, foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport
equipment, fuels
partners:
South Africa, US, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK
External debt:
$9.2 billion (May 1992 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity:
2,580,000 kW
production:
6 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
160 kWh (1991)
Industries:
mining, mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles,
footwear, and cigarettes), processed foods and beverages, cement,
diamonds
Agriculture:
cash crops - coffee, palm oil, rubber, quinine; food crops - cassava,
bananas, root crops, corn
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption
Economic aid:
recipient:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.1 billion; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $6.9
billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $35 million; Communist
countries (1970-89), $263 million
note:
except for humanitarian aid to private organizations, no US assistance
was given to Zaire in 1992
Currency:
1 zaire (Z) = 100 makuta
Exchange rates:
zaire (Z) per US$1 - 7,915,000 (September 1993), 1,990,000 (1992),
15,587 (1991), 719 (1990), 381 (1989)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
@Zaire, Communications
Railroads:
5,254 km total; 3,968 km 1.067-meter gauge (851 km electrified); 125
km 1.000-meter gauge; 136 km 0.615-meter gauge; 1,025 km 0.600-meter
gauge; limited trackage in use because of civil strife
Highways:
total:
146,500 km
paved:
2,800 km
unpaved:
gravel, improved earth 46,200 km; unimproved earth 97,500 km
Inland waterways:
15,000 km including the Congo, its tributaries, and unconnected lakes
Pipelines:
petroleum products 390 km
Ports:
Matadi, Boma, Banana
Merchant marine:
1 passenger cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 15,489 GRT/13,481
DWT
Airports:
total:
278
usable:
233
with permanent-surface runways:
25
with runways over 3,659 m:
1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
6
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
72
Telecommunications:
barely adequate wire and microwave service; broadcast stations - 10
AM, 4 FM, 18 TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT,
14 domestic
@Zaire, Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary National Gendarmerie, Civil Guard,
Special Presidential Division
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 9,178,659; fit for military service 4,674,819
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $49 million, 0.8% of GDP (1988)
@Zambia, Geography